October 24, 2019 by The Daily Orange

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Remembrance Week 2019

By chance Students who switched tickets escaped Pan Am Flight 103 bombing By Jordan Muller

senior staff writer

photo illustration by corey henry and talia trackim the daily orange photos courtesy of london, 1988 image collection; richard paul monetti famliy papers, special collections research center, steve lapierre, syracuse university libraries

n the afternoon of Dec. 21, 1988, Syracuse University student Matthew Trento walked into New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, ready to make what he thought would be a routine connection between a Pan Am flight and a Piedmont plane bound for Syracuse. It was his first time in the United States in months. After studying abroad in London that fall, he was anxious to see his family. Trento had originally planned to leave for the U.S. a few hours later that day, on Pan Am Flight 103. But his mother, concerned about a potentially long layover in Kennedy, decided to switch him to an earlier flight, Pan Am Flight 101. He didn’t think much of the change. While he waited to board his next plane, though, parents of other SU students arrived at Kennedy, looking for their children. There were no reunions. As Christmas lights flickered in the Pan Am terminal, they were greeted by two words, frozen beside Pan Am Flight 103’s listing on the arrivals board: “SEE AGENT.” At 9:30 p.m., airline officials approached the parents, waiting in a lounge, and told them that their kids would not be coming home. They began to cry. Some prayed. Trento should’ve been on that flight, too. The number “103” was still printed on his travel documents. “I don’t think I really understood or comprehended the vastness of what happened,” Trento said, remembering, 31 years later, how he felt in the hours after Pan Am Flight 103 exploded midair. see chance page 4

city

Snow removal program to include Comstock, Euclid avenues By Marnie Muñoz staff writer

The city plans to add Comstock and Euclid Avenues to its expanded snow removal program starting this winter. Syracuse’s Common Council passed a $250,000 measure Monday to support the street additions. Once implemented, the one-year pilot program will cover 38 miles of city streets across all districts and will target high traffic areas.

SU hosted a panel on “AllAmerican Terrorism” as part of Remembrance Week. Experts discussed how the media depicts terrorist acts and minorities. Page 3

Syracuse University also agreed to participate in the program Wednesday, said Corey Driscoll Dunham, chief operating officer for the city. The university will clear about two miles of city-owned sidewalks in several areas adjacent to campus, she said. SU’s participation will help the city refocus its efforts onto other streets in need of snow clearing services, including sections of Almond Street, Driscoll Dunham said.

It’s a public need, something we’ve heard from constituents a lot that they want to see happen Joe Driscoll

city councilor

SU student Niko Benelli has made Carrier Dome construction into a campus meme. “Walt the Crane” now has more than 4,000 Instagram followers. Page 7

The measure was passed in a 7-1 vote at the council voting session, with Councilor Chad Ryan, of the 2nd district, as the sole opposition. Snow clearing efforts will be led by JSK Snow Services, a Syracusebased outdoors company the city has previously contracted with for the program. Plowing operations will take place during the winter of 2019-20 once the city receives three accumulated inches of snow, according to Syracuse.com. Concentrating efforts on the des-

Freshman Noah Singelmann has moved positions and countries to join SU men’s soccer. One coach thinks he can become the “cornerstone” of the program. Page 12

ignated areas will help city residents who depend the most on safe public transportation, said Councilor Joe Driscoll, of the 5th district. A Syracuse native who used to walk to school himself, Driscoll said high school and college students were among the groups that stand to benefit most from the program. “It’s a public need; something we’ve heard from constituents a lot that they want to see happen,” he said. “Exploring other cities that have done see winter page 6

2 oct. 24, 2019

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inside P Poetry hour Syracuse University alumnus Grady Chambers now works locally as a poet. He presented his poetry on campus Wednesday night. Page 7

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S Unique approach Andy Smith, the head coach of Cornell’s field hockey team, manages his team in an unorthodox style opposite that of SU coach Ange Bradley. Page 12

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False hope Crisis pregnancy centers in Onondaga County offer misleading information to desperate women. See Monday’s paper

NEWS

Skeptical faculty

Lacking numbers

Some faculty members are concerned about SU’s new mandatory background checks. See Monday’s paper

Student Association has struggled with a lack of attendance among Assembly members. See Monday’s paper

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remembrance week 2019

Panelists discuss domestic terrorism coverage

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regional news Here is a roundup of the biggest news happening around New York state. SYRACUSE THEATER Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli announced Wednesday that the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse has been awarded a $2 million grant to restore the building’s marquee and replace the auditorium seating. A replica of the Landmark’s original 1928 marquee will replace the current one. Video displays and LED lamps will be added to it. source: cny central

SOLVAY SCANDAL Solvay Mayor Derek Baichi claimed he would file a hate crime lawsuit against Solvay, and he demanded the village pay for his legal fees. Baichi, who identifies as straight, has claimed for months that his political opponents have spread rumors about his sexuality. During the meeting, Baichi said the village was in a state of emergency and yelled at everyone to go home. source: syracuse.com

SHOOTING THREAT Luis Santiago, 23, of Syracuse, was accused of threatening to shoot staff members and residents of the Dick Van Dyke Addiction Treatment Center in Ovid, New York. He was charged with making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony. Santiago was processed and sent to Seneca County Jail. source: syracuse.com

Syracuse University hosted a panel titled “All-American Terrorism” on Wednesday night. Experts from SU and city organizations discussed domestic terrorism and how it is portrayed in media in the United States. michael collier contributing photographer By Sydney Bergan staff writer

Several experts from Syracuse University and city organizations discussed how terrorism is portrayed in the media during a panel on Wednesday night. SU hosted the “All-American Terrorism” panel as part of Remembrance Week, which honors the 35 SU students who died when Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Remembrance Scholar Gabrielle Caracciolo moderated the panel, focusing the conversation on the responses of U.S. media to terrorism. Panelists discussed perceptions of different races, ethnicities

and religions in the country. Mohamed Khater, former president of the Islamic Society of Central New York, said terrorism can generally be defined as a person or a group that causes harm to a civilian population in the hopes of political gain. J. Elliott Lewis, an SU broadcast and digital journalism professor, said media coverage of terrorism often cancels out previously scheduled news for “wall-to-wall coverage.” The immediacy of breaking news coverage often results in the public receiving inaccurate facts, he said. “When that happens, you as a viewer are not getting the news. You’re getting the news-getting

see panel page 6

PIZZA LOCATION Blaze Pizza opened a store location in New Hartford, New York, on Wednesday. The pizza chain also has a location in Marshalls Plaza in DeWitt and is expected to open another store in The Marshall, a luxury studenthousing complex in Syracuse. LeBron James, an NBA star, was a founding investor of the chain. source: syracuse.com

BREWERY DEAL

JILLIAN JUNI (LEFT) AND BRIAN NOVITSKY, spoke on the Wednesday panel. michael collier contributing photographer

The Empire Farm Brewery, located in Cazenovia, is being sold to Feldmeier Equipment Inc., based in DeWitt, and Rocale LLC, a holding company. Empire Farm is in bankruptcy, and Feldmeier made the offer during a Monday bankruptcy option. The brewery is being sold for $3.44 million. source: syracuse.com

city

State to end cash bail for nonviolent offenders By Matti Gellman

contributing writer

More than half of Onondaga County’s jail population is currently being held in pretrial. A state bail reform law going into effect in January could help reduce that number. The law will eliminate cash bail for most non-violent crimes and prohibit local courts from placing people accused of misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies in pretrial detention. It is the first bail reform measure enacted in New York in almost 50 years, said Gary Pieples, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic and professor at Syracuse University’s College of Law.

