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INSIDE What’s happening
Read about recent awards won by the paper and staff, and get all the details on our new online store, Page 2. Staffers of past and present talk covering protests on campus; The D.O.’s ad manager gives insight into the business side of the paper, Page 5.
Alumni newsmakers D.O. alumnus Chico Harlan talks about covering the unrest in Ferguson for the Washington Post, Page 4.
courtesy of andrew renneisen
Brad Anderson, creator of ‘Marmaduke,’ reflects on his time as a staff illustrator at The D.O.; several D.O. sports alumni were nominated for awards for their work in 2014, Page 5.
Alumni updates Learn about the new DOAA and see what the Class of 2014 is up to now, Page 6
JOIN US FOR
PALOOZA
2015
Revisit the halls of 744 Ostrom and make the trip to Syracuse for DO Palooza. We’d love for you to join us for our annual alumni weekend. DO Palooza is a great opportunity for staffers to interact with professional journalists and for alumni to reconnect and network. For details and schedule, see Page 5.
T H E I N DE PE N DE N T ST U DE N T N E W S PA P E R O F S Y R A C U S E , N .Y.
From the editor’s desk: Alumni network keeps D.O. strong in times of turbulence
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hroughout my first semester as editor in chief, I’ve received advice and help from former Daily Orange editors all over the country. As the paper endures a number of transitions to ensure its longevity and progression, the dedication of its alumni remains the same. They continue to serve The Daily Orange in any way they can, whether it’s mentoring staffers, providing tips for how to snag an internship or making a donation. These alumni have shown me that you never really leave The D.O. As a senior, I’ve had to start thinking about life beyond Syracuse. I know when I graduate and leave The D.O. in May, I will take with me invaluable experience and some of my best college memories. When I am not producing a paper or chatting with alumni, I am studying magazine journalism and Middle Eastern studies. My time at The D.O. began as a copy editor in Pulp last fall, followed by a semester as feature editor in Spring 2014. My managing editor Meredith Newman is a former news editor and a senior studying newspaper and online journalism and political science.
LARA SOROKANICH TO CATCH A CHIEF
Meredith and I are eager to set The D.O. up for many more years of success. We are exploring a variety of options that will help The D.O. tackle the challenges of the newspaper industry head on. Like most newspapers nationwide, The D.O. must address trends in decreasing ad revenue. During the summer, we were fortunate to alleviate some of the paper’s budget concerns by switching to a new printing company, Messenger Post. While this and other cuts will allow us to finish close to our projected budget this year, we are not stopping here. To cover costs for the 2014-15 school year, The Daily Orange would like to raise $15,000. Although we
only announced this plan online at the end of the year, we raised a fourth of our goal in a month’s time. Still, we see fundraising as the first step of a much larger campaign to ensure the paper’s financial stability. That includes looking into alternative revenue streams. Several alumni are volunteering their time and expertise to create fundraising plans for both the short and long term. We’ve also opened up a Daily Orange merchandising store on Society6.com, which gives a percentage of the revenue for each purchase back to The D.O. And at the beginning of the school year we launched Cuse Housing, a website on which area landlords can pay to list their properties. Another group of former DO-ers will help revamp The Daily Orange Alumni Association. With time, we hope this group can serve as a support system for the paper’s staff and board of directors by planning fundraising and networking events and mentoring students. To keep up with our alumni group, you can like DOAA on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @DOAlumni. Additionally, a select group of current and former staff members have just started researching alternative
formats for The D.O., should the need present itself in the future. Comprising primarily sophomores and juniors, the format-change task force will take the next six months to develop a thorough understanding of how changing formats will affect The D.O.’s business model, content and staffing, among other things. At the end of the research period, we hope the group will have enough information to make informed decisions about The D.O.’s format when they mature into head editors, board members and management teams. The Daily Orange is in a time of flux, like many newspapers around the country. But The D.O. is lucky enough to have a strong and influential network of supporters in its hundreds of alumni. Though advertising revenues and business models may change, the purpose and integrity of The Daily Orange will not. Together, DO-ers young and old will ensure there’s a D.O. to leave behind for many years to come. Lara Sorokanich (’15) is the editor in chief and former feature editor of The Daily Orange. She also serves as the president of the paper’s board of directors. Please feel free to contact her at editor@dailyorange.
