The city of Syracuse saw its first snowflakes over two weeks later than usual, leading to concerns about future snowfall across the region.
N • Late snowfall Page 3
By Cooper Andrews managing editor
IC • Funk n’ Waffles The restaurant celebrates 10 years in downtown Syracuse with sweet and savory treats and a weekend of concerts.
6
S • Tokyo triumph
Syracuse defeated Louisville 24-13 in the 1989 Coca-Cola Bowl at the Tokyo Dome. The trip’s memories will last a lifetime.
Page 16
f Fran Brown starts talking about his 12-year-old son Brayden’s pee-wee football games, he doesn’t want to stop. The length of Brown’s grin multiplies at each point of pride he spills about Brayden — especially his ability to play every position on the field, Brown said, joking the versatility could lead to Brayden’s Syracuse commitment one day.
He only saw Brayden play three times this year. But when Brown wasn’t there, he’d watch his youngest son’s film like he was scouting an opponent. Why? It suppresses the ups and downs of the season. Brown’s at peace when his mind is on family.
Brown cherishes when he can incorporate family into his coaching lifestyle. Brayden hangs with SU’s team all the time. Even Brown’s eldest son, Fran Jr., works out with Syracuse players when he returns home for the summer from Saint Francis University.
“They raise my son, too,” Brown said of his players. “That’s how you know you have a good team. When I bring
How Fran Brown washed Syracuse’s losing narrative away in historic first year as head coach
my son around, I don’t blink an eye, I know they’re gonna take care of him. They’re doing the right thing, showing him how to be a little man.”
It’s emblematic of Brown’s culture — a nurturing but demanding environment that’s been a stark difference from SU’s previous brain trusts. Brown, a 42-year-old from Camden, New Jersey, has used that to spark a historic program turnaround since Syracuse hired him as its 31st head football coach last November.
Brown helmed SU’s third season with over nine victories since 2000, caused by a dynamic culture change and a top-25 transfer portal haul, per 247Sports. He won four November games, which the Orange hadn’t accomplished since 1997. He also notched the most wins for a first-year SU head coach since Paul Pasqualoni in 1991.
His journey included bumps like coaching mishaps and self-admitted embarrassing losses. But Brown’s rejuvenating season brought Syracuse out from the abyss of mediocrity into a program that oozes potential.
That sentiment was sealed when Brown’s Orange shocked Miami, then-ranked No. 6 in the nation by the College Football Playoff Committee, on Nov. 30 to close the 2024 regular season. SU clawed back from a 21-point deficit, its largest comeback ever, to spoil the Hurricanes’ ACC title hopes in a 42-38 win — the Orange’s first AP Top10 victory since 2017.
The triumph reflected the kind of program Brown has built. It’s explosive, it’s resilient and it’s tough — Camden tough, as Brown likes to call it.
brown page 14
Creek,
land on Sept. 30, the Onondaga are working to restore the creek and its once-thriving brook trout population, as well as save a local snail species on the brink of extinction. The land is the largest plot ever returned to Indigenous peoples in the history of the United States. But the added 1,000 acres make up only 0.04% of the total 2.5 million of treatyguaranteed land New York state has taken from the Onondaga since the 17th century.
by
reclaiming 1,000 acres
“For the Onondaga people, there has always been that hurt about the loss of our lands,” Bradley Powless, a council member of the Onondaga Nation, said. “It does take one educating ourselves about how that happened, so we know to be mindful not to repeat those actions in the future. If you know how it happened, maybe you can help heal that hurt a little bit.”
“That was shock, that was frustration, little bit of anger,” he said. “To only have access to less than 1%, it’s still not enough to engage the way that we ancestrally know how to engage.” 1615 marked the first European colonial invasion of Onondaga territory. Before that, the Onondaga
onondaga page 4
‘A horrible, shameful history of colonialism’ Neal Powless, who is Bradley’s brother and serves as Syracuse University’s Ombuds, said discovering maps of the Onondaga’s territory in SU’s Bird Library — and seeing the Onondaga’s federally recognized land contrasted with the 2.5 million of which they are guaranteed sovereignty by treaty — shocked him.
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The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.
NEWS
“To only have access to less than 1% is like, it’s still not enough to engage the way that we ancestrally know how to engage.” - Neal Powless, SU Ombuds and Onondaga Nation member
Page 1
CULTURE
“It’s a comforting thing to walk into a place and be like, ‘It’s kind of weird in here, but I like it.’” - Ariyanna Humphrey, Funk ‘n Waffles patron
Page 6
OPINION
“Christmas has become a steamroller, flattening local and alternative traditions into a monolithic celebration of consumption.” - Max Lancer, columnist
Page 12
SPORTS
“I know the slightest mistake you can make can cost you everything. And look what happened this season.” - Fran Brown, SU football head coach
Page 16
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Newhouse Impact Symposium
WHEN: Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Newhouse 1, Room 101
WHAT: Black-owned Businesses Holiday Market
WHEN: Friday, 5-7 p.m.
WHERE: 119 Euclid Ave.
WHAT: Renegade Fall Launch
WHEN: Saturday, 6-9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, Room 304ABC
By Arabella Klonowski staff writer
As universities across the United States struggle to define permissible technology use in the classroom, Syracuse University’s Office of Academic Affairs is seeking feedback from the SU community on a proposed policy that would ban recording in classrooms without clear consent from all speakers present.
The policy intends to protect students’ and faculty members’ privacy when participating in classes, preventing students from taking or publishing video or audio recordings of professors’ lectures in public forums and allowing students to speak without fear of humiliation or criticism from outside the classroom, according to OAA’s website.
“While the increased use of technology in the classroom has enhanced student learning, it also has led to some practices that threaten the classroom’s status as a space where faculty and students can safely express their viewpoints about a diverse array of topics,” Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor and chief academic officer, and Allen Grovers, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, wrote in a Wednesday campuswide email.
Under the proposed policy, faculty members would be required to notify students in their syllabi if class session recordings are a regular part of their course. Without explicit permission from all parties involved in discussion, all recordings would be banned.
By Anna Levitt staff writer
As the first heavy snow fell in Syracuse at the end of November, many residents may have wondered what took the usual white blanket so long to arrive. According to meteorologists, the snow’s tardiness is a signal of bigger weather changes across the state.
On average, the first flakes arrive in the city of Syracuse on Nov. 6. This year, the city’s earliest snow — which totaled just 0.2 inches — fell on Nov. 22. The final week of the month brought little more, making November’s total far below the month’s usual 9.8 inches.
These low yields continue trends from last year, when Syracuse saw its warmest winter on record with temperatures 7.3 °F above the normal levels. Since September 2020, the city has documented 35 different record highs in winter temperatures.
Experts attributed last winter’s unusual warmth in part to El Niño, a climate phenomenon that results in higher temperatures in the northeastern region of the United States. This, combined with the broader effects of climate change, delivered lots of rain and little snow.
In New York state, many weather patterns are impacted by water levels in the Great Lakes. Much of the snowfall across the region is a result of the lake effect from Lake Ontario, a phenomenon that causes heavy snowfall as a result of warmer lake temperatures. As warm water evaporates, cold wind from the north carries the moisture into the atmosphere, delivering snow to much of the northeastern United States.
As lower and lower amounts of ice form each winter on the Great Lakes, the amount of exposed, warmer water increases, fueling extreme weather events such as sporadic snowstorms.
Scientists speculate that by the end of the century, the lake-effect storms that have historically covered the city in snow for half of the year will primarily yield rainstorms, according to the Journal of Great Lakes Research.
With the start of December, snowfall has returned to a more normal rate, with the central New York region expected to receive over one foot of snow from Thursday through Friday, syracuse.com reported.
If recordings aren’t a regular part of class routine, students can inform their professor in writing if they’re uncomfortable with being recorded in general, according to the release. Instructors must honor their student’s requests under the policy.
The proposal also prohibits any publicizing of recordings from classrooms without written consent from all students enrolled except in cases where professors consistently use recordings for “internal training purposes.”
SU’s policy proposal comes roughly five months after the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill developed a similar proposal, following allegations accusing UNC administration of recording a professor’s lectures for “review” without his consent multiple times.
Susanne Lohmann, a political science professor at the University of California Los Angeles, was similarly scrutinized by the school’s Center for Accessible Education after she told students she would fail anyone caught recording their peers in class.
Under SU’s policy, students would be banned from recording during class, unless they obtain permission from the professor and agree not to share their recordings or class transcripts online. Students who fail to follow the proposed guidelines would be subject to the Syracuse University Conduct System.
SU students and faculty who wish to comment on the Office of Academic Affairs’ proposed policy can submit feedback through its website. akklonow@syr.edu
By Shivika Gupta contributing writer
As students begin their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, applications for the 2025-26 academic year, many of Presidentelect Donald Trump’s political opponents have expressed concerns over the future of the aid program under the incoming administration.
Over the course of the former president’s first four years in the Oval Office and during his most recent campaign, Trump has spoken out against the Department of Education, the government agency responsible for FAFSA. During his second campaign, Trump said the DOE is “indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual and political material.”
Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are also expected to change Title IV eligibility requirements, which directly determine which students can receive funding from the government. With eligibility changing, schools with students who meet these could get more money, while others would get less.
Federal funding is necessary for colleges and universities to do research and development, support student initiatives and provide financial aid scholarships. Research grants, scholarships and federal financial aid help cover tuition.
The president-elect has previously said he would cut off federal funding for colleges that teach “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content.”
Despite the recent snowflakes, the late first snow, alongside other factors including rising temperatures, is indicative of a larger trend of warming in the broader northeast.
As a result, Syracuse — known as one of the snowiest cities in the country — received 60 inches below its average last winter. In the last six winters, snowfall has deviated from the average 10 feet of snow by around 40 inches or more.
Syracuse’s summers have also steadily gotten hotter, with the most recent warm season recording the fourth-highest temperatures and its most days above 80 °F in any single summer. Average temperatures were 3.6°F higher than usual.
Six of the last 10 warmest summers occurred within the last 20 years, according to syracuse.com.
Between 1930 and 2007, the total snowfall reported by weather stations across the contiguous United States decreased by 57%. This decline is partly due to higher winter temperatures, causing more rain rather than snow.
Nationally, nearly 80% of stations reported a decrease in the proportion of winter precipitation falling as snow.
In response, many are sounding the alarm and calling for action against climate change in order to address these local effects. Local climate activists are advocating for policy changes to curtail the impact Syracuse is already experiencing.
The Climate, Jobs and Justice Package, spearheaded by NY Renews, would prioritize environmentally sustainable union jobs, advancing renewable energy infrastructure and holding polluters financially accountable for transitioning to greener energy.
Local efforts also include addressing immediate environmental issues, such as reduced emissions and renewable energy accessibility, through state initiatives like the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Activists urge officials to expedite these measures to meet critical benchmarks, including the 2030 target of 70% renewable energy.
New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation warns that if action isn’t taken quickly, the state could see extreme storms, inland flooding along the Great Lakes and intense temperatures via heat waves and cold waves in years to come. aclevitt@syr.edu
The president-elect is also a long-standing supporter of local and state-run education policy, advocating for minimal federal influence. However, Trump has not directly called for the elimination of FAFSA, and some predict that he would move the Office of Federal Student Aid into the Treasury Department if his administration successfully eliminates the DOE, Inside Higher Ed reported.
Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics suggests that 55% of undergraduate students across the country receive federal financial aid. At Syracuse University, over 82% of students receive some form of financial support, according to SU’s Office of Admissions and Aid.
In Trump’s first term, the administration made significant changes to federal financial aid for college education, cutting key government funding programs and maintaining opposition to student loan forgiveness.
Federal college programs, including Federal Work-Study and financial aid scholarships, are at risk of reduction as the nation transitions into a new presidential term and new cabinet. Abolishing the DOE would require congressional approval and a supermajority of votes.
Many Republican lawmakers in Congress are pushing for a restructuring of the DOE rather than removing the department altogether. These representatives have advocated for school choice and denounced LGTBQ+ content and critical race theory.
On Nov. 20, Trump appointed Linda McMahon, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO, as secretary of the DOE. The DOE’s main responsibility is to control finances for education — including the distribution of billions of federal dollars to schools and colleges across the U.S.
Trump’s campaign also proposed budget cuts to federal financial aid, including reducing Pell Grant funding through modifying eligibility requirements. Subsidized loans are also at risk of elimination, which, if accomplished, would force students to pay interest on loans while still in school.
The Trump administration hasn’t made any official statements regarding student loan forgiveness, but has consistently opposed President Joe Biden’s efforts. The administration created income-driven repayment plans, with a promise to eliminate student debt after a specified amount of payments.
