Monday, March 31, 2008

SU Softball Takes 3 of 4


The SU Softball team started Big East play with a bang this weekend by taking three of its first four games in conference play. The team swept a doubleheader at Rutgers on Saturday, winning both games by a score of 7-2.

The first two innings of Game 1 were an offensive explosion of sorts for the Orange. The offense tallied five runs on ten hits in the first two innings alone. Junior shortstop Nicole Miller highlighted the scoring with a two-run homerun to leftfield. Altogether, the Orange had 27 hits and scored 14 runs in the two games against Rutgers.

The Orange followed up the sweep of Rutgers by splitting a doubleheader with Villanova on Sunday. The Orange won Game 1 behind the solid pitching of Senior Chanel Roehner. Junior catcher Amy Kelley started the scoring with a monster solo homerun, which put the Orange up for good as they took the game 4-1. Kelley led the Orange with three homeruns on the weekend.

Syracuse dropped Game 2 of the series 2-0. Sophomore Brittany Gardner put together a solid outing on the mound, but the offense was unable to produce any runs in support. Next, the team is scheduled to play its first home games of the season when Providence comes to town on Friday for a doubleheader, followed by another two game set with UCONN on Sunday.

SU Lacrosse Reaches #1


The SU Men's lacrosse team moved up to number one in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse DI Media Poll today after getting off to a 7-1 start. This comes a week after the formerly number one Virginia Cavaliers lost to Maryland while the Orange beat the 18th ranked Loyola Greyhounds 13-8 on Saturday. Syracuse barely edged out Duke for the number one spot, getting nine out of eighteen first place votes.

Junior midfielders Dan Hardy and Pat Perritt led the way for the Orange offense with three goals each. Senior attackman Mike Leveille also tallied three goals and two assists in the game, but the veteran says that just because they are winning doesn't mean that they can relax. "It's exciting, but at the same time, we're more satisfied being 7-1, working hard and feeling like every game we can go out there and win. We want that to keep going. Like I said, we aren't satisfied here and we aren't done yet. We're focusing on our goal and week by week the opponent coming up," Leveille said.

This marks the first time since 2003 that the Orange has been ranked number one during the regular season. Next up, Syracuse takes on Princeton in the Dome on Saturday.

The Start of Trout Season

Tomorrow is a big day for fisherman in New York State, it's the start of trout fishing season. With only one day left, last minute preparations are being taken by local hatcheries, fishermen, and stores across Central New York.


www.onlineflytyer.com/.../TroutTactics2.jpg

Today was a typical March morning at the Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery. Hatchery staffers loaded fish into special tanks on trucks to finish stocking creeks, brooks, and streams before tomorrow. They plan to get 20,000 fish out before the opening day of trout season.



Supervisor Travis Stanek and the other workers have been stocking the streams for about a week now-- dumping one and two year old trout fish from bridges at various locations in Onondaga County. But-- Travis says today they're working on their last load.



Preparations are also being taken by local fish stores. Mickey's Bait and Tackle was busy all day with customers coming in to get their basic trout fishing supplies. One customer-- Mike Grimshaw has been trout fishing for about fifty years. He say's its become a tradition.



Mike is out today getting all the basics-- bait, worms, minos, and of course night crawlers.



"Hopefully all these will turn into trout, but if not it's still opening day," says Grimshaw.



Mike says he's not sure what to expect tomorrow-- his day depends on the weather. If it rains he says he'll go home, but good weather means he'll be out fishing all day.



To find out the best fishing locations in CNY go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7936.html.

Average gas prices reach all time high




According to a AAA survey, the average price of a gallon of gas has reached a record high. Just one year ago the average price of regular gas was only $2.67 a gallon. But today, the average price of regular rose to $3.28 a gallon.

Experts blame the rising gas prices on the constant increase of the price of crude oil. The current price of a barrel of crude oil is $101.04 , not far from its record high of almost $112 a barrel.

The most expensive state for gas is Hawaii, where regular gas costs an average of $3.65 a gallon. New Jersey drivers on average have the least expensive gas, with a statewide average of $3.05 a gallon. To find the average cost of gas near you, visit http://www.gasbuddy.com/.

