Two Syracuse University students, displaying negative signs about Chancellor Nancy Cantor, were removed from Saturday’s homecoming football game in accordance with Public Safety’s policy on negative images or messages being displayed at special events in the Carrier Dome.

Lt. John Sardino, director of special events with Public Safety, said Saturday’s incident was just one of several times patrons have been asked to remove signs, logos or T-shirts displaying negative images.

Public Safety’s special events officers have a policy that any logo with a negative image displayed at Dome events are first asked to be taken from the patron. If they refuse to give it up, they are then asked to leave but may return if they are no longer in possession of the negative image, Sardino said.

Seniors Matthew Carstensen and Michael Isserlis said they did not want to hand their ‘Cantor Smells’ and ‘Dump Cantor’ signs to the officers, so they were escorted from the stadium.

It is Dome policy for the patrons to be let back into the game after they remove their negative image, but Sardino said he did not know if Carstensen and Isserlis were aware of that.

Both football and basketball games, as well as all other special events taking place in the Dome, maintain the policy, Campbell said.

Sardino said nine times out of 10, patrons hand their signs to the officers and continue watching the game. He said by the time an officer reaches the patron, the sign has been seen and their point has been made so they usually have no problem giving Public Safety the signs.

Any signs displayed that are derogatory towards anyone, including the opponent, are removed, said Pat Campbell, manager of the Dome.

Last year, patrons had signs stating ‘Fire Pasqualoni’ taken from them, Sardino said.

‘For example, if someone displayed the sign ‘Campbell’s Soup Sucks,’ we’d ask them to take it down,’ Sardino said.

As far as what is considered negative, the officers do not make the judgment call, he said.

The policy does not come from the SU administration, but within Public Safety’s special events and Dome management, Sardino said.

‘It’s typically not left solely in the officers’ hands,’ Sardino said.

As far as deciding what content should get taken away, most of the judgment calls come from the management’s position, Sardino said. Deciding to take away seniors Matt Carstensen and Mike Isserlis’ signs at the football game was Sardino’s call.

‘Saturday, we decided these particular signs weren’t in good taste,’ Campbell said.

Once outside, Carstensen and Isserlis were free to leave the Dome property without any criminal charges or citations from the Syracuse Police Department or the university, Sardino said.

‘The only time that that becomes an issue is if they refuse to leave,’ Sardino said. ‘They remove the sign or themselves; there’s no further issue with that.’

Editor in chief Jared Novack and managing editor Elyse Andrews contributed to this report.

Published on November 14, 2005 at 12:00 pm