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Syracuse University showcases its 150 years of history through the traditions students practiced. Curator Meg Mason selected close to 100 items for the exhibit. Page 7
Syracuse has launched a Financial Empowerment Center to provide counseling for city residents who struggle to navigate the world of finance. Page 3
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For defender Clarke Brown to become one of SU women’s soccer’s leaders, she had to become better at offense under head coach Nicky Adams. Page 12
Behind the curve Experts say state marijuana law “falls short”
city
SU issues statement on former professor By Casey Darnell news editor
Recreationalillustration marijuana by state by sarahlaws allam illustration editor By Natalie Rubio-Licht asst. digital editor
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ary Colmey, 65, saw three probation officers walk into his Rome store, Gary’s Music. They weren’t there to buy a musical instrument. In the back of his music store, Colmey runs a separate business called Gary’s Indoor Garden Supply. The supply store sells “absolutely legal cannabis,” or CBD, a product that does not get the user high and only relieves pain, he said. Colmey wasn’t nervous when the officers walked in. Two of them were regulars: one bought product for his 95-year-old father and the other bought products for himself. “(Cannabis) is how people get help,” Colmey said. “In my circle, they’re looking for medical and wellness reasons. We stopped calling it ‘getting high’ 20 years ago. We’re trying to get a good see marijuana page 4
Full legalization Decriminalization
graphic by karleigh ann merritt-henry digital design editor
on campus
SU to research drone impact, self-driving cars By Emma Folts
asst. news editor
Before drones can deliver fast food or Amazon packages, Syracuse University’s Autonomous Systems Policy Institute aims to address lingering concerns that surround their deployment. Jamie Winders, professor of geography, is leading SU’s efforts as chair of the institute launched in May. The ASPI is dedicated to researching and addressing questions concerning the use and deployment of autonomous systems, which SU defines widely as an electron-
ic system that can think independently. “We’re seeing all of this really exciting technological innovation, but what we don’t yet have is sort of a clear policy framework to guide how these systems will be used,” Winders said. Meanwhile, New York state is investing in what will soon be a drone corridor running from Syracuse to Rome. In August, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $5 million in investments to manage the corridor — with SU and Mohawk Valley Community College coordinating research, according to
Empire State Development, an organization representing the state’s economic development. Winders posed examples of issues the ASPI could study. If 50% of cars in New York City are driverless vehicles, and pedestrians are aware that the vehicles will stop if someone walks in front of them, traffic would come to a complete stand-still, she said. The ASPI could study, for example, whether walking in front of a self-driving vehicle should be illegal. For all the data that these systems collect, there needs to be
groups monitoring security and privacy concerns about who can own that data, Winders said. “Will everybody’s mobility be enhanced?” she asked. “Will everybody reap the benefits of these systems, or will some communities carry more of a burden than a benefit?” Finding solutions to these questions will be a long process, Winders said. Winders’ hope is that students are drawn to SU because it provides them the opportunity to be a part of a developing field. For now, industries see drones page 4
Syracuse University issued a public statement on Tuesday addressing the conviction of former professor Douglas Wonders on child sexual abuse charges. Wonders, 63, worked at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications for 22 years before retiring in spring 2017. He was convicted in May of repeated sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 10 years of probation, according to New York state’s sex offender registry. “This matter, which was recently brought to our attention, is deeply disturbing,” said Sarah Scalese, associate vice president of university communications, in a statement to The Daily Orange. “We have no reason to believe any of our students were impacted.” Scalese’s statement is the university’s first comment on Wonders’ conviction. The abuse was reported to law enforcement in August 2016, and the sex offender registry shows his mugshot was taken in March 2017. The charges against Wonders were not reported at the time of his re-tirement in May 2017. Wonders’ conviction was first reported last week by Syracuse. com, when he was sentenced. He knew the victim, whose identity is undisclosed. Court records from cases involving the sexual abuse of minors are usually sealed and not open to the public. Wonders lives in Geddes, a town west of Syracuse, according to the sex offender registry. He did not answer the door at the home address listed in the registry. Several neighbors on his street said they didn’t know Wonders. One neighbor, who declined to be named, said Wonders had lived there, but he hadn’t seen Wonders since last week, when his conviction was reported. During his time at Newhouse, Wonders taught classes, such as “Photography for Non-Majors,” and ran the photo studio. He also took faculty portraits and set up a film lab for students during Newhouse’s Fall Workshop. “Syracuse University condemns sexual misconduct, assault and harassment,” Scalese said. “We have clear policies and procedures in place to support the reporting, investigation and adjudica-tion of allegations.” Asst. News Editors Gabe Stern and India Miraglia contributed reporting to this article. cdarnell@syr.edu @caseydarnell_