YEAR IN REVIEW In the fall, The Daily Orange was one of four daily newspapers from four-year colleges to receive a 2014 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award. Additionally, The D.O. received a 2014 Online Pacemaker award and an EPPY award for the Best College Newspaper Website.Find a full list of staff members who received honors on Page 2.
One of the mostread stories of the semester was about a women’s soccer player caught on video using racial and homophobic slurs. The news and sports staff worked together to provide coverage when the story broke over the weekend.
Oprah Winfrey graced the front page on Sept. 30 when she served as a keynote speaker at the grand opening of the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, which was also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The news staff was on constant protest watch as a number of student marches and rallies took place this semester. Students raised concerns about a variety of issues such as the closure of the Advocacy Center, cuts in scholarship programs and diversity. The semester ended with an 18-day sit-in at CrouseHinds Hall, the building that houses the chancellor’s office.
WHAT’S HAPPENING: Updates from The Daily Orange
PALOOZA2015 UPDATES AWARDS
The paper’s annual alumni event, DO Palooza, will be held the weekend of Feb. 27-March 1. This year, the theme of Palooza will be “Past, Present and Future,” and will focus on how The Daily Orange has evolved through the years. Friday night will feature a meet-and-greet session with the current staff. Saturday will include educational panels during which alumni have the opportunity to share their expertise with those in attendance. This year’s Palooza will also involve a viewing party of the Syracuse basketball game at Duke on Saturday, Feb. 28. The party, held at a local restaurant, will give alumni the chance to socialize with current staff and each other. The weekend will close with a Sunday brunch. If you’re interested in attending Palooza, being featured on a panel or coming to the viewing party, please contact management at editor@dailyorange.com. Editor’s note: This is a tentative schedule. Be sure to RSVP to keep up to date with any changes.
FRIDAY, FEB. 27
break into food reviews? How does a former features writer get into politics? In this panel, we’ll cover the basics of breaking into a new field, building knowledge and sources, and working one’s way up to becoming an expert. COVERING THE CONTROVERSIAL During the fall semester, The D.O. covered a number of protests and controversies between SU’s students and administrators. What’s the best way to develop sources when covering polarizing topics? How do you make your stories different from the competition? How do you produce the best content on a tight deadline?
Meet-and-greet 7 p.m., 744 Ostrom Ave. Kick off the weekend with a meet-and-greet on Friday night. Catch up with former colleagues and meet the current staff.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28 Alumni workshops and panels Beginning in the morning and going through the afternoon (both breakfast and lunch will be provided). Topics will include: WE WERE THERE During The D.O.’s more-than-100-year tenure, the paper’s reporters have covered the biggest issues at Syracuse University and in the city of Syracuse. From the Civil Rights Movement, to the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy, to the Bernie Fine investigation, D.O. reporters have written stories that have built the paper’s strong legacy of enterprising reporting. Looking back now, what can we learn from big stories of the past? BECOMING AN EXPERT Many D.O. alumni have ended up reporting in different fields than what they did at The D.O. What is the journey from sports writer to business reporter? How does a news writer
THE LAY OF THE LAW With media becoming increasingly digital, the legal logistics of producing news aren’t as clear as they used to be. Is it OK to embed a Youtube video that’s not yours into a story? Can you quote a Tweet as a source? Is it copyright infringement to use a screenshot of a game as art? These and other tricky online questions will be answered by a panel of legal experts. VISUAL VISIONARIES This panel will discuss how photographers, designers and web developers can work together to make compelling print and digital products. How can print graphics best be translated to interactive graphics for the web? What makes a good photo essay and what’s the best way to present them — in print and digital? How can print design best be translated online? We will also discuss how to collaborate and communicate with editors on visual storytelling. DIVING INTO DIGITAL More and more newsrooms are prioritizing
digital over print. With that in mind, what kinds of skills should The Daily Orange be focused on teaching? What skills are needed to thrive in a digital-first newsroom? How do our writing and reporting styles have to change? SIZING UP SPORTS Daily Orange sports writers have ended up in all different media — newspapers, online, magazines and television. How does covering sports differ between these different platforms? How does a writer work their way through the sports writing industry? Sports alumni will discuss how to “make it” in today’s evolving field. LIFE AFTER 744 What’s next after The Daily Orange? Recent graduates will discuss how they got to where they are today, how to start the job hunt and what life is like after college.
