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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 |
N • Young mentors
C • Powerful poet
A football team at Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central helped distribute over 400 meals at a food drive and raised over $1,000 for athletic equipment. Page 3
After 15 years, SU faculty member Blackman Preach is back. He will release his third album “12 Years Gone” with help from SU students and alumni. Page 8
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IN THE PAINT SYRACUSE VS. DUKE FEB. 26
THE ONE
national
Neilia Biden helped smooth out Joe’s edges as he went to SU Law. But that story is often forgotten.
Schumer unveils bill for diabetes By Francis Tang asst. news editor
photo illustration by meghan hendricks photo editor photos courtesy of patricia wojenski and stephanie prekas
By Abby Weiss
senior staff writer
A
s he made his way to the deck of the swimming pool, Joe Biden noticed the blonde woman sitting in a chaise lounge chair. He wasn’t supposed to be there, at the British Colonial Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas. The out-of-place college student had snuck in with two friends that spring day in 1964. He wanted to talk to the woman by the pool. So did his friend. Fred Sears, the impartial friend of the group, proposed they flip a coin. Ultimately, it didn’t matter what side the coin landed on. Biden had made his mind up. He walked over and sat at the edge of the woman’s lounge chair . “Hi, I’m Joe Biden,” he said. “Hi Joe,” the blonde replied. “I’m Neilia Hunter.” She looked up at him with her green eyes and smiled, her face illuminated by the afternoon sun. “Basically I fell ass over tin cup in love—at first sight. She was so easy to talk to,” Biden wrote in his 2007 memoir Promises to Keep. That day, he learned Neilia was from Skaneateles, New York, and she was in her last year at Syracuse University. He learned that she hoped to teach junior high school in Syracuse in September. And most of all, he learned
that she was sincere and always said the right thing, even during embarrassing moments. “That was her special touch, the way she made everyone feel okay about themselves. Nobody ever felt smaller around Neilia,” he wrote. Walking back from their first date later that night, Biden couldn’t shake the thought that Neilia was the one. On the fourth and last day of his trip, he’d admit it: “You know we’re going to get married.” “I think so,” she whispered. “I think so.” The two tied the knot on Aug. 27, 1966, at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church in Auburn, New York. They later had three children: Beau, Hunter and Naomi. Almost 60 years later, Biden has the highest position in the U.S. He doesn’t need to sneak into four-star resorts anymore. And a lot of his early success, he has said, is tied to meeting Neilia. Neilia — who inspired others to see the best in themselves as a teacher, role model, mother and friend — died in a car accident 50 years ago, on Dec. 18, 1972. Those who knew her in Syracuse now remember only bits and pieces about her. Time and again, everyone says, more than anything, she was kind.
Neilia
On the first day of Syracuse’s Bellevue
Heights Elementary school year, 12-year-old Susan Spooner took her seat in the middle of the classroom and glanced up at her teacher, Neilia Hunter. She was wearing brownrimmed glasses and had her hair pulled back. Neilia was the teacher every student wanted to have, Spooner said. She fostered a comfortable space in her classroom and easily connected with her students. Like them, Nelia had grown up and attended school in central New York. She spent her childhood along Skaneateles Lake, where her father owned the Hunter Dinerant in Auburn and managed the Auburn Community College cafeteria. She was the oldest of her siblings, John and Michael. As a student at Penn Hall Junior College and Preparatory School, a boarding school in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Nelia held many roles. She was the president of the international relations club, the photo editor for the Penntonian and a member of the student council, as well as a swimmer and hockey player. Her extracurricular involvement continued at SU, where she joined the university’s chapter of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority while studying at the College of Liberal Arts. While recruiting for the sorority, Neilia would always rave about the potential new see neilia page 4
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced he will call for a Senate vote in March to reduce the cost of insulin from $200-$600 per prescription to a cap of $35 in a Wednesday press conference in the Joslin Diabetes Center at the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. The bill, which Schumer called the Affordable Insulin Now Act, will set the maximum out-of-pocket costs for anyone at $35 per month regardless of insurance status, Schumer said. He also confirmed the bill is measured in a way that insurance companies cannot pass the cost to consumers in other forms, such as a higher premium rate. In 2019, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the country, had diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. In New York state, the percentage of adults who have diabetes increased from 6.3% in 2000 to 11% in 2018. Within Onondaga County, the percentage of adults with diabetes was 11.2% per New York State Department of Health data in 2016. Schumer cited diabetes as one of the largest causes of death in the country. “This is the reason we are here,” Schumer said while holding a vial of insulin. “This little vial costs as much as $600, and it’s a lifesaver. This vial represents a crisis … a lifesaving drug, insulin, used by tens of millions of Americans, costs so much that a lot of people can’t afford it anymore.” The drug production and delivery system in the country is so convoluted that it favors the companies and distributors instead of the patients, which is the reason why insulin prices are still increasing each year, he said. “It is the most major disease that we really don’t do enough to combat in a variety of ways,” Schumer said. Schumer said he has had bipartisan support on the bill in the Senate. He confirmed that the bill was originally part of the Build Back Better plan but was separated in the Senate as it needs at least 60 votes to pass. When asked if he’s confident about the bill’s passage in the House of Representatives, Schumer told The Daily Orange a similar one has see schumer page 4
2 feb. 24, 2022
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“She never did anything for a pat on the back. She just did it because that’s how she was.” - Patricia Cowin Wojenski on Neilia Biden Page 3
OPINION “Accepting the possibility of falling each time you climb the wall helps build resilience and an ability to challenge yourself and take risks.” - Jean Aiello, columnist Page 6
CULTURE “This album is a labor of love. ... I just want to tell people that this is me. This is what I do.” - Cedric Bolton, Coordinator of Student Engagement at the Offi ce of Multicultural Aff airs Page 8
SPORTS “Our families are intertwined. ... (Jim and I) are about as close as we can be in this profession.” - Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s head coach Page 14
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WHAT: Unraveling U.S. and Indigenous History WHEN: Thursday, 4-6:30 p.m. WHERE: Virtual
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WHAT: Celebrating Black History WHEN: Friday, 7-9 p.m. WHERE: Goldstein Auditorium WHAT: Fete Noir Black Artist Collective Celebration of Black Joy WHEN: Saturday, 6-8 p.m. WHERE: Community Folk Art Center
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pag e 3
feb. 24, 2022
unsung heroes 2022
university senate
Varsity football team serves community Syverud addresses UkraineRussia By Francis Tang
asst. news editor
Members of Syracuse Central Technical High School’s varsity football team created Athletes for Community Engagement, an organization serving younger athletes in the city. courtesy of isaiah goodrich By Richard Perrins news editor
The Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central’s high school varsity football team started their season with a string of losses but eventually became the first team in the school’s history to win a playoff game. After losing their final playoff game in the 2021 season right before the championship, though, the players were in doubt about what to do next. The loss meant the students’ time as a team could be over. Isaiah Goodrich disagreed. A high school junior who plays multiple positions on the team, Goodrich thought the team should turn to service. Goodrich, a co-captain on the team, has been attending Abundant Life Christian Center, a church in Cicero since he was 5 years old. After the loss, he brought his team together to volunteer at the church’s Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway — the beginning of a journey of service for the young men. The group of 17 varsity football players received one of Syracuse University’s 2022 Unsung Hero awards,
which honor community members who make positive impacts on the lives of others but are not widely recognized for their contributions. “We basically just wanted to go in the community and help the people who came to our games and supported us on the sidelines,” Goodrich said. “I thought this would be a way to bring us all back together — doing something positive that’ll put a smile on people’s faces while also having a good time with each other.” Some of Goodrich’s teammates had done service before. But the organization and teamwork involved in the Thanksgiving drive, where they helped distribute over 400 meals, seemed larger than anything they’d done before, said Tyshawn Taylor, a wide receiver on the team. “It just sets the tone for the real person you are,” Taylor said. “Not only do you care about the sport of football, but you care about the stuff outside of football.” The group wasn’t finished after the Thanksgiving drive. Many of the students worked at a bike giveaway in December. Goodrich
and some of his teammates then created the Athletes for Community Engagement program, which focuses on highlighting other young athletes in the city. Goodrich thought it was necessary to inspire and raise up even younger members of his community. “It’s a way of leaving something positive for the younger generation,” he said. “We are kind of young, but kids younger than us see what we’re doing.” ACE’s first program, Kicks for Kings, sought to raise money for middle schoolers to buy new sneakers and other athletic items. In just one week, Kicks for Kings raised over $1,000. Nat Teska-Prince, an offensive and defensive lineman for the team, thought it was important for the students to be role models for the children for whom they raised the money. “When you do something good for the community as a student athlete, people that are a little bit younger than you, like in middle school … they might want to do the same thing you’re doing because they see you’re
being recognized for what you’re doing,” Teska-Prince said. Cedric Stevens, the team’s head coach, wasn’t surprised when Goodrich and the others first went to the Thanksgiving drive. He was proud of the students for taking the initiative to start serving without being prompted — a style of leadership he said was commonplace within his team. “You’re a direct reflection of your community,” Stevens said. “This is what our church’s community is — kids giving back like that.” While Goodrich was proud of his teammates for what they’ve done in the community so far, he made it clear that ACE is not done serving those around them and setting a clear message for others. “We’re not just athletes, or student athletes. We’re stewards of our community.” Goodrich said. “I wanted to destroy the image that we’re not more than what we seem. We’re actually loving, kind young men who are more than strong people on the field.” rcperrin@syr.edu @RichardPerrins2
graduate students
GSO discusses unionizing, adds new senator By Katie McClellan asst. copy editor
Members of Syracuse Graduate Employees United spoke to Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization to discuss unionization at the body’s meeting Wednesday. Cassidy Thomas and Tali Datskovsky spoke on behalf of SGEU about the possibility of unionizing the GSO. Graduate student unions have already organized across the country at institutions such as Columbia University and SGEU hopes to replicate that at SU, the two said, and SUNY-ESF graduate students are currently unionized.
