Syracuse students protest commencement speaker

A group of students at Syracuse University have started a petition to protest the school's decision to have J.P. Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon as the commencement speaker at this year’s graduation.

Over 800 students, alumni, parents and “friends of the university” have signed the petition against the school’s choice of Dimon, according to The Wall Street Journal.  These students are asking the university to take back their invitation, and are planning a protest on the quad this week.

“He is a figurehead of an industry that has failed the American people in a lot of ways,” Ashley Owen, a Syracuse senior, told The Wall Street Journal.

Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor wrote a letter to the seniors in The Daily Orange supporting her choice. 

“Beyond our campus millions of people all around the world recognize Jamie Dimon is a leader whose voice is timely and seasoned,” wrote Cantor.

As of now, Syracuse is not planning on changing speakers for the May 16 commencement.

Deputy director steps down

The deputy director of the CIA announced Wednesday that he would be stepping down according to CNN.com.

Before becoming deputy director, Steve Kappes was the civilian operations officer but he was allegedly forced out by then director Porter Goss in 2004.  Kappes returned to the agency in 2006 but had no intention of staying so long.

“He was a great partner and I, like so many others, valued his advice and experience,” CIA director Leon Panetta told CNN.

Kappes is given credit for working out a deal with Libya to get the African nation to give up its weapons programs.

Michael Morell, a 30-year veteran of the agency, will take over as deputy director.

Bulls' management squares off 

Chicago Bulls vice president John Paxson had to be restrained from fighting the team’s head coach, Vinny Del Negro, after a March 30 game.

After the team lost to the Suns, Paxson went into Del Negro’s office and grabbed the coach by the tie and shoved him twice according to yahoosports.com.  An assistant coach then had to step in and break the two men up.

The argument was allegedly over Del Negro playing Bulls’ forward Joakim Noah over his minute limit.  The team placed a minute restriction on Noah based on his injured left foot.

Neither man commented on the situation on Tuesday.