Graduation Guide 2015 by The Daily Orange

HATS OFF GRADUATION GUIDE 2015

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Cover photo by Logan Reidsma | Asst. Photo Editor

NEWS Booking it

PULP Going nuts

Hotels around Syracuse see increased traffic during commencement weekend and the Sheraton uses a lottery system. Page 6

Gil Maher recently got hired as the Planters’ Mr. Peanut and will go on a year-long tour beginning in June. Page 11

NEWS Giving back

SPORTS Going on

Class of 2015 graduates are encouraged to give back to SU through various giving campaigns. Page 8

Gogo Kollie is using his experiences from a rough childhood and his mother’s death to guide his future after SU Page 19

PULP Coming home

SPORTS Next step

SU graduate student Jackin Alix BienAime plans to return home to Haiti after graduation to work on the country’s emergency communication system. Page 11

Komal Safdar had a professional tennis career derailed by a wrist injury, and will now pursue a medicalcareer. Page 19

As we go on

Welcome aboard

The 2015 Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF commencement ceremony will take place on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Carrier Dome. See dailyorange.com

The Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF Class of 2015 will be joining an improving job market following graduation. See page 5

NEWS

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Mary Karr reflects on life, writing before giving commencement speech

place to be

UNIVERSITY AVE

SOUTH CROUSE AVE

Speaker shares past experiences

Every college and school within Syracuse University, as well as SUNY-ESF, will host separate commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2015 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Here’s a look at the different convocations and their separate locations:

MARSHALL STREET

1 CARRIER DOME

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College of Law Friday at 1 p.m.

4 COMSTOCK AVE

UNIVERSITY PLACE

By Lydia Wilson

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asst. news editor

Before Mary Karr sold her first book, she was a poor, single mother, working and raising her son on an adjunct professor’s salary. Karr recalled not being able to afford a car as one of her biggest challenges because she struggled to transport her son or drop him off at day-care when she needed to. “Anybody who tells you that’s not important has never been as broke as I was,” Karr said. Within the frame of just a few years, however, Karr would receive national acclaim and success for her bold, personal works as a memoirist and poet. Karr, now the Jesse Truesdell

Here is a round-up of news happening around the nation and the world: POLITICS

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina both announced their bids for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on Sunday and Monday, respectively. source: the new york times

U.S.

source: the new york times

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Renée Crown University Honors Program Friday at 3 p.m.

School of Architecture Saturday at 9 a.m.

FORESTRY DRIVE graphic illustration by chloe meister design editor

GUIDE TO CONVOCATIONS Individual schools, colleges to hold separate ceremonies

will be the recipients of the honorary degrees. Thompson will step down from his role as chairman of the Board of Trustees this month when his term ends. Every college and school within SU, including the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, will host separate Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2015 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Seniors Ashlee Newman and Ronald Taylor will serve as class marshals for this year’s Commencement. A live-stream of the event will be available online through the SU website.

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3 SETNOR AUDITORIUM,

CROUSE COLLEGE

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Friday at 2 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree candidates Saturday at 9 a.m. College of Arts and Sciences master’s degree candidates Saturday at 2 p.m.

SCHINE STUDENT CENTER

School of Information Studies Saturday at 9 a.m.

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Martin J. Whitman School of Management master’s and doctoral degree candidates Saturday at 12:30 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences master’s degree candidates Saturday at 2 p.m.

5 SRC ARENA AND EVENTS CENTER SUNY-ESF Saturday at 1 p.m.

6 MANLEY FIELD HOUSE

— Compiled by Justin Mattingly, Asst. News Editor, jmatting@syr.edu

he 2015 Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF Commencement ceremony will take place on Sunday in the Carrier Dome at 9:30 a.m. Mary Karr, an award-winning poet, will be the keynote speaker for the ceremony. In addition, she will be one of five members of the SU community to receive an honorary degree. Karr is also a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and was formerly a poetry columnist for the Washington Post. Sports broadcaster Bob Costas, executive director of F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse, Charlotte Holstein, Karr, educational leader Sonia Nieto and chairman of the SU Board of Trustees Richard Thompson

College of Engineering and Computer Science master’s and doctoral degree candidates Saturday at 1 p.m.

4 GOLDSTEIN AUDITORIUM,

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source: the new york times

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Saturday at noon

University College Thursday at 6 p.m.

SHOOTING IN TEXAS Dallas police officers killed two men who allegedly opened fire outside of a cartoon contest of the Prophet Muhammad on Sunday. The event was sponsored by the anti-Muslim group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative.

Martin J. Whitman School of Management bachelor’s degree candidates 3:30 p.m.

2 HENDRICKS CHAPEL

COMSTOCK AVE

SURVEY SAYS Dave Goldberg, entrepreneur and CEO of survey company SurveyMonkey, which is estimated to be worth $2 billion by investors, died suddenly last Friday. He is survived by his wife, Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, and their two children.

College of Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree candidates Saturday at 9 a.m.

College of Visual and Performing Arts Saturday at 7 p.m.

see karr page 5

national news

Just the same The Department of Public Safety is using the same strategies and preparation as last year for this year’s commencement ceremony. See page 9

School of Education Saturday at noon College of Engineering and Computer Science bachelor’s degree candidates Saturday at 9 a.m. David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics Saturday at 4 p.m.

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Graduates to enter improved job market for young workers By Danny Mantooth asst. copy editor

“All hiring is based upon not just the current economy, but the expectation employers have that the economy will improve,” he said.

As Class of 2015 graduates transition from college to the working world, they will be entering a job market that is improving and increasing hiring. Mike Cahill, director of Syracuse University Career Services, said businesses seeking sustained growth will often turn to younger workers. “A lot of it for college students is the comfort of level of employers,” he said. Hiring of college graduates will increase 16 percent from last year, according to a March 9 marketplace.org article. The article also lists information services, finance and insurance and business and scientific services among the leading sectors in growth. Engineering graduates earn the largest starting salary, according to the article, at an average of $63,000 per year. Cahill said this upward trend has occurred slowly but the last couple of years have seen the most improvement.

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Chambers said she then took him out to dinner and continued helping him outside of class throughout the next few weeks. “You make a decision to love your students,” Karr said. “They have to be people you choose to care about personally, or else you may resent them because they take away time from your writing.” Chambers said because Karr spends so much time with her students, she’s not afraid to look at their work closely, question it and push back. “I’ve probably received more rigorous written feedback from Mary on my poetry than I have from anybody else,” Chambers said. “It’s indicative of the degree to which she holds students, and certainly held me, accountable for the writing we’re putting on the page.” Adam Bright, a graduate student in the MFA program who worked with Karr as his thesis adviser, recalls advice Karr gave which struck him: Saying the things that you’re scared to say is not a source of weakness; it’s a source of power. Bright said Karr, whose work is known to be brutally honest and vulnerable, expects the same from her students. “She really makes people cough up their vulnerabilities, give up their defenses and get to the heart of what is interesting about their story,” he said. Bright said if you speak up in Karr’s class, you can expect her to take your comment seriously enough to challenge it or ask you to back it up. There are no abstract conversations about poetry in Karr’s class, only real, personal stakes and exposed emotions, he said. “She won’t let you hide, which can be easy for young poets to do,” Bright said. “She’ll smoke you out into the open, and that’s an incredibly viable thing.” Cathryn Newton, who worked with Karr when Newton was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2000-2008, said Karr is a magnificent recruiter and has been crucial in the growth of the creative writing program at SU. “She has a stunning ability to identify exceptionally talented faculty, and she also has an unerring eye for talent in students,” Newton said. Newton said Karr is known for her ability to frame things with directness and sensitivity. Newton added that Karr brings “unsparing honesty combined with compassion” to the

karr

Peck Professor of Literature at Syracuse University, will deliver this year’s commencement address in the Carrier Dome on Sunday. She will also receive an honorary degree as a Doctor of Humane Letters from SU. Though Karr said she starts to sweat when thinking about speaking in front of so many of her close, personal friends and colleagues, she is touched, surprised and honored to be giving the address. Before coming to SU, Karr worked at several other colleges and universities, including Tufts, Emerson, Harvard and Sarah Lawrence. Karr joined the Master of Fine Arts program at SU in 1991. Karr said she is first and foremost a poet. She has published four volumes of poetry, was a poetry columnist for the Washington Post and received a Guggenheim Fellowship. Karr published her first memoir “The Liar’s Club,” which details her troubled childhood in a small Texas town in the early 1960s, in 1995. She was a New York Times best-selling author for over a year. She went on to publish “Cherry” and “Lit,” both memoirs of her dealings with adolescence, sexuality, adulthood and addiction. Though Karr said the desire to write came before the desire to teach, she has discovered teaching to be a satisfying “spiritual pursuit.” “When you’re a young writer you have these delusions of grandeur, that you’ll grow up and become this big fancy writer,” Karr said. “But you realize it’s more gratifying to help others’ dreams come true.” Karr is a trustee professor teaching one semester per year. She balances her time between Syracuse and New York City. When she’s not teaching, Karr said she focuses her time on big projects and books. Grady Chambers, a graduate student in the MFA program, said one of the most outstanding things about working with Karr is her attention to students and their work. Chambers recalled being in a poetry workshop taught by Karr, and feeling deeply anxious about his work and the direction it was taking. He expressed this in class, and Karr held him after to sit down and talk through it.