Syracuse-Duke basketball watch party (Time and location TBD).
SUNDAY, MARCH 1 Brunch at Rachel’s Restaurant at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center, 11 a.m. At this casual brunch we will say our goodbyes, reflect on what we learned and celebrate The Daily Orange.
Check out the new D.O. store on Society6! This fall, The Daily Orange launched its first official online store on Society6, a website where users can create custom products. The Society6 page allows staff members, families and alumni to celebrate and support The D.O., as a portion of proceeds go back to the paper. The D.O.’s Society6 marketplace includes a variety of products, including iPhone cases, coffee mugs, T-shirts and tote bags. Visit society6.com/thedailyorange to view all of the products.
MUG $15
2 WINTER 2015
TOTE BAG $22
iPHONE CASE $35
LAPTOP SKIN $30
T-SHIRT $22
ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
2013-14 ACADEMIC YEAR • 2014 Newspaper Pacemaker for Four-year Daily Newspaper • 2014 Online Pacemaker for Newspaper 10,001-20,000 Enrollment • Lizzie Hart, first place, news magazine/special section for Basketball Guide • Lizzie Hart, honorable mention, infographics • Andy Casadonte, first place, illustration for Remembrance Guide • Chase Gaewski, fourth place, feature picture • Chris Janjic, honorable mention, feature picture • Sam Maller, first place, sports picture • Chris Voll, honorable mention, multimedia sports for the 2-3 Zone Series
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS 2013 CALENDAR YEAR • Finalist, Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper • Finalist, Best Affiliated Website • Chase Gaewski, first place, sports photography • Nate Shron, finalist, sports photography • Maddy Berner, finalist, feature writing • Michael Cohen, finalist, sports column writing • Drew Osumi, finalist, photo illustration
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER EPPY 2014 AWARDS • Best College/University Newspaper Website
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY OF NEWS DESIGN 2013-14 ACADEMIC YEAR
• Lindsay Dawson, honorable mention, feature page newspaper • Andy Casadonte, third place, art and illustration for Remembrance Guide • Lizzie Hart, second place, special sections for Basketball Guide • Lizzie Hart, third place, special sections for Remembrance Guide • Chris Voll, honorable mention, digital storytelling for the 2-3 Zone Series A L U M N I @ D A I LY O R A N G E . C O M
WHAT’S HAPPENING: Updates from The Daily Orange
MINDINGMOVEMENTS Current, past staffers discuss coverage of campus protests By Anna Merod STAFF WRITER
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hen it comes to covering a protest, expect the unexpected. Barbara Beck learned that in November 1969 as she lay covered in tear gas with protesters in Dupont Circle. As a freshman reporter with The Daily Orange, Beck headed to Washington, D.C., to cover a national protest against the Vietnam War. She went without telling her parents — or without much of a plan. Recalling the reactions of other student reporters during the Vietnam era, Beck said protest reporting left the young journalists feeling conflicted. “I was often torn between being a reporter and picking up a sign that said ‘Get out of Vietnam,’” said Beck. After that first trip to D.C., Beck did not cover another protest. She said her ability to be more objective in reporting improved as she gained more experience and received help from her D.O. editors. In fact, Beck eventually became managing editor of the paper. She went on to work for The Philadelphia Daily News and The Los Angeles Herald Examiner as both a reporter and features editor. From Vietnam War demonstrations to sit-ins expressing disapproval of the current university administration, student reporters and editors at The Daily Orange continue to grapple with effectively covering capricious and sometimes violent events on campus. However, those challenging reporting experiences were sometimes the best learning experiences, recall D.O. alumni.
