The D.O. Alumni Newsletter Winter 2013

a lu m n i n e w s l e t t e r w i n t e r 2 0 13 | 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 ac u s e , n.y.

From the editor’s desk: Paper moves forward with website redesign and national recognition

F

or more than a century, The Daily Orange

mark cooper

enterprise and alternative story formats.

I have spent most of my

has been a model of

strong college journalism,

semester at 744 Ostrom Ave.,

publishing stories that have

but when I am not at the D.O.

stood the test of time and are

office I am finishing up my senior year as a newspaper

still discussed in the office.

We strive to tell equally

and the funky bunch

we now must tell them in more mediums than ever.

My name is Mark Cooper, and I am the editor in chief for the 2012-13 academic year. This summer, The D.O. took a step forward with a website redesign, which

journalism major. I spent the last two years in the

poignant stories today, but

INSIDE

sports department, working

The story behind “Fait Accompli” Page 3

in the spring as well as

Alumni news beyond the Hill Pages 5 and 11 Decades of paper’s archives to be digitized Page 10

lished by D.O. alumni, made the redesign a

covering football and men’s basketball.

I share the management office with my managing editor, senior Laurence Léveillé, a former copy chief

debuted on the first day of fall classes. Design firm Upstatement, estab-

my way up to sports editor

and assistant copy editor.

I see an eclectic group of students come

reality and our entire staff holds a tremendous

together to share the sleepless nights, the fifth

amount of gratitude. Alumni Mike Swartz and

cups of coffee, and the persistence it takes to

Tito Bottitta and colleague John Boilard vis-

work as a team and put out a daily paper. I see

ited Syracuse in October to talk about the site

the potential for what this paper can be and, on

with the staff and further discuss The D.O.’s

some days, is. And I see no limits to where we

presence in print and online. (For more on the

can go.

website, see Page 2.)

The redesign and other steps we are taking to be more web-savvy are necessary to remain

Year in review • The paper was named best all-around

at the forefront of college media. The website

daily student newspaper by the Society of

received a nod from Editor and Publisher this

Professional Journalists for 2011, won a Pace-

fall with an EPPY award, and website views

maker Award from the Associated Collegiate

are up 25 to 30 percent compared with last fall.

Press for the second straight year and tied for

The primary focus of the paper remains

Editor and Publisher’s award for best college/

print, where other changes are taking place.

We push design forward and try to go bigger

university newspaper website.

• As always, there has been plenty of news to

with each edition — testing new ideas and

keep the staff busy. In October, the Dalai Lama

concepts that are unconventional but worth

visited campus and Chancellor Nancy Cantor

a shot. I would rather see us try to go big than

announced plans to step down in 2014 (see Page

remain conservative — creativity is needed

3). Over winter break, we utilized the website

to make sure the paper is picked up. That also

to commemorate a few sports

means finding a balance between longform

see cooper page 8

D.O. A Z O O L A P JOIN US FOR

4, 2013 2 — 2 2 y r Februa The Daily Orange’s annual alumni gathering will take place on the SU campus, and we’d like you to join us!

D.O. Palooza offers workshops for student and professional journalists and a chance to catch up and network with fellow alumni.

Meet-and-greet at The Daily Orange Friday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. 744 Ostrom Ave. Catch up with your friends and former colleagues and meet the current staff members. Refreshments will be served.

Alumni workshops and seminars Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Newhouse See our list of panels and workshops on Page 8.

Syracuse vs. Georgetown Saturday, 4 p.m., Carrier Dome This year marks the last game against Georgetown before SU goes to the ACC. The D.O. will reserve a select number of first-come, first-served group tickets for alumni. If interested in attending, please email editor@dailyorange.com.

Goodbye brunch Sunday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m., Rachel’s Restaurant at the Sheraton Please contact us if you plan to attend so we know how many to expect.

da ilyor a nge.com r edesigned

Alumni’s design firm makes D.O. website one to behold

By Chelsea DeBaise

site’s former platform, College

Feature Editor

Publisher, was not conducive to integrating new ideas students

In the eyes of Upstatement, col-

might have, Novack said.

lege newspapers are no less valued

Former managing editor and

than professional publications.

“The way we see it is we’re

2012 alumna Amrita Mainthia,

trying to bring really high-quality

one of the people most involved

services to small publications,”

with the initial collaboration, said

said Jared Novack, development

working with the design team she

director of Upstatement and for-

had heard about at The D.O. was a

mer editor in chief of The Daily

dream come true.

Orange. “We don’t look at student

“They are living legends in

newspapers as being any differ-

the house,” Mainthia said. “The

2013 | THE FUTURE

ent.”

Upstatement is a design firm

idea that I had to bring them in to help us revamp and redesign the website, it just started off as

based in Boston, where Novack has teamed up with Tito Bottitta

2010-2012

and Mike Swartz, former editor

‘Hey, maybe I’ll have the honor of picking their brains.’ We didn’t

in chief and presentation direc-

decide that they would actually

tor of The D.O., respectively. The

take on that challenge until we

three alumni work with designers

were far into it, and that was

John Boilard and Jeff Vlahos to

more than any of us could

bring premier editorial design to

ever ask for.”

The end product, one that

the Internet.

Novack said he and his team

The firm has worked with highprofile clients such as the United

were “really excited about,”

Nations and The Boston Globe.

tied for Editor & Publisher’s

Last summer, its staff worked with The D.O., running point on

2012 award for best college/

2005

university newspaper website

a full redesign of dailyorange.com

with the University of Georgia’s

through extensive collabora-

student newspaper, The Red and

tion with the paper’s web com-

Black.

The D.O.’s redesign sparked

mittee.

“I think that in 2012, the

an interest in Upstatement from

idea that The D.O. is just a

other student publications as

print paper that happens to

well.

publish online is old,” Novack

“The number of other calls

said. “That’s a 2003 methodol-

we’ve had from other student

2004

ogy.”

newspapers really speaks to the

Though not a Syracuse alum-

fact that people have taken notice

nus, Boilard was the point person

and they really like what they

for the project — “the guy that was

see,” Novack said.

