pessimism

somehow getting worse as years go on. As of Feb. 19, there have been over 70 mass shootings in 2023 alone, with MSU being just the tip of the iceberg. At this point in the year, that figure is a new high. This begs the question: how are we supposed to have hope that there will be palpable change?

The same can be asked about other events I saw covered. A few weeks prior to the MSU shooting, every broadcast in the nation led with news surrounding Tyre Nichols’ death at the hands of Memphis Police. I saw the videos of Nichols being relentlessly beaten as he called for mercy and his mother. I found myself casually watching from a screen as this man’s human rights were violated by brute force at what was supposed to be a routine traffic stop.

and that “the people of East Palestine may face low levels of exposure to some of the dangerous chemicals from the derailment, with uncertain health effects.”

These disasters are obviously detrimental, but the U.S. doubles down by covering up as many details as possible. By minimizing these catastrophes to a spectacle, policymakers avoid blame while simultaneously distracting the public from actions they do control, such as investments in big oil and excess carbon dioxide emissions.

By Jonah Weintraub columnist

In most of my Newhouse classes, the professors insist that we watch, read or listen to the news on a daily basis and with each broadcast or article, I remember how increasingly difficult it is to maintain a positive attitude towards the state of America.

In the middle of last month, every news channel I watched was focused on the Michigan State University shooting that claimed the lives of three students. Not only did the shooting shake the United States to its core, but it hit me on a personal level. My own mother attended MSU, and I have multiple friends in East Lansing, the location of the shooting. Anticipating any of your loved ones falling victim to an event like this is a reality exclusive to Americans. An NPR article stated that “children (in the United States) are more likely to die from gun violence than in any other high-income country.”

It’s no secret that these incidents of gun violence are a mainstay nationwide, but their frequency is

The bodycam video was not just horrifying in a vacuum, but even more so when considering how we’ve all seen it before. We watched it in 2020 with the murder of George Floyd, the year before that with Elijah McClain and in 2014 with Eric Garner. We can even go back 32 years to the footage of Rodney King’s death from 1991. Hearing about law enforcement murdering Black Americans is nothing new. When Tyre Nichols’ death hit the news, I was reminded of yet another problem that exists primarily in our country with little to no signs of improvement.

As for last week’s news, the center of attention was East Palestine, Ohio. The small village in the Buckeye State fell victim to a train derailment that resulted in chemical spillage. Thousands of fish have turned up dead in the oil-sheened waters surrounding East Palestine. And while the immediate damage doesn’t look to be too fatal for the residents of the area, it highlights America’s trend of providing vague information regarding its environmental destruction.

Residents of East Palestine were assured by government officials that much of the risk has faded, yet, the Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability has stated that they cannot use the word ‘safe’ men’s basketball

These three events occurred in the month of February alone. Yet, each one is a continuation of nasty motifs we seldom see in other nations. We are so often told to have hope when faced with these developments, but that hope is hard to maintain when the ugliest sides of the U.S. are the most recurring. Meanwhile, people in positions of power — regardless of partisanship — haven’t proven themselves trustworthy to stop calamities, let alone contain them. And whether that is by choice or not, the outcome is the same.

I’ve started to understand that pessimism is more productive. Abandoning all belief in America gets us absolutely nowhere, but on the other end of the spectrum, seeing bad news and wishing for betterment is equally futile. I’ve found my own sweet spot in dissatisfaction-fueled motivation.

It’s the very reason I decided to write about this subject: I wanted to air my grievances but remind readers to maintain cautious efficacy. People don’t need to ditch their yearning for change, but also shouldn’t wait for it to come without action. With headlines like those mentioned above, it could be easy to resort to these rationalizations and complete hopelessness. But while I wish there wasn’t a root of my negativity in the first place, I’m happy to say I’m a pessimist — because I’d rather vouch for improvement than hope for it.

Jonah Weintraub is a sophomore broadcast and digital journalism major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jsweintr@syr.edu.

By Connor Smith senior staff writer

Syracuse continued its late-season struggles by getting blown out, 96-76, by Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. The Orange allowed 53 points in the first half, and the Yellow Jackets had no trouble beating SU’s 2-3 zone, full-court press and even the SU’s man-toman defense.