During his first term, Trump supported efforts to end loan forgiveness for public sector workers after 10 years of service. Congressional approval is not required for Trump to modify student loan policies, including those by the current administration, according to CNBC. In 2024, the Biden administration introduced the Saving on a Valuable Education Repayment Plan, an income-driven repayment plan with plans to reduce monthly payments for borrowers. The plan caps payments at a certain percentage of their income and offers faster forgiveness rates to borrowers with lower incomes.
SAVE promises to eliminate remaining student debt after a borrower makes a specified amount of payments.
When Trump returns to the White House in January, Democrats in Congress will likely block any major changes to the DOE, as these bills would require a supermajority of 60 votes to pass in the Senate. With only 53 Republican-held seats, the president-elect would need unanimous conservative support and multiple votes from liberal senators.
sgupta38@syr.edu
By Henry Daley asst. copy editor
Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization discussed potential payment options for graduate student university senators and approved funding allocations during its Wednesday meeting. GSO also filled one vacant University Senate position.
GSO President Daniel Kimmel opened the meeting by explaining different avenues the organization can take to pay their university senators, such as earning back 90% of their graduate student fees, providing benefits packages and offering direct deposits to their bursar accounts.
USen serves as the academic governing body at SU and includes senators representing administrators and faculty members as well as graduate and undergraduate students, according to USen’s website.
enjoyed the stewardship, protection and use of those 2.5 million acres, which runs roughly north and south through the center of New York, said Joe Heath, an SU alumnus and lawyer who represents the Onondaga.
The Nation is guaranteed sovereignty of that land under the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and is currently pursuing a claim to get it back with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. If IACHR recommends that the land be returned to the Nation, it’s still not guaranteed to be enforced federally, The New York Times reported.
“Every foot of Turtle Island — and that’s how (Indigenous people) refer to North America — is Indian Country,” Heath said. “All of the land was taken illegally.”
French and English colonists justified the genocide of Native Americans and the theft of their land with the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of papal bulls — decrees ordered by the Pope — in the late 15th century.
The decrees gave Christian colonists the authority to invade and claim the resources of non-Christian lands, as well as subjugate and enslave non-Christian people, according to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
“There’s no rational basis for it other than greed and money and racism and colonialism. It’s just a horrible, shameful history of colonialism,” Heath said. “Forced removal, which is ethnic cleansing — genocide. Boarding schools so that you can assimilate people, get them out of the way, make them ‘real Americans.’”
In 2023, the Vatican repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, expelling it from the Catholic faith. When asked how such a doctrine found its way into U.S. federal law, Heath said, “shamefully is the only way to put it.”
The U.S. Supreme Court first cited the doctrine in its 1823 decision of Johnson v. McIntosh, ruling that Indigenous people could live on their land but not sell it. Heath said the doctrine was referenced “as if it were supreme law,” and the case has since become the basis for Federal Indian Law and land ownership in the U.S.
Most recently, the Supreme Court cited the Doctrine of Discovery in its 2005 ruling of City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York. The Oneida, a brother tribe of the Onondaga as part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, has territory about 25 miles east of SU’s campus.
The Oneida were denied the sovereignty of their ancestral land when the court held that repurchasing such land 200 years later doesn’t restore tribal sovereignty to that land, following the precedent set in Johnson v. McIntosh.
Federal law prohibited the Oneida “from rekindling embers of sovereignty that long ago grew cold,” the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in the opinion of the court, rejecting the return of land to the Oneida.
“The papal bull – if it’s current law, because that’s what it is, it’s current law – it means that I and my brother and any other Haudenosaunee or Indigenous person are equal to the dog and the rabbit and the squirrel outside,” Neal said. “We have no rights. We are a fauna. And that’s the justification — that in order for the USA to own land, I have to be equal to a rabbit.”
Neal said that the version of American history that’s frequently taught in schools nearly succeeded in erasing the Indigenous narrative by destroying papers or burning books, rendering it impossible to prove that which they know to be true. Seeing the maps in Bird Library of pre-colonial Onondaga territory confirmed to him that the Onondaga’s fight was justified.
“It doesn’t make sense, except if the courts and the law are all about justifying stealing their land and that’s what U.S. Indian law is all about,”
In order to earn back their graduate student fees, Kimmel said senators would be compensated as long as they fulfilled their senatorial duties.
Benefit packages would provide monetary credits to senators in “good standing,” Kimmel said. These credits would be usable at campus eateries and function similarly to Dining Dollars.
Afterward, senators proposed repayment through the Syracuse University Bursar system, which would allow GSO senators to have their compensation deposited directly into their accounts.
“My biggest hope, whatever form it comes in, is that we balance incentivizing the position and showing genuine appreciation with the true sense of duty that comes with these positions,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel said meetings have begun with other on-campus student governments including the SUNY ESF’s Graduate Student Assembly and
Heath said. “Colonialism is justified because the colonists write the history.”
Because an IACHR ruling doesn’t guarantee federal legal action, Heath said the Nation’s next step is to urge the Supreme Court to overturn the over-500-year-old doctrine.
“If you’re not sitting at the table, you’re on the table,” Neal said. “That’s the colonial perspective.”
Ginsburg wrote in the 2005 decision that the return of the Oneida’s land would “disrupt” central New York’s counties and towns, which she wrote have a “longstanding, distinctly nonIndian character.”
The Onondaga have maintained for over 40 years that they would not “push out any unwilling settler,” Heath said. The Nation wants to work together with the city and state to better protect the environment, he said.
“They know what it’s like to be forcibly removed. They will not repeat that on their neighbors,” he said.
Reclaiming the land is about more than just ownership or sovereignty, Neal said.
He compared the concept of land ownership to women’s status in marital relationships 100 years ago — “as property to do whatever they wanted to be done with them,” he said.
The perspective of marital relationships held by many people today allows both parties more autonomy, Neal said, which aligns more closely with the Onondaga’s view of the land.
“(It’s the) understanding that a good relationship is one that is a reciprocal relationship,” Neal said. “That’s how we see our relationship to the land.”
‘Clear, cold water’
With their reclaimed acreage, the Onondaga are committed to restoring the creek’s health.
Within the Nation’s 2.5 million treatyguaranteed acres of territory, there are a multitude of rivers and streams. There used to be thousands of places to fish within the river system, and Onondaga Lake was abundant with brook trout, historically the main fish gathered by Onondaga fishermen.
Only five years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Onondaga’s federal right to gather fish off of their territory and stopped issuing tickets to Onondaga citizens for fishing on their ancestral land, Heath said.
But by then, the creek had been polluted beyond return, flowing upstream to Onondaga Lake, which has been called the “most polluted lake in America.”
In 2012, the lake underwent a $1 billion cleanup project, funded by a federal Superfund settlement. At the time the project finished up, Onondaga Tadodaho Sid Hill called it an “expensive Band-Aid.”
For nearly 150 years, Honeywell International Incorporated polluted the lake and creek with chemicals such as mercury, and degraded the environment with its salt mining, Heath said.
The pollution led to a phenomenon called mudboils, mixtures of muddy salt water, silt and clay that dump nearly 20 tons of silt and sand into Onondaga Creek every day. The mudboils made the creek uninhabitable for brook trout, Heath said.
Now that they have a small portion of their land back, the Nation is working to restore the brook trout population. The fish, native to the creek, are highly sensitive to temperature and clarity, so it’s important to have “clear, cold water,” Heath said.
Bradley and Neal’s grandfather, former Onondaga Chief Irving Powless Sr., loved to fish in streams across the territory, but his grandsons have seen the waters become increasingly polluted.
In 2011, artist Peter W. Michel erected a sculpture called “Honoring Onondaga Creek” in Meacham Field, adjacent to the creek, to commemorate its waters as a source
Mighty Oak Student Assembly to create a “student government coalition.” He also said the coalition will allow the three governing organizations to share advocacy resources, coordinate initiatives and better advocate for students as a united student body.
The organization then approved over $1,000 in funding for the School of Education Graduate Council. ParKer Bryant, a fourth-year PhD student in the School of Education, spoke on behalf of the council and said this funding was a “necessity” for the school’s approximately 400 full-time graduate students. Bryant told the assembly his peers would use the funds to help build systems for “sustainable, data-driven programming” within SOE.
Last year, the council received $5,000 from GSO, but this year, it was allocated $2,000 for its academic budget, Bryant said.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with the Council of Education students so
that we can make sure they have a sustainable financial structure for the future,” Kimmel said.
GSO also approved a $1,500 request for the Biology Graduate Student Organization’s annual speaker seminar. Amisha Agarwala, the BGSO’s president, said the requested amount is lower than years prior and that the funds will cover meal costs for graduate students who meet with the guest speaker. The organization has not yet announced this year’s speaker.
After the funding approvals, the organization filled one of its five vacant USen seats, electing Byers Byers, a master’s student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, to the position.
GSO didn’t fill any of its at-large senator vacancies in the meeting. At-large senators represent graduate students from all programs at SU regardless of their area of study, according to GSO’s website.
hdaley@syr.edu
of life. At the time, Bradley wrote a tribute to honor his late grandfather, fondly recalling memories and denouncing the pollution of the creek.
Bradley said he wishes he could see the healthy streams his grandfather once fished in, and that he’d love to see the brook trout return.
“If our creek was healthy again? Oh, that would mean that not only us as humans, but the animals that live off of it, and the plants and the medicines that live off of it, could be healthy again,” Bradley said. “It would be a chain of positivity that would be affecting so many living things. It would be so beautiful to see.”
The Nation has formed a working group with SUNY ESF and its Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Onondaga Environmental Institute for its restoration efforts.
They’ll also work to save the endangered Chittenango ovate amber snail from extinction and study whether any brook floaters, watercleaning mussels likely native to the creek, are still present in the river system.
The snail preservation efforts are proving effective so far, Heath said.
Still, challenges lie ahead.
In the mid-1990s, Heath said New York permitted the development of a gravel mine near the headwaters of the creek. Cranesville Block, the largest mining company in the state, has been mining the gravel “recklessly,” Heath said.
It’s “impossible” to stop gravel and salt mines in New York, Heath said, because the state’s environmental conservation laws mandate that the Department of Environmental Conservation “first promote mining, and then regulate it,” he said.
“If it’s allowed to expand, it will doom the brook trout population. It’s just inevitable,” he said. “You can’t mine gravel around the streams and not cause unacceptable destruction.”
It’s important to listen to Indigenous voices because they have ancestral knowledge of how to care for the environment, Heath said. If people listened to Indigenous voices more, “we’d all be better off,” he said.
‘I acknowledge, with respect…’ Before SU had Otto the Orange, the university’s mascot was the Saltine Warrior, which Heath described as “a drunken frat rat in red paint that ran around with a tomahawk.”
Nia Nephew, president of Indigenous Students at SU, said she didn’t know about the racist mascot when she first came to the university.
“But I feel the same way that I feel towards any other kind of tribal mascot,” she said. “I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s necessary, and I’m glad SU did make the switch.”
She said it’s unfortunate that racism is in SU’s history, but it can be used as motivation to “do better for the future.”
Neal said the fact that Indigenous people are made to be mascots puts things in perspective.
“Rabbits and dogs and deer, they’re all mascots, and then they want to make Indigenous people mascots too,” Neal said. “In many ways, the federal government equates us — and socially — to animals.”
Nephew said it’s important to recognize that SU’s campus is at the heart of Onondaga’s treatyguaranteed land.
In 2014, the university instituted its Land Acknowledgement, a statement to recognize that campus is in “the heart” of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy territory and specifically the Onondaga’s.
“I acknowledge with respect the Onondaga Nation, firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee, the Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands Syracuse University now stands,” the statement reads.
Nephew said SU’s acknowledgement is a positive start, but it isn’t enough. She also said the university must take tangible actions, like ensuring Indigenous students’ voices are heard on campus.
Neal said he understands perspectives like Nephew’s, but that SU’s Land Acknowledgement provides an opportunity to learn even more about the Haudenosaunee.
When Haudenosaunee citizens gather in a group, they often recite the Ganoñhéñ·nyoñ’, or the Thanksgiving Address, he said. During the recitation, they give thanks for all entities in nature, “from Mother Earth all the way up to the Creator,” Bradley said.
Part of the Ganoñhéñ·nyoñ’ is the understanding that if any one of those beings stops doing their duty, Neal said, the entire cycle of life on Earth will fall apart.
“We go through all life, and we acknowledge our place in it, meaning that we are interdependent on all of those things continuing to do their duty,” Neal said. “The trees stop growing, we die. The birds stop flying, we die. The fish stop swimming, we die. The water gets dirty and stops flowing, we die.”
