Dec. 2, 2021

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N • Abortion rights

Members of the Syracuse community joined SU students and organizations such as SWSSU to rally against a Mississippi abortion law on Wednesday.

Page 3

dailyorange.com

C • Boss Bree designs

With her company BreeDesignz, Brianna Gillfillian is bringing her love of design and her Jamaican heritage to spread positivity and cultural awareness on SU’s campus.

Page 9

S • Keys to success

Syracuse finished 5-7 this year, a four-win improvement from 2020. The Daily Orange beat writers discuss if this season was a success or a failure.

Page 16

Leadership in question

JEFFREY HOONE (LEFT) retired after 41 years at Light Work. Lisa Jong-Soon Goodlin, then-president of the board of directors, voted to remove Hoone from his position last year. The motion did not pass. photo illustration by lucy messineo-witt photo editor

By Lilli Iannella and Sydney Bergan

Several former Light Work staff and board members reveal flaws in Light Work’s culture under Jeffrey Hoone’s leadership Former Light Work members claimed Jeffrey Hoone awarded himself large bonuses.

Hoone said the board approved the bonuses.

the daily orange

J

effrey Hoone, the now-former executive director of the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at Syracuse University, asked that Astria Suparak resign from her job as gallery director at The Warehouse Gallery at SU in March 2007. That following September Suparak received confirmation that she was being laid off. Suparak, however, was never given an explanation as to why, she told The Daily Orange.

“There were no complaints, no warnings, no detailing of wrongdoing, nothing about my performance being lacking and no

By Lilli Iannella and Sydney Bergan the daily orange

A

fter two years at Light Work as the digital services and lab manager, Walker Blackwell decided he was done working with Jeffrey Hoone, executive director of the nonprofit photography organization. “(I) didn’t want to work with or deal with Jeff.

Plain and simple,” he said in a written statement to The Daily Orange.

After 41 years at Light Work, Jeffrey Hoone retired from his role as the executive director in July, said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications at Syracuse University. He also retired from his

performance review,” Suparak said in the statement to The D.O. Before her unexpected layoff, Suparak said Hoone “commented about my size and clothing in a way that was dismissive and derisive. At a public event he said, in reference to my body, something like, ‘You are a delicate little flower.’”

Suparak said Hoone told her that she needed to hire a man for assistant director of the gallery, which she said she understood as him implying that, as a small woman, she needed a larger man to work beside her. She also said that she wasn’t surprised by the allegations against Hoone.

Fourteen years after she was laid off at The Warehouse Gallery — which has since been shut see workplace page 4

role as the executive director of the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at the university, which he helped form in 2004.

Hoone’s retirement comes a month after an Artnet article featured claims that Hoone awarded himself substantial bonuses and that SU investigated Light Work’s workplace culture.

Hoone said he retired due to the impact of working remotely during COVID-19 and the “distractions” caused by the allegations against him.

Scalese confirmed to The D.O. that Hoone received an estimate of $300,000 in bonuses over his 41 years at the organization. Light Work’s board of directors approved Hoone’s annual bonuses. see finance page 5

2 dec. 2, 2021

about

INSIDE

The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.

NEWS t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k Editor@dailyorange.com News@dailyorange.com Opinion@dailyorange.com Culture@dailyorange.com Sports@dailyorange.com Digital@dailyorange.com Design@dailyorange.com ADVERTISING 315-443-9794 BUSINESS 315-443-2315 EDITORIAL 315-443-9798 GENERAL FAX 315-443-3689

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“Sexism, racism and ableism in the arts and university community bled into the space.” - Rachel Fein-Smolinski, Light Work’s former digital services coordinator Page 3

OPINION “(The Columbus statue) is a way to remember those who sacrificed everything to come to this country.” - Augustus LeRoux, columnist Page 5

CULTURE “I hope that SU students look forward to the designs Bree Designz have in store and have other people be inspired by her.” - Aminata Sylla, SU sophomore Page 7

SPORTS “(SU football’s) growth will have to continue — significantly — if Syracuse wants to avoid underachieving once more.” - Roshan Fernandez, columnist Page 12

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COMING UP

corrections policy

Noteworthy events this week.

The D.O. strives to be as accurate in our reporting as possible. Please email editor@dailyorange.com to report a correction.

WHAT: Sankofa Imperatives WHEN: Thursday, 4-5:15 p.m.

WHERE: Virtual

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WHAT: “Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired” The D.O. is published weekdays during the Syracuse University academic year by The Daily Orange Corp., 230 Euclid Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210. All contents Copyright 2021 by The Daily Orange Corp. and may not be reprinted without the expressed written permission of the editor-in-chief. The Daily Orange is in no way a subsidy or associated with Syracuse University. All contents © 2021 The Daily Orange Corporation

WHEN: Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Life Sciences Complex 001 WHAT: The Onyx | An Evening of Music and Style WHEN: Friday, 8-10 p.m.

WHERE: Schine Underground

New York Public Interest Research Group NYPIRG Announces

REFUNDS

Students on this campus voted to support a NYPIRG chapter. Like other clubs and organizations on campus, NYPIRG is funded through the mandatory student activity fee. Unlike any other club or organization, NYPIRG offers a refund of the portion of the student activity fee earmarked for NYPIRG in case any student does not wish to contribute.

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) is New York State's largest student-directed non-partisan research and advocacy organization. Students involved with NYPIRG’s 16 college campus chapters across New York State become educated and energized participants on campus and in their surrounding communities.

NYPIRG students learn event planning, problem solving, debate skills, research, and writing by organizing and engaging in meaningful issue based campaigns. NYPIRG provides an arena for students to actively engage in civics while learning how to make a difference.

To request a refund or for further information please contact: Ethan Gormley Syracuse University/ESF NYPIRG Chapter 732 South Crouse Avenue, Floor 2 (315) 476-8381, egormley@nypirg.org

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NEWS

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PAG E 3

dec. 2, 2021

stand with survivors su

city

About 60 people rally to defend Roe v. Wade ‘The Lovely Bones’ author apologizes

By Kyle Chouinard asst. news editor

Editor’s Note: This story contains mentions of rape.

Stand With Survivors SU joined Syracuse’s local branches of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Party for Socialism and Liberation to advocate for the Supreme Court to shoot down Mississippi’s restrictive abortion law. karoline leonard asst. news editor

By Karoline Leonard asst. news editor

Outside of Hendricks Chapel, about 60 people gathered to defend abortion rights on Wednesday night, the same day oral arguments for a Mississippi abortion law began before the Supreme Court.

If passed, Mississippi’s abortion law would ban abortions after 15 weeks during a woman’s second trimester. If the Supreme Court upholds this law, it would lead to the overruling of an abortion rights law protected by the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, a historic decision which established the constitutional right to abortions.

Across the country Wednesday, similar rallies took place to protest and ask the Supreme Court to shoot down the law and protect Roe v.

Wade. Shortly after the event, it was reported that conservatives in the Supreme Court are leaning toward

upholding Mississippi’s abortion law.

Stand With Survivors SU, Syracuse’s local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Syracuse branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation led chants such as, “Hey hey, ho ho, the patriarchy has got to go.” Leaders of each organization gave speeches, advocating for women’s and pregnant people’s healthcare.

“So many people have fallen victims at the hands of these abortion bans, restrictions and legislations,” said Carla Guariglia, a leader of SWSSU. “Abortion is a constitutional right, and we must stare our abusers in their eyes as we attempt to reclaim it.”

Some of the speakers specifically mentioned the intersectionality between racism, misogyny and abortion control. One spoke specifically about how Black women are four times more likely than white women to die during childbirth, saying how

free and legal abortion care could’ve saved these women specifically.

Liam Hines, a graduate student at Syracuse University and representative for Syracuse PSL, discussed the U.S.’s history of forced sterilization of marginalized women, such as Black and Indigenous women.

“Gender-based oppression has been baked into the legal and social fabric of the United States since its founding,” Hines said. “Workingclass people uniting together, organizing and demanding change is how we will win this struggle and is ultimately the only path towards ending the oppression for all kind.”

Students at the event asked the Supreme Court to see the detriments they believed the new Mississippi abortion law puts on women and pregnant people. One speaker said women and pregnant people are often treated like criminals for asking for control over their bodies.

“No one is immoral for doing what they want with their own bodies,” the speaker said. “The demonization of people who get abortions seeks to eliminate women and other pregnant people’s bodily autonomy.”

Guariglia said the Mississippi abortion ban does not have provisions in place if a person becomes pregnant due to rape or incest.

She said she believes the U.S. and capitalism have specifically continued to enact violence and trauma on survivors, an example being this abortion ban.

“We stand here today fearless and with hope in our fellow fighters across the nation,” Guariglia said in her speech. “We stand here to urge that our representatives listen to our cries for help and demand to stand with us against this statesanctioned violence.” kaleonar@syr.edu @karolineleo_

on campus

Students of color say DEIA plan is inadequate

By Danis Cammett staff writer

Syracuse University’s Student Association discussed the university’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility plan during a meeting with students at 119 Euclid Ave. on Wednesday night.

The meeting was open to all students, and around 30 attended.

SU dedicated the building at 119 Euclid Ave. as a safe space for Black students, and the center opened earlier this semester. Students were encouraged by SA leadership to voice their opinions, frustrations and concerns about the drafted DEIA plan and what it is like to be a minority student at SU. Many students in the meeting expressed their frustration with the DEIA plan, saying that the university made a series of statements with no clear methods on how SU will improve diversity and equality.

One student said they believe the DEIA plan feels very performative and the university is trying to look good while not having any

substance in the plan.

Another student said the university often uses students of color in promotional material for prospective students, and the student criticized their intentions behind this action. The student brought up the low percentage of Black undergraduate students at the university, which is only 6.8%, according to SU’s fall 2021 census. “(It feels as if the university) parades Black students as a way to show prospective students that Syracuse is diverse,” the student said.

Students were also frustrated with the plan citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. coming to the university to speak as a highlight of SU’s diverse history while racism and inequality still occurs at the school today.

Students said they were also disappointed with the SU’s new first-year seminar course and how it addresses issues of race and student protests.

Many students at the meeting said they believe FYS 101 does not do a good enough job encourag-

ing discussion to happen about uncomfortable topics such as anti-Black racism. Students also said they were dissatisfied with the way the university presented the #NotAgainSU movement in the class and felt the university “white-washed” the protests and did not tell the whole truth.

“It’s a missed opportunity, because you are never going to have a space where you have different students from different majors all in one spot,” said Olivia Stepter, a freshman SU student. “It’s a response to #NotagainSU. Because of that, I feel like it’s really hollow and the university is trying to meet certain benchmarks without actually teaching students.”

Some proposals brought up during the meeting included encouraging or requiring students to take more courses about underrepresented groups, such as African American studies, women’s and gender studies or Native American and Indigenous studies. Students also expressed support for a permanent test-optional policy for

standardized testing to increase the diversity of SU. “I need methods of how they are going to approach these statements. (They say) ‘we are gonna do this,’ but there is no specific method of how they are going to approach these things,” said Linda Baguma, a member of SA. “I have hope that change will happen. I have hope that our voices are going to be heard. If not, we are going to keep fighting.”

SA member Adia Santos said she believes the freshman experience for Black students is underwhelming and disappointing. She added that, once she arrived at SU, she realized the university was less diverse than she believed it to be beforehand.

