student protest

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.

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.

Revolutionary Minds
By tnwill02
April 24, 2009 - 11:23am
In 1969 the hill was buzzing with student activism, the students made demands and the faculty listened.

Bettie Thompson ’71 had been corresponding with her soon-to-be Syracuse University roommate on a regular basis the summer before her freshman year at SU. It wasn’t until Thompson met her roommate, a fellow New Jersey native, in person that race became an issue.

“Her family walked into Walnut Cottage where we lived, and she said, “My God, you’re a nigger,’” Thompson said.