Fighting for Free Speech
By Victoria Marlin
February 16, 2010 - 10:14pm
Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho receives the 2010 Tully Center Free Speech Award for her exposure of child pornography and sex trafficking in Mexico, despite the obstacles.

Lydia Cacho lives by this simple, direct motto: Tell the truth, no matter what.

For the Mexican journalist, telling the truth has led to death threats, abduction, torture, jail time, and years of court battles over her rights as a citizen and reporter. Yet Cacho continues to share her own story and those of victims of child pornography, trafficking, and abuse.

Cacho received the Tully Center for Free Speech Award Tuesday evening for her perseverance in fighting obstacles to free speech.

He's still got it
By Christine Mehta
February 12, 2010 - 12:11am
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer talks economics and politics to a receptive Syracuse audience.

Eliot Spitzer’s still got it.  

Despite the scandal that forced him to resign as New York's governor, or perhaps because of it, more than 400 people showed up to hear Spitzer’s insights on the state of the economy and political climate. 

How to make the most of SU's Career Expo
By Darren Benda
February 1, 2010 - 11:21am
Learn the do’s and don’ts when meeting potential employers Thursday, plus Joe Blum’s advice for what not to do during an interview.

Think you have what it takes to work at Microsoft? How about the FBI? Find out Thursday when those join more than 60 other companies looking to hire at the SU Career Expo.

Debra Walker, assistant director for recruiting from SU’s Center for Career Services, provided several “Do's” and “Don’ts” for students interested in excelling at the fair and landing that dream job or internship.

The Singing of Heroes
By Paul Brockwell
January 24, 2010 - 10:27pm
SU honors four community members dedicated to continuing Dr. King’s journey.

There was a lot of singing at SU’s 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

The Black Celestial Choir sang. The university’s MLK Community Choir sang. And some previously unsung heroes had their praises sung.

Honoring Haiti
By Melissa Romero
January 22, 2010 - 12:06am
More than 300 SU students, professors and community members gathered at Hendricks Chapel Thursday night to show support for victims of the earthquake.

Leslie Johnson told a crowd of over 300 people, “The facts are out, the facts are true.”

He spoke at the candlelight vigil for Haiti earthquake victims in front of Hendricks Chapel Thursday night. “Over 10,000 Haitians were buried in one communal grave.”

“The facts are true. It could have been us.”

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near its capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, claiming over 200,000 lives and leaving thousands more homeless or without family.

Overflowing with books
By Brian Hayden
December 9, 2009 - 8:25pm
SU students, library officials and others discuss one of the library's growing challenges: Too many books.

Savanna Kemp felt outraged when she heard the Syracuse University Library planned to move 100,000 books per year to a storage facility more than four hours away.

Kemp organized a Facebook group in opposition to the plan, which attracted nearly 350 students, and spoke out at Student Association and University Senate meetings about the dilemma. After hearing the opinions of Kemp and other students, library officials put the plan on hold last month. 

“It was really heartening to see we were listened to,” said Kemp, a junior majoring in English and women’s studies.

Paying tribute to an officer, mentor and friend
By Tyler Dunne
December 5, 2009 - 6:35pm
Members of the SU community remember 40-year DPS official Grant Williams during his funeral at Hendricks Chapel Saturday.

Mike Hopkins remembers trudging across a snowy Syracuse University campus as a wide-eyed freshman in 1989. Everything about the school was new to the young basketball player from California.

Then — out of nowhere — someone lent a helping hand.

As he did for countless others, Department of Public Safety official Grant Williams Jr. gave Hopkins advice and provided him with an insider’s take on the campus.

“Grant wasn’t a police officer,” said Hopkins, now an assistant basketball coach at SU. “He was a coach.  A developer of talent. A developer of people.”

Singing and praying for peace
By Christine Mehta
December 1, 2009 - 9:32pm
More than 30 students and community members gathered Tuesday night at Hendricks Chapel during the Vigil for Peace.

Hendricks Chapel provided a quiet refuge Tuesday night as students and community members took a few moments to pray for peace.

The Newman Association at Syracuse University’s St. Thomas More Catholic Center held its first ever Vigil for Peace. The event was designed to bring students of different faiths together for an hour of prayer, song, poetry, Scripture readings and reflection.

A protest for gay rights
By Matthew Nojiri
November 18, 2009 - 7:20pm
More than 75 SU students fight back against the anti-gay message of two local residents.

Dressed in a corduroy skirt, 27-year-old Syracuse resident Michelle Deferio stood near the Waverly Avenue entrance of the Schine Student Center holding a sign.

"HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN, CHRIST CAN SET YOU FREE," it read.

Chris Pesto, a gay Syracuse University junior majoring in acting, was walking back from class around 3:30 p.m. He saw Deferio's sign and decided to make one of his own.

"CORDUROY SKIRTS ARE A SIN," his sign read.

Public Radio Rock Star
By Mallory Passuite
November 18, 2009 - 1:06am
'This American Life' host Ira Glass offers Syracuse advice on storytelling and winning audiences back from 'commentary' shows.

The crowd applauded, waiting for Ira Glass, producer and host of Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life, to appear. The applause eventually faded to a brief, awkward silence, with Glass still nowhere in sight. Suddenly, the lights shut off. Someone shouted “Ira,” as if he were a rock star about to take the stage.