“It really makes you feel like you were thrown into a world you didn’t expect to be thrown into,” said Santos, who is a junior. “When I came here, I was promised a Black mecca … it’s hard to keep watching (bias incidents) happen within the first month of freshman year.” dwcammet@syr.edu

Alice Sebold, a Syracuse University graduate and author of “The Lovely Bones,” apologized to the man now exonerated for her rape on Tuesday.

In a post on medium.com, Sebold said that she was “truly sorry” to Anthony Broadwater, who served over 16 years in prison after being convicted of raping Sebold.

Despite the charge, Broadwater has maintained his innocence and was exonerated last week.

Sebold’s book “The Lovely Bones” detailed Sebold’s 1981 rape in Thornden Park while she was a freshman at SU. Broadwater spent 16 years in prison for the crime after being convicted in 1982. He was denied parole at least five times, according to CNN, and had remained on New York state’s public sex offender registry since his release in 1998.

“My goal in 1982 was justice — not to perpetuate injustice,” Sebold wrote. “And certainly not to forever, and irreparably, alter a young man’s life by the very crime that had altered mine.”

Broadwater’s conviction was based on evidence from Sebold’s recognition of Broadwater and analysis of hair found at the scene, according to The New York Times.

The hair analysis is now largely regarded to be a flawed and inaccurate forensic tool.

In the blog post, Sebold said that she was most sorry for the potential life that was taken from Broadwater.

Sebold wrote that no apology could change what happened to him.

She continued, saying she will continue to struggle with her action in a system that sent Broadwater to jail for a crime he did not commit.

“I will also grapple with the fact that my rapist will, in all likelihood, never be known, may have gone on to rape other women, and certainly will never serve the time in prison that Mr. Broadwater did,” she added.

The publisher of “The Lovely Bones,” Scribner, and its parent company Simon & Schuster, will stop publication of the book until proper revisions can be made, Ben Belfiglio, Scribner’s vice president of publicity and marketing, told CNN on Tuesday.

In Sebold’s blog post, she said that Broadwater was a victim of racial prejudice.

“I am grateful that Mr. Broadwater has finally been vindicated, but the fact remains that 40 years ago, he became another young Black man brutalized by our flawed legal system,” Sebold said. kschouin@syr.edu @Kyle_Chouinard

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

4 dec. 2, 2021

from page 1

workplace down — Suparak said she still believes that her layoff was unfair. She added that Hoone asked her to remove the word “feminist” from an exhibition that was originally supposed to be titled “AW, COME ON: Desire Under the Feminist Gaze.” When she elaborated that the artists featured were a part of the third-wave feminism movement, she said he voiced doubt that third-wave feminism existed. The exhibit title was eventually changed to “COME ON: Desire Under the Female Gaze.”

Hoone said in a statement to The D.O. that while he might have asked Suparak to explain language and concepts, he did not change the words of the exhibit or “interfere with her final artistic choices.”

Suparak said that she saw strong results that her work was going well from the campus communities, from Syracuse and from the art world nationally. She added that there were frequent requests from international art institutions — such as Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K. and Carnegie Mellon University — to bring The Warehouse Gallery’s exhibits to their locations, which made her layoff “even more baffling.”

Suparak first shared her claims in a Blogger channel dedicated to providing information on her “controversial dismissal.”

Suparak wrote a post on the discussion board on Dec. 6, 2007, in which she details the lack of reasoning behind her layoff.

“My personnel file indicated no reason for my layoff and contained no performance review, no complaints and no warning,” she wrote in her 2007 Blogger post. “This indicates a lack of performance and personnelrelated issues, and an avoidance of proper Human Resources procedures, highly contrasting the explanation widely distributed

by SU administration, including Chancellor Nancy Cantor, that my dismissal was based on ‘confidential personnel issues.’”

Suparak recalled her experiences with Hoone from over 10 years ago in a written statement to The D.O. In addition to Suparak, former artists-in-residence, employees and board members such as former Light Work board member Neelika Jayawardane have spoken out to criticize Hoone given their experiences working under the former Light Work executive director. “(Organizations) will protect their allies, and those who are in some way lucrative for the organisation and for each other’s positions,” Jayawardane said in an email statement to The D.O. “I believe this is what happened at Light Work, and with the administrators who chose to do nothing ... until it was impossible for them to (do nothing).”

Hoone retired from his position in August after a year of remote work during the pandemic and dealing with the “distractions” caused by allegations at Light Work, he said in a statement to The D.O. “I decided to retire in August with full university retirement benefits and a generous severance after 41 years of service,” Hoone said in his statement. “Despite all of these distractions, Light Work remains one of the most well-respected organizations in the country for its support of emerging artists and its ability to support these programs with integrity and success.”

Walker Blackwell, who worked at Light Work from 2013 to 2015, said he left the organization because of Hoone and the “nonfunctional space” that Light Work was.

Blackwell said that Hoone had sworn at him and other staff members during multiple meetings. He said that although Hoone’s behavior may be acceptable in some workplaces, for Light Work’s environment it was inappropriate and unfitting.

“I never swore AT staff members,” Hoone said in a written statement to The D.O. “I am an adult and sometimes used adult language as a point of emphasis or as an expression of disbelief or frustration.”

In his statement, Hoone said that Light Work is not an unstable workplace. He claimed that much of the information about his leadership has come from former board members Lisa Jong-Soon Goodlin and Jayawardane.

Complaints from Jayawardane and JongSoon Goodlin, as well as Jong-Soon Goodlin’s call for Hoone’s removal, led to investigations by the SU Human Resources department that concluded in December 2020, Hoone said in his statement. Hoone said the investigations found that “no punitive actions were necessary to be taken against (him).” The university did find, though, there needed to be more oversight at the board level, Hoone said.

Sarah Scalese, the senior associate vice president for university communications at SU, said the university cannot comment on the investigation of Light Work’s work environment or specific personnel meetings.

Rachel Fein-Smolinski, Light Work’s digital services coordinator from May 2017 to July 2019, said that Hoone became agitated at employees after they had made suggestions in a staff meeting for a workspace remodel that she said would increase accessibility. FeinSmolinski said Hoone affirmed that Light Work was fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, so the suggestions were not implemented.

I never swore AT staff members. I am an adult and sometimes used adult language as a point of emphasis or as an expression.

Jeffrey Hoone

former executive director of light work

“There was a managerial emphasis on institutional appearances over maintaining a safe labor environment,” Fein-Smolinski said.

“Sexism, racism and ableism in the arts and university community bled into the space.”

In a statement to The D.O., Hoone refuted these claims and said that the lab had gone through several renovations, and because Light Work is a university building, renovations — as well as ADA compliance — are decided by the Office of Campus Planning, Design, and Construction. He added that Light Work was working on lighting upgrades and more flexible workspaces which were unfinished when FeinSmolinski left the organization in 2019.

Laura Heyman, the program director for the department of transmedia in SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, said that while she’s aware of conflict between Hoone and some staff members, she has seen great growth at Light Work under his leadership.

“I would describe him as someone who has dedicated most of his professional life to supporting artists by providing them with the resources, space and time necessary to make their best work and providing a range of venues through which to share that work,” Heyman said.

Suparak, however, said that Hoone would get “intensely angry,” which would make him red in the face and shake with rage. This was intimidating and made her scared of him, she said.

Blackwell said that Hoone’s anger pushed some board and staff members to leave the organization. “(Some of those) who came in got out as quickly as they could after sensing something wasn’t right or coming into contact with him and pushing or requesting some information to be able to fulfill their job, and then hitting his refusal and swearing and rage,” Blackwell said.

Hoone said he sees himself as a “tough, but fair, boss” who held staff members to a high standard and quality of work. Vernon Burnett, Mike Greenlar and Glen Lewis — all current Light Work board members — did not reply when asked for comment on Light Work’s current status and management of Light Work under Hoone.

Jong-Soon Goodlin joined Light Work in 1999 as a copy editor for Contact Sheet magazine, which displays the latest work

of emerging and mid-career artists from around the world, according to its website.

It wasn’t until she had a conversation with Hoone in September 2019 about financial discrepancies that he became angry and yelled at her. Although Jong-Soon Goodlin had heard rumors of Hoone’s anger from other staff members and was aware of previous staff members feeling that they had been pushed out of the organization, this was the first time she had experienced this behavior first hand, according to her Twitter thread about the incident.

“I was shocked, and I was scared,” JongSoon Goodlin said. “I don’t think most men understand how frightening it is to be a woman being screamed at by a man. I had to walk out of the meeting.”

Jayawardane said that she believed Light Work’s leadership was not doing enough to address what she saw as structural racism within the organization.

She said that imperative conversations were not happening between leadership and members at Light Work. These conversations were regarding decisions that included funding, selection of artistsin-residence and choosing which artists receive platforms for exhibiting and speaking about their work.

She said that many people who were comfortable with an organization’s structure would not accept change because “that would most likely not be beneficial for them.”

As a woman of color, Jayawardane said that engaging in conversations regarding racism and other structural inequalities at Light Work was psychologically and intellectually taxing for her.

“Within my short time as a board member, I was forced to have several eye-watering conversations about these issues, where I was the minoritised woman, doing the ... labour of attempting to educate resisting, but well-meaning (white) interlocutors,” she said in her statement.

Hoone said that Light Work has been recognized by national foundations such as the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts “for its commitment and leadership in the diversity of its artists programs.”

Jayawardane was a part of a three-part webinar called “Photography, Power, and the Ethics of Representation” in September and October 2020. In the introduction for the panel’s webpage, she called out institutions that have a history of exclusionary and discriminatory practices. In a statement to The D.O., she said that the institution that she was referring to was Light Work.

In 2019, Light Work asked Jayawardane to introduce an Italian artist’s project that focused on the history of the Underground Railroad in upstate New York. She refused to introduce the project because she said it “was not only reproducing racist iconography but was also working in the tradition of white photographers examining their ignorance and unconscious racism through looking at and photographing Black people.”

She said that Light Work, as an organization, should do more to question artists and projects before they choose which artists to include.

Jayawardane said that over the course of 2019 and early 2020 she attempted to invite Light Work’s leadership to educate themselves through speakers who were Black, Indigenous or people of color about why certain projects deeply overlap with historical racism. She wanted them to understand why supporting those projects, as an institution, normalizes structural inequality.

Jayawardane described a “resistance” to identifying and correcting institutional issues and said her attempts to speak out were avoided.

“No matter how well I articulated and enumerated these concerns, there was polite pushback, avoidance, ceremonial support, and little in the way of practically supportive responses towards organising productive — and much needed — dialogues,” Jayawardane said. “It showed me that the ‘work’ that the organisation and its leadership needed to do — about which I was working exceed-

ingly hard to bring to attention to — did not seem to be a priority.”

Jayawardane also said that in response to her proposals to mitigate structural racism, Light Work leadership told her how complicated fundraising would be and that “staff are already stretched thin” while they did not have the “bandwidth” for such a venture at the time.

“During one informal conversation, I was told that I ‘like to make (the directors and staff) do more work,’” she said.

Jayawardane said that on two separate occasions, Hoone and Shane Lavalette, Light Work’s director at the time, told her that asking the organizational leadership to consider the problematic structures that rewarded white, male artists when they produced work in a colonial and racist tradition was tantamount to “dangerous censorship.” She said she was put in a position of having to explain how this wasn’t true.