Cases often take months to go to trial, leaving those in pretrial detention in jail for significant amounts of time, Pieples said. Individuals are placed in pretrial detention if a judge determines they aren’t eligible to be released on bail, or if the individual cannot pay the cost of their bail. Of the average daily jail population in Onondaga County, 60% are being held in pretrial detention, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. Under the new law, people accused of misdemeanors and certain non-violent felonies will be released on pretrial services. An agent, similar to a probation officer,

will keep track of people released on pretrial to ensure they attend their court appearances. “This should prevent people not accused of a violent crime from spending time in jail before they have been convicted,” Pieples said. The state’s bail and pretrial detention reforms may endanger the public, said District Attorney William Fitzpatrick during a debate earlier this month for the upcoming DA elections. “I think they’re well-intended but some of them really jeopardize public safety,” Fitzpatrick said. “A man who breaks into your home can be released without bail, and the legislature, in their infinite wisdom,

has not budgeted one single dime toward these pretrial services.” Pretrial services do not make defendants more likely to flee before their trial, said Emily Singletary, co-founder of Unchained, a criminal justice non-profit organization. The legislature, however, should have increased funding for pretrial services, she said. Unchained has compiled data on from watching court appearances. Singletary said. The group’s data shows that most people do not attend court appearances because of issues related to child care and transportation. The state’s bail reform law was see bail page 6

JOB FAIR The U.S. Census Bureau hosted a job fair at the Onondaga County Central Library on Tuesday. Officials were at the library to speak with people about 2020 Census job opportunities. Part-time positions are available, and people were able to apply at the fair. source: local syr

SEXUAL ABUSE A former staffer at an Ithaca, New York, charter school was arrested on the charge of having sexual contact with a minor under the age of 11. The charges were found to be valid after an investigation was launched. source: ithaca times

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from page 1

chance Trento would soon learn that 270 people, including 35 students traveling back to the U.S. from SU’s abroad program, had just been killed in what would be America’s deadliest terrorist attack before 9/11. A luggage bomb, planted in the Pan Am Flight 103’s cargo hold by Libyan terrorists, destroyed the Boeing 747 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all passengers aboard the plane and 11 people on the ground. As reporters approached Trento in the Kennedy terminal, he told them he knew that SU students, including some of his friends, had been on Flight 103. And he knew that if he hadn’t switched tickets, he would’ve been with them. Seemingly insignificant decisions — and the ease in which airline tickets could be swapped or given away — spared several students that day. Trento’s mom switched his ticket in October to make sure he had an easy connection. Another student gave away her Flight 103 ticket at a party. One student was spared because of an argument with his father. Over the last three decades, the students who were supposed to be on the plane, but weren’t, have lived in the shadow of the tragedy. Some have come to terms with the fact that they just got lucky. For others, survivor’s guilt lingers. They took another flight. Thirty-five other students didn’t.

n the summer of 1988, Cheryl Lasse sat in her apartment in Syracuse, on the phone with a Pan Am ticketing agent, making plans to return to the U.S. after her semester abroad in London. She wanted to return to campus by Dec. 23, in time to see her friends before they went home for winter break, so she chose to fly Pan Am Flight 103 on Dec. 20. “Twenty is a good round number,” Lasse remembered telling the agent over the phone. “I’m going to come home on the 20th.” That decision saved Lasse’s life. She arrived in the U.S. on the last Pan Am Flight 103 before the disaster. Lasse booked her flight independently, but other SU students got their tickets through a Syracuse-based travel agency that partnered with the university. Students could choose their return flights on Dec. 19, 20 or 21, or they could select an open-ended ticket option that allowed them to return to the U.S. whenever they wanted. Some students wanted to fly home early to be with their friends and family. Some wanted to travel around Europe after their final exams. Back at Kennedy, on Dec. 21, Trento didn’t know if his parents remembered which Pan Am flight he had switched to, or if they even knew whether he was alive.

Why did he choose that Tuesday when I wanted to go on Wednesday? I don’t know. Steve LaPierre su student who studied abroad in london in 1988

In Syracuse, Trento’s sister found out about the plane crash first, after turning on the TV. News reports eventually identified the flight number, but Trento’s mother forgot if her son had been on Flight 101 or 103. She began making desperate calls to Pan Am and a travel agent, trying to get information about Trento’s itinerary. At the same time, from the airport, Trento was able to call home. With the phone at his parent’s Ostrom Avenue house busy, he asked the operator to make an emergency break through the lines so he could reach his mother. Yes, he was safe, he eventually told her. A few blocks from Trento’s home, the phone lines at SU were also jammed. Ron Cavanagh, then-SU’s vice president of undergraduate studies, pleaded with Pan Am officials to give him a list of students on the flight. The airline couldn’t confirm the manifest, Cavanagh said, but they released the names of students who they thought might be on Flight 103. Dozens of parents contacted SU, unsure if their children were alive or dead. SU’s lawyers initially cautioned university administrators against calling families when so little was known. But later that night, Cavanagh

A travel agency sent students this letter in summer 1988. richard paul monetti family papers; special collections research center, syracuse university libraries

MATTHEW TRENTO (THIRD FROM LEFT) during his semester in London. london, 1988 image collection; special collections research center, syracuse university libraries

began dialing phone numbers anyway. His first call was to a mother in Chicago. “I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about the Pan Am flight from London to the United States, that your son was supposed to be on,” Cavanagh recalled telling her. “But ...” The mother interrupted him. “Oh, would you like to talk to him?” she asked. Her son was alive. He had already made it back to the U.S. It would be days before Pan Am could officially confirm who was aboard Flight 103. Switching flights and trading tickets was easy in the pre-9/11 travel world of the 1980s. Today, it’s practically impossible to enter an airport terminal without a photo ID and matching ticket. For security reasons, airlines prohibit passengers from trading or giving their plane tickets to other people. Openended tickets no longer exist. But in 1988, students studying abroad could trade flights or give away tickets without problems. Stacey Sweeney, an SU junior, switched to the earlier flight, 101, about three weeks before flying home. Mary Ann Bayer, an Ohio Wesleyan University student who studied in London in 1988 through SU’s abroad program, said she remembered one of her friends giving a Flight 103 ticket away at a party. Trento simply walked into the Pan Am office in London to pick up his new ticket. Confusion over the Flight 103 manifest eventually spurred Congress to pass legislation requiring that airlines provide accurate passenger lists within hours of a disaster,

among other things. But, still, airlines didn’t always follow the law. When a TWA plane crashed at Kennedy in 1996, the company took 12 hours to confirm the victims’ identities after first releasing conflicting statements. “What’s it going to take?” M. Victoria Cummock, the wife of a Pan Am Flight 103 passenger, told The New York Times in 1996. “A plane getting blown out of the sky on American soil?”

