Dec. 6, 2021

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N • Application insight

dailyorange.com

S • Recruiting from Hawaii

C • Freestyling R&B

Current graduate students shared personal experiences about applying to graduate programs, both at and away from Syracuse University.

Page 3

Dino Babers was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and he’s recently used his ties to Hawaiian culture to bring recruits to Syracuse.

Page 12

ISHE, an SU junior, makes music that reminds listeners that it is okay to feel emotions. The R&B artist plans to drop a mixtape next year and will open at the Westcott Theater on Tuesday evening.

Page 7

Denying responsibility SU has denied legal responsibility for sexual abuse by a former student and coach

By Michael Sessa enterprise editor

Editor’s Note: This story contains details of sexual abuse.

S

ince New York state passed the Child Victims Act in 2019, at least seven men have sued Syracuse University for its role in their sexual abuse by Conrad Mainwaring, a former graduate student, employee and coach.

The legislation, which extended the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, opened a two-year window that afforded survivors the opportunity to seek civil justice from the institutions involved in their abuse.

In each of the four lawsuits brought by the seven men, the university has denied all responsibility. Among its defenses is the notion that Mainwaring, who survivors say used his status at the university to abuse them, was never formally involved in its athletics program.

A review of archival materials, university records and court documents, as well as interviews with former coaches and athletes, showed Mainwaring maintained a close relationship with SU’s cross country and track and field teams — a relationship the university repeatedly downplayed or omitted in public statements and litigation.

That relationship — one that records and interviews suggest was likely sanctioned by university officials and well known by some students and employees — is what enabled Mainwaring to abuse minors and young adults for years at SU unchecked, survivors and experts told The Daily Orange.

The allegations involving Mainwaring and SU became public in August 2019

photo illustration by meghan hendricks asst. photo editor, photo courtesy of su archives

when ESPN published an investigation detailing decades of abuse by the former Olympian and coach at colleges, camps and tracks across two continents. Mainwaring was arrested in February 2021 on charges related to abuse at a Massachusetts camp where he worked prior to SU. In a statement shortly after ESPN

published its investigation, Chancellor Kent Syverud acknowledged that Mainwaring had earned a graduate degree from SU and worked in a residence hall in the early 1980s. The university first learned of an allegation against Mainwaring from the 1980s in February 2019 and immediately contacted

police, Syverud wrote. The university also hired an external law firm to conduct a review of the allegation, he said.

Absent from Syverud’s universitywide communication was any mention of Mainwaring’s ties to the university’s ath letics program — ties survivors say were

see mainwaring page 4

mainwaring investigation

SU policies can still leave minors vulnerable to abuse

By Michael Sessa enterprise editor

Editor’s Note: This story contains details of sexual abuse.

More than three decades after Conrad Mainwaring allegedly abused young athletes and prospective students, Syracuse University implemented its first comprehensive policy for protecting minors.

A review of the university’s policies illuminates critical gaps that experts on sexual abuse prevention

and response said can make it difficult for employees to best protect young people. The strongest policies, they said, are accessible, direct and thorough in addressing the unique needs of the organizations they are designed for — areas where SU’s otherwise sturdy policies sometimes falter.

“Based on the reality of the prevalence of sexual harassment, assault and abuse, there is a great likelihood that it will somehow impact your institution and the people that you serve,” said Laura Palumbo, the communications director at the National

Sexual Violence Resource Center.

“Part of where transparency starts is having policies that are very outright and accessible to the members of your community.”

Prior to 2019, policies addressing sexual misconduct and interactions with minors at SU were scattered.

A review of archived policies and administrative records turned up numerous SU pamphlets on sexual harassment and memos to faculty and staff about misconduct, but few enumerated policies governing the conduct of volunteers and employees.

The Safety of Minors and Abuse Reporting Policy, which SU implemented in 2019, was meant to change that. The policy codified existing practices related to youth programs and supplements conduct codes and sexual abuse prevention policies, a university spokesperson said in a statement. It mandates background checks and training for all employees and volunteers who might interact with minors and requires that programs serving minors be registered with the university.

But the policy doesn’t address

complaints or allegations that haven’t resulted in an arrest, leaving opportunities for experienced abusers to gain access to young people without detection.

“A lot of people escape the attention of human resources departments because we’re not asking the right questions on the application,” said Camille Cooper, the vice president of public policy at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Abusers are often able to avoid detection by institutions

see policies page 4

2 dec. 6, 2021

about

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NEWS “There is no other college that would’ve allowed that. ... That wouldn’t exist anywhere, but it existed at Syracuse University.” - Andrew Roberts, former cross country and track and field coach Page 3

OPINION “It was a split-second decision, but I had been preparing for this moment for almost 20 years: to recognize my disability, embrace it and stop being afraid of the strange looks people give me when they see it.” - Renci Mercy Xie, SU law student Page 5

CULTURE “My music makes you want to fall in love, cry or spend some time with that special person.” - ISHE, musician Page 7

SPORTS “Knowing that they came from the same school I did — them being from the same school just shows that I can do it too.” - Kalan Ellis, offensive lineman Page 12

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Noteworthy events this week.

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WHEN: Monday, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Virtual WHAT: 14th Annual SU Songwriter Showcase WHEN: Monday, 7-8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Watson Hall Theater

NEWS

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

PAG E 3

dec. 6, 2021

graduate students

mainwaring investigation

Legislation could bring survivors justice Students give grad application advice

By Shantel Guzman asst. digital editor

Conrad Mainwaring met a student he would eventually sexually abuse in Brewster Hall in the '80s. Allegations involving Mainwaring surfaced in August 2019. gavin liddell staff photographer

By Michael Sessa enterprise editor

Editor’s Note: This story contains details of sexual abuse.

When Robert Bender arrived at Brewster Hall in 1980, Conrad Mainwaring was the first person he met.

“He was the face of Syracuse University,” Bender said.

Mainwaring, who worked in a residence hall at the time, introduced himself while leading Bender and his mother up the stairs.

When he learned that Bender was a gymnast, Mainwaring, a former Olympian who was studying and coaching at SU, became excited, Bender said.

In the following weeks, Mainwaring watched Bender practice at Archbold Gymnasium. He told stories about the Olympics.

Eventually, Mainwaring sexually assaulted Bender.

But unlike the survivors who have sued SU for employing the man who abused them as children, Bender has no legal recourse. He is just six months older than some of the plaintiffs currently battling the university in court, but because Bender was 18 when Mainwaring began abusing him, he cannot sue.

Survivors, legislators and advocacy groups hope the Adult Survivors Act will change that. If passed, the act would open a one-year window that would allow adult survivors to sue institutions involved in their sexual abuse.

“It is for a chance at stating in public, in a court of law, what happened to them,” said Linda Rosenthal, a New York State Assembly member who helped introduce the act in 2019. “It is really to give them

an opportunity to state their case, to say this happened to me, and also to serve as a warning for possible future victims.”

Rosenthal became involved with ASA after spending more than 13 years working to pass the Child Victims Act, she said. The CVA, which lengthened civil statutes of limitations, also opened a one-year window for survivors of child sexual abuse to sue. The window was eventually extended an additional year due to the pandemic.

More than 10,000 complaints were filed in the two-year period after New York passed the CVA in 2019. The defendants include thousands of Catholic clergy, more than a thousand Boy Scout leaders and dozens of teachers, coaches and others. As the number of claims climbed, four Catholic dioceses in the state — Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Long Island’s Rockville Centre — have declared bankruptcy, as have the Boy Scouts of America.

“After that, it was just natural to go onto the next group of people who needed their shot at justice, and those are people who were over 18 at the time of their abuse, and that’s what the ASA addresses,” Rosenthal said.

Suing institutions that played a role in abuse is one of the only ways to ensure powerful entities change their behavior, said Michael Polenberg, the vice president of government affairs at Safe Horizon, a nonprofit survivor services organization based in New York City.

“If they’re not held responsible for covering up abuse or hiding abuse or failing to take action if abuse was known, there’s not much incentive for them to change,” Polenberg said. “The change that we’ve seen, these changes happen

because of civil liability. These changes happen because somebody has been held to account and brought to justice.”

But moving the ASA forward has proven difficult. Although the CVA faced opposition — largely from powerful institutions with a vested interest in fending off potential lawsuits — legislators and others advocating for the ASA have had a harder time identifying its adversaries.

“There isn’t that same kind of defined cast of characters opposing the bill, at least not that we can tell,” Polenberg said. “But there are some misperceptions among some members of the assembly that, while they may understand why a child may not have been able to come forward before the statute ran out, an adult should have known.”

When the assembly’s next session begins in January, Rosenthal expects more legislator visits.

Speaking face-to-face with survivors will help legislators understand why some adult survivors don’t immediately disclose their abuse, she said.

Bender, along with other adult survivors of abuse, has appeared in a public service announcement produced by Safe Horizon to support the legislation. He also co-wrote an opinion piece about the ASA with Robert Druger, one of the men suing SU for its role in his abuse by Mainwaring in the 1980s.