The number of non-farm jobs added to the U.S. economy in March source: u.s. department of labor

After the recession in the late 2000s, the economy has slowly but steadily improved, said Don Dutkowsky, an economics professor at SU. Dutkowsky said the U.S. is fortunate on two counts: one being the country dodged a depression and the other being that the economy has been improving each year. “It is not a fully recovered economy,” Dutkowsky said. He added that it is not at its peak health, but it is better than last year. He explained that business follows a simple

pattern of consumer confidence increasing, which encourages businesses to increase production, which then induces hiring. “The stronger the economic activity, the more they have to step up their productivity,” Dutkowsky said. Non-farm employment increased by 126,000 jobs in March and unemployment remained 5.5 percent, the lowest it has been since May 2008, according to an April study by the U.S. Department of Labor. While employees and workers with experience have an edge on college graduates, graduates can use internships and their GPAs to showcase their skills and abilities, Dutkowsky said. “GPA stands for mastery of skills in the workplace,” Dutkowsky said. He explained that because graduates often do not have the experience of older workers, employers use academic measurements to assess how “teachable” a potential employee is. Career Services helps students and graduates coordinate their job searches. Cahill said

he does this by emphasizing how to engage in the job search process effectively. Part of that process is finding job postings and preparing cover letters and resumes, he added. Other ways Cahill said both graduates and current students can better their chances of capturing the job or career they desire is by cultivating relationships and making contact with employers. Cahill explained that employers are not often looking for someone with the exact major as the open job. “People hire you for skills, not for your titles,” he said. Sometimes graduates do not know the full range of opportunities that are actually out there. Looking at the job search process as an exploration is one way of broadening one’s perspective, Cahill said. “That’s the one thing I always emphasize,” Cahill said. “Everyone is going to get one.”

classroom. In her time working with Karr, Newton said, she has not only been a valued colleague, but also a close friend. “Mary has a sparkle, pizazz, directness and amazing way with language that is with her whether she is in a one-on-one conversation or with 2,000 of her friends in the Carrier Dome,” Newton said. “I think people will love her.” Karr’s teaching experiences helped inspire her newest piece, “The Art of Memoir,” which will be released next fall. The piece discusses

“how we kid ourselves and about who we are and how we remember things,” Karr said. Karr added that she has also begun work on a project with Showtime, a television series about her life, starring Mary-Louise Parker. Karr said most of her favorite discussions about literature and poetry have happened within the walls of SU. “We’re all part of this really important conversation about love, suffering, survival and what it is to be a human being,” she said.

dmantoot@syr.edu

lawilson@syr.edu

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Local businesses prepare for commencement weekend By Alexa Torrens staff writer

Every May, hotels in Syracuse are flooded with families and friends of students graduating from Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF. But booking a hotel room for Commencement is not as easy as making a phone call — it’s a competition. The senior classes of SU and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry will graduate in a dual ceremony on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Carrier Dome, but local hotels and businesses are already preparing for the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2016. The on-campus Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center is a clear choice for reservations during commencement weekend. Rather than conventionally booking rooms for commencement, the Sheraton instead has a lottery system that randomly assigns rooms to those who sign up, a Sheraton hotel representative said. The lottery takes place the first Monday in December or January of a student’s junior year — nearly a year and a half before commencement even takes place. At the end of the following February, the names are drawn and reservations are announced. The Parkview Hotel, located on East Genesee Street in downtown Syracuse, does not use a lottery system for commencement weekend reservations, but its room booking method is

also fairly competitive. The Parkview Hotel sets a date, which is usually in the first two weeks of June, and a time for potential guests to make a reservation, a hotel representative said. Parkview only accepts direct calls made to the hotel, and reservations are booked on a first-come, first-serve basis. “We usually fill up within the hour,” the Parkview representative said. Other local businesses are also preparing for commencement weekend. Sabry Langford, a manager at Faegan’s Café & Pub, said the restaurant is prepared for the crowds it will attract this weekend. Langford said that Faegan’s has twice as many staff members compared to a typical day because of commencement. She added that the restaurant has stocked up on food supplies and that the kitchen staff will be doing more preparation than usual. Faegan’s hours of operation will remain the same and its weekly events, including Tuesday Beer Tour, Wednesday Flip Night and Thursday $3 drafts, will continue as usual, Langford said. The pub is accustomed to busy nights when there are big events happening on campus, Langford said, such as the NCAA East Regional Tournament and the Billy Joel concert, which both took place in the Carrier Dome in March. “When anything happens at the Dome, those nights we are really busy for, and obviously SU games we are really busy for as well,” she said. atorrens@syr.edu

OPINION

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Students should value Karr’s perspective Students must not disregard Mary Karr’s selection as the 2015 commencement speaker because she is a faculty member at Syracuse University, regardless of how she was selected. Graduating seniors have expressed disappointment about the commencement speaker selection since the announcement in mid-April. Students have said on social media and in interviews with The Daily Orange that they are disappointed that organizers failed to pick someone from outside of the university community. But Karr’s qualifications to be the commencement speaker are reflected in her career. She teaches in the Creative Writing program and is the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of Literature. Karr is also the author of The New York Times best-selling memoirs “The Liars’ Club” and “Cherry,” as well as New York Times best-seller

“Lit.” In the past, Karr has worked as a poetry columnist for The Washington Post. Because Karr is a faculty member, she has the unique opportunity of being able to connect with the graduating class as a speaker who understands SU culture. Commencement speakers often face criticism that their addresses are too vague and lack specificity to the graduating school. But Karr’s relationship with SU may prove her to be a stronger choice as someone who can offer advice to students who share similar community values. Despite the fact that Karr is qualified as an accomplished writer, the university’s selection of a faculty member for 2015 should not set the precedent that a commencement speaker should be a university employee. The process to select the commencement speaker consisted of recommendations from 2015 class

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marshals Ashlee Newman and Ronald Taylor, along with one or two marshals representing each individual college at SU. Once the group of 20-30 marshals collectively decided on a list of recommended speakers, the list was submitted to the university administration who chose Karr as the commencement speaker. The selection process is not particularly transparent, and when 30 people are recommending speakers for an entire senior class, it can be difficult to represent broader interests. Having more input from the senior class on who the recommended speakers are could correct this issue. As a writer, Karr’s job is to deliver information that is compelling and engaging to audiences. While the planning of the selection of the 2015 commencement speaker can be criticized, students must be open to Karr’s address as an accomplished individual.

business

Graduates should take advantage of NY loan forgiveness program

raduating college can be scary for a lot of reasons, but the biggest scare for most students is loans. If unmanaged, they can haunt graduates for decades as interest accrues. But if you’re planning on staying in New York state after graduation, a new program could help you tackle those loans. In late April lawmakers passed a budget for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program. Under the program, New York state will pay for any outstanding loans for a student’s first two years out of school, giving graduates the opportunity to start their careers without panicking about piling debt. News Editor Editorial Editor Sports Editor Feature Editor Presentation Director Photo Editor Art Director Copy Chief Development Editor Social Media Producer Video Editor Web Developer

Brett Samuels Erin G. Kelly Phil D’Abbraccio Clare Ramirez Mara Corbett Frankie Prijatel Tony Chao Audrey Hart Jacob Klinger Anna Hodge Leslie Edwards Margaret Lin

BRIAN CHEUNG

I’M A BUSINESS, MAN Syracuse University graduates should strongly consider signing up for the new program if they meet all the requirements. Especially for those fretting over how to handle loans when moving to New York City (where living costs are astronomical), the Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness program would provide relief so that graduates can focus on starting their careers. In order to be eligible for the program graduates need to meet three key requirements. The first is that you must attend college in New Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Design Editor Design Editor Design Editor Design Editor Design Editor Design Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor

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York and continue to live in the state after graduation. You also must earn less than $50,000 annually in your job following graduation. Lastly, you must be a participant in the federal Pay As You Earn (PAYE) loan repayment program. The PAYE program allows graduates to structure their loan repayment by taking 10 percent of their income each year for 20 years, with any outstanding loan after those 20 years being forgiven. For the first two years after graduation, the Get On Your Feet program would cover any debt not already covered by the PAYE program. The program comes as Governor Cuomo continues to push his vision

for a more economically prosperous New York state. Part of that plan involves keeping college graduates in the state and matching them with New York employers. The Get On Your Feet program incentivizes staying in the state by trying to alleviate the growing student debt problem. The governor’s office says three out of five students in New York graduate with student debt, with average debt of $25,537. The Class of 2015 will be the first class eligible for the program. The plan will cost an estimated $41 million annually and hopes to cover about 7,100 graduates this year with expected growth in enrollment to 24,000 by 2019-2020.

Because the program was only recently passed, the state is still working on setting up a system to sign up for Get On Your Feet Loan Forgiveness. But checking in with the SU financial aid office will help you get plugged in to all the appropriate information when it is available. Paying loans are never fun, but coming up with a strategy to pay off debt now will pay big rewards in the future. New York state’s new program could be the first step. Brian Cheung is a senior broadcast and digital journalism and finance dual major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at bkcheung@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @bcheungz. Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Assistant Advertising Assistant Advertising Assistant

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Committee encourages seniors to give back to university By Thomas Beckley-Forest staff writer

Over the course of her senior year, Hailey Temple chose to donate $20.15 and divide it evenly between The IT Girls, a camp she had worked at, and the Remembrance Scholars fund that had helped her pay her tuition to Syracuse University. That was all Temple, a dual public relations and information management and technology major, needed to meet the $20.15 individual donation goal that the Class Act campaign asks each member of the 2015 graduating class to contribute to their soon-to-be alma mater. Students can give their gifts online on SU’s website, specifying any program or department they would like to receive their donation. As of April 30, the student participation rate was estimated at 13.5 percent, the highest it has ever been, Temple said. “You talk to people about giving money and their eyes kind of glaze over,” said Temple,

also a member of the 2015 Senior Giving Campaign committee that promotes Class Act. “They say things like ‘I have all these loans,’ or ‘I’m too broke.’” The roughly $20 gifts are manageable for college students, and can really add up, Temple said. Last year the giving campaign raised $1.1 million, she added. “People say, ‘It’s only 20 dollars, how far is it going to go?’” Temple said. “If a bunch of people meet their goal, that makes a huge impact.”