efore he left for London, Steve LaPierre lost the most important argument he would ever have with his father. LaPierre, then a junior at SU, wanted to spend as much time abroad as he could. When his travel paperwork arrived at his home near Hartford, Connecticut, in summer 1988, he checked a box indicating that he would fly back to the U.S. on Dec. 21 — aboard Pan Am Flight 103. “‘No, you need to come back earlier than that,’” LaPierre remembers his father telling him. “‘Your mom’s going to want you back for Christmas.’” His father took the document, crossed out the 21st, over LaPierre’s arguments, and checked Dec. 20. “Why did he choose that Tuesday when I wanted to go on Wednesday? I don’t know,” LaPierre said. “I’m glad, but I also feel guilty.” His guilt is shared by some of the other students who returned home from London. They tear up when thinking about their friends. It’s difficult for them to attend Pan Am Flight 103 memorial ceremonies, like the ones at SU this

week, because they can’t stand to see the faces of the parents who lost children. This feeling, known as survivor’s guilt, is shared by many who survive or narrowly avoid tragedy. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies survivor’s guilt as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. People who ran late to work on 9/11 have survivor’s guilt. So do high schoolers who survived the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. The soldiers who returned from Iraq, too. Lasse, the student who left London on Dec. 20, said she grapples with survivor’s guilt. Her sorority sisters in Alpha Chi Omega surrounded a TV the afternoon Pan Am 103 went down, yet to fully understand the severity of the disaster. It wasn’t until the next morning, as Lasse pored over a newspaper at Acropolis Pizza, that she came to the full realization that some of her friends were dead. There were students like Kenneth John Bissett, a Cornell University junior studying in London through the SU program, who helped Lasse carry her luggage to the bus stop before she left for Heathrow Airport. And Scott Cory and Steve Berrell, SU juniors who Lasse worked with on class projects. Berrell, incoming social chair of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, at the time, planned spring Greek events with Lasse, who was the incoming social chair of her sorority. Lasse collapsed in Acropolis after she read their names. “It was like your heart got ripped out,” Lasse said. “These are your friends. These are the people you just experienced so many amazing things with and there’s no way to explain that feeling. It starts with the horror of it and then it kicks right into survivor’s guilt.” LaPierre said it’s difficult for him to think about how he never got to say a proper goodbye to the friends he made in London. He tries to celebrate those memories by talking to Remembrance Scholars — 35 SU seniors chosen every year — to help them learn about Pan Am Flight 103 and the students who died in 1988. LaPierre’s attended about 15 of the annual ceremonies at the Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. And he’s traveled to SU twice for Remembrance Week, which educates students about the bombing and its impact. It’s the memorials that are the hardest to attend, LaPierre said. The parents at them could have convinced their kids to pick Pan Am Flight 103 just as easily as his dad convinced him to pick an earlier flight. “As much as you want to remember your friends, boy, it’s hard to look at your friends’ parents,” he said. “You want to talk about survivor’s guilt? That’s when it really manifests itself.”

n Dec. 21, Trento boarded the Piedmont flight to Syracuse. So too did reporters bound for the university, covering what was quickly becoming an international news story. When Trento sat down, he noticed a child’s booster seat next to his. A reporter, probably realizing that Trento was an SU student, kept trying to take the spot. “You can’t sit there,” Trento remembers the flight attendant telling the reporter. “Go back to your seat.” The journalist argued with the flight attendant, Trento said, almost to the point of an “altercation.” But the reporter eventually conceded. Trento flew home alone. People make random, insignificant decisions every day. Most of them are inconsequential. In 1988, picking a return flight home after studying abroad — or switching flights — was supposed to be one of those inconsequential decisions. None of the 35 students knew that, if they chose the 6 p.m. flight on Dec. 21, they wouldn’t make it home. None of the hundreds of other students who studied abroad that fall knew that one choice ensured their safe return across the Atlantic. “I’ll never not have that as a part of my life,” Trento said recently. Flying back to Syracuse, Trento didn’t know that his photo would be on the front page of the next day’s Syracuse Post-Standard, among the headlines: “Fiery jumbo jet crash kills 38 SU students in Scotland” and “Grim classmates wait for news of friends.” Because of the decision to switch his flight, Trento’s was the story of the lucky SU student who made it back. His name wasn’t on The Post-Standard’s list of the dead. -30jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18

OPINION

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moderate

SU should consider offering longer-term mental health services

yracuse University, along with a number of American colleges, is trying to adapt to the influx of students with mental health needs. While in some ways, the school has been very successful in this endeavor, there is still much progress that can be made to ensure that all students are receiving the help that they may need. Cory Wallack, SU’s interim executive director of health and wellness and the former director of the Counseling Center, recently said that the university’s counseling services are primarily meant to provide temporary care. “We’ve never marketed ourselves or really provided long-term therapy in the sense of we’re going to meet with you weekly for the next two or three years, in part, because doing so really limits the opportunity for other students to have access to that service,” Wallack said. After a counseling session at SU, students can be referred to an off-campus counseling center “for

issues that might be better served by long-term therapy.” The campus counseling center does this for a number of reasons. The center operates on a drop-in schedule as well as by appointment, allowing the professionals there to see more students. Multiple group counseling sessions are also available for students to participate in. It’s understandable for the university not to provide students with long term individual therapy. Yet, the current system still leaves gaping holes in the mental health environment at colleges across the country. Generation Z — those born from the mid to late 1990s onward — is dealing with poor mental health on a completely different level than previous generations have. Only about 45% of Generation Z report having “very good mental health,” in comparison to 74% of older adults. These alarming statistics are the product of factors modern day students are often forced to face,

KAILEY NORUSIS

MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE such as sexual harassment and gun violence, personal health and the economy. Though many students face the same sets of issues attending college in the first place, such as adjusting to a new living environment and the stress and pressure of an academically focused college experience, different individuals handle these challenges differently. Some students are also coming into college with pre-existing mental health conditions, and in many cases, students may already be accustomed to seeing therapists or other mental health professionals regularly. Students today need access to mental health service like never before. As more Generation Z students start to attend American colleges and universities, many schools are being forced to quickly adapt.

independent

Though there is a counseling center, there are also other organizations that students can join to help improve mental health and the university advertises a Mental Health Awareness Week each year. Even with access to these initiatives, the fact that universities like Syracuse don’t offer long-term counseling is a problem that cannot be overlooked. If a student does need long-term individual counseling, then distance, transportation and payment can be additional obstacles. Caroline O’Hara, an assistant professor in SU’s Counseling and Human Services Department said that “the university is a convenient, affordable and professional option for students in many situations.” It definitely is, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be greatly improved. Students with poor mental health can struggle with work, drop out of school and, at worst, see declines in their physical health. “The way I see it, counseling is

a resource that assists people in becoming more empowered in their personal lives and in their communities,” O’Hara said. SU should make sure its counseling services can do that for all of its students. Syracuse should be open to meeting with specific students long-term. This might entail hiring more staff in the counseling department or reworking existing scheduling procedures, but it should be considered. The university has a moral obligation to do everything possible in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students. The university has created a system that benefits considerable numbers of students, but in order to achieve a true, widereaching solution, SU must commit more resources toward longer-term mental healthcare opportunities for the students who need it.

