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Committee updates class curriculum By Alfred Ng ASST. NEWS EDITOR
to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. On Saturday, Garcia became the first woman to graduate from
The Falk school has proposed two programs to keep up with emerging career fields. The University Senate Committee on Curricula has submitted a report reviewing the academics of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. It listed eight new courses for the proposed bachelor’s of science and minor in food studies. The other proposed program is a certificate of advanced study in trauma-informed practice, which is for people like graduate students and practicing mental health professionals, according to the report. The committee proposed the food studies major and minor because of the field’s increasing popularity, according to the report. It will focus on the political economy of food, along with agroecology, gastronomy and nutrition. If the new major is implemented, parts of Syracuse University’s nutrition science and dietetics program will be integrated into this program, according to the report. The proposed major is undergoing necessary state approval before it becomes available to students, said Michele Barrett, director of communications for Falk, in an email. Barrett said the proposed food studies program follows a trend in academia toward understanding the socioeconomic bases of food production, manufacturing, distribution and consumption. “The Falk College proposes a Food Studies Bachelor of Science program to take advantage of growing interest in food systems and how this academic training can translate into career opportunities for students,” she said. Barrett said the major would benefit students interested in the social science and legal policy aspects of food while preparing them for careers in food sustainability and agricultural issues. The other program proposed, a certificate of advanced study in traumainformed practice program, is “structured for clinicians, mental health
SEE GARCIA PAGE 8
SEE FALK PAGE 6
LIZ GARCIA sits in a pew, waiting to give her graduation speech inside St. John’s Church on Saturday. Garcia graduated from the Exodus 3 Ministries program after a year of recovering from an abusive relationship she escaped from when she lived in the Bronx, N.Y.
‘Living in
freedom
now’
First member graduates from city women’s empowerment program Text and photos by Chase Gaewski
M
PHOTO EDITOR
ore than a year ago, Liz Garcia felt like she was living in solitary confine-
ment. Residing in the Bronx at the time, she struggled through the psychological and emotional pain of an abusive relationship. There were days when Garcia wouldn’t speak. There were days
when she would question her sanity. There were nights when “evil entities” chased her in her nightmares. Garcia said her boyfriend never physically abused her. The pain inflicted, she said, was mental. One day, Garcia was at home when her boyfriend came out of the kitchen with a knife and started walking toward her. “He came with the knife, and at the last minute — I thought he was going to stab me,” Garcia said. “He turned the knife around on himself and he said, ‘Here, stab me in my heart. It’s like you’re ripping my heart out. Here. Just stab me.’” After that moment, Garcia left her boyfriend in search of a shelter. A couple weeks later, she found her way to Exodus 3 Ministries in Syracuse. Exodus 3 Ministries is an allencompassing, solution-focused nonprofit organization for women in dangerous situations. The women live in The Exodus House
while they go through a program that teaches a variety of life skills and provides them with a safe environment to recover from personal struggles. Exodus 3 refers to a chapter in the Old Testament of the Bible in which God calls on Moses
“I met her where she was at and started walking with her. Walking her journey of darkness with her.” Debra Person
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EXODUS 3