Novack said the firm is looking

really in the trenches,” Novack

into building a platform where

said.

small publishers could create

The new website is hosted on WordPress, which allows the editorial staff to have complete control over its design. The web-

2 w i n t er 2 013

2000 | Humble beginnings

their own interactive websites in an affordable fashion. cedebais@syr.edu a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

‘ t h e big ges t n e w s s t or y t h e d. 0 . h a s d on e i n a w h i l e’

An in-depth look at the chancellor’s leadership style

By Marwa Eltagouri Design Editor

Referred to as one of the most important reporting projects The Daily Orange has published in recent years, “Fait Accompli” grabbed the attention of campus and the high-

THURSDAY

april 26, 2012

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to g out?Follow @dailyorange on Twitter Missin news. Go to our Sucks for you.

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ut has changed througho

By KathleenNTRonayn EDITOR

e

DEVELOPME

utility. Fear. Distrust. used common themes These are three to or Nancy Cantor by critics of Chancell in her eightre on campus describe the atmosphe y.

Syracuse Universit year tenure at marginaliza reputation for Cantor has earned and stifling vilifying critics speech, free ing student and administraSome faculty, staff on open dialogue. ed public humiliati experienc tors say they have

Published as two articles on April 26, the

like

By Beckie Strum the hiring of faculty, the academic mission STAFF WRITER that has to do with be under the g angry anything — should primarily critics, conductin the university reezing out vocal media and of g unfavorable of the faculty.” are the rants, dismissin have one control that faculty members to information The recognition , teaching, prolimiting access ce. ers in research shared governan of shared long-term stakehold organiza victim in common: sits at the heart ted and enrollment are very complica PAGE 8 ,” said motion “Universities SEE GOVERNA NCE function is academic main the tions, but academic freedom r, an expert in Ellen Schrecke

ing and caught the eye of media blogger Jim

F

Romenesko, Syracuse.com and other outlets.

and

By Casey Fabris Jess Iannett a STAFF WRITERS

. He taught HNR sity Honors Program Borders and HNR 240: Arts Without He also in Syracuse.

210: Theatre departin the English taught classes 152: Interpretation ment, such as ETS

facWest, part-time Professor Bill the English departulty member in of of Drama.

University, died h, deputy director Eric Holzwart ment at Syracuse sent an email from cancer Tuesday of the honors program, complications faculty in the honors University Hospital. to students and night at Upstate West was teaching SEE WEST PAGE 12 Until last week, UniverRenée Crown classes in the

editor and editorial editor) reported as a team, eventually choosing to each write one article.

To describe what sources cited as Cantor’s leadership style, the package was headlined

Ronayne’s article explored the atmosphere Cantor had created in her seven years as chancellor. Interviews consistently revealed three

academic affairs.

After covering the administration for about two years, Ronayne and Strum had a collection apher | staff photogr mitchel l franz

English, arts professorcer Fine hired to consult Israeli team can of The Daily Orange The r battlingpage dies aftefront on April 26. The series “Fait Accompli” garnered attention on campus, in the Syracuse community and even nationwide. Kathleen Ronayne placed sixth in the 2012 Hearst Enterprise Reporting contest for her piece.

editor) and Beckie Strum (’12, former news

their senior year.

across campus, most notably the influence on

ions fine a llegat

Kathleen Ronayne (’12, former managing

began planning during the fall semester of

sense of fear and marginalization of voices

say those they’ve heard and recount stories the chancellor. fearful of crossing alone make them y will speak is the universit “The model here and you won’t to, you will listen when it wants chair of the public Brenda Wrigley, e School disagree,” said Newhous S.I. the at nt relations departme ications. a picture of Public Commun portray rs supporte ns who Cantor and her with strong convictio PAGE 6 of a dynamic leader SEE ATMOSPH ERE

ty voice, ty marginalizes facul e Sense of fear, futili nanc mic affairs, govereducation. Areas like “curriculum, like s— influence in acade in higher admissions standard

package was based off six months of report-

story about Cantor’s leadership, which they

Strum’s story focused on the effect of that

e of dissent in pursuanc Cantor squashes critics say y atmosphere,a culture others of retaliation. Many goals, creates chill stories and perceive

F

Over time, their observations and reporting led them to realize there was a larger

distrust.

ip style and Daily Orange interview Cantor’s leadersh six months, The Chancellor Nancy on.

During the past campus regarding explorati are a result of that administrators across . These stories academic missions

Cantor’s leadership and academic mission.

them their first introduction to Cantor’s presence and demeanor, Ronayne said.

the Cantor administration: fear, futility and

t, dy done or in effec “Something alrea n or argument useless” staff and making oppositio ed dozens of faculty,

look at Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy

worked as assistant news editors. This gave

feelings of faculty and staff members toward

FAIT ACCOMPLI

er-ed community last spring with an in-depth

Strum and Ronayne began covering the administration as sophomores, when they

ri

By Marwa Eltagou EDITOR ASST. NEWS

menís basketFormer associate Fine has been ball coach Bernie basketball club hired by an Israeli by since being fired ó his first job y in November.

Syracuse Universit Haifa of the Maccabi Bazan Super League ll Israeli Basketba Fine Thursday that will announce

FINE

to player will contribute a com. Fine as well as the will work as personnel decisions basketba ll consearch next season. teamís coaching sultant to the from the United Fine will work by team, owned g to the article. d States, accordin F lo r i d a - b a s e from the universiFine was fired n s surfaced businessma 27 after allegation Nov. ty Jeffrey Rosen, assaulted former to that he sexually and Mike accordin g Bobby Davis 26 ball boys an April SEE FINE PAGE12 article on ESPN.

of sources they could turn to. But they strived to reach beyond the cluster of voices that are frequently, and loudly, critical of Cantor.

“We wanted to show that this was a more widespread problem than just five or 10 angry people,” Ronayne said.

