Feb. 2, 2022

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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 |

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N • Restored funding

C • Lunar New Year

S • Notably absent

InclusiveU, an SU program enabling students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to attend college, received $100,000 from New York state in April.

Page 3

Whether it was FaceTiming parents at dinner or celebrating at a Lunar New Year festival, here’s how Syracuse students rang in the Year of the Tiger.

Page 6

With Syracuse’s recruiting class again ranked near the bottom of the ACC, high school coaches provided insight into how SU recruits one of its most important states.

Page 12

on campus

Keeping the faith

Alumni purchase university building

By Richard Perrins news editor

When Syracuse University alumni Oliver and Leah Fernandez were living in New York City, they would visit Leah’s sister in Washington, D.C., and walk past the Greenberg House, which was SU’s only building in the city from 1988 to its sale in 2020.

I was walking by these properties pulling my suitcase to sleep on Leah’s sister’s couch. So it’s crazy how it comes full circle.

Now, we live down the street from it.

photos by max mimaroglu asst. photo editor photo illustration by meghan hendricks photo editor

Oliver Fernandez su alumnus

By Chris Hippensteel senior staff writer

O

n Dec. 25, 2020, the Rev. DeCarto Draper was laying in Crouse Hospital, fighting for his life against COVID-19.

As he watched health workers zip up body bags and wheel away deceased patients, he worried about his church.

It was Christmas Day and he would’ve given a sermon that Sunday.

“It was difficult because your leader’s down,” said Draper, the pastor at Tucker Missionary Baptist Church in Syracuse’s Southside. “People were like, ‘We need you, we need you to get well, we need you to be here’ … but the church still rolled on.”

Draper, like faith leaders across Syracuse, has led his congregation through a pandemic that sent shockwaves through religious life and created lasting impacts on how people practice their faith. Many houses of worship navigated that crisis at a time when their services — like food dona-

Religious organizations in Syracuse provided vital support to communities during the pandemic tions, religious guidance and support networks — had become vital to the communities they call home.

Now, two years after they saw their doors shuttered and congregations dispersed, Syracuse houses of worship have begun a gradual reopening process, which has presented its own challenges.

“For 18 months, nobody had been in the building,” Draper said. “So now that it seems like we can come back in stages and phases, the adjustment is, how do I go from preaching to the camera to preaching to people.”

Together at a distance

After a year of giving pre-recorded sermons, Pastor Alicia Wood of Syracuse’s University United Methodist Church was eager to address her congregation in person.

She wanted to get back into the sanctuary, even with New York state capacity restrictions that would limit attendance. But when she stepped up to the altar to face the near-empty pews, she hesitated, realizing she’d almost forgotten how to speak to a live audience.

“When I went back, it was almost like my first time giving a sermon in public again,” Wood said. “It was very nerve-wracking.”

For Wood and UUMC, the transition to online services in spring 2020 was jarring. The church, which advertises see worship page 4

Now, the couple owns the building.

“I was walking by these properties pulling my suitcase to sleep on Leah’s sister’s couch,” said Oliver, the owner and president of McKenzie Construction, a government contractor. “So it’s crazy how it comes full circle. Now, we live down the street from it.”

Oliver and Leah graduated from SU in 2008. Oliver studied civil engineering while Leah studied marketing and psychology.

The two then moved to New York City in 2010, where Oliver worked at an engineering fi rm while working on the construction business on the side.

When the couple moved to Washington in 2014, they already knew of the Greenberg House as a landmark in the city with a connection to their alma mater. But they never imagined owning the space until they walked by one day in 2020 and saw a “For Sale” sign outside.

SU purchased the Greenberg House in 1988, after which it served as the university’s Washington headquarters.

Matt Ter Molen, the chief advancement officer and senior vice president of advancement and external affairs at see greenberg

house page 4

2 feb. 3, 2022

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“We had to make decisions over and over again on the fly. But none of them were easy. And none of them were simple.” - Alicia Wood, pastor of SU’s United Methodist Church Page 3

OPINION “Creating earthquakes in the gravel that injustice works on, that we hope are creating sinkholes in the land racism resides on and that we hope are creating volcano eruptions around the area that oppression dwells in.” - Cliff Graham, Absence of Light columnist Page 5

CULTURE “Family means a lot to me. Being able to see them for this one event is always meaningful to me.”

- Chloe Ng, student Page 6

SPORTS “Recruiting wise, they do as much or as little as the next person or the next school.” - Brian Wright, Timber Creek High School (N.J.) head coach Page 12

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news

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pag e 3

feb. 3, 2022

state

on campus

New York AAUP applauds Hochul’s budget InclusiveU receives funding from state

By Grace Katz

asst. copy editor

The budget proposal includes $150 million to expand the Tuition Assistance Program, which supports students that attend either public on not-for-profit universities in New York state. emily steinberger editor-in-chief

By Kyle Chouinard asst. news editor

The New York State Conference of the American Association of University Professors applauded Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recently released state budget proposal for its focus on higher education.

The proposed budget includes $150 million to expand the state’s Tuition Assistance Program, which financially supports New York state residents attending SUNY, CUNY or not-for-profit independent colleges such as Syracuse University.

“These programs help to provide funds and resources for students in

NYS who, for any number of reasons, would otherwise be unable to attend a higher education institution,” the organization wrote in a press release.

As a part of the state’s investment in higher education, Hochul’s plan also sought to close what Fred Floss, the Chair of NYSC AAUP’s Government Relations Committee, called the “TAP gap.”

The Tuition Assistance Program would previously cover the cost of education, said Floss, who also serves as a professor of economics and finance at SUNY Buffalo State College. Though tuition increased, the amount of funding students received through the program did not.

The gap in what was needed in funding and what was given by the state had an effect on lowincome families, Floss said. It also had a cascading impact on educational institutions.

“It put pressure on the budgets of higher education institutions, because as they didn’t get as many students, they didn’t have as much revenue, where before that revenue would have been covered by the state,” Floss said. “It essentially was a de facto cut in funding for higher education.”

Today, the Tuition Assistance Program can provide funding of up to $5,665 and can be renewed on a

yearly basis. SUNY-ESF’s current tuition for New York state residents is $7,270, creating a gap of $1,605.

New York State Conference AAUP President Mary Rose Kubal said in the press release that it is important to support all students, regardless of background.

“By providing funding for these vital programs, we can continue to provide robust higher education in New York State,” Kubal said.

Floss also said the governor did not cut the higher education budget, something previous governor’s have done.

“The traditional game in budgeting see aaup page 4

city

County legislature condemns its past racism

By Nick Robertson senior staff writer

The Onondaga County Legislature passed a resolution Tuesday, the first day of Black History Month, condemning the racist conduct of the county’s past leaders.

In 1795, the county Board of Supervisors, the legislature’s predecessor organization, assessed a property tax on Black people in the county, affirming that the board viewed Black people as property to be taxed.

Linda Er vin, a Democrat in the legislature, introduced the measure late Monday after learning about the Board of Super v isors’ past actions.

Ervin, who was the Democratic leader until she stepped down last month, is one of two Black members of the 17-member county legislature.

“We knew there was slavery; we understood that. But because

it was on the record, I felt like we should do something now to repudiate that and to condemn racism,” she said. “I thought it was just an easy thing to do, but it turns out not to be so easy.”

The measure passed unanimously, 16-0, but only after lengthy debate between the legislature’s Democrats and Republicans.

The original language of Ervin’s proposal included condemning systemic racist practices which continue today in addition to condemning the racist acts of the past.

Some Republicans showed reluctance toward it.

“I’m not going to paint my community or my children or yours or his or anyone else’s with a broad brush when I don’t know them and I don’t know what they do,” Majority Leader Brian May, a Republican, told syracuse.com.

“I just don’t think that’s fair.”

The word “systemic” was removed from the resolution, to

The Onondaga County Legislature condemned the body’s action to tax Black people in 1795. jaden chen asst. photo editor

the dismay of Ervin and other Democrats. May and recently elected Chairman Jim Rowley also noted that the vote was made more difficult due to its short notice, something Ervin admitted

was unfortunate.

The Feb. 1 vote, while condemning the past, also acknowledges Black history, Ervin said.

“Black History Month is about see legislature page 4

When New York state restored funding on April 25 to InclusiveU, Beth Myers said she was thankful. But the executive director of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education knew the $100,000 provided by the state was not enough to achieve all of the program’s future goals.

In 2015, the program only had 15 students. Today, the program has over 100, and Myers, who is also the Lawrence B. Taishoff assistant professor of inclusive education, wants it to continue expanding.