1.1 million Amount of money raised by the Senior Giving Campaign committee in 2014

Kyle Fenton, another committee member and a senior information management and technology major, said the central purpose of Class Act is to raise awareness about what students can do for the programs they care

about at SU. “We’re more of an awareness committee,” Fenton said. “We’re asking students, ‘What made your experience at SU worth it?’” Fenton gave half of his own donation to his a capella group, Otto Tunes. The 10-person 2015 Senior Giving Campaign Committee has also been working on Class Act with the Philanthropy Council to encourage all students to donate whether they are graduating or not. Aside from spreading awareness by wordof-mouth and encouraging friends to donate, Class Act campaigners have set up tables in Schine Student Center, Ernie Davis Dining Hall and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications during times like Philanthropy Week. “It’s just to get people involved with that aspect of giving back,” said Ivan Rosales-Robles, Philanthropy Council chairman and a senior accounting, finance and policy studies major. “You can give back to where your

heart lies.” The Philanthropy Council was founded in 2010 by then-senior Helene Kahn, said Rosales-Robles, who joined near the end of his freshman year. The big-picture goal of Class Act and the Philanthropy Council is to change the culture of giving back among SU students, Rosales-Robles added. The yearly Class Act campaign began in 2010 as well, and the percentage of student participation has increased every year since, said Kristen Duggleby, assistant director of annual giving programs. “This year the Class of 2015 has been unbelievable,” Duggleby said. “Students from every school have made gifts.” The period for students to give their gifts will last until the end of the fiscal year on June 30, Duggleby said. “We really hope that all students will give gifts as seniors,” Duggleby said. “This is a chance to leave your legacy.” tjbeckle@syr.edu

Class marshals discuss choice of commencement speaker By Sara Swann asst. news editor

To Molly Matthews, having Mary Karr chosen as the 2015 commencement speaker was a “cop-out.” “If I wanted to hear her talk, I would’ve taken one of her classes,” said Matthews, a

senior advertising and art history dual major. Following the announcement that Karr, an award-winning poet and professor, would deliver the keynote address at the joint Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF commencement ceremony in the Carrier Dome on Sunday, many students expressed disappointment in the choice. While some said they were famil-

iar with Karr’s work, most agreed it would have been better to have someone from outside the university deliver the address. Karr, a professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, also teaches in the Creative Writing program and is the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of Literature at SU. In order to choose the 2015 commencement speaker, 2015 class marshals Ashlee Newman and Ronald Taylor, along with one or two marshals representing each school or college at SU, decided on a list of recommended speakers, Newman said.

It would’ve been nice if a person from outside of Syracuse was speaking so we could get a different perspective. Amber Evans senior information management major

Newman added that once the list was finalized in spring 2014, the group of 20-30 marshals submitted it to the university administration, where the final decision was made for Karr to be the 2015 Commencement speaker. Newman said the submitted recommendations for that year’s commencement speaker are never a guarantee and the administration could ultimately decide upon a speaker who was not on the original list. Since both the list and the selection process are confidential, Newman and Taylor, who are both senior public policy and political science dual majors, were unable to say if Karr was on the original recommendation list that they helped submit to the SU administration. Taylor declined to comment on his opinion of Karr as this year’s commencement speaker. “I think that (Karr) will be a great representation of the wonderful people that are a part of the Syracuse University faculty,” Newman said in a text message.

Some seniors said the fact that Karr was a professor at SU made the 2015 commencement address less exciting and somewhat disappointing. Karr is the author of The New York Times best-selling memoirs “The Liars’ Club” and “Cherry,” as well as New York Times best-seller “Lit,” the sequel to those two memoirs. In addition, Karr was formerly a poetry columnist for The Washington Post. MacKenzie Maloney, a senior advertising major, said she had heard of Karr through her books, but she was still disappointed the university didn’t get someone outside of the SU community. Maloney added that she thought it was “obvious that someone else dropped out” and that SU “could’ve found someone else who was cooler.” Amber Evans, a senior information management major, said having Karr as a speaker doesn’t feel that prestigious, especially since public figures like Hillary Clinton have spoken at the university before. “It would’ve been nice if a person from outside of Syracuse was speaking so we could get a different perspective,” Evans said. “It means more if the speaker’s from outside of Syracuse. I mean, why did they pick her?” Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, said in an email that Karr was ultimately chosen as the 2015 commencement speaker because she is “an exceptional writer and teacher.” Quinn said he did not think the fact that Karr is a professor at SU would have any real effect on this year’s commencement address, “other than it is a nice change for one of our own to have the honor of delivering the Commencement speech.” “I think it’s rare for someone to attain prominence in so many genres: in poetry, literary criticism, memoirs, essays, screen writing and song writing,” Quinn said. “(Karr is) someone who will share with graduates a unique perception on the world in a very meaningful way.” smswann@syr.edu | @saramswann

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DPS to maintain same security level as past commencements By Rachel Sandler staff writer

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF commencement ceremony will have the same level of security as last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event, a DPS official said. The reason for keeping the level the same is that this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commencement speaker, Mary Karr,Â is similar to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speaker, David Remnick, in that she isÂ not very well known or controversial, said Vern Thompson, day patrol operations and event commanderÂ for theÂ Department of Public Safety. Karr is an award-winning poet and SU professor, while Remnick is the editor of The New Yorker. The 2015 commencement ceremony is set to take place on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Carrier Dome. Speakers that areÂ more widely known or contentious need more security because there isÂ anÂ increased risk, Thompson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had any threats out there for us to alter or change from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year was a great event. It worked out well.â&#x20AC;? Previous commencement speakersÂ such as Vice President Joe Biden in 2009Â andÂ former President Bill ClintonÂ in 2003Â have needed extra security. In 2013, DPS heightened security efforts as a result of the bombing at the Boston Marathon. If there is a last minute security threat this year, plans can change, Thompson added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very flexible with that,â&#x20AC;? he said. DPS works with many different law enforcement agencies as well as many groupsÂ to pro-

videÂ aÂ full securityÂ detail, since DPS does not have the capability to do everythingÂ itself, Thompson said. He added that DPS will â&#x20AC;&#x153;have a big presence on campus.â&#x20AC;? To prepare for the commencement ceremony, DPS works with the Department of Homeland Security as well as other national, state and local security forcesÂ to determine if there are any threatsÂ or any potential dangers, Thompson said.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;We make sure there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything out there that Homeland Security is getting through theirÂ officesÂ that we should know about,â&#x20AC;?Â heÂ said.Â Thompson said DPS starts meeting with other departments in the winter to try and figure out who the commencement speaker is. From there, they assess any potential threats based on the potential speakers. DPS also worksÂ with the Syracuse Police Department and SU Parking and Transit Services in order to direct the influx of traffic andÂ toÂ make sure the parking lots are manned and staffed, Thompson said. DPS and SPD officers will also be checkingÂ bags using metal-detector wandsÂ as attendeesÂ enter the event, he said. The traffic detailÂ and the bag check, ThompsonÂ added,Â willÂ be the same as a sporting event in the Carrier Dome. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopefully it will be a nice, safe event,â&#x20AC;? heÂ said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we want.â&#x20AC;? rsandler@syr.edu

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10 graduation guide 2015

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International students explore post-graduation options By Jiayang Zhang contributing writer

Minji Hwang will have to choose between two countries after she graduates. She can either decide to find a job in the United States or go back to South Korea, her home country. Having spent the past 10 years in the U.S., Hwang, a public relations major, speaks fluent English. She added that she is more familiar with American culture than Korean culture. However, with a Korean nationality and a full-time F-1 student visa, she will have to apply for Optical Practical Training, a program that allows international students studying in the U.S. to stay in the country a year after graduation to find jobs related to their majors. Life after graduation for international students has various possibilities. After earning academic degrees, international students can choose to pursue further education, go back to their home countries or look for job opportunities in the U.S. The international student population at Syracuse University is growing steadily. In the past nine years, international student enrollment has increased by 129.45 percent, said Mary Idzior, associate director for immigration and student services at the Slutzker Center for International Students.

The Slutzker Center ordinarily has seminars about the application procedure for OPT three times a month. But since February, the seminars have been held weekly. In 2014, 73 percent of graduated international students applied for OPT. Only eight percent of those who applied were undergraduate graduates. “A student visa puts you in a different position legally,” Hwang said. “The employer eventually has to sponsor a working visa if they want to hire you. I think that’s definitely something that sets me apart from American candidates.” Nupur Gokhale, a graduate student in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, feels the same pressure. Gokhale was determined to get a job in the U.S. before she came to SU. She received a bachelor’s degree in advertising in India and then came to SU to study digital marketing because she was interested in the business side of mass media communications. During her time at SU, Gokhale has taken classes such as brand management, digital media management and business analytics, and has also worked on a social media team at Whitman for a year and a half. Despite the visa problem, Gokhale regards her cultural background as an advantage in

finding jobs. She added that her background gives her a different perspective, which is helpful when dealing with international markets. Although Gokhale has not decided where to live after graduation, she is expecting to find a job in New York City after networking for the past two years.