COLTON JONES, a senior psychology major and a rally organizer, leads the crowd in a chant during the Diversity and Transparency Rally on Nov. 3, 2014. frankie prijatel, photo editor This fall, the D.O. staff got that same valuable experience. The semester marked a resurgence of student-led protests on campus with 10 protests, including an 18-day sit-in in Crouse-Hinds Hall, which houses the chancellor’s office. Students protested different topics from the closure of the Advocacy Center, to the administration’s failure to consider divestment from fossil fuels, to what protesters considered an overall lack of diversity and transparency from the administration. The coverage was led by current and former news editors Jessica Iannetta, a senior newspaper and online journalism and political science major, and Brett Samuels, a junior newspaper and online journalism major. One of the many protests Samuels covered
for The D.O. last semester was the Diversity and Transparency Rally. After the DAT Rally, protesters from THE General Body, a student coalition of more than 50 student organizations, marched to Crouse-Hinds Hall to begin what would become an 18-day sit-in. Samuels hung around with the protesters for hours as his coverage expanded from a rally to the Department of Public Safety setting ground rules for the protesters who made Crouse-Hinds their new home. Twitter became an important tool in the coverage of the sit-in. Constant updates on social media continued throughout The D.O.’s coverage, even bringing new followers to the @dailyorange Twitter account, according to Iannetta. “I think Twitter was extraordinarily important
for our coverage of the sit-in that happened, particularly because the people who organized the sit-in had such a large presence on social media already,” she said. For Iannetta and Samuels, the hardest part of covering the protests was finding a balance between writing about the action and providing context. While covering the protests, Iannetta and Samuels said they tried to talk to as many people on the ground, as well as contact organizers. At times, the staff covered the protests in teams to get the full picture. They would later speak with university administrators, who were involved in the protested decisions. Iannetta’s protest coverage for The D.O. reminded her of the importance of being objective, particularly when it’s assumed that the job of a student newspaper is to advocate for students. “A lot of people have this belief that if you’re a student publication, it’s your job to be on the side of the students,” Iannetta said. “So if the students are protesting the administration, then the student newspaper should be on their side. And I think that’s not true, obviously, because you have to be unbiased and just report the facts.” Before Bruce Apar worked for years as the editor in chief and publisher for both Mediaware Magazine and later the North County News, he was a feature editor at The D.O. While there, he wrote and edited columns about protests on campus. He said the protests at SU in the early ‘70s felt like “an alternate universe.” The significant change in campus culture has been a challenge for student journalists, but nonetheless a valuable experience. “You’re really learning as you go in terms of field reporting, and you just have to sort of roll with the punches and figure it out yourself,” said Apar. “There’s no blueprints about it because it hadn’t really happened that way before.”
Ad manager gives peek into D.O.’s business side
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
While the editorial staff works through the night to produce The Daily Orange, advertising manager Emily Myers and a staff of student ad reps are there during the day working on the business side. A San Diego, Calif., transplant, Emily came to Syracuse for the Newhouse program and sports-loving atmosphere. An advertising major with an art history minor, she joined the advertising staff the spring of her sophomore year after meeting a student recruiter. This fall marked her first semester as ad manager and as an acting member of the board of directors. As manager, she is responsible for overseeing the students who work on the business side. In addition to general office upkeep, she plans the semester’s special projects, like promotional events and advertising supplements, and aids longtime general manager Pete Waack. This will be Emily’s last semester, as she is graduating in May and recently accepted a position at DigitasLBi agency in New York City. The other senior on staff is a finalist in the prestigious Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) run by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (or the 4A’s, for short). Here’s a look at what else happened this year for The Daily Orange ad staff:
1985 graduate from the communicationsnewspaper program at Newhouse. While at The Daily Orange, she served as a copy editor and an assitant editorial page editor. Former coordinator of the national Sunshine Week open government initiative for the American Society of News Editors, Gersh Hernandez joined the Reporters Committee as its first communications director in 2011. Previously, she worked as an independent consultant for various non-profits, including the National Judicial Education Program and the Student Press Law Center. Gersh Hernandez was director of public relations and then vice president of communications for the Newspaper Association of America. She also worked briefly as director of communications for the American Advertising Federation and as a reporter and editor for Editor & Publisher magazine. She is a former chair of the National Press Club’s Freedom of the Press Committee.