Kailey Norusis is a freshman English literature and history major. kmnorusi@syr.edu @Knorusis.

fast react

Prioritize Native American studies Solvay mayor is a threat to democratic society E very official event at Syracuse University begins with an acknowledgment that the campus stands on indigenous lands that belonged to the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. SU should strive to push students beyond vague mentions of native populations at speeches or sporting events toward complex understandings of America’s often oppressive history with native populations. “I personally believe any student would benefit from studying some aspect of Native American studies. It would broaden their understanding of US history and provide them with new perspectives on the diversity of US culture overall,” said Scott Manning Stevens, director of SU’s Native American and Indigenous Studies. Syracuse University, as an educational institution operating on stolen land, has an academic obligation to educate its students about colonization and contemporary Native Americans and indigenous groups. By not acknowledging American history as deeply rooted in colonialism, educational institutions contribute to an erasure of indigenous populations that has gone on for years and continues today. “The United States is built upon the invasion and dispossession of Native peoples. Not to teach about News Editor Editorial Editor Feature Editor Sports Editor Presentation Director Photo Editor Illustration Editor Copy Chief Digital Copy Chief Co-Digital Editor Co-Digital Editor Video Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. Editorial Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Sports Editor

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the original inhabitants seems absurd and deceptive, and yet that is how most of the US operates,” said Stevens, who is a citizen of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. “Ignoring the unpleasant truths of history means not acknowledging the existence of indigenous communities today and disregarding the social conditions created by the on-going colonization of our lands and marginalization of our present day communities.” SU recognizes that we stand on stolen, indigenous land. But the university can do more to reconcile this history. The least SU can do is to promote the school’s education of state-based genocide and forced removal that still affects indigenous populations today. These classes exist at SU, but could benefit from a wider audience the university can help create by more fundamentally incorporating these types of courses into students’ course flows. “I don’t think most SU students have an adequate understanding of US history, let alone that of Native Americans,” Stevens said. “The average age nationally at which one stops learning about Native America in public school is fourth Asst. Sports Editor Danny Emerman Asst. Photo Editor Elizabeth Billman Asst. Illustration Editor Cassianne Cavallaro Design Editor Nabeeha Anwar Design Editor Katie Getman Design Editor Shannon Kirkpatrick Design Editor Katelyn Marcy Design Editor Emily Steinberger Asst. Copy Editor Richard J Chang Asst. Copy Editor Christopher Cicchiello Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Crane Asst. Copy Editor Gillian Follett Asst. Copy Editor Adam Hillman Asst. Copy Editor Mandy Kraynak Asst. Video Editor Casey Tissue Asst. Video Editor Camryn Werbinski Asst. Digital Editor Izzy Bartling Asst. Digital Editor Arabdho Majumder Asst. Digital Editor Natalie Rubio-Licht

grade — around age nine. How could anyone call that adequate?” It’s important that schools positioned like SU recognize that displacement and discrimination of native populations wasn’t just something of the past. They must do more to impress upon skeptical people the reality of native discrimination and the lasting effects of American action against the indigenous. Only 34% of Americans believe that native people face discrimination today. Many people are aware of the inaccurate historical lessons about Native Americans being perpetuated in many schools and want more accurate teaching about historical and contemporary natives. National polling indicated that 72% of American respondents believe it is necessary to make significant changes to school curricula on Native American history and culture. Syracuse should be part of making those changes. Syracuse is in a position that makes communicating that message especially valuable, and they should work to make sure more students find themselves in classes that explore these topics.

Madeline Johnson is a junior international relations and magazine journalism major. mjohns38@syr.edu @johnson_madeli.

t a recent village meeting, Solvay Mayor Derek Baichi demanded a vote that the village pay his legal bills in a planned suit against Solvay for a hate crime regarding his sexuality. Baichi is straight. He ended the NICK meeting callROBERTSON ing his fellow LEFT OF THE board members ISSUES “babies” and “idiots,” and slammed shut the laptop on which a fellow board member was Skyping into the meeting . Earlier, he declared the village in a state of emergency in an attempt to block a vote he disagreed with. His abuses of power are unheard of in central New York politics, and he needs to be removed from office. Baichi has been constantly feuding with the board since coming into office, even saying “if the rest of those guys don’t like me, f*ck ‘em,” Syracuse.com reported. He’s made claims of a “shadow government” in Solvay and frequently rants on Facebook Live videos. He even gives Trump-esque belittling nicknames to his political opponents like “Little Man,” or “Mr. Florida.” To no surprise, Baichi has never before held public office. Executive power is the most pure

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Haley Robertson

Catherine Leffert

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embodiment of the public’s trust in an individual. Out of every citizen of Solvay, Baichi was selected to lead, and with his title comes power. Baichi has repeatedly used this power to belittle, annoy, disrupt and obstruct village business. He has threatened to sue his employer, threatened to fight his colleagues and has even claimed that his office holds influence above the law. Many New Yorkers and SU students look to Washington D.C. as a dumpster fire of dirty partisan politics, with both sides of any argument gunning for each other like a dog fight in a back alley. What is going on right here in central New York is exactly what is going on in Washington. One kinglike personality has driven a deep divide in the foundations of democratic society. Instead of pursuing the business of the government, many have resorted to vulgar name calling or blatant obstruction. Solvay needs to find a new mayor, not just for the sake of the village, but for the sake of the democratic underpinnings of American political culture.

Nick Robertson is a freshman political science and broadcast and digital journalism major. njrobert@syr.edu @NickRobertsonSU.

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from page 1

winter it, I think it’s a public good that’s worth supporting.” Councilor Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell, of the 3rd district, said the program’s increased scope was “long-past due.” She hopes for the program to reflect positively on school attendance rates, in light of a recent Syracuse district policy change which redefined acceptable walking zones for elementary and middle school students. Despite the program’s potential, LovejoyGrinnell said her perspectives on the issue were limited by the lack of information initially provided to the councilors. At the previous study session, a representative of the mayor’s administration didn’t fully explain how the contract cost was determined, she said. Hopefully, the completion of the one-year pilot would provide the city with the cost analysis information that she had expected at the study session, Lovejoy-Grinnell said.

“I continue to be hopeful that the administration will provide more information in a more timely way when requested by the council,” she said. Ryan expressed concerns about the project’s projected costs. The list of streets to be cleared includes commercial properties that may already shovel their driveways. As a result, tax-paying property owners might have to shoulder potential overspending, creating a problem of shifting responsibilities, he said. “They’re doing West Genesee Street in my district. Those are all businesses,” he said. “How do we not know they’re not doing them (the driveways) already, and this company is just taking it?” For remaining councilors, including Driscoll, the funding measure itself is evident progress of meaningful change for the city. “This is something that has been discussed in the city of Syracuse for, I want to say, decades. So, this is a good development to see, finally, going forward,” Driscoll said. ammunozc@syr.edu

from page 3

panel process,” Lewis said. Media coverage focuses more heavily on terrorist attacks if the perpetrators are Muslim, Khater said. The excessive coverage of attacks committed by members of minority groups cause a misperception of the groups as a whole, he said. Khater and Jillian Juni, executive director of Syracuse Hillel, also discussed changing the narrative and improving education on different ethnicities, cultures and religions. Juni said sensitivity training and introducing people to different cultures is a good step to change the misperceptions of minority groups. “People need to understand, if somebody did something, it doesn’t mean the whole race did it,” said Khater. “That is what we are doing in this country. We are generalizing everything.” Juni said people don’t have to interact immediately with media reports on terrorism or events involving different ethnic groups. They can process information and search for additional sources to get the whole story instead, she said. There is always an from page 3

bail

Syracuse University will clear about two miles of sidewalks that are owned by the city of Syracuse as part of the city’s snow removal program. daily orange file photo