The world has changed so much. Now that many countries have strong economies, students tend to follow where the opportunities are. Mary Idzior associate director for immigration and student services

Yafei Mei, an electrical engineering major, already knew his destination before graduation: Detroit. Many of Mei’s classmates had found jobs in Detroit, and although Mei said he has not received any job offers yet, he decided to move to the city to look for job opportunities. Idzior, the associate director at the Slutzker Center, said as an international student

adviser for more than 30 years, she has observed some changes in the international community at SU. “Now more students are either returning home or going to third (world) countries to work,” Idzior said. “The world has changed so much. Now that many countries have strong economies, students tend to follow where the opportunities are.” She said the international student population is not one-dimensional and that it is difficult to say there is a pattern for them after graduation. She added that students with different majors make different choices. Students who are getting degrees in applied fields choose to work. She has worked with students who are determined to stay in the U.S., and she has also talked to people who thought through the whole process and are more realistic about their future. Hwang, the public relations major, is still deciding between going back to Korea and staying in the U.S. Despite the uncertainty of her future, she said she is glad to have had the experiences she gained at SU. “It ultimately comes down to what I want,” Hwang said. “But I have confidence that whatever decision I make would be the right decision for me.” jzhan11@syr.edu

Year in review: SU Athletics, protests make up top stories The 2014-15 academic year was a busy one at Syracuse University. SU Athletics was in the national spotlight after the NCAA released its 94-page report about the department and university and the university announced many major changes. Here’s a look at a few of the top stories from the past year:

Hanna Strong Hanna Strong, a senior midfielder on the Syracuse women’s soccer team, was videotaped calling another person a “f*ggot-a** n*gger” in a video that was posted on Instagram in the beginning of September. She was suspended indefinitely from the team by head coach Phil Wheddon and later removed from the roster altogether.

Oprah visits SU Oprah Winfrey was one of the special guests in attendance at the Sept. 29, 2014 dedication celebration of the Dick Clark Studios and the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation, two new facilities at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Winfrey gave a brief speech at the formal program, which was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony outside of Newhouse II.

SU makes plans to go tobacco-free SU announced on Nov. 11, 2014 that it will

become a tobacco-free campus on July 1. By July 1, tobacco products or any products simulating tobacco smoking will be banned on campus, including outdoor spaces. All locations owned or leased by SU in the U.S. will enforce the policy, with the exception of the Carrier Dome, the Sheraton Hotel, Drumlins and Syracuse Stage. All SU-owned property, including international property, is expected to fully adopt the policy by 2017.

THE General Body sit-in THE General Body, a coalition of student organizations, staged an 18-day sit-in in CrouseHinds Hall from Nov. 3, 2014 to Nov. 20, 2014. The group had a 40-plus page list of grievances and demands which called for changes to the university’s mission and vision statements, divestment, an apology for the closing of the Advocacy Center and changes to the Posse program, among other things.

Fraternity members arrested Two members of Nu Alpha Phi were arrested in early March on hazing charges for their involvement in an incident that almost caused a pledge of the fraternity to lose four fingers due to severe frostbite. The fraternity was suspended by SU after the university first received details of the incident. At the end of April, Pi Kappa Alpha

was suspended from holding social events and an assault charge was filed against a member of the fraternity following an investigation into an alleged hazing incident.

NCAA cracks down on SU Athletics The NCAA released on March 6 its 94-page report into SU, detailing violations committed by the athletic department. The report included sanctions on the university, which include a five-year probation, scholarship reductions, vacation of wins and a nine-game suspension for men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim. SU had previously announced a one-year, self-imposed postseason ban, which did not factor into the NCAA’s final infractions decision.

Graduate Student Organization discussing the possibility of unionizing.

SU Athletic department shake-up Daryl Gross stepped down as the Director of Athletics at SU and Jim Boeheim shared his intention to retire as men’s basketball coach in three years in an email sent to the SU community. Gross now serves as vice president and special assistant to the chancellor and will begin teaching as an adjunct professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in the fall. Pete Sala, managing director of the Carrier Dome, is currently serving as interim athletic director and a search committee has been formed to look for a new AD.

University announces divestment plans SU to require health insurance SU announced on March 16 that beginning with the 2016–17 academic year, all full-time students will be required to have health insurance. Starting next year, all incoming, newly enrolled full-time students, as well as current and incoming full-time international students, will be required to have health insurance. The cost of the new student health insurance plan will be $1,890 for those without insurance. The announcement was met with some negative feedback, including the

SU announced on March 31 that it is formally divesting endowment funds from coal mining and other fossil fuel companies. The university will continue to seek investments through its endowment in companies that are focused on developing new technology involving solar energy, biofuels and advanced recycling. Divestment was one of THE General Body’s demands during the 18-day sit-in. —Compiled by Justin Mattingly, Asst. News Editor, jmatting@syr.edu

SEE DAILYORANGE.COM FOR SUMMER COVERAGE.

Grammar girl Joan Deppa reflects on her 31-year career as a professor at Newhouse, and discusses her journalism career. ))ĂŹ4%+)ĂŹ

PULP

Funny guy

The number of tassel colors that will adorn the graduation caps of students. The colors represent Syracuse Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various colleges.

Humor columnist Danny Cuneo addresses the Class of 2015 with a commencement speech offering life and career advice. ))ĂŹ4%+)ĂŹ

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IN A NUTSHELL

Senior to work, tour as Planters Mr. Peanut

eĂŹ PAG E ĂŹ 11

Student hopes to give back Following earthquake, graduate student wants to aid communication

By Katherine Sotelo design editor

By Clare Ramirez

il Maher is allergic to nuts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; specifically walnuts and almonds. But for the soonto-be Planters Mr. Peanut, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in luck. Peanuts are legumes. In March, Maher received news that he had been hired by Kraft Foods Group to go on a yearlong tour in the NUTmobile, a large, automatic vehicle in the shape of a giant yellow peanut. After graduating from Syracuse University on May 10, the senior policy studies major will travel to Madison, Wisconsin in June to begin training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cover this in any of my classes, so it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really relate to my major,â&#x20AC;? Maher said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a bad thing, though. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m taking a year off to travel, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting paid to do it, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m being a bum. Also itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a lot of fun.â&#x20AC;? For the past two summers, Maher worked for Zipcar in the Washington, D.C. area. When discussing what he was doing after graduation, his boss Kacee Robbins encouraged him to apply to work for the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a job she held when she first graduated from college.

feature editor

Jackin Alix Bien-Aime was on the eighth floor of the tallest building in Haiti when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck in January 2010. The earthquake hit at 4:53 p.m., and Bien-Aime spent about the next three hours assisting those who needed help. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that at least we lost one person because that person after the earthquake couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t send information to other people to say exactly where they are,â&#x20AC;? said Bien-Aime, who also lost his godmother and many of his friends in the natural disaster. More than 230,000 people died as a result of the earthquake.

7.0

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m taking a year off to travel, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting paid to do it, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m being a bum. Gil Maher senior policy studies major

So he applied online. Robbins helped him out and emailed a recommendation to her previous boss at Kraft. It was tough though, he said, because the company usually goes out and recruits at big state schools like the University of Missouri at Columbia or Pennsylvania State University. Maher was different. He sent an email with his resume saying he was interested in the position. Then he got a phone call in February. The company wanted to do a phone interview, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They overnight packaged a

ĂŹ ĂŹhas been hired as the Planters Mr. Peanut for a year-long tour. Mr. Peanutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 year anniversary will be in April 2016. In honor of the anniversary, the senior suggested the company have Mr. Peanut skydive, scuba dive and throw the first pitch at a baseball game. hannah wagner staff photographer

recruitment video and an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile package, then they called me and I interviewed for that.â&#x20AC;? The phone interview went all right, he said. Then it was time to wait. Two days before he left for a trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park where he would be without cellphone or Internet service for a week, he got the call. The news couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have come at a better time.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got the phone call saying I got the interview in Chicago, I was sitting in Whitman looking at my computer screen, looking at my email like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No one wants me to work for them. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a job.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I got so stressed out,â&#x20AC;? Maher said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I got a phone call and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Madison (Wisconsin) area code and I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Here comes the Wienermobile saying I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get it.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? When he picked up the phone, he

was right. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the job as a representative for Oscar Mayer, but he did get a callback to work for Planters. He was flown out to the Kraft headquarters in Chicago for two days of interviews. The first thing he saw when he walked into the office was a giant figurine of the iconic red Kool-Aid man, bursting through the gray walls of the lobby. see mr.

peanut page 13

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE IN 2010 THAT AFFECTED SENIOR, JACKIN ALIX BIENAIME, WHO HOPES TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY CELL PHONE SERVICE COMMUNICATION IN HIS HOME COUNTRY.

He worked for a company in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, while his mother was in Cap-Haitien, located a few hours away. Bien-Aime wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to contact his mother until two days after the earthquake, not because he left his cell phone at home, but because communication in Haiti at the time wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t up to par. His experience with the earthquake inspired him to apply to the Syracuse Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;UniversitĂŠ dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ă&#x2030;tat dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HĂ¤ĂŻtiÂ Student Exchange Program. The program began in 2011 as a way for the university to help Haiti after the earthquake as a result of efforts by the Syracuse University Haiti Support Committee. For Bien-Aime, the program has proven opportune. As a student in the School of Information Studies, Bien-Aime is working toward a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in telecommunications and network management, as well see bien-aime page 16

12 graduation guide 2015

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humor

Columnist gives advice, inspiration to class of 2015 in commencement speech

range Mafia, it is an honor to be able to speak in front of you today as you graduate. I’ll make this brief, since security is on their way. Every legendary commencement speech has three things that are addressed. First, it scares you into thinking you’ll never get a job. Second, it talks about how hard life will be and then it closes with a statement about how life works. We are gathered here in the Carrier Dome to send off the class of 2015 the right way — by telling them that life is one long episode of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” I know finding a job is a concern for a lot of you. Have no fear, because I have an opportunity that you can all get involved in, just in case your original plans don’t work out. It’s called “Orange Aid.” It’s a system to help graduates find new jobs in this vast marketplace (wow, nice phrasing Danny). So what happens is you give me $250, and I promise that I will find you a job by the end of the year. If I can’t find you a job, then you pay me an unemployment fee of $100 — which you pay for every year of unemployment. I am currently in debt to my boss by about three grand, but hey, you gotta spend money to make money. If you find a job without my help (unlikely), the next step is adjusting to the real world. Brace yourself — some hard truths are coming. First off, in the real world, no one wants to hear what your dream was like last night. I know, this comes as a shock to me too, because