When attempting to discuss personal anecdotes and interactions professors had with

“Fait Accompli,” meaning “something already done or in effect, making opposition or argu-

since gone on to reporting positions at The

the chancellor, Ronayne said many sources

ment useless.”

Concord Monitor and The Daily Star in Leba-

wanted to remain anonymous. As a result,

non, respectively.

several anecdotes were left out because they

They interviewed dozens of faculty members,

were so specific that even anonymity would not

many of whom asked to stay anonymous, focus-

The goal wasn’t to gin up controversy,

ing on those whose voices weren’t often heard.

Ronayne said, but to shed light on concerns

One of the final interviews was with Cantor her-

related to Cantor’s leadership style. The report-

Dara McBride, editor in chief of the paper

self, in which the chancellor had the opportunity

ers wanted to inform faculty and students of

from fall 2011 to spring 2012, called “Fait

to respond to every point of criticism.

those concerns and let them decide whether

Accompli” “the biggest news story The D.O.

that was how they wanted the public face of the

has done in a while.” She served as main

The stories ran a week before the end of Ronayne and Strum’s senior year. They have

university to act.

have protected the source.

see cantor page 10

Cantor announces plan to leave SU The Daily Orange dealt with breaking news when Chancellor Nancy Cantor announced in October that she would leave Syracuse University when her contract expires in 2014.

Although the past year included public challenges for the university, such as sexual abuse allegations against former assistant men’s basketball coach Bernie Fine, Cantor said her decision was based on the amount of time she will serve SU. “Ten years is a substantial amount of time to lead an institution,” she said in an interview with The D.O. the day she announced her departure.

3 w i n t er 2 013

Click here to read up on Cantor’s 10-year history at Syracuse University at dailyorange.com Cantor became SU’s 11th chancellor in 2004 and has led the university with a focus on expanding the university’s name worldwide and strengthening ties to the city through programs such as the Connective Corridor, Say Yes to Education and the Near Westside Initiative. In September, she announced the completion of the Cam-

paign for Syracuse University, which aimed to raise $1 billion by Dec. 31, 2012.

During her time at SU, Cantor dealt with university lows, such as the Bernie Fine allegations and the controversial decision to shut down the student-run television station Hill TV. She was sometimes criticized by the higher ed and campus communities for her emphasis on community engagement rather than traditional scholarship.

The search for SU’s 12th chancellor is expected to take a year to a year and a half.

— The Daily Orange staff

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

Thanks for reading! Now, get involved with

$

Contribute

Giving a gift is now as easy as making an online purchase (www.dailyorange.com/donate). Or, send to 744 Ostrom Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210.

Connect

Join our email listserv for more updates. Send your email address to alumni@dailyorange.com. Follow on Twitter @DOalumni.

Mentor

We’re looking for a few alumni to mentor this semester’s new staffers in every department (photo, design, advertising, etc.).

Please email alumni@dailyorange.com.

click here to

! g r .o a a o d w e n VISIT The Thanks to Sean Branagan ('80), David Dwiggins ('98) and IT Director Mike Escalante ('14), the alumni website has an updated look and feel. New features include message boards for reconnecting with old friends and posting job openings, historical information and alumni news. Visit the site today to set up or update your account. Please send any feedback or suggestions for what you'd like to see on the site to Brittney at alumni@dailyorange.com.

4 w i n t er 2 013

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

e Hill d their lives beyond th

staffers an Former Daily Orange

s r e k a m s alumni new Larry Kramer ’72

design for print and online.

“I think it’s a golden age,” he said.

Then: City editor of The Daily Orange and editor of The Promethean, which merged with The D.O. and an SU weekly in 1971 to form the independent D.O.

“It’s scary because so much is chang-

Now: President and publisher of USA Today

suming more content than ever.”

A

fter 40 years in the media business, Larry Kramer was happily retired. But when USA Today came knocking, he jumped at

the opportunity to return to a newsroom.

ing, the world of journalism is changing, but I think more people are conReaders felt passionately enough

of Syracuse University.

A f ter

b ei n g

approached by parent company Gannett, Kramer became

about USA Today to send comments about the redesign. Kramer said the feedback led to a typeface change and reminded him how engaged readers can be.

“You miss the camaraderie, you miss the

president and publisher of USA Today in the

Journalism shakeups are rooted in the start

fact that so much great journalism is done by

fall. The newspaper celebrated its 30th anni-

of Kramer’s media career. He was editor in

groups of people,” said Kramer, a 1972 graduate

versary in September and launched a new

see kramer page 9

Dave levinthal ’02 Then: Editor in chief, managing editor

or 15 presidential elections, there may not be one quite like that one,” Levinthal said.

Before being named a senior reporter at the Center for Public Integrity in Decem-

Now: Senior reporter at the Center for Public Integrity after covering the presidential election for Politico

ber, Levinthal was a reporter for Politico, specializing in campaign finance and lob-

waiting for the 2000 Election Day

A

dential election

results, Editor in Chief Dave Levinthal

that I cover going

to report on the race between President Barack

and The Daily Orange’s news staff were poised

forward, whether it

Obama and Mitt Romney, beginning after the

in Tennessee, Florida and Washington, D.C.,

was 2004, 2008 or, of course,

first debate and what he called Romney’s “sec-

ready to report.

this one, I always have to, on election night,

ond lease on life.”

s the nation held its collective breath

For Levinthal, the experience shaped his career in political reporting.

“Every presi-

“The best and most exciting elements of

year 2000, which I suspect if I cover another 10

see levinthal page 9

A few months ago, he was counting signatures on a greeting card for Spider-

Then: Asst. sports copy editor, asst. sports editor

Man at Comic Con. The record attempt

Now: Head of the U.S. records management team at Guinness World Records

was successful, with 2,707 signatures. It was broken again eight days later by a

etween 45,000 and 50,000 world records

team at Guinness

are attempted each year. Approximately

World

2 to 3 percent — about 1,000 attempts —

Janela oversees the

meet the official requirements and succeed.