Bender said he is unsure if he will pursue legal action against SU if the act were to become law, but he’d like the opportunity. Passing the act would bring New York closer to a set of laws informed by the realities of sexual abuse and responsive to the roles institutions played in providing abusers like Mainwaring access to the people they abused,

Bender said.

“It’s fair to hold the university accountable as an entity, regardless of whether it’s 1960 or 2000, because it lives on — its reputation and its history — it builds on itself,” Bender said. “(Mainwaring) was a representative of Syracuse University at the dorm, and he certainly had an official status there. And he benefited from having that status, that position at the dorm. He had students coming in and out of there all the time.”

SU condemns sexual misconduct, assault and harassment and has policies and procedures in place to support the reporting and investigation of allegations, said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president of university communications, in a statement. “We work aggressively, along with our community members, to create a campus environment dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence and that is supportive of survivors who come forward to report any act of sexual misconduct.”

Rosenthal said she understands the legal and financial interests that can make it difficult for large institutions, like SU, to admit wrongdoing. She hopes the ASA might convince leaders to prioritize safety over money and reputation, she said.

“Ultimately, those who are fighting this have to live with themselves,” Rosenthal said. “You can come clean, admit your mistakes, maybe even have to pay. But then you can move forward with a clear, bright future, not under the cloud of having enabled an abuser — having protected an abuser — choosing an abuser over vulnerable students and young people.” @MichaelSessa3 msessa@syr.edu

The number of Americans who hold master’s degrees has increased from 10.4 million in 2000 to 21 million in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the Council of Graduate Schools, applications in the U.S. increased by 7.3% for the fall 2020 semester.

Connecting with people already in graduate programs is a good way of gaining insight into both the application process and the programs, said Phillandra Smith, an SU doctoral candidate.

“Once I identified schools, I emailed people at the schools to get some more direction in terms of what does the application process look like, what kind of things are you looking for in the student,” Smith said.

Finances are a factor to be considered when applying to graduate schools, said Daniel Olson-Bang, the director of Professional and Career Development for SU’s Graduate School.

“People should know what types of careers there are on the other side of (graduate school).

They should have a sense of how this will connect to a future career, how long it will take, and how much it’ll cost,” Olson-Bang said.

When reflecting on his own graduate school application process, Newhouse graduate student Cale Clinton emphasized the importance of doing research.

“Making connections to current employees or alumni will help make the best decision for you,” Clinton said.

Many students contemplate whether they should pursue a graduate degree or a gap year straight out of undergraduate studies, Olson-Bang said. “(By waiting),​​you can gain a lot of insight into yourself and what you’re really looking for,” Olson-Bang said.

“You might have a bit of a sharper understanding — because you’re already in the workforce.”

González entered graduate school straight from undergraduate and sees the benefits of both paths.

“I feel like for some people, if you take a gap year you kind of get comfortable with the idea of not doing anything,” González said.

Milliner said that students who are committed to learning and furthering themselves academically will especially thrive in graduate school.

“In undergraduate we may fall into the trap or habit where we expect … to go to college, so we don’t fully immerse ourselves in the undergraduate experience,” Milliner said. “So I’d say graduate school is for those who are willing to learn, willing to really experience what an education is.” @ShantelGuzman2 sguzma01@syr.edu

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

4 dec. 6, 2021

from page 1

mainwaring fundamental in Mainwaring luring young people to classrooms and dorms where he molested and assaulted them.

One lawsuit alleges that Mainwaring used his Brewster, Boland and Brockway halls dorm room to rub, fondle and masturbate one survivor from the age of 17 until he graduated from the university. Another survivor claims Mainwaring invited him to his dorm and sexually assaulted him as a 16- and 17-year-old. In both cases, Mainwaring met with the survivors under the guise of physical therapy and mental training sessions, the lawsuits claim.

Mainwaring, another survivor claims, molested him in an empty university classroom during a campus tour in 1981. Mainwaring told the then 17-year-old that he could introduce the plaintiff to SU’s track and basketball teams and make him a better athlete by demonstrating various training techniques.

Another lawsuit alleges that Mainwaring used his employment at SU “to engage in a pattern and practice of sexually abusing minor students” under the guise of mental training, counseling and hypnosis. SU failed to supervise its students, faculty, staff and coaches — including Mainwaring — and failed to protect students from foreseeable harm, the lawsuit claims.

“Syracuse wasn’t prepared for Conrad,” said Andrew Roberts, a former cross country and track and field coach who arrived at SU in 1984. Roberts described an “infantile” program, where local club teams and university students practiced in the same chaotic space. Throwers almost hit runners. Access to buildings was unrestricted. Outside teams regularly interrupted practices.

“There is no other college that would’ve allowed that,” Roberts said. “That wouldn’t exist anywhere, but it existed at Syracuse University.”

By the time Roberts arrived at SU, Mainwaring was largely on the outskirts, seemingly more involved with other athletic activities occurring in Manley Field House than with SU’s own teams, Roberts said. It was clear that Mainwaring previously worked with SU’s teams and was well known to SU employees, he said.

Mike Woicik, an assistant track coach in the 1980s, recalled that Mainwaring offered to assist with coaching. At the time, just three people coached both the men’s and women’s teams, and the coaching staff was happy to have help, Woicik said.

Mainwaring, who had competed at the 1976 Olympics as a hurdler, was knowledgeable and helped officiate at meets, he said. Woicik didn’t from page 1

policies where they have access to young people because they have never been arrested for their crimes, Cooper said. Criminal background checks, by their nature, won’t turn up investigations or allegations of misconduct that never resulted in an arrest or that were handled by institutions internally, she said.

SU’s policies require volunteers and employees who interact with minors to undergo background checks which include criminal history record checks at the state and federal level, sex offender registry checks and child protective services checks at the state level.

An SU spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about whether the university conducts any additional checks that would turn up concerning behavior that didn’t result in an arrest.

The spokesperson also didn’t respond to questions about the disclosure of alleged and proven misconduct by employees or volunteers to those people’s future employers — a common oversight survivors said allowed Mainwaring to abuse young people across two continents for nearly 40 years.

“Sometimes what ends up happening, particularly in educational institutions, whether it’s K-12 or whether it’s higher ed, you might have someone who has previous allegations at other places they’ve worked, and there might have been an administrative hearing or something and then they move on,” Cooper said. “Institutions of education across the board need to do a better job of screening applicants for previous

recall first meeting Mainwaring or details about how Mainwaring became involved with the teams.

Roberts didn’t recall any formal application process for volunteers.

Newspaper archives and university photo collections also showcase Mainwaring’s involvement with SU’s athletics program. An April 1981 edition of The Daily Orange notes that Mainwaring would be assisting Jan Vilbert Samuelson, a then-newly appointed assistant track and field and cross country coach, in the upcoming season. A 1983 track and field team photograph shows Mainwaring standing just one person over from head coach Andrew Jugan. At least one of the athletes Mainwaring allegedly abused is also in the photo.

But in court, SU repeatedly challenged survivors of abuse who said they met Mainwaring through his connections with the university’s athletics program.

“Although the conduct alleged to have been committed by Mainwaring is reprehensible, the complaint is bereft of any facts indicating that SU was responsible for it,” the university’s lawyers wrote in response to one of the lawsuits.

On multiple occasions, the university’s lawyers argued that survivors haven’t provided enough evidence to prove that Mainwaring abused boys and young men via any formal connection to the university. Such arguments appear more than a dozen times across various documents filed in the four lawsuits, a review of the dockets shows.

In two of the four lawsuits against SU, a judge struck down those arguments for now. The survivors provided enough evidence that Mainwaring used his role at SU to commit his crimes for the lawsuits to proceed, the judge decided.

“The plaintiffs did allege, at least for the purpose of being able to overcome the motion to defend at this point, that the opportunity to commit the offenses was based on Mainwaring’s association with the defendant university,” the judge said in a virtual meeting in June.

In April, the university appealed that decision to the state supreme court.

SU used other legal arguments to dodge responsibility for Mainwaring’s abuse. In one lawsuit, the university argued that it didn’t owe survivors of abuse who were unaffiliated with the university protection.

“Neither plaintiff pleads a connection to SU beyond their alleged presence on SU’s campus at the time of the alleged assaults,” the university’s lawyers wrote in arguments to dismiss one of the lawsuits. Merely being present on campus — even if invited there by Mainwaring — is not enough to hold SU responsible for the resulting

conduct, they claimed.

The university argued in some cases that survivors who were 17 at the time of their abuse cannot sustain their claim under the Child Victims Act because they were of the legal age of consent in New York when it occurred.

“Plaintiffs plead themselves out of this definition because the conduct at issue occurred when they were at least 17 years old — the legal age of consent — and plaintiffs fail to allege, using any specific facts, that Mainwaring forced or coerced or threatened to engage in sexual activity,” SU lawyers wrote in attempts to dismiss one of the lawsuits.