Drivers of vehicles that use diesel fuel are getting hit the hardest. The national average price of a gallon of diesel is $4.33 a gallon. The American Trucking Association says they are working to solve this national problem.

To calculate how much gas you will use on a trip, or just on your drive to and from work, visit http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Learning On The Go (Or At Home)


iTunes has partnered with universities and colleges throughout the country to make higher learning accessible to everyone.  People can download lectures from schools throughout the country and view them on their computer or iPod.  There are currently more than 40 schools participating in the program, with one in Central New York.  Broome Community College currently offers downloadable lectures in science, math, and english.  
 
While Syracuse University is not one of the schools currently participating in the program both professors and students think their are benefits to using the iPod and iTunes as an educational tool.

According to Bill Gibbons, Professor of Information Studies, podcasting lectures could help professors draw on more resources for teaching.  "I think professors could use it to supplement there classroom material and take advantage of on-site lecturing through video" says Gibbons.
 
And SU student Mark Geyer thinks the online classes could help him satisfy his intellectual curiosity.  "If they're offering free lectures on-line I can at least get a taste of what I am interested in" says Geyer.
 
That access to individual interests could spark the interest of adults at home, which might bring them back to the universities.
 
To find out more about iTunes U click here and visit the website.

Pushing Weight

The Syracuse men's lacrosse team move up to No. 2 in the latest Inside Lacrosse/Nike Media poll rankings after a 5-1 start. SU head coach John Desko often talked about how his team's rededication to strength and conditioning helped the team.

Hal Luther, the Orange's strength and conditioning coach, says he sent every player a summer work out plan. He tested them as soon as they arrived on campus. 

"I wanted to set the tone that this is for real," Luther says. "I think a lot of times guys will hear, 'Wer'e going to have a new strength program this year, whatever, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I wanted to make sure when they came in, they knew it was for real."

Only 10 of 50 lacrosse players passed the test, which included gassers up and down the Carrier Dome field four times a rep in under 60 seconds. Luther says many threw up, causing Desko to wonder Luther's intention. But he pleaded with Desko to see him through.

When the team returned in the winter, 40 of the 50 players passed the run test.

"When we all came back, we did real well on the run test, which was real hard," Syracuse defenseman Kyle Guadagnolo says. "He demanded a lot from us and I think we did as best as we could, too."

Syracuse's four wins have been decided by one goal, two of them in overtime. 

"They might get down but they're never out," Luther says. "They're coming. People around the country are talking about them. They're talking about the way it has changed."



Literacy Push by OCPL


The Onondaga County Public Library system is making a push for children's literacy in the Syracuse area. In a new policy being enacted by the library, the fine for overdue children's material is 10 cents per day, down from the original 25 cent per day fine. There is also a maximum five-dollar limit for each fine. Administrators at the library said that simple measures, like decreasing the fine for late books, will encourage more book borrowing.


"We want to remove as many barriers as we can for the people using the library for children's materials especially," said OCPL Youth Services Coordinator Roz NaPier. NaPier said many parents and children in the Syracuse area don't have the resources to return books on time. Because of this, many families build up heavy fines for overdue books. The idea is that lesser fines will encourage people to keep borrowing, even if it means returning books a few days late.


Rachel Cullivan and her four year old son Keith visit the library several times a week. As a student, she gets her school work done while Keith plays and reads books with friends. Because they don't check books out very often, Cullivan said the lower fines will have little effect on her and her family, but she can she how it might affect people. "If you spread the word about that, then I guess more people might be less afraid to take out library books. In case they kept them out too long and had a whole bunch of fines."


The library also has other programs that encourage literacy among children. The OCPL's summer reading program not only gives children a place to go during vacation, but it encourages learning even when kids are not in school. According to NaPier, any child who signs up for the summer program and reads more than five books will have all fines waived from his or her account. This is an incentive for parents who have accrued fines to enroll their kids in order to get rid of fines and it helps the kids as well.


When it comes down to it though, NaPier said that all of these library programs and policies are about one thing. "The main emphasis is to get children exposed to books so the easier we can make that for people the better."