It is Mike Janela’s job to decide if the attempts pass.

“It’s overwhelmingly unsuccessful,” he said.

As the head of the U.S. records management

5 w i n t er 2 013

October proved to be the most interesting time

harken back to what was going on during the

mike janela ’07

B

bying. He covered the 2012 elections and said

Records,

company’s New York

United Kingdom insurance firm, which garnered 4,347 signatures for the birthday of its mascot, the Churchill Dog. Before that, he was in California, where a

office. He spends his time

group attempted to break the record for number

either in an office in Manhattan — checking

of dogs on a surfboard. The pups couldn’t stay on

records he doesn’t need to see — or flying

the board long enough to be officially counted.

across the country and around the globe to adjudicate attempts.

Janela has been to Tokyo and Puerto Rico to

see janela page 9

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

in memoriam

Chester Hansen: 1930s editor whose WWII diary serves as page of history

By Jon Harris Staff writer

C

the Raleigh, N.C., area in 2001.

In the Army, Hansen was

II, for fear that it could end up in

detail never wavers.

In 1951, Hansen transferred

enemy hands.

hester Hansen used to

assigned as an aide to Gen. Omar

Hansen was a fluid writer who

to the U.S. Air Force and was

wake up early, jump in his

N. Bradley, the nation’s last five-

had a good eye for detail and an

assigned to the CIA. Four years

Ford Model A and deliver

star general. He accompanied

impressive ear for dialogue, said

later, he left active duty and

The Syracuse Daily Orange to

Bradley in the North Africa cam-

scholar Rick Atkinson, who used

joined the Reserves. He later

the dorms and fraternity houses

paign, in the invasion of Sicily and

Hansen’s diary in his Pulitzer

worked in public relations for

across campus.

as Bradley commanded the Ameri-

Prize-winning book “An Army at

IBM, where he was Thomas Wat-

Just hours earlier, he was work-

can ground forces on D-Day, dur-

Dawn,” which covered the Allied

son Jr.’s speechwriter and editor

ing to produce the paper. Hansen

ing which he sent Hansen ashore

invasion of North Africa.

of the company magazine until he

was The D.O.’s editor during the

twice to report.

1938-39 school year, after a twosemester stint as a junior editor.

The one fallback of the diary, he

retired in 1986.

All the while, Hansen faithfully

said, is that the entries rarely cast

New Canaan, where Hansen

kept his detailed personal diary.

Bradley in anything other than a

and his wife lived for decades, was

favorable light.

heavily Republican when they

Hansen died Oct. 17 at age 95 in

It eventually added up to 300,000

a nursing home in Raleigh, N.C.,

words detailing battles and scenes

following a stroke.

Hansen

lived there. But Hansen, a Demo-

of carnage and, more commonly,

remained an aide to Bradley and

crat, won a seat on the town’s gov-

Back in the late ’30s, The D.O.

entries about military people of

followed him through posts as

erning body. John Wood, Hansen’s

was four to six pages and sold for

the time, including Bradley and

the head of the Veterans Admin-

son-in-law, said the Republicans

3 cents. Syracuse football, greek

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.

istration, Army chief of staff

respected Hansen.

After

the

war,

“When

he

would

talk

in

life and the events leading up to

Hansen used any piece of paper

and first chairman of the Joint

World War II dominated its con-

he could find and then wrote the

Chiefs of Staff in 1949. Hansen

schools, a kid would ask him,

tent.

entry on his typewriter. It was

became a lieutenant colonel in

“What’s the bravest thing you ever

Hansen graduated from Syra-

the same machine he used to

July 1945.

did, Col. Hansen?” Wood recalled.

cuse University in 1939 with a

write love letters home to his wife

Hansen also recorded hun-

Hansen would reply, “When I

journalism degree, but his writ-

Marjorie, whom Hansen met on a

dreds of hours with Bradley

moved to New Canaan, I regis-

ing career began as a high school

blind date and went on to marry in

and used them when he ghost-

tered as a Democrat.”

student in Elizabeth, N.J., when

November 1942.

wrote Bradley’s best-selling war

Hansen was also a longtime

he won a journalism award and

Volumes of his diary and his

memoir, “A Soldier’s Story,”

New Canaan Library board mem-

covered the Lindbergh kidnap-

typewriter sit at the Army Heri-

published in 1951. The memoir

ber. The library has a section

ping trial. In 1941, after college,

tage and Education Center in Car-

mentions Hansen occasionally,

named after him, the Chester B.

he was drafted into the Army,

lisle, Pa., as part of the Chester

including a moment when he,

Hansen Collection of American

where he flourished as the writer

B. Hansen Collection. It includes

Gen. George Patton, Eisenhower

History and Art. Every year, he

of a diary that keeps his memo-

drafts, speeches, photographs and

and Bradley laid their eyes on

would lead the town’s Veterans

ries alive and serves as a docu-

notecards Hansen used in inter-

the horrors at the Dachau con-

Day parade.

ment of World War II history.

views with Bradley.

centration camp.

“He was a colonel all the way to the end,” Wood said.

Hansen was born May 17, 1917,

The diary is one of the collec-

“Eisenhower’s face whitened

in Elizabeth, N.J., to Marie and

tion’s most important document

into a mask. Patton walked over

He is survived by a son, Jeffrey

Harold Hansen, Norwegian immi-

because of its rich details and

to a corner and sickened. I was

Hansen; two daughters, Randi

grants.

insights, which have served as a

too revolted to speak,” the memoir

Leigh Wood and Tracy Kimball

His wife, Marjorie, died in 2008.

gold mine for World War II histori-

reads.

Hansen; two grandchildren; and a

The couple lived in New Canaan,

ans and authors. Keeping a diary

The memoir also has its softer

Conn., for 45 years. They moved to

was prohibited during World War

moments, though the strength of

6 w i n t er 2 013

sister, Gladys Caprario. jdharr04@syr.edu

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

in memoriam

Bob Heisler: 1971-73 editor who transitioned D.O. to independence

By Laurence Léveillé

her the importance of journalism.