In response to Jayawardane’s concerns about structural racism at Light Work, Hoone said in a statement to The D.O. that Light Work leadership supported a public panel discussion in October 2019 that Jayawardane organized to address concerns related to the exhibit but not about Light Work programs in general. Lavalette did not respond to The D.O.’s request for comment.

“I was embarrassed that the institution’s leadership had not even publicly addressed the concerns I’d clearly identified or invited the audience to address their concerns – not that those who are minoritised should ever be put in that position – to explain racism,” Jayawardane said.

Complicated past

Jayawardane said that although her view has since changed given her experiences with the organization, she originally came to know Light Work as “a generous and generative space for artists, critical thinkers and scholars” with the capacity to progress.

“Light Work is fully capable of continuing this wonderful work — better, without being a corrupt organisation or being one that ignores its racist practices,” she said.

Fein-Smolinski said she hopes that Light Work’s future consists of a greater focus on worker’s rights, the review panel for the artistin-residence program, hiring committees and the diversification of the board.

“I hope the support for workers is not just oversight from the university, but organized labor representation,” Fein-Smolinski said.

“Current employees who I was fortunate to work with give me hope that the institution is changing as long as their experiences and needs are listened to.”

Deborah Willis, who was an artist-in-residence in 1990, said in a statement to The D.O. that the organization allowed her to explore her own work, an opportunity that she said is often ignored by other curators. She expressed how allegations against Hoone took attention away from Light Work’s purpose and vision.

“I was disappointed to read the statements made about him,” Willis said, “and it also reframes a history that focused on supporting photographers and ideas about community building that I never experienced.”

Fazal Sheikh, who was an artist-in-residence at Light Work in 1993, said the assertions made against Hoone and Light Work counter his understanding of the organization as a “harmonious atmosphere.” He said that “the level of embrace of the community, sense of camaraderie and serious engagement with the medium of photography that has been honed and perfected over the years

by Hoone and his staff” is significant. He hopes that the opportunities at Light Work continue to grow as they foster conversation and support for artists.

“During these times of extreme and volatile division, and of recrimination, the memory of my encounters with the institution remind me that it was a space of sanctuary, as well as promise,” Sheikh said. “I do hope that the public complexity will be suitably resolved and that this exceptional resource may continue to expand, building upon its marked strengths in years to come.” news@dailyorange.com

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finance Former Light Work board member Lisa JongSoon Goodlin said she regrets trusting Hoone and not fulfilling her job as a board member by not questioning his actions.

“He has continued to deny that he did anything wrong or unethical. He has also repeatedly says that the board signed off on all details of the budgets,” Jong-Soon Goodlin said in a Twitter thread in July. “While technically true, it is also true that the board had a long and trusting relationship with him over many years and did not have a history of managing any aspect of his leadership.”

On Nov. 18, 2020, the board held two votes, one to remove Hoone from his position of executive director and another to have JongSoon Goodlin resign from the board, according to Light Work’s board meeting minutes. The motion to remove Hoone, proposed by JongSoon Goodlin, did not pass — Jong-Soon Goodlin voted to remove him, and three other board members, Vernon Burnett, Mike Greenlar and Glen Lewis, voted to keep him in his role.

Burnett then proposed a motion to remove Jong-Soon Goodlin from her role after she refused to resign, which the meeting minutes say passed. Three people, Jong-Soon Goodlin, Burnett and Greenlar, voted to remove Jong-Soon Goodlin from the board, according to the minutes. Lewis abstained from voting, the minutes read.

Jong-Soon Goodlin, however, said that she did not vote herself off of the board. She said that she abstained, Burnett and Greenlar voted yes, and Lewis voted no. Former Light Work board of directors member Neelika Jayawardane also said that this was an error in the board’s minutes.

“Obviously, I did not vote myself off the board,” Jong-Soon Goodlin said. “I was shocked that the issue was even brought up for a vote.”

She added that she has reached out to Dan Boardman, the current director of Light Work, asking him to correct the minutes. Boardman did not provide comments to The D.O. Jayawardane said she resigned in August 2020 because of Hoone’s leadership and Light Work’s “unwillingness to recognise and shift everyday racist and other unethical practices.”

In regard to Light Work’s financials, she said Hoone shared with the board a summary of the budget each year without line items specifically noting the bonuses, vehicle and other perks he received.

Jong-Soon Goodlin said the bonuses and perks were included in a line in the budget labeled “contract fees.” The board signed off every year on all the budgets Hoone presented to them without questioning the “contract fees,” which were included in Light Work’s budget and IRS 990 filings, and what it contained, Jayawardane said.

Jong-Soon Goodlin said after the board recognized the amount of the bonuses it had approved, Hoone tried to persuade her and others that the bonus amounts were based on years of service. But because there were fluctuations in the amount of bonuses Hoone received, she said the amount of each bonus was “arbitrary.”

All staff members received bonuses, Hoone said.

A staff member brought to the attention of the board that Hoone was paying for items and services with Light Work funds in June 2019 that the board didn’t realize they had approved, Jong-Soon Goodlin said. The board should have done a better job at recognizing these costs, she said, but Hoone could have been more transparent as the board was “primarily made up of artists, not lawyers or accountants.”

Jayawardane said that the new understanding of what the “contract fees” entailed drew attention to how much Hoone allotted himself in bonuses, she said, and it seemed Hoone’s bonuses increased noticeably over the span of a decade.

Hoone gave a presentation to explain the budgetary decisions during a board meeting on Nov. 22, 2019, after concerns arose regarding his bonuses and the vehicle leased through Light Work. At a board meeting on June 19, 2019, the board decided that they needed more time to review Hoone’s Executive Director’s Agreement, which allotted him the Light Work vehicle and its maintenance costs. The Artnet article came out two years later in July 2021.

dec. 2, 2021

“I’d like to start by apologizing for not making the board more aware of the payments made to myself and the staff. It was a mistake on my part, and I take responsibility for that oversight,” Hoone said in his presentation on Nov. 22, 2019. “It is my hope that even with that oversight, when we have all the facts, we will conclude that what was done was fair, and we can move forward.”

In a board meeting on July 29, 2020, the board approved each staff member would be awarded a minimum of $500 per year of service and a maximum of $10,000 in bonuses. In 2019, however, there was not a $10,000 cap, Hoone said. He received $18,470 in bonuses in 2019, according to Light Work Visual Studios’ IRS 990 filings.

“In a meeting I had with board President Lisa Goodlin (in September 2019), she accused me of unethical behavior regarding the bonuses. I took great exception to that allegation and expressed a good deal of anger towards her,” Hoone said. “For all intents and purposes, that ended our professional relationship.”

Jayawardane said she wondered why the board had not asked for detailed budget sheets in which expenses were broken down and explained.

She stated that she and Jong-Soon Goodlin felt responsible as board members for not identifying and correcting these irregularities.

“In Light Work’s case, the board’s deep level of trust in Hoone’s ethical leadership — coupled with what Hoone presented as his invaluable contributions and presence — meant that it may have seemed unnecessary to ask him for detailed budgets,” Jayawardane said in her resignation letter to Light Work.

Unsustainable environment

Phil Block and Tom Bryan founded Light Work in 1972, and today the organization has two parts: Light Work Lab and Light Work Visual Studies Inc. Since its founding, Light Work Lab, formerly called Community Darkrooms, has supported SU students, faculty and staff to create independent photo projects in an established photography lab, Hoone said. A year later in 1973, the creation of the nonprofit Light Work Visual Studies Inc. allowed for financial and artistic support for the projects being created in Light Work Lab. Hoone joined Light Work in 1980, replacing Block as an assistant director. He then became the director of the organization in 1982 and the executive director of Light Work in 2005.

While SU pays all staff salaries and covers facility and overall costs for both Light Work Lab and Light Work Visual Studios, the latter — which is a 501(c)(3) organization — funds the artist-in-residence program and Contact Sheet Magazine, Scalese said. The two entities have separate budgets, and all bonuses are paid from the 501(c)(3) by the Light Work board, she said.

Blackwell, who worked at Light Work from 2013 to 2015, balanced the finances at the Light Work Lab during his time with the organization. While working with a $500,000 annual budget that included everyone’s salaries, Blackwell said he feared Hoone would interfere with the budget he had carefully curated by using money for items and services outside of Blackwell’s plan.

“The decisions that he made were fairly opaque,” Blackwell said. “So when they affected staff members negatively, people there didn’t necessarily look at them with a neutral eye in that if $10,000 was taken out of the budget that used to be for art moving expenses and then was put towards a personal car so he could get home or maybe travel to New York or something. Because nothing was spelled out and there was such bad blood between him and the staff, I think everybody was looking into it as the worst case scenario.”

Additionally, Hoone said Jong-Soon Goodlin sent written complaints and accusations to SU alleging he fostered a tense work environment and received an estimate of $300,000 in bonuses. An independent audit of the organization conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 reviewed Light Work’s financials between 2017 and 2021, Scalese said in a written statement. The audit found that the bonus payments had been disclosed every year in Light Work’s 990 financial statements.

“I was always accountable to the board and gave them full programmatic and financial reports at every board meeting,” Hoone said.

“It is more accurate to say that some members of the board got complacent with Light Work’s success and didn’t pay very close attention to the budget because Light Work was very successful at fundraising and managing its budget.”

Rachel Fein-Smolinski, Light Work’s digital services coordinator from May 2017 to July 2019, said she also had to work a part-time teaching job at SU and an artist position in addition to her full-time Light Work role. She said her job at Light Work was unsustainable not only because of the low pay, but also because of the environment.

Blackwell said despite Hoone’s dedication to developing the organization, the allegations have deeply impacted Light Work’s image.

“He’s very charming in that way and that’s his strength, and that’s always been the reason why Light Work has existed in a kind of bubble of financial security,” Blackwell said. “And it just falls apart when someone like me or someone who also has strong opinions and thoughts asks questions or pushes or has ideas.”

Call for accountability

About three months after Jayawardane and JongSoon Goodlin voiced concerns about Hoone, he requested a meeting with Jong-Soon Goodlin.

During the meeting, which took place in September 2019, Hoone threatened the existence of the organization, saying to Jong-Soon Goodlin that he could dissolve the organization if and when he wanted to, Jong-Soon Goodlin said.

“I would not term my concerns and record keeping as ‘accusations’ but as a call to responsibility and accountability,” Jayawardane said in a statement to The D.O. “Hoone used the term ‘accusations,’ indicating that any critique was a result of personal bias, not that it was a critique of structural imbalances of power, failings of management or because of unconscious biases affecting crucial decisions.”

Hoone said in a statement to The D.O. that Jong-Soon Goodlin’s statement that he threatened the existence of the organization is “false and outrageous.” He cited the four endowment funds worth over $2 million and the $400,000 in the organization’s cash reserve when he retired, saying he was responsible for this financial support.

Hoone received $41,000 in bonuses from the 501(c)(3) between the years 2017-21, Scalese said. Hoone’s bonuses amounted to a little over $50,000 between 2015-19, according to Light Work Visual Studios’ IRS 990 filings.

Hoone said in a statement that the bonus and “contract fees” he received throughout his career was just over $7,000 a year. If Hoone received a bonus of $7,000 each year for the 41 years he worked at Light Work, the total would amount to $287,000.