DANNY CUNEO

WORKING ON IT I have the best dreams. Like last night I was riding an elephant with Mila Kunis and… I should stop, this will only encourage you. Life is going to be hard. I know this because I am 20. But in my 20 years I have lived a lot. I’ve logged more hours of “Call of Duty” than many adults who walk the earth today. Have you ever had to tell your best friend that you can’t finish the campaign because you have to go to your sister’s recital? You may not be ready for the bumps in the road, but that’s what makes them fun. I once hit a deer with my car, and next thing you know, my family had dinner for two weeks. You may not always know what’s coming, but that’s what makes surprise birthday parties so much fun. Well, that and the cake. Life has cake too, guys. So that’s about it, I don’t know what else I can say. I should probably end with something really catchy though, for effect. OK here it goes. Thank you, and “Good Morning, Vietnam!” That didn’t work. Thank you, and remember, “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it.” Danny Cuneo is a junior television, radio and film major. He has a doctorate from the School of Hard Knocks. He can be reached at dacuneo@syr.edu.

graduation guide 2015 13

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MAHER participated in a two-day interview at the Kraft Food Groups Headquarters in Chicago last February. He will begin peanut training for his job in June. courtesy of gil maher from page 11

mr. peanut Two things set the interview apart from the otherwise standard questions: one was when he was asked to write a sample blog post for Mr. Peanut. He tried to include as many nut puns as he could. The second came on day two when the interviewer asked if he went out with the other six interviewees the night before. “They were sort of watching the way that we interacted with each other, so when they recommended that we go out and go to the bar, I was like, ‘All right,’” Maher said. “I talked to my boss, and she said to definitely go out, because they want people that are social and can go meet people they’ve never met before.” At the bar, he worked the room. He talked to his competitors. In the end, two girls and one boy would be chosen for each of the three routes: West Coast, East Coast and Central United States. Maher was hired in late March, but still doesn’t know which of the three routes he will be taking. He would prefer to see the West Coast since he’s never traveled through it before. Throughout the process, his family and friends have been very supportive. In April, even though he wasn’t supposed to let anyone know, he whispered to his friend Christian Bernlohr while sitting in chapter for his frater-

nity, Phi Delta Theta, that he got the job. Bernlohr stood up, told the news to the group and the boys yelled and cheered in congratulations. “When Gil got the news he would be working for the NUTmobile, I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” said Bobby O’Brien, a senior television, radio and film major and fellow Phi Delta Theta member. O’Brien is also a contributing videographer for The Daily Orange. “My parents came and visited and we went out to dinner, and I brought it up. They were asking me if he got the job with Oscar Mayer, but he got the NUTmobile, so when you have an opportunity like that, obviously he had to take it,” O’Brien said. At peanut prep, he will learn how to drive the NUTmobile, he’ll get the passwords to the social media accounts, and, finally, get trained on how to act in the Mr. Peanut suit. He even has his own nut name, Bra-Gil-Nut, like a Brazil nut, he said. Maher said if he didn’t land the job as Mr. Peanut, he would currently be looking for an internship in D.C. or working for the city of Pittsburgh, his hometown. Like any college graduate, he would be trying to figure out what to do after he walks the stage. But Maher’s got a job and he’s got a plan. “When is there a better chance to do this? There’s no better chance,” Maher said. “I’d say I’m excited. It’ll be cool to get out there. It’ll be cool to see the country.” kasotelo@syr.edu

graduation guide 2015 14

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GOWN

& OUT 14

graphic illustration by chloe meister design editor

Commencement attire stems from Medieval times By Alex Erdekian asst. copy editor

tudents gathered together in long, multicolored robes could only mean one of two things: they are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry or theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re graduating. The tradition of wearing the long, flowing robes began in the Middle Ages, at the time universities were first created, said Samantha Herrick, an associate professor of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs who specializes in medieval European history. When universities were founded in the mid-12thâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13th centuries, the standard uniform was a long, heavy robe. This attire was worn for several reasons â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was culturally normalized because the students at the time were training to be members of the clergy, and robes were also a practical choice in cold weather, Herrick said. The hoods, which are a part of many graduation gowns, originated out of practicality during the Middle Ages, as well, Herrick said. Many of

the priests and monks at the time had short haircuts, particularly monks who had the tops of their head shaven. Hoods were necessary to protect their heads from the cold.

the idea was simply that universities traced their roots back to medieval times â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be cool to recognize that by dressing like this? Samantha Herrickan

associate professor of history in the maxwell school of citizenship and public affairs

Academic dress became increasingly popularized during the reign of Henry VIII of England when it was decided that students at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge would be required to wear it in an effort to look scholarly and somber. Students at these universities still must wear academic regalia at various occasions throughout the academic year, Herrick said. However, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until several

hundred years after, in the late 19th century, that the U.S. decided to pick up the traditional style for graduation ceremonies. At that time, Herrick said, the U.S. also began the tradition of assigning specific color gowns to disciplines, and types of gowns to types of degrees. As a historian, Herrick said she is most interested in how universities today, which are institutions of medieval society, are shaped by their roots. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea was simply that universities traced their roots back to medieval times â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be cool to recognize that by dressing like this?â&#x20AC;? Herrick said. She compared the dress for graduation to the clothing people wear at weddings. At each, people dress differently than they would normally to signal the importance of the event. She said this type of attire feels special because it ties academia and education back to something sacred and ancient. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We like to mark this as an occasion thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really different. For a student itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a really big deal,â&#x20AC;? Herrick said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re entering a new part of your life.â&#x20AC;? aerdekia@syr.edu

gowning around Here are the three types of gowns students will be wearing at graduation. source: syr.edu

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hats off Each year, graduates of Syracuse University receive their caps and gowns days before walking across the stage at graduation. The tassels dangling from the caps represent the students home college to distinguish them from the crowd.

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16 graduation guide 2015

from page 11

bien-aime as a certificate of advanced studies in information security management. According to the SU website, the committee that established the exchange proposed an “educational exchange program” with the State University of Haiti, to support Haitian students in continuing graduate studies.

We called for bringing students from Haiti to come to SU in order to get advanced degrees in areas that were deemed to be particularly important to the longer term rebuilding of Haiti. Paula Johnson college of law professor

Now a second year-graduate student in the iSchool, Bien-Aime plans to return to Haiti

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after graduation and use what he learned to help his home country. “After the earthquake, the communication world was just bad, and I said, ‘Maybe we can find solutions in technology,’” Bien-Aime said, “because if you can’t communicate with someone, you can’t share the important information.” Paula Johnson, a professor in the College of Law, began the program with Dr. Linda Carty, a professor of sociology and African American studies said she and the committee believed that it was important for SU as an educational institution to go beyond the immediate relief effort. “We called for bringing students from Haiti to come to SU in order to get advanced degrees in areas that were deemed to be particularly important to the longer term rebuilding of Haiti,” Johnson said. Johnson said this year’s class might be the last group that SU will be bringing in from Haiti because the university hasn’t committed to financially supporting the program in the future. But she believes the program is worthy of external funding. Bien-Aime wants take what he learned in the program and aid in improving the country’s emergency communications. After he returns home post-graduation, he hopes to get government help when implementing his capstone.

haiti earthquake 2010 analysis The 7.0 magnitude earthquake took place on Jan. 12, 2010. The earthquake was at its highest intensity in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where graduate student Jackin Alix BienAime was working. source: time.com

LEGEND LOCATION OF PORT-AU-PRINCE

His final project involves improving wireless communication in the event that providers like T-Mobile or Verizon aren’t working. “This is just one of the ways that I can help Haiti if something like that happens again,” Bien-Aime said. “I am a technology guy. Because we had a communications issue and a technology issue, I’m just trying to find a technological solution that we can use to face those types of situations.” Bien-Aime, along with five other students, is part of the second group that SU brought in from Haiti in 2013.

Like the others who were selected for the program, Bien-Aime stood out in his field, Johnson added. “Jackin Alix has a particular awareness, pre-earthquake and post-earthquake, of what his country needs to increase the telecommunications within the country and across countries…” Johnson said. “He is precisely the type of person that we saw benefiting from this program and taking what he learned back to Haiti and building on it there.” clramire@syr.edu @clareramirez_

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Past SU commencement addresses offer wisdom, advice Syracuse Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commencement speakers over the years have ranged from world-renowned writers to groundbreaking scientists. Here is a look at some of the most memorable quotes from commencement addresses at SU in the last decade. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Compiled by Jacob Gedetsis, assistant feature editor, jagedets@syr.edu | Photos courtesy of Stephen Sartori

NICHOLAS KRISTOF New York Times columnist 2013

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I certainly wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to argue that money canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy happiness, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equally true that poverty canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy happiness either. But I think the connections are more complicated than we sometimes assume, and in fact, there is pretty good evidence emerging about a more dependable way to raise oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness level. And that is to engage with others collectively in a cause that is larger than yourself. Think of it as the selfishness of altruism.â&#x20AC;?

AARON SORKIN Award-winning screenwriter, producer, and playwright 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever forget that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day. Civility, respect, kindness, character. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too good for schadenfreude, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too good for gossip and snark, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too good for intolerance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and since youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking into the middle of a presidential election, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth mentioning that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy.â&#x20AC;?

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. 47th Vice President of the United States 2009

BILLY JOEL Singer/songwriter 2006

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Folks, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not giving you the usual malarkey that every one of you are going to change the world, that every one of you are going to become the Nobel laureates and the presidents and the corporate heads and the leaders of great organizations. But I am telling you, the cumulative effect of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already demonstrated, your capacity to do, will I guarantee you - will change the world.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that the time you were here youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned something very important, and that is that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned what it is you love. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t learned it by now, I hope you learn it soon in the future because if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s any advice I can give to you, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s do what you love. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it for security, or status, prestige, money, or â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for crying out loud â&#x20AC;&#x201D; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it for somebody else. Do it for love. Because if you love what you do, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always do what you love.â&#x20AC;?