“We have not been able to meet all of the needs,” Myers said. “We have about a 50% acceptance rate, so we are trying to expand the support and services we provide, also the number of students we can serve.”

InclusiveU, a Syracuse University program enabling intellectually and developmentally disabled students to attend college, was created in 2014 after a $1 million grant from the Taishoff Family Foundation to support neurodiversity on campus. Since their initial donation, the foundation has given an additional $4 million to the program, Myers said.

But state funding for the program was cut before the pandemic, and with InclusiveU’s shift to online programming during the spring 2020 semester, directors faced a challenge providing the support necessary for student success.

Virtual social events like karaoke, dance parties and lunch groups were scheduled alongside regular online classes and mentor meetings to ensure students fulfilled both their social and academic needs, Myers said. Harry Owens, now a sophomore in the program, said he enjoyed the Zoom events to help him acclimate to college.

“I came in during the pandemic, and it was kind of hard, but InclusiveU did really well to have Zoom events which were really fun,” said Harry Owens, a sophomore in the program. “If InclusiveU didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be in college right now.”

An important aspect of the program that had to be transferred online was the Peer2Peer partnership, which partners InclusiveU students with student mentors from outside of the program to ease the college transition to SU. Program activities would usually include exploring campus and grabbing coffee, according to the program’s website.

Nate Bach, a junior in InclusiveU, met regularly on Zoom with his Peer2Peer mentor during the pandemic. Despite the unique situation, peer mentors did well to support students online, Bach said.

The continued support from

see inclusive page 4

4 feb. 3, 2022

from page 1

worship its welcome-to-all message on massive banners slung over its front doors, had to limit visitors and staff. Staff also had to figure out how they would reach elderly or immigrant congregants who may have lacked access to technology.

UUMC was one of many. Across neighborhoods, faiths and denominations, the pandemic disrupted traditional practices, forcing Syracuse faith leaders to sacrifice theological significance in the name of safety.

After years preaching in his church’s calland-response tradition, Draper found himself questioning his presentation when he had to speak to a camera.

Thekchen Choling, a small Tibetan Buddhist Temple in downtown Syracuse, had planned in 2020 to host a visiting monk from India — until the pandemic struck, consulates closed and the monk was unable to travel, only able to join the temple over Zoom.

“We had to make decisions over and over again on the fly,” Wood said. “But none of them were easy, and none of them were simple.”

As the state began lifting restrictions on houses of worship, leaders had to make decisions about which guidelines, such as mask or vaccine mandates, they would retain, if any. In some cases, those decisions led to rifts among congregants.

Babette Teich-Visco, the temple’s vice president, said the choice to mandate vaccines for temple visitors created a schism among its regular attendees.

“We’ve lost people because of that, and I don’t know if when this is over they’ll ever come back,” she said. “We really want to open up, we want people to come and we want to welcome them. But at the same time, we want everybody to be safe.”

At the same time, faith leaders have seen benefits of the pandemic and the religious transformation it brought on.

Virtual worship has created gathering spaces that extend beyond sanctuary walls since their congregations are no longer limited to those within driving distance, Draper said.

“Everybody became equal, because people could watch you from all over the world,” he said, adding that his congregation has swelled since TMBC began live streaming services.

“Now, people just click in and some churches from page 1

greenberg house SU, said in August 2020 that the building would close and be sold because it could no longer provide the necessary classroom, office and event space that SU needs.

At the same time, faith leaders have seen benefits from the religious transformation the pandemic brought on.

The couple was in need of a place to coordinate with their respective businesses, and from page 3

aaup

for a long time has been to cut higher ed’s budget, and then allow the legislature to put the money back in,” said Floss.

Typically, after the yearly executive budget is published, committees within the state senate and assembly negotiate with from page 3

legislature celebrating and educating. That’s what I was doing — educating, correcting and improving,” she said. “It’s not all about the positives of what we’ve done in this county, we do that also ... but denying there were problems then, as well as now, in this from page 3

inclusive the community allows the program to continue enhancing the college experience and quality of life of the students, said Brianna

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

end up growing.”

For the Buddhist Zen Center of Syracuse, live streaming meditation enabled students who had moved away to participate again, said JoAnn Cooke, a senior student at the Zen Center and Syracuse University’s Buddhist Chaplain.

Viewers have joined in from other states and countries, even as the center’s Zendo — where members gather for in-person meditation — remains closed to the public.

“It’s really been, in some ways, great, because we miss those people and now we get to see them on a regular basis,” Cooke said.

Supporting communities in crisis

Before the pandemic, UUMC’s food pantry — a long-running part of its outreach ministry — fed about 50 families a week. When the pandemic hit, that number rose to 300, Wood said.

For Vineyard Church, it went from about 60 families to 400, according to Chris Honess, site pastor at the church’s State Fair location.

Draper estimated that TMBC has provided tens of thousands of meals during the pandemic, including to local students who were left without school lunches during the transition to remote learning.

“It wouldn’t be uncommon to come down here and the line would be wrapped all around, down the street,” he said.

Since the onset of COVID-19, houses of worship across the country have become avenues to get food, vaccines and other forms of community assistance to neighborhoods hit hard by the virus. The same was true in Syracuse.

“The local religious communities really put forth very heroic efforts to help people,” said Michael Watrous, agency relations manager for the Food Bank of Central New York. “​​It was just really a tremendous outpouring of support.”

Though houses of worship have long been a part of the Food Bank’s distribution network, they became increasingly vital during the early days of the pandemic, when a surge in demand placed a strain on resources.

Houses of worship stepped up to meet those needs, Watrous said.

A glimpse at the Food Bank’s online Food Finder shows that a majority of its partners in Syracuse have religious ties — as many as 75%, according to Watrous. He attributes this to a shared mission of service that spans across different faiths and traditions.

“Many of them organized additional distributions. Many of them recruited additional volunteers,” Watrous said. “They’ve been really just invaluable.”

Watrous described houses of worship as community centers that are capable of reaching neighborhoods and populations other food distribution networks sometimes can’t.

For the Southside, one of those community centers was TMBC, where outreach efforts went beyond food distribution.

The church held pop-up vaccine clinics and helped residents apply for rent assistance. It continued offering up its sanctuary for funeral services, at a time when funeral venues in Syracuse were overwhelmed by both the rising tide of COVID-19 deaths and an onslaught of new restrictions.

“We were one of the places, because of the size of our sanctuary, where people had space,” Draper said. “We still tried to do that, to yet provide something normal for people, because when COVID hit people were dying at an alarming rate.”

Support from religious organizations went beyond food donations. In addition to collecting non-perishable food and menstrual products, Temple Adath Yeshurun launched a pen pal program with residents of a local nursing home who couldn’t have in-person visitors, said Sonali McIntyre, the temple’s Media and Public Relations Coordinator.

Wood remembers when social distancing restrictions forced UUMC to stop welcoming community members inside for a hot meal — an adjustment she said was difficult to make.

To-go meals took the place of sit-down breakfasts as staff adapted to feeding hundreds of people in two or three hours.

But even in the pandemic’s darkest days, the staff continued to serve hot coffee. Wood insisted on it, if only as a sign to their neighbors that the church was still there to support them.

Strength in scripture

At Honess’ Vineyard Church — which has five locations in the Syracuse area — sanctuaries were replaced first with laptop screens, then with parking lots and playgrounds. Congregations would meet outdoors when safety and weather permitted, and virtually when they didn’t, until in-person worship resumed on a limited basis.

Honess remembers it as a time of uncertainty, when he had to put aside some of his

favorite parts of the job. To get through it, he fell back on a familiar piece of scripture — a Biblical parable about two houses, one built on stone and the other on sand. In a storm, only the house built on stone, the stronger foundation, remains standing.

“That’s what I would come back to, that scripture ringing in my ears,” Honess said. He asked himself whether he would base his life on the stone — his faith — or on sand, the “shifting of culture and the shifting of politics and the shifting of this virus that happens every day.”

Several Syracuse faith leaders said they’ve also made pandemic-related decisions guided by scripture and religious principles.

In charting its COVID-19 response, Temple Adath Yeshurun relied on two guiding principles, McIntyre said. Those were pikuach nefesh — a Jewish principle that places the value and protection of human life above other religious commandments — as well as its own mantra, kulanu b’yachad, a call to unity meaning “we are together as one.”

Draper rattled off a series of Bible passages — Psalm 40, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 40:31 — which he believes speak to the struggles congregants have endured during the pandemic and offer hope for the future.