The argument has puzzled survivors and experts on abuse who say sexual abuse inherently involves force, coercion and threats. The survivors’ lawyers responded similarly, reaffirming that Mainwaring used his power and position at SU to access and abuse their clients.

Sarah Scalese, the senior associate vice president for university communications, said the university will not comment on litigation or litigation strategy related to the cases involving Mainwaring.

“Every lawsuit the institution faces is unique, and the university’s legal response is driven by the law and the particular facts of each case,” she said in an email statement. “Syracuse University condemns sexual misconduct, assault and harassment and has clear policies and procedures in place to support the reporting, investigation and adjudication of allegations. We work aggressively, along with our community members, to create a campus environment dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence and that is supportive of survivors who come forward to report any act of sexual misconduct.”

Survivors and some experts said that the kinds of legal arguments SU has utilized can undermine an institution’s supposed support for survivors. Some worry that SU’s reluctance to share complete information about Mainwaring’s time at the university and its responses to survivors in court could discourage other members of the campus community from reporting abuse — especially on a campus where only 5% of those sexually abused report it to the university.

Civil recourse is often the clearest path to legal accountability for survivors of sexual abuse, said Laura Palumbo, the communications director at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The way institutions respond in court can have serious implications for survivors of abuse — both those involved in the lawsuits and those who aren’t, she said.

“It’s a really important option for us to have because, so often, a lack of action on behalf of institutions and issues with addressing sexual

harassment, assault and abuse has to do with institutions really trying to protect themselves against liability,” Palumbo said. “And by trying to protect themselves against liability, being complicit in the patterns of abuse and assault.”

The university declined The D.O.’s requests to speak to university officials about the impact its arguments in the courtroom could have on survivors of abuse or reporting of abuse at SU, citing pending litigation.

The university retained the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm to conduct a “confidential and privileged external review” of the allegations against Mainwaring, Scalese said. The university declined to provide any information about the review itself and would not answer questions about the firm’s goals, any potential timelines for the review’s completion or whether any of its results will be made public.

SU also declined interview requests related to hiring, background checks and the retention of employment and volunteer records. Emails and calls to the Office of Athletic Compliance, which is responsible for overseeing related policies in the university’s athletics program, were not returned.

“Honesty with your community is one of the most important ways that an institution can be accountable,” Palumbo said. “What that looks like is publicly owning the areas where there have been missteps and also helping the community to understand how things have changed.

Unless an institution has owned the ways that they have been harmful and contributed to abuse and assault, it is very difficult for people to have confidence in the institution in today’s context, even if there’s been a significant changeover in administration.”

Institutions have compelling legal and financial interests that can explain their reluctance to speak openly about legal matters, said Donald Palmer, a professor at University of California, Davis who studies child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations and organizational wrongdoing. But protecting those interests has repercussions, he said.

“While we might like the world to be different, the reality is the heads of institutions are going to protect the institution, the lawyers are contractually obligated, professionally obligated to do so, and they’re going to do things that are first and foremost not in the best interests of the members, the students,” Palmer said. “That’s just the reality. Now, what’s the consequence of that? The consequence is a lack of trust.”

possible red flags.”

SU said, in a public statement and in court, that it first became aware of allegations involving Mainwaring in February 2019. Survivors suing the university allege officials knew of the abuse in the 1980s and failed to act — a claim SU’s lawyers say lacks evidence.

Experts on abuse prevention and reporting also point to accessibility as a crucial element of effective policies. Strong policies are easy to read and clear in communicating the chain of command, they said.

SU’s policies carve out exceptions that defer the protection of minors to various entities on campus and beyond. Each entity has its own set of policies and procedures, some of which proved challenging to find.

The Office of Institutional Risk Management oversees the university’s overarching minors protection policy. A university spokesperson was unsure when the office began operating at SU but said it “has been for many years providing guidance and oversight of university programs involving minors.”

Recruited athlete visits and university tours — two ways that Mainwaring lured young people to campus ahead of abusing them — are subject to separate procedures. Employees at the Office of Institutional Risk Management did not respond to emails requesting clarification about these exceptions, the procedures that govern them or where those procedures can be located.

In a phone call, the office’s interim director said it would not answer The Daily Orange’s questions about the policy or its exceptions.

Prospective students who participate in offi-

cial tours by the Office of Admissions are accompanied by a parent, guardian or other adult chaperone, said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications, in a statement to The D.O. Recruited athlete visits, while listed as an exception to the overall policy, are governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and university rules, she said. Prospective student athletes who stay overnight at the university are subject to a pre-approval process, and a parent or guardian must consent to their child staying overnight. Student athletes who host prospective student athletes must also be pre-approved, receive training about supervising minors and opt in to a background check, she said.

Phone calls to the Office of Athletic Compliance, which oversees university compliance with NCAA policies, and emails to its director went unanswered.

Donald Palmer, a professor at the University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management, said institutions should be careful not to implement so many policies that they become difficult to follow. Palmer studies child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations and was part of a team that created a user-friendly interface for organizations looking to develop childsafe policies.

“The more rules and regulations you write, the more complicated it becomes to follow them,” Palmer said. “It often happens that people stop following certain procedures.”

SU’s policies require all university employees, including anyone participating in programs or activities involving minors on campus

or sponsored by the university, to report suspected child abuse — a requirement multiple experts applauded. They also said the university made the right decision by immediately contacting police when alerted in February 2019 to allegations of abuse by Mainwaring dating back to the 1980s.

“You really want to get it out of the hands of the institution because it’s always going to have an inherent interest in minimizing the severity of the disclosure,” Palmer said.

The lag in reporting of abuse is one of the key challenges in assessing the effectiveness of university policies meant to shield young people from abuse. Since some abuse isn’t uncovered for decades after it occurs, it can be hard to say whether policies in place now are working, Palmer said.

Cooper, whose work with RAINN has included securing funding for sexual violence programming and addressing campus sexual violence, said organizations with youth in their care need to understand the realities of how abusers operate to best protect their members.

“It’s important for everyone to understand that offenders are very sophisticated deceivers, and they are exceptionally good at leading double lives,” Cooper said. “Any organization, whether it’s an educational organization or the Boy Scouts or a church, you have to be very careful about who you allow into those positions.”

@MichaelSessa3 msessa@syr.edu

@MichaelSessa3 msessa@syr.edu

OPINION

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

PAG E 5

dec. 6, 2021

personal essay

Disability isn’t an identity, it’s a limitation society creates

By Our Reader

“

Don’t get any blood on my seat covers,” the taxi driver said. I couldn’t feel anything, all I saw was the yellow of my severed tendons drenched in what looked like tomato juice. I lost consciousness when my right leg was crushed. I woke up under the bus and all I could see was tubing and the backside of large tires. I was loaded into a taxi with my mother, her left leg was missing at the knee. I was 4 years old — at the time I remember thinking that I’d be missing my ballet class.

The next image I remember was the shaky ceiling of the hospital stairway. Since there was no elevator, I was placed on a stretcher for the doctors to carry to the emergency room. I was hospitalized on the fifth floor and my mom’s room was on the sixth floor.

Having just lost my right leg, I couldn’t use a cane, so I had to use a stool to move my body to get to my mom when no one else was around.

Taking the stairs with a stool is dangerous and I often fell down the stairs.

I took stairs all the time when I was in China, at first with a stool to see my mother in the hospital and later with a prosthetic leg to go to school.

There were no elevators in my elementary school, middle school or high school. As my grade level grew, the floor where my classroom was located became higher. The school wasn’t very big then and my weight was low, so taking the stairs with a cane hurt me, but it wasn’t unbearable. After graduating from high school, I was admitted to

Southwest University of Political Science and Law, one of the oldest law schools in China. The school is located in the mountain city, Chongqing, famous for its hilly landscape.

There was a long, steep slope between my dorm room and the teaching building, both of which had no elevators. Moreover, the freshman classes were usually above the fourth floor. Seven years later, I still remember why I skipped class for the first time: my shoulder and leg were in too much pain and I couldn’t take the stairs any longer, especially after seeing my non-disabled classmates take the stairs so easily.

This was the first time in my life that I realized that I was “disabled.”

But at 18 years old, I thought if the school building had an elevator, I wouldn’t have to take the stairs with pain and I wouldn’t be forced to tell myself that I was different from everyone else. I was not “disabled.”

I encountered long, painful stairs on my way to class, which are my barriers to class and university activities.

In my sophomore year, I met Professor Zhu, who taught our human rights course at that time. One day, I was in Professor Zhu’s office and asked him the question that had always puzzled me: Why was I the only student with a disability in my school? Why are disability rights protections so bad? “Because the existence of people with disabilities is not known, it is difficult to guarantee rights,” Professor Zhu said. “You should speak up for the disability community.”

“Can I?” This was the first time

someone said that to me, so I felt surprised and scared.