“It’s important to establish some baseline workplace and employment protections for graduate students,” Thomas said. “The biggest benefit of a union is just ensuring that graduate employees actually have a legally protected right to negotiate for better wages and workplace conditions.” To trigger a union election, which would be overseen by SU and the National Labor Relations Board, 50-60% of cards given to GSO would need to be signed. Later in the meeting, GSO Senate members voted on a new senator at-large to represent the graduate student body, attend all meetings
and serve on a chosen committee. They chose Margil Gandhi, who said he hopes to serve on the outreach committee. Gandhi founded a travel business prior to becoming a graduate student, which he believes gives him leadership experience. “I’ve been handling a leadership position and this is why I feel I’ve been doing a pretty good job in doing that,” Gandhi said. “I will continue to do this at Syracuse if given an opportunity.” GSO then addressed special funding requests for the Geology GSO and Mathematics GSO in a vote. Mathematics GSO originally requested $8,365, but due to fund-
ing restrictions the amount was reduced by $1,000. The graduate student Chess Club was awarded an additional $300, increasing its start-up funding to $600. GSO then reminded members that they will be holding a “A Night Under the Stars” gala on April 22 at the SKY Armory. Transportation will be provided and more details will be released at a later date. The next meeting will be held on March 23 at a new location, Lyman Hall 132, where meetings will be held for the rest of semester. ksmcclel@syr.edu @katie_mcclellan
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said the recent Russian-Ukrainian conflict may be a potential challenge for the university community during the University Senate meeting Wednesday. “Some of you will remember back in January and early February 2020, I urged that we needed to plan and prepare for the challenges and ethical issues the coronavirus would likely pose to our university,” Syverud said in his remarks. “Today, in February 2022, I fear we are facing a very different but significant moment with some great challenges.” Syverud said that Russia had recently invaded Ukraine and noted the presence of students, faculty and staff at SU from the two countries. Given the university’s high percentage of students, faculty and staff currently on active duty in military, guards and reserves, their lives and schedules may change dramatically on short notice due to the response to the conflict, Syverud said. Syverud also said the economic sanctions and measures contemplated between nations could have a significant effect on the university in an environment where supply chains and international travel are already strained. Though SU downgraded its COVID-19 alert level from “RED” to “BLUE” on Monday, Syverud said he does not anticipate any change from the current level up to and through the spring break. He thanked the university community for keeping the campus safe amid the omicron variant. “It has been hard on our community, but thanks to all of you, we’re doing exceptionally well compared to our peers,” Syverud said. “They are envious of what our community has been able to achieve in commitment to safety in this area.” Gretchen Ritter, SU’s vice president, provost and chief academic officer, referenced the meaning of Black History Month and honored two former SU faculty members in her remarks. Charles Vert Willie, a former SU student, professor and administrator who received a Ph.D. in sociology from the university in 1957, was the first Black tenured faculty member at the university and also a vice president at SU, Ritter said. She credited him as a distinguished scholar of desegregation, race relations and higher education. Constance Timberlake, another former faculty member in the department of family and community services honored by Ritter, is believed to be the first Black woman tenured at SU. She was appointed twice to the National Advisory Council for Continuing Education by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, Ritter said. see usen page 4
4 feb. 24, 2022
from page 1
neilia members she spoke with, speaking kindly about everyone she met, said Arlene Vanderlinde, one of Neilia’s sorority sisters. “When I think back, of all my sisters, in all those years, she was probably the sweetest, kindest, most lovely,” Vanderlinde said. She also remembers Neilia’s shyness. While scanning her SU yearbook from 1962, she noticed Neilia wasn’t in the Kappa Alpha Theta group photo, though her name was listed. “She just didn’t try to call attention to herself,” Vanderline said. “She was very beautiful in a very understated way. She was not flamboyant in her dress and makeup or anything.” After graduating from SU in 1964, Neilia taught English at Bellevue Heights until 1968. She treated every student the same and kept her door open if they needed her, said Patricia Smarzo, who was a student of Neilia’s. Smarzo described Neilia as a “big sister.” When a few kids made up a song mocking the teenager for being overweight, Smarzo went to Neilia, crying. “Who said that to you?” Neilia asked. She was so angry, and “it was like waving a flag in front of a bull,” Smarzo said. Whenever Smarzo felt insecure, especially in her teen years, she would remember how Neilia would call her beautiful and help her understand that, one day, she would be happy with who she was and how she looked. “Don’t worry. You’ll grow into yourself,” Nelia would say. Neilia forged a similar connection with Patricia Cowin Wojenski, a new eighth grade student whose mother had cancer and had undergone five open heart surgeries. She was constantly worried about losing her mother, but Neilia’s compassion helped alleviate the stress of that difficult time, she said. Wojenski would stay with Neilia after school and would walk home with her. Neilia would listen to Wojenski talk. Though Wojenski didn’t realize it at the time, she needed a mentor and close friend like Neilia. “(Neilia) must have seen something in me which, I don’t know what it was, that she felt that she needed to be in my life, and I really appreciated that,” she said. Eventually, Neilia moved to Delaware with Biden, and Wojenski went to high school, but the two remained pen pals. Wojenski wrote to Neilia about everything. What mattered most to Wojenski is that she always wrote back.
Joe and Neilia
Joe Biden arrived at the University of Delaware in 1961 having overcome the bullying and shame that came with his severe stutter through hard work and the support of his teachers. He dreamt of going to law school and becoming “an esteemed public figure.” But during his freshman year, he was mainly interested in playing football and meeting girls. “I figured all I had to do was graduate in four years, do well on the law school admissions test, and I’d be in law school. I knew I was smart from page 1
schumer already passed as a part of the larger Build Back Better plan. “There’s a lot of partisanship in Washington these days, but this bill actually has Republican as well as Democratic support,” Schumer said. “As majority leader, you don’t have all the power in the world, especially with 50 votes. But one of my abilities as majority leader is to determine what goes to the floor of the Senate. And it’s my intention to put the Affordable Insulin Now Act on the floor.” When asked why he didn’t put this in a larger
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usen
“This month and every month, it is valuable to remember these two great scholars and community leaders who helped to shape the history of this institution,” Ritter said.
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enough,” he wrote in his memoir. His parents banned him from playing spring football after seeing his first semester grades. He was put on probation for hosing down a resident adviser with a fire extinguisher. He spent more time in the lounge debating with friends than studying at the library. His junior year, he met Neilia. After the spring break of 1964, Biden would travel more than 300 miles every weekend to see her. The more time they spent together, the more he thought about building a future for the two of them. “Once I had Neilia with me, it became more of a plan than a daydream. Nobody outside my family believed in me the way Neilia did; seeing myself through her eyes made anything seem possible,” he wrote. In his last year at the University of Delaware, Biden focused on his schoolwork more than ever. He always had a career in mind, but now he had someone to pursue it for. He attended SU’s College of Law in 1965 to be with Neilia, and the couple rented a firstfloor apartment on Stinard Avenue. But Biden’s growth as a student wasn’t linear, and he fell back into old habits as a first-year at SU. He stopped striving for good grades. He was almost expelled for plagiarism, but the school failed him in the course and let him retake it instead. Deans and faculty told him that, if he didn’t start showing discipline, he wouldn’t make it through the first year. It was Neilia who designed the strategy for how he would pass his final exams. She would take his notes and make study sheets for his classes on torts and criminal law, and he would do the same for the one on contracts and property. She was with him every step of the way. “Her study sheets were so detailed and the mnemonic devices she invented so clever, that I cruised through the exams in torts and criminal law,” he wrote in his memoir. Several weeks after Joe passed his first year, the two got married at St. Mary’s.
the Bidens, sold the couple her German Shepherd puppy. The two named the dog Senator. The only time Peggy McCarthy would sit down at the restaurant she and her husband Mark ran together was to speak with the Bidens. Peggy, a mother of six by 1967, would speak to Neilia about having children, he said. Several weeks later, on the night of Dec. 17, 1972, Biden felt like his daydream was coming to fruition. That year, Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. Through the chaos and career changes, Neilia was the one that had kept everything in balance. Instead of separating the family and work life, she made them work together. “She was completely easy in the world, almost without insecurity or self-doubt. I could be impatient, brash and off-putting, but Neilia had a way of smoothing out my rough edges,” he wrote in his memoir. He was excited about the path they were on and where it would lead them, together. The next day, that path ended.
The accident
memorate Neilia. Cayuga Community College annually confers the Neilia Hunter Biden Award for two graduates, one for journalism and one for literature. In 2010, the Syracuse City School District set up a memorial outside the new Bellevue Elementary School building after Biden visited. A boulder with a plaque that reads “In Loving Memory of Neilia Hunter Biden: Beloved Teacher and Mentor,” sits in front of the entrance of the school. Wojenski — who worked at Bellevue for 27 years, serving as a mentor for kids the same way Neilia did with her — bought a flowering pear tree and planted it behind the stone because “Neilia liked beautiful things.” The plaque is a powerful token of remembrance, she said. Kids see it and ask her about the former teacher. “Every time I walk by that stone, I look at it and I just think ‘Wow, you would be so shocked that you have this little spot here for you.’ Because she was just so humble,” she said. “She never did anything for a pat on the back. She just did it because that’s how she was.”
The visit
Throughout Biden’s years at law school, he and Neilia formed close friendships with Syracuse residents. Kevin Coyne, who lived next door to the Biden’s as a teenager, said his mother viewed Neilia as a daughter. She would invite the couple over for family dinners, make them sandwiches every Sunday and have Neilia over for coffee once a week. The young couple grew close to members of the large Coyne family during those few years. “(Neilia) just didn’t have a mean bone in her body,” Coyne said. The two also interacted with other kids in the neighborhood, and Neilia would sometimes bring them cookies, said Paul Shanahan, who was a child when the Bidens lived in the neighborhood. Bill Christopherson, one of Neilia’s former students, worked as a paperboy for the neighborhood. The Bidens would offer him hot chocolate on especially cold days, he said. Joanne Del Vecchio, who lived next door to
On Dec. 18, 1972, a tractor-trailer truck slammed into the Biden’s station wagon, killing Neilia and 1-year-old Naomi and severely injuring Beau and Hunter. When his sister Valerie told him about the accident, Biden sensed that she had died. At the hospital, sitting beside his two unconscious sons, Biden felt numb. When he allowed himself to feel, the pain almost became too much, like the shards from his shattered world were cutting through. “I began to understand how despair led people to just cash it in; how suicide wasn’t just an option but a rational option,” he said in his 2007 memoir. Senator Michael Mansfield, the majority leader at the time, wouldn’t let him drop his seat in the Senate. He owed it to his wife, Mansfield said. In January 1973, standing next to his sons’ hospital beds, he took his oath for office. Five years after the accident, he married Jill Biden, an English professor. In the decades following Neilia’s death, Biden and his sons have drawn on her central New York roots to stay connected to her. Hunter Biden has a tattoo of the Finger Lakes on his back. Beau Biden, who died of a brain tumor in 2015, decided to go to SU Law in the early 1990s after seeing his mother’s photo on the wall of the Kappa Alpha Theta house. Biden has since made numerous visits to Syracuse, attended Hunter family celebrations and stayed in touch with local friends from his time in the city. Kevin Coyne, the former neighbor, said his mother visited Biden every couple of years in Washington D.C. following the accident. About a year after the accident, when Biden came back to Syracuse, he visited Coyne and his mother at their house. “She was crushed. And so was he. They were both crying,” he said. The community still finds ways to com-
bill or expand this to other categories and prescriptions, Schumer said he and the co-sponsors are doing this quickly and immediately because it has the quickest and best chance of passing. Dr. Mantosh Dewan, the president of SUNY Upstate Medical University, thanked Schumer for “unfailingly” supporting the university and the state of New York. Dewan discussed the $140 million the university received from the federal CARES Act, which he said kept the university’s door open and allowed it to develop the saliva COVID-19 test that has been administered four million times. He also said the university is developing a new saliva test for COVID-19 antibodies. Ruth Weinstock, the medical director
of Joslin Diabetes Center, emphasized the importance of insulin therapy on patients with diabetes. It can prevent loss of vision, kidney failure, amputation, heart attack and strokes as well as greatly reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to high blood sugars, she said. “How sad it is that over a hundred years later after discovery of insulin, people are still dying due to lack of insulin,” Weinstock said. “Insulin affordability is a critical issue. And a national copay cap for people with commercial insurance and Medicare is essential.” Weinstock hopes the bill could lead the way to additional legislation that will help people
afford other needed prescription drugs, supplies, devices and future innovations. Kristen Aluzzi, a Syracuse resident who’s had Type 1 diabetes for 30 years, said at the press conference that she has witnessed the price increase of insulin every year and every month. It was difficult to afford insulin when she was attending nursing school, she said, and that still affects her habits even today. “I have (the) right insurance now. I’m lucky to have that,” Aluzzi said. “But I will use my omnipod and take out that little bit of insulin. Everything counts, and it all adds up.”