He said SU’s land acknowledgement isn’t a bad thing, as long as the university does everything it can to educate the campus community. He views acknowledging the land as acknowledging all beings the Haudenosaunee give thanks for with the Ganoñhéñ·nyoñ’, he said.
By the time students graduate from SU, they should have a basic understanding of the meaning of each word in the university’s land acknowledgment statement, Heath said.
“That goes back to our land acknowledgment, the opening address,” he said. “(It) puts our minds together as one and gives a great thanks for all the people. I didn’t say, just those that like me. But I say all and include those that don’t. And in that way, we become one.” arflemin@syr.edu
This Sunday, downtown Syracuse’s beloved Funk ‘n Waffles will celebrate 10 years of delivering funky tunes and waffle recipes to the city
By Mia Jones asst. digital editor
Music fills the air as a jazz band plays underneath purple and green lights. The audience claps and cheers for the band, bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to the rhythm.
Around the corner, customers take their pick from an extensive menu of sweet and savory waffles alike, some including gobs of ice cream or turkey on top. People sip cups of coffee or glasses of beer as they soak everything in.
It’s this very scene that’s gathered both food and music lovers at Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse’s Armory Square for the past 10 years.
Jarred Vryhof, a cook who’s been slinging waffles at the joint for the past 13 years, knows this well. The
welcoming ambience allows all guests to feel the hospitality and love, he said.
“You can’t spell Funk ‘n Waffles without fun!” Vryhof said.
Vryhof pulls this joke on the kitchen staff to mess with them when it gets busy. The saying serves as a reminder of their aim to create a fun breakfast and food joint in Syracuse, he said.
This Sunday marks Funk ‘n Waffles’ 10-year anniversary of the opening of its S Clinton Street location, going from waffle-making house parties on Syracuse University’s campus in the early 2000s to their now decade-old restaurant.
To celebrate the milestone, owner Adam Gold’s band, Sophistafunk, will play on Sunday, exactly 10 years from when the location opened on Dec. 8, 2014. Pearly Baker’s Best and Sophistafunk were the first two bands to play at the downtown location and both
By Sophie Szydlik senior staff writer
If you picture Rachel Berry from “Glee” in New York City instead of Ohio, wearing Lululemon rather than reindeer sweaters, she may look like Chloe Hechter.
A self-proclaimed “jaded extheater kid,” Hechter’s first kiss was onstage with a theater boy who broke her heart. She worked at LoveShackFancy in the Hamptons and attended Hebrew school and sleepaway camp every summer.
She knows her character is stereotypical, but takes no offense to that perception.
“I feel like she went to sleep away camp, is still in love with her camp crush, even though she graduated from UMich and lives in Murray Hill now,” Hechter said. After graduating from Syracuse University in 2023 with degrees in communication and rhetorical studies and writing, Hechter has amassed a following of over 75,000 working as a fulltime content creator on TikTok. She writes, acts in and edits skits that cen-
tralize an exaggerated, satirical version of herself — videos that frequently go viral and gain millions of views.
“I’ve always wanted to reclaim ‘Jewish American princess,’” Hechter said. “‘Princess’ doesn’t need to mean spoiled. It should mean you’re a woman who holds herself in high regard, demands respect and is smart and funny.”
Hechter’s first viral TikTok was in 2020, a video she filmed using a trending “Wonder Pets!” sound. Sitting in her Booth Hall dorm room, isolated with her roommates because
will hold performances for the four-day celebration this weekend.
Known for its range of live music and waffles, Gold started Funk ‘n Waffles with close friend Kyle Corea after they graduated from SU. After Corea left the business in 2012, Gold took full ownership.
They moved from parties on campus, to their old Marshall Street location, and now to Armory Square, where Gold said their waffles are better than ever before. The cooks and staff are always trying to learn how to make more things on their menu from scratch, improving recipes each year, Gold said.
Some staff members, like Vryhof, have been around since the University Hill days, and they’ve witnessed the growth of the downtown location. Those guys are part of the family, Gold said. see waffles page 9
of COVID restrictions, Hechter wrote a caption urging other creators to duet the video if, like her, they appeared on episodes of the children’s show.
The video eventually garnered 3.5 million views. It wasn’t until this past March that Hechter’s following began growing steadily with consistent viral content.
At the start of 2024, she started taking professional content creation seriously. She posted four videos daily and learned the ins and outs of TikTok’s algorithm, curating a niche character that resonated with her audience, she said.
The result was her most-viewed video, a sleepaway camp-inspired skit captioned “POV getting ready for a camp social” with five million views. It came as a surprise to Hechter, who said she never fully knows which videos will resonate and which won’t.
“I think that’s what makes it so much more real,” Hechter said. “I mean, my God, if I knew this was going to get five million views I would’ve put on makeup and straightened my hair.”
Though Hechter’s virality and following are still fairly new to her, writing
By Ben Butler asst. copy editor
Kendrick Lamar’s reputation precedes him. With each studio album, he’s amassed critical praise and chart success. His projects evoke cinematic imagery, contain original poetry and are sometimes framed as a therapy session. With Lamar, his previous work often overshadows his new releases.
Lamar surprised fans on Nov. 21 with “GNX,” his sixth studio album, after a summer of musical volleys fired at Drake, like “euphoria,” “6:16 in LA” and, of course, “Not Like Us.” The ubiquitous song of the summer, “Not Like Us” brought a series of allegations against hip-hop megastar Drake. On its way to shattering streaming records and piling up Grammy nominations, “Not Like Us” created buzz that a new album was in the works.
Now, the album’s here.
“GNX” marks Lamar’s first album with pgLang, a creative company he formed in 2020 with filmmaker and friend Dave Free. Free was mentioned in some of the summer’s diss tracks, with Drake alleging that one of Lamar’s kids had been fathered by Free instead of Lamar on the song “Family Matters.”
So, defining “GNX” is daunting.
The album’s title references a Buick Grand National, which Lamar’s father drove to the hospital on the day Lamar was born. It’s a partial tribute to Lamar’s hometown of Compton, California, and West Coast hip-hop overall.
The work is his first album since “good kid, M.A.A.D. city” to draw from G-funk beats and features many rising stars in the West Coast scene. But, some collaborators on the album reflect Lamar’s seismic influence in the industry,
with pop star SZA appearing on two tracks and super-producer Jack Antonoff, known for his work with Taylor Swift, credited on 11 of the 12 songs on “GNX.”
Lamar’s shots at OVO and Drake are part of a broader movement in the entertainment industry of exposing truths, like comedian Katt Williams addressing Diddy’s allegations on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast in January.
This summer, I worried Lamar stooped beneath himself. I like “Not Like Us” as much as the next person, but I also agree with Steph Curry’s assessment at the Olympics — “it’s not the only song in America.” Its popularity may be the result of shady practices at Universal Music Group, as Drake alleged in a recent lawsuit.
“GNX” moves Lamar into a confusing new era. Sure, there’s shots at Drake and plenty of victorylapping on “GNX.” Yet it seems like Lamar’s “Watch The Party Die,” released on Sept. 11, was his last word about the feud.
The album draws listeners into a dramatic world with “wacced out murals,” a beat that feels like a boxer’s introduction to the ring as Lamar addresses character assassination. Lamar understands noise from the public is insignificant as long as you “keep your head down and work,” freeing him from this summer’s spectre.
“squabble up,” which was initially teased in the “Not Like Us” music video, is full of swagger, an infectious call-and-response bridge and plenty of smack talk. “luther,” featuring SZA, has a slower R&B beat. It’s thematically similar to Nas and Lauryn Hill’s “If I Ruled the World,” using the metaphor of concrete flowers to express hope for a world where resilience is rewarded.
The album’s centerpiece, “man at the garden,” is a monologue alluding to Jesus’
prayer in Gethsemane before his arrest and crucifixion. It’s Lamar’s somber prayer where he addresses his relationship with God, his family and his fans.
Lamar seems bothered by his role in this summer’s feud, with unclear intentions and his pleas for validation from audiences as the greatest rapper of all time. “man at the garden” is the standout on “GNX,” a perplexing moment of retrospection contradicting the rest of the album.
Back to energetic thrillers with “hey now,” “reincarnated” and “tv off” — the latter being an instant hit on social media because of Lamar’s “Mustard” yell — “GNX” continues to lack a cohesive theme. On the one hand, there’s tons of swagger, but, on the other, plenty of introspection. “reincarnated” readily addresses these contradictions with a dialogue in the final verse, focusing on Lamar’s mission to capture light and serve harmonious purposes.
After a few more nondescript West Coast tributes, “heart pt. 6” continues Lamar’s “The Heart” series, installments from the depths of his psyche starting in 2010, addressing his motivations for creative freedom. Those motivations, among others, caused the Black Hippy collective to fail, but Lamar became a mouthpiece for a generation. “heart pt. 6” is an evaluation of Lamar’s own creative growth and the potential of hip-hop to change history.
“gloria” concludes the album with an extended metaphor referencing Lamar’s pen, symbolically representing his gift as a rapper. Lamar’s creative gifts enabled him to speak on social truths and lift him out of poverty. The song closes an album without consistent focus by addressing the art form itself, recontextualizing “GNX” as an exploration of
By Sarah Wells humor columnist
As a central New York native, I’m extremely familiar with snow. While all of you in Miami or Los Angeles were basking in the sun during the winter, I was fighting hypothermia while waiting for the school bus. There were times I was trapped in my house because the snow piled up against the front door overnight. If you think you understand winter weather, don’t talk to me until you’ve endured lake effect snow every year since birth.
As I’m sure I’ve written about in this column before, I have a tricky relationship with snow. Once it starts, I’m thrilled. There’s nothing more magical than waking up on a December morning to find your entire lawn has been coated with the stuff overnight. This year was particularly joyous, as the first major snowfall seemed to happen on the first day of December. It was like nature was wishing us a happy holiday! I felt like Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone,” smiling out of the window, while the burglars he absolutely annihi-
lated with military-grade strategies are shoved in the back of a police car.
But once the holidays are over, like I’ve always said, my mood starts to turn. I asked for a white Christmas, not a white January, February, March and early April. However, I’m trying to enjoy the snow while it’s still yet to be a nuisance. I can give you a few reasons why you should be excited about it, too.
First off, think of all the funny videos that Barstool Syracuse will be posting this winter. Every year, I’m greeted online by a slew of people struggling to walk on ice, sliding down hills because of snow boots without grip, or people sledding down Crouse hill in a not-so-optimal amount of clothing. I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone sled down a campus hill in their underwear. The tradition will never make sense to me, but, gosh, is it entertaining.
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good snowball fight. There’s nothing more satisfying than yelling to your friend, “Hey! Look over here!” before absolutely obliterating them with a hulking snowball (always make sure there aren’t
Kendall Street Company
Kendall Street Company, the selfdescribed “genre-fluid, eclectic rock ensemble” from Virginia, will be performing at the Westcott Theater alongside special guests Hydrogen and Mimicking Mars. Kendall Street Company has released over 100 original songs, with their latest single, “Billy Pilgrim (I Think We’ve Been Here Before),” premiering on Nov. 21. Their Thursday night performance will include crowd participation and improved comedic bits.
WHEN : Thursday, doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Westcott Theater PRICE: $15-20
any chunks of ice in there, though. We’re not monsters). I love constructing forts, and seeing people build snowmen on the quad. It warms my heart, even when it’s quite literally three degrees Fahrenheit outside.
The snow is also pretty cozy for finals season. It’s not like the spring, when you’re stuck inside studying, dying a little on the inside because everyone is outside playing frisbee or whatever it is happy, outdoorsy people do. The outdoors are definitely much less of a distraction in the winter, because you know that if you leave the library, you have to walk home in the wind and risk catching frostbite. I’d say that inclement weather probably causes studying periods to be at least 45% longer – but I’m no mathematician. I never studied for my stats class, after all.
I hope everyone reading this is having a joyous and mostly tear-free end to the semester. Make sure to go outside once or twice to sled, or at least build a snowman to help battle the seasonal depression. sswells@syr.edu
This weekend, Syracuse’s Funk ‘n Waffles is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Clinton Street location. Thursday kicks off the fourday celebration with a free concert by Skunk City. Later in the weekend, Pearly Baker’s Best, Root Shock and Sophistafunk will play at the brunch restaurant and live music venue. You must be 18 years or older to attend. Shows have various price points, but a weekend pass for all three can be purchased for $34.95.
WHEN : Thursday-Sunday
WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles PRICE: Various Funk ‘n Waffles 10th Anniversary Weekend
Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
Get into the holiday spirit with Career Mode, Colder Weather and Feast of Love, as they perform their 2nd annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. All proceeds for the event will support the Jowonio School, a nonprofit Syracuse preschool. Be sure to wear your best ugly Christmas sweater. You must be 18 years or older to attend.