“If you can’t, who can? If you don’t stand up for the community, who will?” My professor was very firm. My scalp tingled and in that moment, I realized the privilege I had. As a disabled woman from a poor family, I could go to a regular school, I could take the university entrance exam, I could go to a nationally recognized law school — I was really lucky. And because I had been limited to my own experience, I never thought that I could also use my law major and knowledge to change the unfair situation for people with disabilities.

After that, I read more books about disabilities and interned at One Plus One, an organization to help disabled people in Beijing, both of which gave me a deeper understanding of disabilities. At that time, I started using a prosthetic leg and because I wanted to cover my two different legs, I wore long pants even in the summer heat. But my crooked walking posture still drew cautious glances from people who walked by.

During an ordinary day in a clothing store, I was in front of the mirror holding a skirt that I couldn’t remember the style of, but I remember clearly the careful gaze of the clerk who looked at my right leg.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I went back to my place and tore off the outer wrapping of my prosthetic leg to reveal the blue steel tube inside.

I cut off the right leg of my jeans to reveal my prosthetic leg, went to the store and bought a dress to change

immediately. It was a split-second decision, but I had been preparing for this moment for almost 20 years: to recognize my disability, embrace it and stop being afraid of the strange looks people give me when they see it.

Since then, I no longer cover up my disability. I won’t be ashamed of it anymore. It is designers who should be ashamed of their barren imagination when they cannot access space on an equal basis with non-disabled people.

People are not flawed; it is design that is flawed, the technology is flawed.

I was awarded a full scholarship to Syracuse University College of Law to pursue a Master of Laws in the Disability Law and Policy Program in 2019. Every morning, an accessible bus picks me up from class, and the law school building is equipped with accessible facilities so I don’t have to worry about where to go to class or whether I need to climb the stairs.

During my first year at Syracuse University, I rarely felt my disability because the barriers between me and society were removed by the robust and effective implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, my options changed so quickly. I feel the pain of my disability clearer than before when I was younger and healthier. As a disability law student, I know that explaining disability in terms of social barriers is the easiest way to get social change, however, I must admit that there is no way to get beyond my physical body. When I lay in bed by myself late at night without communicating with anyone or any space, it is the disability that

brings me pain. Disability, through pain, manifests its independence on me. If we only focus on social barriers and ignore individuals suffering from pain, we dissolve the light of the individual in the face of pain and suffering.

I thought SU was a fully accessible place until I discussed reasonable facilities with friends with other types of disabilities. One of my friends uses a wheelchair and he told me that most school buildings are not accessible for him at all. I didn’t understand because there are elevators in almost all teaching buildings.

“The elevator is so hard to find, and most of them are far away from the entrance,” my friend explained.

“I am nervous each time I enter a new school building.” Five years later, from China to America, I realized my privileges again: having a new law school building that was completely accessible to me and using an expensive and high-tech prosthetic leg to walk. But not all people could find the accessible entrance or elevators easily. The narrow aisles also prevent my friend from freely moving in the classroom.

So, disability is all a meditation on how people face and treat the possible limitations of the physical body.

A design that is friendly to people with disabilities will surely benefit all because disability is not a fixed identity of the individual. It is a state brought about by the flowing limitations of society or individuals. Everyone has been, is or will be a person with a disability.

Renci Mercy Xie, SU College of Law student

column

Classes, finals after Thanksgiving break should be remote

By Hannah Karlin columnist

T

he few weeks between Thanksgiving break and winter break can be the most brutal time of the semester for Syracuse University students. The stress in this period is not only due to the proximity of finals, but is also caused by the fact that this is a short period of time for students to be on campus.

Last year, SU students went home for Thanksgiving break and did not return until the second semester.

Although this “accelerated schedule” was due to COVID-19, some students experienced positive outcomes because they did not return to campus after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The short transition time between breaks can be emotionally challenging for students. The transition from home

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to campus, then back home, all in the span of less than a month is extremely difficult. Many students long for the comfort of home, resulting in a lack of focus on their impending finals.

Ellie Bass, a freshman at SU, spoke about the difficulties students face when coming back to campus after Thanksgiving break. Bass said she experienced the difficulty of immersion going home, surrounded by family and friends and then rapidly returning to college life.

“As much as I love college, I miss home at times. After coming back from a short Thanksgiving break, I experienced more unease than usual,” she said.

The uniqueness of the short duration home and the brief study-dominant duration back at school makes Thanksgiving break problematic. During this pre-finals period, students are

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tirelessly preparing for their upcoming finals. This is a time when focus is of utmost importance, but many students find themselves not being able to.

“I found that upon returning to campus, I couldn’t focus, as well,” Bass said.

Madison Barretta, a sophomore during the fall of 2020, felt that the difficult transition outweighed the benefits of being on campus.

“Going home for a week and then coming back only to go home in two weeks just isn’t the best idea when it comes to students’ mental health,” she said.

Furthermore, for many students the time back at school is even more truncated. Some students have finals either prior to or during exam week. Freshman Chris Biniaris finishes finals on the last day of classes, so he plans to fly home on Dec. 9. He

said that the short duration at school seemed not worth the transition between home and school.

Student travel costs are also an extremely valid reason to remain at home for the three-week period. A lot of SU students live in faraway locations.

SU students come from 120 countries and all 50 states, according to SU. The cost of traveling home can be very expensive. Additionally, since Thanksgiving is a family-oriented holiday, many families do their best to bring their child home, despite the cost. The burden of two extra transportation costs — travel back to Syracuse after Thanksgiving break and then back home for winter break — for such a short period may not be merited. A transition to remote learning during this post-Thanksgiving period needs further deliberation at the administrative level.

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The two weeks of in-person classes is a minimal contribution to a semester of education — much of the content has already been touched on and may remain equally influential and informative on Zoom. Similarly, instructors already have virtual office hours which would parallel a period of Zoom classes.

Remote learning after Thanksgiving break seems appropriate with the current climate of education. Many professors assign final exams in a virtual testing format and essays can typically be written from most locations, therefore SU should permanently implement last year’s schedule and allow students to stay home between Thanksgiving and winter break.

Hannah Karlin is a freshman English major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at hekarlin@syr.edu.

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screentime column

‘The Last Duel’ gets unfair critiques

By Lucy Messineo-Witt photo editor

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

ISHE, a Syracuse University junior and musician, has known the stage is his second home since performing at a concert in Zimbabwe at 13 years old.

meghan hendricks asst. photo editor

Second home on stage R&B student musician ISHE likes to freestyle lyrics rather than write them out before studio sessions

By Elijah Brown

contributing writer

A

s then 13-year-old singer ISHĒ took the stage of an international festival in Zimbabwe, his brows knitted together, and his eyes bulged in excitement. The musician remembers the exhilarated crowd of 7,000 people. He began his solo performance of a Jackson 5 song, and everything went silent.

The pulse of the audience rang in ISHĒ’s ear.

At this moment, ISHĒ knew the stage would become his second home, he said.

Flash forward a few years, and ISHĒ has performed at several Syracuse University events. The SU junior’s most recent performance at the African Student Union’s fashion

show left the audience in a standing ovation.

ISHĒ, who is from Zimbabwe, characterizes his soulful R&B music as selffulfilling, affirming that there’s something for everyone in his music. The SU political science junior will open for hip-hop artist Riff Raff at the Westcott Theater on Tuesday evening, and next year he will drop a mixtape. As of recently, ISHĒ said he is freestyling lyrics during studio sessions at The Candy Shop Recording Studio in Syracuse rather than writing them down in advance. In a time when so many artists are hostile toward life, his music reminds listeners that it is OK to feel, ISHĒ said.

“My music makes you want to fall in love, cry or spend some time with that special person,” ISHĒ added.

ISHĒ, whose real name is Tinashe Mutasa, started piano lessons when he was four.

His mom enrolled him after she saw how much he enjoyed performing.

“I remember singing and getting on tables to perform any chance I got,” ISHĒ said. “My piano teacher was the first person to discover my voice and ear for music.”

In elementary school, ISHĒ started guitar lessons, and he recalled one of his favorite class activities was freestyling over his teachers’ original songs.

Heavily interested in songwriting and his new passion for guitar, ISHĒ put aside his piano lessons. For the next few years, he focused on developing his singing. It was not until he turned 17 that he began

I love to write but oftentimes after you write that one song and it goes well, you start to chase that one song. It’s all about feeling.

ISHE su student musician

see ishe page 8

Marguerite de Carrouges stands over a bloody battlefield watching her husband risk both of their lives for justice. Her fate is completely in their hands, but her stoic face is at the center of it all.

Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” is a big-budget retelling of a historical event: France’s last sanctioned duel in 1386. The film centers on, among other things, rape.

It is also a story about loyalty, marriage and gender in the ruthless medieval France, giving audiences a glimpse into the customs and systems of this period.

The story starts with two squires, Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) fighting in battle, side by side. Soon, they come into their own conflict, which escalates to the extreme when Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer), accuses Le Gris of raping her. The same events unfold from three times through the movie, each from the perspective of these three characters.

