Orientation Guide 2019

Letter from the editors: The Daily Orange is your Syracuse news source

Daily Orange File Photo

The Daily Orange has served the Syracuse community since 1903.

Dear readers,

Orientation Guide features a collection of articles designed to introduce first-year students to campus life. It’s The Daily Orange’s first print issue of the 2019-20 publishing schedule – marking our 116th year of serving the Syracuse community.

The D.O. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newspaper with complete editorial freedom from Syracuse University. There’s no faculty advisor or other university employees helping our editorial staff of 45 to deliver local news that matters most to the SU community. As of this year, it’s the only free print newspaper delivered to the University Hill neighborhood.

Since 1903, The D.O. has documented the highs and lows of Syracuse’s history — decades of championships, elections, protests and more.

Some of our recent coverage includes the long-debated decision to allow ride-sharing services in upstate New York, a student-based mumps outbreak in October 2017, the Theta Tau fraternity’s expulsion from campus after creating and circulating racist videos in April 2018 and the controversial handling of an assault on Ackerman Avenue in February 2019.



Our reporters have traveled around the country for stories: Washington D.C. for March for Our Lives, New York City to follow a caravan of bikers and anywhere Syracuse plays basketball.

At the center of The D.O.’s coverage is our readers. It’s our great responsibility and honor to tell their stories. We want The D.O. to accurately reflect the diverse communities of Syracuse University and the city of Syracuse. If we’re missing the mark, we want to know.

The D.O. prides itself on being a community space for conversation. New this year, we’ll be holding D.O. office hours. Students, staff and other community members are invited to swing by our house to discuss issues that matter most to you. Pitch stories, raise concerns or just swing by to say hi.

Beginning Sept. 2, office hours will be held by appointment via an online submission form. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more and to sign up.

Across each of our departments, The D.O. covers both campus and city news. Our print publication can be found in racks around Syracuse and online. We also encourage our readers to follow our social media accounts (@dailyorange) for more news, sports features and opinion pieces.

Usually, this page contains opinion pieces from our columnists who cover topics like the environment, gender and sexuality, business, technology, student life and liberal, moderate and conservative politics, among other things. We’re currently seeking the next batch of writers who can deliver insightful opinions and diverse perspectives.

The D.O. produces several specialty guides throughout the academic year for SU sports and school vacations, among others. Our next specialty guide is Football Guide, printing Aug. 29, that’ll give a full breakdown of what to look out for this season.

We wish everyone the best of luck with the start of the 2019-20 academic year. The D.O. is this community’s local paper. Have any questions? Ideas? Our line is open: [email protected]

Letter to the Editor Policy

To have a letter printed in The D.O. and published on dailyorange.com, please follow the guidelines listed below:

  • Limit your letter to 400 words
  • Letters must be emailed to [email protected]
  • If you are associated with Syracuse University or the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, include your full name and year or position on campus
  • If you are not associated with SU or SUNY-ESF, please include your town of residence and any relevant affiliations
  • Include a phone number where you can be reached. This is for verification purposes only and will not be printed.
  • Letters will be published on The D.O. website within one business day of the time they are submitted. Letters will be published in the paper as spacing allows.
  • Topics should pertain to the Syracuse area
  • Letters should not include any personal information pertaining to other people unless it is relevant to the topic at hand, which will be decided at the discretion of The D.O.’s editor in chief and managing editor
  • Any links to third-party websites or extended versions of the letter will also be published at the discretion of the editor in chief and managing editor
  • All letters will be edited for style and grammar

Thank you in advance for following these guidelines.

Haley Robertson (’21) is the editor in chief and Catherine Leffert (’20) is the managing editor of The Daily Orange. Please feel free to contact them at [email protected].





Top Stories