Community Development Week Comes to CNY


Today at the City Hall Commons Atrium in downtown Syracuse, Mayor Matt Driscoll tried to reassure the people in attendance that community development was a priority for the remainder of his time in office. This morning at 11am, the mayor and various other community leaders joined together for the kick-off to National Community Development Week. The main message handed down by the mayor was patience. He said that large-scale community redevelopment projects take a long time to go into effect.


"We have 22 months left to go and I pledge to this common council and all of you: we're going to work very hard and be very aggressive," Driscoll said. He continued, "We've rolled out some very aggressive items which we think are gonna help continue that trend and really allow this community to take back neighborhoods and to really continue the great successful work that you've all done."


Commissioner Fernando Ortiz, Jr., the head of the Department of Community Development was delighted to see so many of the people that help reshape the community in attendance today. To close out his address to those in attendance today, Ortiz borrowed a famous line from the late Fred Rodgers, "It's a beautiful day in our neighborhood."


For more information on the Department of Community Development, click here.

Dyngus Day in Syracuse


Never heard of Dyngus Day before? Don't worry, chances are you're not the only one.

The Syracuse Polish Home is working to change that though - with a celebration of traditional food, drink, and entertainment tonight.

The holiday, celebrated in Poland and some parts of the Czech Republic, dates all the way back to the 15th century. Traditionally, boys would run to the home of the girl whom they had a crush on and wake her up by pouring a nice cold bucket of water over her.

Thankfully, this practice never took hold here in the United States, but what did take hold, is partying. Buffalo, NY, in the Western most part of the state, has one of the largest Dyngus Day celebrations complete with dancing, singing, and of course...drinking.

President of the Polish Home Robert Synakowski says his organization can't compete with what Buffalo has to offer, but he does promise a good time.

"We do welcome anybody to come in. We've got a great lounge area I could say, and we've got some great products from Poland - unfortunately, you have to be 21 or older to partake in those wonderful things," Synakowski said.

And those wonderful things include a spread of nearly a dozen Polish beers, as well as an array of Polish vodkas and other hard liquors.

The Polish Home is almost a century old, and it shows. From the dusty pictures dating from the early 1900s hanging on the walls, to the artifacts, maps, and old records lying around - it rivals a historical museum.

The Dyngus Day celebrations will take place at the Polish Home from 6pm to 10pm tonight. Tickets are $12 at the door.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Economic Decline Hits Home in Central New York


While the value of the dollar reached an all time low and the stock market began the day down 200 points Central New Yorkers found it tough to pay for their necessities.  A gallon of milk averaged around $2.33 and gas prices rose as high as $3.49 causing residents to find their wallets a little lighter.  
 
Some experts, however, believe it is still too early to panic.  According to Don Dutkowsky, Professor of Economics at the Maxwell School, the dip in the market is part of a pattern that should be expected.  Doutkowsky says he would not be surprised if the market still came out ahead at the end of the year.  Right now, it seems that other countries are wasting no time in taking advantage of the shrinking US dollar as many tourists from Europe and Canada are spending their money across the nation.

In the mean time Central New Yorkers are being advised to avoid overextending themselves and, for those that do play the market, make sure they have a diverse portfolio.  
Today's low stock market opening can be attributed to JPMorgan's buyout of investment bank Bear Stearn which added to concerns about the
state of credit in the U.S.  The dollar continued its decline due to low interest rates that make the dollar less appealing as an investment for the future.

Click here for more information about what other economic influences might have an effect on the dollar in the near future.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Local DJ Personality Doesn’t Let His Disability Deter Him From Doing What He Loves

Geoff “Deaf Geoff” Herbert is a local DJ personality at HOT 107.9 in Syracuse, New York. At the age of two he was diagnosed as being “mostly deaf,” which means he has lost 90 percent of his hearing. Deaf Geoff said he loves the challenge of being able to do something people wouldn’t expect him to be able to do.
“People are really surprised and shocked when they meet me and realize that I’m really deaf.”
While growing-up Deaf Geoff said one of the most difficult decisions that he has ever had to make was whether to attend school for kids with hearing disabilities or do something called mainstreaming, where he would attend school with kids that don’t have disabilities. He decided to mainstream.
“I think a lot of people have the wrong impression of people with disabilities. I’m myself am hard of hearing and I work in radio. It just goes to show you that even though I have a disability it hasn’t stopped me from doing my job properly.”