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passed in April and will go into effect on Jan. 1. Reforms similar to the one in New York have already been implemented and discussed across the country. New Jersey eliminated cash bail for lowlevel offenses in 2017. The state has since seen a 44% decrease in their jailed pretrial population, according to the state judiciary’s 2018 Report to the Governor and the Legislature. California will hold a statewide referendum in November 2020 concerning a bill to eliminate cash bail, The Los Angeles Times reported. Cash bail would be replaced by a system that assesses the risk of releasing a defendant based on their criminal history. For the past 20 years, Fitzpatrick has discouraged judges from setting $100 or $500 nominal bail — a relatively small bail fee —

opportunity to learn more from the cultures and religions of the people around you. The current political environment in the U.S. encourages many people to speak up in favor of white supremacy, Khater said. White supremacists no longer fear sharing their views because they are confident the government will not take action against them, he said. Rev. Bruce Burns of Hopps Memorial CME Church said, during his childhood, he was told “white was right.” This mentality often leads to minority races exercising a higher level of caution during their everyday lives, as they feel they represent their entire ethnicity through their actions, he said. Students should be in an environment that forces them to meet peers of different races and religions at SU, Burns said. It’s common for individuals to interact through their prejudices and only spend time with people who come from a similar background, he said. The university should push people to cross racial, ethnic and religious lines, Burns said. “Without getting to know each other, we have to build a bridge and break out of the norm in order to get to know each other and unlearn what we’ve known our whole life,” Burns said. sabergen@syr.edu

for low-level offenses, he said. New York state judges can currently set bail bond amounts between $2,500 and $5,000. Instead of advising a lower bail, Fitzpatrick’s administration charges bail that few can immediately repay, Singletary said. “The district attorney’s administration has said, on record in court, that they consider $2,500 standard misdemeanor bail,” said Singletary. “(Bail is) supposed to be tailored to what the person accused of the crime can actually afford.” Fitzpatrick’s office declined to comment on accusations of the DA instituting a standard $2,500 bail for misdemeanors. “Progress requires change, but not all change results in progress,” Buckner said. “With that said, I think we need to carefully monitor our efforts going forward to ensure we have no unintended consequences.” mlgellma@syr.edu

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Making change

Master keys Renowned pianist Robert Weirich performed a concert at SU on Tuesday night.

Three students started a Students Demand Action chapter at SU to reduce gun violence.

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Song showcase Vocal Studios are performing at the JCM Jeffrey Welcher Vocal Studio Showcase.

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slice of life

KING CRANE

Alumnus, poet reads work about memories

of the

By Izzy Bartling

asst. digital editor

An audience of students from Living Writers, a class that reads novels and then attends live readings by the writers, listened carefully as poet Grady Chambers read a selection of works from “North American Stadiums,” his very first collection of poems. Chambers, who was a Master of Fine Arts student at SU, said that his instinct when starting his poems is to try and tell some kind of story. These stories are often about the people he grew up with and the places where they grew up.

It’s the place where history and memory is most alive for me poet

His poetry delves into themes of memory, loss and an appreciation for the world around him. In addition to setting his poems in Syracuse and central New York, where he has been a resident for six years, Chambers said many of his poems are about growing up in Chicago and the Midwest. “It’s the place where history and memory is most alive for me,” Chambers said. He added that he often refers to the poems in “North American Stadiums” as love letters to the people and the places that he grew up with. When he returns to Chicago, Chambers said memories about friends and events that took place in that city linger in his mind. The collection of poems has also won the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize to which Grady won $10,000. Poetry, he said, gives him the opportunity to keep those people and experiences alive not only for himself but for others to connect to. The opportunity to come to Syracuse University to read his work to college students was rewarding for Chambers, especially because he wants to break the stigma that poetry is inaccessible and impossible to understand. “What was wonderful for me … to get to come here and talk to (college students) about it is hopefully to help them see that not all poetry is the inscrutable thing that they may have experienced it to be up until this point,” Chambers said. Chambers, who teaches college students as well, said that many students first experience poetry in high school classrooms where the language and themes in the writing often feels distant to students. He said he didn’t want poetry see poet page 8

created an Instagram account for one of the cranes renovating the Carrier Dome. The account has amassed more than 4,000 followers. lucy messineo-witt contributing photographer

A piece of construction equipment has become a meme on the SU campus By Sarah Slavin

asst. feature editor

iko Benelli and his teammates were walking back from Marshall Street to their dorms when one of the teammates pointed to the 3 millionpound red and orange object that looms above Syracuse University. “Walt,” the teammate said. The name has stuck for the crane, one of the largest in the world, which was purchased for the current renovations to the Carrier Dome. Benelli, a freshman coxswain on the men’s

rowing team, decided to start an Instagram page for the crane. The account, @walt.the. crane, has amassed more than 4,000 followers in less than two months. Benelli, who runs and manages the account, said he never thought it would get this big. Jim Jatho, the head engineer for the crane who works for Buckner Heavylift Cranes, the company that owns the crane, direct messaged the account. A few days later, the CEO of the company contacted Benelli and said he liked the Instagram. The CEO also told Benelli the crane will be up for about a year. The freshman said that the account may only be a semester-long venture.

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crane

from page 7

Benelli originally believed it was just going to have a niche following, mostly from students who live near the crane, such as in Lawrinson Hall, Sadler Hall and SUNY-ESF. When Benelli realized that the account was gaining popularity quickly, he decided to message the popular Instagram account @barstoolcuse for a shout out. “I’m literally the biggest thing on campus,” the message from @walt.the.crane read. In early September, the account had about 550 to 600 followers and he said that the direct message helped boost his following. Shortly after, a local news station reached out to Benelli for an interview. He said the account went from 900 followers to 1,900 followers overnight. Benelli said that it’s “hilarious” that a picture of a crane can get more than 1,000 likes. But the picture is only half of the reason for the following. Benelli said he thinks a majority of the reason people come to the page is because of the witty captions he works on. A lot of his posts are based on submissions from students and people in the community. Benelli said he tries to post every Wednesday with the hashtag #WaltWednesdays. Benelli said submissions needs to be good quality photographs, and have comedic elements. Without those aspects, the posts fall flat. “If it’s just a picture of the crane, it’s boring. It’s a crane. It’s supposed to be boring,” he said. Benelli receives messages through the account every day. To deal with the overwhelming amount, he created a table to keep track of his messages. On one occasion, he said he received backlash about the account in the direct messages. Some freshmen living in Sadler said the crane’s name was “Craney,” rather than Walt. The students asked him for a name change, to which he responded no. The freshmen created their own account for the page. Three or four accounts impersonating @walt.the.crane were taken down in accordance to Instagram’s guidelines.

to be something students needed to decode, rather have the work be digestible after reading it only one time. Freshman Jenna Cammerino said listening to Chambers read his poetry allowed her to understand and appreciate the poem a lot more than she had before.