“The Last Duel” arrived in theaters after being delayed almost a year due to the pandemic. It grossed $27 million worldwide, an abysmal return for its $100 million budget. These numbers are low even for the pandemic box office, but director Scott did not blame Disney-acquired 20th Century Fox for poor marketing — instead he asserted that millennial audiences were simply not willing to receive his film.

Scott’s holier-than-thou comments were not well-received by many on Twitter, opening up a discourse about why this starstudded historical epic bombed in a relatively good market. The film was publicized as an alternatively structured, feminist-leaning story of sexual assualt.

It is easy to see 83-year-old Scott aggressively defending his mostly male-led film and assume that he has completely missed the feminist mark, and to dismiss the film as another male-directed, male-centric, Bechdel-fail nightmare like writer Andi Zeisler did in this now-deleted tweet. While this assumption is easy, it is reductive and wrong.

Those Twitter critics probably didn’t watch “The Last Duel,” because they haven’t observed the main point of the movie — the structure. The three perspectives contrast Marguerite’s experience with Jacque’s and Jean’s abuse and lies.

Largely ignored in this discourse is Oscar-nominated see last

duel page 8

8 dec. 6, 2021

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from the stage

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‘Monday Memos’ bring fans closer to NONEWFRIENDS.

By Sydney Pollack asst. culture editor

During Halloween weekend, student band NONEWFRIENDS. organized a two-day festival called “Spook Ball” with nine other student bands. Anyone who wanted to attend could text 315-509-9511 to RSVP and get the address for the shows. By the time they were done, Jackson Siporin, saxophonist and guitarist for the band, realized they had over 500 phone numbers.

“For Halloween, we used the number to kind of communicate. And then we had a lot of people on it, like more than I think we ever could have expected,” Siporin said. “We were like, ‘We have to do something with this.’”

Fifteen days later, the band announced a “Monday Memos” series on its Instagram. They decided to use the phone number to finally bring to fruition a concept Siporin and his bandmate, guitarist Peter Groppe, were thinking about for a while: spotlighting individual members of the band’s personal work, as well as early versions and previously unreleased demos of songs. Each memo goes out as a text with a link to a YouTube video and a brief note from the artist.

Each Monday since then, a different band member has sent out a link to one of their unheard songs. More people signed up for the texts — which fans do by texting the number — and the series’ audience grew to 600 since that announcement, Siporin said.

Liz Stuart, the band’s lead singer, introduced the first memo — a song she wrote in July that bassist Jack Harrington produced with her. Stuart said this first memo felt a lot more “raw,” but she wasn’t too nervous about releasing it.

“Most of the music that’s out currently is all very personal to me anyway, so putting up a demo was just kind of an extension of that,” from page 7

ishe

applying chord progressions to his music. His piano skills would set the foundation for his music in the future. His producer, Lorenzo Maldonado, said that his unique chord progressions are typical tone-setters for their studio sessions.

“It’s often just about making things from scratch,” Maldonado, a founding member of The Candy Shop, said. “He is a really good piano player, so he often has very interesting piano ideas that turn into the foundation of the song.”

ISHĒ’s musical journey in Syracuse started during his freshman year when his friend, local promoter and SU senior Josh Feldman, recommended him for a solo performance at The Ark. During his freshman year at SU, Feldman worked as an from page 7

last duel screenwriter Nicole Holofcener, who wrote the third part of the film, the perspective of Marguerite. The other two perspectives, that of Marguerite’s husband Jean and her rapist Jacques Le Gris, were both co-written by Damon and Ben Affleck.

Although there are three different versions of the truth, one thing remains the same: Marguerite was raped, and her impossible struggle toward justice leaves everyone, even herself, wraught with anger, guilt and regret. Hannah Strong, associate editor of the film magazine Little White Lies, praised the film’s portrayal of this struggle. “‘The Last Duel’ discourse is exhausting.

While the premise alone gave me cause for concern, I thought it was a great film that accurately depicts how f*cking exhausting it is to be a woman attempting to get justice,”

Stuart said. “It was very personal, but it’s also like, I’ve already been very vulnerable to the public, so it wasn’t really so crazy.”

The memos help fans feel closer to the already accessible band, Syracuse University junior Johany Madrid said. The band has performed many concerts this year at multiple locations, including student houses and downtown Syracuse restaurant Funk ‘n Waffles.

Madrid went to her first NONEWFRIENDS. concert in late September and was hooked, she said. Now that she can listen to the band’s demos and independent work, the junior said she understands the music and musicians better.

“It was cool to hear them outside of the scene that I usually see them in too, because I usually only see them at their shows. So, listening to them on my own is really nice and being able to hear their thought processes and stuff,” Madrid said.

Groppe plays guitar for the band, but in last week’s “Monday Memo,” he sent out a demo where he sings an early version of the band’s number one song — with over 200,000 streams on Spotify — “Already Gone.” According to his “Monday Memo” text message, he recorded it in Thanksgiving break 2017 — his freshman year at SU. “I was never really super confident in my voice and songwriting abilities when I was growing up and never showed people the music I was working on,” Groppe wrote in the text.

Though Groppe doesn’t usually take the mic at concerts, Siporin said the most important thing about “Monday Memos” is how they highlight the more underrecognized skills of each member of the band. Though Siporin plays the saxophone or guitar on most songs, he said he also wrote a lot of the band’s music and showcased that in his memo by singing a song he wrote on his own.

Harrington will be sending out Monday’s memo, and Siporin and Stuart said they

The band sends weekly texts to fans with links to unreleased and unfinished music with short notes attached. meghan hendricks asst. photo editor

don’t yet know what he has in store — it could be anything from a full song to a beat he produced on the side.

“We’re a band, and everyone knows us as a collective, but not necessarily everyone knows what our role is in the band and what we’re really bringing to the table,” Siporin said. “I think that this is a really great way for everyone to showcase that.”

Louis Smith, an SU junior, said he attended his first NONEWFRIENDS. concert this year, and he’s since gone to three.

The junior said the concerts are really fun

and have great energy, which is something the memos can’t always fully communicate, but they do bring something new to the table in their own right.

“That they make a personal connection with all of us like, with their fans and the people who support them,” Smith said.

“I like it, at the start of every week to see just what NONEWFRIENDS. is up to. It’s super easy to just click on and listen to their memos. Although it’s different, I think it’s different in a good way.”

A&R volunteer for the theater, connecting The Ark’s team with potential performers like ISHĒ.

The success of ISHĒ’s performance caught the attention of Maldonado, who invited ISHĒ to a studio session during his 2018 fall semester. That same day, they created a song that will be released with ISHĒ’s seven-song mixtape in 2022.

“It taught me how to curate a song for a certain artist,” Maldonado said. “That’s also going to be one of the lead singles for one of his records coming out.”

ISHĒ does not write his songs in advance anymore. Though he loves songwriting, the 21-year-old said he switched to freestyling for more authentic and raw lyrics.

When ISHĒ walks into the recording room, he said his mind is clear. The low-lit studio room creates the perfect environment for vulnerability, he said. When he freestyles,

it’s just him and his thoughts, so after he listens to the beat he can recite the thoughts as they invade his consciousness.

“I love to write, but oftentimes after you write that one song and it goes well, you start to chase that one song,” ISHĒ mentioned.

“It’s all about feeling.”

In modern-day hip-hop, freestyling is a very popular choice for recording music as few artists enjoy the slow process of writing music.

ISHĒ can alternate between both because of his universal skill, his producer said.

“ISHĒ is someone who works on his feet and kind of thrives,” Maldonado said.

“Different artists have the skill to do that, but not everyone.”

ISHĒ said he tries to stay in a constant state of inspiration. His single, “Looking for You Now,” is a testimony of love. What makes the song even more powerful is its state of vulnerability, urging listeners to confront

their true feelings, ISHĒ said. “Looking for You Now” opens by describing someone feeling lost after losing their partner, anxious that their love has ceased.

The song’s sentimentality is even nostalgic for listeners not in a relationship.

“My music exists in a space where emotions are exposed,” ISHĒ said. “You don’t have to be in a relationship to relate to my music.”

ISHĒ urges his fans to look out for the release of his first mixtape. The name of the EP remains a surprise for his fans.

As his musical journey continues, he hopes to remain humble by acknowledging that he is only a vessel that delivers the music he makes.

“At the end of the day, someone walked so that the person in front of them could run so that the person in front of them could jump, so I could fly,” ISHĒ said. “And ISHĒ helps me to remember that.”

Strong tweeted.

The discourse that followed Scott’s comments is part of a larger conversation questioning sexual assault’s place in film and television altogether. But violence against women does not always have to be a plot device for the male perpetrator.

Feminist author Jessica Valenti addressed this perspective in a tweet in response to an article quoting Scott’s defense of his film. “Or maybe folks are over watching movies about women’s rapes as fodder for men’s stories,” she tweeted.

This thought seems convoluted and oversimplified. A woman’s story can contain horrors that are reminiscent of reality, thus conferring importance to women who have faced that reality.