WHEN : Friday, doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Song & Dance PRICE: Free, donations to Jowonio School encouraged
The Seven Wonders - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Middle Ages Beer Hall is hosting The Seven Wonders Friday. The band pays homage to British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. This event marks the second to last stop on The Seven Wonders’ fall 2024 tour, with dates in New York, Tennessee, Maryland and more. You must be 18 years or older to attend.
WHEN : Friday, doors open at 7 p.m., show is from 8-11 p.m.
WHERE: Middle Ages Beer Hall PRICE: $24.90
Orange After Dark and the A Capella Council are hosting their annual Fall After Hours event. The night will include performances from all six of SU’s a capella groups — Groovestand, Oy Capella, Main Squeeze, The Mandarins, Orange Appeal and Otto Tunes — in their last performance of the semester. Tickets are not required.
WHEN : Saturday, 8-10:30 p.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, Goldstein Auditorium PRICE: Free
from the stage
By Eliana Rosen staff writer
Jeremy Noel pounced around his living room on all fours and roared like Mufasa after watching “The Lion King” for the first time at 3 years old. Now, he understudies for Erick D. Patrick, who plays Simba, and is in the ensemble of “The Lion King” on its North American Broadway Tour.
“It’s something I’ve just always wanted to be a part of,” Noel said. “You realize just how amazing the show is. It exceeds all your expectations.”
Broadway’s “The Lion King” tour is playing at Landmark Theatre from Dec. 4-15 as part of the show’s Rafiki tour. The musical has been touring North America for 22 years and has performed over 10,000 times so far.
Based on Disney’s 1994 movie, “The Lion King,” the musical stays true to the beloved characters and storyline while elevating them with new songs, a strong stage presence and developed themes, Danny Grumich, who plays Pumba, said. He feels a responsibility to tell the long-standing, adored story audiences expect while putting his own spin on the character.
Grumich started on the tour three months ago; Syracuse is the fourth city he’ll perform in. Grumich and “The Lion King” veteran Nick Cordileone, who plays Timon, have worked together to put their own spin on the iconic Timon-Pumba duo.
“We were able to collaborate and come up with something special,” Grumich said. “It’s rare to have somebody that’s had such a successful run in such a successful show and be so open and willing to try something new.”
The stage production is lavish and elaborate, with 200 life-sized puppets and colorful, intricate costumes and masks.
“It’s such a work of artisanship and love,” Cordileone said. “Everything is handsewed, hand stitched, hand tied. It is a gift to be able to bring this to life.”
The large, heavy puppets bring the classic images of the Disney cartoons to the stage, but also add an aspect of the performance for the actors to balance, alongside lines, songs and choreography.
As one of the newest cast members, Grumich said there was a large learning curve to figure out how to maneuver the puppet. He’s now sore
from the stage
in places he never was before from the eight-foot long, 45-pound Pumba costume, he said.
Traveling across the country together fosters close relationships between cast members. They often stay in the same hotel or share an Airbnb and coordinate stopping together on their road trips from city to city. Many actors bring their spouses and children on the tour, so the cast has become like a family of their own, Grumich said. The over 50-person cast supports each other through rehearsals, travel, onstage and from the wings.
Grumich always fist bumps all the hyenas from the wings when they come offstage as he goes on. It’s a ritual he looks forward to before each show.
Timon, Pumba and the hyenas share a dressing room. As the comedic-relief roles, they try to keep a lighthearted atmosphere backstage and make each other laugh so they’re in the right headspace to go on.
“We are truly a little community on wheels,” Grumich said. “It’s really become a family.”
The strong relationships among the cast make the show stronger, Noel said. It strengthens the chemistry between their characters, especially those in the ensemble.
“When we’re performing together, our voices, our minds meld together,” he said. “The sound that we create is absolutely incredible.”
Noel, an Ithaca College alumnus, said some of his college professors got tickets to see him in Syracuse. This is the first time he’s returned to the area since he graduated in 2021. Along with his understudy role, he is a part of the ensemble each night, playing characters like a hyena, an elephant and various other roles.
“Ithaca is where everything started,” he said. “I’m very happy to get to show my teachers the seeds they planted and the hard work I’ve continued to do.”
While the tour comes with its challenges, including driving through storms to get to the next show and spending time away from friends, it allows the actors to visit new cities across the country. The audience’s energy is different in each city, changing how it feels to perform for those few weeks, Cordileone said.
“Each city has its own personality,” he said. “There’s a collective identity. It’s really fun to see every facet of the Americas.”
Still, the heart of the show stays true. The audiences experience Simba’s story together as the cub finds his place and defies the forces trying to keep him down. Messages of the joy and freedom of overcoming challenges are universal to all audiences, Noel said.
“It doesn’t matter where we go or what state we’re in,” Noel said. “The feelings that people feel when they see the show are the same. We are all more alike than we think.”
ehrosen@syr.edu
By Sydney Brockington staff writer
A storybook style set with a fairy tale castle and hues of pink and purple enveloped the audience at Syracuse Stage, inviting viewers into the classic story of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”
“It’s such a comforting show. Sometimes it’s just nice to escape into a storybook for a little while and let the magic fill your heart,” Sydney Carmona, who plays Joy, said.
Syracuse University’s Department of Drama and Syracuse Stage’s “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” invite audience members of all ages into a modern rendition of the classic fairy tale. It’s playing at Syracuse Stage from Nov. 22 to Jan. 5. The musical tells the classic story of a young servant girl, Cinderella, who falls in love with Prince Christopher.
This rendition of the play features a diverse cast, Madison Manning, who plays Cinderella, said. The leading roles, including Cinderella, Prince Christopher, played by Darrell Morris Jr., Fairy Godmother, played by Trisha Jeffrey, and Grace, played by Adeera Harris, are all performed by Black actors. Manning said this diverse group makes the story even more impactful.
“Theater is not a diverse community all the time,” Manning said. “When you get to see not only one person of color on stage but over five, that’s a win.”
As a Black woman in the arts, Harris said it’s important to find multifaceted spaces and avoid racial stereotyping. The show serves as a reminder all races can play various roles, Harris said.
Manning hopes the show speaks to Syracuse’s underrepresented children. She wants to serve as representation and a reminder that they can be princes and princesses, too, Manning said.
It isn’t the typical Disney movie version of “Cinderella,” but rather a version with a real story behind it.
“Even if people think they can’t relate to it, there truly is something in it for everyone who comes to watch it,” Manning said.
The titular character is an optimist and always looks to challenge adversity with
your heart’
kindness, Manning said. While playing Cinderella, Manning has learned to stay calm in tough situations and view experiences with positive perspectives.
“Knowing people will reap what they sow and that all you can do is move on,” Manning said. “That’s been actually really healing and made for more peaceful situations.”
The co-production between Syracuse Stage and the Department of Drama is a bridge out of senior year and into professional productions, Carmona said. Students gain professional experience while still in college.
“It’s cool to be in what is a professional environment while still being able to have that last moment with your fellow students,” Carmona said. Harris said the show has created a tightknit community where the cast and crew rely on each other. The cast and crew had a joint Thanksgiving dinner to be together during a time where she wouldn’t normally be in Syracuse, which Harris appreciated. Carmona has never performed in a show with a run as long as “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” She’s learned to depend on the other actors during times of loneliness and tiredness.
Carmona said she has also learned to trust her instincts, especially in times when she has eight-to-nine performances a week. She has built up her stamina and brought the audience a great show from beginning to end.
Harris hopes the show serves as a reminder that goodness can still win. It serves as an escape, filled with dreams and happiness, from everyday life.
“Sometimes you just have to step away from the world and just be in a fairytale where all the good guys win,” Harris said.
sabrocki@syr.edu
The campus location had its own special quirks, but Gold and his staff enjoy being in the heart of Syracuse, he said. Their Marshall Street location was in an alleyway basement with no windows and a leaky roof from the bar above. Now, they own their building and have consistently kept up with renovations and new additions.
Everything Funk ‘n Waffles offers has remained the same in the past 10 years at the newer location, like Grateful Dead Mondays and touring bands on the weekend. The nightly live shows and high-quality food is what’s consistent about Funk ‘n Waffles, Gold said. The key elements in building their restaurant community include funky music and good food.
Twenty-one year old Joe Capobianco, Funk ‘n Waffles’ front-of-house manager, goes around the restaurant replacing empty syrup bottles with full ones as the music continues to play. He’s been working at the waffle shop for two and a half years, but he feels right at home in the place that’s been around since he was young.
and acting professionally aren’t. Growing up in NYC as a child actor, Hetcher balanced school with auditions and roles. She attended an arts-focused sleepaway camp, French Woods, every summer from a young age.
There, at age 13, Hechter met her best friend and fellow SU alum Emmy Glick, who graduated from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in musical theater. Glick had a front-row seat for formative moments of Hechter’s childhood — her rise on TikTok, theater romance heartbreak and even had her first kiss in the same musical as Hechter, “13: The Musical.”
Despite her newfound fame, Glick said Hechter has been a creative force since childhood.
“I remember when we went to college, she had a full screenplay and musical written,” Glick said. “She’s always been writing and creating.”
As a Jewish woman and actor, Glick said she’s no stranger to being typecast in stereotypical roles. Though she’s grateful for the roles she’s played and the awareness they have raised, she wishes she had roles like Hechter’s that tap into her broader identity.
“It’s so important to tell these modern stories about the Jewish experience, about what it means to be a girl and have this negative stereotype,” Glick said. “I think it’s amazing what she’s doing to turn it on its head and make it so human.”
Glick said she’s struck by how many comments assume “real-life Chloe” and the satirical character she plays are the same. To Glick, the people labeling her a “mean girl” miss the point of her satire and don’t appreciate the hours Hechter spends writing before she posts her content online.
Other creators have noticed Hechter’s commitment to her craft and the work behind the scenes that goes into producing her content.
Josh Rosen, another TikTok creator with over 170,000 followers, said he’s admired Hechter’s content since a friend shared one of her
hip-hop’s power for consequential cultural shifts, rather than a mere victory lap.
Lamar, a Pulitzer Prize-winner with 17 Grammys and an album archived at Harvard’s library, has produced some of the most thought-provoking music of his generation. But this summer was redundant. Luckily, “GNX” has enough new ideas to maintain his reputation for conscious and complex music.
“GNX” isn’t about social injustice, nor is it about Lamar’s personal struggles. Rather, it’s a meta-modern work balancing crowd-pleasing boasts and a philosophical evaluation of an artform. With “GNX,” Lamar takes hip-hop to a self-referential place, where the cultural impact of the form is critiqued within the form itself.
Though not as readily conscious as “To Pimp a Butterfly” or “DAMN.,” the short runtime of “GNX” reflects a man bogged down by contradictions, stuck between loyalties to a culture that wants accountability from perceived sinners and harmony from the whole. Division and harmony form a dialectic where Lamar is pulled between being a weapon of truth and a source of unity.
Some fans speculate “GNX” foreshadows another drop soon. Lamar will be in New Orleans for the Super Bowl halftime show Feb. 9, 2025. I think he’ll stay quiet until then. Lamar’s been a savior, a prophet and a poet. Like Alexander the Great, Kendrick Lamar has no more worlds to conquer.
bnbutler@syr.edu
Describing his experience so far as “soulhealing,” Capobianco has beared witness to the comforting environment that’s made him feel like a part of the community.
“It’s a reinforcement of what a staple Funk ‘n Waffles is to the Syracuse area in the past 10 years, especially the downtown area,” Capobianco said.
Vryhof said that after the restaurant’s 2012 feature on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” it cemented them as a food staple in the Syracuse area. Customers began to come from across the country, and even the world, to taste for themselves what the food and music is all about, he said.
Customers echo Capobianco’s sentiments, saying they feel the comfortable, yet spunky vibe of the environment. Ariyanna Humphrey comes from Cicero to visit Funk ‘n Waffles, trying something new everytime she comes in.
“It’s a comforting thing to walk into a place and be like, ‘It’s kind of weird in here, but I like it,’” Humphrey said.
The S Clinton Street location differs from its predecessors because of its colorful artworks
videos with him last fall. He sent her a message after watching the video, and they’ve been close ever since.
“Something I admire so much about her is her willingness to not give a f*ck about what other people think,” Rosen said.
Like Glick, Rosen said many TikTok users who encounter Hechter’s comedy on their For You page or follow her don’t see the full scope of her personality beneath her character.
It’s a tricky line to toe on a personal platform like TikTok, he said. There’s a divide between character and person, which he said can be difficult for viewers to discern when creators, like Rosen and Hechter, use their lives and personal experiences as content.
Hechter also worries audiences will label her “dumb” because her brand is primarily rooted in satirical, light-hearted skits.