poet

graphic by eva suppa digital design editor

However, many of the comments he receives about the account are positive. Henry Touma, a senior marketing and entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises major, contacted Benelli about merchandise he designed for the crane. The merchandise — all sold on waltthecrane.com — features T-shirts, hoodies, hats and a phone case that depict the crane going on a “world tour.” The design of the clothing is based on Drake’s merchandise from his “Scorpion” album, Touma said. He added the website, design and shop took 40 minutes to create during one of his classes. Touma said despite never meeting in person, Benelli approved of the products when he saw the website. Since launching, the two have communicated solely through direct message and have gotten more than 35 orders on the website. “Once he makes merchandise or sells some sort of clothes or whatever, it’s just going to sell because if you look at the page, the engagement, it’s insane,” Touma said. He added that Benelli is one of the smartest kids he’s ever

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seen on Instagram. Touma doesn’t know how long he will keep producing clothes and that it “depends on the attention span of the audience” of his account. But he said that if it keeps growing, he will keep coming out with more merch. Aside from the merch Touma created, the crane company also created their own shirts as well. “If the demand’s there, someone’s got to supply it,” Touma said. Some people have taken the crane mania a step further. SUNY-ESF students Ian Puglise and Savannah Rutt got tattoos of the crane for Rutt’s birthday. Puglise said the two decided on the tattoo because they see the crane every day and it’s also something “everyone” talks about. They got the tattoos before they even knew of the Instagram account. It was only after the account had about 2,000 followers, that they submitted photos of their ink. “When you walk away from campus the crane serves as a beacon to guide you to campus,” Puglise said. sarahslavin3 | srslavin@syr.edu

What was wonderful for me ... to get to come here and talk to (college students) about it is hopefully to help them see that not all poetry is the inscrutable thing that they may have experienced it to be up until this point Grady Chambers poet

The ability to connect to themes in Chambers’ poetry is why sophomore Cassandra Rodriguez said she enjoyed reading his book. She also said his focus on sense of place resonated with her, especially when he wrote about hating the South but then growing fond of it after moving to New York. In this way, Rodriguez directly related to his poetry because she said she hated the heat in Miami, where she grew up, but it wasn’t until coming to Syracuse that she began to love her hometown. “I like how he talks about place in a way that when you go away from your home and when you come back, there’s this beauty about it that you never noticed before,” Rodriguez said. icbarli@syr.edu

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from page 12

smith

we do at practice.” Smith never runs drills, never tells a player to pass forward, run left or shoot to the bottom right corner. He doesn’t even include conditioning at his practices — no sprints, sit-ups, planks, etc. If an activity is boring, he doesn’t make anyone do it. Every exercise is a scrimmage or a game-like situation. It’s three-on-ones, two-ontwos, or seven-on-sevens, instead of static shooting or passing drills. He also keeps them concise. Rather than making his players stand on the field two or three hours, Smith never keeps his players for longer than an hour and a half. “The way practices are run keeps everyone engaged,” junior and leading scorer Grace Royer said, “He’s a one-of-a-kind coach.” Even before games, Smith keeps the warmups light. His team will play rugby or soccer instead of normal drills like Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley has her team do before games. Smith’s philosophy developed during his time as an assistant at Dartmouth but came to fruition at Pacific, Smith’s first head coaching job. Pacific was ranked No. 77 out of 79 teams the year before he got there and had one winning season in program history. And the Tigers were the lone D-I program to play on grass, not turf. from page 12

brackett “We’re gonna play her as much as possible until we see she can’t help the team in her full capacity,” head coach Nicky Adams said, noting Brackett’s minutes will be varied accordingly going forward. Throughout high school and the early parts of her college career, Bracket had dealt with nothing worse than an ankle sprain, she said. This MCL injury was the most serious injury she’s ever had. Brackett had trouble getting comfortable running, cutting and kicking again, all which affected her mentally. She tried several different therapies with varying degrees of success.

“I always joke that I took over a drinking team with a field hockey problem,” Smith said of his first year at Pacific. “We had to start from scratch and we built it into a perennial powerhouse.” Smith knew that he needed to establish a system where players’ top priority was field hockey. Six games into his first season at Pacific, he cut his captain for “off-the-field issues,” Smith said. He often left players at home for away games those first three seasons, valuing a tight-knit program over winning. He focused on recruiting the right people, changing the culture from the bottom-up. He wanted players who could give a firm handshake and hold a conversation without losing attention. He searched for players who had good relationships with their parents or teammates. “Character-centered is my recruiting and then I’m value-based. You got to have a good value system,” Smith said. “We were always looking into the cracks and the crevices that other people might not have looked at.” In 2016, the Tigers went 16-5, won the America East regular season and lost to Stanford in the conference finals. Smith didn’t want to leave. He had built the Tigers into a power in the America East, a team that everyone feared. But Pacific lost the funding to keep the team afloat and had to cancel the program. Now, having rebuilt Cornell from five wins to seven wins in his first year in Ithaca, he’s trying to live in the present, but it’s difficult at

times. After the first practice, Smith outlined his goal: to win a national title. The Big Red, who won one conference game the year prior, were initially startled by Smith’s plans. Smith said they looked at him like he had “three heads.” But after a short internal conversation, they accepted his positivity. “Unanimously we agreed that we wanted

to raise our play and buy into his training,” senior Maddie Henry said. Cornell has a win over then-No. 18 Syracuse this season and a two-goal loss to No. 14 Harvard. Smith shaped his team around a five-word phrase. Now, it’s closer to his dream than ever before.

“The biggest part of the recovery process was wrapping your brain around the fact that it’s not going to be able to move the same as it did two weeks prior to being injured,” Brackett said. Brackett made an instant impact her freshman season, tying the team lead in assists (three). In each of her three seasons, Brackett led the team in shots or shots on goal. This year, despite missing five games and being limited in three more, she leads the Orange with 12 shots on goal. Shortly after her injury, she pinpointed a game against Florida State for a potential return. But that week in practice, she was still in too much pain and her knee was unstable. Brackett was, however, able to warm up for the Orange’s next game — Oct. 4 on the

road against Notre Dame. Despite Brackett wanting to play, Adams told the senior before FSU that she wasn’t going to play her. She still wasn’t ready, and Brackett agreed. While injured, Brackett watched and helped during special drills for attackers. Adams said she had to once remind Brackett to also take time to focus on herself. “It’s always beneficial to hear voices of people who can see things on the field that you can’t necessarily see when you’re on the field,” junior defender Shannon Aviza said. Brackett said she’s confident in what she can do for the Orange the rest of the season since she’s returned. She now can run a straight shot down the field without issue and is not worried about her pace going forward.

In her absence, the Orange scored just one goal off a penalty kick in five games. More of her teammates got injured and the clock continued to tick down on her senior season. On a program that’s been defensive-minded for several seasons, Brackett has been a constant motor trying to keep its offense afloat. While Brackett said she’s proud of what she’s accomplished, she said she wishes she did more. “It’s a two-sided coin,” Brackett said. “But I would say it’s a bittersweet ending. I’m so, so grateful for my experience here in every way, but I’m always going to want the most out of myself.”