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18 graduation guide 2015

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Joan Deppa reflects on journalism career, 31 years at SU By Sam Fortier staff writer

It’s nine minutes, 38 seconds into the last class Joan Deppa ever taught at Syracuse University and she’s having technical difficulties. The teaching assistant put his hand on his forehead. Deppa said she’d have to email the website creators — again. A student in the third row chuckled and said, “Every time.” With the problem fixed, Deppa kneeled in the seat of a chair, leaning over its back, her face six inches from two students. She questioned them: Was the conjunction on the board subordinating or coordinating? The students laughed nervously and said they didn’t know. Deppa stood up from her chair and walked to the front of the classroom. “I’m going to miss having students to pick on,” she said, smiling. Deppa is retiring from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications to continue refining her interactive grammar textbook. Deppa taught COM 101: “Practical Grammar for Public Communications” — known by many students as “Grammar Slammer.” The search for her replacement is ongoing. It will be an outside hire, said Lorraine Branham, dean of the Newhouse School. But it’ll be hard to replace 31 years of experience. Deppa is the teacher upperclassmen ask underclassmen if they’ve had yet, she’s the first teacher to bring her dog to Newhouse and her interviews have been dubstep-re-

mixed on YouTube. “When I was 18-years-old, I made a conscious decision,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what prompted it, but I decided I can’t live a boring life.” ƀɠƀɠƀ Deppa moved to Paris in 1967 and taught herself French. She covered the Arab-Israeli War and Parisian fashion shows. She interviewed Rainier III, a Prince of Monaco, covered student riots on the Riviera and profiled an American expatriate who hid French revolutionists in her chateau after the Germans invaded during World War II.

When I was 18-years-old, I made a conscious decision.I don’t know exactly what prompted it, but I decided I can’t live a boring life. Joan Deppa newhouse professor

She liked traveling on assignment. Whenever editors sent her somewhere for a story, she returned with three more story ideas. She became one of the first women ever to cover the Olympics. While at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, she met the United States’ first-ever Olympic luge team. They offered her a ride in their sled, but she declined.

Today’s Solution

JOAN DEPPA worked as a reporter abroad before she started teaching at Newhouse. She covered the Olympics and the Arab-Israeli War. hannah wagner staff photographer

“Mama didn’t raise a fool,” she said. In those travels, she discovered an incentive to improve her grammar. An Italian magazine bought one of her articles. After translating, Deppa saw the magazine missed a few words, but got the general idea. She realized better grammar and less slang meant easier translations for foreign publications. More articles sold, more money came in. When she moved to London, the copy girl agreed to use Standard American English rather than Standard British English because they sold more stories that way. “I wouldn’t have thought of it that way at the time,” Deppa said. “But I had to clean up my act, because I knew this is not going to translate.” ƀɠƀɠƀ Deppa had demands. “I told (SU) flat out,” Deppa said. “If you’re not getting computers, I’m not interested.” Newhouse bought a few, but then she tried an Apple product. She told the Apple campus representative: “If you will give us your most high-end computers, a scanner and a printer, then we will do something that knocks your socks off.” Deppa convinced SU to match Apple’s pledge of $30,000 in equipment. Newhouse had its first lab. “She always came down bubbling over about new technology she used in class,” Barbara Fought said. Deppa mentored Fought, a broadcast and

digital journalism professor, when Fought arrived at Newhouse 21 years ago. “When I came here… I thought everybody at Newhouse used technology, so I dove right in to keep up with the Joan Deppas of the world.” ƀɠƀɠƀ Deppa looked out into the classroom. Only 11 of the 106 chairs were occupied. She asked another question, about participles, and no one answered. She looked around, smiling. “Sometimes,” she said, laughing, “I feel like I’m teaching English as a second language.” Earlier that day, Deppa sat in her office, behind a desk heaped eight inches high with papers. A dozen coffee mugs — some dusty, some half-full — are scattered among the shelves with grammar books, multilingual dictionaries and three pictures of her dog, Lolly. “Home,” she says about her office. “My dream would be to find if they could find a little cubby that I could hide in around here. But I don’t want to stay too long in one place. It might get boring.” Deppa’s teaching about phrasal verbs when she looks over her shoulder and notices the time. She sighs. And then, her final words for the last students she’ll ever teach at Syracuse: “Have a good night,” she says. “Have a good life. “The clock on the wall says it’s time to go.” sjfortie@syr.edu

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Win or go home Syracuse men’s lacrosse will begin its NCAA tournament run on Sunday. Last year it was upset in the first round by Bryant. See dailyorange.com

SPORTS

The time is now The Orange women’s lacrosse team will start its NCAA tournament on Sunday. Last season it lost in the NCAA finals. See dailyorange.com

Clutch gene Kayla Treanor is playing her best lacrosse at the right time. She had two overtime game-winners in the ACC tournament. See dailyorange.com

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On his feet

tennis

Safdar looks to future after tennis After suffering a wrist injury, Safdar will pursue medical career By Sam Fortier staff writer

Komal Safdar cried into the phone. Her coach, Shelley George, told Safdar that her competing days for Syracuse tennis might be over. Safdar, then a rising junior, needed another surgery on her right wrist, but it posed serious risks. MRIs revealed nothing. Doctors would have to cut the wrist open to solve an unknown problem. “There was a risk to make it worse just by cutting it open,” Safdar said. “We started talking about taking a medical (redshirt), but I was tired of always having to take time off. The coaches said it was up to me.” GOGO KOLLIE moved around Africa when he was younger to avoid civil wars. After coming to the U.S., having a rough adjustment period and losing his mother, the former SU soccer player will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree. logan reidsma asst. photo editor

Kollie uses childhood struggles, mother’s death to guide future By Matt Schneidman asst. sports editor

mmanuel Kollie was trained to find home on his own if violence broke out. At 11 years old, he walked three miles from his house in Daloa, Ivory Coast to visit his sister, Rose. It was 9 in the morning on a scorching hot Thursday, and people gathered in the streets to exchange goods. That’s when Kollie heard gunshots for the first time. He started shivering and thought he was going to die. Masses of people began running, even police officers, and Kollie followed suit. He ran the entire three miles back to his mother, Lucy Johnson. She told him to go to his aunt’s, since her house was where the family normally gathered. Kollie ran another six or seven miles, and laid flat on the floor for three or four hours. “You can’t be idiotic and stand up because you might get shot,” he said. ƀɠƀɠƀ Kollie traveled a lot, mostly just to stay alive. That included stops in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Guinea before moving to the United States in 2005. He’s spent time in Philadelphia, a junior college in Colorado and now Syracuse, where he’s played soccer the past

two seasons and will earn his Bachelor’s Degree from this weekend. And while his mother died in February from diabetes, what she taught him through a rocky childhood inspires him to eventually return home. Despite the struggles, he’s done it all with a vibrant personality and embraces his heritage — something his mom instilled in him. He doesn’t regret anything about growing up in Africa, and knows he can make strides now because of what he’s already survived. “If you haven’t been through hell and hot water,” he said. “...you don’t know what it takes.” ƀɠƀɠƀ Kollie doesn’t remember many specifics from the first six years of his life in Liberia, but has heard stories of the struggle. He talks about how local businesses would last less than two days before being ransacked by rebel forces. He discusses his mother refusing to eat the small amount of food she’d accumulated just so her kids could. He uses the metaphor “the country never sleeps,” because it literally couldn’t afford to. But Kollie remained carefree. His love for soccer was forged in Liberia, where he’d play on dirt fields without shoes. It was then that his father gave him the name he’s now called by, Gogo. “You put him down when he was much,

much younger and before you look, he’s somewhere else,” Rose said, chuckling. “He’s just going around the place.” After moving to Ivory Coast, Gogo and his friends made makeshift soccer fields wherever they could find space. The fields were 20 meters wide and long and miniature goals served as nets. Gogo couldn’t afford cleats — it wasn’t until he was 14 that a friend gave him his first pair — and either played barefoot or in sandals that closely resembled Crocs. The Kollies didn’t have a kitchen and had only an outdoor bathroom. Gogo was sometimes sent home from school because his mother hadn’t paid the proper tuition. Still, he said it was a time in his childhood he actually enjoyed. But on top of that, there was the violence. Rebels would come into the town and brainwash little kids, handing teenagers guns and forcing them to kill people. To escape it, the Kollies went back to Liberia for a month until another round of ceasefire in November 2002. The same evening, the Kollies began walking to the border of Guinea. The walk took two days. Rebel forces would shoot at people who tried to drive. “I don’t know how many kilometers it is, but it’s legit,” Gogo said. In Guinea, Rose said the United Nations bought a plot of land and cut down trees to

see gogo page 21

We started talking about taking a medical (redshirt), but I was tired of always having to take time off. Komal Safdar su tennis player regarding her injury

The doctors found a microfracture and scar tissue from her first surgery. They repaired the damage as best they could. But the surgery didn’t fix Safdar all the way. She could play, but it derailed her professional hopes, she said. Her career ended at Syracuse’s last match on April 22. After graduation, one of her teammates will jump into professional tennis and Safdar will work at a research lab in her hometown of Cincinnati before matriculating to medical school. Though Safdar laments what could’ve been on the professional circuit, she doesn’t think a pro career would’ve been overwhelmingly successful. Others think she would’ve found ways to win, even though Safdar’s career almost never happened at all. Without a dim light bulb, a coach who accepted her Islamic beliefs and a drive to succeed, Safdar would have see safdar page 23

20 graduation guide 2015

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women’s lacrosse

Kempney finishes career as top draw specialist for SU By Jon Mettus staff writer

Check out dailyorange.com for more graduation coverage.