Managing editor

“He made me believe that being

W

ith his feet propped

a newspaper reporter was close to

up on his desk, arms

God’s work and that there wasn’t

behind his head and

any job out there or anything we

a smile on his face, Bob Heisler

could do that could be better than

would welcome Daily Orange staff

that,” Beck said.

Heisler had a vision for the

members into his office to talk

paper and a strong sense of what

about anything.

This is the image Robert Tem-

it meant to be a journalist. He

beckjian, editorial director from

believed the newspaper was not

1971-72, has of Heisler. Through

only a place for campus news, but

the connected door between their

also for city and national news. He

offices, Tembeckjian would watch

once sent Tembeckjian to Chicago

Heisler engage anyone walking by

to cover a convention for student

in conversation.

leaders who were engaged in antiwar activity, Tembeckjian said.

Whenever Heisler and Tembeckjian met for lunch at their

“He had a vision of what the

favorite Mexican restaurant in

newspaper ought to be and how it

Manhattan years later, Heisler would always wait for him with a margarita, chips and guacamole, and a smile on his face.

“He always had that same smile on his face that was his hallmark 40 years ago,” Tembeckjian said.

Heisler died May 5 at age 60, after a long struggle with cancer.

He was diagnosed in February 2011. He will be remembered as a legacy at The D.O., as a respected leader, and as an inspiration to young journalists.

“There’s an entire generation of people in journalism who have been calling and saying how he is responsible for their being journalists,” Sarah Heisler, his daughter, said in May. From 1971-73, Heisler served as

ought to operate freely from edito-

heisler in the 1970s. | photo by jerry bodlander

‘‘

rial influences like the faculty and

recent position was managing editor for features at the New York

He made me believe that being a newspaper reporter was close to God’s work and that there wasn’t any job out there or anything we could do that could be better than that.”

The D.O.’s editor in chief. It was

Barbara Beck

during this time the student-run

D.O. managing editor, 1971-73

Heisler also emphasized the responsibility of the paper in

Daily News.

Heisler had a quiet passion for

terms of reporting fairly and

journalism, said Bruce Apar, The

aggressively. When student jour-

D.O.’s features editor from 1971-73.

nalists covered antiwar protests

Although he was soft-spoken, it was

on campus, Heisler made sure sto-

clear to those who met Heisler that

ries were reported from an objec-

he was passionate about his life,

tive point of view, Apar said.

family and profession, Apar said.

His maturity and ability to

Heisler stored wingtip shoes

manage people were his strengths

and a suit at The D.O. and was

as a leader. Apar said the best

sometimes seen wearing one shoe

phrase that applies to Heisler is

while the other rested on a fil-

“wise beyond his years.”

ing cabinet in his office. The shoe

“Even as the Daily Orange stu-

would remain there for decades

dent editor, he was like the old

after Heisler left The D.O., with

man of The Daily Orange in terms

incoming editors in chief using it

of his innate wisdom,” he said.

for a traditional beer chug at the

His wisdom showed in his managing style. Heisler had an

start of their term.

newspaper became independent

administration,” Tembeckjian said.

many

instinct for knowing what worked,

20-year-olds that wore wingtips in

what people responded to and how

“I

didn’t

know

too

of Syracuse University. Less than

career at several publications,

1971,” said Barbara Beck, manag-

to manage them, Apar said. Beck

1 percent of college newspapers

including

ing editor of The D.O. from 1971-73.

said Heisler knew how to match

across the United States were inde-

Daily News, Newsday, the Stam-

“I thought that was really weird.”

reporters’ skills with the right

pendent.

ford Advocate, the Providence

Beck said Heisler inspired

After Heisler graduated from

Journal, the New York Post and

people to become better reporters,

“There are people who have

SU, he continued his journalism

the Journal News. His most

writers and editors. He also taught

see Heisler page 9

7 w i n t er 2 013

the

Philadelphia

jobs.

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

in memoriam

Helen Straus: 1930s associate editor and pioneer for women in journalism

By Evan Bianchi staff writer

son Hugh Straus said the first item

New York Herald Tribune after

Museum of Natural History and the

in her scrapbook is a letter to the

she moved to New York City, Hugh

League for the Hard of Hearing.

Straus said.

Helen Straus, a former associ-

editor of the Glens Falls Post-Star,

ate editor at The Daily Orange,

about how the Mufti of Jerusalem

died Aug. 3 at age 96. She was a

was treating Jews.

As a member of Americans

In addition to being a female

for Democratic Action, Straus

pioneer in the journalism field,

befriended Eleanor Roosevelt. The

“What amazed me was that

Straus contributed to medical

two founded the American Asso-

she was the child of non-English-

journals and was among the first

ciation for the United Nations,

associate editor from 1933 to 1934

speaking

to write about contraception, her

Hugh Straus said. As Straus’

and was the editorial writer during

Straus said, “yet this letter writ-

son said.

guest, Roosevelt spoke at the Park

the 1935-36 academic year. She grad-

ten by a child was lucid.”

female pioneer of journalism.

At The D.O., Straus served as an

immigrants,”

Hugh

At the City College of New York,

Avenue Synagogue as a Friday night speaker.

uated from Syracuse University’s

Straus achieved syndication in

Straus taught opinion writing. She

School of Journalism at a time when

55 papers across the nation. She

also worked for the Edward L. Ber-

Straus died in her home in

men dominated the profession.

became a reporter for the Knick-

nays public relations firm, Hugh

Kingston, N.Y. She is survived by

Straus’ passion for writing

erbocker News in Albany, N.Y.,

Straus said. Her work in public

sons Hugh and Leone Straus.

began when she was young. Her

and was a feature writer for the

relations involved the American

cooper from page 1

milestones and big stories. We created a “special edition” homepage the night Jim Boeheim won his 900th game and incorporated the fan experience into our content for the Pinstripe Bowl. The website was also our primary outlet when football coach Doug Marrone left Syracuse for the NFL earlier this month, and our coverage brought in so much traffic that it gave our server issues.