It is reasonable for audiences to choose not to watch graphic rape scenes on the big screen, and this could be a large part of the low numbers. This, however, does

not make the film problematic, and the same reluctance occurs for many films featuring other horrors — they just aren’t for everyone.

There are absolutely times in film and television where rape and violence against women are gratuitious and only a piece of the male hero’s journey. “The Last Duel,” however, is not one of those films. It was clear, even before the film’s release, that this is Marguerite’s story; most of the not-soeffective marketing materials have Comer’s character front and center.

Marguerite’s perspective comes last as the truth that is finally revealed. This structure, partnered with both the opening and closing images of Marguerite alone, completely centers her in the narrative. She is the altruistic eye watching and present during the men’s every move.

Their actions emphasize and illustrate her truth.

There are several parallels in Jean and Le Gris’ behavior that foreshadow their abuse of Marguerite. Most notably, Le Gris’ henious reputation and sexual deviance soon leads him to feeling entitled to Marguerite.

Period films, especially those set in the medieval times, usually feature mistreatment of women, as was the reality of those years.

“The Last Duel” is not a made-up story choosing to feature a rape; it is a historic retelling, and this is an important distinction.

Marguerite has extraordinary agency and Comer’s performance is the highlight.

The titular duel is the film’s climax. There are many scenes just between Driver and Damon’s characters, but they are never truly leading. Overall, it does not feel like a story about the men’s rivalry — it is about injustice against Marguerite, and it is cathartic to watch her prevail.

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PAG E 9

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from page 12

hawaii was the only Polynesian player,” Ilaoa said. “It stuck out, but it wasn’t in my mind that much.”

Ilaoa spent most of his time on the sidelines after coming to Syracuse in 2020. But the Orange struggled, averaging only 17.8 points last year. The offensive line ranked 113th out of 127 teams, according to Pro Football Focus’ positional grades.

Offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh left SU for Arizona State after last year, but his last contribution to Syracuse was landing Ellis and Kauhi. Cavanaugh coached at the University of Houston with Konishi, who first put Ellis on his radar for potential recruits.

Konishi first joined St. Louis (Hawaii) School’s athletic department when Ellis was a sophomore. Ellis had been at the K-12 school since ninth grade, transferring after St. Francis (Hawaii) School — where Konishi also from page 12

defense decoy it sometimes, so it’s definitely going to cause problems.”

When Syracuse wants to switch to the 1-13, like it did in the second half against FSU, Boeheim will typically signal to Joe Girard III or another player near the sideline to communicate the shift to everyone on the floor, Jimmy said.

Girard said the adjustment was simple for him at the top of the zone because he essentially plays one-on-one with his opponent and works to keep them in front of him. “I enjoy it. It’s a good task for me,” Girard said.

For the forwards, it’s straightforward from page 12

record “We all want to see each other do good and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Hyman said.

“This is a new team, we’re only nine games into the season.”

The offense continued to click for the Orange throughout the rest of the first quarter from deep, but defensively Syracuse’s size was exposed. CCSU’s 6-foot-2 Ashley Berube went inside on almost every possession, working against shorter SU defenders in the post.

By moving through a variety of post moves, Berube was able to create space and score 10 points in the opening period. But the Orange were able to mitigate Berube’s success through tough defense, sending as many as three players at Berube to get rid of her space.

Syracuse started to find more answers from page 10

hyman up high and sent an overhead pass to Alaysia Styles who was driving toward the bucket.

Styles beat her defender and launched a one-handed layup. That combination gave Syracuse a 40-point lead and left her two steals away from reaching the triple-double, which she achieved with just under eight minutes to play in the game.

“I was looking forward to it for her,” Read said of Hyman’s potential quadruple-double. “She’s probably had some of those games in high school from page 10

observations up the rebound, fighting off her defender to sink the layup.

Size is still an issue

Ashley Berube scored 10 of Central Connecticut State’s first 13 points. Each of them came within the paint as she went 5-for7 within the first five minutes of the game, with the Orange up by just four points. SU then went on an 11-0 run to finish the quarter.

Syracuse made it difficult for 6-foot-2 Berube to sink the easy layups she had had throughout

dec. 6, 2021

worked — was shut down.

St. Louis is known as a football powerhouse in Hawaii, with recent alumni including Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa. The team, coached by Ron and Cal Lee, has won seven state championships since 1999, and has traveled to the mainland U.S. to face top teams in the country. In Ellis’ undefeated sophomore season, the Crusaders defeated California’s Narbonne High School.

Konishi said the team’s recent success has had St. Louis on the map for Power Five colleges to recruit from. Tagovailoa was one of the first to move across the country further away from Hawaii, attending Alabama.

“Knowing that they came from the same school I did — them being from the same school just shows that I can do it too,” Ellis said of Mariota and Tagovailoa. “They’re perfect examples and good role models.”

Polynesian players have been at the professional and collegiate level for a long

time, Ilaoa said, but schools on the East Coast have only recently started to recruit from the island following the recent success of players like Tagovailoa.

Other recent events like the Polynesian Bowl have helped more players of Polynesian descent get looks from major schools, Konishi added. Players are chosen from the island and the mainland as well, traveling to Aloha Stadium, which has previously been used to host NFL Pro Bowl games.

Ellis and Kauhi were both nominated to last year’s Polynesian Bowl, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. Ellis still wears the hat and the rest of the gear from the event, saying the game provides players the ability to compete “against the best” while also being surrounded by people from the same background.

“It highlights the Polynesian community and how successful they can be,” Konishi said about the Polynesian Bowl. “Those children from the mainland are able to come over and

experience the Polynesian culture they all so well represent.”

After Polynesian Bowl nominations, Ellis and Kauhi finally joined Syracuse before the start of the 2021 season. Ellis said the decision to turn down Pac-12 schools and go to Syracuse was about “providing for his family,” a responsibility he said all Hawaiians share.

The word for family in Hawaiian is “ohana,” a phrase that Konishi said is embedded in St. Louis’ program and every other high school football program in Hawaii. Now Ellis and Kauhi are with a new “ohana” at Syracuse, giving Ilaoa his first teammates from his background. Ilaoa said he got really excited hearing them talk about getting “two more” Polynesian players, setting a trend for the makeup of future recruiting classes at Syracuse.

“The numbers are just growing now,” Ilaoa said of Polynesian players at SU.

too, Jimmy said, since they just push higher along the perimeter. Jimmy said the only real tweak is the positioning of the guards. Buddy has more free reign to roam in the middle — something he said he’s comfortable with — and take away the easy pass to the highpost, which good shooters were previously capitalizing on. The 1-1-3 forced FSU to heave 3-pointers instead, Buddy said, which the Seminoles finished 4-of-30 on.

Florida State faced a double-team every time it moved the ball inside too, Buddy said, taking away opportunities to kick out for a wide-open 3-pointer. Instead, the Seminoles’ 3-point attempts were usually contested shots.

The formation is fluid enough that Buddy calls it a 1-3-1 at times — the wings can extend to press or drop back a bit deeper. But now,

opponents can’t beat Syracuse by going “highlow” as easily, Buddy said.

“Obviously teams are going to address it, and there’s going to be some offense where we need to go back to our normal zone, but for now, it’s been really good,” Buddy said.

But Syracuse’s defensive progress against FSU wasn’t solely because of the 1-1-3 shift, Boeheim said. The forwards have been moving faster and center Jesse Edwards has been better at closing on shots from the corners.

Boeheim said SU trapped FSU a couple times, and the performance was crucial for a Syracuse defensive unit that’s been struggling (it ranks 156th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom).

Against Indiana, Boeheim said the 1-1-3 was helpful in the beginning because it kept

the ball in the middle of the court. But after the Hoosiers game, he said the defense hasn’t been good enough for the entire year. “Our defense isn’t good enough, period. End of story. We’re going to try to keep getting better,” he said.

This 1-1-3 zone is just the latest example of Boeheim making adjustments to improve SU’s weaknesses, Buddy said. Two years ago, Buddy said Syracuse asked its forwards to stay more “extended” and stay further up the court when defending. Now, the 1-1-3 is here to take away the high-post or as a decoy to confuse opponents.

“He’s always trying to make changes and make adjustments,” Buddy said of his dad.

“You have to (be) in college basketball today, too many good teams, good players out there.”

offensively at the start of the second quarter by attacking the basket instead of shooting from deep. The Orange spread the scoring inside as well, getting three straight layups from Murray, Hyman and Alaina Rice to extend their lead to 21.

With a lack of depth at the center position because of Eboni Walker’s “day-to-day” status, SU had to turn to Rice inside. At one point, Rice missed but got her own rebound, sinking another shot off the glass. She finished with seven rebounds and 13 points.

“Every day I’m going to push them and every day I hope they push me to be great,” Rice said about continuing her and the team’s success. “We need to keep going.”