“I hope people don’t think I’m shallow and stupid … I’m writing all of these skits, figuring out the analytics of TikTok and Instagram and utilizing my comedic writing skills,” Hechter said.
Still, Hechter loves her job and is amused to have found her way back to acting, though in an untraditional format. Not long ago, she vowed never to act again.
Hechter attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she began falling out of love with acting. The environment was competitive and unwelcoming, Hechter recalled, and she didn’t feel her Jewish identity was represented.
When it was time to go to college, Hechter still pursued acting but sought an environment that would be drastically different from her high school, with school spirit and a larger student body.
Believing she found what she wanted at SU, she entered college as an acting major. But it wasn’t long before Hechter realized the program wasn’t making her happy.
Between a failed relationship with another acting major and feeling isolated from the campus community because all her classes
and greater amount of space. Gold said they now can hold up to 200 people in this location, and Vryhof appreciates having more elbow room in the kitchen. The space allows them to have a full bar that serves alcohol right by the stage where the bands perform. Customers can get a coffee by day or a glass of wine by night.
Funk ‘n Waffles stays open from 9-12 a.m. Thursday-Monday, meaning it can host five nights of shows a week, something that’s hard to find for a music venue, Gold said. Hot waffles are served all day and night for the music-goers, corporate workers and SU students who come to visit every week.
The business implemented their own food truck a few years ago, which has been successful and allowed them to do more catering across the area. Now, Funk ‘n Waffles is a part of people’s weddings and graduations, an exciting addition for them, Vryhof said.
“Being able to see that growth in 10 years has been really cool to see,” Vryhof said.
With more room, Funk ‘n Waffles has brought in larger bands and artists from across the area over the years, as well as SU student musicians. Gold himself has been playing in
bands his whole life, so music and live shows are at the core of what they do, he said.
“It’s Funk ‘n Waffles, you know, it’s funk first,” Gold said. “It’s always been about music. I think that’s what sets us apart is the music element.”
People of all ages and backgrounds can come out to listen to live music from a multitude of genres on almost any night of the week, Capobianco said. No one comes to Funk ‘n Waffles for just any one thing; it’s the atmosphere, the food and the shows, he said.
Besides Gold always having some variation of a flashy shirt on, Vryhof said the great food and lively environment is what gives them their unique place in the Syracuse food landscape. People can enjoy a nice breakfast or come out at night and get rowdy with them, he said.
This weekend is a full circle moment for the staff at Funk ‘n Waffles, as well as the regulars that have been coming for the past 10 or more years. Gold assures them they’re not going anywhere. The funky music and eccentric waffle options are here to stay.
“There’s always something going on at Funk,” Gold said.
mjones58@syr.edu
were held at Syracuse Stage, Hechter knew she wanted a change.
“I wanted a traditional college experience and I wasn’t having it in the drama program,” Hechter said. “I felt so separate from the community … I didn’t even know what Varsity Pizza was.”
Hechter joined SU’s Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority chapter, changed her major and took a remote University Girl internship, eventually becoming editor-in-chief of UGirl from 2022 to 2023.
Writing became her passion, and acting was a dream she left behind.
“I had such a toxic relationship with acting,” Hechter said. “Between LaGuardia and my freshman year at Syracuse, I wanted to be done forever.”
The irony isn’t lost on Hechter that she’s acting every day in her new career as a TikTok
creator. But, she said it’s different now because she’s writing and producing her original content and playing a character she created through her own formative experiences.
Hechter portrays a misrepresented group in the comedy space and is doing what she always dreamed of in her career, she said. She’s healing her relationship with acting and embracing her Jewish identity, without fear of making light of serious moments.
“You can look at my sixth-grade diary. I said, ‘I was born to create representation of Reform Jewish teenage girls,’” Hechter said. “Today I get messages from 13-year-old girls saying ‘Thank you. I relate to your videos so much,’ and I just know I’m doing what I was put on Earth to do.”
sophszyd@gmail.com
By Max Lancer columnist
Christmas, that once-intimate winter observance of faith and family, has long been unrecognizably transformed. What began as a quiet reflection on shared humanity evolved into the crown jewel of capitalism’s calendar — a glitzy, waste-laden carnival of consumption. The true miracle of modern Christmas lies not in its spirit, but in its efficiency at extracting wealth and behind its ability to mask exploitation with a patina of joy. In every shimmering mall display and prepackaged holiday special found while frantically scrolling online deals, the holiday season reveals how deeply commerce has infiltrated culture. This gilded trend demands a reckoning not from its participants, but from its architects.
Charles Dickens didn’t invent Christmas, though his A Christmas Carol undoubtedly redefined it. Written during the throes of industrial England, the novella aimed to humanize the wealthy and highlight the plight of the poor. It worked — perhaps too well. Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from miser to benefactor framed systemic poverty not as the result of industrial exploitation but as a moral failing of individuals. Fix the heart of the factory owner, Dickens implied, and society will right itself.
What Dickens crafted as a tale of redemption quickly became a blueprint for absolving capitalism of its systemic exploitation. Victorian England latched onto this message and expanded Christmas into a season of charity, yet one where timely individual generosity smoothed over systemic inequality. It was a genius pivot as industrialists started exploiting workers 364 days a year in exchange for handing out an extra loaf of bread at Christmas.
The capitalist takeover didn’t stop there. By the 20th century, Christmas shed its veneer of morality for pure commerce. Mass production churned out ornaments, gifts and decorations,
wrapping the holiday in the glitter of profit. What Dickens started as a warning for conscience became an economic juggernaut.
Syracuse’s sprawling mall, Destiny USA, epitomizes capitalism’s grip on the holiday. In December, the mall morphs into a tempting shrine for consumption. Strings of twinkling lights and towering faux trees beckon shoppers, offering not joy but the projection of joy onto tangible commodities — for a price. Affluent students and families browse its stores, toting bags stuffed with the latest must-haves. Meanwhile, many of the retail workers behind the counters live paycheck to paycheck, their wages spent on survival rather than splendor.
What began as a quiet reflection on shared humanity evolved into the crown jewel of capitalism’s calendar.
Max Lancer columnist
The gap between the flickering displays of Destiny USA and the economic struggles of Syracuse’s most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods is stark. Syracuse ranks second among large U.S. cities in child poverty, with nearly 46% of children living below the poverty line. This juxtaposition between holiday affluence and systemic inequity underscores how the commercialized season often exacerbates social divides instead of alleviating them. Christmas in America doesn’t bring togetherness; it sharpens the divide. It’s a season where wealth flaunts itself while poverty is kept in the shadows. Only the faintest whiff of Dickens’ moral call to action remains.
Even on Syracuse University’s campus, capitalism’s claws on Christmas are clear. Dorms glow with lights ordered from Amazon, their cheerful warmth dimmed by the invisible labor that produced them. Holiday programming often focuses on consumerdriven traditions like Secret Santas and gift exchanges, rarely straying from mainstream holiday norms.
Even Holidays at Hendricks, one of campus’s most beloved traditions, unintentionally reflects the narrow lens through which Christmas is celebrated. While the concert highlights musical excellence, its focus on historically Christian carols sidelines the diverse traditions of a global student body. The event celebrates with good intentions but reinforces a singular narrative of what the holiday season should be, leaving little room for broader cultural representation.
Capitalism’s Christmas is as wasteful as it is exploitative. Each year, millions of tons of wrapping paper, packaging and cheap decorations are discarded, much of it non-recyclable. Plastic ornaments — shipped from factories in the Global South under brutal labor conditions — will eventually clog landfills for centuries. The environmental price is staggering, yet it remains a footnote in the story of the holiday.
The cultural cost is no less severe. Christmas has become a steamroller, flattening local and alternative traditions into a monolithic celebration of consumption. Non-Christian winter holidays were once vibrant and distinct, now overshadowed or tokenized in the rush to uphold the hegemony of Santa and snowflakes. Even within Christmas itself, the current narrative is rigid as love is measured by gifts, happiness by spectacle and meaning by price tag.
This isn’t a call to cancel Christmas but to reclaim it. Its current incarnation as a monthlong festival of buying and waste is neither inevitable nor permanent. SU and its focus on
critical thinking and social responsibility could lead this charge.
The campus could deconstruct its holiday programming, replacing consumerfocused events with ones that emphasize sustainability, equity and cultural diversity. A makers’ market showcasing local artisans or student creations could replace massproduced wares. Concerts could integrate global winter traditions, amplifying voices that are often drowned out.
Beyond campus, Syracuse could invest in programs that address systemic poverty rather than performative acts of charity. Instead of one-off toy drives, long-term initiatives to combat housing insecurity or food deserts would create tangible change, embodying the holiday’s professed values in ways Dickens himself might recognize.
Capitalism thrives on the illusion that consumption equals care. Breaking free of this narrative requires courage — a willingness to challenge traditions that no longer serve their intended purpose. An anti-capitalist Christmas doesn’t discard joy, but rather reinvents it, centering community over commerce, sustainability over spectacle and justice over indulgence.
As snow falls on Syracuse, the choice is clear. Christmas can continue as the gilded snowflake — hollow, fragile and disposable — or it can be something real and lasting. Dickens may have invented the Ghost of Christmas Past, but capitalism’s ghost haunts the present. Reclaiming the holiday is not just a moral imperative but a necessary step toward a better future.
Max Lancer is a junior majoring in chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at mlancer@syr.edu
As its starting quarterback sat alone on foreign soil, SU attempted to stay in its routine as much as possible. MacPherson made it a common theme to practice directly after touching down for every road or bowl game. Despite being in a different country, this week was no different.
“It was like we drank for three nights and then went out and practiced,” Sims said. “Your body is tired, you’re lethargic. I don’t think it was the best practice, but it was just a way to get us up and moving and get us focused.”
The practice conditions were abnormal. Syracuse practiced in a pedestrian-filled park where Coca-Cola Bowl officials chalked off areas to resemble a football field. Tokyo citizens went about their business as normal, walking near the sideline and playing frisbee just feet from the field.
“To say it was dirt with a sprinkling of grass would be an understatement,” Ismail described.
To add to poor practices, Carpenter said the flu bug and Japanese cuisine plagued the Orange. Mixed with the conditions of making the trip, the food differences only added to players’ struggles.
“I don’t think I ever felt as bad as I did getting ready for kickoff,” Bucey said. “Still jet lagged, malnourished. We were used to eating so much and having all those calories and some of the food, you just couldn’t eat.”
Sims and a few other offensive linemen tried to curb their desires with hamburgers from the hotel restaurant. Many players loaded up on mini hot dogs at breakfast. The night before the game, Bucey and fellow linebacker David Bavaro tested their luck with an American delicacy — Domino’s Pizza. Though the pizza was thinner and smaller than Domino’s in the U.S., it did the job.
While the final night before kickoff was saved for last-minute food urges, MacPherson emphasized to his players the importance of exploring Tokyo. He wanted to make the week as routine as possible when it came to game preparation and create an experience they’d remember.
The Orange had appeared in bowl games in 1985, 1987 and 1988 under MacPherson before the trip to Tokyo. Though much further from central New York this time around, he kept the same structure.
“It was all business until we were done running sprints. And then after that, he’d say, ‘OK, practice tomorrow at three o’clock. You got the rest of the night off and the morning off. Go see Tokyo,’” Fetterly said of MacPherson.
While it was important for SU to capture its seventh win of the season, MacPherson understood the opportunity to spread Syracuse football internationally.
“He was a visionary. (MacPherson) was the kind of guy who saw beyond what was the game,” Rooks said. “He saw how it would put Syracuse on the map in terms of everyone watching. Looking at that school going from upstate New York to Tokyo, and how that would highlight the program.”
The head coach was clear in his expectations — have a good time, don’t do stupid stuff and look out for each other. His players followed suit.
Multiple nights that week, players took to Roppongi, an entertainment district in Tokyo similar to New York City’s Times Square. Carpenter heard about the area from the American hip-hop group De La Soul, who he grew up with and had recently toured in Japan.
The district was lined with people late into the night with fast food, restaurants and clubs. While many didn’t speak English, the music blaring from the clubs consisted largely of American hip-hop, specifically Run-DMC and De La Soul. Sims said Run-DMC was even in Tokyo at the time, and the players interacted with the group through a few connections.
The Orange relished the nightlife culture but had multiple mishaps as the game drew closer. First, it was with their technology. Running back Duane Kinnon said he remembers the team’s great excitement about buying new cameras and Walkman players. While advancing their leisure technology use, however, in-game headset usage almost turned disastrous.
In the weeks leading up to the trip, Syracuse’s equipment team acknowledged coaches would need to use different headsets. SU relied on 110 volts. In Japan, they used 60 hertz systems. The University of Tokyo allowed the Orange to borrow its headsets for the game after speaking with SU’s equipment team.