ANDY SMITH joined the Big Red this season after Pacific’s program folded. He’s guided Cornell to an 8-5 recod thus far. tim mckinney cornell athletics

adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman

— Asst. digital editor Arabdho Majumder and staff writer Tim Nolan contributed reporting to this story. estorms@syr.edu

10 oct. 24, 2019

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volleyball

SU searches for more consistency in service, attacking By Nick Economides staff writer

Down 24-16 in its conference home-opener, Syracuse fended off three-straight set points in the first set. To keep the rally going, head coach Leonid Yelin had freshman Marina Markova serve. At the time, she was the nation’s second-most accurate server. From behind the service line, Markova rose up and slapped the ball with her right hand. The ball started to dip too early, smacked the net, and cost SU the set in an eventual 3-1 loss to Wake Forest. In that loss, Syracuse (5-10, 2-6 Atlantic Coast) committed 15 service errors and 27 attacking errors, most of them occurring at crucial parts of the game. While errors are a natural part of the game, the Orange struggle with extended periods of sloppy play in tight

sets that allow opponents to gain momentum by capitalizing off of Syracuse mistakes. Though SU has dealt with injuries and lineup instability, the main problem, coaches and players said, is more mental. But Yelin and rest of his staff know that this year’s team has the talent to be successful. Syracuse ranks in the top five of the ACC in hitting percentage, and sophomore Polina Shemanova leads the conference in kills per set as well as total points. But to reduce unforced mistakes, the first step for SU comes with an improved mindset and focus. “That’s something every player has to deal with herself,” Yelin said, “How can she stay in the game and not to be afraid? At the same time she has to be mentally prepared and not to take away anything she’s been doing in practice.” In a Florida road trip over the weekend,

though, those “stupid errors” appeared in back-to-back losses to Miami and Florida State, assistant coach Derryk Williams said. In a straight-set loss to the Hurricanes, Syracuse tallied 19 attacking errors and 12 service errors. The following game against the Seminoles, the Orange committed a season-high 21 attacking errors and nine service errors. For the coaching staff, finding ways to boost the team’s confidence and keep errors down starts with good practice sessions. In addition to taking service reps during practice, SU outside hitters simulate real game situations by forcing hitters to make quick reads. If there is a double or triple block, the outside hitters need to adjust accordingly. These simulated drills also help hitters develop chemistry with each other, Shemanova said. The next jump that this team has to make is taking the mindset they have at practice

and taking it into the game, Yelin said. Still, it’s possible no amount of reps can necessarily alleviate mental lapses. While in-game mistakes and errors are unavoidable, Yelin doesn’t want his players to be haunted by them. In their home stretch against No. 3 Pittsburgh and Virginia, the Orange found the consistently clean play that they’ve been looking for. Against Pitt, Syracuse pushed the Panthers to set point in the first set before two attacking errors from Markova gave Pitt the win. Against Virginia, Syracuse also reduced its service errors, committing just three in the victory. “We showed up and we played for three straight sets and it’s the first time this year we played three straight without huge lulls in between,” Williams said. “We’ve had a few times where we’re up a bunch, and then we let them get five-straight points with stupid errors.” nleconom@syr.edu

cross country

Amanda Vestri becomes key runner for SU after transfer By Eli Jarjour staff writer

School was over, but Amanda Vestri stayed at Iowa State past the end of the semester. She was set to compete as the only ISU women’s track and field runner at the NCAA Championships. Vestri shone that season — her second for the Cyclones — repeating as an All-Region and All-Big 12 performer. She went on to finish 90th at the NCAA Championships and was named an All-American. But for three weeks, she was alone on campus. Her father, Steve Vestri, said that’s when his daughter had decided to leave. Despite her success in competitive action, Vestri struggled on a personal level. “That seemed like the tipping point to me with her,” Steve said. “But leading up to that there were those times where you could tell she wished she was home.” A native of Rochester, Vestri decided to move closer to home and transfer to Syracuse. At every level, Vestri has had success since her first introduction to running in sixth grade. Whether it was getting called up to the varsity team as an eighth grader, being heavily recruited in high school or being a top performer at Iowa State, Vestri has proven herself every level. Fresh off a transfer to Syracuse, she’s continued that form, vaulting herself as one of Syracuse’s top performers through the first half of the season. “I feel like me and some other older girls on the team are definitely pretty level-headed,” Vestri said. Since she began running, Vesti has always been an overachiever. At Webster Thomas (New York) High School’s annual “pumpkin run,” Vestri lined up with her sixth grade classmates and other older kids. In a race designed to find from page 12

singelmann helping facilitate former Major League Soccer first round pick Julian Buescher’s commitment to SU from Germany. But Mamodaly was hesitant about introducing Singelmann at first, Masalin said. The 10-year, second-in-command to head coach Ian McIntyre coach did his homework. Masalin learned Singelmann could play multiple positions. Mamodaly recounts a sequence of games in U-19 Bundesliga when Singelmann started as a right back, the next game moved to center midfield, then played as a creative “No. 10” attacking midfielder. Masalin learned Singelmann had stayed with the same club team for most of his soccer career, never choosing better or bigger programs. Plus, he learned Singelmann cared more about collegiate soccer than a professional contract. Text messages turned into Skype calls. McIntyre got in on the action. Other top programs — like UCLA and Pittsburgh — were lurking, too. It was April 2019 and Masalin had to act fast. He wanted to fly to Germany to see Singelmann practice. “It’s a special thing that someone is coming to Germany just to see me,” Singelmann said. But when the two finally met in April 2019,

AMANDA VESTRI transferred to Syracuse after two years at Iowa State, and has already finished two races as the Orange’s top runner. courtesy of su athletics

future runners, Vestri ended the race in third. When Vestri was called up to Webster Thomas’ varsity cross country team in eighth grade, she impressed coaches from the onset. But Vesti stopped progressing in her sophomore year. Her times stagnated, and she was no longer making the strides she and coaches expected. Vestri began to work with Paul Dick, a physical strength coach that allowed her to build her speed and endurance to compete with older runners around New York. Her times started to drop again and Vestri gained national attention in the following years. She

finally broke through during her senior year and led Webster Thomas to a New York Section V cross country championship. ISU coach Andrea Grove-McDonough became the first coach to reach out. Vestri always planned on staying close to home in college, but she didn’t ignore the commitment that Grove-McDonough showed her during recruiting. Among other possible destinations for Vestri were Providence and Syracuse, but the bond that was formed between Vestri and Grove-McDonough was enough to sway her into a commitment to the Cyclones.

Singelmann was surprised Masalin wasn’t always watching. He’d tried harder in warmups and exercises, knowing there wouldn’t be a game for him to prove himself. “I thought they were here to look at me,” Singelmann thought. Masalin stood with his parents and Mamodaly, talking casually with them instead. He’d learn about Singelmann’s time in Heisenberg Gymnasium, a top academic school in the country. How he’d sometimes struggle with his GPA but prioritized it more than other athletes. Though Mamodaly would call his client’s decision to turn down a professional contract unordinary, he’d later refer to it as “mature.” “He was so convinced,” Mamodaly said. “You have a 10- to 12-year playing career, then stop because you’re too old … going to Syracuse is taking one step back for maybe three or four steps forward.” They all sat down for dinner later that night, including Singelmann’s family. Singelmann hadn’t known on the pitch earlier that day if Masalin was going to offer him. But Masalin doesn’t fly across the globe for just anyone, he said. The SU coach’s pitch preached loyalty, Syracuse’s success with international players and why Singelmann would be the next star to come out of the program. The three-hour meal was followed up with another the next morning with more questions

and more answers. Masalin thought he’d have to wait for a decision, knowing Pittsburgh would visit Singelmann the next week to see him compete against a select FC Bayern Munich team. Masalin could’ve just been another good coach. Syracuse could’ve just been another good team. Singelmann reached out to Masalin right before the Pittsburgh visit. “I’m just going to do it as a courtesy,” Singelmann told Masalin about the visit. “I’m coming to Syracuse.” Now as a freshman, Singelmann is starting all over as he learns American soccer. He once joked to Mamoldy that he felt like he was playing a different sport. If he’s in the game, he’s expected to constantly press his opponent instead of reserving his energy like he’d often do in Germany. The skills have always been there. His teammates rave about his passing abilities. McIntyre said his “calmness” to the game has stuck out. But in many ways, Singelmann still plays like a freshman. Against North Carolina, a ball came his way in the box as he tried to cover Alex Rose. Singelmann, who initially was in front of the ball, fell back as he was outmuscled by the sophomore striker, who scored easily. Now, Singelmann’s role is to jump off the bench midgame and play large chunks of time. Initially, he was seen as just a defender. Now, he plays further up the pitch at various positions.