Murray also passed the 1,000-point mark in the second quarter. Alaysia Styles made a steal directly after the inbounds, allowing Murray to stay near the basket for an easy

layup to get to 1,001 career points. She dished the ball out a couple of possessions later, giving Chrislyn the opportunity to hit the buzzerbeater that solidified the school record for single-game points.

But at the start of the second half, the Blue Devils weren’t fading away, continuing to shoot from deep. Still, the Orange answered on every offensive possession at the beginning of the third quarter, including a score off a behind-the-back pass from Hyman.

Syracuse continued its full-court press for the rest of the game, helping Hyman finish with 11 steals. Hyman said her success has come from the relationship she has with Murray and Chrislyn, who help her anchor the top of the zone in the press.

The Orange eventually moved away from the full-court press, allowing the Blue Devils to set up their offense and hit three more

3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Still, SU was able to create turnovers without the press, collapsing or double-teaming players that tried to go inside the lane.

Midway through the final period, Nyah Wilson and Hyman double-teamed a CCSU player, allowing Hyman to steal the ball for the 11th time. Hyman found Wilson in transition, but she missed her attempt from deep. Instead, Ava Irvin was able to get the rebound, pulling up from midrange to get the Orange to 100 points — the first time Syracuse has scored more than 100 since 2016 — and solidifying its win.

“They can never ever erase that,” Murray said about breaking the all-time single-game scoring record. “We’re forever written in history, and we’re going to take that.”

because she put up numbers like that in high school. I just wanted her to get it naturally.”

Despite standing at just 5-foot-8, Hyman was one of Syracuse’s biggest threats within the paint. She set up both of Najé Murray’s 1,001st and 1,0003rd career points within a 20 second span. Hyman stole the ball after CCSU’s Eden Nibbelink turned the ball over in her own half. Murray stood just below the free-throw line, unmarked, and Hyman found her as Murray sunk the easy 2-point jumper.

Then Nibbelink nearly identically turned the ball over and Hyman recorded a second

steal. She faked to the right of the hoop and instead made a bounce pass to Murray who was streaking in along the left side of the paint.

Murray collected the ball in stride and banked in the layup.

Ever since the team’s winless stint at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, Read has emphasized the team’s improvement offensively which is mostly due to its 5-out motion offense that Hyman plays a central role in. But such plays, where Hyman is able to use her skill within the paint, have led to such improvement and Syracuse picking crucial wins.

“This is scary,” Hyman said postgame,

realizing how quickly a newly formed Syracuse team has gelled nine games into the season. Last season Syracuse made a deep run into the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, but Hyman couldn’t participate. Now as Hyman becomes a crucial part of the new era of Orange basketball, her play is at an all time high, and her teammates are taking notice.

“The country will slowly realize who Teisha is,” Murray said. “It’s been 600 days, but they will know who she is.”

the early stages of the game.

Syracuse at times had to triple-team Berube, which led to shot-clock violations or costly turnovers in the offensive zone for the Blue Devils. But Berube is a true center which Syracuse doesn’t have and struggled early because of this. But Syracuse only allowed five more points throughout the game’s next 10 minutes and began a slurry of its own defensive rebounds and blocks — three of them coming in the opening quarter.

seeing action by the end of the opening quarter. Its starting five hasn’t changed all season, but the Orange’s depth off the bench was the biggest question after a winless trip at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, where it accumulated significant minor injuries in Jayla Thornton and Eboni Walker.

But being able to rely on notable bench players such as Alaina Rice, who scored 13 points and recorded seven rebounds off the bench, was a key factor toward the Orange’s success within the paint. Freshman Nyah Wilson also recorded at least 12 minutes for the fourth time this season.

Acting head coach Vonn Read admitted to

the team’s inability to play a complete game during its three-game stint in the Bahamas, something he’s been challenging his team to do upon their return.

“In the Bahamas that was something that we were missing,” Read said. “We were playing three good quarters then we’d have a bad quarter and we couldn’t recover.”

Chemistry is settling upon a once unfamiliar group of players and the team has proven it can once again go the distance and play four complete quarters of basketball in its third consecutive win of the season.

Short bench? No problem.

Syracuse dressed just eight players for the second consecutive game, with each of them

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10 dec. 6, 2021

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women’s basketball

Teisha Hyman records triple-double in blowout 116-65 win

By Alex Cirino

asst. copy editor

Ahead of Syracuse’s season opener Teisha Hyman hadn’t played basketball in 622 days. Two ACL injuries kept her on the sidelines after her freshman season in 2020.

Going into the season, acting head coach Vonn Read wanted Hyman to take her opportunity to get back onto the court. But, Hyman wouldn’t just be another body out there for Syracuse — she would be a record-setter, and the driving force of his direct offensive unit.

“Before the season, I was just going to be excited to see Teisha be able to play some minutes and be able to display her game,”’ Read said. “She’s a very talented scorer.

She can do a lot of things other girls can’t.”

With the final minutes winding down in Sunday’s game against Central Connecticut State, Hyman was on the court in a position to achieve something no prior Syracuse player had done in program history.

Hyman was on the verge of a quadruple-double and was just one rebound away from achieving so.

Hyman stood below the hoop but no shots came to her, even as members of the crowd demanded that she get

on the ball. The buzzer sounded and Hyman was three-points away from tying a career-high 30 points set just five days ago.

Instead, Hyman settled for becoming the fifth Syracuse (5-4, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) player to record a triple-double in addition to 27 points, 15 assists and 11 steals.

Hyman was involved in 30 of the Orange’s scoring plays that led to its record-setting 116-65 win over Central Connecticut State (1-5).

Against No. 18 Ohio State, Hyman was involved in 24 of Syracuse’s scoring plays when she notched her career-high.

She shot 66% from both the field and deep which included a season-high 12 field goals. But against the Blue Devils, Hyman improved along with the rest of the Orange’s offense as it relied on a shot variety it hadn’t displayed all season. Hyman took just two 3-point attempts on Sunday — making both of them — instead playing a more central role within the paint, which led to her seasonhigh assists mark as she set up nine layups.

“The Ohio State game was a reminder that I hadn’t played in 622 days,” Hyman said. “It was good to have a game like that, a reminder

TEISHA HYMAN had a triple-double against Central Connecticut State, with 27 points, 15 assists and 11 steals. It is the fifth triple-double by a player in SU history. elizabeth billman senior staff photographer

that I still got it. Game after game I feel like I’m improving and calming down, getting to my old self.”

On Hyman’s double-double clinching 10th assist of the game

midway through the third quarter, Hyman was posted up in her usual spot at the top of the arc. Usually she would drive inside the paint and possibly look for an option to

her left — normally Chrislyn Carr — dishing it out to set up a 3-point shooting opportunity.

But instead she raised the ball

see hyman page 9

men’s basketball

Former Syracuse basketball star Manny Breland dies at 87

By Andrew Crane senior staff writer

Former Syracuse men’s basketball player Manny Breland, the first Black athlete offered a basketball scholarship by the university, died on Saturday, his son Gary told syracuse.com.

Breland was 87, and he had pancreatic cancer, according to syracuse.com.

He played at Syracuse from 1952-57 and helped the Orange

earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid during his senior season — when they won their first two games. Tuberculosis forced Breland to miss the 1955-56 season, but he averaged 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in his final year with SU. During his first season, he led the team in scoring and averaged 9.8 points per game as a sophomore and first-time starter.

“Manny Breland was a groundbreaking pioneer for our program and devoted much of his life to

educating our youth,” Syracuse Athletics said in a tweet. “He will be missed but never forgotten.”

Even though his high school coach, Ken Beagle, played at Syracuse under Lew Andreas — who eventually became the university’s athletic director — Breland wasn’t originally offered a scholarship at first because Andreas told Beagle that “We’re not ready for a Black kid.”

Breland was eventually offered a spot because of the relationship

between Beagle and Andreas, he told The Daily Orange in 2012, with Andreas telling Beagle that he’ll “take a chance on your kid.”

But Breland’s impact in the Syracuse community, as he grew up in the 15th Ward that the I-81 highway eventually tore apart, stretched beyond those four years at SU and into his time as a principal, vice-principal and a teacher — positions he held for over 30 years. He also coached basketball at Central Tech High

School, serving as the Syracuse City School District’s first Black varsity coach at the same school he attended before starting at SU, and he won a pair of section titles.

Along with Breanna Stewart, Earl Lloyd and Dolph Schayes, Breland is one of four athletes who’d be featured on an East Onondaga St. mural in downtown Syracuse proposed to highlight basketball trailblazers from the city. arcrane@syr.edu @CraneAndrew

women’s basketball

Observations from SU’s 51-point win over Central Connecticut State

By Alex Cirino

asst. copy editor

Najé Murray recorded her 1,000th point, Teisha Hyman recorded the program’s fifth-ever triple-double and Syracuse entered halftime up 65-29 — setting a program record for points scored in a single half – and scored a record-breaking 116 points.