Courtesy of HOT 107.9 web site

In high school, Deaf Geoff decided he wanted to be a radio DJ, when he joined the school’s radio station. He went on to graduate from the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2002.
Like our new New York State Governor Patterson, Deaf Geoff knows what it’s like to live with a disability and overcome everyday obstacles to do his job.
“We shouldn’t discredit Patterson because he is legally blind. I think he is 100 percent qualified and capable of doing the job and I don’t think his disability hinders what he can do”

Courtesy of HOT 107.9 web site
Deaf Geoff sees himself as a role model for others. In his spare time he talks to students at local middle and high schools in the community. He shares with them what it’s like to live with a disability and how being different is always difficult for anyone. He encourages them to never allow challenges to stop them from trying to achieve their future goals.

Check out Deaf Geoff on
the Marty and Shannon in the Morning Show on HOT 107.9

Luck of the Irish



Saint Patrick's Day is a big celebration across the country and the tradition is no different in Syracuse-but this year is different. For the first time in sixty years, religion and celebration come together. Holy week includes Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter.
But one pastor, Joe Bloesz of a local Syracuse church thinks that this year will be conflict, because Saint Patrick's Day is supposed to be a day of religion, instead of celebration.

While this may be a conflict with some, for others it isn't, traditional celebrating is their state of mind. At one bar in downtown Syracuse, Kitty Hoynes, the atmosphere wasn't on the week but just on the day and fun.

The fun was going on all day, with traditional Irish meals being served such as corn meal and shepard's pie. An employee at the pub says their dining room has been booked since 9:30 AM.

Although the week might be a conflict for some there won't be much worry about in the near future, because the next time Holy Week and Saint Patrick's Day will come together is 2160.

If you would like to check out the pub, check out their website for more information..http://www.kittyhoynes.com

Paterson news and notes


Eliot Spitzer officially stepped down today as New York Governor today (look at photo above). But Bloomsberg.com says that doesn't mean his staff will. David Paterson says he will keep his staff to help deal with New York State's economic problems.
CNN explains Paterson's efforts for the disabled. Paterson is legally blind.
Who attended: New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. At the inauguration, Clinton heard some things displeasing to her campaign
Paterson has campaigned for Clinton to offset Senator Barack Obama's gain in the black vote and is also a super delegate.

Saint Patrick's day ceremony goes on without Driscoll and Walsh


Neither Mayor Matthew Driscroll nor Congressman Jim Walsh showed up as planned for the 10th annual St. Patrick's day celebration at Tipperary Hill Park. Mayor Matt Driscoll was scheduled to award both Congressman Jim Walsh and long time neighborhood advocate Bob Oberst with their honors.
Matthew Driscoll's second cousin, parks commissioner Pat Driscoll, recognized both Walsh and Oberst for all of their contributions to Tipperary Hill and the Syracuse Community.


The celebration included two bagpipers, one of whom was the grandson of one of the Stonethrowers who advocated for for the green-over-red stop light many years ago.


Children from All Saints elementary school were also in attendance, and they sang a few songs to start off the holiday.


St. Patrick's Day/Holy Week Conflict


St. Patrick's Day and Holy Week fall on the same week for the first time in 68 years. The BBC News explains why the Catholic Church in England and Wales is not on the calendar of feast days this year.

NCC News Videographer Jordan Bernfield visited Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant, Colemen's Authentic Irish Pub and Nibsy's Pub to check out the St. Patrick's Day festivities.
Several people danced for Bernfield and even asked him to post the footage on YouTube. Just as Bernfield set up to shoot, he witnessed a women collapsing outside Coleman's Pub. Then people cheered.
Pastor Joe Bloscz of the Plymouth Congregational Church expressed frustration over conflicting agendas of St. Patrick's Day and Holy Week. "Saint Patrick's Day has become a celebration that's linked with over-indulgence and celebrating to excess," Bloscz told NCC News Reporter Courtney Carter. "That's always a challenge."
Carter will have more in the NCC News 4:30 Newscast.

Value of Dollar Drops Today




As the pictures show, the U.S. dollar is shrinking. The latest data shows the value of the dollar is at an all-time low. It is $1.70 to the English pound and $6.80 to the Euro. Data also shows there are no signs of declining gas prices.