“The use of the $300,000 figure is meant to be sensational, derogatory and misleading,” Hoone said. “In reality, it is the approximate amount of bonuses or contract fees that I received throughout my entire 41-year career in a leadership position at Light Work.”

Light Work Visual Studios’ IRS 990 forms show that Hoone received a total of nearly $120,000 in bonuses from the organization and related organizations from 2001-19. In the last seven years of this 19-year period, Hoone received over half this total of bonuses. Between 2017-19 alone, he received $37,030 in bonuses.

Without including Hoone, the average amount of bonuses received among Light Work employees from 2001-19 was $3,704 per year.

Including Hoone, the average rises to $4,707.

“Whilst other employees, too, had received bonuses … Hoone’s bonuses, were, by far, the most substantial,” Jayawardane said in her resignation letter to Light Work.

Shane Lavalette, who took over Hannah Frieser’s position as director at Light Work, received about $47,000 in bonuses between 2012-19, while Frieser, who took over Hoone’s role as director in 2005, received around $32,000 in bonuses between 2004-12, as listed in Light Work Visual Studios’ IRS 990 filings.

Burnett, a current board member who also served as lab manager and customer service manager, received almost $19,000 in bonuses during a nine-year period. Gary Hesse, who served as an associate director, received $1,500 during a one-year period.

Jayawardane said the gap between the highest-paid and lowest-paid employee salaries

was “unconscionable for a nonprofit,” and this discrepancy in salary seemed to parallel Hoone’s power and authority over that of other employees’ decision-making capacity. In a statement to The D.O., she described how the comparison between a part-time worker’s salary and Hoone’s bonuses alone was the “biggest red flag.”

“Those who worked part time earned such a pittance that it was embarrassing to see how close the executive director’s bonuses alone came to the part-time employee’s full salary,” Jayawardane said.

In a board meeting on July 29, 2020, Light Work board members passed a motion for the organization to work with SU to realign all staff salaries.

Hoone specified the inequities in the salaries of three specific staff members. He explained how Dan Boardman, a new lab manager in 2019 for the organization, was paid more than Anneka Herre, who had been Light Work’s urban video project director since 2011, while Boardman also made $10,000 less than Mary Lee Hodgens, a new associate director in 2013 with more responsibility and 25 years of experience. He also exclaimed how Cjala Surratt, who was promoted to communications coordinator in 2019, and Ryan Krueger, a new digital services coordinator in 2019, made slightly less than Julie Herman, who was promoted to customer services manager in 2013 and held equal responsibilities.

Jayawardane also said on top of his salary and bonuses, Hoone received perks such as gasoline, a satellite radio service and a cell phone service. Though these amenities were for his own use, they were paid for using money from Light Work, Jayawardane said.

Hoone said these funds align with what is on the Executive Director’s Agreement, which was signed in 2012 and then again in 2017 by him and Jong-Soon Goodlin. The agreement states that Hoone would receive a vehicle paid for by Light Work in addition to that vehicle’s registration, maintenance and insurance. Additionally, on Nov. 22, 2019, Hoone presented to the board that the satellite radio service had initially come with the car, causing him to think of it as a maintenance feature covered by Light Work. Therefore, he renewed the radio for $200 per year. In regard to the cell phone service, he said it is “common practice” for the university to provide cell phones to select employees.

Fazal Sheikh, a former artist-in-residence at Light Work in 1993 and a photographer who documents marginalized groups around the world, said his experience at Light Work was one of the “single most heartening encounter(s) (he has) experienced in the 30 years that (he has) been working as an artist.”

Sheikh said he found the Light Work staff to be welcoming, supportive and collaborative, and they welcomed him into an environment that felt family-like. He was shocked by the accusations against Hoone in the Artnet piece, and he said even though he didn’t know the financial happenings of Light Work, he has always respected Hoone and the way the organization operated.

“That sort of rancor and division is far from anything that I have experienced either in my encounters with Jeff Hoone or with the dedicated staff, many of whom remain for many years at the organization and who focus great attention upon all who pass through those doors,” Sheikh said.

Jayawardane said the deep friendships created within Light Work’s network may have encouraged members to remain silent to unethical leadership actions. She said when questioned by the board about the bonuses and additional perks, Hoone presented his experience, expertise and extensive list of connections to philanthropists who support Light Work as reasoning to why he deserved the bonuses and perks.

Jayawardane’s resignation letter from Aug. 30, 2020 also said Hoone made himself the center of Light Work and created an organization that needed him to survive.

“Hoone’s ability to maintain information crucial to the organisation’s future survival was not only central to positioning himself as indispensable, it was also important for fashioning a problematically hierarchical power structure in the organisation’s management and day-today operations,” Jayawardane said. news@dailyorange.com

OPINION

6 dec. 2, 2021

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

column

Stop tearing down statues. Preserve American history.

By Augustus LeRoux columnist

V

ague allusions to social justice have become a political cudgel used to deface any and all symbols of our republic, whether that is Thomas Jefferson, George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Lawmakers latch onto the flaws of these men, and rioters fill in the gaps by tearing down monuments. People have made an enemy of our forefathers by demanding the past be viewed through a lens of modern morality.

Somewhere in between the patriot and the progressive is the enabler. The one who will happily tiptoe around controversy and let these monuments fade from public view. The enablers could not be more wrong. Our republic is not a curiosity. It is not a museum exhibit to be locked away and brought out under special circumstances. Our monuments and memorials tell the story of who we are, for better or for worse.

Part of advancing as a civilization is being able to look back and realize how far we have journeyed forwards.

For figures like Christopher Columbus, a statue of whom exists right here in Syracuse, we recognize him as an important figure in our history, who kicked off the chain of events that would birth the country we know today. The question of whether to celebrate figures like Columbus is the question of whether America deserves to be celebrated. While many would say neither deserves to be celebrated, others have a much different tune.

For Robert Gardino ’61, the subject hits very close to home. A proud Italian-American, he sits on the board of the Columbus Monument Corporation and is an outspoken advocate for preserving Syracuse’s Columbus statue.

“The zeitgeist between the Italian and Columbus is a symbol of their coming here and escaping the horrors of Southern Italy,” he said.

Gardino grew up in a much different America than today. He recalled the bigotry and hardship that his family faced, and what the statue meant to him as a child.

“Columbus was a symbol that you could make it, and that you loved this country.”

For someone like Robert Gardino, this is not “just a statue.” It is a way to remember those who sacrificed everything to come to this country, and a crucial reminder of the blessings that it offers.

nized, make a schedule. Having a single place where you can find all your tasks can help your workload feel more manageable.

Bonnie Jean Teitleman, a Lexington social worker, said that stress can impact your physical health as it triggers the hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure, impacting other bodily functions like practicing poor eating, sleeping and exercising habits.

Eating is vital — your body and brain need fuel to operate.

Although it may be difficult to fit a meal into your schedule, have snacks available so you don’t have to pick between eating or studying during the build-up to finals. Even though late-night campus dining options are scarce, think ahead and pick up snacks and small meals from the Schine Student Center. You can also order from local restaurants or purchase reasonably priced meals from Good Uncle.

Exercise is great too, as your body releases stress-fighting endorphins that can boost your mood. The Barnes Center at The Arch is open until 11 p.m. and the Ernie Davis Fitness Center is open until 10 p.m.

Even if you don’t have time to work out, make it a point to get up and to

move; the blood flow to your brain alone boosts your mood and productivity. If you are studying in your dorm, try walking to Bird Library as a way to be active, even if it is just a short walk away.

Additionally, sleep is extremely crucial for your ability to retain information, making all your studying practically irrelevant if you neglect your “Z’s.” You need energy for your brain to work at full capacity, so shoot for a minimum of seven hours a night.

An ugly truth of finals week comes with the misuse of prescription drugs such as Adderall or Vyvanse. While the drugs may seem like a magic cure for the stress of finals, they should be regarded as dangerous to use if you are not prescribed to take it. At its worst, it is possible to overdose from the drugs, and a drug use study showed that drug misuse can lead to sleep difficulties, inability to concentrate and lack of motivation, among other things.

Caffeine can also be used as a tool to increase alertness and motivation, a helpful tool in moderation.

But caffeine can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate, inability to fall asleep, irritability and digestive issues.

Part of advancing as a civilization is being capable of looking back to see how far we’ve come. Taking historic statues down destroys this ability. anya wijeweera photo editor

For Jefferson and Columbus, for Washington and Lincoln, for those who charted the course of history and delivered America to us, we ought to celebrate. For all that is remarkable about this country, it

should be our duty to preserve it, here in Syracuse and in the rest of the U.S.

Augustus LeRoux is a junior history major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at aoleroux@syr.edu.

column

By Nick Held columnist

A

s finals are approaching, many Syracuse University students are feeling stressed as the semester comes to an end. Finals week represents a long season of prolonged pressure and has apparent side effects such as heightened anxiety and depression.

During finals season, many students push themselves to their absolute limit to get the best grades possible.

Although some may just see this as part of the grind, research shows that these practices may inhibit your ability to succeed.

A lot of stress originates from the proximity of due dates and exam dates. By this point in the semester, you should have a pretty good idea when everything is due, so do your best to be proactive.

SU psychology professor Jennifer Clarke said that it is easier to manage your workload and excess stress if you get organized and schedule time to complete assignments.

“Doing some of the work each day rather than procrastinating will likely both decrease stress and increase the quality of the work you do,” Clarke said.

If you have trouble staying orga-

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If you regularly sleep, eat or exercise during finals season, you will have more productive study hours. wendy wang asst. photo editor

Ultimately, giving yourself a second to breathe and gain some perspective is critical of maintaining your mental health. Research has proven that your body and mind work better when long tasks and study sessions are broken up into chunks. Try to take a 15-minute break for every hour of studying; try meditating, listening to music, taking a walk, small catnaps, eating or stretching. Give your brain a break.

Finals season results in so much unnecessary stress. Prioritize your physical and mental health in the upcoming weeks. Although it may seem better to study for an extra 30 minutes, you will be better off if you set that time aside to sleep, eat or exercise.

Nick Held is a sophomore undecided arts and sciences major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at ngheld@syr.edu.

Emily Steinberger

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dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

dec. 2, 2021

letter from the editor

We need your help to support The D.O.’s student journalists

D

ear readers, This Giving Tuesday, The Daily Orange is launching a month-long fundraising campaign focused on one cause and one cause only: paying the students who create this journalism.

Nearly 50% of D.O. staffers worked at least one additional job last semester, and more than 10% worked at least 15 hours per week on top of countless hours of writing, editing and producing for The D.O. And, of course, this is all in addition to classwork.

If you’re reading this letter, you know how indispensable The D.O. is to the Syracuse community. But if we can’t pay students enough, it is reflected in the work we create.

Year after year, we make it a goal to expand the diversity of our newsroom. But the reality is that it would be impossible until we can provide adequate support to student journalists, no matter their background or financial status.

Most students don’t work at The D.O. to make money. In fact, many apply without realizing it’s a paying job. Many Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF students are missing out on the opportunity to tell

stories that matter — stories that can change lives, and help you better understand our community — because they cannot afford to work in a job they assume does not pay.

We’ve set a goal to raise $15,000 this December. Every dollar will go toward paying students in 2022.

That’s why we need support from you. More than anyone, you understand the importance of student journalism. Without our students, who knows if the website you’re viewing would exist. The students who run this newsroom give their all to The D.O. We must return the favor.