Teich-Visco said that Tibetan Buddhists around the world turned to their faith during the pandemic, some praying to specific Buddhas known for their “power to quell pandemics and rescue people from disease.”

It wasn’t just the virus leaders sought spiritual guidance on. Honess, Draper and Wood all mentioned the role of scripture in approaching heavy issues, like politics and social justice, that may have divided congregations.

On Dec. 26, 2021, one year after his stint in the hospital, Draper returned to the altar to address his church in person and live on Facebook.

He spoke frankly about his COVID-19 experience, the dangers of the looming omicron variant and the benefits of the vaccine.

He also explained his decision to keep certain restrictions in place for in-person worship, even if some congregants disagreed.

“I want to do the things we used to do too, but we cannot, for your safety,” he said. “I want y’all to understand: COVID is for real.”

He added: “I love y’all, and death hurts.” cjhippen@syr.edu @chrishipp15_

the Greenberg House met their requirements — a five-minute walk from their home, spacious and connected to Syracuse.

“All these things started lining up, and then Syracuse was willing to work with us on pricing. So it was like, ‘Let’s make this happen,’” Oliver said.

Both Oliver and Leah credited SU for their entrepreneurial spirit.

“It was really the next step,” Leah said.

“Meeting people that could make things happen, meeting people that were different from

myself and then figuring out what I was really interested in. So, for me, Syracuse was just eye opening for the opportunity that was going to be there.”

Under the couple’s ownership, the top half of the building will serve as office space for McKenzie Construction, while the bottom half will house Properties by Leah.

The two emphasized their perseverance when their businesses struggled with the onset of the pandemic.

“We’re not saying that there hasn’t been

hardship, but that you know, it’s important to keep moving forward and raise everybody up around you as well,” Leah said. “So we want to do that for the community.”

Above all, they wanted to be an example of success stories for the Syracuse community.

“There’s all kinds of stories to look out for there,” Oliver said. “There are stories of doom and gloom, but there’s also stories of success.

And we want to be that example.”

the governor to increase funding in specific areas such as higher education. Now with Hochul not cutting higher education spending in the executive budget, the committee does not have to negotiate to avoid having funds cut, Floss said.

The New York State Conference AAUP is currently pushing for the state budget to increase operating and Bundy Aid to colleges and univer-

sities, the press release wrote. Bundy Aid provides financial support to independent colleges and universities in New York state.

“Most Bundy aid does end up going to scholarships or paying for student services,” Kubal said, “things like mental health care that schools wouldn’t be able to afford.”

Mike Haynie, SU’s vice chancellor of strategic initiatives and innovation, told The Daily

Orange in 2018 that protecting Bundy Aid was a main lobbying issue for the university.

“The NYS AAUP Conference is happy with the steps Gov. Hochul is taking and looks forward to working with her in providing an exemplary education for New York State students,” the press release said.

county is wrong.”

Tim Burtis, a Republican legislator, chose to leave the room right before the vote began. He returned to his seat after all remaining legislators voted in favor of the measure. Burtis later told syracuse.com that he would have abstained from the vote, something which is not possible for nonbinding resolutions.

Charles Garland, the legislature’s other Black member and a Democrat, was dismayed that Burtis chose not to vote on the resolution.

“It was uncomfortable, for sure, but it’s a good reflection of what’s going on in our country,” Garland said. “It’s a reluctance to recognize our history,” Though the resolution did pass, Ervin was let down by her colleagues’ debate on the topic,

making the victory less than what it should have been, she said.

“The fact that we got something passed is a victory, yes. We have to compromise to get things done — half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all,” Ervin said. “I got half a loaf of bread yesterday, but that’s OK.”

Schults, the director of InclusiveU. With more funding, the program would build a technology library, where students can rent technology, expand residential support for students and provide additional scholarship funding, Myers said. It

would also look to further help neurodivergent students in InclusiveU transition into college.

Creating a neurodiverse campus, with disabled students attending classes alongside their non-disabled peers can create an

environment of tolerance and understanding, Schults said.

“Every student deserves to be able to go to college and have access to the valuable experience that it provides,” she said.

rcperrin@syr.edu @RichardPerrins2

kschouin@syr.edu @Kyle_Chouinard

njrobert@syr.edu @NickRobertsonSU

gdkatz@syr.edu

opinion

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letter from the editor

pag e 5

feb. 3, 2022

editorial board

Amplifying Black voices, stories SA President’s shirt lacked intentionality

By The Daily Orange Culture Staff

T

he Daily Orange is reaching out to our community to share stories that amplify Black voices.

We’re looking to share stories that often go unheard: those about Black businesses, student organizations and events. Those about Black community members who have a story to tell. Those by Black writers and photographers and videographers who haven’t had an outlet to share their journalism.

We want your story to be heard.

If you have a story idea that you would like to share or if you are working on a story that you would like to publish with The D.O., please email us at culture@dailyorange.com.

By The Daily Orange Editorial Board

“

Cliff Graham, # 15-B-2973 112 Scotch Settlement Road P.O. Box 370 Gouverneur, NY 13642-0370

Today we celebrate Black History Month, but not only today and not only this month,” said Syracuse University’s Student Association president David Bruen in an email to the student body Tuesday morning. A few hours later, Bruen attended the Black History Month Kick-Off wearing a shirt that read “I am Black history.”

Attendees could pick up the shirts from a table at the event, which SA helped organize. Bruen was not the only one wearing this shirt at the event — some of the event’s performers were wearing it too. But as a white person wearing the shirt proclaiming to be Black history, Bruen stood out.

The celebration was emceed by Emmanuel Hudson, who commented on Bruen’s shirt.

“As Black people here, we like to support one another, OK? So let’s give our fellow…” — followed by a pause where Hudson looked at Bruen’s shirt — “comrade, show him the love and support that we give for each other.”

After Hudson said “comrade,” the crowd laughed.

The Student Association president should be chosen by the students and representative of the entire student body. Bruen ran unopposed, with only 10.2% of the undergraduate student population voting in the election, just 0.2% over the 10% necessary to win. In this role, Bruen should represent the student body, including students of all backgrounds. But by wearing this shirt, he minimizes the unique experience Black people have had in America and on SU’s primarily white campus.

Bruen told The Daily Orange that, looking back on it, he realizes how the shirt could be in poor taste for him to wear, and he apologized for the harm it may have caused.

“My intention is and has been to support our Black and Brown students on campus, especially as a leader of a predominantly white organization on a predominantly white campus,” Bruen said.

Bruen should have realized that this shirt was inappropriate for him to wear as a white student. It felt performative and was a poor judgment call. Even if he didn’t realize the perceived connotation created by him — a white man — wearing the shirt, it just shows his lack of intention.

Although Bruen’s shirt was just

Emily Steinberger

Mandy Kraynak

Anthony Alandt

editor-in-chief

managing editor

digital managing editor

illustration by maya goosmann digital design director

absence of light

Prison reform creates a united society

By Cliff Graham columnist

T

his is how this generation, or the next, possess the power to cripple mass incarceration and other systems designed to target Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous and white people involved in the current movement of reform.

For centuries, some of the most courageous leaders have proved the need to unify.

As time moved forward, their message was absorbed like rainfall. In some instances, flowing through the gravel, washing away generations of blood, sweat and tears, and other instances, falling on dry ideas forcing the seeds of thought that lingered to bring forth life. This is by no means a speech on unification.

This by all means is a call to action. In society, the cries, pleas and complaints of injustices that’ve been occurring are so loud.

That the vibrations from y’all’s voices could be heard by us, inside the prison industrial complex … the walls are shaking. Do you hear us? Do you feel our vibrations?

Creating earthquakes in the gravel that injustice works on, that we hope are creating sinkholes in the land racism resides on and that we hope are creating volcano eruptions around the area that oppression dwells in.

I write this message from solitary confinement, a place designed to punish men and women not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. By depriving us of

News Editor Richard Perrins Editorial Editor Micaela Warren Culture Editor Nathan Fenningdorf Sports Editor Connor Smith Presentation Director Shannon Kirkpatrick Photo Editor Meghan Hendricks Video Editor Maya Pow Video Editor Maddy Kramer Podcast Editor Marnie Muñoz Illustration Editor Yiwei He Enterprise Editor Christopher Cicchiello Asst. News Editor Kyle Chouinard

opportunities and improvement, by granting us no opportunity of social intercourse. But, nervously those who’ve had smiles while inflicting pain on unarmed defenseless people are becoming aware of how stronger generations are becoming from the one that preceded them.