NCC News Reporter Joe Mauceri talked with Don Dutowsky, a Professor of Economics at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. He offers advice on how people can cope with the dollar's declining value. For young people, Dutowsky suggests they wait for the market to work itself out if possible. For adults, Dutowsky advises them not to invest in too much stock and over extend themselves.


Mauceri will explain how the shrinking dollar is affecting Central New Yorkers in today's 4:30 p.m. newscast.

Cornell Going Dancing



The Cornell women's basketball team finds out its seeding in the NCAA tournament when ESPN announces the selection tonight at 7. It's the first time in Ivy League history that the same school earned a spot in both the men's and women's NCAA tournament the same year.


The women's team makes the tournament for the first time in school history after defeating Dartmouth to win the Ivy League playoff. ESPN's latest bracket projects Cornell as a No. 15 seed, facing No. 2 Rutgers in the Oklahoma City region.



The Cornell men's team is a No. 14 seed in the South region and faces No. 3 Stanford on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif. They earned a spot by winning the Ivy League title, the first time it went to the tournament since 1988.


Lindsay Kramer, of The Syracuse Post-Standard, was with the team when its seeding was announced. Pete Thamel, of the New York Times and a Syracuse University alum (1999), spent "48 Hours on the Big Red Bus" last month.

WLAX Climbing Too


Inside Lacrosse just released its IL/Nike Media Poll. It shows the Syracuse women's lacrosse team ranked 5th after holding the No. 8 spot last week. SU defeated No. 11 Notre Dame, 16-13, in overtime.

NCC News Sports Reporter Ashley Miller will preview Syracuse's matchup against Towson on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Make sure to watch our 4:30 p.m. newscast for more.

Moment of Truth


The Syracuse women's basketball team will learn its postseason fate tonight. ESPN will broadcast its selection show at 7. ESPN's latest bracket has SU as a seventh seed against No. 10 TCU.


The Orange tied for fifth in the Big East Conference, has an RPI of 27 and finished the regular season with a 22-7 record, its best mark since the 1987-88 season. But SU players tell the Syracuse Post-Standard they don't feel comfortable about a tournament seed until they hear the official announcement.


Syracuse lost the first round of the Big East tournament against No. 11 South Florida and also lost to Big East basement dweller Providence in a regular season matchup.


NCC News Sports Reporter Ashley Miller will provide the latest on the Orange's chances in our 4:30 p.m. newscast.

Climbing the Rankings


The Syracuse men's lacrosse team moves up to No. 3 in the Inside Lacrosse/Nike Media Poll today after its 14-13 overtime victory against No. 4 Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field in Baltimore on Saturday. The Orange was at No.5 last week.

SU entered 2008 with a No. 11 preseason ranking, which attackman Mike Leveille says the team used as motivation. Now the Orange has a 4-1 record and is facing Binghampton at the Carrier Dome at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Inside Lacrosse also has some updated analysis on the state of Syracuse from both assistant editor Geoff Shannon and from IL/ESPN analyst Quint Kessenich.
NCC Sports Reporter Ashley Miller will provide the latest on the SU men's lacrosse team in NCC's 4:30 p.m. newscast.

Congressman Walsh Misses Ceremony for Inauguration


Syracuse Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll was scheduled to honor Congressman James Walsh and long-time neighborhood activist Bob Oberst during the annual St. Patrick's Day Ceremony at Tipperary Hill Park today . But NCC News Reporter Shea Meddin says neither Driscoll nor Walsh attended because they were in Albany for Governor Paterson's inauguration.
Walsh is retiring after 10 terms in Washington. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Ireland and is Past Chair of the Friends of Ireland. Walsh helped Congress pass the Walsh Visa program in 1998 and reauthorized the program in 2004. It allows people from Northern Ireland and its border counties to live and work in the U.S. for three years.


Walsh also won the 2002 Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and has been honored in his hometown by the local Ancient Order of Hibernians, receiving the Bobby Sands Award in 1998. Additionally, he received the Flax Trust Award in 1997 for effort in drafting economic support plans for Ireland, including the International Fund.
NCC News Reporter Shea Meddin will have a report on the ceremony in our 4:30 p.m. newscast. Keep visiting the NCC News Web site as the story develops.