Next up for the Orange is Wake Forest, a team one spot ahead of them in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 71-69 loss against Boston College on Tuesday night. Syracuse needs a win — or a Boston College loss — to secure a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.

SU will be honoring the 2003 national championship team, and retiring the jerseys of Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick at halftime. Here’s everything to know about the Demon Deacons (18-12, 10-9 ACC) before Saturday afternoon’s regular season finale: All-time series

Syracuse leads, 10-2.

Last time they played Syracuse and Wake Forest met twice in a three-week span last January, and the Orange avenged a prior overtime loss in North Carolina with a 94-72 win at home. Syracuse scored 55 points in the second half, and Buddy Boeheim led the way with a season-high 30 points. Buddy hit six 3-pointers, and tacked on a game-high seven assists, too. Cole Swider had an efficient 8-for-11 shooting performance, and Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards combined for 25 points.

SU shot 57.1% from the field, the team’s thirdbest performance of the season, and over 52% from beyond the arc. Wake Forest led by three at halftime, but the Orange opened up a 15-point lead midway through the second half, behind a 26-8 run. The Demon Deacons shot just 42.3% in the second half and missed 8-of-12 3s. Daivien Williamson was their primary source of offense, registering 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting.

KenPom odds

Wake Forest has a 51% chance of winning, with a projected score of 80-79.

The Demon Deacons report Wake Forest and Syracuse have had similar seasons. Both lost four nonconference games — including games to Loyola Marymount and LSU, outside of KenPom’s top 100 — before going on two brief spurts in ACC play. Wake Forest won four in a row in January after a loss to North Carolina, and three consecutive games in early February before losing at Miami. The Demon Deacons have collected wins over Duke, Clemson and Wisconsin this season, but have also lost three of their past four games.

Tyree Appleby has been the team’s go-to scoring option, leading the ACC with 18.7 points and averages 6.2 assists per game. The 6-foot-1 guard also tops the conference in minutes per game with 36.4, and ranks 22nd nationally in percentage of minutes played at 90%. Wake Forest has complimented Appleby with three other double digit scorers, including guards Damari

Monsanto and Cameron Hildreth, who combine for over 25 points per game.

The Demon Deacons rank toward the bottom of the ACC in both offensive and defensive rebounding, with 6-foot-10 forward Andrew Carr being the top player at crashing the glass. Carr averages nearly six rebounds per game, and also notches a block per contest.

How Syracuse beats Wake Forest Syracuse’s biggest problem recently has been stopping the 3-ball. Unfortunately for the Orange, the Demon Deacons rank second in the ACC — and top40 nationally — with their 37.1% 3-point shooting percentage, and have hit at least 11 shots from deep in five-straight games. Wake Forest gets 36.9% of its points from beyond the arc — the third-highest rate in the ACC — and its shooting has been trending up over recent games.

SU will have to somehow limit open 3-pointers, or just hope Wake Forest misses its looks, if it hopes to win on Saturday. The Orange, who rank fourth in the ACC in 3-point shooting, have gone 0-4 this season against other teams ranked in the top five in that category.

On the other end, Edwards will have to find a way to convert against the inside tandem of 7-foot1, 250-pound Matthew Marsh and 6-foot-10, 225pound Bobi Klintman, who the Deacons rotate at center. Jim Boeheim has said Edwards has had trouble against bigger centers this season, and the center play will help determine whether Syracuse can keep up with Wake Forest. Girard and Judah Mintz have turned in strong games recently, and the Orange will need them and another scorer — perhaps Chris Bell or Benny Williams — to score.

Stat to know: 11.5%

Wake Forest ranks last in the ACC, and 343rd nationally, in block percentage at 11.5% and also last in the conference in total blocked shots this season. The Demon Deacons have only notched one game with more than seven blocks — nine against South Carolina State in November — compared to Syracuse’s nine games. The Orange rank second in the league in block percentage. It should give Edwards, Williams and Maliq Brown more opportunities to finish inside without fear of getting blocked. page 12 from copy another guy.”

Player to watch: Tyree Appleby, guard, No. 1 Appleby is simply the engine that makes Wake Forest go, and he has scored at least 15 points in all but four games this season. He had 23 points and six assists against Boston College on Tuesday, and dropped a season-high 35 points on North Carolina in early February. He’s a 37% 3-point shooter and hit five 3s against Notre Dame last Saturday. His ability to move the ball is crucial to the Demon Deacons, too, and he ranks 29th nationally in assist rate, per KenPom.