Ritter said the search committee for the vice president for research held its first meeting last week. After faculty members voiced concerns about lack of representation in the arts and humanities programs on the committee during last week’s University Senate Open Forum, Ritter said Remita Ray, an associate professor in the art and music histories department, has been invited to join the committee.
Marcelle Haddix, the distinguished dean’s professor of literacy, race and justice in the reading and language arts department of SU’s School of Education, was appointed as the new associate provost for strategic initiatives two weeks ago. Syverud said the search for the next associate vice president and chief of campus safety and emergency management services is nearly complete. Syverud said he has met with the
finalists and the university community can expect the announcement soon. The search committee for SU’s chief financial officer has been selected, Syverud announced. The university is working with Korn Ferry, an organizational consulting firm, to identify candidates for the position.
Neighbors
In May 2009, a year before SCSD set up Neilia’s memorial, Biden gave a commencement speech at SU. Afterwards, he traveled the familiar two-mile route to Bellevue Elementary School. There, teachers, administrators and over 100 kids, many of whom had sent letters to the Oval Office weeks before asking him to visit, gathered in the school’s auditorium to get a glimpse of Biden, who was vice president at the time. The excitement was palpable when he walked into the room. Most cheered when he entered the room, and others gasped when he moved the stool they’d placed for him to sit on the stage’s steps with the students instead. In his speech, Biden recalled how he used to travel 300 miles every weekend during his senior year at the University of Delaware to visit Neilia, and how he would play basketball with the kids while waiting for her to come out of meetings at the school. “Bellevue has a real important place in my heart,” he said. Sitting right on the edge of the stage was Wojenski. After Biden’s speech, a secret service member told her to follow him into the gymnasium. A few minutes later, Biden came in with his brother-in-law. Wojenski explained to him who she was, and what Neilia meant to her. His wife was her eighth grade teacher, and the two had kept in contact. She had invited Wojenski to come to Delaware for the summer to help take care of her kids. And although Wojenski didn’t realize it in middle school, Neilia had been in her life at a time when she really needed someone. The vice president had tears coming out of his eyes. “He put his hand on my arm. He said he was happy to meet me, and it made him feel closer to her,” she said. akweiss@syr.edu @abbyweiss_21
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column
Rock climbing at the Barnes Center at The Arch is beneficial By Jean Aiello columnist
T
he Barnes Center at The Arch is unique to Syracuse University. The newly renovated wellness center offers 50 fitness classes per week, four floors of gym equipment, a basketball court, a 25 yard pool and, my personal favorite, rock climbing walls. The rock climbing walls in the Barnes Center are one of the first things you notice when entering the building. It was something I immediately wanted to try at SU when I moved in last fall. I unfortunately never got the chance once I was consumed with challenging college classes, new friends and social activities. But last week, after I worked out with a friend at the Barnes Center, we decided to try rock climbing before leaving. I’ve been back twice since then and highly encourage other students to try the fascinating sport of climbing. Because climbers are focused on strategically gaining height on the wall, the activity doesn’t feel like a workout. Once your feet hit the floor after the first climb, you realize how much of your body’s muscles were being used. Many people are unaware of the major health benefits that rock climbing has when done regularly, as it seems like a fun activity to occasionally partake in but not a common workout. Most of the muscles used when rock climbing include those in the upper body, back, core and arms.
Rock climbing is easier in the beginning for those with a background in dance or yoga, as rock climbing challenges you to have good balance and coordination. Over time, it can improve flexibility, balance and coordination, and it simultaneously gives you a major cardio workout. Along with physical health benefits, rock climbing can help mental health. Climber News said they feel that rock climbing has even more mental health benefits than it does physical. Rock climbing is typically a very healthy sport for the mind, as it comes with a supportive community and skills to challenge one’s mentality. It also forces the brain to be focused and attentive on multiple aspects at once. Where your hand reaches and where your next foot is placed must be coordinated at the perfect timing to avoid falling. It takes endurance, trust in yourself and the courage to try again after the occasional fall. It is almost like a physical meditation, since you are unable to think about anything else while climbing. Rock climbing has many emotional benefits too. The important aspect of rock climbing that people need to accept before trying the sport is that you will fail. Accepting the possibility of falling each time you climb the wall helps build resilience and an ability to challenge yourself and take risks. The first climb can be daunting, but the community at SU
Students should partake in rock climbing at the Barnes Center at The Arch. It can improve flexibility, balance and coordination, while serving has a cardio workout. jaden chen asst. photo editor
makes you feel welcome no matter your skill level. Going to the wall at the Barnes Center with a friend is a good way to get started. You will both be in the same position, encouraging each other dur-
ing your climb. Additionally, the staff there is ready to help guide you through your first rock climbing experience. They can be found wearing blue vests and will tell you everything you need to know before
taking your first step on the wall.
Jean Aiello is a freshman magazine, news and digital journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at jdaiello@syr.edu.
column
SU’s reputation has been slowly slipping for many years By Dalton Baxter columnist
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t one point or another, every student is asked, “Why did you choose to come to Syracuse University?” Some will point to the legacy of programs like the Newhouse School of Public Communications, while others have family ties that brought them here. I have a little bit of a different story. Admittedly, SU was far from my top choice, especially coming into college not knowing what I wanted my major to be. I was initially drawn to schools that were in a warmer climate and had plenty of opportunities, but they were considered “reaches” based on my academic profile. When all of those schools passed me by, SU was the only school which accepted me
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that I was remotely interested in. I quickly bought into what many current and former students, as well as various media outlets, have disseminated: SU is a reputable university that challenges students in the classroom and has a great sports scene and social atmosphere. The only downside being the gloomy weather, I committed over $40,000 to my first semester, however, as my first year came and went, I began to realize that the university that was pitched to me was a thing of the past and that SU had been coasting off of its reputation. The first and most obvious reason is the administration and their decisions, or lack thereof, that affect the student body. There is a clear disconnect between what the students want out of the school and what the
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school does. Many students feel that the university has not handled incidents of sexual assault, racism, and mental health in an adequate and timely manner. There are also student life issues like taking away meal swipes at Schine Student Center, not implementing wellness days, and not having stronger mental health services on campus. These grievances combined with rising tuition have students feeling that the SU administration only cares about what is most convenient for them, not about what is best for the student body. Furthermore, the social and sports atmosphere at SU is a big draw for a lot of kids who want to have fun while at college, but that has taken a massive downturn as well. DJ’s On the Hill’s closure, a place that many students have fond memories of, was really disappoint-
ing. This also has led to Greek life on campus becoming one of the only outlets for students to party and have conventional big college social events. Lastly, there is the academic aspect. In 2019, the acceptance rate at SU was 44%, according to College Gazette, meaning that not everyone could expect to get in and there was some level of excellence expected from the student body. However, in 2021 the acceptance rate shot up to 69%, according to College Gazette, putting SU in the same range of acceptance as some big public schools like University of Delaware and Michigan State University. These state schools, unlike private schools such as SU, are required to accept a certain number of students from within the state they are located in, raising the acceptance rate.
SU, however, can accept or decline students at their discretion, which should make students question the direction that the university is heading in. The rise in the acceptance rate can be attributed to the amount of students that transferred out of the university over the past year, in part due to the school’s COVID-19 restrictions and the strain of having online classes last year. While Syracuse University is far from being a laughingstock of higher education, its once prestigious name is trending downward, as there is a rift between the administration and student body, a toxic social environment and a downturn in academic standards.
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Dalton Baxter is a sophomore applied data analytics major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at dwbaxter@syr.edu.
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PAG E 7
feb. 24, 2022
culture
8 feb. 24, 2022
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cedric Bolton’s inspirations include civil rights leaders like Malcolm X, whose image is included in the background of the cover art for Bolton’s album “12 Years Gone.” meghan hendricks photo editor
Bolton’s back By Sophie Cohen
asst. digital editor
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Office of Multicultural Affairs staff member Cedric Bolton, whose stage name is Blackman Preach, is releasing his first album in 15 years
lackman Preach is Cedric Bolton’s stage name when he is outside of Syracuse University classrooms. Bolton has been the Coordinator of Student Engagement at the Office of Multicultural Affairs at SU for the past 18 years. He also runs the Verbal Blend poetry program and teaches Poetry for the People and Diversity in the 21st Century for first-year SU students. “Hip-hop has always been important to me and my environment,” Bolton said. “When I was in 8th grade I had a 909 Roland drum machine and was in a rap group where I made beats. Music and poetry is my sanctuary — it is therapy for me.” Bolton will be releasing his third album, “12 Years Gone,” on March 12, but Bolton’s journey to becoming Blackman Preach started back in Minneapolis. In 2003, Bolton performed at a spoken word event and afterwards an Indigenous audience member approached him and explained how inspired he was by the words Bolton spoke that night. “He thought it would be cool if he could record me,” Bolton said. “So I went to his studio and recorded with this Native American guy. But I realized he wasn’t using any equipment. Everything was computerized.” The man explained that everything he needed to produce music was right on his laptop. From that point on, Bolton knew that he could also create his own music once he found the right software and taught himself how to mix. Just one year later, Bolton recorded his first album, “The State
of the Ghetto Address.” His second album “Bumpy Tymes” was released in 2007. “From 2004 until 2011, I was making tracks in my studio in the basement,” Bolton said. “I ended up taking a long break because life happened: I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer and began a cultural foundations of education master’s program at SU.” Bolton had to balance his master’s program while getting cancer treatments multiple times a week. His goal to work on a new album was put on the back-burner until he completed the program. Bolton decided to name the album he began working on in grad school to “12 Years Gone” to reflect his absence from making music. At this point, Bolton had been working at SU for a while and made connections with alumni and undergrads that supported his musical endeavors. “I essentially repurposed the album to bring it some excitement. I invited alumni and undergrads that were in my class to a meeting to see if they were interested in helping me out.” Bolton invited Laurie Fernandez, a junior arts education major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, to help design the album cover. Fernandez met Bolton during her freshman year through a friend who was in one of Bolton’s first-year student courses. The album cover art was a collaboration between Fernandez and Lance Evans, who is a senior illustration major at SU. Bolton wanted to include a picture of Malcom X in the background of the see poetry page 10
slice of life
SU students look forward to weekly ‘Euphoria’ episodes” By Isabella Uribe
contributing writer
Every Sunday night, fans of “Euphoria” huddle around the television, anxiously waiting for the newest episode of the second season. “I watch it every Sunday with my roommates,” said Mackenzie Quinn, a junior at Syracuse University. “It’s something I look forward to throughout the week, it’s a good show.” Regardless of how you may feel
about this HBO original, “Euphoria” has taken the internet by storm and has been a subject of discussion among SU students. “There’s a big hype around it, so if you’re not watching, it kind of feels like you’re missing out,” said Vivi Collymore, a senior at SU. The show follows various characters’ lives as they navigate the drama of friendships, identity, drugs and sex. It gives viewers frequent glimpses of these characters’ own
upbringings and explains how each of their perspectives has taken shape. “Euphoria” has been popular since its 2019 conception and has managed to influence makeup and fashion trends with the bedazzled and glittery creations often donned by the characters in the show. The looks have been so iconic that the show’s head of makeup, Donni Davy, is developing her own makeup line, Half Magic. This is part of why people are drawn to the show.