NIT Bound

The Carrier Dome Box Office begins selling tickets at noon today to the general public for Syracuse's first round of the NIT Tournament against Robert Morris. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for SU faculty, staff and students with an ID. Tickets for youth ages 12 and under also cost $5. You can also purchase tickets at Syracuse's athletics Web site.

The Orange hosts Robert Morris, the Northeast Conference regular-season champions, on Tuesday at 8 p.m., televised by ESPNU. The NCAA Selection Committee elected a record-tying eight Big East teams, but SU didn't make the cut.

This is only the second time during Jim Boeheim's 32-year tenure as SU's head coach that the Orange will play back-to-back NIT tournaments. SU also played in the NIT in consecutive seasons from 1980 to 1982.
Many pundits and fans believe the Orange were snubbed out of the tournament last year. And an NIT Record of 26,752 fans attended Syracuse's NIT second-round game against San Diego State.
NCC News Videographer Jordan Bernfield talked with a Carrier Dome event staffer, who said they don't have an official count on tickets sold. The staffer says the Dome is unsure how many tickets they expect to sell. About 20 season-ticket holders were in line to buy tickets before noon. 45 people stood in line to buy tickets once the box office opened to the general public.
NCC News Sports Reporter Ashley Miller will give us an update in the 4:30 p.m. newscast about ticket sales and the game itself. Also, look for updates on the Web site as the story develops. You can view the NIT bracket here.

Day of Transition


Lt. Gov David Paterson was sworn in today as New York's 55th Governor the Assembly Chamber of the Capitol. He replaced Eliot Spitzer, who officially resigned at noon today after acknowledging accusations that he spent tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes.
NCC News Videographer Jordan Bernfield tried talking with about 20 people about their thoughts on Paterson. But only four agreed to be interviewed. They all looked forward to Paterson replacing Spitzer because of his recent personal troubles.
We'll have full team NCC News coverage in our 4:30 p.m. newscast, including a feature piece from NCC News Reporter Maite De La Rosa, who talked with DeaffGeoff from Hot 107.9 FM . He's 90% deaf and says people shouldn't discredit Paterson because of his disability.
Visit our NCC News Web site for new developments.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Syracuse Children's Chorus


The internationally acclaimed Syracuse Children's Chorus held their third concert of the year this weekend in Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University. This time around, with help from author Bruce Coville and Geoffrey Navias and the Open Hand Theater, they presented a show quite unlike any choral concert they've ever given before.

"Several years ago in thinking about future planning and ideas about how we can somehow change and look at new ways of how children's choirs perform, I decided I wanted to try putting open hand theater together with the children's chorus and doing something more creative," said choral director Barbara Marble Tagg.

And creative it was. Across the stage moved intricate puppets and interpretive dancers. Sprinkled throughout the chapel were painted props and decorative sets. The children themselves were even sprinkled throughout the chapel, singing in the aisles and even up in the balcony.

The Syracuse Children's Chorus is made up of students ages eight to 17. These students do all of their rehearsing outside of school, practicing between one and three hours a week. But all that hard work pays off, as the chorus has performed overseas in locations such as China, Wales, and Holland.

Their fourth and final concert of the season, entitled Dancing Through History, will be held Sunday May 4th at 4 p.m at Hendricks Chapel.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Drowsy Driving

Rolling down the car window or blaring the radio is a quick fix to help you stay alert behind the wheel. But it's not the solution. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving leads to more than 100,000 car crashes every year.

The Onondaga County Health Department is declaring this week, "Prevent Drowsy Driving Awareness Week." Drowsy driving means more than falling asleep behind the wheel. Losing focus on the road or not remembering the last few miles means the driver is on "auto-pilot" and should not be behind the wheel.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, drivers under age 29 are more likely to be involved in sleep-related accidents. This is because students are often sleep deprived. Others groups most likely to drive drowsy include new parents, night-shift workers and truck drivers.

The Onondaga County Health Department says the only way to avoid drowsy driving is by getting regular sleep. The Department provides the following tips to improve sleep quality:
  • Exercise Regularly
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed
  • Have a consistent sleep schedule

For more information on the dangers of driving drowsy. Visit:

http://www.sleepfoundation.org

http://www.drowsydriving.org

A Must-Win situation?

