steve charzuk / new york state police The Labor Day storm that slapped Central New York took a heavy toll on trees and buildings on campus and in the surrounding area. Estimates place SU's storm damage and recovery at $5.5 million. This includes expenses for debris removal and the repair of dozens of campus buildings, including Slocum Heights residence halls, pictured above, which were among the most seriously damaged structures. Fashion reporter Elizabeth Hayt writes in The New York Timesthat orange, "a color long associated with the lowly and the offbeat—prison jumpsuits, Hare Krishna robes, and Halloween decor—is unexpectedly dappling the collections of top fashion designers." This spring, Hayt writes, Alexander McQueen for Givenchy presented pumpkin- colored cowgirl skirts with leather fringe for $1,520. Prada had summer sandals with tangerine heels for $150 to $190. And for fall, Sinatra's favorite shade showed up at Issey Miyake (a flame-colored quilted jacket for $1,815 and matching skirt for $915), Jil Sander (a carrot-hued wool felt jacket for $1,355), and in the orange chiffon robes of Chanel's 1999 cruise collection.       Hayt reports that orange is "the color of the millennium," according to Margaret Walch, director of the Color Association of the United States, which tracks color trends. "There has been a shift from construction-worker or hunter orange to melon or cantaloupe—more refined orange," Walch said. "For a women's fashion forecast for spring-summer 2000, orange outplays pink and red. That's phenomenal."       Phenomenal elsewhere, perhaps, but certainly not on The Hill.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw was appointed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors to chair a special task force that will conduct a broad-based study of basketball issues at Division I schools.       The Division I Management Council established the task force in July to identify individuals with expertise on particular basketball issues to study such matters as summer recruiting calendars, early departures of student athletes for professional careers, and freshman eligibility rules.       "NCAA Division I basketball has a tremendous influence on intercollegiate athletics," Shaw says. "It is essential that NCAA-member institutions take a hard look at the complex issues facing basketball programs today." Following a campus-wide self-study and a comprehensive report from a five-member peer review team, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has fully certified the SU intercollegiate athletics program.       This certification means that the University remains eligible for all NCAA championships and that its intercollegiate athletics program conforms with NCAA Division I standards. "I am pleased with the NCAA's decision to certify our athletics program for two reasons," says Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw. "First, this step acknowledges the many improvements we have made over the past few years, improvements that have increased the student-centered focus of our intercollegiate athletics programs. Second, certification commits us to a continuous quality improvement initiative that will bring many new benefits to student athletes in the years to come."