The question of how a generation of people, kept in darkness, could produce offspring that radiate the brightest light humanity has never seen is a head scratcher.

To the men and women of generations that have passed, who’ve sacrificed so much with the generations of the present in mind, we owe so much of a level of respect to you that it is unmeasurable. To the men and women of today’s generation, pause for a moment to offer your salutes because our elders are disappearing faster than our youth from COVID-19. Obtain all keys of knowledge and wisdom our elders possess now.

Elders provide us a hawk-eye view of the state of emergency we’ve collided into. Such a view will reveal how much strength is required from our effort. It will also reveal measurements of all results.

For every square inch of this land titled North America. In every major and grassroot organization emerging by the second, with so many purposes and determination for change; with change to disrupt the financial incentives granted to law enforcement that attack our communities.

To making sure public defend-

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one person’s example of the performative action taken with the attempt of supporting Black students at SU, this issue delves deeper into the lack of support our primarily white institution has provided to its Black students.

Two years ago, #NotAgainSU occupied Crouse-Hinds Hall to protest the university’s lack of action following acts of hate the previous semester. The movement, led by Black students, outlined a list of demands that they urged SU to take action upon. But two years later, many of #NotAgainSU’s needs are unmet. The changes the university has made have not addressed the root causes of systemic racism and oppression at SU, organizers said in a guest column one year ago.

Bruen began his email to the student body on the first day of Black History Month acknowledging that SU celebrates Black history not only during this one-month period. But those in power still have a ways to go in supporting their Black students.

SA has previously expressed its support of Black students by passing a bill Monday acknowledging Black History Month, but recognition is just the first part in correcting the wrongs that this PWI has inflicted on its Black students.

The organization has taken some steps by working with Black students at 119 Euclid Ave., where students voiced their frustration about the university’s recently released Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility plan. SA released recommendations regarding the plan to the university and previously said it would work with administration to implement real change.

But we as students know that the university doesn’t budge unless there is significant pressure put on it. As the voice of the student body, Bruen and SA must push on SU’s pressure point.

Bruen’s shirt represents the lack of awareness and intentionality on the part of the white people in positions of power at SU. The Daily Orange Editorial Board urges those in charge to make change to support Black students. Actions speak louder than words.

ers are funded at the same level prosecutors offices are, to mandatory drug sentencing law, as well as mandatory minimum sentencing law, to granting incarcerated individuals earned time credit for good behavior, to ending solitary confinement, to investing in reentry programs, to assuring equal employment, to having a right to live peacefully and productively.

No matter your nationality, to dismantle every form of oppression.

To every organization in every state, try not to concern yourself with unification and instead, allow your light to shine on its own. As it is, with the stars in outer space, you’ll begin to form your own constellation. So, if your efforts are strong enough in the light from your results as seen by your neighbor, by letting the people in, they’ll create a Big Dipper.

How relevant are the words uttered by Frederick Douglass in his day? It’s as if he had a vision of immortality, when he spoke: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will.” Which brings me to ask the bold leaders of these new movements of today: whose bare feet have walked on miles of burning rocks, whose poverty and hunger made them feel like it was ice in their stomachs. And it’s a simple question that may be very difficult to answer. How far are you willing to go?

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culture

6 feb. 3, 2022

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C

Year of the Tiger

photos of erica ng (left) and chloe ng (right) by surya vaidy staff photographer photo illustration by meghan hendricks photo editor

This Lunar New Year marks the start of the Year of the Tiger.

Here’s how some Syracuse University students are celebrating.

By Emane Haque

contributing writer

F

eb. 1 welcomed the Year of the Tiger, which is associated with power, vitality and protection.

For many Syracuse University students who celebrate, this Lunar New Year provided strength and cause for celebration during the ongoing pandemic.

Alongside newfound hope, the Lunar New Year is a means of remaining connected to culture and home life for many. Senior Christine Wu recalled how she celebrates with her family.

“At home, we have a little bit of a ceremony before we have a family dinner,” Wu said. “We would honor our ancestors in some way. We would (offer) wine, incense and fake cash.”

The Lunar New Year is celebrated across East Asian, Southeast

Asian and Chinese communities worldwide, with approximately 1.5 billion people observing the holiday.

Traditions differ based on familial interpretations and vary regionally.

Wu said that hair is either cleaned before or after — not on — New Year’s Day to prevent good fortune from washing away. Red, worn and used in decor, is attributed to good luck.

“We have certain checklists. You have to wash your hair before New Year’s or you have to wear red,” said Wu. In the past, Wu has celebrated by making handmade dumplings with a roommate who also celebrated Lunar New Year. This year she had planned to go back home to Brooklyn, but she had to cancel her plans due to academic obligations that arose at the start of the semester.

Wu said that the spirit of the holiday

feels difficult to maintain without her family. However, the celebration is still important to her.

“I take (this) New Year’s a little more serious than other years because I am graduating this year, so it symbolizes change and a new journey,” said Wu. Similar to Wu, junior Chloe Ng is remembering the New Year with her family while she stays on campus.

Chloe said her favorite aspect of the celebrations was the monetary incentive she received in return for wishing elders good fortune. Typically children and young adults who are unmarried in her family are gifted money in red envelopes, called lai shi in Cantonese, Chloe said. The money passed on from the elders is meant to bring luck to the younger generations.

“Family means a lot to me,” Chloe said. see new

year page 7

from the studio

Futari exhibit serves as mirror into an artistic relationship

By Sophie Cohen asst. digital editor

Pixy Liao and Takahiro Morooka met at the University of Memphis when Liao was a graduate student studying photography and Morooka was an undergraduate student studying jazz.

Liao saw Morooka at an international student orientation but was too nervous to say anything, until a year later when they crossed paths.

“I saw him again on campus

because I was honestly purposefully looking at him and I was like, ‘Oh, good chance that’s him.’ I went up to him and said ‘I’m a photographer, can I come and take pictures of you?’” Liao said. “He agreed.”

Since then, Liao and Morooka have been collaborating artistically for the past 16 years. When Morooka first started working with Liao, she would photograph portraits of him in deserted buildings, hospitals and streets in Memphis. Morooka said

that he would not only be Liao’s model, but also her bodyguard in these unsafe locations.

Liao’s exhibition, Futari (Two Persons), will feature photography inspired by her relationship with Morooka. The exhibition is featured at the Light Work Gallery from Jan. 18 to March 10, and there will be a reception at Light Work on Feb. 3 for the Syracuse University community to attend in-person or via live stream. The reception will feature

a musical performance by Liao and Morooka’s band, PIMO, which stands for Pixy and Moro.

Liao’s relationship with Morooka was unlike anything she ever anticipated, she said. The couple was surprised when they got to know each other and found that Morooka is five years younger than Liao and Japanese, whereas Liao is Chinese.

When Liao and Morooka first started dating, they kept their relationship secret from their

families because of their differing cultural backgrounds and age gap.

Liao shared that her father drew an image of a “savage man” to depict what he thought Morooka, and all Japanese men, looked like. He had never met a Japanese person before.

“Eventually, I was able to bring Moro to China. My family realized that this isn’t a savage person, he is actually very gentle,” Liao said. “It was just a bias they all had.” see relationship page 7

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pag e 7

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feb. 3, 2022

slice of life

SU students react to 6 more weeks of winter

CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND Mo Lowda & the Humble Mo Lowda & the Humble is set to take the stage at Funk ‘n Waffles on Friday.

This show will commence the band’s U.S. tour, which spans from February to August. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 4 ARTIST: Mo Lowda and the Humble Freddie Gibbs, Pink Siifu

The famous groundhog saw its shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Many SU students already experiencing winter fatigue were disappointed in Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction. meghan hendricks photo editor

By The Daily Orange Culture Staff

This Groundhog Day, Syracuse University students were looking for an end to an extreme winter. Punxsutawney Phil, however, did not deliver the news many students were looking for when he saw his shadow, indicating six more weeks of winter. The Daily Orange Culture Staff caught up with SU students to get their thoughts on the groundhog’s prediction.

Erin Manion, a senior music industry major, said Phil caused a potential bump in the road for her, but she doesn’t fully buy his prediction for the remainder of the season.

“Oh the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil really messing with my stride,” Manion said.

“But I also feel like it’s a hoax. I feel like he’s going to be wrong.”

Manion was far from alone in this sentiment of sadness and distrust in Phil’s forecast. Other students expressed that they were angry with Phil for his inconvenient prediction of six more weeks of winter.