“We didn’t bring our headsets. Then, when we got there, nobody could find anybody from the University of Tokyo. Our administrators scrambled,” Fetterly said.
Bill Gallagher, one of Fetterly’s assistants, didn’t make the initial trip to Tokyo. When the headset snafu occurred, SU administrator Doris Soladay sent Gallagher first class to Tokyo by himself. He delivered the headsets, and just as he arrived, Fetterly said the uni -
versity reached out and provided the initially agreed-upon headsets. Gallagher then served as a ball boy throughout the game.
As the week continued, Ismail felt jet lag and decided to take a pre-practice nap. Typical to an away schedule, the Orange visited the stadium before their final practice.
Ismail and his roommate Todd Kasmer, though, didn’t know about the visit. They planned to nap for a few hours and then head to practice. Decimated by jet lag, Ismail woke up in a panic, quickly realizing they’d overslept.
“That’s it. It’s over. Life as we know it is over. We missed practice, and missed the bus,” Ismail thought.
As they rushed to the lobby, a Football Club Liaison sat at the bar and Ismail explained what happened. The liaison quickly fetched them a cab and directed the driver to the practice field.
When they arrived, no one from the team was in sight. Panic struck again before SU’s bus and police escort arrived at the park.
Ismail and Kasmer, it turned out, were too early. The rest of the team had been at the Tokyo Dome checking out the venue. The pair blended in with the team as they left the bus and acted as if nothing had happened.
Originally labeled as “The Big Egg,” the Tokyo Dome was less than two years old when the Orange took the field. SU was used to playing in a similar structure as 1989 marked its ninth year playing in the Carrier Dome.
Carpenter recalls the Tokyo Dome being “much larger” than the Carrier, with more open space on the playing surface. Ismail described it as “the definition of concrete and some little carpet,” adding the coaches attempted to color it up to add excitement.
When the game began, fans were assigned orange and blue pom poms in one half of the stadium and red and white in the other. The fans were loud but didn’t fully understand what they were watching, making the climate memorable.
“It was so new to them in football that they were cheering for any play,” Rooks said. “Especially when the ball goes in the air, they would cheer.”
Syracuse didn’t have much time to worry about the fans, however. Scharr returned from the embassy a few days into the week but hurt his thumb on his throwing hand in practice. The injury sidelined him and thrust backup Mark McDonald into the lineup.
McDonald relieved Scharr multiple times that season, earning the nickname Don Strock — who spent 15 seasons as the Miami Dolphins’ backup. With SU trailing 10-7, McDonald sprained his right ankle on the third series, knocking him out of the game.
MacPherson had to decide between inserting Carpenter—who ran the option offense all four years of high school — or third-stringer
Lowrey under center. Initially, the decision was simple.
MacPherson wasn’t going to burn a year of Lowrey’s eligibility and told Fetterly to get Carpenter quarterback shoulder pads. As Carpenter acquired the quarterback wristband and began to warm up, Maxwell went to MacPherson and made the case for Lowrey.
“(Maxwell) sees Carpenter warming up and walks down to MacPherson and says, ‘Let’s just put Lowrey in the game.’ MacPherson goes, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m not ruining a year of eligibility on a kid who’s going to be a great talent for us because of one game over here,’” Fetterly said.
“Without hesitation, Maxwell says, ‘coach, we’re not on the continental 48. Those rules don’t apply.’ MacPherson stared at him for about five seconds. He then goes, ‘Get Lowrey warmed up,’” Fetterly added.
Lowrey was no slouch himself. While not appearing yet that season, Lowrey was a highly touted recruit from Florida, earning AllAmerican honors in his senior season. Known as a pocket passer, Lowrey could rip it if given the time. But early on, the moment got to him.
“The first possession I was in there, I was very nervous,” Lowrey said. “Almost had a turnover. In that initial series that I went in, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Hey, I gotta relax and let this game come to me.’”
He did just that. With Carpenter remaining on the outside and Lowrey under center, the two connected for 64-yard and 78-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Syracuse’s defense then forced future NFL quarterback Browning
Nagle to throw two interceptions, with cornerback Sean Whiteman grabbing the first and Bucey securing the second to clinch the game.
It was Lowrey’s only game played with the Orange. After showing glimpses of possibly being the program’s future, Lowrey admittedly let his academics slip, forcing him to leave SU. He sees it now as “blowing a golden opportunity” but still cherishes the appearance in Tokyo.
“It’s amazing how this many years later some of that stuff is still just deeply ingrained in my memory,” Lowrey said. “What really sticks out to me is how jubilant our locker room was after the game and the feeling of accomplishment.”
The Orange celebrated that night and left for the U.S. the next morning. Almost four weeks later, Syracuse set out for Atlanta, taking down Georgia in the Peach Bowl to cap their season at 8-4. Ismail described the Georgia game as anticlimactic, going from a bizarre situation across the world to a matchup a few states away. Teams led by MacPherson and then Paul Pasqualoni traveled cross country for bowl games in the ensuing years. MacPherson’s 1990 team played in Hawaii. Pasqualoni’s 1991, 1995 and 2004 teams played in Florida. The 1992, 1997 and 2001 squads appeared in Arizona. Many alumni from the ‘89 team went on to play professionally, traveling the country as NFL players. Still, no trip topped a regular season game across continents, bringing SU its furthest game from campus and building memories that have spanned a lifetime.
Amid the chaos as fans stormed the field, ESPN’s broadcast cut to an interview with Brown, who stood next to a wide-eyed Brayden. Brown confidently regurgitated his D.A.R.T. mantra in describing SU’s comeback while looking around at the JMA Wireless Dome crowd to bask in the glory. He had his wife, Teara, kids and more friends and family from Camden in attendance, making the moment even sweeter.
“It means a lot. I mean, (it means) everything,” Brown said. “I always tell y’all, my wife, my kids … and that city I’m from as well, it just means more.”
When the cameras were still locked on him and his youngest son on the field, Brown emphatically made a declaration:
“Syracuse is back.”
The difference was immediately clear to Marlowe Wax. Added care, a higher standard, increased intentionality, violent practices — that’s what Brown brought to Syracuse from Day 1 after he was hired to replace Dino Babers. Babers was fired on Nov. 19, 2023, amid his eighth season as SU’s head coach. SU hired Brown nine days later.
SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack said Brown’s reputation as a “powerhouse recruiter” from the northeast made him the perfect choice. Brown often says he believes recruiting comes easy. He proved that, and then some, in an eye-popping first offseason with transfer acquisitions, including Kyle McCord and Fadil Diggs. But it’s the people he retained who laid the groundwork to spur a culture change in his first year.
Wax, Oronde Gadsden II, Justin Barron and LeQuint Allen Jr. — staples of the Babers era — all chose to stay with Syracuse. They could’ve transferred. Brown’s direct and detailed nature convinced them otherwise, though.
“The vision he had for the team and that we didn’t have to wait for that to happen, he wanted to win and win now,” Barron said of Brown.
“I spoke to (Brown) the same day he got hired … he wanted to make sure I was staying and that he wanted me to be a true tight end,” Gadsden added of why he returned.
Wax’s future at SU was in question after last season. One conversation with Brown changed that, Wax said. When speaking on the differences from Babers, Wax said the body of work Brown had he and his teammates put in during the winter was when he knew things had changed.
“Those workouts at 6 a.m. in the freezing snow, and the 12 a.m. workouts at night, that was just us getting close, just us becoming brothers,” Wax said at training camp on Aug. 12.
From 2016-23, the Orange went 41-55 under Babers, including a 20-45 mark in ACC play and a measly 7-22 record in November games. Brown wanted his message to stay consistent upon arrival; authenticity would compel his players rather than harping on the past.
“I can tell you that I just watched a couple of the bowl practices, but the head coach wasn’t there doing the practice. I just know what I’m accustomed to at the University of Georgia, and that’s what I wanted to make sure that I’m able to mimic here,” Brown said.
Learning under Kirby Smart from 2022-23 gave Brown a national-title pedigree, overseeing Georgia’s defensive backs in its 2022 CFP Championship season. He crafted his approach of being detailed, accountable, relentless and tough — a blend that’s attracted prospects from his assistant days to his arrival at Syracuse.
The most difficult switch was the responsibility thrust upon him, but Brown used his experience to guide him in the jump to head coach. He said he runs SU like how he managed his secondary groups at UGA, from their high-speed practice schedule to his intense one-on-one sessions.
Brown still does all he can in his area of expertise. He spends time with younger players
Postgame, McCord gave a simple answer when asked if he had any extra satisfaction that SU upset Miami the same day Ohio State fell to the Wolverines.
“Everything comes full circle,” he said while smiling.
After serving as future NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud’s backup at OSU during his first two collegiate seasons, McCord — ESPN’s No. 31 class of 2021 recruit — seemed set to become its next starter. Head coach Ryan Day, however, didn’t name the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback until three days before its first game.
McCord won the competition over Devin Brown, ESPN’s No. 81 class of 2022 recruit, but Day wouldn’t fully commit to him as OSU’s starter until after it beat Notre Dame in Week 3. The Buckeyes then won seven consecutive games, bringing their record to 11-0, giving them no reason to bench McCord.
in the secondary, notably spurring freshman cornerbacks Davien Kerr and Marcellus Barnes Jr.’s developments.
That personal touch is why the change has been so noticeable from Babers to Brown. He knows how to get through to players and maximize their potential. Brown said he’s received feedback all year from players who tell the head coach there’s a sizable gap between Syracuse’s last two coaching regimes.
“I mean, just the way we practice, just all that we do, everything’s different,” Brown said. “I’m a different person than the last coach was and we got different ways. So, this is a big difference.”
“Everything’s night and day.”
Brown felt he let alumni, fans and the entire program down when Syracuse lost 37-31 to Boston College on Nov. 9. It’s the loss he brought up first of SU’s three, signaling it’s the most painful. His voice dropped a tone when he compared the coaching battle. Brown thought BC’s Bill O’Brien out-managed him in every aspect of a game where the Eagles gashed the Orange for 313 rushing yards.
Two weeks later, Brown hadn’t moved past it. He blamed himself. That irked him. He knew it was a winnable road matchup. He beat himself up over being a few steps behind with in-game adjustments, saying he was stuck on plan C when O’Brien progressed to plan E.
“I gotta do everything I can to not have that happen again,” Brown said.
Brown takes losing extremely seriously. In a Nov. 11 press conference following the BC game, he went viral for revealing he doesn’t shower after losses. He said he doesn’t deserve to reward himself with a warm, soapy shower in the face of defeat.
Those nights, his wife won’t let him stink up their bed. But that’s a fair punishment for Brown. Only winners get washed.
“You gotta earn the right to do certain things,” Brown said. “So winners get washed. I’m a loser. I just gotta wait a little bit.”
Just five days later, when Syracuse traveled to face California, Brown was particularly energized after the Orange handled the Golden Bears 33-25. This time, as cameras from the CW broadcast crew swarmed his face postgame, Brown repeated his “winners get washed” line in a celebratory manner.
He did so with an added gesture of sticking his tongue out before running away to a jubilant SU locker room. That day, Brown seemed to have some extra fire behind his actions. He says he was simply excited for his players. But with the win being a swift response to the loss at Boston College — what Brown called Syracuse’s highest point of adversity this year — there was some added fuel.
“For men to have something negative happen to them, then be able to come back and fix it and get everything right, I’m just happy they put in the work and got that done,” Brown said.
Simply put, Brown is an interesting character, making it fitting that his two favorite actors are Denzel Washington and Larry David. Brown possesses the gravitas of Washington in a leading role, but he’d never compare himself to the Oscar-winner. In David, however, Brown admires his bluntness, a quality he says he shares with the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star.
His character may be exclusive, but it’s genuine. And it’s why players immerse themselves in what Brown sells. Take the postgame locker room scene in Berkeley, California, for example. Before video evidence surfaced, McCord revealed Syracuse’s players bestowed Brown with a bottle of Old Spice after the game, prompting Brown to say he’d “smell like 100 racks” later.
“It’s always good to win for him,” McCord said of their gift to Brown. “We know how much he gives throughout the week and obviously on game day. So to get a win all the way across the country, playing for that type of coach is huge from a team perspective.”
Brown’s publicity has often stemmed from Syracuse’s major turning points of the season.
Though following the first setback, after the Michigan game, Day and Co. wouldn’t commit to McCord as their starter going forward. McCord needed to go somewhere where he was trusted. And Syracuse needed a quarterback to lift it out of irrelevance. The Orange’s missing piece instantly fit like a glove.