A L U M N I @ D A I LY O R A N G E . C O M
• Seniors that graduated last year have been very successful in their job searches. Three of the four seniors secured jobs in New York City, including two who are now working at advertising agencies Deutsch and MEC. One staff member just graduated this December and is searching for an advertising job in Paris. • Underclassmen filled the positions left open by last year’s seniors. Many of the new hires fill ad representative positions. Some came on staff to handle new projects, like special events coordinator, marketing/promotion coordinator and content manager for the growing advertising supplements. • The advertising department hopes to help increase readership by hosting promotional events. Right now, that means hosting one main event per semester. That number could grow in future years. This fall, The D.O. hosted the first Flapjack 5K, a fun run in Thornden Park. Student-run food truck Pinocchio’s Push Cart served free pancakes to the 25 runners who participated. • The staff is now preparing for two spring events, Beats & Eats and the annual wing-eating contest. Beats & Eats, a food-truck rodeo and concert, is
Participants run during the Flapjack 5K last fall in Thornden Park. contributed photo still in the planning stages. The event has two cosponsors from local business owners Uncle Bob’s Storage Company and Ben Tupper from Tupper Property Management. The advertising staff hopes to see community events grow as they become better known. If you would like to speak with an advertising representative to learn more about the business of The Daily Orange, please contact ads@dailyorange.com.
NEWEST MEMBERS
DEBRA GERSH HERNANDEZ is a
STEVE KOVACH is a 2008 graduate from the Newspaper Journalism program at Newhouse and the English program at the College of Arts and Sciences. He was news editor at The Daily Orange in 2005, and contributed columns to the Opinion section after that. Following a brief stint at ESPN, Steve has been a tech editor at Business Insider since 2010, where he mostly covers consumer technology. WINTER 2015
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ALUMNI NEWSMAKERS: Former Daily Orange staffers and their lives beyond the Hill
POUNDING THE
PAVEMENT
Alumnus takes to Ferguson’s streets to cover protests By Jessica Iannetta STAFF WRITER
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hen Chico Harlan returned to The Washington Post after completing an assignment in Florida, it was just another day. Then an editor spotted him across the newsroom and asked him a question: How did he feel about making a trip to Missouri? “They handed me some armored gear and a gas mask and off I went to cover this thing in St. Louis,” Harlan said. “It was really surreal.” Harlan (’04), a reporter on The Washington Post’s economics desk, traveled to Ferguson, Mo., twice to help with the paper’s coverage of the Michael Brown case. He spent five or six days in Ferguson in August and returned in November for an eight-day stretch. On Aug. 9, Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. On Nov. 24, a grand jury decided not to charge Wilson with any crimes related to the fatal shooting. The case has since set off waves of protests in Missouri and throughout the country. Harlan called the assignment “a very interesting way to re-experience America.” “I had never covered anything like that before,” he said. “I had covered other big stories but nothing that was so contained on the streets.” Harlan was never in danger during his time in Ferguson, and said when he first arrived in August that many residents seemed happy to have the media there. Its presence gave the residents almost a “sense of vindication” and made them feel protected since they knew police confrontations were less likely with cameras around, he said. Much of Harlan’s reporting consisted of daily — and sometimes hourly — updates about what was happening in Ferguson. Harlan also had the job of calling Wilson, the police officer, and members of his family. The challenge with reporting on a national story like Ferguson is finding different angles to cover, Har-
4 WINTER 2015
lan said. One way Harlan did this was with an article he wrote about Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. Delmar runs east to west and divides the city racially, with black people in the northern areas and white people in the southern areas, Harlan said. “You can sort of see just along the two sides of this road how this racial divide actually worked and how the suspicions were so different depending on which side you stood on,” he said. Outside of his own reporting, Harlan was also able to learn firsthand how The Washington Post covers big national stories. The paper had six or seven reporters in Ferguson in August and four when the grand jury verdict was announced in November. But the paper didn’t lose track of the story when it faded from the news cycle between August and November, and kept a few reporters on the ground in Ferguson, Harlan said. This really shows the amount of manpower necessary for these types of stories, he added. For Harlan, all the opportunities he has had in his career come back to his time at The Daily Orange, where he worked in the sports department. Harlan said he’s thankful for all the people he met at The D.O. who taught him so much about journalism. “I’m always sort of feeling a sense of gratitude towards The D.O., more so really than any other stop along my career,” he said. “That was the key.”
