Inaugural year celebrated on April 11 with Chancellor’s address and community activity

Inaugural year celebrated on April 11 with Chancellor’s address and community activityApril 04, 2005Sara Millersemortim@syr.edu

On Nov. 5, 2004, Syracuse University officially inaugurated Nancy Cantor as the University’s 11th Chancellor and President, beginning a yearlong exploration, “University as Public Good: Exploring the Soul of Syracuse,” designated by the Chancellor to engage the University and its extended communities in the exploration of “soul.”

On April 11, this inaugural discussion, which has included community-wide dialogues, public events, outreach and partnerships throughout the academic year, will culminate with a major address by Cantor at 4 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

“I’m looking forward to the Hendricks Chapel talk on April 11 as a chance to tell the campus what we’ve learned so far this year,” says Cantor. “I also plan to lay out my vision for the future of Syracuse University as a national example of scholarship-in-action. This vision, drawn from the advice of our faculty, staff, students, trustees and alumni, will build on all that is best about the University. At the same time, it will have important implications for the ways in which faculty members are rewarded, future programs are structured and incoming students are selected.”

Additionally, on April 10-11, Cantor will make several visits throughout the area to meet with some of the individuals who make up the soul of the Syracuse community and to broaden the discussion on topics of neighborhood revitalization, education in the community and partnering in economic development, both past and present.

Partnering in neighborhood revitalization

On Sunday, April 10, Cantor will attend 9 a.m. Mass at St. Lucy’s Church on Gifford Street in Syracuse. The service is a joint celebration of the St. Lucy’s parish and the Second Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, which lost its worship area in fall 2004 to a structural collapse. While the Second Olivet Church was being rebuilt, St. Lucy’s has offered the use of its church as a place of worship for the Second Olivet congregation.

St. Lucy’s is in a community that has seen success in revitalization due in large part to the work of the parish. Cantor has been invited to offer brief remarks at the conclusion of Mass and join parishioners and guests for coffee and conversation following the service.

Partnering in educating the community

Celebrating and building on the educational partnerships between the University and the Syracuse City School District, Cantor will visit the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Applied Science Community School, Monday, April 11 at 8:30 a.m., to greet students, parents, teachers and staff as they begin the school day. The Dr. King School, located on Raynor Avenue, has played a significant role in Syracuse’s South Side and is the school nearest to the University, sitting just beyond Interstate 81. SU has had considerable collaboration with the school over the years, through partnerships in tutoring math and reading and University students becoming involved in various service opportunities with the school.

While at the Dr. King School, Cantor will visit with pre-kindergarten through 5th-grade students. She will also meet with adult students enrolled in GED, literacy and job-readiness training programs held at the school and engage them in conversation about the importance of lifelong learning.

Partnering in economic development

At noon on April 11, Cantor and invited guests will tour a special preview of the Erie Canal Museum’s new exhibition, “Syracuse Architecture: A City Rises from the Banks of the Canal.” Lunch will be provided and guests will have the opportunity to view this exhibition, which showcases the influence of the Erie Canal on the growth and architectural landscapes of Upstate New York in the 19th century, using the city of Syracuse as an example. The exhibition will be on display through Sept. 16.

The venue for this event was chosen for its historical richness and the pivotal role the Erie Canal played in developing the Central New York region and economy of Syracuse. Cantor will offer brief remarks and engage guests in a dialogue about the economic development of the area and how partnerships between the University and area business can further this growth.

Campus inaugural year address

Returning to campus, April 11 at 4 p.m., Cantor will offer her second major address since the inauguration. She will address the University community in Hendricks Chapel, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The yearlong inaugural discussion has involved a diverse audience of community partners, alumni, faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders, and has brought the campus and community together for participation in events and discussion, seminars, lectures, performing arts events and other initiatives, all around the theme of “exploring the soul of Syracuse.” Throughout these experiences, records, materials and outcomes have been collected and will be used by Cantor in this important address as she assesses the year’s results and reflects on the four fundamental questions she posed in November:

• What do we mean by “liberal education”?
• What critical societal issues can we tackle?
• How can Syracuse build on its unique historical landscape, which has served as an arena in the struggle for the rights of women, slaves and Native Americans?
• In a society where knowledge is power, how should the University serve as a power broker?

The address will be Webcast and a transcript of her remarks will be available on the SU News Website, http://sunews.syr.edu/, following the event.

Evening reception and Taylor 2 dance performance

Immediately following Cantor’s culminating address, members of the University community are invited to a reception in the Eggers Hall Commons, where food and refreshments will be served.

At 7:30 p.m., the day concludes with a performance by the Taylor 2 dance company in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. The event is free to the public, but tickets are required. Members of the University community can pick up two free advance tickets for the performance at the Schine Box Office with an S.U. I.D. beginning March 30. Faculty can request a larger number of tickets to accommodate classes. Free tickets for the general public-four per person-will be available beginning April 4 at the box office. Public parking for the event will be in the Waverly, Marion and Comstock lots at the event price of $3.25.

Paul Taylor, lauded by many critics as the best choreographer in the world, established Taylor 2 in 1993 to create a six-member company that could accommodate performance requests as well as teach and provide community outreach. The repertoire for Taylor 2 includes dances that span the broad spectrum of Taylor’s work and have been reworked into a version that enables the smaller ensemble of dancers to perform them. The performance is presented by The College of Arts and Sciences.