While growing up, McCord trained with former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Phill Simms and his son Matt, also a signal caller who bounced around the NFL from 2012-19. Matt attended Don Bosco Prep High School (New Jersey), where Campanile was his offensive coordinator. Because of McCord’s understanding of Campanile’s system through training with the Simmses, he instantly adapted to his new quarterbacks coach.
“From the first practice, I was like, ‘Alright, that’s neat.’ We don’t have to spend a lot of time getting on the same page,” Campanile said.
Unlike worrying about a grueling competition, McCord’s biggest off-season
The first instance was on Sept. 7, when the Orange knocked off then-No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 in the JMA Wireless Dome. It was Brown’s first signature moment two games in with an AP Top-25 victory.
Yet it was postgame when he stole the show. Earlier in the week, GT head coach Brent Key said the more physical team would win that Saturday afternoon. Brown took it as a personal jab. Gadsden said Brown repeated the clip to the players all week. The coach was offended that someone could even shred an inkling of a doubt his team wouldn’t be tough.
“When you know who I am and you come at me about toughness, don’t do that. This game was very personal,” Brown said of Key’s pregame words. “I want to make sure everyone understands that when you play us, just be quiet. Don’t give ammo to me. If you give ammo to me, I’m coming at you full tilt.”
It’s possible Brown’s rarest expression — disappointment — is his most productive mood, considering how the Orange responded from their lowest moments in 2024.
A dejected Brown first appeared following SU’s 26-24 Week 4 loss to Stanford. Even with it being Brown’s third game, falling to a team that finished 3-9 was shocking. On a key fourthand-9 as time wound down in the fourth quarter, Clarence Lewis was left on an island with star Cardinal wideout Elic Ayomanor, who caught a 27-yard reception. Then, kicker Emmet Kenney iced it with a field goal.
Brown took accountability for Lewis being compromised with the game on the line. But Brown saw a more glaring problem, made known by the game’s rushing discrepancy.
“They out-physicaled us,” Brown said of Stanford. “(They had) 173 rushing yards and we had 26. There’s nothing to talk about. I was there, you see that, Stevie Wonder sees that … We gotta be more physical.”
A founding component of Brown’s philosophy was broken that night, just 13 days after he lauded SU’s toughness against GT. Brown knew it got away. Looking back, Brown thinks Syracuse’s unabating responses to adversity were among its best achievements of the season. The Orange never dropped back-to-back games.
They throttled Holy Cross by 28 before taking then-No. 25 UNLV to an overtime thriller, in which Allen Jr. punched in the game-winning touchdown for a 44-41 victory. Syracuse won a second straight road game the next week, defeating NC State to move to 5-1. The calendar hadn’t hit November yet, and SU was one win from a bowl game.
Then came a disaster in Pittsburgh.
“Once a bad play happens two times, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what the score is, we gotta be able to bounce back on defense and get the ball back on offense,” Brown said, glumly recalling Syracuse’s 41-13 blowout at then-No. 19 Pitt. “That’s what the national championship teams do.”
It seemingly got worse the next week, with the Orange falling behind 21-3 midway through the third quarter at home against Virginia Tech. A typical start to November was in the cards for SU. But Brown wasn’t having that.
He felt trends of the Pitt game were bleeding over. He doesn’t snap at colleagues often, but Brown likened his halftime conversation with offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon to when his wife gets upset with him. Like Brown does with Teara, Nixon obliged.
“Coach Nixon’s a really good football coach, and he was just able to get back into his own and get going,” Brown said postgame. “I said he was off and things like that, but it just wasn’t clicking.”
All Brown wanted was for Syracuse to return to the basics and give the best player the ball. To him, that’s Allen Jr. The result? Allen Jr. racked up three touchdowns and delivered the gamewinning score, propelling SU to a 38-31 overtime victory — then its largest-ever comeback.
hurdle was building chemistry with his teammates and learning different concepts. Campanile realized in February McCord wouldn’t have any trouble transitioning to SU. By the middle of spring ball, he knew the Orange’s offense was going to click.
Instantly, Syracuse’s air-raid offense became among the best attacks in the country. Simultaneously, McCord played with an unseen swagger from his OSU days. In Week 2, he went viral for showing his emotion on the sideline. Later in the game, McCord emphatically celebrated after running for a first down by spiking the ball before screaming excitedly.
But even with McCord’s rare lows, the Orange knew leaning on him was their best option to bounce back. They could’ve shied away from him following a five-interception performance against Pitt. Instead, SU kept letting McCord rip.
“When you know that the people who are coaching you believe in you 1,000%, you have the ability to go out and make plays,” Campanile
Brown’s direct nature, which can be masked by his unintentionally comedic antics, has led to Syracuse being flipped on its head. There’s no dwelling on the past when you’re playing for him. He said he’d create major change, and he did.
After each of SU’s four November wins, Brown reminded reporters of the program’s dreaded history in the month. He often asked what his team’s record was until that point of November as if he was keeping score by taunting those who doubted him. That fourth victory, stunning Miami, elicited some postgame gloating from Brown.
“November is a time that we win,” Brown declared. “Four and one, that’s OK. But four and one is 80% right? We gotta be a little better than that, but that’s a good deal.”
A mere three weeks after he felt like a disappointment to the program, Brown helmed Syracuse to its highest-ranked win in seven years to close its most promising season of the millennium.
Still, he sat as stoic as Washington and spoke with the pessimism of David in the aftermath of defeating Miami.
“No, not at all,” Brown said in response to if this season lived up to his vision. “I wanted to win a national championship. Wanted to go to a conference championship. Those two things didn’t happen, but I guess this is progress.”
Growing up in South Jersey forged Brown into someone who never settles. He escaped a difficult situation in Camden, a place he proudly calls home but where his experiences shook him eternally.
“I’ve seen some of the worst things you could possibly see,” Brown said. “I’ve watched and witnessed some things where most people wouldn’t be where I’m at right now.”
He was raised in Camden by his mother with three brothers, whom he said life hasn’t worked out the same way for. Through his coaching success, Brown said he strives to help them mentally push on in life, becoming an inspiring figure for them.
His pride for home is strong, yet he ensures it’s not too powerful. Pride is how you get broke, he says, but he said he’s just prideful enough that it makes him work.
“It’s not thinking that I deserve anything,” Brown said of his mindset. “You got to earn everything you get.”
That’s why he’s always looking for more. It’d be a disservice to those who don’t find the same opportunities post-Camden. With two games left in Syracuse’s season, Brown still loathed his squad’s three losses. All for different reasons. He regretted SU’s fourth-down mishap against Stanford. He bashed himself for self-proclaimed “bad” coaching versus Boston College. Pitt was self-explanatory, however.
Brown was convinced his first-year roster could compete for a national title. He was somewhat vindicated with the Orange’s resume against ranked opponents, though he hails players like McCord, Allen Jr. and Diggs to be among the best at their position. He didn’t want repeatable regular-season success; he yearned for unprecedented postseason glory.
“I guess we’re pretty close. But to me, it seems so far away,” Brown said.
The head coach thinks five plays could’ve turned Syracuse from a solid bowl team to an ACC Championship winner. No single victory will stick with him more than his feeling of missed opportunity. Yet, it’s that impenetrable drive for excellence that makes Brown’s unrealistic expectations an encouraging sign that the kid from Camden can run the northeast in no time.
“When it seems like, ‘Oh, why he act that way? Why he doing this?’ I’ve just seen so much stuff in my life growing up,” Brown said. “I know the slightest mistake you can make can cost you everything. And look what happened this season.” ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews
said. “And if you make mistakes, you know that, ‘Hey, you know, we’re going to ride with you no matter what, and you’re our guy,’ and he’s done a great job of that.”
Brown said he should gift Day a bottle of champagne for allowing Syracuse to get McCord following its win over Georgia Tech. Two days after SU’s upset over the Hurricanes and OSU’s loss, Brown doubled down, saying he should send a “f—-ing case” of champagne to Columbus.
And Brown should. In his first season as a head coach, Syracuse proved its winning culture is back. Without the coaching staff’s pursuit, vision and trust in McCord, the Orange are just another ACC school.
While it was just for a season, McCord sprung SU back to relevance. More importantly, it gave Brown a much-needed resume booster to pair with his recruiting prowess and culture, beginning the program’s return to college football’s upper echelon. justingirshon@gmail.com @JustinGirshon
By Nicholas Alumkal asst. copy editor
Kayla Alexander received an email from Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack while on a family vacation in the Dominican Republic in fall 2022. Wildhack wanted to call the Orange’s former women’s basketball star.
Once on the phone, Wildhack notified Alexander that SU wanted to retire her number in the JMA Wireless Dome. She was shocked, but excited.
“When you get your jersey retired, that’s legend status,” Alexander said.
At halftime of Syracuse’s matchup against No. 10 Notre Dame on Dec. 8, Alexander’s No. 40 will be immortalized in the Dome’s rafters. Alexander is the second women’s basketball player to have her number retired after current head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who had her No. 33 honored in 2021.
Alexander was a 6-foot-4 center at SU from 2009-13, still holding program records for total points (2,024), blocks (350), field goals (736) and free throws (552) and is tied for the most games played (140). SU went from a struggling program to a consistent top-25 team because of her.
After Alexander led the Orange to their first NCAA in five years as a senior, it sparked a run of eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances. She garnered more highly-rated recruits to central New York while paving a path from SU to the WNBA.
“When (Alexander) did it, it said it could be done at Syracuse,” former SU coach Vonn Read said. “She was the first to be able to do it. And then we had other players come behind. Other players say, ‘Wow, it can be done at Syracuse.’”
After graduating, Alexander became the second player in SU history to be selected in the WNBA Draft, going eighth overall to the San Antonio Silver Stars. She played for the Stars from 2013-17 before moving to the Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx for one season each from 2018-20. During the WNBA offseason, Alexander competed in Russia, France, South Korea, Australia and Poland. Alexander also represented Canada at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
Alexander credits Syracuse for the most growth during her career but almost didn’t attend the University. After narrowing her options down to SU and Illinois, Alexander was ready to commit at her first in-person visit to Illinois. However, her father, Joe, told her to visit both schools and take her time committing. She later chose the Orange.
“I have no regrets in that decision at all,” Alexander said.
When Alexander arrived at Syracuse, Kornell Battle, a former assistant coach, video coordinator and director of operations at SU, asked her how she wanted her game to develop. Alexander said she wanted to be a 3-point shooter — something uncharacteristic for a big at the time.
“And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. I don’t know if this is gonna work,’” Battle thought in response.
He quickly explained to Alexander her greatest strengths were in the post and her speed, emphasizing she “ran the court like a gazelle.” Read also attested to Alexander’s speed.
“You never had to question her effort,” Read said. “You never had to question whether Kayla was going to do the right thing. She was just a perfect player.”
Alexander’s teammates and coaches noted they had a limited role in her development. She pushed herself, growing “leaps and bounds,” according to Battle.
The center’s rapid growth was apparent since her introduction to basketball. A 13-yearold Alexander arrived at the Barrie School in Ontario, Canada, halfway through the school year with no basketball experience before tryouts for the seventh and eighth-grade teams.
Classmate and now-close friend Nicole Murphy had previously been the tallest girl at the school. Bonding over their height, Murphy recommended Alexander come to basketball tryouts.
“She was like, ‘I’ve never played basketball before,’” Murphy said. “She was so shy.”
After providing Alexander with the necessary gear and a ride, Murphy convinced her to come. Part of the tryout was doing fullcourt layups. Murphy remembers Alexander hitting the ball off the backboard so hard it would fly back to the other end of the court.
“She just didn’t have any of that finesse she does now,” Murphy said.
The poor layup form didn’t deter the coaches. Alexander and Murphy were the lone seventh graders selected to the team. From there, Alexander’s rise was meteoric.
Murphy left Barrie in eighth grade, but Alexander stayed behind. In the county round of the playoffs, the final stage a school can reach, Murphy faced Alexander. A year after she started playing basketball, Alexander dominated Murphy.
“That was the first moment where I was like, ‘She’s really into this, she’s taking it seriously,’” Murphy said.
Later, as the college recruitment process began, Alexander and Murphy went to the United States to play in front of college coaches. Murphy notes the sessions were intense, as the coaches wanted to see if prospective players were good enough to play in college. Murphy admits she wasn’t up to it. But Alexander was.
“It’s been a steady kind of characteristic of her throughout her entire career, whether it’s college, or that basketball when we were younger, even at the Olympics and where she is now (playing professionally in Spain),” Murphy said. “I think she’s just always worked so much harder than everybody else.”
Alexander’s work ethic propelled her to Syracuse, where she shined. A favorite moment was reaching the NCAA Tournament her senior year in 2013, SU’s first time since 2008. And she vividly remembers being drafted into the WNBA.