We want staff salaries to be something we can celebrate. We want to draw students in, not push them away. We want prospective staff members to apply to The D.O. knowing they won’t have to work additional jobs to get by. This Giving Tuesday, your donation will help us achieve these goals.

To make a donation in support of staff salaries, please visit dailyorange.com/donate.

Thank you for your support, Emily Steinberger, editor-in-chief 2021-22 Mandy Kraynak, managing editor 2021-22

More than anyone, you understand the importance of student journalism. The students who run this newsroom give their all to The D.O. We must return the favor. emily steinberger editor-in-chief

dailyorange.com

8 dec. 2, 2021

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CULTURE

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

PAG E 9

dec. 2, 2021

GILLFILLIAN sells custom designs inspired by her Jamaican roots through her brand’s Instagram page and is hoping to expand her business in the future. One of the sophomore’s goals is to release seasonal outfits with her designs. meghan hendricks asst. photo editor

Boss Bree designs Inspired by her Jamaican roots and her mother’s creativity, sophomore Brianna Gillfillian started her own clothing business

By Sarah Russo

contributing writer

G

rowing up, Brianna Gillfillian was surrounded by a business-oriented family. Her mother was a designer in Jamaica and made handcrafted clothes and pillows that Gillfillian said she always admired. Now, Gillfillian has started her own business to share her passion and love for designing clothes.

She still remembers the first order she had from her business BreeDesignz.

“It was a Jamaican inspired zip sweatshirt and it was (purchased) by one of my co-workers,” Gillfillian said. “It said ‘coo yah’

which is Jamaican for ‘look here’ and it was decked in the Jamaican colors.”

The Syracuse University sophomore created the Instagram account for her clothing company in September 2021. By October, her business was up and running and Gillfillian began taking orders. The company, owned and operated by Gillfillian, offers unique customized clothing including sweatshirts and T-shirts inspired by Jamaican colors and culture to honor her familial roots.

In addition to studying computer science at SU and starting her business, Gillfillian also works at a dining hall on campus. Starting a new business from scratch alone is no small feat.

“I’m a generally busy individual,” Gillfillian

said. “So I want to build the business to a point where I can afford to have a partner.”

As a customized clothing company, Gillfillian gives customers creativity in the process. They can either give Gillfillian ideas for designs they would like or choose from designs Gillfillian has made in the past.

Patrons can also choose from a selection of clothing like hoodies, zip sweatshirts, T-shirts or pullover sweaters. Right now, customers place orders by direct messaging BreeDesignz on Instagram.

“We don’t have any pre-made designs. For now the customers come up with the designs,” she said. “I’m still trying to see what the see breedesignz page 10

from the studio

‘Kusama: Infinity’ to play at Everson Thursday evening

By Rachel Raposas staff writer

Yayoi Kusama, a world-renowned Japanese artist, increased her international reputation with her 2021 show at the New York Botanical Garden entitled “Cosmic Nature.” Best known for her Infinity Mirror Rooms and Dots Obsession installations, Kusama will be the focus of the opening documentary in the first “Behind the Artist Film Series” at the Everson Museum of Art. The viewing of the film, entitled “Kusama: Infinity,” is free for members at the Everson Museum of Art and $8 for general admission.

The film will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening and will run for one hour and 16 minutes.

“Kusama: Infinity” was created by filmmaker and director Heather Lenz in 2018, and will provide a new intimate look at Kusama’s journey as a contemporary artist. Garth Johnson, curator of ceramics at the Everson Museum of Art, said the documentary will provide compelling context for Kusama’s latest “victory lap.”

“It seemed natural to kick off the exhibition with one of the most high-profile artists in our collection,” Johnson said.

The Everson’s “Behind the Artist Film Series,” conceptualized by Syracuse University Visual and Performing Arts professor Nancy Keefe Rhodes, aims to celebrate both cinema and the diverse range of citizens in Syracuse, Johnson said.

This film follows Kusama’s rise to success as the top-selling living female artist in the world.

In addition to being a woman of color in a historically white, maledominated industry, Kusama continues to experience mental health issues, Johnson said.

Through all of it, Johnson said, Kusama has been nothing but open to the public about these challenges.

This documentary will explore how this aspect of her life fuels her passion for her work.

“I fight pain, anxiety and fear every day, and the only method I have found that relieved my illness is to keep creating art,” Kusama said in an interview with Infinity Net. After the showing of “Kusama: Infinity,” the Everson Museum of Art will offer an informal

discussion, led by Johnson, as well as an examination of two of Kusama’s smaller sculptural pieces.

Johnson hopes that this additional feature will spark discussion about Kusama and provide an original angle on her work.

The “Behind the Artist Film Series” will showcase different films about various contemporary artists.

Each new installment of the series will be presented in the Everson’s Hosmer Auditorium on the first Thursday of each month. The series will run until June 2022 and will feature films about artists JeanMichel Basquiat, Cai Guo-Qiang, Enrique Metinides and Thomas Allen Harris.

“I felt this film series was an opportunity to highlight some artists and communities that

often get left out,” Rhodes said.

“This is a next step to expand and deepen the museum’s ongoing commitment to those artists and their communities.”

Rhodes curated the “Behind the Artist Film Series” with the Syracuse community in mind, in that this new dimension to the Everson will enrich the culture in the city. Rhodes said “Kusama: Infinity” is a well-made and accessible film, and since the Everson houses seven of Kusama’s pieces, the documentary is all the more intriguing.

“The combination of cinema and movies about the arts can be very healing to our community,” Rhodes said. “I want the community to know that there is so much to the arts than they may have imagined.” rlraposa@syr.edu

10 dec. 2, 2021

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

record review

Silk Sonic skates back to the funk of the 1970s

By Anish Vasudevan asst. sports editor

Just over a week after Bruno Mars and Anderson.

Paak dropped “Leave The Door Open,” the pair appeared at the 63rd Grammy Awards, and their single had already climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The aesthetic surrounding the subsequent album “An Evening with Silk Sonic” — a 1970s homage through baggy red suits, large heart-shaped sunglasses, gold colored jewelry and synchronized dance moves — was something they first showcased to the world at the event while performing the song.

Eight months later, Silk Sonic — the name of .Paak and Mars’ R&B/funk group — finally dropped the album “An Evening with Silk Sonic.”

The duo does not try to achieve new musical heights with the project. Instead, .Paak humbly said in an interview with Rolling Stone, they want to “make women feel good and make people dance, and that’s it” — which it does perfectly.

The entire project is hosted by Bootsy Collins, a member of James Brown’s band The Pacemakers and the bassist for ParliamentFunkadelic. Collins and the rest of his era’s aesthetic is present throughout all nine songs.

Mars even tries an impression of Brown’s shrill shriek on the third track, “Fly as Me.” The album itself starts like Brown’s 1973 track “The Boss,” using a four-count to introduce the harmony.

The chemistry between Mars and .Paak is most notable on “After Last Night,” where the duo demonstrate a one-two vocal punch that go together like peanut butter and jelly. As the more experienced singer, Mars takes the higher notes on each harmony, but .Paak holds his own ground, providing the base for Mars to fluctuate on. Silk Sonic brings in the help of a modern day Collins: bassist Thundercat.

The production itself on “After Last Night” is also different from the rest of the album and the funk genre in general, as it features an electric guitar solo paired with horns. The next track, “Smokin Out the Window,” also starts with an orchestral intro before .Paak flaunts his drum skills, which he’s done in the past when he collaborated with The Free Nationals.

The rest of the album follows the same recipe: let Mars demonstrate why he’s one of the best vocalists alive, add a little spice with the earthier sound of .Paak, and underlay the whole thing with drum- and guitar-heavy production. “Blast Off” offers a cherry on top to Silk Sonic’s introduction with 80 seconds of an orchestra paired with one last harmony, a sort of cool down from the rest of the project.

Best track: “Leave The Door Open”

Mars and .Paak are a dynamic duo, at the start of their journey to bring an old-fashioned sound to music. Their NFL comparison is probably Steve Young and Jerry Rice on the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s. Mars is the Rice of the duo — he already went to the top of mountain multiple from page 9

breedesignz market is like, so if I see certain types of orders then I would create multiple of that.”

Gillfillian is still getting her business started and is working on spreading the word about her brand and mission. Kayla Ramos, a friend of Gillfillian and fellow sophomore, has promoted the new business by sharing posts about BreeDesignz on social media and recommending the business by word of mouth.

But, designing and selling clothes is tough when it’s difficult to find blank clothing to design on top of, Gillfillian said. Finding certain products, like zip sweatshirts for example, is sometimes impossible, she said.

And despite the challenges that come with creating awareness about the brand and finding customers, Gillfillian said she enjoys every aspect of her business.

“For me it’s just putting a passion into work,” she said. “That was one of the highlights, actually seeing something that I thought and worked hard to actually come into fruition.”

C

CONCERTS

THIS WEEKEND The Harrington Bandier sophomore Liv DuFine and her band Liv For Now are headlining The Harrington’s up-and-coming show this Thursday. She will be joined by SU student and rapper Swaggy J and three smaller artists from outside of Syracuse: Ronny Hunch, Isan and Oozy Wypes. Direct message The Summit or The Harrington for the address and to buy tickets, which are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. and music will start at 10 p.m.

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 2 ARTIST: Liv DuFine and Liv For Now, Swaggy J, Ronny Hunch, Isan and Oozy Wypes

graphic illustration by shannon kirkpatrick presentation director

times with Joe Montana as his quarterback — and .Paak is Young — after backing up Montana, Young finally got into the spotlight with a Super Bowl MVP season in 1995.

But “Leave The Door Open” is like if Young and Rice had won the Super Bowl when Young took over for Montana in 1991. The first song from any artist or group isn’t expected to be one of the best songs of the year, but “Leave The Door Open” already has four Grammy nominations and almost 650 million streams on Spotify.

Paak takes the mic first on the track, showcasing a vocal range that he had kept relatively hidden up to this point, before Mars jumps onto the chorus taking off right where he left off with his hit record “24K Magic” from 2016. The entire song has touches of .Paak’s love for drum-heavy beats, setting the pace for Mars to hop on and add harmonies to the production.

Simply put, this song is worthy of its popularity.

One Skip: “777”

It’s hard to pick a song to skip on this album, as every song fits under the same vibe with the same slow start before a hard-hitting chorus emphasizing the talent of .Paak and Mars.

But the theme of this song lyrically, which is completely surrounded around Las Vegas and gambling, doesn’t fit with the rest of the album.

Silk Sonic was able to refrain from making this album sound like any other rap album up to this point, not featuring lyrics flexing their ability to get women or what they can get with how much money they have. But right at the beginning .Paak says, “Big booty hoes meet me in the penthouse / Bar full of liquor, cash for the strippers.”

If this album is meant to bring back funk memories, these types of lyrics synonyms with music today shouldn’t be on the project. It’s unnecessary when .Paak and Mars have enough ability to come up with more nuanced lyrics to pair with the drums and guitar.

Gillfillian’s goal with her business is for the future of BreeDesignz is to release a new line of clothing for each season. She also wants to use her designs to spread positivity and cultural awareness with students.

“I think a lot of students, especially on campus, brand themselves based on their various cultures, which is always pretty interesting to me,” Gillifillian said. “I want to provide that service in which people can appreciate other cultures as well as promoting themselves.”