Freshman pre-med biology major Maria Madero was eager for spring due to the recent amount of sunshine in Syracuse but was from page 6

new year “Being able to see them for this one event is always meaningful to me.”

But due to COVID-19, Chloe has adjusted to virtually observe her family’s yearly feast.

“They’ll just FaceTime me whenever they’re eating dinner,” Chloe said.

Even without family, students have celebrated the new year with the Asian American community at SU. Junior Erica Ng will be spending her Lunar New Year with friends from Sigma Psi Zeta.

“I tend to modify my Chinese New Year celebrations when I’m away at college because of costs and I don’t have any relatives or family nearby,” Erica said. “I plan to have a small dinner with my sorority sisters who also celebrate the New Year.” from page 6

relationship Liao added that she enjoyed the feeling of independence she got from her nontraditional relationship with Morooka. As their relationship grew stronger, she began photographing her experience dating a younger man.

Later on in their relationship, Liao began singing and writing songs with Morooka. The music project, PIMO, started in 2011 when Morooka became tired of carrying his bass on the New York City subway to meet his band at the time.

disappointed by the fact that it might take a little longer to arrive. “(I’m) kind of upset … especially with how it’s been so sunny recently. It kind of mentally prepared me for spring,” Madero said.

Further, Ki Kwon, a senior political science major, expressed his anger, as he is from a country that has warm weather and would prefer summer. Kwon said that winter is definitely an issue for him.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are some students who were more open to Phil’s prediction of additional winter weather. Dyana Gales, a freshman broadcast journalism major, said that they didn’t mind the extension of cold weather that the groundhog anticipated, despite being from Los Angeles.

“I kind of like it, the winter,” Gales said. “It’s my first time having it, so I’m OK with it.”

Grayce Nichols, a sophomore also from California, said she doesn’t mind the prolonged winter either. She said although she’s from Northern California, she would enjoy gray skies and more snow.

Other SU students had a feeling that Phil was going to see his shadow. Emily Wampold, a

freshman policy studies major, was expecting Phil to predict more winter, and she even joked that the groundhog might originally be from Syracuse.

“It’s definitely not a surprise. I think he might be a Syracuse boy, because honestly, it’s always winter. I didn’t expect any spring here,” they said.

Elizabeth Stuart, a senior music industry major, saw the news coming but is still upset by it. She said another part of her simultaneously doesn’t care about the bad news the groundhog brought. At the end of the day, Stuart believes Mother Nature is going to decide on how long the winter weather lasts in Syracuse and that Punxsutawney Phil can only do so much when it comes to the weather.

Freshman Phillip Patch is ready to brave the storm ahead, even if it means experiencing weather that is a lot colder than his home state of Texas, which he says has lows in the 40s during normal winters.

“Naturally, I’m well equipped for what’s coming, so obviously it’s not that big a deal to me,” Patch said. “It’s just sad that I won’t be able to ride my bike very much.”

On Jan. 28, a few days before the Lunar New Year, SU’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association held a Chinese New Year Festival.

The event was held in Goldstein Auditorium.

Attendees were treated to an evening of performances, featuring both traditional and modern singing and dancing, Erica said.

Sophomore Myra Wong, who does not observe Lunar New Year but worked during CSSA’s event as a technical crew member for events and technical services, recalled details from the event.

“Between each performance, they gave out prizes and played different games,” Wong said.

“They gave out posters, goodie bags and gave everyone red envelopes with a gold plastic coin.”

Wong’s supervisor mentioned the event sells out nearly every year, and this year’s festival had around 450 students, Wong said.

Erica also attended the festival. She said all the performances were engaging and enjoyed the opening live band and K-pop inspired acts, and the prize giveaways during the festival’s breaks were a clever addition to involve the audience.

“I loved the decorations and the way the show was presented. There were traditional Chinese and English translations,” Erica said. “It did make me feel more excited for the Chinese New Year.”

Wong’s impressions of CSSA’s festival mirrored Erica’s sentiments. The show felt like the Oscars in terms of the formal outfits worn by presenters, and it included comedy skits between song and dance performance sets, Wong said.

“Everyone was very happy to celebrate,” Wong said. “It was clear that the celebration was important to the people going.”

Morooka compares PIMO’s sound to a “Grandma’s kitchen band with a toy keyboard,” although he said his new album pulls inspiration from chiptune, Bossa Nova and classical rock.

The Futari exhibit is a perfect combination of Morooka’s and Liao’s work coming together. PIMO will be performing at the reception, and Morooka is featured in many of the photographs, as is his grandma’s house that was recently demolished.

“I haven’t seen the full exhibition yet, but I know some photos from my grandma’s house are in it,” Morooka said. “The house will be demolished due to the Japanese earthquake safety law, so I’m glad she captured the last moment of the house.”

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eohaque@g.syr.edu

Liao’s pictures depict the long days and nights she spent with Morooka during the pandemic.

She said she hopes that audiences will reflect on their own relationships and what it is like to live with someone you love.

“It’s very hard to predict how people will react to your work, and people have different opinions on relationships and gender roles, but that doesn’t matter,” Liao said. “If my photo can trigger them to think about the insignificant times you spend with someone special and talk about it, that reaction or feeling is good enough.” sophiehcohen8@gmail.com @sopcoh

University Union is hosting its spring 2022 Bandersnatch concert, headlined by Freddie Gibbs with support from Pink Siifu, on Friday.

Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for staff and faculty. The concert is taking place in Goldstein Auditorium at 8 p.m., but doors open at 7:45 p.m. Concert attendees must provide a Syracuse University or SUNY-ESF ID for entry.

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 4 ARTIST: Freddie Gibbs, Pink Siifu The Ponytail James Band Performing at the Westcott Theater this Saturday is The Ponytail James Band. The band consists of five members who joined forces in 2017.

On its website, the band states, “One thing is for sure…no one will be bored at a Ponytail James show!”

Tickets cost $15 and doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 5 ARTIST: The Ponytail James Band NONEWFRIENDS. Coming off the release of its debut EP “Do You Still Think About Me?,” NONEWFRIENDS. will take the stage at Funk ‘n Waffles on Saturday. The band will be joined by fellow SU artist Lauren Juzang. Tickets cost $12 and the show begins at 7 p.m.

Attendees must be 16 years or older and are required to wear a mask.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 5 ARTIST: NONEWFRIENDS., Lauren Juzang Andy Grammer Renowned artist Andy Grammer will perform at The Vine Theater at del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, New York, this Saturday.

Waterloo is about 50 minutes west of Syracuse University by car. This is the second show on Grammer’s tour, which features dozens of other performances across the country.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 5 ARTIST: Andy Grammer Cheat Codes W/ JUICEBOX Musical trio Cheat Codes is bringing its tour to the Westcott Theater on Sunday. Upstate New York-based artist JUICEBOX will join the group for their performance. Cheat Codes — known for songs “No Promises” (feat. Demi Lovato) and “Lean on Me” — will be supported by Riggi & Piros and MADDS while in Syracuse.

Advance tickets cost $27 and doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 6 ARTIST: Cheat Codes, JUICEBOX, Riggi & Piros, MADDS

8 feb. 3, 2022

from page 12

new jersey Located in an area that lacks significant homegrown, ACC-level talent, the Orange have long been forced to expand their reach regionally. Babers has pointed to New Jersey as “one of the top recruiting areas” for SU, but Syracuse’s recent classes reveal a national approach to recruiting and a lack of clear success in New Jersey and other nearby states.

With SU’s 2022 class now roughly solidified after National Signing Day, Babers and Syracuse face an uncertain future, both on the field and in recruiting. The incoming class ranks 70th nationally and 12th in the ACC, and includes two New Jersey players. The Orange have won just six games over the past two seasons with no bowl appearances since 2018. Two of the three assistants Babers had recruiting in New Jersey were fired after this season, and the head coach himself enters the 2022 season with his job security in limbo.

Babers said in December that New York and New Jersey were important to him, but multiple prominent coaches in New Jersey said they have never met him.

New Jersey is consistently one of the top producers of top-level talent — ranked in the top 10 nationally with 56 NFL players as of September. Notable players including Jabrill Peppers, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Rashan Gary and Jonathan Taylor all played high school football in the state, examples of the elite players in close proximity to Syracuse and other regional programs.