Hillary Clinton campaign officials have said Clinton must win both the Texas and Ohio primaries tomorrow if she wants to stay competitive with Barack Obama for the Democratic Nomination. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson said on Sunday that Clinton should withdraw from the race if she loses either of those two states tomorrow. Don't forget Obama and Clinton are also trying to pick up delegates in Rhode Island and Vermont. 
Syracuse University political science professor Robert McClure doesn't endorse a specific strategy but advises Clinton might want to seek opposing viewpoints before conceding should she lose in the primaries tomorrow.
"While I understand the party pressure of it all," McClure says, "I'm not sure what I would do if I were she."
McClure thinks Clinton should decide to withdraw on her own terms by following the same logic of the Syracuse men's basketball team losing to Pittsburgh last Saturday after leading by 11 points with just under four minutes remaining. 
"If I were Pittsburgh yesterday with three minutes and 30 seconds and I'm 11 points behind, why the hell wouldn't I quit?" McClure said. "But they won."

Obama won the last 11 states because, McClure says, he represents the evolving political landscape that seeks change, optimism and partisanship. McClure thinks Clinton's record shows more partisanship but says Clinton's emphasis on her experience gives voters an impression she's a conventional politician. 
That's why McClure finds Clinton's evolving campaign tactics ineffective. She initially embraced Obama, then criticized him for his inexperience and recently appeared on Saturday Night Live.

"I don't believe anyone has won the presidency of the United States for being on Saturday Night Live," McClure says.

McClure says recent polling data suggests Clinton will win Ohio and Rhode Island while Obama will take Texas and Vermont. But he stresses voters still have time to change that outcome. No matter what happens in tomorrow's primary, McClure suggests both Clinton and Obama maintain their momentum to ensure enough delegates for the Democratic nomination. 

"Obama would need to be magnanimous in order to lesson somewhat the probability that Senator Clinton might be defiant," McClure says.

Syracuse Club Team Looks Forward To Division I Team

Syracuse University will welcome a Division I hockey team beginning in October.  In the mean time, the women's club team calls the rink at the Tennity Pavilion home.  Before their final game of the season, many of the athletes made it clear just how much they are looking forward to welcoming the team to Syracuse.  Current club team member Alison Lee looks forward to the increase in competition that the club team will bring.

"I feel that it will bring higher quality players to the club" said Lee before the teams last game. 

And other members, like Sophie Pitt, cannot wait for the opportunity to play Division I hockey.

"D-I [...] we'll give them a run for their money" said Pitt.

Syracuse University hosted the Northeast Women's Collegiate Hockey Association Spring Tournament which included teams from Rochester, Potsdam, Brockport, and Niagara.  The league also includes teams Cornell and Colgate, which will provide familiar names for the Division I team.  
The University made room for the Division I team by cutting the swimming and diving programs.  University Athletic Director Daryl Gross plans to name a coach after the Frozen Four at the end of the month.  

For more information on Syracuse University's Club team you can visit their website @ www.suhockey.com/women
For more information on the Division I team you can visit the team website @ carrierdome.syr.edu/index.asp?path=wice 

SU Chooses Commencement Speaker


Syracuse University's 2008 commencement speaker was announced today. SU has decided to have broadcast journalist Bob Woodruff speak at the ceremony on May 11th.


Woodruff was severly wounded in the War in Iraq in 2006. He sustained life threatening injuries to his head, and was in a medically induced coma for two months.


Local, John Toole said that he feels as though Woodruff's experience is something that should be shared with the students at SU because his recovery and dedication to his work is admirable.


The War in Iraq hits close to home with SU student Aaron Horowitz because he has a step-brother who has served time in this war. Horowitz said that people need to hear more first hand accounts of the war from people who were affected like Woodruff was, especially since he was injured.


Although Horowitz and Toole are excited about Woodruff speaking at the commencement ceremony, Horowitz worries that people who don't care about the war now, won't care about it when Woodruff speaks. But only time will tell if that is the case.


For more information about Bob Woodruff and his courageous efforts and recovery you can visit,