Here are observations from Syracuse’s (5-4, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) blowout win over Central Connecticut State (1-5):

Consistency from deep

Chrislyn Carr sent Syracuse into halftime up 65-29. Her teamleading 17th point of the game was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, posted up, unmarked, in her signature position along the left side of the arc. Not only did Chrislyn’s 3 set the program’s record for points scored in a single half, but it also cemented another successful string of 3s for the Orange, who shot 7-for-13 in the first two quarters.

Acting head coach Vonn Read has changed Syracuse’s offensive system to a 5-out motion offense, which revolves around its players moving freely along the perimeter of the arc. Against Central Connecticut State, the Orange showed a varying degree of shots through its buildup but still found success in its reliable “kick-out” passing tactic to the wings. Eight of Syracuse’s 10 3-pointers came from the wings, four from each wing.

Hard in the paint

Najé Murray’s 1,000th career point couldn’t have been easier.

Murray was left all alone within the paint, below the free-throw line, to sink her 10th point of the game. Twenty seconds later, she finished a near-identical shot. Hyman created both plays and assisted Murray in ensuing offensive rebounds and steals.

Hyman recorded another steal ten seconds later in the paint and generated a quick give-andgo with Murray to sink a layup of

NAJÉ MURRAY recorded 13 points against Central Connecticut State after scoring 21 against Ohio State last week.

elizabeth billman senior staff photographer

her own.

Syracuse relied less on its kick-out passes beyond the arc and instead drove straight into the Central Connecticut State defense. This would lead to

either a quick bounce pass that was followed up by a close-range layup or a quick 2-point jumper where the Orange would bypass the passing option entirely.

With six minutes remaining

in the second quarter, Chrislyn cut inside the top of the arc and attempted a 2-point jumper that hit the outside of the rim. Alaina Rice rushed below the hoop and picked

see observations page 9

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SPORTS

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

women’s basketball

SU breaks program scoring record

By Anish Vasudevan

SPONSORED BY

HAWAIIAN TIES

asst. sports editor

At the end of the second quarter, Chrislyn Carr drove down the lane, creating enough space for a wideopen jumper. But instead of going back to the other side of the court, she immediately began pressing, stealing the ball back for another offensive possession.

As her teammates tried to make their way back from the other side of the court, Chrislyn took on two defenders in the lane, going airborne on the right side of the basket. While falling backwards, Chrislyn was able to get enough for it to fall, finishing the 3-point play from the free throw line to double Central Connecticut State’s total score.

In the final seconds of the half, Najé Murray had a wide-open lane in front of her, but she instead passed the ball to the hot hand, feeding Chrislyn for her second 3-pointer. Chrislyn sat at the left wing, watching the game clock inch toward zero, before heaving the ball.

The buzzer sounded as her shot fell through, giving Syracuse 65 points in the first half — the most points all-time in the opening 20 minutes of a game for SU. “Every single game, we trust each other a tiny bit more,” Murray said. “The ACC should be worried because by the time January comes around, we’re going to be a highlevel basketball team.”

By the end of the afternoon, Syracuse set an all-time record for points in a single game, defeating Central Connecticut State 116-65.

Despite the lack of depth on its eight-player active roster, SU was able to dominate, and six players finished with double-digit points.

Murray passed 1,000 career points and Teisha Hyman finished with a triple double consisting of 27 points, 15 assists and 11 steals.

The Orange started hot on offense, ending their first possession with a Murray 3-pointer from the top of the key. Hyman scored on a pull up jumper on the ensuing possession before Syracuse went back to Murray for a deep look.

Although Murray missed, she was able to get her own rebound and find a cutting Chrislyn for another score.

“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 Carr said.

Hyman said that the steep increase in the Orange’s ability to put everything together with team chemistry has been “scary,” and completely different from what was expected of the team. Hyman is only one of three players that stayed on Syracuse’s roster from last season, and she wasn’t even on the court for all of last season due to an ACL tear.

see record page 9

PAG E 12

dec. 6, 2021

men’s basketball

Syracuse’s 2-3 zone moves into a 1-1-3

By Roshan Fernandez senior staff writer

SPORTS BACK DINO BABERS, has used his ties to Hawaii. Syracuse now has three players from Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent: Kalan Ellis, Josh Ilaoa and Austyn Kauhi. elizabeth billman senior staff photographer

How Dino Babers has used his Hawaii connection to start a pipeline of Polynesian recruits

By Anish Vasudevan asst. sports editor

S

yracuse head coach Dino Baberslikes that the word “aloha” can mean hello, goodbye and love — all in five letters. “They don’t waste around with a whole bunch of words.

Sometimes their words can mean a lot of things, and it’s all the intent,” Babers said.

When Babers wanted to recruit from Hawaii, his pitch to offensive lineman Kalan Ellis was simple.

He brought up Kalihi, Hawaii’s Rainbow Drive-In, a “hole-in-the-wall” joint that Babers knew about because of his time at the University of Hawaii and told Ellis that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ellis said he was “intrigued” to come meet Babers after that call, eventually turning down Pac-12 offers to move almost 5,000 miles away from home.

“With Dino Babers being from Hawaii, there’s some ties there,” said Chad Konishi, Ellis’ high school athletic director. “You kind of go where your roots are.”

According to the NCAA’s Race and Gender Demographics Database, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander football players made up 1.48% of all players in 2020, with less than 500 total nationally. The Orange have three players from Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent on their 2021 roster, amounting to nearly 3.03% of the team. But all three players — Ellis, freshmen Josh Ilaoa and Austyn Kauhi are on the offensive line.

After a multitude of O-line injuries throughout

the year, Ellis and Ilaoa in particular saw a lot of time this season. But in future seasons, the Orange could have three Polynesian starting offensive linemen — and an increase of overall recruits from Hawaii, Babers said.

But besides the love and “truth” the three players bring to Syracuse, Babers said all of them possess a sort of “gentle, bear-type” nature. The trio is only physical when it has to be during practices and games, otherwise displaying the “aloha culture” that Babers has embraced at SU. “They’ll walk around and they’ll be nice until it’s time not to be nice,” Babers said. “I’ve always appreciated that about them.”

When they appeared this season, Ellis and Ilaoa had to switch into that game mode after injuries to SU’s starters, like when both stepped in for Chris Bleich and Airon Servais against Wake Forest. The Orange lost, but running back Sean Tucker was able to record his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the year, notching 153 yards on 26 carries.

“It just turns on and turns off,” Ilaoa said. “Once you cross the line, it’s straight business after that.”

Ilaoa isn’t from Hawaii like Ellis and Kauhi, but his cousin Nate Ilaoa played at the University of Hawaii and later for the Philadelphia Eagles. He became Babers’ first recruit of Polynesian descent to attend Syracuse. Ilaoa wasn’t surprised about being the only Pacific Islander on the roster — he had been used to that his whole life, he said.

“When I moved to Charlotte in fourth grade, I

see hawaii page 9

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A few days before Syracuse’s game against Indiana, Buddy Boeheim saw his dad writing something on a scrap of paper in their house. For over four decades, Jim Boeheim has built Syracuse’s defensive identity around the iconic 2-3 zone, but Buddy sensed that this was something new.

Something slightly different.

Buddy was leaving the house for the day so he didn’t catch a glimpse of the new formation scribbled on the piece of paper. But he, along with the rest of the team, heard about it at practice over the following days and realized what his dad had been writing.

Boeheim calls the change a 1-1-3 zone. The new scheme isn’t a revolutionary shift away from Syracuse’s staple 2-3 defense.

Instead, the system allows the Orange (5-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) to transition easily between the 2-3 and the 1-1-3, as they did against Indiana during the new strategy’s debut and then once more against Florida State. SU only used the 1-1-3 in spurts, but it has worked, lifting Syracuse to back-to-back key wins.

“You have to make adjustments and (Boeheim’s) always looking for new tweaks and things that are gonna confuse offenses,” Buddy said after the 3-point win over Florida State.

The scheme is built to take away the high-post from the opposition, an area where multiple Syracuse starters emphasized they were repeatedly beaten through the first six games of the season. The highpost killed SU in the Bahamas when it was upset by VCU and crushed by Auburn, Buddy said. Colgate burned the Orange by putting pressure on the guards and forwards to cover the corners, therefore leaving open shots up top, Swider said. The Raiders won 100-85.

So Boeheim introduced the defensive adjustment, which has been successful so far. The Orange forced 26 turnovers in a doubleovertime win over Indiana and held Florida State to 34.9% shooting and under 15% from beyond the arc in the 3-point win. Boeheim said the defense kept SU in the game against FSU while its offense struggled in the first half.

The adjustment is here to stay, Buddy said, though its usage will depend on opponents’ offensive schemes. Having the 1-1-3 in Syracuse’s repertoire is a useful change of pace, Jimmy Boeheim said. The change isn’t drastic, and Boeheim said SU’s players have a clear understanding of how to switch in and out of it.

“It’s great, just confusing teams,” Buddy said after the Florida State game. “It’s harder to read, we can see defense page 9