Syracuse didn’t make Babers or any of his assistants available to comment for this story. An SU Athletics spokesperson said Babers and assistant coach Nick Monroe spent last weekend visiting over 15 high schools in the tri-state area, and they pointed to eight players on the Orange’s 2021 roster who were from New Jersey. SU recently brought in transfer cornerback Alijah Clark, a former 4-star recruit and

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high school teammate of cornerback Duce Chestnut, too.

Babers has said he wants to recruit close to Syracuse, but he wants players who have an opportunity to play.

“We want the best players that we can get from as many close states as we can, preferably New York and New Jersey, states that are close and bordering us,” Babers said on Dec. 15.

SU’s recruiting approach, though, is “absolutely national,” ESPN national recruiting director Tom Luginbill said.

Syracuse’s 2021 class — outside of Chestnut — featured no players from New Jersey, but did have players from Hawaii, Indiana and Minnesota, among others.

Each of the Orange’s recruiting classes dating back to 2016 featured at most two players from New Jersey. But the players from areas further from Syracuse are ranked similarly to ones located closer, Luginbill said.

“When they say, ‘Yeah, we’re recruiting New Jersey hard,’ maybe they are, but maybe they’re not winning any of those battles, too,” Luginbill said.

After arriving at SU in 2016, Babers had defensive line coach Vince Reynolds and tight ends coach Reno Ferri recruiting in the talent-rich areas of North and South Jersey, several New Jersey high school coaches said. Reynolds and Ferri developed relationships with high school coaches and players in their respective areas for roughly five years before being fired after this season.

Ferri was honest, coaches said, and usually quick to respond to messages. Timber Creek Regional High School (N.J.) head coach Brian Wright recalled Ferri texting and calling him after summer practices or big wins, and Delran High School (N.J.) head coach Garrett Lucas said Ferri was always invested in conversations and had a sharp memory. Ferri was involved with the recruitments of Chestnut and running back LeQuint Allen, SU’s second-best pros-

pect in the Class of 2022.

After SU fired Ferri in November, he became the associate head coach and tight ends coach at Akron. Two coaches said Ferri has already reached out to them since taking the new job in early December, but neither coach had heard from anyone on Syracuse’s staff since Ferri departed.

“A lot of those relationships now go to the new place,” Wright said. “The most frustrating thing for me is when I don’t know who has this area in terms of recruiting and I don’t know whose responsibility that is (at Syracuse). It’s tough to send kids places when you don’t know who’s that coach that’s responsible for corresponding with guys in my area.”

Grant said Reynolds did a good job connecting with players in the Newark area, but took a “wait-and-see attitude” — hesitating even while more successful programs offered players. Since Reynolds was fired, though, Monroe has taken over the area for Syracuse. Coaches describe him as more aggressive, as well as “engaging” and “refreshing.”

Monroe has told coaches that North Jersey is an important area for Syracuse’s recruiting, and has been more vocal in reaching out, said Bergen Catholic High School (N.J.) head coach Vito Campanile.

The two speak almost weekly, including a conversation around Christmas Eve — which showed Monroe’s willingness to go “the extra mile,” Campanile said.

Monroe has recruited 2023 defensive end DJ Samuels hard, Campanile said, and Samuels is expected to visit Syracuse in the coming weeks.

Syracuse offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh played a key role recruiting in the central part of New Jersey after joining the staff in 2018. Cavanaugh left for Arizona State following the 2020 season, and his role was filled by linebackers coach Chris Achuff, who coaches described as a “thorough” and “honest” recruiter.

But Hillsborough High School (N.J.) head coach Kevin Carty Jr. said Achuff, like Reynolds, has been hesitant in offering players, mentioning 2022 safety Thomas Amankwaa, who committed to Rutgers.

Achuff visited multiple schools toward the end of January, including The Hun School of Princeton (N.J.), where he watched film and talked about players with head coach Todd Smith. Achuff said Syracuse wants to “make New Jersey a priority again,” Smith said.

Smith recalled meeting Babers at Monmouth University camps, and was impressed by his energy and charisma.

Other coaches who have met Babers appreciated his genuineness and sincerity.

But four of the nine New Jersey coaches who spoke with The D.O. have never met Babers, including Dwayne Savage and Dennis Thomas — who respectively coached Chestnut and Allen in high school. Others haven’t heard from Babers in several years.

“It’s as important, if not more important, than any other relationship in the process,” Luginbill said of the relationship between college and high school head

coaches. “I would call it highly, highly unusual for a high school head coach to have not met a college head coach.”

Coaches spoke in-depth about their productive relationships with Rutgers’ coaching staff, and they also said Pitt, Penn State and several Big Ten schools heavily recruit the state. Savage said head coaches Pat Narduzzi (Pitt) and James Franklin (Penn State) visit Camden High School every year, and Grant said Rutgers, Pitt and Nebraska, among other schools, have all come to West Orange High School to watch practice or workouts in recent seasons.

“We’ve had seven to eight Division I guys. So we’ve had pretty much everyone come to practice and stuff like that,” Grant said. “Syracuse never came to practice.”

New Jersey coaches who have visited SU in recent seasons said they and their players were impressed with the campus and facilities. But for Thomas, those visits differed from when he visited Rutgers, sat in on coaches meetings and watched players lift — allowing him to emulate college programs at the high school level. He said Syracuse doesn’t come across as genuine or helpful.

“It’s not real,” Thomas said. “It’s like we’re just going to try to say the right things, but I don’t want the ‘How you doing, man?’ I want the, ‘Coach, how can we help you?’”

A head coach in the Camden area for a decade, Wright said Syracuse has never stood out to him during recruiting interactions, but he hasn’t had a negative interaction with them before, either.

“Recruiting-wise, they do as much or as little as the next person or the next school,” Wright said. “Syracuse hasn’t really put their flag in New Jersey, at least in the southern part, as much as they probably should.”

Making itself distinct in recruiting could be key for a Syracuse program trying to get back to seasons like 2018. SU is such a “hard job,” according to Luginbill, since there isn’t enough talent in New York to compete in the ACC, forcing the Orange to recruit mainly outside of their backyard.

The Orange found success recruiting the state under Dick MacPherson and Paul Pasqualoni in the 1980s and 90s before Pasqualoni was fired and Greg Schiano built a contender at Rutgers in the 2000s.

Schiano’s return has made recruiting New Jersey harder, too.

Coaches said that recruiting New Jersey well is critical to Syracuse’s success. Players like Chestnut and Allen have headlined SU’s most recent classes, but the Orange haven’t landed a single commitment from a top five player in the state during Babers’ tenure, per 247Sports.

“New Jersey historically puts out some of the best football players in the country,” Wright said. “So for the universities and colleges that don’t make New Jersey a priority in their recruiting, that’s probably a sign that that staff isn’t going to be around too long.”

from page 12

ing NC State to call a timeout.

Syracuse continued that rhythm when Jimmy nailed a 3 and then got a layup off a drive. Swider nailed a 3 on a ball-screen from Edwards to stretch the lead to 10.

During that time, the Orange leaned on their 1-1-3 defense, an adaptation of the 2-3 that is built to guard the high post.

But it didn’t seem to work. The Wolfpack dissected the zone by moving the ball inside and out, scoring on many of their wide-open 3-point looks and dunking inside.

And when it counted most, in the final 10 minutes of the second half, Swider heated up, hitting a jumper plus the foul, and made the free throw. Then, with less than two minutes left, Swider answered with a clutch 3-pointer that reestablished SU with as comfortable a lead it would get — and a needed win.

nc state there to tip in a close-range shot, but it bounced all over the rim and wouldn’t drop through the hoop. Benny Williams floated a nice step-back jumper that hit the rim and wouldn’t go either, and Jimmy missed a close-range attempt where SU was in position to rebound — or put it back — but just couldn’t.

NC State opened the second half exactly where it left off from 3-point range. Jericole Hellems drove along the baseline and kicked the ball out to Casey Morsell, who knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer in the corner.

SU answered right back though with a 12-0 run. Edwards got a dunk and then drove baseline through contact from a defender, and got a floater to drop. Girard found Jimmy inside for a layup and the foul, forc-

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feb. 3, 2022 9

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women’s basketball

Opponent Preview: Everything to know about Miami

By Anthony Alandt

digital managing editor

Syracuse finally overcame its woes in Atlantic Coast Conference play with an eightpoint win against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

A litany of 3-pointers and all five starters finishing with double figures returned for the Orange in the Carrier Dome for the first time since mid-December. The team is winless on the road in four games so far, and travels down to Florida to face an inconsistent Miami team.

