These are the biggest news stories from this weekend, including a Veterans Day Ceremony on campus to two shootings in Syracuse on Saturday.

Syracuse University honors veterans at Hendricks Chapel ceremony

SU’s Veterans Day Ceremony brought about 300 alumni, students and administrators to Hendricks Chapel on Friday. Retired Maj. Gen. Peggy Combs, an SU alumna, was the keynote speaker.

Combs told the audience about seven institutional values taught to members of the military — loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.

She said that if veterans and supporters of veterans lived by those values people could bring the country “to the next level of excellence.”

Combs also emphasized the importance of expressing gratitude for veterans and their supporters.

“Never forget that freedom isn’t free,” she said. “It’s borne on the backs of about 1.4 million in active service right now.”

SU’s South Asia Center awarded $1.4 million grant

The South Asia Center at Syracuse University has received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, according to an SU News release. The center will use the funding to support language and area studies of South Asian countries. It can also be used for research fellowships, student and faculty training and study abroad programs, according to the release.

The South Asia Center is part of the Syracuse-Cornell South Asia Consortium. Both the center and the consortium are designated by the Department of Education as National Resource Centers, which are “national resources” for teaching foreign languages, according to the release. The South Asia Center’s director Carol Babiracki plans to create study abroad partnerships with nearby community colleges, and with SUNY Cortland and Buffalo State universities, according to the release.

Syracuse man suffers non-fatal gunshot wound

A 22-year-old man was shot in the right leg on the city’s South Side on Saturday night, according to police reported by Syracuse.com. The shooting happened in the 100 block of Wiman Avenue, after the victim was approached by the suspect who began firing a handgun at him, Syracuse.com reported.

The shooting victim was driven to Upstate University Hospital on Saturday evening, Syracuse.com reported, and his injuries are considered non-life threatening.

22-year-old arrested after Friday shooting

Zykhir Derby, 22, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon Saturday, according to police reported by Syracuse.com.

Police responded Saturday to a reports of a shooting and spoke with a 20-year-old woman who said Derby shot her in the leg during an argument before fleeing the scene, per Syracuse.com.

Police said the woman’s injuries are not considered life-threatening and Derby is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center, per Syracuse.com.

Published on November 11, 2018 at 7:47 pm

Contact Mary: mdcatalf@syr.edu | @mrycatalfamo