SU sophomore Aminata Sylla supported BreeDesignz from the very beginning. Gillfillian had mentioned to Sylla, a fellow classmate, her passion and idea for starting up her own business before BreeDesignz was even created.

“She informed me of her plans on her business and interest in starting one,” Sylla said. “I also loved the concept and purpose of the business, which is to spread her Jamaican culture through designs, which is what I’ve always looked forward to as a student who wants to learn different cultures on such a diverse campus.”

Gillfillian’s personality and character make

Hardest Bars: “Put on a Smile”

Songwriting isn’t the focus of this album. All good funk projects place more emphasis on using vocal inflections to make the production itself pop out more. But this track is one where Silk Sonic slows down the pace of the album again with a romantic love song.

All the verses are executed by .Paak, who’s shown his writing ability through the variety of rap-heavy albums he’s had in his solo career.

The lyrics are simple: “If I could turn back the hands on my Rollie, you know I would / I would’ve spent all my time makin’ sure that my baby good.”

With this reference to something that only a rapper can afford, .Paak continues in the chorus with Mars singing, “Oh, now I try to be the life of the party / All night, buying shots for everybody, But it’s all just an act ‘cause I can’t have you back.”

The song leaves the listener introspecting on their own experiences with love before the hard transition into “777.”

Final thoughts:

The half-hour album is a love letter to Mars and .Paak’s favorite funk artists like Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, highlighting the genre created by Black communities in the mid1960s. Bringing this style back in the spotlight is something that felt personal to the duo, and that touch is prevalent.

This formula is perfect for one album, but it’s going to be interesting to see how the group evolves in its later projects. Instead of trying to please their inspirations by mostly using the skills that helped the funk-era generation create a unique sound, Mars and .Paak should merge it together with the other styles — like they did minutely at certain points in the album — that they’ve mastered in their solo careers. anish.sujeet@gmail.com

her fit to run a successful business, Ramos said, describing Gillfillian as a goal-oriented and hardworking person who always tries to have a positive outlook in life.

Both Sylla and Ramos said a business like BreeDesignz is crucial for fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus community.

“From an SU student’s perspective, it is really important for us people of color, especially the ones who grew up outside of the U.S., to bring representation to our culture,” Sylla said.

“I’m so proud of Brianna for stepping up and deciding to use her business as a way to bring representation to her culture at Syracuse University.”

Ramos wants to see BreeDesignz grow larger on campus and even make clothing for other organizations and clubs at SU. “I hope that SU students look forward to the designs (that) BreeDesignz has in store and (are) inspired by her,” Sylla said. “(I) hope that other people are willing to share their culture because that’s what a lot of students are looking forward to, especially in a campus full of culture.” sarusso@syr.edu

Schine Underground BRI, in collaboration with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, organized “an evening of music and style” from 8-10 p.m. Friday night in an event called The Onyx.

The event promises to showcase the multimedia art of students of color. BRI teased on Instagram that she will be performing unreleased music at the event.

Anita Fraiser and Shakira Santos will join BRI in performing. Attire for the event is “sleek black,” or allblack semi-formal. Tickets are free from the Student Box Office.

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 3 ARTIST: BRI, Anita Fraiser and Shakira Santos The Garden Peter Groppe of NONEWFRIENDS. and Lauren Goodyear will be at The Garden house venue on Dec. 3 for a night of calmer music.

Direct message The Garden for the address. Tickets are $5 at the door, which opens at 10 p.m. The show is set to start at 10:30 p.m.

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 3 ARTIST: Peter Groppe and Lauren Goodyear Skybarn The Fashion and Design Society is having its fall fashion show, “Biotic Wonders,” Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. The show’s theme is sustainable fashion following contemporary climate change issues in the fashion industry.

The show will be accompanied by a performance from Bandier junior Jordyn Tareaz as well as SU’s hip hop dance troupe, Outlaws. Tickets are free and can be reserved on the Student Box Office’s website.

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 4 ARTIST: Jordyn Tareaz The Blue Room Touring pop-punk band Keep Flying is stopping at The Blue Room this Sunday night in a show the venue says might sell out before day-of. Keep Flying will be joined by another punk band, Dirtybandaid, and SU student band studio89. Doors open at 7 p.m. Direct message mosh. retirement for the address and to RSVP. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

WHEN: Monday, Dec. 6 ARTIST: Keep Flying, Dirtybandaid and studio89

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PAG E 11

dec. 2, 2021

DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION ACCESSIBILITY TAKE THE STRATEGIC PLAN SURVEY

BY DECEMBER 3. diversity.syr.edu/deia/

12 dec. 2, 2021

from page 16

successful pass-heavy offense into a run-heavy one centered around Tucker and transfer quarterback Garrett Shrader — and he did it midseason.

Shrader’s poor passing numbers hurt SU in November, but without him, Syracuse probably doesn’t beat Liberty or Virginia Tech, and it doesn’t compete against Wake Forest. With Shrader, Syracuse was only a few plays away from possibly going 8-4 or even 9-3.

The Orange exceeded preseason expectations and found a quarterback and running back who can lead their offense in 2022. Tony White’s defense generated 37 sacks, the second-most by a Syracuse defense since Babers became head coach, and three players were named to AllAtlantic Coast Conference teams. SU finished third in the league in rushing offense and had the third-best defense in yards allowed per game.

“I’m happy with how the team competed this season, we saw growth in a number of areas,” Wildhack said. “The best decision is for (Babers) to continue to lead this program.”

Wildhack said a potential buyout for the remainder of Babers’ contract didn’t play a role from page 16

ohio state from inside the arc. A catch-and-shoot from Najé Murray off an inbound pass slid away from the net. A contested layup off a turnover

by Chrislyn clanked out. All the while, Ohio State was cashing in on open opportunities and fast-break layups.

However, small cracks in OSU’s defense began to show as the first quarter played out. By the time Hyman drove to her right, switched the ball to her left hand and lifted a shot to give the Orange a one-point lead five minutes into the second quarter, Syracuse had

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in his decision to bring him back next year. But Babers is likely under contract through 2024.

He is the highest paid university employee, reportedly earning $3.5 million annually. Schools such as Michigan State and LSU recently signed coaches to contracts that will pay them $9.5 million per year. SU can’t do that.

“We’re not gonna pay a coach $8 million, $6 million, $7 million to coach football,” former Syracuse quarterback Don McPherson told The D.O. before the season. “We’re just not going to do that.”

Wildhack said that despite three straight losses to end the year, Babers was the right fit to lead the team in 2022 — and possibly beyond. Fans (and even players) criticized late-game coaching decisions and play-calling that fell on Babers’ shoulders. Those are valid criticisms, and there’s no arguing Babers must improve in-game management for his team to improve. This can start with ensuring more efficient communication from assistant coaches upstairs to the ones on the field, something Wildhack specifically mentioned as a point of improvement during his post-football season press conference.

But how many people expected Syracuse

to win five games, be a play or two away from a bowl game and compete against the ACC’s top teams like Clemson? One year after going 1-10 thanks largely to a lousy offense, 2021 was the rebuilding year Babers and the Orange needed.

“I’d say (it was) definitely a success,” Tucker said. “We only won one game last year and now we won five.”

Fans seem quick to forget how terrible 2020 really was. Syracuse ranked 118th out of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total team offense, and eight of SU’s 10 losses were by double digits. The Orange didn’t have a ACC-caliber starting quarterback after Tommy DeVito suffered a leg injury in early October, and the team’s top defensive players opted out of the rest of the year after seeing the terrible start. It looked like a season from the Greg Robinson era.

If there were a time to move on from Babers, last year would’ve been the time to do so. But not now, after an improved five-win season. Since Robinson became head coach in 2005, the Orange have had 10 seasons with four wins or fewer, as opposed to just four seasons with at least six wins. So comparatively, a 5-7 season isn’t that bad for Syracuse.

Five wins doesn’t get you to a bowl game,

but it does at least put you in contention for one.

Syracuse is far from competing for national championships or New Year’s Day bowls.

Instead, SU needs to focus on getting to six wins, consistently. A season like this one proves the Orange are in the right ballpark for that.

For Babers, winning will start with the offense he runs. He let go of offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert on Sunday — a sound move by almost any measure — but the run-based offense the two installed this year should stay.

It allowed Tucker to run for a program-record 1,496 yards and created the possibility of bringing No. 44 out of retirement.

Wildhack and Babers need to prioritize building a program within a reasonable budget that can start winning six or seven games per season, while focusing on developing a physical running game. The Orange needed a season that could get them closer to this goal, and 2021 brought that. It ensured that Babers will return for a seventh season and that Syracuse is on the right track to getting back to a bowl game.

Connor Smith is an asst. sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at csmith49@syr.edu or on Twitter @

opened the gap and poured into the paint.

As the first half drew to a close, Syracuse almost completely trended away from the long ball. Murray buried one from the right corner to stop a small run by the Buckeyes, but Syracuse wanted — for the first time this season — to show what it could do when it managed to maneuver in the paint. They were still only shooting 41.7% from the field and trailed Ohio State by three points, but the Orange utilized aspects of their game not yet seen before this season.

Out of the second half, Syracuse continued to drill through the Buckeyes defense down low. Hyman collected a handoff pass from

Chrislyn near Syracuse’s bench. She looked up to find a lane, one that was blocked by her defender. So she decided to force her way into the Buckeye defender’s body and got a contested bank shot from mid-range to fall and give SU a three-point lead.

Coming out of a mid-first quarter timeout, Syracuse trailed by 10 points. They let a contested layup go, but went on a small run to force Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff to call a timeout and bring SU within two possessions. Murray broke through the lane and got a finger roll to fall. Then Hyman did the same, and a final corner 3 by Murray off a turnover placed Syracuse within striking distance.

With three minutes remaining in the second half, Hyman stood outside the 3-point line, with fans calling for her to make it to 30 points. But with seven seconds left on the shot clock, she bolted for the basket, crossing around her defender to the right edge of the paint. Off one foot, she floated the ball over her defender, and watched as it curled around the rim and fell in to give SU a 14 point lead.

Syracuse didn’t need to hit another threepointer on Wednesday. They cruised in the final two minutes, and even with Ohio State burying late 3s, Syracuse glided to a win. @anthonyalandt anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com

COMEDY IN THE LATE NIGHT STYLE

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PAG E 13

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dec. 2, 2021

women’s soccer

Aysia Cobb prepares for return after 2nd ACL injury

By Connor Pignatello staff writer

At the last practice before the final game of the season in late October, Syracuse forward Aysia Cobb collided with a teammate while trying to challenge for the ball and fell to the turf. Less than six weeks after returning to play following a 10-month rehab from a torn ACL in her right knee, Cobb tore the ACL in her left knee.

After partially tearing her ACL near the end of the 2020 season — and unknowingly playing through it — Cobb embarked on a lengthy rehab process that lasted from December until the conclusion of SU’s nonconference play in September. After eight games as a key reserve in 2021, the sophomore forward finally earned her first career start in the penultimate game against NC State. But instead of starting the final game of the season, Cobb spent it on the sidelines in a brace.

Since she began playing soccer at four years-old, Cobb had been warned by strength and conditioning coaches about ACL injuries, specifically in women’s soccer. Women are four to six times more likely than men to tear their ACLs in “cutting” sports like soccer because of differing landing mechanics and anatomy, according to a Wentworth-Douglass Hospital article by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Cullen. Cobb had always thought of tearing her ACL as her “worst nightmare.”