SU just finished its toughest stretch of the season, one that acting head coach Vonn Read knew would test the Orange and their short bench. The win against Pittsburgh was “just a matter of time,” Read said, one where all the good shots SU had been taking finally paid off. The Orange are looking to continue that success against Miami, which is coming off a close, three-point loss to No. 4 Louisville.

Here’s all you need to know about the Hurricanes (11-8, 4-5 ACC) before they square off with Syracuse (9-10, 2-7 ACC).

All-time series Miami leads 19-12.

Last time they played

Syracuse beat Miami on the road in its fourth game of the season last year, then it scorched the Hurricanes after a 28-day COVID-19 pause in a 35-point victory at home. Led by Priscilla Williams’ careerhigh 26 points, the Orange notched their highest single-game scoring total since 2016. Emily Engstler notched a doubledouble off the bench, and SU shot a combined 56.7% from deep and 64.4% from the field.

Led by a 3-point shooting performance that tied the Dome’s single-game record for 3s, the Orange jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening quarter and finished the first 10 minutes with a 32-14 lead. The win marked the second of an eventual three-game winning streak during conference play.

The Hurricanes report

Miami has struggled shooting from all three levels this year and averages just 61.8 points per game, which has bitten the Hurricanes in winnable games against Washington State, Indiana and Wake Forest.

They’ve scored fewer than 50 points four times this season, behind a 39.4% shooting percentage from the field and 28.9% rate from deep, both of which rank in the bottom third of the conference.

Miami is also as unsuccessful when it

Syracuse snapped its six-game losing streak against Pittsburgh on Sunday when it hit 13 3-pointers. The Orange shot 40% and used their speed to score easily in transition. corey henry senior staff photographer

comes to rebounding as the Orange have been this season, with no player averaging more than Lola Pendande’s 5.58 per game. Kelsey Marshall has been a bright spot, leading the Hurricanes with 14 points per game, but nothing about the way this Miami team has performed this season screams anything more than subpar offensive play.

How Syracuse beats Miami

Syracuse can beat Miami the same way it beat Pittsburgh: thrive in transition and continue hitting shots from deep. Prior to the season, the expectation was that the Orange would beat teams by shooting the lights out, especially with Chrislyn Carr and Najé Murray as proven sharpshooters.

Unfortunately, Syracuse frequently experiences streaky performances from those two — and from the team overall. The evidence so far this season doesn’t point to a repeat performance in Coral Gables, but with the Orange, it’s always possible.

Miami doesn’t allow a ton of steals or turnovers, so Syracuse has to really pressure the Hurricanes in the middle third of the court in order to force the 20 or more turnovers that Murray said the team wants each game. If the Orange do that and continue to apply the pressure on a Miami team that hardly scores, they should have no problem notching their first road win of the season.

Player to watch: Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, No. 33, forward

Aside from Djaldi-Tabdi being another former Syracuse player that transferred to an ACC school and her 6-foot-4 height making her a dominant presence in the paint, she’s coming off the bench for the Hurricanes.

Read has said multiple times — specifically following losses to Louisville and Notre Dame — that the opponent’s depth has worn the Orange out late in games.

Djaldi-Tabdi will undoubtedly give Syra-

cuse the same struggles down low that many of the ACC’s big players have in previous games.

But where she can really become a difference maker throughout the game is in the second half. If SU starts getting into foul trouble and hasn’t pulled far enough ahead by the final minutes, Djaldi-Tabdi is prone to take over as a fresh set of legs to finish off the Orange.

Stat to know: 69.1 possessions per 40 minutes

Syracuse has always wanted to ensure that the game’s tempo stays relatively high, utilizing its speedy lineup to tire out opponents. Miami doesn’t share the same philosophy, lending to a playing style that forces opponents to average just 58.4 points per game. The Hurricanes rank 248th nationally in possessions per 40 minutes, a category where SU ranks 20th in the country. anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com @anthonyalandt

men’s basketball

Beat writers predict Syracuse win against the Cardinals After a narrow seven-point win over NC State, Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome and hosts Louisville on Saturday, the first and only meeting between the two teams this season. The Orange scrapped by NC State on Wednesday, while the Cardinals dropped their previous game, 90-83, against North Carolina in overtime.

Malik Williams, Louisville’s leading scorer at 10.0 points per game and the only Cardinal averaging double-digits, missed the game against the Tar Heels due to a suspension for not meeting program standards. Still, Louisville managed to score its most points in a game since recording 86 in a Dec. 14 win against Southeastern Louisiana.

Here’s what The Daily Orange’s beat writers think will happen when SU hosts the Cardinals.

season roll here, one that seemed far-fetched just eight days ago when they lost to Pittsburgh.

With two straight wins, though, SU should be able to pick up a win against a Louisville team that’s dealing with the aftermath of parting ways with a coach, suspending a leading coach and losing seven of the last eight games. Given the Cardinals’ lack of scoring, I think this is a game where Syracuse’s offense — led by Buddy Boeheim, Cole Swider, Jesse Edwards, or some combination of the above — can help it pull away in the second half and cruise.

This should be the easiest stretch of conference play for Syracuse, with opponents like Boston College and Georgia Tech ahead, and a balanced performance against the Cardinals will help the Orange churn out another win while they try to save their season.

Andrew Crane (15-8)

Roshan Fernandez (13-10)

By The Daily Orange Sports Staff

Playing the right cards Syracuse 74, Louisville 63 The Orange, could be starting their annual late-

Crushing Cardinals Syracuse 82, Louisville 73 Louisville is a program in turmoil, but that

hasn’t necessarily stopped it from performing on the court. The Cardinals parted ways with their head coach, Chris Mack, last week and named assistant coach Mike Pegues to the interim head coach role.

They handed a one-game suspension to Williams – their top-scorer and rebounder – for failing to meet the program’s standards (The Courier-Journal reported that Williams was given multiple opportunities to improve his attitude and did not).

And still, Louisville managed to take UNC to overtime. It still sits at 11-11 overall and has won five conference games. The Cardinals have a top-100 ranked defense, per KenPom. But all of that being said, Syracuse has played well at home. It has lost just two home conference games — against Virginia and Florida State — and played likely its best performance of the year when Wake Forest visited central New York last weekend. I’ll take the Orange’s offense to out-

pace Louisville’s and do enough to scrape out the win.

Gaurav Shetty (13-10)

Three in a row?

Syracuse 81, Louisville 72 Louisville is currently in a massive downward spiral as the Cardinals are 1-7 in their last eight games. The Cardinals come to Syracuse at a great time for the Orange, who are coming off of a surprise victory over Wake Forest and a win over NC State. Louisville is ranked even lower than the Wolfpack and are clearly in the midst of a crisis. I predicted Syracuse to win four of its next five, albeit with a victory over Pittsburgh and a loss to Wake Forest, but I will stick with that pick for this one. This is an enticing stretch of games for the Orange, one that I think will net them their first three-game win streak of the season. sports@dailyorange.com @DOSports

10 feb. 3, 2022

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football

Syracuse signs 3 more players on National Signing Day

By Anish Vasudevan asst. sports editor

Syracuse football landed three recruits on National Signing Day, adding to the 13 players it previously signed during the early period in December. On ACC Network, head coach Dino Babers said Wednesday was a “really light day” for the Orange.

The first to sign with SU was three-star defensive back Greg Delaine, who flipped his commitment from Georgia Tech to SU. The Florida native is listed at 6-foot-1, and totaled 67 tackles and four interceptions in 2021 at Fort

Myers (Fl.) High School, per MaxPreps. Delaine made official visits to Iowa State, Georgia Tech and Syracuse before making his final decision.

Buffalo native Kevin Jobity Jr. also signed with the Orange, making it official after announcing on Twitter that he intended to join SU. Jobity recorded 68 tackles and seven sacks this past season at Maryvale High School, helping it to the New York Section VI Class B quarterfinals.

The last to sign on Wednesday was kicker Brady Denaburg. From Merritt Island (Fl.) High School, Denaburg was ranked as the No. 12 kicking prospect in the nation by Kohl’s

Kicking. Denaburg, though, will likely be slotted behind starting kicker Andre Szmyt on the depth chart, with Szmyt returning to the Orange for a final year in 2022.

Joining Denaburg in the special teams unit is long snapper Ethan Stangle, who signed as a preferred walk-on. At Kohl’s Kicking camp last year, Stangle finished with an average snap time of .66 seconds and the highest charting score in the country for the 2022 class.

The Orange now have 21 signees after Wednesday’s commitments. December’s 13 commits were highlighted by 3-star running back LeQuint Allen, who Babers said had “a

lot more stars and juice” than Sean Tucker.