“I just think the costumes, the makeup, the way that it’s filmed — it’s all beautiful,” senior Maddie Roberts said. “The style and aesthetic of it all is appealing to younger people, too.” Other students believed the appeal of the show lies in the drama of its plot. Common themes include the struggles of addiction, mental health and abuse. “I think the fact that there are things like drugs and alcohol make the show more interesting for view-
ers,” Haley Busse, a sophomore, said. “Instead of it being about just some people in high school, it’s about people in high school really going through things.” As a show set in high school, its relatability to teenagers and young adults is a topic that comes up frequently. For senior Rae Newsham, the show’s portrayal of high school was pretty accurate. During her time in high school, it was not rare see euphoria page 10
Beyond the
hill dailyorange.com @ dailyorange feb. 24, 2022
Winter in the wild
Whether it’s gourmet dinners or the zoo’s Sweet Treats day, Rosamond Gifford Zoo hosts a variety of activities to attract visitors during the winter. surya vaidy staff photographer
Contrary to what some may think, a plethora of active animals can be found at Rosamond Gifford Zoo during the winter By Sophia Moore asst. copy editor
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ed Fox has seen his fair share of winters and challenges since beginning his work as a zookeeper at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in 1991. In his current role as a director, Fox oversees a variety of zoo operations, including ensuring guest and animal comfort in the winter. Living in Syracuse requires the zoo team to prepare for blizzards, ice and other harsh winter conditions, Fox said. “Just like the humans that live in our community, the animals are pretty thrifty when it comes to dealing with cooler temperatures,” Fox said. “It’s actually enjoyable for a lot of the animals but we have a lot of things in place, from shelters and heated areas and extra feed in the winter.” In January and February, also known as “Snow Leopard Days,” the zoo hosts a variety of events, including gourmet dinners and craft-based activities for children. During these months, admission to the zoo is reduced as a way to incentivize guests to visit. Despite the weather, the zoo aims to draw patrons out and provide fun activities in addition to seeing the animals. “We get questioned a lot if we’re open during the winter, because most people don’t feel like going outside necessarily, so they don’t think our animals would be outside either,” said Tammy Singer, a collections manager at the zoo. “Winter is actually a really great time to come to the zoo and see the animals because they’re more active, they’re more visible and they’re not hunkering down in the heat of the day to take a nap.” Singer, who oversees several different animal areas at the zoo including small mammals and primates, said that many of the animals at the zoo are native to areas of colder climates and therefore have an easier time adjusting to the Syracuse winters. During a blizzard, the animals are given additional blankets to keep them from laying directly on the snow, and they are able to enter heated barns that protect them from the elements. Postblizzard ice maintenance at the zoo also has a set protocol, which the zookeepers are very vigilant about.
Keeping the waterfowl pond clear of ice is an important part of this protocol, Singer said, as ice forms easily during the Syracuse winter. The pond is equipped with bubblers to maintain motion in the water, but when that isn’t enough, Singer said that zookeepers manually cut and remove ice from the water. Whether it’s to experience an indoor exhibit or engage in a group trip, the winter weather isn’t enough to drive guests away, and many guests end up visiting the zoo in the winter. Zoo-goer Thomas Meaney said he prefers to visit the zoo when the weather is colder. “We’re at a time where all the animals are a lot more active, like the wolves, which I enjoy seeing,” Meany said. “Come in the summertime, a lot of times they’re napping.” Events like the zoo’s Sweet Treats Animal Enrichment event, which celebrated Valentine’s Day by giving the animals heartshaped treats and enrichments to engage with, also are a way to draw guests out to visit. Even with snow adorning zoo paths, groups of children and families show up on the weekends to catch a glimpse of their favorite animals. Phillip Hill, another zoo-goer, doesn’t find the wintery conditions to be a deterrent from bringing his children to the zoo. “It’s just another transition to allow the kids to get out and see some animals, expend some energy and run around a little bit,” Hill said. “I found it beneficial for them to be able to run around and be outdoors and see the animals, learn a little bit about it.” Even in the cold, it’s possible to enjoy a day at the zoo. Being in Syracuse, the staff at the zoo understand weather conditions are not always in favor of a day outdoors, Singer said, but she encourages guests to come out and experience the other amenities the location has to offer. “If you’re maybe not a winter person and you don’t want to be outdoors, you can book a program. You can come and you can be at the zoo and do something really fun and just to get out of the house and not be hibernating yourself,” Singer said. somoore@syr.edu @SophiaaMooree
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black history month 2022
Black creatives featured at 119 Euclid event By Leila Moghadasi
contributing writer
Tables featuring products such as handbags, crystals, candles and accessories from local businesses filled the space at 119 Euclid on Friday afternoon. The lively home was filled with a uniquely decorated table showcasing products and work, with people from the campus community walking around excited to learn more about each business. Syracuse University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion held the event, called State of the Black Creative: Black Market, as part of SU’s Black History Month celebration. Its goal was to showcase and support Black-owned businesses in the Syracuse community, as well as to promote entrepreneurship for students attending the university. Each business at the event showcased their work, and the vendors at the market were eager and excited to share their knowledge about what it means to be an entrepreneur within the Syracuse community. In case you missed it, here are some of the businesses that were on display at the event.
Cocoa’s Candles
Ulonda Hudgins-Johnson is the creator of multiple businesses. She formerly ran Hot Cocoas, a beauty supply store, and currently runs Cocoa’s Candles. She created her former business after losing her mother to leukemia. With Hot Cocoas, she hoped to establish a judgment-free environment where women feel comfortable when looking for hair products, such as a variety of wigs and hair extensions. Now, Hudgins-Johnson’s from page 8
poetry cover to pay tribute to one of his heroes. Fernandez and Evans ended up using a selfie Bolton took in his office and placed a picture of Malcom X in the background. Bolton said he wanted the style of the album cover to be both realistic and cartoon-like. “Lance did the perfect job of melding what not fully cartoon and not fully realistic meant. Lance did the Malcolm X portrait and the portrait of Cedric was a collab between the both of us,” Fernandez said. Bolton said he loves the fact that his new album isn’t a solo project. He added that he learned how to ask for help from the SU community in terms of production and promotion of the album, which has allowed Bolton to solely focus on the music. Bolton said he feels a lot of self-imposed pressure to outdo his last project and capture the same magic from his last two albums. “12 Years Gone” hits very close to home for Bolton because his lyrics reveal a more personal side to his journey becoming an artist. “This album is about what lessons I picked up along the way to help me grow as this 50-yearold person with all of these experiences that I’ve just tucked away for 12 years,” Bolton said. “Figuring out which one was the story to tell has been the hardest part.” Bolton said he raps about how to have converfrom page 8
euphoria for peers to be using drugs and having sex, she said. Quinn shared similar thoughts as well. “Season one especially was pretty spot on with my high school experience, with the partying and relationships and stuff like that,” she said. “I didn’t think it was that unrealistic with drug use and the portrayal of relationships.” For other SU students, the show didn’t compare to their experiences at all. Collymore said she didn’t relate to the kinds of characters in the show and that the drug culture wasn’t prevalent at her high school. Claudia Miranda, a freshman, said she couldn’t relate to the show either but has met people who can since her time at SU. “In my case, I never experienced anything like that, but watching it made me realize that other people do. Now that I’m in college, I have met peo-
attention is fully on Cocoa’s Candles. “When we look good and smell good, we feel good as whole, and I wanted to provide luxury uniquely scented body essentials for people that have allergies and sensitive skin like me,” Hudgins-Johnson said. It has become one of her priorities to help women with their self-esteem and build confidence for their mental and physical well-being.
The Hair T(hair)apist
SU senior and track and field athlete Eunice Boateng started her business The Hair T(hair)apist during the pandemic. She realized her services would benefit underserved communities of color at the predominantly white university, she said. “My business became an outlet for me to continuously enhance the beauty, confidence, mindsets and souls of others,” she said. Eunice is dedicated to helping the community feel their best.
Bruja India
Tiffany Hamm is a spiritualist, diviner, curandera and certified Usui Ryoho reiki master who had her first pop-up shop for her company, Bruja India, at 119 Euclid during the Black Market. Hamm offered 15-minute tarot readings for $21 and 15-minute reiki healings for $21. Hamm also offers other services: “Something Light,” a written report of three cards that highlight current situation and channeled information that needs to be known, “To Filth,” an in-depth reading over live video that highlights current situation and channeled information that needs to be known, and “Nu Year/ Solar Return,” an in-depth reading
that provides information on what needs to be known for the year ahead.
Royal Lux by Jess
SU student Jess Aimunmondion is the owner of the small business Royal Lux by Jess. She sells beauty products and accessories such as false eyelashes, lip gloss and headbands. Her products are shipped worldwide, and she has four different lip gloss flavors and different lash styles — categorized by whether they accompany a natural or bold look — available on her website.
By Reya Simone
SU freshman Reya Thompson created her natural hair care product line, By Reya Simone, in 2020. Simone utilizes natural ingredients for her products, which can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. from her website. She brought her shampoo to the Black Market to promote her business, and other products coming soon on the site include a shea butter sealant and flaxseed curly custard.