ABOVE Rioters in front of an AutoZone as it burns to the ground on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Mo. Protests broke out in Ferguson in November after a jury decided not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown. BELOW Arrests are made outside of the Ferguson police station. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW RENNEISEN. Renneisen (’14), former photo editor and staff photographer, is a freelance documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. His work can be found at andrewrenneisen.com.
A L U M N I @ D A I LY O R A N G E . C O M
ALUMNI NEWSMAKERS: Former Daily Orange staffers and their lives beyond the Hill
GONE TO THE DOGS
Marmaduke creator recalls time on D.O. staff, rise to comic-strip royalty STAFF WRITER
THE WASHINGTON POST
Nominated for: D.C. Sportswriter of the Year Asst. Sports Editor Spring 2003; Sports Editor Fall 2003-Spring 2004
2001 2002
MICHAEL BONNER
2000
“Working at The D.O. was the most important thing I ever did in my professional life, and it’s pretty close on the personal side, too.”
1999
LOOKING BACK:
1998
During a year when he was promoted from covering the Washington Nationals to a national sports reporting job at The Washington Post, Kilgore was one of five D.C. sportswriters to earn an NSSA nomination. He covered a Nationals team that lost in the National League Division Series in a beat season highlighted by Kilgore’s story about pitcher Jayson Werth’s relationship with his glove. He described Werth as a “crusty dude,” which only added to the pride he took in the story. Said Kilgore: “It probably took me a number of years to get to the point where he would be willing to open up to talk about something like that with me.”
1997
THE CLARION LEDGER
Nominated for: Mississippi Sportswriter of the Year Asst. Sports Editor Fall 2008
2006 2007 2008 2009
“I questioned myself a lot in the last year, but I always stayed true to what I was taught and what I believed in my gut and heart and just kind of followed that — never doubt the lessons that were taught or what your instincts tell you.”
2005
LOOKING BACK:
2004
Bonner first found out about his nomination through a tweet from his fellow nominee, Rick Cleveland. “It kind of shows the age that we live in,” Bonner said. Like the other nominees with roots at The D.O., Bonner said this was his first nod from the NSSA. In his first full year, in addition to covering Mississippi State’s football, basketball and baseball teams, he dealt with working two hours from his home paper’s office and the sports editor retiring soon after Bonner joined the staff. “You basically know what you’re doing and then something happens where you don’t know what you’re doing,” Bonner said. “That’s kind of what happened throughout the entire year.”
2003
A L U M N I @ D A I LY O R A N G E . C O M
ADAM KILGORE
1996
Though nearly every dog owner proclaims their canine to be the most clever and lovable of them all, Brad Anderson has them beat. Anderson, 90, is the owner — or rather, creator — of Marmaduke, the Great Dane whose troublesome adventures and perceptive nature have been chronicled in newspapers for decades. “You know what people say, ‘My dog is so smart that if he could talk, he would talk,’” Anderson said. “Well, that’s what Marmaduke does. He lets people know what the problem is in real dog style.” Anderson said his time at The Daily Orange helped him set up a successful career that includes the 60-year-old comic. In his first draft of Marmaduke, Anderson said, the dog looked intimidating and “not very pleasant.” “I couldn’t name him Dennis the Menace, but it was a dog that went down that road,” Anderson said. A mean dog wouldn’t capture Anderson’s audience, he realized, so he adapted Marmaduke’s personality to the curious, human-like dog known around the world today. Soon after, Anderson didn’t have to fight for an audience. He received numerous letters from readers every week that described the mischief their dogs got into. He couldn’t keep up with all of them, but shared their stories by creating a series at the end of his comics called “Dog Gone Funny.” While cartoons tell stories individually, sometimes they serve as an entry point for readers into a larger story, Anderson said. That was something he learned as an illustrator for The Daily Orange in the early 1950s. While on staff, Anderson drew comics for a weekly piece focused on campus manners. During a characteristically brutal winter, the campus was bombarded with snow, so the university dug one-way trails for students to navigate the campus. A student wrote about the proper etiquette of stepping to the side to let others pass when walking along the snowy trailways, so Anderson drew a comic showing a student submerged in a snow bank to accompany the story. Anderson continued working for The Daily Orange and a student literary magazine until he graduated in 1952. His time at school publications and in the classroom encouraged Anderson to keep cartooning, he said. Drawing was a lifetime hobby and skill that turned into a career. He began as a toddler and, at 15, started selling cartoons to an aviation magazine for $3 each. Now, Anderson’s comics have an international presence and legacy. They’re syndicated across the United States, as well as England, Scandinavia, Germany and the Middle East. “We were in Greece and there was even a Marmaduke store. I really fell over when I saw that,” Anderson said. Anderson is taking steps to ensure his legacy lives on. His son Paul, who lives near him in Montgomery, Texas, became his father’s apprentice three years ago. But Anderson is still working on Marmaduke himself. He continues to develop layouts and ideas for the comics. “I guess I’ve been in this field for so long and worked with newspapers for so many years,” Anderson said, “it’s hard to let go.”
