SU senior seeks support group for students facing eating disorders
By Elisabeth Ferrari
March 26, 2014 - 10:07am
After returning from treatment and rehab for bulimia, Rachel Rifkin has voiced her struggles and is now looking to create a network to help others tackling similar issues.

Expensive treatments have helped Rachel Rifkin gain control of her eating disorder during college. Before she graduates from SU in two months, she hopes to have laid the groundwork for something just as valuable: a network of students who will be able to talk to — and support — each other.

She is working on that now, with help from a local group.

Anna Deavere Smith engages audience with provocative and humorous character
By Amanda Stelma
March 26, 2014 - 9:38am
The third University Lectures speaker performed multiple acts Tuesday night, challenging listeners to think critically about social issues and about grace.

Hendricks Chapel was filled with laughter and applause from students and adults Tuesday night as actress, playwright and professor Anna Deavere Smith, one of the last guests of the University Lectures series this semester, performed.

Bringing a fresh perspective to the stage, Smith challenged the audience to think critically about the “world of transition” we are all living in. Focusing on themes of twilight, or in-between, moments and aspects of grace, Smith engaged the crowd with her physical presence and sense of humor.

National Orange Day celebrates SU's 144th birthday
By Georgie Silvarole
March 24, 2014 - 6:16pm
As Syracuse University turns 144 on March 24, the campus is engaged in daylong activities ranging from signing a giant birthday card to eating cake.

To celebrate Syracuse University’s 144th birthday on March 24, a campus-wide party has taken Schine Student Center, Ernie Davis Hall, the Life Sciences Complex and Sadler Hall by storm. A very orange storm, that is.

Professors increasingly use Twitter to engage students
By Danielle Roth
March 24, 2014 - 8:47am
Faculty members at many universities have begun to use social media as a tool to connect to students outside of the classroom.

Ulf Oesterle, the chair of the department of music and entertainment industries and professor in the Bandier Program, prefers students tweet at him rather than email him.

SU cleans up for RecycleMania
By Danielle Roth
March 24, 2014 - 6:17am
The national recycling competition reaches Syracuse as students and staff continue to work toward sustainability.

The discarded beer cans on a Friday night ended up in a 1,612-pound heap of garbage Saturday afternoon. Ten students from the Waste Watchers course last fall donned hard hats, leather gloves, boots and white Tyvek suits to dig through it in the hot, humid Syracuse Haulers building.

Getting to know Dr. Ruth Chen
By Allie Caren
March 6, 2014 - 8:12pm
SU's new First Lady has kept busy by getting to know students, faculty and her surroundings since joining the Syracuse community.

“If you stand still, you get run over.”

During Dr. Ruth Chen’s time as a Staff Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, this quote hung over a fellow researcher’s door frame, and it is a motto she takes seriously.

MSNBC's Chris Hayes goes all in with Syracuse
By Jillian Lynch
February 26, 2014 - 1:27am
The talk show host discussed America's meritocratic system and how it has led to elitism in his University Lectures Series speech.

At the beginning of his lecture Tuesday night, political journalist Chris Hayes asked the audience to participate in a thought experiment. He asked everyone to create an alternate universe consisting of sociopaths with no moral conscience.

“If you have a sense of superiority, that the laws don't apply to you, and combine it with a sense of precariousness, you would get something potent. You would get subjects that would be willing to do anything,” Hayes said. “This accurately describes the characteristics among groups that lead to dominance and success in America.”

Future Friday features 3-D scanning and printing
By Juliana Labianca
February 17, 2014 - 5:38pm
The iSchool's NEXIS lab highlighted emerging technologies, including Google Glass, a virtual reality headset and even three-dimensional models.

Many of today's college students likely first experienced 3-D at a young age – whether it was at a movie theater with flimsy paper glasses or even a realistic 3-D attraction at a theme park like Disney World. Years later, 3-D technology is among the most talked about emerging technologies. And for students at Syracuse University, it is readily available on campus.

Hendricks food pantry serves hungry students
By Anna Hodge
February 13, 2014 - 11:07pm
An increasing number of students facing food insecurity receive support from a collection of goods right on campus.

Kenny knows the maximum amount of snack wraps he can buy at the Schine Dining Center without going over his budget. If he buys two wraps, he will fill his stomach and will only have to pay three dollars. Kenny, who asked that his full name not be used for privacy reasons, adds that because he “knows the wrap lady,” she will pack his wrap full with food. 

Graduate students with children seek solutions to daycare problems
By Natsumi Ajisaka
February 12, 2014 - 10:19am
Student parents continue to have trouble finding affordable childcare beyond SU's crowded facilities.

Graduate students with children navigate a complicated trifecta of professional, student and parent.

At Syracuse University, they struggle to find daycare, facing an array of obstacles. SU operates two daycare centers that meet only a fraction of the need. There are reservations about using centers not directly affiliated with the university. Student parents lack a formal network, and have also struggled to organize and advocate for themselves – adding to a communication gap with the university.