• The D.O.’s various Twitter handles have continued to grow, with the @dailyorange account reaching more than 7,000 followers recently. We use Storify to gauge crowd reactions in realtime, and the paper has its own Instagram account. All of this has been catalyzed by the creation of

ebianchi@syr.edu

D.O. PALOOZA WORKSHOPS GROUP PANELS Building your toolbox | Between the web, print, social media, video, photography and more, aspiring journalists must be multifaceted.

Panelists will discuss how to learn those tools while at The D.O. The panel will discuss the best practices in order to make oneself a marquee candidate for a job opening as they leave SU. Producing in-depth news in a frenzied media cycle | Media outlets work 24 hours a day looking for the latest scoops and breaking news. How can journalists remain committed to producing quality work while dealing with an around-theclock news cycle that demands speed, accuracy and detail?

Breakout Discussions Transitioning to non-newspaper jobs | Many students will move on to a career outside of journalism. How can the skills learned at The D.O. translate elsewhere?

The new new media | Chances are, many students will not be at a traditional newspaper by the time they graduate. There’s a lot to prepare for, including photo essays, interactive graphics, HTML5 storytelling and different segments of original content.

The best practices for beat reporting | Much of the best enterprise writing comes from beat writing. D.O. staffers will likely have a beat if they remain in journalism. What are some of the best ways to cover your beat? How do you build and maintain relationships with sources, and how do you immerse yourself in the team or topic you’re covering?

Print design in the digital age | Often, we see newspapers trying things they would not have done a few years ago. As fewer people pick up papers and more view news from their smartphone, there needs to be something great in the paper every day. In order for a newspaper to stand out, it needs great visuals and great design.

This panel tackles how print design has evolved recently and how The D.O. could improve.

Media and the law | This panel will discuss some of the biggest issues and controversies that could lead to libel lawsuits or other legal issues.

Social media overload | Journalists are required to tweet. Take photos. Provide blog updates.

Utilize live chats and Facebook. How can journalists and publications best make use of social media? What are the best practices for promoting one’s work? How do you increase engagement and interaction with readers?

a social media producer position last spring and the addition of a

board of directors formed a focus

made to cut costs, an increase

web developer during the sum-

group of non-readers to help us

in ad sales and alumni contribu-

mer. We also recently hired a

gauge what the community needs

tions, we finished the year making

video editor to work on postgame

and wants in a campus newspaper.

a profit.

interview videos for sports and standalone multimedia stories.

• In order to continue working toward the future, the paper’s

8 w i n t er 2 013

Financially, things looked up

We obviously cannot rest on

in the spring. Due to the strength

that news, for the print industry

of our board of directors, the prag-

is much in flux, but it is a positive

matic measures the editorial staff

sign that I hope will continue.

Mark Cooper (’13) is the editor in chief and former sports editor of The Daily Orange. He also serves as president of the paper’s board of directors. He is always open to coffee donations, so if you would like to send some or to contact him with comments or ideas, you can reach him at editor@ dailyorange.com and on Twitter @ mark_cooperjr.

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

Alumna co-editor of Pulitzer-winning team

A former Daily Orange editor in chief served as co-editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into violence in local schools.

Rose Ciotta, the Inquirer’s senior projects editor, was instrumental in the project that was awarded a gold medal in public service in April.

In a seven-part series, the Inquirer presented “Assault on Learning,” which revealed violence in the city schools was widespread and underreported. The report’s findings were later confirmed by a Philadelphia School District blue-ribbon panel on safety and prompted more incident reporting in the district and the hiring of a state-funded safeschools advocate.

Ciotta graduated with

janela from page 5

adjudicate attempts as well.

degrees in newspaper journalism and political science in 1975 and was The D.O.’s editor in chief during the 1974-75 school year. She began working at the Inquirer in 1998.

She played an extensive role in the project, organizing the team of five reporters, three photographers and the investigations editor and coordinating reporting plans.

Working at The D.O. greatly contributed to her successes in journalism, Ciotta said.

“The D.O. taught me everything,” she said. “It was instrumental in gaining experience needed for reporting.”

By Rachael Barillari (’14), editorial editor. She can be reached at rebarill@syr.edu. A version of this article appeared in The Daily Orange in April.

heisler from page 7

That sense of humor stayed intact while he was fighting cancer.

When Tembeckjian told Heisler a friend would be visiting from

been managers for 20 years who

Costa Rica, Heisler said, “Good.

could learn from Bob Heisler, the

I’ll try to stick around to see her.”

student editor when he was 19, 20 years old,” Apar said.

“He fought his cancer aggressively for the better part of two

When Apar worked at The D.O.,

years,” Tembeckjian said. “But in

Heisler let him put out an artsy

the end, he accepted the inevitable

weekly magazine that contained

with grace and class and humor.”

fiction stories. The paper thrived

Heisler was able to find com-

because Heisler gave people free-

mon ground with people he met

dom to do what they wanted while

and make them laugh within five

maintaining a standard of excel-

minutes, Sarah Heisler said. Her

lence in the quality of coverage

father was the funniest man she

and editing, Apar said.

ever knew, she said, but she did not

Heisler’s friends also remem-

realize his significance in journal-

ber him for his sense of humor and

ism until she was in high school

wit. While Heisler was working at

and college.

The D.O., Tembeckjian told him

In February 2011, Heisler vis-

not to let his position as editor in

ited Syracuse to celebrate the 40th

chief get to his head. Heisler said,

anniversary of The D.O.’s inde-

ken to before and interview him

“Don’t worry, I already know this

pendence. He told staff members

about his son helps prepare you for

is the most important job I’ll ever

and writers about the newspaper’s

when you’re talking to a pastor in

have in journalism.”

history, including the Shoe.

Minnesota who’s trying to orga-

In another instance, the pub-

“It’s very humbling to think

nize the largest tower of cookies or

lishing company that printed The

about what an influence he had,

something,” Janela said.

