Dajuan Coleman looking for Dayshawn Wright

[OrangeTarheel]

Those are bad/sad optics, but that still doesn't show how SU "failed" him. Is he more special than any other student? Does the University "owe" any/all students down on their luck, wherever and whomever they are?
I know many examples of good people, good families, who have children (or other family members) who cannot find the right path no matter how much help is offered. They, too, may feel that they "failed" their loved ones, but this is often unfounded guilt. The two most common examples are drug abuse and mental illness. I don't know how you can find the University culpable in these matters.
Sometimes there isn't enough love or money to help. I cannot stress enough how horrible this is, but it doesn't make it any less true. A "free" apartment is a nice gesture, but removing him from the street doesn't fix everything. It's an umbrella in a never-ending storm. It may help others in not having to see the problem, but then who are we helping? We are merely assuaging our guilt at that point.

I’ll echo this, housing without support services is very little help and the long term chances for success in achieving independence is low without such services. Those services do exist - certainly in a city the size of Syracuse - but single men often have fewer programs they can plug into (families and domestic violence shelters are a large part of housing and service options). IF Syracuse has a role to play here it would be to make sure former players know about these supports and find ways to encourage participation in them. Hopefully they would also participate in some monetary fashion.

I get the sense that the university will provide as much networking opportunity as they can to players. That’s a big help. And the vast majority of players won’t need much more than that be achieve financial independence.

 

[Orangezoo]

I’ll echo this, housing without support services is very little help and the long term chances for success in achieving independence is low without such services. Those services do exist - certainly in a city the size of Syracuse - but single men often have fewer programs they can plug into (families and domestic violence shelters are a large part of housing and service options). IF Syracuse has a role to play here it would be to make sure former players know about these supports and find ways to encourage participation in them. Hopefully they would also participate in some monetary fashion.

I get the sense that the university will provide as much networking opportunity as they can to players. That’s a big help. And the vast majority of players won’t need much more than that be achieve financial independence.

I will refrain from taking this down an OT but just say that Syracuse has a strong housing advocacy programs as I have worked with them a few times and been impressed. That said HUD has dropped funding for 3 straight years and across the country these services are just so under funded it makes it hard.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I heard great things about his skills, but I always wondered how a 6’5” power forward would fit-in.

Adrian Dantley says hello

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

the example of him being homeless 3 miles away from where they play their homes games that generate millions in revenue a year is enough.

What in h@$& do you think the job of SU is?

Follow every former student to make sure they are okay? Sure wish Geneseo had reached out to help when I was struggling. Not sure why SU law didn’t help me pay off my loans.

The likely issue is mental health, (even if there is addiction, the underlying issue is almost always mental health) and you just can’t force people with mental health issues to get help. It’s a continuing struggle. It’s probably the biggest issue that our country faces, and it is still treated as something not to be discussed.

Successfully treated mental health issues would significantly de-populate our jails and prisons, decrease addictions and crime, increase school attendance and academic success, and ultimately help people keep jobs and stabilize families.

SU is also limited in the scope of its ability to provide help. Just because someone “attended” for a semester or year, is he or she entitled to employment?

Does SU have an ad hoc counseling or inpatient treatment.

And I will add this: DC, a graduate of SU, armed with his Syracuse education and experience, is reaching out. SU is, in a very real way, helping.

 

[DoctorBombay]

I had a family member go through this and in fact, here in Charlotte we now have an area downtown known as "Tent City", where the majority of homeless have converged. During the recent cold wave, they had to be FORCIBLY moved and placed indoors for their own safety, and most had to be designated as a danger to themselves in order to do so.
It is far too simplistic to "blame" SU for this unfortunate situation when the most prominent issue in homelessness is by far, mental illness. Plenty of people become homeless, but the vast majority who STAY homeless are due to drugs and/or mental illnesses.
Hunting down a person who doesn't wanna be found is not easy. Its much more complex then simply laying blame at a school, an organization, local govt., the individual themselves, or anyone.