The 2016-17 academic year was filled with memorable moments at and around Syracuse University, including the Women’s March protests following President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s acceptance of a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.

Throughout the year, The Daily Orange reported on these topics and other, more ambitious investigative stories. Here are the 10 best pieces of news journalism that came from The D.O. during the 2016-17 academic year:

Daily Orange File Photo

Syracuse University under federal investigation for its handling of sexual assault

In August 2016, The Daily Orange discovered that Syracuse University was being investigated by the United States Department of Education for mishandling a sexual assault case after a Title IX complaint was filed with the department’s Office for Civil Rights. This was the first Title IX complaint brought against the university, which did not acknowledge the investigation until The Daily Orange’s report.

Moriah Ratner | Staff Photographer

‘Insurmountable’: How Syracuse University handled a case of assault against a student abroad

Following the assault of a Syracuse University student studying abroad, the university made decisions that may have violated its own policies. Despite being convicted of assault by the University Conduct Board, the perpetrator received the minimum punishment and remained a lauded member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program at SU. It was only after an inquiry by The Daily Orange that the student was removed as a global ambassador for the university’s study abroad program.

Daily Orange File Photo

Street outreach programs in Syracuse work to combat homelessness, especially in winter months

Even though the population of homeless people in Syracuse has decreased by about one-third over the past six years, the city is still struggling to help those in need. New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order in January to combat the state’s homelessness issue. Shelters and outreach programs in Syracuse provide support and aid to homeless people as well.

Daily Orange File Photo

Chancellor Kent Syverud’s role at Syracuse University has evolved into chief fundraiser

Not long after Kent Syverud assumed the role of chancellor at Syracuse University, he began his lengthy Fast Forward Syracuse fundraising campaign. While most university heads spend their first few years becoming acclimated to the university and developing relationships with potential donors, Syverud hit the ground running.

Daily Orange File Photo

Thousands of protesters gather in New York City in peaceful Women’s March

A spinoff from the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., thousands gathered in New York City to speak out against President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. A diverse crowd of more than 400,000 people were in attendance at the peaceful protest.

Daily Orange File Photo

The Whitman School’s receipt of a Charles Koch Foundation grant is raising academic freedom concerns

When the Charles Koch Foundation gave financial gifts to Florida State University and Utah State University, those grants came with strings attached that limited academic freedom. Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management received a $1.75 million gift from the Koch Foundation in November, raising concerns among faculty and students worried about the Koch brothers’ influence in academia.

Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

Slowly crumbling: With changes pending, I-81 continues to deteriorate

As the Syracuse community remains torn over replacement options for Interstate 81, the highway itself has reached its lifespan. One study found 9 percent of 76 bridges located along I-81 and Interstate 690 were deemed structurally deficient, a condition indicating that a deficiency is present in a bridge and needs attention.

Courtesy of Dylan Reibling

Looking for answers: A Syracuse University alumnus mysteriously disappeared. Then he was found dead. His friend, a documentary filmmaker, wants to know why

James Walton, a Syracuse University alumnus, was found dead in his Toronto apartment in 2002. But he was not known as SU alumnus James Walton: He’d assumed the identity of somebody else. Dylan Reibling — a friend of Walton’s — spent the last 15 years searching for the reasons why the man he called a friend would lie about his entire identity.

Photo Illustration by Ally Moreo & Emma Comtois | The Daily Orange

Under watch: With 1,100 security cameras, Syracuse University is one of the most watched campuses in the country

Syracuse University has been increasing the number of security cameras on campus since 2009. Now it’s one of the most surveyed universities in the country. A look into how the Department of Public Safety manages the monitoring of SU and what it does with that information.

Moriah Ratner | Staff Photographer

‘Public consensus’: How Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud is viewed 3 years into his tenure

Three years after Kent Syverud was appointed chancellor of Syracuse University, faculty, staff and administrators view him as a man who means well but has made mistakes. The closing of the Advocacy Center, the construction of a $6 million promenade and the hesitation to designate SU a “sanctuary campus” have been contentious decisions made under his leadership, leaving critics wondering what Syverud considers the university’s top priorities.

Published on June 4, 2017 at 1:02 pm

news@dailyorange.com