D.O. switched from hot typesetters

apparently,” Sarah Heisler said.

years ago, beginning in the sports

The attention to detail and ana-

to cold typesetters. Heisler made

“Obviously he’s responsible for

record department. Before that, he

lytic thinking required for sports

sure everyone learned how to use

everything that is good about me,

was a sports journalist, gaining

journalism carries over, too.

the cold typesetters and joked that

but it’s nice to know that he influenced everyone else, too.”

Janela joined Guinness three

skills and knowledge at The Daily

“If you sit at the baseline of

if journalists learned how to set

Orange and Syracuse University.

the Carrier Dome watching Gerry

type, they would always have a

lgleveil@syr.edu

While people do not immediately

McNamara hit 3-pointers for a

job in the newspaper business,

see a link between sports jour-

game,” he said, “you’ll be able to sit

Tembeckjian said.

This story originally appeared in The Daily Orange in May.

nalism and adjudicating records,

with someone at a gym for an hour

there definitely is one, he says.

trying to count those as well.”

“Being able to dial up a football player’s father that I’ve never spo-

By Meghin Delaney (Dec ’12), a former editorial editor. She can be reached at medelane@syr.edu.

kramer from page 5

taught him about activist journalism, and left him with the belief that the role of a newspaper should be to inform, not advise.

levinthal

During

the

2012

presiden-

a sudden shift in momentum for

chief of a former campus news-

a candidate, as well as providing

paper, The Promethean, in 1971.

tial election, USA Today did not

up-to-date coverage and results.

The publication merged with the

endorse candidates. The paper’s

To stay relevant and to retain

Dialog, an SU weekly, and The

coverage of swing states and

what was really a long and pro-

readership, he said, news organiza-

Daily Orange that year to form the

issues on the local and national

tracted election process were saved

tions must offer immediate reports

independent D.O.

level gave readers what they need-

for the final couple of weeks, and I

on platforms such as social media.

from page 5

Kramer is also the founder of

ed to choose the candidate right for them, Kramer said.

don’t know if a whole lot of people

Said Levinthal: “I suspect that

MarketWatch, a website for busi-

really expected that prior to that

you’re going to see an increasing

ness and financial news, and a for-

Kramer said: “Our goal is to

first presidential debate,” he said.

movement among news organi-

mer reporter for The Washington

inform the public and give the

zations to a ‘Tweet first, provide

Post and San Francisco Examiner.

public the best tools to make the

Going forward, Levinthal said, news organizations and political reporters in particular will have to do a better job preparing for unexpected occurrences, such as

9 w i n t er 2 013

context later’ mentality.”

By Avery Hartmans (‘14), asst. feature copy editor. She can be reached at avhartma@syr.edu.

Kramer said he remembers how politically charged students — and The D.O. — were during his time on campus. The experience

decision for themselves.”

By Dara McBride (’13), development editor and former editor in chief and news editor. She can be reached at dara.mcbride@gmail.com. a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

D.O. makes strides with digitization of archives Alumni have the opportunity to preserve their work; one donation of $200 can pay for an academic year’s worth of newspapers

allow the text of the archives to be searchable.

More accessible archives will be helpful for reporters and the campus community and a chance for alumni to wax nostalgic about stories they wrote or pages they designed, McBride said.

“It’s a great experience to see alumni look

By Erik van Rheenen

through the archives,” said McBride, who

staff writer

recalled showing alumni around The D.O.’s morgue to reminisce over old issues.

Dara McBride, former editor in chief of The Daily Orange, has spent hours digging through

Mike Escalante (’14), The D.O.’s IT director,

the paper’s archives, looking through book

said the projected cost is significantly less than

after book of back copies, taking in Syracuse

what the committee expected.

University history and planning future stories.

“About a decade ago, the price point was a

The paper’s archives committee, for which

bit much,” Escalante said. “But now it’s much more realistic.”

McBride (’13) serves as chair, wants to make

SU’s library has created microfilm copies of

those issues available to a wider audience and

every newspaper, and sending that microfilm

easier to use — by digitizing them.

“We started talking about it last year,”

to an imaging center is more cost effective

McBride said. “It’s finally coming together now.”

than sending individual newspapers to be scanned.

McBride, who said she has been interested in the archives for a long time, took over as

But one snag in the fundraising process,

the committee’s chairperson when Kathleen

Escalante said, will be finding alumni to

Ronayne (’12) graduated. McBride said the

donate for some of the paper’s earliest years.

committee’s two biggest goals were to fix the

If alumni make donations to years that are

bound books in The D.O.’s attic and to focus on

already funded, committee members will ask

digitizing the archives.

if the donation can be directed to an earlier year that has fewer or no living alumni.

The committee digitized a few issues from 1903, the paper’s founding year, and 1971, the

The response to the digitization campaign

year it gained independence, as examples when

so far has been positive. To generate greater

it announced the project in the fall.

interest among the SU and Daily Orange com-

The committee is asking alumni to help

munities, the committee was considering

fund the process. With a donation of $200, an

starting a Kickstarter campaign, as suggested

alumnus or a group of alumni can sponsor

by D.O. alumnus Mike Swartz (’06).

an academic year of their choice. Each donor

“The response from alumni has been great

will be credited for the year he or she donates

so far,” Escalante said. “We’re ushering in a new era of access to the archive information.

toward. For example, a line would read “1982 digitization brought to you by John Smith.”

The goal is to have every year that receives

cantor

The software the committee chose will

ervanrhe@syr.edu

Ronayne and Strum did not aim to

rewarding came from an unex-

in response to the stories and a

write a critical story, but wanted

pected audience: students.

firestorm of responses on social

to cover what individuals thought

from page 3

It’s going to be a whole new world for us.”

funding by May to be digitized within a year.