When Kailah Kempney arrived at Syracuse for her freshman year, she didn’t know if she’d get a chance to take draw controls for the Orange. “I remember asking the coaches, ‘Can I like try to tryout for the draw?’” Kempney said. “They were just like, ‘You want to?’” She did and then joined a group of five other players on the draw for SU. . In her four years at SU, she has a program-record of 427 draw controls, which ranks third in NCAA history. Her 174 draw controls this season alone are only seven behind the previous SU career record. NCAA rule changes in 2012 altered the situation surrounding draw controls and now Kempney has become what head coach Gary Gait calls Syracuse’s first-ever draw control specialist. “It’s a relatively new situation to have specialists,” Gait said. “It’s only been through her career that that’s truly been defined as a role, and I think her skills are unmatched.” Prior to her freshman season, the NCAA reduced the number of players around the draw circle from four to two and moved the positioning of the ball on the draw from the center of the two sticks to the upper part of each. “At first, I hated it because you get used to where the ball is being set and then they change it,” Kempney said. “… It goes both ways. I hated the four girls

in the circle. I love the two girls in the circle.” Less people directly around the draw made it easier to win self draws and come away with the ball cleanly. Kempney has worked on her wrist strength, quickness and the technique of her under-over lefthanded grasp. The same gloves she’s worn since ninth grade help her get a firmer grip on the stick. “I kind of like just knowing that my main role on the team is the draw because then I can really just focus on that part of the game,” Kempney said. “… working on that helps me figure it out more.” In two of her first three years, Kempney led Syracuse in draw controls while splitting time with former Orange midfielder Kirkland Locey and others. This year she’s been mostly on her own. The result has been 8.29 draw controls per game for Kempney, third-best in the country and 15.76 for SU, which is second. The Orange has finished with fewer draw controls in just three games this year. “Just the numbers will say something, but her confidence and her ability to adjust has been great,” assistant head coach Katie Rowan said. Kempney never expected to have the success she’s had over the last four years. Her records might eventually fall, but the legacy in the draw circle that she’ll leave at Syracuse will be hard to match. “She’s been spectacular,” Gait said. “… The next person is going to come along and try to be as good as she as she is and that’s going to be tough to do.” jrmettus@syr.edu

graduation guide 2015 21

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from page 19

gogo

make room for tents for refugee families. Up to 25 families lived in one tent, there were no mattresses and candles were the only source of light at night. But after two or three years, they got their chance to leave. ƀɠƀɠƀ When Gogo’s Aunt Eva sent for the Kollies from the U.S., a series of questions had to be answered. Date of birth, exact relation and available housing, among others, all had to be confirmed before Gogo, his nephew, Rose and their mother came over. They flew into John F. Kennedy Airport at night in 2005, and Gogo’s vision of America was coming to fruition. “I think the government purposely do this, they bring you to the country at night so you can see all the lights and stuff,” Gogo said. “When you see light, you’re like, ‘Yes!’” After not leaving his temporary New York City hotel for a week, Gogo moved to Philadelphia. The first morning he woke up, he questioned if he was still in the U.S. since the place was so dirty. And at school, it didn’t get any more glamorous. Gogo said he was made fun of for talking like a typewriter. He was afraid to talk in class because of his accent. There even came a time that he resented his culture. At John Bartram (Pennsylvania) High

School, Gogo estimated there were three metal detectors. Kids carried guns and knives to school and would fight on Fridays. One day, Gogo was being pressed so hard that he put a kid in a headlock and started punching him. But when John Dunlop, the head coach at Father Judge (Pennsylvania) High School, noticed Gogo through the nearby Starfunder non-profit organization that helped kids with education through soccer, Gogo got his big break. Dunlop said the Kollie’s house was the size of a garage and that they literally had no money. Dunlop knew Gogo’s mother worked as a maid, and thought he deserved a better chance. Father Judge’s tuition was $5,000 but the Kollies couldn’t afford that. So on top of the financial aid the school provided him, Gogo’s club coach, Paul Ferreira, paid for the rest and Gogo attended high school for free. In the hallways, he wore what Dunlop called goofy red and yellow reading glasses and kids would scream “Gogo, Gogo!” within two weeks of him enrolling. Kollie said he could be his extroverted self since he didn’t have any girls to impress at the all-boys school. On the field, he earned first-team All-Catholic League and first-team all-state honors. “He was electrifying,” Dunlop said. “If you don’t know him, you have no idea who this kid is and what he’s been through. And then when you find out everything, it’s like amazing.” After high school, Gogo attended Otero (Colorado) Junior College for three years. He was homesick, not eating the right food and stressed out

living on his own for the first time. But it proved he could sustain himself on his own, and an opportunity to move back east eventually opened up. Nick Bibbs, Gogo’s friend and a former SU midfielder, suggested that former Orange assistant coach Mike Miller give Gogo a look. Miller saw raw talent that could be developed in a structured environment, gave Gogo a chance, and he joined Syracuse before the 2013 season. But in his first season with the Orange, Gogo’s flashy, individual play struggled to adapt to head coach Ian McIntyre’s desired style. He made up excuses for missing practices and played only five games in 2013. And in his second season, a knee injury prevented Gogo from even dressing for a single game. “Everything happens for a reason, like I don’t regret me being in Syracuse,” Gogo said. “After going through all this, it makes me a different person.” ƀɠƀɠƀ It was 7 a.m. on Feb. 10 and Gogo was woken up by a call from his sister, Nancy. He didn’t pick up, but when she called again and heard his aunt’s tears on the other end, Gogo knew his mother had passed. She had been in the hospital for almost two months, even spending some time in a coma. Gogo would sit in her hospital room over winter break and talk to her, even though he knew she couldn’t respond. He was never emotional about his mother’s death because he couldn’t believe it. But over spring break at the funeral was when it really hit

him and to this day, whenever Gogo’s tired, he says he’ll dream of his mother five or six times if he falls asleep. And though she’s gone, he carries what she taught him toward his future, a future that he never envisioned including college. “What he’s had to overcome to get where he is now is remarkable,” Miller said. “The fact that he’s going to leave with a Syracuse degree is unbelievable.” Time after time, Gogo emphasizes how he’s proud of his roots and never regrets being born into struggle. “If you don’t know where you came from, you don’t know where you’re going.” Gogo rattles off the saying, which inspires him to return home one day to create a non-profit organization for kids that educates them through the game of soccer. Sitting on the couch in his South Campus apartment, 10 days from graduation, he’s quick to point out a player on his team in FIFA. It’s George Weah, the only Liberian-born player to be named FIFA World Player of the Year. He has finished icing his knee after a workout in the hot sun, more than 4,600 miles from where he was born. He leans back, extends his arm and taps his knuckles to the Liberian flag hanging on his wall. “This is me, this is who I am. My mom had a great impact on my life with that,” he said. “The fact that she gone, I can sustain myself, I can do better stuff with my life.” mschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman

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track and field

SU’s Kamyszek hopes to continue running after graduating By Sam Fortier staff writer

Reed Kamyszek’s dad knew something big had happened. His son had never been one to get very excited. “But when he is excited you can tell,” Eric Kamyszek said, laughing. “He was bouncing off the walls; that’s for sure.” Reed had just been accepted into medical school at Duke University, his “long-shot,” dream school. Kamyszek will leave Syracuse after graduation as one of its most successful runners of all-time, on the course and in the classroom. He ran with the cross-country teams, which won four consecutive conference titles, and he won the 2013 men’s cross-country Elite 89 award, given to the Division-I runner with the highest cumulative grade-point average. He will pursue his doctor of medicine degree at Duke. But he now faces the challenge of continuing to balance running and schoolwork in his

life when he knows medical school will be a much harder challenge than his first five years of college. “I don’t (plan on stopping running),” he said. “It’s a lifestyle now; it’s more than just a sport. Stopping it now would be more detrimental than to take on some form of running as it is.” He wants to train with other people. Kamyszek is out of NCAA eligibility and can’t talk to Duke coaches because he’s still running at SU, but he wants to find a central New York satellite team based at Duke to run with. He knows, though, that the workload may complicate things. The medical school classroom expectations will be higher, he said. There will be more information, which he will be expected to comprehend quickly. He will have labs and clinicals — classes where students operate — and lectures. “If undergrad is like drinking out of a garden hose, med-school is like getting the fire-hose thrown at you,” he said. At SU, he balanced the workload of a triple major in psychology, biochemistry and ethics with

structure: Wake up at 7 a.m. for a 30-minute team run. Breakfast, then class or tutoring around 9:30. On campus until 1 p.m. doing classwork, research, or more tutoring. Then back to the dorm for 90 minutes until running practice from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. — “Almost like a 40-hour work week,” he said — and after dinner, he does homework until 10 p.m. and lights out at 11 p.m. “Structure helps with the classroom and running,” he said. “The benefits and the mental de-stresser, I’ll definitely try to keep a routine.” Though his schedule won’t arrive until July, he knows classes start around 9 a.m. Kamyszek plans to squeeze in a run or bike ride early in the morning, before class or clinical. He chose Duke, in part, because training early in the morning in North Carolina would be more pleasant than in another place with a climate like Syracuse. Kamyszek wants to put on shorts and run in the morning rather than shovel out his car. Kamyszek chose Duke over northern schools like Pittsburgh or State University of New York