Canvas Your Home
Local arwtist Rashad Mustafa Sr. brought some of his work, including paintings that featured basketball players Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal and characters from “Dragon Ball Z” to the Black Market on Friday. He sells canvases with outlined illustrations, paint and brushes for paint & sip events, his own original paintings, T-shirts and more. Mustafa can also be commissioned for logos and can be contacted by phone, Facebook or on Instagram. lrmoghad@syr.edu
sations about struggles with race and identity. The two singles that Bolton has released ahead of his new album are titled “We Wear The Mask” and “Bloody Revolution.” “We Wear The Mask” is a poem from 2017. While writing this piece, Bolton said he thought about Black students at SU who are faced with microaggressions on a daily basis. He raps about the metaphorical mask Black students have to wear in front of their classmates and faculty. Although “Bloody Revolution” is a piece Bolton released on his first album, he wanted to include a remake of the song on “12 Years Gone” to display the new skills he has learned from years of making beats. The inspiration for “Bloody Revolution” came after Bolton read an autobiography about Malcom X. He said that he was frustrated because of the different narrative that a Malcom X movie had compared to the autobiography. “The book shed a lot of light on things the movie didn’t, and the movie was like a true story-type and there were so many elements that just weren’t true. I thought to myself that there needs to be a revolution and when I started to write the poem, I talked about Malcolm and all of the things that I was learning about him,” Bolton said. Bolton said he always wants to pull his heroes into his work, whether it be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcom X. When Bolton, Fernandez and Evans decided on the album cover, Bolton felt that
it was the perfect way to pay tribute to one of his heroes and challenge himself to be a better person. Bolton dropping “12 Years Gone,” an album with 12 songs, on March 12 was an action he took purposefully. “Everything I’m doing, even the release dates, is 12, 12, 12. I just need to do some recordings this weekend and hopefully touch up some other tracks,” Bolton said. Bolton’s wife, Gwendolyn Pough, a professor in SU’s women’s and gender studies department, said she was excited about the new album. She said she has watched Bolton grow in his skill and craft as a poet and musician. Pough said that Bolton has always had the confidence to perform once he knew his work was good. Now, he has become more sure of himself in terms of telling his story in a raw and authentic way. “I can definitely trace the evolution of Cedric, and I think this album will be better than the previous two. I’m so excited about his excitement for the project. He has been talking about doing the third album for quite some time now,” Pough said. Bolton said he has put his heart and soul into this album and hopes the SU community will recognize his growth as a poet and musician. “This album is a labor of love,” Bolton said. “I just want to tell people that this is me. This is what I do. I really am passionate about this next chapter and releasing more music and instrumental albums.”
ple that have told me they’ve experienced things similar to what goes on in the show,” she said. The show has wormed its way into popular culture by making stars out of its main cast. It launched the already-beloved Zendaya into megastardom in the eyes of some students and made her the youngest woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020. For Newsham, Zendaya was the appeal of the show and the reason she started watching, if not because her friends begged her to watch. Being part of the greater conversation surrounding this show is part of the reason why some SU students watched “Euphoria” in the first place. Cast members like Angus Cloud and Sydney Sweeney regularly post their reactions to new episodes on social media, which further spurs discussions between fans. “I started because everyone else was watching it, but then I ended up liking it,” Miranda said. “It’s pretty disturbing, of course, because
it’s a lot of hard truths.” “Euphoria” is certainly not without controversy, but some SU students like Roberts said that this doesn’t change the fact that people watch new episodes weekly. Some SU students believe that the show’s popularity is not completely warranted. “It’s a decent show, but overrated. They could have done a better job at portraying the issues they’re trying to portray,” Newsham said. Busse agreed with Newsham. She said that while Rue’s character is based on Sam Levinson’s — the showrunner for Euphoria — drug addiction, she found it hard to support Rue when she’s hurting her friends, family and herself. No matter what happens throughout the show, students can’t get enough of the cliffhangers. “We always get pissed off when the episode ends,” Roberts said. “Thirty minutes after the episode ends we’re still talking about it.”
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CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND The Small Sessions This Thursday, Kate Yeager, Sarah Gross and William Hinson will take the stage for a “Small Sessions” concert in Syracuse. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door, and doors open at 9:30 p.m., with the show starting at 10 p.m. Proof of vaccination is required for all attendees. DM @thesmallsessions on Instagram for the show’s address. WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 24 ARTIST: Sarah Gross, Kate Yeager, William Hinson
Winter Beach Live from The Blue Room on Friday, Winter Beach, Campbells Purple Soup, Mellophobiac and Lepidoptera will perform. Tickets are on sale for $5 in advance and $7 at the door. The show starts at 8:30 p.m., and proof of vaccination is required. WHEN: Friday, Feb. 25 ARTIST: Winter Beach, Campbells Purple Soup, Mellophobiac, Lepidoptera
Blue Man Group The Blue Man Group will be in Syracuse this weekend for multiple performances. The group is an experimental musical theater troupe whose performances feature live music, sketch routines, physical stunts and audience participation. Blue Man Group will be at the Landmark Theatre from Thursday through Sunday, and show time information can be found on the Landmark’s site. Tickets are on sale from $35. WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, Feb. 27 ARTIST: Blue Man Group
The Floyd Concept Mirroring the performance of a live Pink Floyd concert, cover band The Floyd Concept will bring Pink Floyd classics like “Money,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” to the Westcott Theater. The concert will take place on Sunday at 8 p.m. Advanced tickets are on sale for $22. WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 27 ARTIST: The Floyd Concept
Obscura German progressive death metal band Obscura is bringing its 2022 North American tour “A Valediction” to Syracuse on Monday. The band has previously appeared on U.S. Billboard charts like the Independent Albums and Top Album Sales lists, and it has embarked on numerous world tours. Obscura will take the stage in the Westcott Theater at 8 p.m. Early access tickets are on sale for $20. WHEN: Monday, Feb. 28 ARTIST: Obscura
feb. 24, 2022 11
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from page 14
first game Hall of Famers at that point, and at 42 and 45 years old, respectively, they both still had the bulk of their careers ahead of them. Now, with Krzyzewski set to retire at the end of the 2021-22 season, the two will play their final regular season matchup when Duke comes to the Carrier Dome on Saturday night. “It’s going to be a historical coming together on that court,” said Juli Boeheim, the SU head coach’s wife. “The two of them combined, it’s overwhelming. It really is. It makes me teary thinking about it.” After 16 head-to-head matchups between the two, and more than three decades of basketball, Krzyzewski doesn’t remember the first matchup in 1989. “I think we lost. I think they beat us,” he said via Zoom when asked what he recalled from the game. Boeheim remembered a little more. With the score tied at 76, Billy Owens got the ball to Johnson, he said, who got fouled. “(Johnson) made a foul shot, and they didn’t have much time to get to the length of the court. It was a good win,” Boeheim recently said via Zoom. In fact, Owens said postgame that he really wanted to take the final shot himself, but he recognized the defense converging on him and noticed Johnson drifting open. Johnson — a from page 14
notre dame Atkinson was there to tip an askew shot into the basket early on and later grabbed a strong rebound over Frank Anselem and Jimmy. He uncovered on the baseline and drew a foul from Bourama Sidibe. That pattern continued over and over again. “He was there for every board,” Buddy said postgame. “He had a monster first half.” Atkinson helped his team cash in on 15 second-chance points in the first half. He capitalized on a struggling Anselem, who said postgame that it took him too long to get settled and lock in on defense. Yet Syracuse still managed to repeatedly exchange buckets with Notre Dame for most of the half. In one sequence, Buddy drove inside from page 14
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hurt the team’s scoring ability the most. The Orange’s effective field-goal percentage has also dropped from 54.6% to 48.3% and their two-point percentage at the rim, which is layups and dunks, fell from 64.5% to 51.9%. Evidently, Edwards’ replacements are not as effective at finishing at the rim, something that could hurt SU when outside shots are not falling.
Girard’s career year
Joe Girard III is having a career year for the Orange, shooting 40.2% from the field, 42.8% from 3 and 89.7% from the free-throw line. Girard tops the ACC in 3-point shooting percentage and free-throw shooting. His conference leading stats rank 14th and 12th, respectively, in the nation. Girard’s shooting success has increased his points per game to 13.7 and with five assists against Georgia Tech, he set a new career-high with 116 in a season. Against the Yellow Jackets, Girard also set a new career-high in steals in a season, as his three steals saw him rise to a team-high 48 this season. Across the board, Girard has improved and from page 13
griffin every play wasn’t drawn up for him. They had a roster full of future college and professional players, said then-head coach Mike Jones, and Griffin learned that he couldn’t shoot when he wanted to and “how to play with four other really good players.” When Team USA opened the tournament in danger of losing its first-ever game at the U16 level, Griffin grabbed the ball, raced up the court, weaved through Argentinian play-
50% free throw shooter that season — drew a foul and made both free throws with three seconds remaining. Then Duke’s Bill McCaffrey’s shot at the buzzer was blocked to secure the win. Thompson led SU with 21 points. ThenDuke assistant and current Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said Thompson “haunted us” during that game by smoothly sliding up and down the baseline. Syracuse nearly blew the game when it turned the ball over with 15 seconds left, which allowed Duke to tie the game with a layup. Boeheim said he thought Syracuse was looking “square in the eye of an overtime,” per The New York Times. But SU’s experience shone through in the final moments, Krzyzewski said postgame. Bobby Hurley was a freshman in 1989, playing in the fourth game of his collegiate career. Hurley had four points, 10 assists and six turnovers. Moments after the opening tipoff, Johnson dunked on Hurley. “It was my first big-time game,” Hurley told AZ Central in 2018. “Derrick Coleman won the tip and he tipped it to Billy Owens. And then Billy Owens took, like, two dribbles and I was the last guy back. He threw a lob to (Dave Johnson) and he just dunked right over me.” Thompson said he’ll go back from time-totime and watch clips from that 1989-90 Syracuse team. He praised both Boeheim and Krzyze-
wski’s loyalty to a single program and said there may never be coaches like them who’ve “basically given (their) life to the university.” “You kind of knew both those guys were going to … be Hall of Famers, and you knew that they weren’t going to coach anywhere else, and they were going to do it for a long time and do it their way,” Brey said. Boeheim got to know Krzyzewski by going to his house every evening after Duke charity golf tournaments in the 1980s, Boeheim said. Their “unique bond” grew stronger in 1990 when the two coached Team USA at the World Championships, with Krzyzewski as the head coach and Boeheim as his assistant. They coached together in 2006, 2010 and 2014 for the World Championships (two championships, one third-place finish) and in 2008, 2012 and 2016 for the Olympics (three gold medals). Boeheim estimated they spent 300 days together during those summertimes and never had an argument, he said after playing Duke on Jan. 22. Juli will always savor the simple moments at the Olympics, like sitting around a conference room table converted for family-style meals with the Krzyzewskis and Boeheims. Buddy, Jimmy and Jamie Boeheim made lots of memories with Krzyzewski’s grandkids, Juli said. “Our families are intertwined,” Krzyze-
wski said on Monday. “(Jim and I) are about as close as we can be in this profession.” Boeheim and Krzyzewski have a mutual respect that allows them to be such close friends, Juli said. Brey called them “thick as thieves” when they gang up in league meetings. They’re best friends in coaching, he said. “You become high-level competitors but then also become high-level best friends,” Hopkins said. When asked how much fun it’s been to play his best friend over the years, Krzyzewski laughed. “I don’t look at it as fun,” he said. “I look at it as intense competition.” Boeheim said the same thing after the first Duke game a few weeks ago, clarifying that Krzyzewski might be a close friend but those memories are separate from basketball. They’re in a different category, he said, and they’ve been that way ever since the 1989 meeting in Greensboro. “That’s what I think about when I think about that game, is the two of them shaking hands and greeting each other,” Juli said. “I remember it so vividly from the first game. It was powerful — our fans acknowledged Coach K and Jim and the greatness that was there. “I hope it’s a great game. We want to win and all of that. But I don’t want to miss that part.”
