emsander's Blog

Building a new law school just became easier.

Three children of Syracuse University's College of Law alumni Robert Emmet Dineen (class of '24) and Carolyn Bareham Dineen (class of '32) pledged $15 million to SU for a new school in their parents' honor. 

Carolyn Dineen King, Kathryn Dineen Wriston and Robert E. Dineen Jr., who are also attorneys, believe their parents would be "overwhelmed" by the gesture, according to a SU announcement. Robert, who was a Syracuse native, is the former chief executive of Northwestern Mutual Life. Carolyn, one of only a few women accepted into law school at the time, was a prominent local lawyer.

Carolyn Dineen King, Robert E. Dineen Jr., and Kathryn Dineen Wriston.

The donation is the largest in the College of Law's 115-year-old history and is one of the largest ever received by SU. 

Reportedly, the new law building will cost between $85 to $90 million and will be approximately 200,000 square feet on the west side of campus. The donation is a major contribution to the $1 billion campaign SU launched, which included plans for a new law building. 

According to Syracuse.com, SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor praised Robert and Carolyn for their former careers and SU spirit.

"To be a great university you need a great law school, and the new building made possible through this landmark gift will be a fitting testament to the Dineen family legacy," Cantor wrote.

If you want to be a season ticket holder for the 2010-2011 year, now is the time. New and returning full-time SU and ESF students can officially buy their basketball and football season tickets.

Football season tickets for students are $100. There are five home football games this season, and the purchase comes with a free Otto's Army T-shirt. Student basketball season tickets are $160.

Students who order both basketball and football season tickets, known as the Combo Package, before Aug. 13 get $40 off. 

Tickets can be purchased through the Student Season Ticket Page.

Sara Brodowski was typing away on her MacBook Pro in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications' Collaborative Media Room when she noticed something out of the ordinary.

The media management graduate student's fingers were shaking on the keyboard, so she looked around to see what caused the commotion. 

"I thought it was someone stomping around," Brodowski said. 

But the real catalyst wasn't a rowdy student. It was an earthquake.

Syracuse.com reported that a 5.0-magnitude quake near Ottawa, Canada, sent aftershocks from Ontario all the way to Maryland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Immediately after the light shake, which lasted mere seconds, the Twittersphere was buzzing with personal anecdotes. 

"There are very small earthquakes beneath us all the time. We just don't feel them," Jeffrey Karson, department chairperson of earth sciences at Syracuse University, said via e-mail. Karson said earthquakes are felt at great distances. Even a 4.0-magnitude earthquake would be felt up to 100km away. 

"The intensity of shaking depends to some extent on what is underneath you," Karson continued.  "That might account for the differences in how it was felt."

While this wasn't Syracuse's first go-around with earthquakes, they're still very rare for the region.

Did you feel it? 

Mark your calendars, because the 2010-2011 Syracuse University Lecture season is a must-see lineup. Nine speakers will make their appearances on campus throughout the academic year for the University Lecture's 10th season.

Two featured speakers are Randy Cohen and Nicholas D. Kristof.

Cohen has proved a sense of humor comes in handy. He won three Emmy Awards for his writing on Late Night with David Letterman. He was also a head writer for The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Now, he has a weekly column for The New York Times Magazine. 

Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times. He's traveled around the world covering hard-hitting news in China and Darfur.

The full schedule is listed below:

Majora Carter - Tuesday, Sept. 21

Kathleen Jamieson - Tuesday, Oct. 12

Maude Barlow - TBA