RACK ’EM UP 1995
By Annie Palmer
Four Daily Orange alumni received nominations from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association for their work in 2014.
By Jacob Klinger DEVELOPMENT EDITOR
PETE THAMEL SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Nominated for: National Sportswriter of the Year Asst. Sports Editor Fall 1995-Spring 1996; Sports Editor Fall 1996-Feb. 1999 Thamel earned his first nomination from the NSSA after another year covering college basketball and football for Sports Illustrated magazine. He said he was honored to be on the national shortlist, and is particularly proud of his August piece on Curtis Malone. The story delved into the D.C.-area AAU coach’s dual life as a cocaine and heroin dealer. “You have hundreds and hundreds of pages of material and you need to condense it and then transform it into a readable narrative,” Thamel said. “It’s certainly tricky and it’s certainly a process, but I had a lot of great help from my editors and all that and got some pretty good advice from some of my colleagues, and you just got to try and put it together.” LOOKING BACK:
“I learned more at The D.O. than any other place I’ve worked. It’s not even close.”
ANDY MCCULLOUGH THE KANSAS CITY STAR
Won for: Missouri Sportswriter of the Year Feature Editor Fall 2007; Managing Editor Spring 2008; Enterprise Editor Fall 2008-Spring 2009 After leaving his job covering the New York Yankees for The Star-Ledger in February, McCullough covered the Kansas City Royals’ run to the World Series this season. He was the leading chronicler of their run. He said he was thankful his new employer has given him the chance to write the longer game narratives that he thinks people want to read. McCullough pointed to the work of Adam Kilgore and The Washington Post as other examples of extended storytelling he hopes to see expand around the industry. Said McCullough: “I think a lot of people were reading The Star because the Royals went to the playoffs, so I was lucky enough to have a lot of eyeballs on stories at a time when people were interested in the Royals.” LOOKING BACK (JOKINGLY):
“It’s great, man. All I ever dreamed of was being named Sportswriter of the Year in Missouri when I was at The D.O.” WINTER 2015
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ALUMNI UPDATES
CLASS OF 2014 DONORS
RECENT
Former staffers gather at 744 Ostrom for the traditional senior photo before commencement in May.
As always, special thanks to our alumni and friends, whose contributions are invaluable.
The class of 2014 is represented at, among other places, E.W. Scripps Newspapers, Gatehouse Media Center for News & Design, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Hofstra University, the Chicago Tribune, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Patriot-News.