the arc and nailed jumpers on three straight possessions. Jimmy routinely drove and made difficult layups or hook shots look easy. SU shot 50% from the field and 4-of-11 from 3-point range but still trailed by four points at the break because it couldn’t find a solution for Atkinson. SU used a 9-0 run to take the lead out of halftime. But then, midway through the second half, came Notre Dame’s 13-0 run. For that brief period, Jimmy and Buddy weren’t there to rescue SU — Jimmy said the offense got stagnant and took a few bad shots that allowed Notre Dame to jump out in front. “We didn’t score, we didn’t stop them and they had a run,” head coach Jim Boeheim said. The Orange never regained the lead after that. During that stretch, SU had four turnovers, including one from Joe Girard III where
he drove into a cluster of defenders and lost the ball when he couldn’t seem to decide between a shot and a pass. Girard had an off-night, finishing with two points on 1-of-7 shooting. During the 13-0 run, Cormac Ryan hit a 3-pointer, two free throws and a jumper. Nate Laszewski, who averages just over three 3-point attempts a game, nailed two from beyond the arc. He also had one in the first half with two seconds left on the shot clock which Boeheim pointed to one of his two keys of the game. But Laszewski’s second 3-pointer during the second-half run was the dagger that stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 12 with 12 minutes left. “They kind of got out in transition … and they took advantage of it and went on a run,” Jimmy said. “That ultimately was the game.” After that run, it was Syracuse fighting to stay in the game. Boeheim said Syracuse played
really well on defense after allowing Atkinson to run wild in the first half. Buddy and Jimmy said Anselem played much better in the second half, and the Orange used that to fight back. They got a drive and finish from Torrence, a fast-break layup to a wide-open Sidibe and two more free throws from Sidibe when Swider intercepted an errant Notre Dame pass. That made it a two-point game before Hubb’s 3-pointer and Blake Wesley’s layup put the game out of Syracuse’s reach. The Orange didn’t score for the last 1:30, and ND tacked on free throws to make it a 10-point victory. “It’s a tough loss. It’s one we obviously needed, we know that,” Buddy said. “To lose like that, for them to get a five-point lead, get all the momentum, really hurt.”
has scored double-figures in each of Syracuse’s past seven games as he continues to post new highs in his third season with the Orange.
loss to VT before jumping up to 74% against BC and GT. Overall, the Orange have lost just twice when shooting at least 40% from deep and just once when shooting 40% and making at least 10 3-pointers.
taken on greater roles to fill the void. The minutes distribution is different this year because the starters play such heavy minutes, with SU ranking 356th on KenPom in bench minutes, the third-worst in the country. For comparison, Richmond, last year’s sixth man, played 589 minutes, while this year’s (Anselem) has played just 321 even with the increased minutes following Edwards’ injury. Swider and Jimmy have effectively replaced Guerrier and Griffin by averaging similar points per game. The rebounding distribution is more spread out this year as no player has over 200, but at 988 the Orange are just two rebounds away from last year’s total. Meanwhile, career-highs in steals from Buddy and Girard have put SU on pace for a similar total. Blocks are the statistic with the biggest difference. Last season, the Orange had four players with double-digit blocks, but they are now gone. Edwards has carried SU this seasonn that category with 67, while Swider and Anselem have just 11 and 10, respectively. Now, with Edwards out for the season, it’s an area that will need significant improvement to support an already poor Orange defense.
The magic number to win is 10
A key constant in Syracuse’s 6-1 stretch has been its ability to make at least 10 3-pointers in each win and in the loss to Virginia Tech. The Orange are 9-3 in games this season where the team has made 10 3s. Notably, Syracuse’s losses to Virginia and Virginia Tech were instances where Syracuse made 10 3-pointers but shot under 40% from beyond the arc, showing that efficiency and quantity have not necessarily coincided. According to shotquality.com — a site that measures a team’s chances of winning based on its quality of shots taken in the game — Syracuse should be 14-13 rather than 15-12. The wins over FSU in December and Clemson in January were classed as unexpected based on the quality of shots they took. The Orange were supposed to have just a 35% and 23% chance of winning each game, respectively. Contrast that with the last seven games, where SU had at least 58% chance of winning in each of its most recent four game win streak. It had a 1% chance to win in its eventual ers and dunked over them. “Literally the whole game changed,” Jones said. Sharman White, an assistant coach on that year’s team, said they tried to isolate Griffin at times with ball screens, placing him in positions to convert baskets. “He can play outside, but he would beat you off the dribble,” Carter said. “And he’s nimble in that sense where he’s not a kid who’s going to get in there out of control.” But sprinkled in throughout that goldmedal tournament, and the rise in high school as a five-star prospect, were the knee injuries.
Fresh faces
Last summer, across the NCAA, a plethora of players elected to enter the transfer portal and swap teams. This trend affected Syracuse too as Quincy Guerrier, Kadary Richmond, Robert Braswell and Woody Newton all headed elsewhere. The Orange also lost Marek Dolezaj and Alan Griffin, who decided to play professionally rather than stay at SU. Combined, the departures accounted for 65.5% of the Orange’s minutes in 28 games last year. The group also contributed 50.4 points per game and accounted for 68.9% of Syracuse’s rebounds. It lost Richmond’s teamleading 46 steals and the entire top three in blocks and three of the top five in assists. To make up for this, the Orange added Cole Swider from Villanova, Jimmy from Cornell, Symir Torrence from Marquette and freshman Benny Williams. In 27 games this season, the new group has played 44.9% of the minutes, but Edwards and Anselem have also They caused him to miss games and eventually parts of seasons. It became the red flag, the one mark for someone with the potential to enter college and immediately start at Duke. That echoed a bit louder when he reinjured that knee in the fall, but he recovered in time for the bulk of this season. “Once he was able to get healthy, we saw what it’s turned out to be down in Durham,” Carter said. Before that injury happened, Carter sent Griffin a text in the final week of August, after he’d arrived at Duke for the fall semester. He always
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rferna04@syr.edu @roshan_f16
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texted him that week — they shared the same Aug. 23 birthday, and Carter always called him “twin.” This year, like most year’s versions, Carter typed, “Happy birthday twin. Keep pushing. God always has your back. And the sky’s the limit.” Because in Carter’s eyes, that was the case for Griffin. He just hadn’t had the window to manifest it yet at the college level. And slowly, over the course of the next six months — injury flare-up and all — that envisioned reality has started to materialize. arcrane@syr.edu @CraneAndrew
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men’s basketball
Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 7 Duke By Gaurav Shetty staff writer
On Saturday, Syracuse will host No. 7 Duke in the Carrier Dome for another opportunity at a resume-beefing Quadrant I win. The topsyturvy season has seen the Orange fall under .500 as late as January for the first time under head coach Jim Boeheim. But with two games in three days against two of the best teams from North Carolina, Syracuse has a chance to save its season. Up first is a Duke team ranked ninth in the nation on KenPom. The team sports one of the top prospects in this year’s NBA draft, Paolo Banchero. The Blue Devils trounced SU in Durham, North Carolina, by 20 points a month ago. Saturday’s game will also be the final regular-season meeting between Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski, as the latter is expected to retire after this season. Here’s what you need to know about No. 7 Duke (24-4, 14-3 Atlantic Coast) as Syracuse (15-13, 9-8 ACC) plays arguably its biggest game of the season:
All-time series Duke leads 12-6.
Last time they played
The two teams last played each other earlier in the season on Jan. 22. The 79-59 loss is one of Syracuse’s biggest of the season. The Blue Devils held Buddy Boeheim to just seven points and 1-for-10 from 3. The rest of the offense also struggled to make up for the lost production posting one of its lowest point totals of the season. Duke’s scoring was significantly more spread out with four players scoring 15 points each. AJ Griffin gave the Orange the most trouble going 5-for-9 for 3 and faceguarding Buddy for most of the game.
KenPom odds
KenPom gives Duke a 72% chance of winning with a projected score of 80-73.
The Duke report
Duke is again having an excellent season near the top of the ACC. The Blue Devils once again have a plethora of talent that could be taken in the first round of this year’s NBA draft. Banchero headlines the group as a potential lottery pick. The forward was named preseason ACC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Alongside him, Trevor Keels, a guard, did
not play against SU the first time around because of an injury. Keels is now back healthy and will give SU another weapon to worry about. There’s also 7-foot Mark Williams, who scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds against SU the first time around. His height will likely give SU more trouble this time around with Jesse Edwards out.
How Syracuse beats Duke
The Orange will need to have a near-perfect game to top the Blue Devils. The Orange have lost just one game this year when shooting at least 40% from 3 and sinking 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Not only will they have to do that, but Syracuse will also likely have to keep its centers out of foul trouble. Frank Anselem fouled out and Bourama Sidibe came dangerously close to fouling out against Georgia Tech. This time, both centers will have a much tougher matchup against Williams. It might be a long shot, but if Syracuse can get hot from 3 and contain Duke down low, the Orange might have a shot at an upset.
Player to watch: AJ Griffin, forward, No. 21
Griffin is the younger brother of former
Syracuse forward Alan Griffin. He came to Durham as the No. 1 ranked recruit and small forward from New York. The freshman was not immediately a starter for the Blue Devils this year, but he entered the starting five in mid-January. His defense on Buddy shut down the Orange’s top scorer in the two teams’ first meeting. The forward is a capable scorer as well shooting 49.8% from the field and 48.1% from 3. He also scored a career-high 27 points against North Carolina.