Syracuse’s ability to at least limit Appleby on Saturday will be one of the major keys to the Orange picking up a win and entering the ACC Tournament with some momentum.

The biggest changes for Richiusa were technical. The way his right hand curls over the ball for an initial clamp was something that he improved year after year.

“The more you do it, the more you win, the more comfortable you get in lacrosse,” Richiusa said.

“Faceoffs are very unique in that you have to do what’s comfortable for yourself,” Richiusa said. “You can’t just

Over time, Richiusa also started to excel at exiting the ball, Schembri said. Richiusa started to feel pressure without seeing it. He started went in off the right post. to understand leverage and how it helped in deciding where he should poke the ball out to. At Syracuse, volunteer assistant coach Nick Acquaviva has seen that skill come to fruition. csmith49@syr.edu @csmith17_ parts from each person’s game to his own. He didn’t plagiarize any player’s style exactly because every player’s faceoff style is unique to them like a basketball player’s shooting form, Richiusa said. make it 7-1 Syracuse.

“He’s very multiple in the way he exits with the ball and he does a really good job of mixing things up,” Acquaviva said.

Richiusa struggled against Maryland, going 7-for-31. But just a few days later against UAlbany, he made the most of his earlier opportunities.

In the first quarter, he lost five faceoffs. But in the third quarter, he won five straight. Head coach Gary Gait said postgame that the Orange could’ve lost if not for Richiusa’s run.

“Everyone around me makes my job really easy when they get open,” Ward said. “It’s just filling your role and knowing what to do and when to do it.”

From there, SU would score the next eight goals, keeping the clock running for the rest of the game. That meant the offense slowed down, but the defense just got better.

Midway through the second quarter, UAlbany continued to struggle to get the ball inside successfully. Another bobble on the perimeter led to a blocked pass by Sierra Cockerille, who jumped a halfhearted feed from UAlbany’s Katie Pascale at the top of the key. With the shot clock at seven, SU fouled Shonly Wallace and her free-position shot

The Great Danes got the rebound, but they couldn’t convert. Pascale got the ball back on the left wing, but was immediately doubled by Meaghan and Bianca Chevarie. Seeing this, Pascale tried to spin out, but ran into Chevarie and dropped the ball and SU took possession.

When a shot did penetrate the SU defense, goalie Delaney Sweitzer served as a stout final wall of defense. She earned six saves with a .750 shot percentage, eclipsing her season average with ease.

Shortly after the turnover by Pascale, Albany took possession again. Wallace sprinted laterally across the formation, left to right, and sent a sidearm shot off the turf. But when it bounced up, Sweitzer fell to her knees to smother it.

Once the game got out of hand, Syracuse’s Gracie Britton notched her first goal of the season in garbage time. Adamson dodged through the middle but was blocked off by two defenders at the 8-meter wing. She spun out of the double and charged down the left seam, seeing Britton mirroring her on the other seam. Adamson dumped it off and Britton swiped down on the pass to give SU a 21-3 lead.

Despite SU’s domination on the stat sheet, second-chance points were a huge part of Syracuse’s offense, something it hasn’t needed in its other blowout victories. But nonetheless, SU pulled out a stress-free win in which it never trailed.

Up three in the first, Mashewske tipped the draw to herself and took a few steps forward before initiating the transition offense with a pass to Emma. Emma passed to Natalie Smith in the middle, who couldn’t corral the feed and a ground ball ensued.

Mackenzie Salentre had a clear path to collect it, but she bobbled and Meaghan stole it right from under her.

Outside the 12-meter, Meaghan turned and fired to a crashing Carney after everyone had assumed possession would switch. Carney slammed it home from point-blank range to give Syracuse a 5-1 lead.

Syracuse averaged the most assists per game in the nation (11.3) coming into the contest but blew that average out of the water with 17 against the Great Danes.

“We focused on ball movement and a freeflow offense this week,” said Carney, who had five goals and a season-high seven points. “We can all handle the ball and move the ball so well, and also just building that chemistry, we know where people are going to be.”