The 2013 WNBA Draft was on a Monday, and instead of watching or attending it, Alexander was in her weekly Bible study on SU’s campus. When the Silver Stars selected Alexander, the first call she received was from her teammate and roommate, Phylesha Bullard.
Then Battle and her parents contacted her. Bullard played the draft’s broadcast
over the phone to Alexander’s parents so they could keep up because they couldn’t watch in Canada.
As a person, Bullard attests to Alexander’s selflessness. When Bullard struggled to adjust to college and limited playing time, Alexander “looked out” for her, constantly checking in to see how she was doing on a personal level.
Alexander also offered to work out with Bullard. At 5 a.m., they would run outside in the hilly neighborhoods surrounding SU’s campus or sprint around the indoor track.
“She would make it look easy,” Bullard said. “I always ask her, ‘Let me drink the same water as you.’”
Bullard also laughs about Alexander’s “goofy” and “clumsy” nature off the court. She remembers during a road trip, Alexander hit her head against an exit sign at a hotel.
“We were walking in the hallway, and then all of a sudden, you just hear this thump,” Bullard recalls. “And then I see Kayla holding her head. And I’m like, ‘How did you not see the exit sign? You’re as tall as a tree.’”
But as soon as Alexander hit the court, Bullard said she was much more “graceful.” When Syracuse was in a close game, Alexander took the shots, and Bullard would feel “100% confident” she would convert the plays.
Everyone else at Syracuse shared the same confidence. Alexander’s programaltering impact was apparent during her time at SU, and it will be fully recognized with her jersey retirement.
“You wish that you could hang her jersey (in the rafters) the day after she stopped playing at Syracuse. You know, get it up there,” Read said. njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal
By Daily Orange Sports Staff
Syracuse’s start to its second season under Adrian Autry has been tough sledding. SU eked by three nonconference, mid-major opponents in its first homestand. A trip to Brooklyn soon followed and the Orange dropped both games at the Legends Classic, falling to Texas and Texas Tech.
A bounce-back victory over Cornell got Syracuse back on track, but Tuesday provided multiple setbacks. First, it lost its leading scorer. Early in the afternoon, it was reported J.J. Starling had broken his left hand, sidelining him indefinitely. Hours later in Knoxville, SU was flattened by one of the best teams in the country in No. 3 Tennessee.
While freshman Elijah Moore scored a career-high 24 points to pick up some slack from the loss of Starling, the Volunteers were far too much to handle. Tennessee led by 10 at halftime and pulled further away in the second half to win by 26, handing Syracuse its third loss of the year.
Still without Starling, SU begins its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Saturday when it takes on Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have beaten up lower-tier teams but struggled against top opponents, losing their last five games.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (4-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare in its conference opener against Notre Dame (4-5, 0-0 ACC): sports@dailyorange.com @DOSports
After Tuesday’s dreadful showing, Syracuse hasn’t shown me any reason why I should pick it to win Saturday. Against arguably the best team in the country without their leading scorer, J.J. Starling, the Orange showed no fight. Elijah Moore was the lone bright spot with a career-high 24 points, but the rest of SU’s guards failed to show up, combining to score nine points.
To win games in college, you need good guard play, and Syracuse just doesn’t have enough of that right now. Jaquan Carlos was brought in to stabilize the offense as a pure point guard, but the Orange’s scoring has been too inconsistent this season. Guys like Lucas Taylor and Kyle Cuffe Jr. are simply not good enough to help win games in the ACC.
Yes, Notre Dame has lost five straight games, but four of those teams are ranked inside KenPom’s top 75. Braeden Shrewsberry is a dangerous scoring threat at 15.2 points per game, and I think the Orange will have a tough time containing him. I think this game will come down to the wire, but SU’s lack of a go-to guy in the clutch, specifically at guard, will lead it to falter down the stretch.
Every time I think of Notre Dame, my mind moves to the 1993 hit “Rudy.” Rudy Ruettiger’s journey from being an underdog to a hero for the Fighting Irish is one SU’s men’s basketball team can pull inspiration from. Syracuse is down its star player and could use some positivity following a 26-point loss.
Unlike the movie, however, I don’t see anyone being carried off on their teammates’ shoulders. If Starling was playing, I’d be inclined to take the Orange. Burton’s absence diminishes the Fighting Irish’s offense largely. Still, SU has given me no reason to believe it can stifle any offense in the country right now.
As Zak pointed out, Moore has been exceptional recently. Adrian Autry has used him off the bench, but he might push his way into the starting lineup Saturday. Still, Syracuse can’t rely on 20-plus point games from the freshman to emerge victorious. The Orange need Chris Bell to have a standout day shooting from 3 and Donnie Freeman to use his length.
I foresee SU putting up some points due to ND’s defense not being the strongest unit, allowing 71.2 points per game. But in the end, Syracuse’s defense will again fall flat and allow Shrewsberry to get going from beyond the arc to lead the Fighting Irish to victory.
While both teams will be without its star guards in Starling and Burton, Syracuse’s matchup against Notre Dame should be a fun start to conference play. However, it’ll be more fun for the Fighting Irish when they secure a doubledigit win.
SU has shown no signs of life seven games into the season besides two close losses to Texas and Texas Tech at the Legends Classic — a telling sign of where the program is, considering that’s a positive. Autry said, “This isn’t Syracuse basketball,” following its loss to Tennessee. But what is Syracuse basketball at this point?
The Orange have no identity, and I don’t see them magically figuring anything out in their second game without Starling. Moore has been great, as my fellow scribes said above, but is it realistic for him to put up another 20-point performance on absurd efficiency?
Even if he does, who else will step up and be the Robin to his Batman? Freeman has had expected freshman-year struggles. Eddie Lampkin Jr. is banged up. Carlos isn’t sparking much offense. Meanwhile, the Orange are coming off their worst defensive effort of the season. I don’t see the trip to South Bend going well, as SU will suffer a second straight double-digit loss.
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reminisce
By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor
yracuse’s longest-ever road trip began with a 4 a.m. wake-up, as it set out for a nearly 11,000-mile ride. The Orange flew to Chicago before boarding a Japan Airlines 747, making a pitstop in Anchorage, Alaska, and then reaching Tokyo, Japan.
“You see things on TV, but to be there, to get a chance to talk to people over there. It was an experience of a lifetime,” offensive lineman Turnell Sims said.
On Dec. 3, 1989, Syracuse’s centennial football team faced Louisville in the Coca-Cola Bowl. Hosted in the world-renowned Tokyo Dome, the Orange and Cardinals met in the 1989 regular-season finale with a trip to the Peach Bowl on the line. SU’s 24-13 win was anchored by third-string quarterback Wendal Lowrey, wide receiver Rob Carpenter and a standout defensive performance.
Thirty-five years later, however, members of Syracuse’s squad reminisce far beyond what occurred on the Tokyo Dome turf. What ensued was a week full of cultural revelations and outlandish stories that have lasted decades later.
“I tried to look at it and just enjoy the best of both worlds on that trip. I will forever tell everybody that it was one of the best six days of my life,” Carpenter said.
Originally sponsored by Japanese motor company Mitsubishi, NCAA teams started traveling to Japan for a regular-season contest in 1977. Coca-Cola took over sponsorship in 1986, and the Tokyo Dome opened in 1988, hosting Barry Sanders and then-No. 12 Oklahoma State. A year later, it was SU’s turn.
While most NCAA trips include only travel squads, the Orange made an exception. Due to the needed week of preparation in the country and unique experience, head coach Dick MacPherson decided to bring the entire roster. He told the team his plan early in the season.
“When he announced it, I’m like, ‘Ah, I guess I’m not going, that’s the travel team,’” EJ Dowdell, a redshirt freshman at the time, said. “And then it was like, ‘Well no, everybody’s going.’ That’s when everybody went crazy.”
The Orange’s equipment crew made an inch-thick manifest of all necessary items, which equipment manager Kyle Fetterly said went down to extra shoelaces. The crew began packing a month in advance and drove a tractor-trailer full of equipment to Chicago before the flight.
SU’s flight to Tokyo was unprecedented. Multiple underclassmen had never even been on a flight. Wide receiver Qadry Ismail estimates 90% of the roster had never left the country.
The process of securing birth certificates to acquire passports was rigorous. Defensive lineman George Rooks said the coaching staff and administration met with the team months in advance to sort paperwork, take passport pictures and collect medical information.
At O’Hare International Airport, Syracuse joined the Cardinals, their cheerleading and dance teams and the Grambling State marching band. All parties then piled into a double-decker plane headed west toward Tokyo.
Players took different approaches to managing the flight, which some remember as 16 hours while others saw closer to 20. Linebacker Dan Bucey, who recorded the game-sealing interception, recalls the coaching staff advising players to stay on their normal schedules
and sleep on the latter portion of the ride. Against their judgment, Bucey and his crew stayed out all night, expecting to be tired once they got the plane. He struggled to sleep.
Carpenter remembers sleeping the first five hours, settling in before a lengthy backend of the trip. Meanwhile, Bucey said Louisville players enjoyed their time a little more.
“They were ordering alcohol and partying in the back of that plane, carrying on something unbelievable,” Bucey said of the Cardinals. “The stewardess was walking by with the mini bottles to the back of that plane constantly.”
As the flight continued, players from both squads convened to play card games. To refuel midway through the flight, they stopped in Anchorage. Alaska’s largest city was just a pitstop, but Bucey recalls seeing famous musician Barry Manilow donning his signature fulllength fur coat in the airport. The short experience didn’t offer much else, though.
“I remember looking out the window of the airport, how brisk and how cold it looked. It was just nothing but heavy snow,” Sims said. “Anchorage is not a place I want to visit again.”
The traveling party eventually departed Alaska and arrived in Tokyo. Fetterly said the equipment team spent nearly six hours in customs. He remembers the airport personnel matching every item to the manifest, creating an exhausting experience.
Checking through equipment wasn’t Syracuse’s only challenge at customs. Assistant coach Bob Casullo said SU starting quarterback Bill Scharr lost his passport on the way to Tokyo and wasn’t allowed into the country.
Scharr was sent to the United States Embassy, where quarterbacks coach Bill Maxwell checked on him often. Fetterly remembers Scharr staying at the Embassy for the first few nights before the situation was solved and he returned to the rest of the team.
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By Justin Girshon asst. sports editor
When asked how Kyle McCord’s comfort level with Syracuse’s coaching staff helped him thrive in his first season with the Orange, Fran Brown responded without hesitation.
“Comfort? He around me, he knows I got his back. He ain’t got to worry about nothing with me,” Brown said with a smile.
That unwavering support starkly differed from when Ohio State kicked McCord to the curb a year earlier following a loss to Michigan, leading him to enter the transfer portal. While recruiting McCord, Brown and
SU quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile emphasized he was among the best signal callers in the country — which hasn’t wavered.
“I think that we knew a lot more than a lot of other people how talented he was,” Campanile said.
“And he’s gotten that faith from us, from the second he got here, because we knew when we took him that he was going to be one of the best quarterbacks in America. And he’s lived up to that every day.”
With full trust behind him, McCord led Division I in passing yards (4,326) while rewriting the Orange’s single-season passing records in 2024. The quarterback led Syracuse to nine regular-season
wins, tied for its most in a regular season this century. McCord’s success coincides with Syracuse sparking a turnaround in Brown’s first season at the helm following eight years of mediocrity under Dino Babers.
“Knowing that your head coach has your back through it all just allows you to go out and play confident, play free, just have fun,” McCord said.
McCord’s relationships with Brown, Campanile and offensive coordinator, Jeff Nixon, were integral to his decision to transfer to SU. Brown and Campanile have each known McCord since his middle school days. Meanwhile, McCord has known Nixon since early in his
childhood because they both lived in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
While McCord tested the portal’s waters, his decision came down to Syracuse and Nebraska. Ultimately, McCord’s faith in SU’s coaching staff won him over, even with the Cornhuskers’ NIL offer more than doubling the Orange’s.
“Syracuse was the top choice, just because of the relationships and the talent that coach Fran brought in to surround Kyle,” McCord’s father, Derek, told The Daily Orange in August.
Eleven months later, McCord said transferring to SU was the best decision of his life after becoming its single-season passing record
holder following a career-high 470 yards in a win over UConn. A week later, the euphoric feeling was further enhanced.
Minutes before SU’s primetime game against then-No. 8 Miami started, Ohio State fell to Michigan for the fourth straight year. The Buckeyes couldn’t blame McCord this time. Over the next few hours, the signal caller proved he was never their problem.
Following the game, McCord went viral for dancing and rapping to “In & Out” by Lud Foe. McCord and other players in SU’s locker room passionately sang the lyrics, “You diss on my name, you get smoked on the same day.”
see mccord page 14