Students

who

weren’t

fre-

media. Both avenues produced negative and positive feedback.

of the administration and were

quent D.O. readers told Ronayne

editor on the project because it

prepared to receive mixed feed-

they read the story and so did

“The feedback we got really

was spread out over the terms of

back from readers, McBride said.

all of their classmates. Professors

showed we struck a nerve,”

across campus were encouraging

Ronayne said. “If there was no

students to pick up a copy.

truth to it, I think people would’ve

Ronayne said she was expect-

two news editors.

Though the article has been called

controversial,

McBride

refers to it as “hard-hitting.”

10 w i n t e r 2 0 1 3

ing to hear positive and negative opinions, but the one source of feedback

that

was

especially

Following publication, The D.O. received 10 letters to the editor

just blown it off.” meltagou@syr.edu a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

ALUMNIUPDATES the class of

2012 Former staffers gather at 744 Ostrom for the traditional senior photo before commencement in May. The Class of 2012 is represented at, among other places, Gannett, The Concord Monitor, The Orange County Register, Business Insider, Chuck’s, Details magazine, The Daily Star (Lebanon), ComiXology, The (Utica) Observer-Dispatch and the Indianapolis Star.

1947

Edith Handleman Lank is still writing a weekly column distributed nationally through Creators Syndicate.

Years ago, when she first proposed the column to her local paper, the Rochester, N.Y., Democrat and Chronicle, one of the editor’s questions was “Will you be able to keep it up?” She was able to answer that she’d written a three-times-a-week column in The Daily Orange. That did it — and since then she’s had 11 books published, including one translated into Spanish.

She was a junior editor at The D.O., just before the men came back from the war in 1946 and took everything over. And she wishes she’d thrown herself in front of the bulldozers that tore down Yates Castle.

At 86 years old, she has no need to stop — the best thing about being a writer is that you can do it sitting down.

86andholding.blogspot.com

RECENTDONORS

Special thanks to our alumni and friends, whose financial support is invaluable.

Bruce Alpert

Scot French

Joyce Meltzer

Budd Bailey

Ethel D. Fritts

Susan Miller

Anthony Barcellos

David Gaewski

The Drs. Millmoss

David Bauder

Bette D. Glickman

Sy Montgomery

Michael Becker

Sondra L. Gordon

Jared A. Novack

William J. Breisky

Jonathan Halitsky

Peter Parrish

Wendy W. Bridgeo

Jean Havens

Lewis A. Prombain

Greg Caren

Jack R. Henks Jr.

Lawrence Rakowski

Christopher M. Covello

Debra Gersh Hernandez

Lila Roberts

George Criticos

Stacy Hofmann

Judith M. Backover, who has lived in California since graduating from Syracuse University, retired in June 2012 from careers in newspaper journalism and education. She was on the Daily Orange staff from her first day at SU and was the newspaper’s features editor.

Dave Curtis

Michael Janela

Justin Silverman

Brittney Davies

Carl Johnson

Beverly B. Dominy

Andrew Jokelson

Katherine Drouin-Keith

Larry Kramer

1976

Alice J. Drucker

Emily Kulkus

Mike Swartz & Elyse Andrews

Steven H. Dunne

Janet Langsam

Chris Viviano

Mel Elfin

Dave Levinthal

Robert Ward

Marsha Evans

Howard Mansfield

Donald Weill

Raf Frankel

Marilyn Marks

Craig Weinstein

Karen M. Franz

Peter V. McNally

Judith Ann Whitehouse

1974

John G. Clemons, ABC, APR, was named an International Association of Business Communicators Fellow, the highest honor of the global network of communication professionals. Selection criteria include service to IABC and the profession, career accomplishments and other factors. Clemons was The D.O.’s 1975-76 features editor.

Jacqueline L. Salmon Chris Snow Brad Spry Chuck Stevens

submit your news to alumni@dailyor ange.com 11 w i n t e r 2 0 1 3

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com

PASTE-UP

Laying out your trip down memory lane

TRADITIONS: THE QUOTE BOARD

People tend to say their best — or worst — late at night. When sleep deprivation hits, the ability to filter words can be nonexistent. And there’s no better place to catch those slipups than at The Daily Orange.

Since at least the early 1970s, staff members have found their most memorable quotes hanging on the newsroom wall.

Known as the quote board, the wall is filled with comments from any and all staff members who have said something that could be taken out of context. Each quote is awarded a superlative.

“He reads my body like braille,” for example, got the “It’s-always-better-with-thelights-perpetually-off” award last semester.

When a new staff takes over, the previous semester’s quotes go into a drawer of the newsroom.

But that doesn’t mean they’re forgotten.

Budd Bailey (‘77) remembers this one from his days at The D.O.: “What’s Gerald Ford’s greatest accomplishment?” “Pardon?”

FROM THE WALLS: OVERRATED?!

The story is told to every incoming sports writer.

Dueling columns by Ethan Ramsey (’08) and Zach Berman (’08) sparked one of the most famous Jim Boeheim diatribes — and a popular T-shirt.

Late in Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara’s senior season in 2006, Ramsey and Berman published columns debating McNamara’s worth. Ramsey said he was overrated; Berman said he wasn’t.

FROM THE MORGUE: ELECTIONS

In November 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt won the presidential election over Herbert Hoover, without the support of most Syracuse University students. Instead, students voted for Hoover in four of five districts. In 1960, John F. Kennedy was four electoral votes shy of winning the presidency at press time (after 4 a.m.). Both he and Republican candidate Richard Nixon went to bed without an official announcement, The D.O. reported.

After Syracuse defeated Cincinnati in a tight game in the Big East tournament, Boeheim sounded off in response to the paper, saying Syracuse would not have won “10 f**king games” without McNamara.

The shirt is now pinned prominently to the wall in the sports office, with Ramsey and Berman’s signatures.

This newsletter was edited by Laurence Léveillé, Mark Cooper, Brittney Davies, Dara McBride and Kathleen Ronayne. It was designed by Katie McInerney. Send feedback to alumni@dailyorange.com.

12 w i n t e r 2 0 1 3

a lumni@ da ilyor a nge.com