Group of alumni gives DOAA new life KATIE McINERNEY (‘12)
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hile editor of The Daily Orange, I relied on alumni for everything from simple tasks, like finding the fuse box at 744 Ostrom, to complicated ones, like how to deal with an angry university lawyer. Without their support or advice, I would have been lost. And my experience isn’t unique. For decades, D.O. staffers have sought guidance from the editors who came before them. And for just as long, those who have left The D.O. have wanted to give back. Now, we want to give you an opportunity to help in an even bigger way. A group of alumni are spearheading an initiative to revitalize the Daily Orange Alumni Association, and we want you to be involved. Although the organization has existed informlly for years — mostly in part to Dave Dwiggins’ (‘98) generosity in hosting DOAA.org until 2010 — there have been few formal attempts to create and sustain an organization centered around alumni. Plans are in place to establish a formal alumni association. Long-term goals include:
• Creating scholarships so students don’t have to choose between working in-house and finding a way to pay for school
• Establishing grants so unpaid internships are accessible as an option for staffers • Expanding the existing mentorship program • Encouraging efforts to explore new revenue sources and financial options for the organization and keep the newsroom up to date The DOAA hopes to be an outlet and sounding board for the current staff. In between finding time to report, flesh out story ideas and attend classes, D.O. editors are also trying to figure out how best to monetize their work and innovate digitally in an increasingly competitive journalism age. As active journalists in newsrooms and offices of all sizes around the world, D.O. alumni are well-suited to offer input. The organization also wants to offer unique opportunities for its alumni. We plan to hold fundraisers, meetups and happy hours in cities across the country for alumni to network and meet others who have spent countless hours producing the paper while in Syracuse. Have a job opening that you want to fill with someone you can trust? Looking for a summer intern? The DOAA can become your first recruitment stop. Our first event is DO Palooza. The DOAA is hosting a watch party for the Syracuse-Duke men’s
More ways to contribute Want to get involved on a smaller scale? The Daily Orange is always looking for mentors. If you want to directly give back to a young journalist by being his or her mentee, contact us at alumni@dailyorange.com. A L U M N I @ D A I LY O R A N G E . C O M
basketball game at a Syracuse venue. We hope you can join us for the weekend and help the organization kick off what could be an exciting and fulfilling journey. You can expect to hear more from us as plans for the expansion of the DOAA fall into place. We’ll stay in touch through regular newsletters, social media updates and the occasional oldfashioned print letter. So, do you want to give back to The Daily Orange? Do you have ideas for what the DOAA can become. Do you want to be a part of its renaissance? We’re seeking individuals with time to donate and a passion for guiding students through the twists and turns of journalism. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, contact us at alumni@dailyorange.com. We’ll get back to you quickly and start planning how we can help the organization that gave us all so much during a time when we needed it most. Katie McInerney is a former editor in chief and presentation director.
if you go DOAA men’s basketball watch party Where: TBA, Syracuse, N.Y. When: Feb. 28 How much: Small cover charge to offset venue costs; donations for the DOAA will also be accepted
Get connected Keep up with the DOAA on social media Twitter: @DOAlumni Facebook: The Daily Orange Alumni Association Linkedin: Daily Orange Editorial Alumni
• Aileen Gallagher • Amrita Mainthia • Amy Dygert • Bette Glickman • Bobby Patrick • Brett LoGiurato • Brian Tahmosh • Bruce Levine • Budd Bailey • Chico Harlan • Christine Casatelli • Craig Weinstein • Dave Levinthal • David Franecki • David Rubin • Debra and William Samuels • Doug Levy • Eli and Rachel Saslow • Elyse Andrews • Emily Kulkus • Eric Meister • Eric Mower • Evelyn Strader • Frank Surette • Frank Vecchione • Howard Brenner • James Fish • Jaye Michelle Harris • Jayson Stark • Jean Cregan • Jena McRae • Joseph Curto • Josh Frost
• Judith Levine • Judy Corbett • Kevin Sajdak • Laura Calandra • Laura Van Wert • Lauren Wiley • Lesley Conroy • Lisa Dougherty • In Memory of Mary Daly McFarland • Meredith Goldstein • Michael Swartz • Nan Thomey • Nina Lakretz Shaprio • Pete Thamel • Peter Parrish • Peter Stace • Peter Waack • Randy Kauftheil • Robert Owen • Robert Tischenkel • Roy Gutterman • Sandra DouglasParker • Stacey Martin Smith • Stephen Dockery • Stuart Stillman • Ted Anderson • Terry Skuse • Warren Frank • Wayne Mattingly • Whitney Kummerow • William Diggs • William Sutton
MELANIE HICKEN SULLIVAN (’09) AND MEREDITH GALANTE (’10) celebrate a successful New York City fundraiser in early January. The event raised more than $1,000 for The D.O. Stay tuned for more news from our alumni gatherings.
This newsletter was produced by Maddy Berner, Lizzie Hart, Casey Fabris, Amrita Mainthia, Dara McBride, Becca McGovern and Debbie Truong. Send feedback to alumni@dailyorange.com. WINTER 2015
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