On 134th birthday, SU to light up Syracuse skyline

On 134th birthday, SU to light up Syracuse skylineMarch 18, 2004Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

On March 24, Syracuse University will mark its 134th birthday with the celebration of National Orange Day. Following daytime festivities and service events, the Syracuse night sky will shine orange as the Carrier Dome, MONY Tower and Niagara Mohawk Building feature SU-themed lighting. The official celebration of SU’s Founders Day, now in its 11th year, is sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations.

“For more than 200,000 alumni, National Orange Day is a chance to show pride in our alma mater and increase the visibility of SU,” says Donald Doerr, assistant vice president for alumni relations. “We are part of a great institution of higher learning and we should all be proud to show our orange spirit.”

In Central New York, organizers anticipate involvement by alumni, students, faculty, staff and the community. Doerr encourages supporters of the University throughout the region to wear orange and show their SU spirit. To reaffirm their commitment to community service, the Central New York Alumni Club will be working with children at Edward Smith Elementary School in Syracuse.

The day’s local activities are open to the public, with paid parking for on-campus events available in the Irving and University Avenue garages. Events include:

• At noon, SU’s alma mater and fight song will play on the Crouse Chimes;
• A 12:30 p.m. event in the Schine Student Center atrium will feature Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw, the Alumni Relations staff and free cake;
• The University Bookstore will offer Orange Day discounts;
• The Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion will offer free rentals for all skaters wearing orange;
• Rachel’s Restaurant, the Goldstein Alumni & Faculty Center will offer discounts or SU-themed lunch specials; and
• Nighttime lighting of the Dome, Niagara Mohawk Building and MONY Towers will feature special “GO SU” lettering on the towers’ time and temperature display.

Also on March 24, record numbers of alumni across the country will wear orange as their clubs take part in service projects. Among others, Albany’s Alumni Club of the Capital District will prepare and serve meals at Joseph House and participate in the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days; the Arizona Club will serve more than 750 meals to the homeless in downtown Phoenix; Buffalo’s Alumni Club of Western New York will work on a landscaping project in one of the city’s parks; and the Central New Jersey Club will undertake their annual beach cleanup and serve meals at a food pantry.

Elsewhere, the Alumni Club of Connecticut is working on a “Bleed Orange” blood drive campaign; the Fort Myers Alumni Club will spend the day on a Habitat for Humanity project; and the Long Island Club will hold a charitable wine tasting event. The Northern New Jersey Club will make a donation to the Children’s Specialty Hospital in Mountainside, N.J.; the Philadelphia Alumni Club will work on a Habitat for Humanity project; and the Rochester Alumni Club will raise money for Camp Good Days and Special Times by sorting wine for the annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction. The Vermont Club will sponsor a series of blood drives in local high schools.

The Maxwell and Newhouse Clubs are combining their efforts to work on a Habitat for Humanity project in the Bronx; the Nursing Alumni Association will volunteer at the Francis House, The Jewish Home of Central New York and the Central New York Rehab Center; and the Syracuse University Volunteers (SUVs) will team with the Creative Arts Workshop to work with children in Harlem.

For more information, contact Denise Hendee at (315) 443-3249.