Upstate Medical University, not just because of the weather. “The professors are not just there to teach you,” he said. “But mentor you as well — kind of like a (running) coach does here at Syracuse.” Kamyszek has heard teasing about his choice of Duke, one of SU’s biggest rivals, from Adam Smith, an assistant coach. Smith, who graduated from rival school North Carolina, says jokingly that the two have “bad blood,” but that Kamyszek is well prepared to balance med-school and running. He’s already done it, Smith said. At SU, Kamyszek trained, tutored, volunteered at Crouse Hospital and did his own schoolwork. It will be something Kamyszek will have to learn to balance all over again, crafting a new structure under a new schedule. “I’d like to train for another year, year and a half,” Kamyszek said. “But med-school comes first at this point. I’ve had my time of competitive running here at Syracuse.” sjfortie@syr.edu

men’s lacrosse

Wardwell thrives as starting goalie in final season for Syracuse By Connor Grossman asst. copy editor

Dave Wardwell was driving his son Bobby home from practice one night. A sixth-grader

at the time, Bobby had just begun transitioning to a full-time lacrosse goalkeeper. “What is it about goalie,” Dave Wardwell remembers asking Bobby. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

There's still time! Submit you application to Intergroup Dialogue today! intergroupdialogue. syr.edu

“There’s something about a ball coming at you at 100 miles per hour that’s kind of exciting,” Bobby quipped to his father. The century-mark speeds were hyperbolic for any sixth-grader, but Bobby Wardwell’s words still hold true to him now as he wraps up his senior season in net for No. 1 Syracuse (12-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast). He’s stood as the backbone to the Syracuse defense this season for the first time in his career, while prior years were littered with spot starts and split games. He’s transformed into the premier stopper Syracuse needed to compliment its highly touted offense, owing his career-best season to consistency and his volatile approach. “One thing everyone always says is that goalies in any sport are crazy or something’s not right,” said Wardwell, who often shooed away his concerned father when asked about his vibrantly bruised legs. “… I just think people say that because you’re standing in front of a 90 mile per hour shot with very little pads on, but I just think it’s fun.” His 6-foot frame stands poised each time the attack is threatening. He maintains what he calls “athletic position.” His feet spread about shoulder-width apart, hands about eight inches from each other on his stick, and he holds that stick just below the crossbar, at an angle to keep it parallel from his body. He pivots around an imaginary semicircle just in front of the goal line as the ball is distributed. While a blur to the thousands of fans regularly in attendance, the five-ounce, white rubber ball can stick out like a flame on a heat map to Wardwell. He follows and tracks the ball until seemingly inhuman reflexes take over to corral the 90 mile per hour projectile. In a moment, the ball launches itself to the webbing of Wardwell’s stick or whizzes inches by it and into the goal. This season, he’s made saves at a career-high 52.6-percent clip. “He doesn’t let the (shots) that shouldn’t go in, in,” Syracuse head coach John Desko said. “Now

we’re seeing him make some (saves) that he probably shouldn’t make. His string of successes this season has led to a more adventurous Wardwell, a goalkeeper no longer cemented between the pipes and confined by the crease. The senior has ramped up his aggressiveness and left the net vulnerable multiple times to try and make plays on the ball. Even with a 9-0 lead against Hobart on April 14, Wardwell showed no remorse. An errant Brendan Saylor pass set off a footrace between Wardwell and Statesman attack Zach Reed toward the end line. Wardwell beat out four Hobart attacks to shovel the ball off to Peter Macartney to extinguish the offensive threat. “Being able to play outside the cage just makes you better and makes your team better,” Wardwell said. “Sometimes it’s a little bit of fun to just get out there and get to hit someone.” As much as he’s been able to revel in his successes, Wardwell says a large part in playing his position the right way is the ability to forget both the highs and the lows. Forget the double-overtime goal allowed to derail an undefeated season against Notre Dame in March. Forget the double-digit saves made in half of SU’s games this season. Forget the 10 goals allowed in the opening half against North Carolina. Wardwell worked intensely on blocking low-angle shots with undergraduate student coach Dominic Lamolinara going into the rematch against UNC in the ACC tournament semifinals. The senior keeper allowed only eight goals the second time around against the Tar Heels and lasted the entire game in the cage. The second chance given to Wardwell is one in seasons past he may not have gotten. He’s finally reached a point where the surprises are few and far between and it won’t take inhuman reflexes to corral what’s coming at him next. “It’s nice to be winning and having that kind of success,” Wardwell said. “But there’s still another trophy for us to go out and get.” crgossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman

graduation guide 2015 2 3

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from page 19

safdar never played tennis at Syracuse. “Looking back these past four years,” she said, “It’s been incredible to be here.” ƀɠƀɠƀ The cracked, droopingly-netted tennis courts of Olde Montgomery Apartments are dimly lit by a single bulb. Standing at one end, Safdar, 5-years-old, and at the other, her mother Wardha Safdar, the former two-time national collegiate ping-pong champion of Pakistan. Wardha fed Safdar tennis balls from two large hoppers, which held about 100 balls each. Before Safdar grew tall enough to play tennis, she’d perch upon couch cushions at one end of the family’s dining room table and play ping-pong against her mother. Her father, Shahzad Safdar, was always driving to a tennis court. When Safdar was young, he left work as a nephrologist — a kidney specialist — and went straight to the courts despite arriving at 9 or 10 p.m. As Safdar grew older, he’d drive instead to her tournaments. Whenever he met his wife and daughter at the courts, Shahzad didn’t know the score and couldn’t tell if Safdar was winning or losing, he said, because her expression always stayed the same. At Olde Montgomery, Shahzad replaced Wardha when her arm got tired and continued tossing. Shahzad, a badminton player who used to take his daughters to be his doubles partners at tournaments, fed Safdar tennis balls late into the night until, sometimes, it became early morning. “If there was no light,” Safdar said. “I may never have been a tennis player.”

ƀɠƀɠƀ Safdar wanted to transfer away from Syracuse. She had arrived at SU while still recovering from the first surgery, which removed bonechips from her right wrist. She was held out of tennis until August, just days before she stepped into a new school with a demanding schedule and coach, Luke Jensen, a pro-minded coaching force who himself won the 1993 French Open doubles title with his brother. She lost her first-ever collegiate match, 0-6, 0-6 and struggled to improve. Frustration built as she competed in three-month spurts before having to take a month off. Freshman to junior year, she never played over winter break. “Maybe this isn’t the right place for me,” she said she thought. “Maybe pre-med, college tennis and professional tennis is too much.” She talked with her parents and decided to stay. She devoted herself to working around the injury. She tried using two hands on her forehand shot to alleviate the pain, then backhand only, then even playing left-handed. None of it worked. “These are very expensive opportunities,” Jensen said. “The job of the athletic department is to win … There’s a lot of money on the line … but the way Safdar was absolutely dedicated, I knew she would do everything in her power to be ready.” ƀɠƀɠƀ Safdar feared college coaches wouldn’t recruit her because of how she dressed. A devout Muslim, Safdar didn’t wear tank tops and skirts like her opponents and teammates. She opted for sleeved-shirts and pants in every match since the beginning of high school, even in the 100-degree Florida heat. But during recruiting, Jensen brought up the conversation first, telling Safdar he liked

her devotion to her religion. It showed her character, he said.

looking back After injuring her wrist as a rising junior, Komal Safdar stopped pursuing a career in professional tennis. Since the injury, her singles and doubles records have worsened. SINGLES DOUBLES BEFORE THE INJURY

19 - 13

25 - 13

AFTER THE INJURY

16 - 20

14 - 14

Every year, Safdar participates in Ramadan, an Islamic month of dusk-to-dawn fasting, despite tournaments and training. Before Safdar’s freshman year, Ramadan ended just days before school started, when she’d have to complete Jensen’s fitness test — a five-mile run in less than 40 minutes on hilly Nottingham Road. That summer, Safdar trained late at night after the fast broke because she felt nervous, worried she wouldn’t be prepared. But when she ran, she passed. Jensen focused on molding collegians into professionals, mentally and physically. The five-mile run, the 6 a.m. workouts and Challenge Week represented that for him, Safdar said. Jensen used to call everyone on the phone during Challenge Week, the week that decided the line-up. Everyone understood where Jensen came from, Safdar said, and that he was trying to prepare them for a career on their own in the pros. Coach and player analyzed teammates, their strengths and, more importantly, weaknesses. “It would gear you up to destroy your teammate,” Safdar said. “Whoever it was.” The pro-focused approach Jensen brought to Syracuse changed in 2014. Later that year, Safdar told the interim-coach Shelley George she wouldn’t pursue the Women’s Tennis Association. It didn’t surprise George, Safdar said. In

her senior year, Syracuse hired Younes Limam, a collegiate-centric coach. Five-mile runs were replaced with shorter agility drills. The solo mentality faded and a team focus emerged. Limam never made it directly apparent teammates were competing, Safdar said. He hosted team dinners at which players couldn’t talk tennis. Limam didn’t do Challenge Week. “With Jensen, he always said you should strive to be number one (in the line-up),” Safdar said. “With Limam, he said, ‘We’re putting you wherever we think will let us win the match.’” ƀɠƀɠƀ The hands, wrapped in orange and blue beads, are clasped together tightly. Wardha and Shahzad are sitting in the viewing room of SU Drumlins Tennis Center, watching their daughter play against Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer of Georgia Tech. Safdar is one point away from winning her last-ever home collegiate match. Anton-Ohlmeyer swatted the ball to Safdar, challenging her forehand, as she had all day. Safdar wore an orange band covering her right wrist. She returned the shot and a short volley ensued. Safdar blasted a shot down the line, a forehand with a flick of her right wrist. And then Safdar’s opponent dumped a backhand into the net. For the first time, Shahzad knew the outcome of a match by looking at his daughter’s face — even if it meant the end of one career and the start of another. “I’m just happy to be out here. I’ve had a tough journey,” Safdar said. “To come out and play my best tennis at home… “The smile on my face said it all.” sjfortie@syr.edu