free
THURSDAY
sept. 3, 2020 high 84°, low 62°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
C • Music mentee
N • Wastewater testing
dailyorange.com
Freshman Ben Fritz, who goes by the DJ name BenSpence, received mentorship from EDM artist Avicii and has performed at Ultra Musical Festival. Page 7
SU will test wastewater samples from a variety of on-campus locations for the presence of COVID-19. Positive test sites will be further investigated. Page 3
S • Make it four
David Kline, the head football coach at Cicero-North Syracuse, is preparing to make a run for a fourth consecutive sectional title this season. Page 12
on campus
2,500 students opt for online By Chris Hippensteel news editor
BRYAN JARDINES, a senior finance major who works at Life Sciences Cafe, said he expects to earn only about a fourth of what he earned last semester. emily steinberger photo editor
Shorter, fewer shifts for student workers Some students struggle to secure shifts as SU cafes, offices alter hours or close
By Sarah Alessandrini asst. news editor
P
hoebe Velez used to work nine hours a week at central services in Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. But that job, her main source of income, no longer exists. Shortly before she returned to campus this fall, Velez’s boss emailed her and said that central services would not be able to rehire her for the semester due to coronavirus-related safety restrictions. “It is all of my spending money for the year,” said Velez, a junior public relations major who helped deliver mail and worked in the auditorium during speaking events. “I have money stocked up from the previous semester, but I have no income for this semester.” Velez isn’t alone. SU has reduced hours for student workers at multiple offices and food services cafes due to COVID-19 health guidelines, and some student positions have closed completely. Student employees on Federal Work-Study told The Daily see work page 4
About 2,500 Syracuse University students have opted to take classes fully online this semester as of Tuesday, a university official told The Daily Orange. That preliminary number includes undergraduate, graduate and law students. If SU’s 2020 enrollment total remained the same as last year’s 22,850 students, that would mean about 11% of SU’s student body has opted out of taking in-person classes. SU won’t have an official count until the university conducts its fall census. Students’ reasons for not returning to campus this semester vary. For Grace Zhang, a freshman history major, and Alexa Schlitt, a sophomore sport management major, the potential of contracting coronavirus on campus dissuaded them from coming. Both Zhang and Schlitt said they were troubled by reports of parties and large gatherings taking place at SU, like the one that took place in the quad on Aug. 19. But they also said the university could have done more to protect students’ safety. “In my mind, my safety trumped the fear of missing out on events,” said Schlitt, who is immunocompromised. “I didn’t want to have to pick and choose whether I wanted to be safe or be with my friends, but I ultimately had to.” Remote students are experiencing their classes both synchronously and asynchronously. For classes that are in a hybrid format, they must join in-person classes via Zoom or another video conferencing service while their classmates on campus are together in a classroom. Remote students told The D.O. that, while their first week of virtual classes was easier than expected, they have still found it difficult to adapt to the new and unfamiliar environment. Students in different timezones said SU’s new asynchronous courses have allowed them to avoid some of the late-night or early-morning classes that were an issue when the university transitioned online in the spring. The synchronous elements, however, still remain a challenge for some students, said Kimberly Mitchell, a freshman magazine, news and digital journalism major taking her classes from San Francisco. Mitchell, whose classes start as early as 6:30 a.m. some days, said she’s had to adapt to her new schedule. “I wake up at 5:30 or 5:45 most days,” she said. “You just get used to it.” While some technical issues see remote page 4