“It always happens to people on your team and you never think it’s going to happen to you, and then it happened,” Cobb said in an inter-

view two days before tearing her left ACL. During the 2020 season, then-freshman Cobb partially tore the ACL in her right knee.

She experienced no severe pain and estimates she played the final two or three games of the season on it. But at the start of the offseason, the pain she had played through worsened and she received an MRI. Right before Thanksgiving break, Cobb heard the results — a torn ACL. She walked home, sat on her bed and cried. In mid-December, Cobb underwent surgery to repair her right knee using a quadricep graft, a method that led to a longer recovery but didn’t involve weakening her knee or causing potential longterm knee pain. She began rehabbing her knee at home during SU’s nearly three-month long winter break.

At first, Cobb faced difficulties — both physical and mental. ” Cobb Googled “quad graft where should I be now” and would constantly compare her slow progress against others who were farther along in their recovery. While others at her physical therapy clinic were moving on to harder and harder rehab exercises, she could barely do a straight leg raise.

For the first time in her life, Cobb couldn’t participate in athletics and couldn’t even walk without assistance. Without soccer, Cobb’s focus shifted to school and other hobbies. She learned to knit, practiced baking and chose a major. “(Cobb gained) awareness of understanding identification of who you are beyond the sport,” Cobb’s mother Marissa Schwartz said. “A lot of athletes have to take that time because that’s all they can remember is their

sport. They forget that they’re a person too.”

After weeks of rehab, Cobb slowly began to make progress. In her rehab sessions at her home in Florida, Cobb worked with physical therapist Dewey Joern on restoring motion in her knee and strengthening her leg. She did standing exercises, squats and lunges. Six weeks after her surgery, she walked unassisted for the first time.

When she arrived back in Syracuse for spring practices this year, Cobb was an outsider for the first time in her soccer career.

In addition to watching practice for the first time, Cobb delved into studying film. In her film study, she discovered cues from her teammates, such as dipping their head and planting their feet differently when delivering long balls. She also learned how to study her opponents and recognize their habits for when she could take the field again. “(Film) helps going back in,” Cobb said.

“It’s already uncomfortable coming back from something like this, so having those small things like ‘OK, when they do this, this is what’s going to happen,’ then you’d already be prepared for that.”

Cobb had progressed to jogging and lowlevel jumping when she returned to Florida for summer break and more rehab with Joern.

For eight weeks, Cobb worked two times a week with Joern’s student Shannon Mulvey, a former college soccer player at St. Joseph’s and professional club Le Havre in France.

Mulvey and Joern focused on single-leg activities throughout the summer to load Cobb’s quad and hamstrings. She did split

squats, elevated lunges and knee extensions.

She practiced her landing mechanics by jumping off boxes and using a band to help with control once she hit the ground.

Mulvey also focused on involving a soccer ball in Cobb’s rehab and pushed her to touch a ball every session. It was important to integrate rehab techniques that she cared about, and soccer-type drills were the best way to do this, Mulvey said.

“It keeps the patient more interested.

Definitely with her, soccer is everything, so it’s really great to have the ball there,” Mulvey said.

Finally, Cobb was cleared for non-contact practice in the weeks preceding the team’s preseason session. At the start of September, Cobb was cleared for contact practice, and on Sept. 18, she made her season debut against Notre Dame. A mix of happy and scared, Cobb came off the bench and almost immediately got into a tackle with her repaired right leg.

“I didn’t realize until afterwards, and then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh it’s fine,’” Cobb said.

In Cobb’s first start, Schwartz said she finally saw her daughter at 100%, making plays she wouldn’t have made before her injury.

Three days later, she tore the ACL in her left knee. Joern admitted that her second rehab process will take longer than the first one, but he’s confident in her ability to progress through rehab again and be an even better player, now that she knows what the process entails.

“Once it all comes back, I just feel like I’ll be someone I didn’t know I could be,” Cobb said. connorpignatello@gmail.com

women’s basketball

Sophomore Priscilla Williams will redshirt 2021-22 season

By Alex Cirino asst. copy editor

Syracuse guard Priscilla Williams announced her decision to redshirt the 202122 season on Wednesday morning, according to syracuse.com.

“I have come to the decision that I will redshirt this basketball season but will still support my team till the end. Thank you for all the love, prayers and support. I’ll be back soon,” Williams wrote via Instagram.

Williams has been dealing with a minor injury and was listed as “day-to-day” by acting head coach Vonn Read since the beginning of the season. The sophomore last played on March 5 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal match where she suffered a season-ending head injury just over eight minutes into the game.

Williams is one of three returning players from page 16

unsuccessful possibility in November, SU folded. The bar proved to be out of reach, and the thought of what could’ve been made the season incredibly frustrating.

At the start of the year, five wins would’ve been a success. But Syracuse pushed expectations, and could no longer reach the bar it worked so hard to raise. 2021 wasn’t successful.

“We’re disappointed with how the season ended,” Director of Athletics John Wildhack said on Monday.

Bruce Williams recognizes the sentiment of Syracuse’s 2021 team. He lived through similar circumstances and a similar environment as an SU linebacker in 2006, one year after a 1-10 season. The Orange improved to 4-8 in 2006, but Williams said the team didn’t consider that a success.

The lead-up to that 2006 season — much like 2021 — was defined by adjusted mindsets and an optimistic outlook for then-head coach Greg Robinson’s second year, Williams said. It was defined by trying to avoid a repeat of the past year’s record and its mistakes. He compared it to

from last season’s roster and Syracuse’s only returning starter. She started 21 games during her rookie campaign, averaged 8.7 points per game and led the team in 3-pointers made with 34. At 6-foot-2, Williams was set to be one of Syracuse’s main targets in the paint this season as its second-tallest player.

“She’s an excellent shooter, she has good size out on the perimeter, she has versatility, so she’ll be able to play most of the positions for us,” Read said during the preseason. “Most players take that jump that sophomore year, so we believe she’ll be able to do that.”

Her decision to redshirt brings SU’s roster total to just 11 active players, a team that has already been limited due to injuries from Eboni Walker and Jayla Thornton just seven games into the season. @alexcirino19 cirinoalex19@gmail.com

closing one chapter and opening the next, with emphasis on not duplicating the previous chapter. With that “clean slate,” the goal was to make a bowl game. But like in 2021, Syracuse didn’t.

“No one wants to come out and be the punching bag,” Williams said. “But did we see it as a stepping stone? Yes. It was a stepping stone because it was not the 1-10 year, but it wasn’t where we wanted it to be.”

Many players agreed that 2021 wasn’t successful either. Mikel Jones said SU wanted to send its seniors off with a bowl. Courtney Jackson said you can’t have a successful season if it’s a losing one. It felt like SU underachieved, he added. Duce Chestnut said it was “an OK season, (but) we expected more.” Only Sean Tucker called it an outright success, pointing to five wins compared to just one last year. But all cited room for growth.

Just like in 2006, the Orange topped the previous year’s record within a few games, and then fell into a losing pattern by November.

Wildhack highlighted deficiencies in SU’s current special teams unit. The offensive playcalling wasn’t up to par, leading Syracuse to fire coordinator Sterlin Gilbert. The defense did enough through October, but then gave up

PRISCILLA WILLIAMS started 21 games in her rookie campaign. Syracuse now has 11 active players on its roster. rich barnes usa today sports

30-plus points in three consecutive games to close out the season.

Syracuse’s passing game never kicked in either. The Orange recorded less than 70 passing yards for three straight weeks, forcing them to lean heavily on a run-based offense. As a result, SU became predictable by the second half of the season. Opponents like NC State, Louisville and Pittsburgh realized they just needed to load the box. Syracuse tried to throw against those last three opponents too, but couldn’t successfully.

SU had the same problem in 2006 when running back Curtis Brinkley was the “bread and butter” of the team, Williams said. But just like Tucker and the run-game in 2021, opponents neutralized those weapons and pushed the Orange to throw the ball an uncomfortable amount. Syracuse was too rigid, and the losses began to pile up.

There was little room for change, and SU struggled to move away from the run since limited personnel didn’t allow for much scheming. That meant relying on the defense to get off the field and give stalling offenses another chance. But eventually, the defense wore out, and Syracuse lost.

“They aren’t happy,” Williams said of SU’s 2021 team. “We weren’t happy (either) in 2006 when we started losing again.”

Head coach Dino Babers said that the struggles from last season helped SU get to this point, explaining that the training wheels have to come off the bike eventually. He said in August that he didn’t want to compare the 2021 and 2020 teams. But moments later, before this year’s Syracuse team had even played a game, the head coach made one thing clear: “This team’s got some stuff to it,” he said then. “I would want this team over the one from last year.”

Babers was right. This year’s team was better, but come November, that was no longer the expectation and no longer the standard.

Wildhack said in a press conference on Monday that he was pleased with how the team completed the season because “we saw growth.”

But that growth will have to continue — significantly — if Syracuse wants to avoid underachieving once more and put together a successful season in Babers’ seventh year as head coach.

Roshan Fernandez is a senior staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at rferna04@syr.edu or on Twitter @

14 dec. 2, 2021

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men’s basketball

Anselem’s clutch OT free throws lift SU to comeback win

By Gaurav Shetty staff writer

After an Indiana dunk gave the Hoosiers a four-point lead in double-overtime, Jimmy Boeheim missed a layup. The Orange grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it out to Buddy Boeheim for a 3. That shot missed too, but Frank Anselem rose to snatch the rebound from Trayce Jackson-Davis, forcing the Indiana big man into a foul.

Anselem stepped up to the free-throw line for his first attempt of the game. After a deep breath, Anselem stood still and brought the ball up from his waist over his head and deftly dropped the first free throw into the net. The referee passed the ball back to Anselem, and with the exact same motion, Anselem sank the second free throw to make it a two-point game.

IU ran down the other end, and Miller Kopp tried to make it a two-possession game again with a long 3. But his shot rimmed out, and Anselem jumped up to grab another board and was again fouled, this time by Parker Stewart.

Syracuse was in the bonus, so Anselem headed straight to the line again. The center

had yet to make two trips to the line in a game all season, but as a hush descended in the Carrier Dome, Anselem calmly drained both shots to tie the game. Anselem’s free throws wrestled back momentum for the Orange, allowing them to take the lead and win the game.

“It just went in,” Anselem said. “Sh*t, I’m happy it went in to be honest.”

Anselem’s four free throws were the only points he scored in Syracuse’s (4-3) 112-110 win over Indiana (6-1). The sophomore center barely played all game but stepped up when Jesse Edwards fouled out near the end of regulation. Anselem said he’d been working on free throws all season and against Indiana, that work paid off.

“If he doesn’t go to the line and make those four, we don’t win,” head coach Jim Boeheim said.

For most of the game, Anselem was rooted to the bench. Edwards has always started at center this season, but Boeheim has used Anselem to give Edwards occasional rests. In the first half, Anselem checked in for Edwards at the 6:58 mark. But just 40 seconds later, he fouled Kopp and Boeheim yanked him back to

the bench.

Anselem sat on the bench with a stat line of one minute and one foul. As the game wore on, it looked like that would be Anselem’s final stat line. But with 20 seconds left, Syracuse clung to a narrow six-point lead. Edwards just needed to avoid fouling for 20 seconds and the Orange could hang on for a win.

