SU first-year students to ‘Paint the Town Orange’

SU first-year students to ‘Paint the Town Orange’January 26, 2007Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

Starting this week, Syracuse University’s first-year students will “Paint the Town Orange” through a partnership that includes support from KeyBank. As Scholarship in Action creates new opportunities for engagement with the world, “Paint the Town Orange” will provide additional opportunities for members of the Class of 2010 to visit and discover Armory Square, downtown Syracuse and the Connective Corridor.

“This group of first-year students was quick to embrace Scholarship in Action‘s emphasis on engagement, and they came to Syracuse looking for ways to be involved in the community,” says Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. “This is an opportunity to further pique their interest in the rich tapestry of cultural opportunities that Syracuse has to offer.”

Last August, on the Class of 2010’s first Saturday in Syracuse, more than 2,000 first-year students and hundreds of student, faculty and staff volunteers participated in “Exploring the Soul of Downtown Syracuse,” a cultural festival that was among the highlights of Syracuse Welcome 2006, SU’s signature first-year student orientation program. Since then, SU has launched the Connective Corridor Shuttle, expanded free transportation options in the East Neighborhood, and created other opportunities for students to connect with the community.

In the first six weeks of the spring semester, the “Paint the Town Orange” program will help first-year SU students participate in easy-to-do and easy-to-get-to activities in Syracuse. In their role as student leaders, resident advisors (RAs) will coordinate downtown events with students. This week, RAs have conducted a series of floor meetings to announce suggested activities, such as:

• Grab lunch at a local restaurant, and then check out the Warehouse Gallery Center for Contemporary Art or the Onondaga Historical Museum.
• Invite a faculty member to have dinner, and then check out an IMAX movie at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST).
• Participate in the City of Syracuse’s Winterfest, including the Feb. 17 Culinary Cruise, in which 19 local restaurants will vie for the best-food honors.
• Skate on the outdoor rink at Clinton Square, then visit Armory Square for a cup of hot chocolate.
• Most suggested activities are accessible by public transportation, especially the free-for-students Warehouse Shuttle and Connective Corridor Shuttle. Programs will run from Jan. 26-March 8, ending just prior to Spring Break.

To help students access these opportunities, SU is providing a $50 gift card to each eligible student — defined as full-time, first-year, Syracuse University students, not including University College, transfer and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students. The Key Possibilities gift cards, designed for SU and issued by KeyBank, are marked “Scholarship in Action” and can be used as debit cards; rules for using the cards are provided to students with the cards. The cards are not to be used for the purchase of alcohol.

“KeyBank is a strong proponent for local economic growth and a culturally vibrant downtown,” says Stephen D. Fournier, president of KeyBank’s Central New York District. “By encouraging students to patronize downtown retail establishments, restaurants, arts and entertainment venues, this initiative underscores the University’s commitment to the city and its future potential. Key is pleased to partner with SU in this endeavor.”

Eligible first-year students are receiving their cards in their residence halls Jan. 25-26; information on how to pick up cards is provided by students’ RAs or by other Office of Residence Life staff in their residence halls. Students who live in residence halls can confirm distribution locations by visiting the hall’s main desk on a day when cards are being distributed. Students must show valid SU I.D. and will be required to sign for cards upon receipt. Students may only use their own I.D. and may pick up only their own card. Commuter students only will receive cards from the Office of Off-Campus Student Services.