Stat to know: 17.2%
That is Syracuse’s 3-point percentage the last time these two teams played. Buddy, Cole Swider and Joe Girard III were a combined 3-for-25 from 3 as Syracuse’s offense couldn’t get anything going. It was Orange’s worst 3-point shooting percentage of any game this year. In the past few games, they have been much better, consistently making double-digit 3-pointers in each of their wins. But if Duke can limit Syracuse’s 3-pointers once again, it could prove too tough an obstacle to overcome for the Orange. gshetty@syr.edu
men’s lacrosse
Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 2 Virginia By Anish Vasudevan asst. sports editor
For the second straight week, Syracuse is facing a top-three opponent, heading to Charlottesville, Virginia, to take on the No. 2 ranked Cavaliers. The Orange showed defensive improvements from last season against No. 1 Maryland, holding the Terrapins’ stacked offense to six goals below its average. But Syracuse will have to replicate that performance on Saturday as it looks to upset Virginia for the third straight time. Here’s everything you need to know about No. 2 Virginia (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) before it plays No. 9 Syracuse (1-1, 0-0 ACC) on Saturday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads the all-time series 20-18.
Last time they played
Following a 20-10 win in its second game of last season, the then-No. 11 Syracuse upset the then-No. 5 Cavaliers again almost two months later, defeating them 13-11. Before the game, Chase Scanlan was suspended indefinitely from the men’s lacrosse program. His replacement, Owen Seebold — who is now a mainstay in the Orange attack — debuted as a starter against Virginia, notching four points. Owen Hiltz had five points as well. Like its first meeting, Syracuse got off to a quick 7-2 lead, but after back-and-forth scoring, UVA went on a 3-0 run in the third period. Still, the biggest factor in SU’s victory was Jakob Phaup, who finished 24-of-27 at the faceoff X against the ACC’s top faceoff man, Petey LaSalla. He continued to give the Orange’s offense opportunities, helping them respond with four unanswered goals and chew the clock to secure the victory.
The Cavaliers report
Just three games into the season, Virginia already has three players scoring double-digits in points — Connor Shellenberger, Payton Cormier and Xander Dickson. Dickson has the best shooting percentage out of the bunch at 47% along with eight goals. Defensively, the Cavaliers have won 55.5% of ground balls this season, according to Lacrosse Reference. They’ve found a replacement for goalkeeper Alex Rode in goal too, with freshman Matthew Nunes recording a 54.5% save percentage — head coach Gary Gait said that any goalie with a mark over 50% is vital for the defense’s success.
Syracuse sits at 1-1 after blowing out Holy Cross in its season-opener and losing to top-ranked Maryland last Saturday. Next up is No. 2 Virginia, which SU swept last season. trent kaplan staff photographer
How Syracuse beats the Cavaliers
With Gait’s revamped attack, the Orange completely tore apart Holy Cross. But that didn’t happen against Maryland. The Terrapins were able to get rid of SU’s offensive movement, leaving Tucker Dordevic to carry much of the offensive load for the game. This is something that it can’t repeat against the Cavaliers’ strong defense, needing a more balanced attack with Seebold, Dordevic, Brendan Curry and even Lucas Quinn. Defensively, goalie Bobby Gavin proved that he was capable of stopping a star-studded offense with his performance against Logan Wisnauskas and Maryland. And this game is particularly personal for him as the sophomore transferred from Virginia only six weeks ago. Gavin has seen Shellenberger, Cormier and Dickson throughout practices all of last
season, giving him an advantage in the cage this weekend.
Stat to know: 13.33 turnovers per game
In its three games so far, Virginia has only turned the ball over 40 times and its 13.33 turnovers per game are seventh best in the country and third in the ACC. Though Syracuse and North Carolina sit higher than the Cavaliers in this statistic, the Orange’s defense will need to try and force as many turnovers as possible in order to give its offense a chance to seal the game. Last season, UVA contended with Syracuse in the Cavaliers’ second loss, allowing only 10 turnovers compared to the Orange’s 18. SU will need to win the turnover battle this time around if it wants a chance, meaning that they can’t leave players on the Cavaliers’ attack open or make mistakes sliding over.
Player to watch: Connor Shellenberger, No. 1, attack
Shellenberger has recorded 18 points this season and is already on the Tewaaraton Award watch list. But what’s going to be the biggest challenge for the Orange’s defense is stopping Shellenberger from feeding open teammates for scoring opportunities, as he’s only scored five times this season, assisting 13. Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany said that Shellenberger and Matt Moore are “the two-headed quarterback” for the Cavaliers’ offense, which has averaged 16.7 goals this season. Against Maryland, Syracuse had trouble sliding to guard open players, something it can’t repeat with Shellenberger at the forefront of Virginia’s attack. anish.sujeet@gmail.com @anish_vasu
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men’s basketball
AJ Griffin’s road to becoming Duke’s latest top prospect By Andrew Crane senior staff writer
In a matter of two minutes, AJ Griffin had already settled into a rhythm. Duke’s first possession ended with him perched on the left side with almost three steps of space between him and an out-of-position SU defender. His shot sank through the net. And on the next possession, the same thing happened. It was only Griffin’s fourth game starting for the Blue Devils, temporarily abandoning the sixth-man role he’d carved out as a freshman, and the Orange collapsed too hard on Paolo Banchero in the middle, leaving Griffin free again with lots of space on the right side. Banchero tossed the ball over Joe Girard III’s hands, and Griffin set his right foot into his wide shooting stroke and drained the 3-pointer.
Griffin’s offensive presence, as well as his defensive skill set that was sharpened throughout high school and New York-based PSA Cardinals AAU team, has made him indispensable to Duke’s lineup. The five-star freshman has started the Blue Devils’ last 13 games entering Saturday’s contest against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, averaging 9.9 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and avoiding another injury scare — like he had in the fall and dating back to high school — that could limit his minutes, too. “Some kids have the gene,” said Mark Carter, Griffin’s coach at PSA, “and I think AJ is one of those kids who has the gene.” When Carter first met Griffin, he was out recruiting Alan Griffin, AJ’s older brother who played at Syracuse last season. AJ was 6-foot-2 as an eighth grader, and Carter recalled Alan
telling him that, “I can hoop, but my brother, he’s next.” Carter said that stuck with him through the years he coached AJ and watched him develop. It stuck with him throughout this past season, when Duke’s winning streak that followed a loss to Ohio State coincided with AJ’s minutes and role expanding. PSA only practiced on the weekends, conducting “intense” double sessions both days that featured 20-minute segments of conditioning built in at the start. Packed into those workouts were full-court wheelbarrow crawls, guerrillas where players hopped around and touched the floor and crab walks or sprints where someone had to carry a teammate back and forth from end-line to end-line. The team wanted to reinvent what would typically be found in a conditioning drill, and then watch as that translated over to the
court during games, Carter said. PSA was a defensive-focused program because it’s the most common aspect that players had trouble adjusting to, and Griffin slid right into Carter’s focus on becoming an offensive guy who can also carry their own weight on defense — learning how to defend a pick and roll and how to defend the mismatches. PSA didn’t switch on screens, Carter said, so Griffin practiced making himself skinny to avoid getting caught away from the player he was defending. As he progressed through PSA, eventually starting high school basketball at Archbishop Stepinac High School and starring there, he received an invitation to try out for the Team USA U16 team at the 2019 International Basketball Federation Americas Championship. With Team USA, Griffin learned to adapt when see griffin page 11
track & field
Previewing SU before it competes at the ACC championships By Michael Phillipkosky staff writer
This weekend the Syracuse track and field travels to Blacksburg, Virginia, to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships. Jaheem Hayles will compete in the 60m hurdles, his only event of the weekend. Earlier this season, he posted a personal best of 7.75 seconds, which is one of the top times in the nation. Shaleah Colaire will compete in the same event on the women’s side, where she ran an 8.39 at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. Kahniya James is competing in the 60m dash, where she placed third with a final time of 7.56 earlier this season. She’ll be competing alongside Kaleia Arrington who is looking to beat her best time of 7.91. On the men’s side, Trei Thorogood is running the 60m, an event where he placed first this season and has a personal best of 6.82. Thorogood will also be competing in the 200m dash with James Nmah. Thorogood ran a 22.08, while Nmah will look to surpass his season best of 22.50. On the women’s side of
the 200m, Colaire and Arrington are both running in the event. Colaire’s best time this season was 24.46 while Arrington’s was 25.83. Eunice Boateng will be competing on the women’s side in the 400m, an event where she has run as part of a medley (4x400) that has placed extremely well all season, including first at the Cornell Robert J. Kane Invitational. Alexander Segarra will be Syracuse’s only runner in the 800m, where he finished in a season-best 1:55:99 this year. Nathan Henderson will be competing in the 3000m, an event which he took 15th earlier this season in (7:52.83). Noah Beveridge, whose personal best is 8:10.84, will be competing as well, along with senior Matthew Scrape and JP Trojan, whose best performance is 8:03.93 at the BU Invitational. Ethan Wechsler, who set a personal best in the ACC tournament last year with a time of 8:22.85, will compete too. On the women’s side, Annie Boos is also running the 3000m where she took 15th earlier this season, setting a personal best at 9:22.07. Emma Eastman who took 52nd
earlier this year and finished in 9:45.68, is also competing, along with Justus Holden-Betts who placed 85th (9:58.78). Sophia Jacobs Townsley will also be running for Syracuse, after placing second in the mile 5:03.93. Olivia Joly finished the 3000m in just under 10 minutes at 9:56.97 earlier this season. The final competitor for Syracuse in this event is Sydney Nowicki, who placed 64th earlier this season, finishing at the Boston University Valentine Invitational in 9:51.97. In the men’s 5000m, Alex Comerford finished last season’s ACC championships at 14:04.94. Henderson is also competing in this same event, and earlier this season he placed fifth at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Sam Lawler competed in this event last year as a freshman, finishing in 14:26.00. Scrape will also be competing in the 5000m, where he placed 9th last year finishing in 14:07.89, as well as Trojan. Last year he placed fourth, finishing in under 14 minutes (13:56.10), which earned him second-team allACC honors. The final runner on the men’s
side is Jack Whetstone, who placed 63rd (14:31.45) earlier this year in the 5000m at the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Invitation. Five women’s runners will also be competing in the 5000m. Emily Lane has yet to run the 5000m at the collegiate level, but earlier this season she competed in the 3000m where she took 97th (10:08.22). Ellie Lawler is also competing in the 5000m, where last year she placed 26th and had a personal best at 17:18.41 in 2021’s ACC Championships. In the 5000m earlier this season, Lawler placed 14th at the Boston University Valentine Invitational and set a new personal best at 17:05.14. Savannah Roark is also competing in the 5000m, where she took home 33rd (9:37.88) at the Boston University Valentine Invitational in the 3000m race. Another competitor for Syracuse is Abigail Spiers, who’s best indoor time in the 5k is 16:52.46. The final competitor for Syracuse is Reilly Zink, who ran the 5k in 17:17.83 earlier this season at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. mdphilip@syr.edu
men’s basketball
Observations from SU’s loss: ND rebounding, Buddy improves By Andrew Crane senior staff writer
After Notre Dame used a 13-0 run to pull ahead early in the second half, Syracuse slowly crawled back until it became a one-possession game. But down the stretch, Notre Dame used an efficient offense and a dominant rebound performance to force free throws down the stretch and pull away for a 79-69 win. Paul Atkinson Jr. led the Fighting Irish with 20 points and 17 rebounds — well above his season averages for both — and Notre Dame shot 40% from the field, while Jimmy Boeheim paced the Orange with 27 points and Buddy Boeheim added 20. Here are some observations from the Orange’s loss.