During her first year for Iowa State, Vestri continued on an upward trajectory. Along with the freshman accolades, she even qualified for the IAAF Under-20 World Championships in Finland for Team USA. “Just to race on the world level against a lot of great athletes, it definitely set me up for future races,” Vestri said. After freshman year, though, GroveMcDonough left and Vestri almost did too. Despite that, Vestri was determined to honor her commitment and give new head coach Fletcher Brooks a chance. While she succeeded running, she wasn’t happy and thought about transferring the whole year. Being 1,000 miles away from her family in Rochester compounded with GroveMcDonough’s departure pushed her back home. Vestri entered the transfer portal and officially moved closer to home, as she had expected before she initially committed to Iowa State. Syracuse, having demonstrated their interest in Vestri two years prior, was her choice among a handful of teams vying for her commitment. “Syracuse was an option the whole recruiting process,” Vestri said. “I thought that Iowa State was going to be the place I would go for four years...I decided that it was time to move on.” In her first few months at Syracuse, Vestri has had an immediate impact. In Syracuse’s first two races of the season, Vestri has finished in the top spot for SU in both meets, including a second-overall finish at the Coastto-Coast Battle in Beantown which she led Syracuse to their first win since 2011. “She was a great, motivated, strong willed woman, who wanted to be great and chose another school,” head coach Brien Bell said. “I mean you only get to choose one.” efjarjou@syr.edu

“You can tell he’s a proper German footballer,” sophomore Hilli Goldhar said. Singelmann’s playing time to start the season had been spotty, as expected. Against Colgate, he facilitated possession in the midfield for most of the first half, and McIntyre said he regretted not playing him more in the second. Singelmann knows it’s not his turn to put up statistics, like Ryan Raposo or Massimo Ferrin. That will come. There was one game, however, where Singelmann wasn’t just a prospect for the future. Syracuse hosted Cornell, and for the fourth consecutive game, the Orange went to overtime. The previous three had resulted in ties. It was the 98th minute and Singelmann had stayed in the game at forward. On the sidelines, a throw-in came his way down the right sideline. He turned his back from the goal, weaved the ball back-and-forth to throw off his defender and fired a left-footed shot off the far-left post and into the goal. But for a second, Singelmann didn’t know his first collegiate goal was actually a gamewinner. Because in Germany, there was no golden goal rule. His teammates mobbed him. Eventually, the confusion turned to relief. “I just needed the weeks in the beginning to figure everything out,” Singelmann said. “Now, I’ve arrived.” kjedelma@syr.edu | @KJEdelman

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Error-prone Syracuse volleyball has dealt with injuries and lineup stability, but mental lapses have followed. See Page 10

Returning home Amanda Vestri transferred from Iowa State to become one of SU cross country’s top runners. See Page 10

S PORTS

On the road Syracuse women’s soccer heads south to face North Carolina State on Thursday at 7 p.m. See dailyorange.com

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field hockey

Noah Singelmann chose SU over a professional contract. A recruiter said that decision was

‘1 in 1,000’

Cornell head coach rebuilds 2nd team By Adam Hillman asst. copy editor

Andy Smith was sitting in a Pacific University classroom when he met Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. The Super Bowl-winning coach, an alum of the university, was teaching Smith and other Tigers coaches about leadership in 2016. Carroll challenged them to write out a coaching philosophy in 25 words or less. “I wrote it and I lived by it ever since,” Smith said. Smith eventually shortened his to E.L.I.T.E., or Everybody Learns In This Environment. It means that all his players enjoy themselves when playing, practicing and learning. The process of developing that ideology began when he took the job at Pacific in 2013, as Smith rebuilt a struggling Tigers team into a dominant force in the America East. Now the head coach at Cornell, he’s used that philosophy to reboot a Cornell (8-5, 2-2 Ivy) team that finished seven games under .500 last year. Smith brings an upstart Big Red to Syracuse this weekend for a rematch with the No. 15 Orange, having already upset SU on Sept. 7. “Some people think I’m nuts for coaching that way,” Smith said. “Coaches from other schools around the country wouldn’t believe what see smith page 9

women’s soccer

NOAH SINGELMANN has limited time in Syracuse’s games this season, but associate head coach Jukka Masalin called the freshman a future “cornerstone.” gavin liddell staff photographer

Brackett’s return crucial for Syracuse By Eric Storms staff writer

oah Singelmann left a $200,000 By KJ Edelman Germany. He came to the Orange (6-4-4, sports editor salary on the table. He left play1-3-2 Atlantic Coast) as a raw, central miding second division professional fielder who’s now fighting the transition soccer in his home country of Germany. And he chose of German football to American soccer. But Syracuse to leave the only place he ever knew. knows what Singelmann can become. A contract in the second division of Bundesliga can “He can be one of the cornerstones of our program be life-changing. But Singelmann, 19, didn’t want the over the next four years,” SU associate head coach money or the professional status. He opted to turn Jukka Masalin said. down hundreds of thousands of dollars. He needed to Mamodaly and Masalin have a standing relationship form his own path. for player recommendations — Mamodaly as a talent rep“To be frank, it’s one in 1,000 players make that resentative and Masalin as the Orange’s international decision,” said Tony Mamodaly, founder of Mind Game recruiting guru. Masalin has been around the globe scoutSport Management, a college soccer recruiting agency. ing top international recruits for Syracuse, even travelling So Singelmann’s here instead. This is his dream, not to Costa Rica to get freshman Amferny Sinclair to commit. a backup plan — reaping the academic benefits of his When Singelmann didn’t take a professional conathletic potential and spending four years in Syracuse, tract, Syracuse was in the picture right away. It’d 3,856 miles away from his hometown of Rheinstetten, worked with Mind Game Sport Management before, see singelmann page 10

Sydney Brackett planted her right leg to shoot with her left in practice, as she’d done countless times before. This time, a teammate slid and tackled her. Her right knee buckled, resulting in an MCL injury. It was in practice leading up to Syracuse’s Sept. 15 game with Fordham, and Brackett missed almost a month. She returned on Oct. 10 to play 33 minutes off the bench against Wake Forest. After coming off the bench again three days later against Miami, Brackett drew her first start since September on Saturday against Clemson and played 60 minutes. Her return gives the injury-riddled Syracuse (3-9-2, 1-5-1 Atlantic Coast) offense a much-needed boost as she looks to finish off her senior season. see brackett page 9