“I told Jesse at the end when we were going back out with a minute or two (left) — I said no matter what happens if the ball goes inside don’t foul,” Boeheim said. “Give them the two, give them the two, and he reaches in and fouls.”

Edwards fouled out, but instead of hearing his name called, Anselem watched Symir Torrence check into the game. He watched as Benny Williams failed to gather what could’ve been a game-winning rebound but was instead a foul that gave Jackson-Davis free throws to send the game to overtime.

It was only at the start of overtime that Anselem finally re-entered the game for the first time since the opening half. Anselem had to anchor Syracuse’s 2-3 zone that was trying to weather the Indiana storm.

“Frank was unbelievable. We needed him to come in there and make some big plays, and

he fought,” Joe Girard III said. “It may not show in the box score, but he fought in there.”

Anselem played the entire overtime period and grabbed three rebounds, one of which led to the game-tying free throws. In Anselem’s prior free throw routine, he would bring the ball up with a lot of motion from side to side, something coaches pointed out and led to shots landing off the mark.

Anselem shoots 20 free throws after every practice, with a goal of 18 makes. He said he hits that mark consistently. Now, his arms rise up without shaking and Anselem finishes his free throws with his fingertips, another adjustment recommended by coaches.

For someone who hasn’t even been to the line in two games this year, Anselem managed to find the poise to stick to his free throw routine and sink four clutch shots from the line.

But there was a catch: Anselem admitted after the game he had no idea what the score was on both of his trips to the line.

“I mean, if you realize that, you’re putting pressure on yourself,” Anselem said laughing.

“It’s like going to bed at night. I just went up there, shot it, (and) it went in.” gshetty@syr.edu

women’s basketball

Syracuse’s early games show 3-pointers are key to winning

By Alex Cirino asst. copy editor

Syracuse entered this season with uncertainty. With 12 transfers, the current Orange roster is made up of players who donned another Division I jersey one season ago.

Rebuilding with a more experienced core seemed to be the clear pathway toward a successful season, with four of its starters and six of its top shooters from the field leaving the program. But with Syracuse projected to finish 13th in the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference, per the Blue Ribbon Panel — 10 spots below last season’s projection — acting head coach Vonn Read knew the Orange had to quickly find its chemistry to make an early impression on the court.

“We don’t have a lot of true size inside, but we do have some athleticism and some quickness. So we’ll try and utilize that and exploit it,” Read said on Nov. 9, a day prior to the season opener.

Syracuse (3-4, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) hasn’t found its chemistry yet, but it has been able to build off its gained experience and overall shooting consistency. The Orange’s 3-point shooting has become the most effective area of their game. As SU approaches the toughest part of its schedule, it should rely mostly on its shots from deep, a unit that ranks 62nd in the nation with 7.7 3s per game.

“I am confident in our team’s ability to make 3s,” Read said. “We are a guard dominated team, so we’ve just got more players out on the floor that can make them.”

Of Syracuse’s seven transfers, four of them led their former schools in 3-point shooting. Jayla Thornton led Howard with a 32.9%, the fourth-highest in the MidEastern Athletic Conference from players with at least 50 attempts. Alaina Rice and Najé Murray led Auburn and Texas Tech, respectively, among shooters with at least 40 shot attempts from beyond the arc. At Kansas State, Christianna Carr’s shot 35% from deep averaging 2.3 a game tying her for third-best in the Big 12.

The numbers make Chrislyn Carr’s teamleading 42.4% success rate from beyond the arc an outlier. Chrislyn took 18 3-pointers in five appearances last year with Texas Tech, connecting on eight of them. She’s matched that same percentage through seven games with the Orange on nearly double the attempts, shooting 14-for-33 from long, is 48th in the country with at least 30 attempts.

“Coming (into the season), everybody

knew that we were able to shoot individually, but how we were going to put that together was going to be the biggest question.” Christianna said.

Initially, Chrislyn was the focal point of Read’s strategy to beat teams with speed. At just 5-foot-5, Chrislyn has shown pace to compensate for what she lacks in size. She’s been the most effective player charging into the paint, barreling through opposing defenses and sinking crucial 2s. Against Monmouth — where Syracuse scored 42 points off turnovers — she was the Orange’s main passing option in transition, capitalizing on the Hawks’ 33 turnovers by quickly rushing into an empty opposition’s zone and bank in easy layups.

Her style of play fits right into the changes Read has implemented to Syracuse’s offense early on. Injuries have limited the Orange’s options off the bench, which has restricted their options to bring in players with size.

The team has already been playing without a main post player, which has forced Read to shift players outside of the paint for a 5-out motion offense.

“We don’t have anybody that we can throw the ball inside to,” Read said. “We’re doing a lot of driving and kicking … and we’re getting good shots on the perimeter.”

This tactic offers a positionless offense, allowing players to move more freely in the opposition’s zone — primarily setting up around the perimeter of the arc — with two players set up on each wing. The ball carrier, which in Syracuse’s case has been Teisha Hyman or Chrislyn, dribbles up to the top of the arc before passing the ball around. The system has set up a majority of the Orange’s 166 3-point attempts.

But Syracuse finds a gap in the opposing defense, its speed along with the 5-out motion offense creates a variety of shooting options.

The Orange can drive directly through the paint for a close-range 2 point jumper or even a layup. More commonly, the ball carrier dribbles into the gap, drawing defenders positioned at the wing inside. It opens up a clear window to dish the ball to a player posted on the wing for an open look from deep.

After a slow start against Colgate, Syracuse went on a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the game late in the first quarter. Seven of those points were scored by Chrislyn, including a crucial 3 to cap the lead off.

Alaysia Styles rebounded the ball in Syracuse’s end and immediately kick-started the fastbreak with a pass to Hyman as her teammates set up around the arc. Hyman drove

Syracuse has seven transfers who were all proven shooters at their previous schools. This season the Orange have scored 7.7 3-pointers per game. anya wijeweera photo editor

into the paint and kicked the ball out to Chrislyn who sunk the 3-pointer that put the Orange up 20-16. Syracuse would go on to win by 22 points.

“They know that our guards and our posts want to get downhill, so I think they’re more focused on our help in and our ability to attack, so that will open up the kick-outs,” Christianna said.

32.7 percent of Syracuse’s 496 points so far have come from beyond the arc, which ranks 81st in the country. Meanwhile, its opponents have scored just 53 3-pointers, a conversion rate ranking 341st in the country. The Orange have scored more 3s than their opponents in four games so far, only getting outscored through their three straight losses at Battle 4 Atlantis.

Still, against Buffalo to the end the tournament, Syracuse stayed in the game early through its nine 3-pointers. But the Bulls managed 13 3s and the Orange were often caught in transition against a faster UB squad. SU only scored once from deep in the second half.

But with ACC play resuming at the end of the month, Syracuse’s players believe the only way it can contend with its toughest opponents of the season is through becoming a 3-point shooting team.

“Things are finally starting to open up,” Christianna said. “Everyone’s starting to see us put it together one-by-one and find each other good shots and good areas.” @alexcirino19 cirinoalex19@gmail.com

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dec. 2, 2021

WAS SYRACUSE’S SEASON SUCCESSFUL? Syracuse won four more games than last season, when it went 1-10. But the Orange also lost their last three games to miss out on a bowl appearance for the first time since 2018. elizabeth billman senior staff photographer

NO

YES

Like 2006, improvements don’t mean 2021 was a successful season

This was Dino Babers’ make-orbreak season. And he didn’t break.

T

he message that rang through Syracuse’s preseason training camp, and continued throughout its 5-7 season, was a simple one: This year isn’t last year.

“We can’t have that this year,” Josh Black said at the start of the season.

Returning players reiterated that message time-and-time again. They had felt ROSHAN FERNANDEZ losses becoming habitual during SU’s 1-10 ‘DO THE DAMN season, Black said, and didn’t want to see it happen again. Even new players who didn’t THIING’ live through that season reiterated the same message.

“Last year is not a reflection of who they are and what the team is going to be this year,” quarterback Garrett Shrader said during training camp.

That’s where the bar — and the expectations — started for Syracuse’s season: be better than last year.

The expectations for SU were low to start the year, hence the constant comparisons and references to avoiding a repeat of 2020, but performances midway through the season inched the bar higher and higher. The Orange flashed potential when they proved they could keep up with the Atlantic Coast Conference’s best. Syracuse proved a bowl game was a realistic benchmark to define a successful year.

Fans’ expectations inched higher, too. And then, with a bowl game in the realm of see unsuccessful page 13

W

hen Rex Culpepper mistakenly spiked the ball on fourth-and-goal in Syracuse’s last game of 2020, head coach Dino Babers officially entered his make-or-break season. Following the Orange’s worst season in over 15 years, Babers needed a bounce-back season in 2021 to keep his job.

Syracuse finished 5-7 this year, a four-win CONNOR improvement from 2020. SU fans complained SMITH throughout the season about Babers’ decisionCONNOR’S making and some pleaded for his firing. But on CORNER Monday, Director of Athletics John Wildhack defended the coach, announcing that Babers would return in 2022.

This was Babers’ make-or-break season. And he didn’t break. Sure, there were some questionable coaching decisions against Wake Forest, Clemson and Pittsburgh. In hindsight, SU should’ve run the ball on fourth down against Clemson instead of kicking the game-tying field goal, and it should’ve given Sean Tucker more than 13 carries against Pittsburgh. And sure, the Orange won’t be playing in a bowl game later this month.

But Babers did enough.

Syracuse showed improvement this season, and Babers helped develop a likely first-team All-American running back in the backfield. Babers transformed his once see successful page 12

women’s basketball

SU breaks inside paint in upset over No. 18 Ohio State

By Anthony Alandt asst. digital editor

During a stretch to end the third quarter, the new amalgamation of transfers, freshmen and coaches came together for the first time this season. Syracuse hung with No. 18 Ohio State for much of the game, something it hadn’t done in marquee games against Notre Dame

and USF. But then Christianna Carr pulled up from mid-range and got the Orange back on track following a 10-second violation. She followed that up with a catch-and-shoot 3, pumping her right fist in excitement following the shot.

Multiple Syracuse players hinted prior to the game at real chemistry being built, and acting head coach Vonn Read said the team is

beginning to adjust to its personnel. One of the main storylines prior to the season was SU’s lack of size. Then the Orange proceeded to beat its first ranked team as a unit.

Syracuse was no stranger to beating ranked teams last year. But this win meant the first ranked win of the season for Read, and the first for seven transfer players in the Carrier Dome when the Orange (4-4,

0-1 Atlantic Coast) stumped No. 18 Ohio State (5-1) 97-91.

In the early stages of Wednesday night’s game, Syracuse attempted to drive and penetrate the Buckeye defense. But OSU stood tall and forced Chrislyn Carr and Teisha Hyman to fade away to the right on two consecutive possessions, leading to poorly-taken off-balance shots. Those off-balanced shots

quickly turned into makes, quick catch-and-shoot attempts that hardly rattled the rim as they smoothly fell through the net.

Unlike its up-and-down success from deep, Syracuse tends to shoot around 45%, with the exception of a horrific 28.6% against Notre Dame.

But in the first quarter against Ohio State, Syracuse couldn’t get it to fall see ohio

State page 12