Atkinson’s presence inside
With Syracuse leading 19-16, Paul Atkinson Jr. worked his way into the paint and created enough space for an open layup attempt, but that bounced out. He grabbed the rebound, though, and kicked it out to Nate Laszewski on the perimeter for a 3. On the next possession out of the Under-12 media timeout, with Syracuse and Notre Dame tied at 19, Atkinson converted a hook shot from near the basket to put the Fighting Irish back on top momentarily. He finished the first half with 14 points — already more than his season average of 12.3 — and grabbed 11 rebounds. It forced the Orange into scenarios where they either
lost chances at rebounds, surrendered secondchance points or watched as their forwards all picked up at least two fouls. Atkinson backed Jimmy to the basket and then drew a foul on Buddy after making the layup, giving the Fighting Irish a one-point advantage late in the first half. And overall, Atkinson finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds to continually pierce the Orange’s forwards inside, becoming the latest to effectively navigate SU’s center difficulties this season.
Buddy’s shooting return
In the first half against Georgia Tech on Monday, Buddy missed all seven shots he took before recovering to 15 points against the second half and overtime. But two days later, Buddy shot 5-of-9 in the opening frame to finish with 13 points, though he only made one 3 — with 10 points coming via four made jumpers and two free throws. He answered an Atkinson tip-in in the game’s early minutes by connecting on a 3-pointer and then by connecting on three consecutive jumpers through the first half. The first one came when strong defense by Notre Dame prevented Cole Swider from executing a catch-and-shoot 3 from the top of the key, leading to Buddy shooting an off-balanced jumper inside. Then, he followed with a deep 2 from the corner before completing the stretch with an elbow jumper. Buddy only hit 2-of-9 3s but still shot nearly 50% from the field to finish with 20 points — combining for 47 points with his brother, Jimmy.
Jimmy loves the first half
Buddy nearly ended the Orange’s second possession with a turnover, falling to the ground and starting to lose his handle, but he recovered and flipped possession to Joe Girard III. The point guard then passed the ball to Jimmy, who backed Dane Goodwin into the paint and swung around for a floating shot that became Syracuse’s first points. At one point, Girard realized that Jimmy’s defender had faceguarded him, so he flipped the ball over the top of everyone to his back shoulder. Jimmy couldn’t finish the layup, but he drew a foul. And on the next possession, he drove into the lane with his right hand and finished the layup. At halftime, Jimmy led Syracuse in scoring with 15 points for the second-consecutive half. He added 12 in the second half this time, finishing 10-of-18 from the field and finishing with his most points in a Syracuse uniform.
Rebounds galore… for Notre Dame (and especially Atkinson)
At times this season, Jim Boeheim has referred to Syracuse’s rebounding problem as solved. But against Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish outrebounded SU 41-28, carried by Atkinson’s 17. Those rebounds, specifically the offensive rebounds, helped Notre Dame generate 15 second-chance points in the first half and 17 overall. Both centers, Frank Anselem and Bourama Sidibe, found their way into foul trouble again, and at least two of Anselem’s fouls
came when he tried to swim around Atkinson’s positioning for an offensive rebound. Sometimes, the offensive rebounds for Notre Dame led to open 3s for players like Laszewski. Other times, the Fighting Irish simply went right back up with the ball and drew fouls. At the crux of Notre Dame’s early secondhalf run was its 3-point shooting, but the threat of Atkinson inside helped open up those looks. With 1:03 left, Goodwin lifted his feet off the court for a jumper outside the paint, and Syracuse players crashed toward the basket as the shot arched toward the basket. But despite the four Orange defenders surrounding the left block, Atkinson rose through all of them and emerged with the ball. He drew the foul on Swider, made both free throws and put the Fighting Irish back up by five — stretching the game into a two-possession deficit for SU.
Small note about turnovers
Syracuse finished the first half with just one turnover for the second consecutive game, though it committed six in the second half to finish with seven. Jimmy lost his handle in the opening frame, and Atkinson picked up the steal. Against the Yellow Jackets on Monday, the Orange only recorded four — their fewest in a game this season, with the total one turnover lower than their previous best (5) against Wake Forest on Jan. 29. arcrane@syr.edu @CraneAndrew
Sports
14 feb. 24, 2022
dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com
men’s basketball
SU falls to Notre Dame 79-69 By Roshan Fernandez senior staff writer
MIKE KRZYZEWSKI and JIM BOEHEIM are the two winningest coaches in college basketball history, and match up for the final scheduled time on Saturday night. daily orange file photo
THE FINAL MEETING By Roshan Fernandez senior staff writer
T
o Syracuse guard Stephen Thompson, playing Duke in December 1989 was more or less a regular game. His No. 1 Syracuse team featured six future NBA players, so Thompson wasn’t flustered by a matchup with the No. 6 Blue Devils. But there was an added significance for Thompson: those schools were his final two choices. He visited Duke during the fall of his senior year and told then-Blue Devils seniors Johnny Dawkins and David Henderson that he knew he’d commit. But he had one more visit to take at Syracuse. “The rest was history after that,” he said, citing the Big East’s rise to national prominence and his connection with Jim Boeheim as reasons he picked Syracuse. Thirty-two years later, though, Thompson realizes that the game was much bigger than him. He had no idea that Boeheim knew Mike Krzyzewski from playing in charity golf tournaments in the ’80s. He didn’t know it was the first meeting between
Ahead of the final scheduled meeting between Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski, players and coaches look back on the first time they coached against each other
the two legendary head coaches. And he certainly didn’t foresee the close friendship that would blossom between the coaches, and their families, for years to come. Syracuse won that day in Greensboro, North Carolina, 78-76, despite blowing a 15-point first-half lead, after forward Dave Johnson knocked down two free throws in the final seconds. It marked a starting point for years of competition between the two winningest NCAA basketball coaches. “Back then, it was just Syracuse trying to beat Duke, and it was just Jim Boeheim trying to beat Mike Krzyzewski,” said Mike Hopkins, an SU player at the time. “As the years go on, the thing that you realize about both of them (is) they’re two of the greatest competitors to ever do this.” The game was part of the inaugural ACCBig East Challenge, and the Los Angeles Times called the Duke-Syracuse contest the best game of the competition. At the time, Krzyzewski and Boeheim were big-time coaches with over 200 wins apiece at their respective universities. But neither were see first
game page 11
men’s basketball
The key numbers before SU’s final 3 games By Gaurav Shetty staff writer
Syracuse is in the midst of one of its most up-and-down seasons during head coach Jim Boeheim’s tenure. SU was below .500 in January for the first time in Boeheim’s career and NCAA Tournament hopes seemed unattainable. But since dropping two games under .500 in an upset loss to Pittsburgh, the Orange have gone 6-1 in their
last seven and might be gaining momentum at the right time. Now, Syracuse enters its toughest stretch of the season playing Notre Dame, Duke, UNC and Miami, all teams in the top four of the Atlantic Coast Conference. With its season hanging in the balance, here are the numbers that have defined Syracuse’s season.
Missing Edwards
Syracuse lost Jesse Edwards to a
season-ending wrist injury in its win over Boston College a few weeks ago. Since then, the Orange have rotated Frank Anselem, Jimmy Boeheim and even Bourama Sidibe at the center position. Comparing lineups featuring Edwards versus lineups without him, the Orange look to be about the same defensively, but significantly worse on offense. Syracuse has allowed one point less per 100 possessions without Edwards and
has actually lowered its offensive rebounding percent allowed. But the big difference is that with Edwards on the floor, Syracuse’s net rating is 15.2, and without him, that number drops to 2.0. Net rating is the difference between the number of points scored and points allowed per 100 possessions in that time. With the defense’s net rating being practically the same, it’s clear that Edwards’ absence has
see data page 11
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With one second left on the shot clock, Symir Torrence was in Prentiss Hubb’s face with his hands up. Hubb was well beyond the 3-point line as Jimmy Boeheim pointed out after the game, when he unleashed a high-arcing shot over Torrence’s outstretched arm. The shot clock buzzer sounded, but Hubb’s 3 counted, stretching Notre Dame’s lead from five to eight with 3:34 left. Syracuse had battled back after allowing a 13-0 run midway through the second half, pulling within two points. Hubb’s shot stifled that momentum, shifting it back the other way. “Symir’s doing a great job. He’s all up on him, and the ball almost hits the roof and it goes in. Sometimes you get bad breaks like that,” Jimmy said postgame. “For a shot like that to go in, it hurts. It hurts.” Hubb’s 3-pointer ended Syracuse’s hopes of stealing its first Quadrant 1 win of the season, one that could’ve pushed them back toward the NCAA Tournament bubble that once seemed unreachable a few weeks ago, before the Orange won six of seven games. Syracuse (15-13, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t upset Notre Dame (20-8, 13-4 ACC) in South Bend, Indiana in a 79-69 loss. Initially, the back-and-forth contest didn’t allow either team to gain more than a few points of separation. SU stayed close thanks to Jimmy and Buddy Boeheim, and even when Notre Dame delivered a 13-0 run in the middle of the second half, SU answered back. But eventually, the Fighting Irish held firm down the stretch for the 10-point victory. Before the game, Syracuse was 0-6 in Quadrant I games after the Florida State road win from December slipped to a Quadrant II win. Now, the Orange drop to 0-7 in Quadrant I and will return home to play No. 7 Duke on Saturday. “Coming around the end of the season, I guess it’s maybe more desperation,” Jimmy said. “We needed that one. We had it right in our grasp and unfortunately it fell through.” For the first 25 minutes, Syracuse matched Notre Dame’s offensive production with a season-high 27 points from Jimmy and another 20 from Buddy. That allowed the Orange to go bucket-for-bucket with the Fighting Irish. Every time ND got an offensive board and a putback, or hit a jumper, the Boeheims — and occasionally Cole Swider — were there. But the problem in the first half was Notre Dame’s Paul Atkinson Jr. The forward who entered the game averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game reached a double-double with over two minutes remaining in the half. see notre
dame page 11
dailyorange.com
feb. 24, 2022 15
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