Babers also said SU targeted certain positions: defensive back — where they added five players — and offensive line, defensive line and linebacker, where they added two in each position.

Syracuse also officially added five transfers who previously announced their commitments, including quarterback Dan Villari and defensive back Alijah Clark.

The Orange will begin practice in the next few weeks, with a spring game set for 7 p.m. on April 1 in the Carrier Dome. anish.sujeet@gmail.com @anish_vasu

high school football

C-NS football’s road to the New York state semifinals

By Tim Skeval

contributing writer

Cicero-North Syracuse made the most of its opportunity to play after its 2020 fall season was pushed to the spring.

Amid COVID-19 protocols, the season was shortened to four games, but the Northstars still averaged 36 points per game and only allowed six the whole season. Head coach Dave Kline said C-NS’ strong spring slate was a step in the right direction, something the team especially needed since they had a large number of starters graduating, including the team’s starting quarterback.

“We felt like we played very good football in the small sample size we had, but we knew we were going to be losing key seniors,” Kline said.

Still, after an unorthodox 2020-21 season, C-NS finished 9-3 overall in 2021-22, losing just one conference game. The Northstars captured their fourth straight sectional and regional championships before eventually falling short in the state playoffs.

The spring season success allowed C-NS to challenge itself against a Clifton (New Jersey) High School team it hadn’t faced before. Despite the four-hour road trip to central New York, the Mustangs defeated the Northstars 32-13. C-NS senior Anthony Testa wasn’t surprised about the result, saying the Northstars weren’t prepared to face a team as challenging as Clifton in its opener.

“We didn’t come into that game prepared at all,” Testa said. “We understand that they were definitely a great team, but I think if we played them again later in the season we would’ve competed closer to our standards.”

C-NS bounced back to win three straight

games against local high schools Nottingham, Baldwinsville and Proctor, outscoring its opponents 110-21. But the smooth run through September was halted after a COVID19 outbreak postponed its homecoming game against Henninger High School.

The Northstars were cleared to play within a week and traveled to play their rival, Liverpool. In its toughest game since playing Clifton, and missing several coaches due to COVID-19 protocols — affecting the team’s pregame focus — C-NS lost by a touchdown.

“We just didn’t come into that game with the correct mindset,” senior Mason Ellis said. “We thought we could just roll in there and beat them.”

But the Northstars bounced back with two consecutive wins, beating Corcoran and Rome Free Academy by a combined score of 75-7 right before the sectional playoffs. C-NS, which entered the sectional playoff with three straight championship titles, opened its postseason schedule against the Nottingham Bulldogs in the sectional quarterfinals. C-NS dominated like it did in the second week of the season, holding Nottingham to just one touchdown, and advanced to the semifinals, where it faced Liverpool in a rematch.

Kline said that being able to host Liverpool allowed for a completely different atmosphere. And along with having its full coaching staff for the semifinals, the Northstars picked up a 17-0 shutout victory, qualifying for their fourth consecutive state championship game in the Carrier Dome.

“Everyone knew what that game meant — it wasn’t revenge; it was redemption,” Testa said.

“Going up to the Dome and playing in

Mason Ellis and Cicero-North Syracuse won their fourth consecutive sectional and regional championships this season. courtesy of mason ellis

front of a bigger crowd than usual is always a good feeling.”

C-NS was set to face a Baldwinsville team it defeated 40-7 at the beginning of the season.

Unlike that first meeting, the Bees kept it close into halftime, where the game was tied at 14.

But C-NS broke away in the second half and again hoisted the sectional trophy, prevailing 35-21. Kline attributed the win to strong fourthquarter play after a tight game at the half.

A week later, the Northstars traveled to New York’s Southern Tier to take on CorningPainted Post in the regional championship game. The game got off to a “crazy” start, Kline said, with C-NS’ starting quarterback, Jaxon Razmovski, leaving the field with a concussion. Midway through the game, the team lost its offensive coordinator due to a health issue, too. Corning held a 16-13 lead entering the second quarter but with Razmovski down, Testa filled in at quarterback and scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown to give C-NS a four-point

lead that it maintained the rest of the game .

“No one expected us to win. They were heavily favored, but we made the plays at the end to come out on top,” Testa said.

That win advanced C-NS to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association west semifinals against Buffalo-based Bennett High School where the Northstars were shutout 38-0, preventing them from winning the program’s first state title.

“That was a tough pill to swallow, especially for us seniors, to go through all the stuff we’ve been through and to get shut out like that was disappointing,” Ellis said.

Still, C-NS’ season saw seven players make the All-State team, including Testa and Ellis, who made the first and third teams, respectively.

“I’m not sure if we’ve had that many selections before,” Kline said. “These guys are great players, and I was glad they were recognized for it.” tbskeval@syr.edu

men’s basketball

Opponent Preview: Everything to know about the Cardinals

By Gaurav Shetty staff writer

After a quick trip to Raleigh, Syracuse returns home to host Louisville. The Orange are looking to build on a successful last week as Louisville is the second straight opponent for SU that ranks outside of KenPom’s top 100.

The Cardinals just parted ways with head coach Chris Mack, currently sitting under .500 in conference play. They also suspended leading scorer Malik Williams for a game against North Carolina that Louisville ended up losing in overtime.

Here’s what you need to know about Louisville (11-11, 5-7 Atlantic Coast) as Syracuse (10-11, 4-6 ACC) looks to climb up the ACC rankings:

All-time Series

Louisville leads 19-10.

Last time they played

Syracuse and Louisville last played on Feb. 19, 2020. The Cardinals were ranked at No. 11 that season when Syracuse traveled to play them.

The Orange were blown out 90-66 despite four

players scoring in the double-digits. Buddy Boeheim led with 15 points, while Quincy Guerrier, Joe Girard III and Elijah Hughes also managed to hit double figures.

While the halftime deficit was just seven, Louisville pulled ahead in the second half, taking advantage of Syracuse’s poor shooting from 3. In the second half, Syracuse was just 2-for-13 from beyond the arc, with Hughes in particular struggling as he made just one 3 the whole night. On the other end, then ACC second leading scorer, Jordan Nwora led all players with 17.

KenPom odds

KenPom gives Syracuse a 74% chance of winning with a projected score of 77-70.

The Louisville report

Louisville is currently 1-7 in its last eight games.

However, the Cardinals just took UNC to overtime on Tuesday and lost by only seven. Before that, Louisville had lost to most of the ACC, with its only win in the last eight conference matchups being at home over Boston College.

Most notably, the Cardinals parted ways with Mack in the midst of this losing streak. Louisville

also handed Williams a one-game suspension against UNC, leaving the Cardinals without their top scorer this season. His status for Syracuse’s game is unclear as interim head coach Mike Pegues has said the suspension could be indefinite.

How Syracuse beats Louisville

Syracuse should beat Louisville with relative ease, as the Cardinals are not standouts in any category.

The Orange’s chances will likely increase if Williams is suspended for another game as the Cardinals’ big man currently averages 10 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. If he plays, Williams would likely pose a threat to Jesse Edwards down low.

However, the rest of Louisville’s offense isn’t great. The Cardinals offense ranks 173rd in offensive efficiency on KenPom. Syracuse will just need to outscore an weak offense in order to win, which should be fairly straightforward after Buddy was named ACC Player of the Week following two offensive outbursts against Pitt and Wake Forest.

Player to watch: guard, No. 0

Noah

Locke,

Locke is the next man up after Williams on

the team. The senior guard transferred to Louisville from the University of Florida and is second on the team with 9.7 points per game, while also leading the team with 50 made 3-pointers this season.

In the loss to UNC, Locke scored eight points on 2-for-8 shooting from 3. As Locke and the rest of the offense have struggled, the Cardinals have lost four of their last seven games by double-digit margins.

Stat to know: 98.5

Louisville’s defensive efficiency rating on KenPom is 98.5, which is good for 92nd in the nation. The Cardinals’ defense is the stronger side of the team, as the offense is ranked 173rd. Louisville struggles to create turnovers, sitting all the way at 301st in defensive turnover percentage on KenPom. This should play right into the hands of a Syracuse offense that is peaking at the right time. Buddy and Cole Swider combined for 48 points in the win over the Demon Deacons.

Head coach Jim Boeheim said it was the best Swider has looked this season. gshetty1562@gmail.com

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Sports

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feb. 3, 2022

photo illustration by meghan hendricks photo editor

New Jersey was waiting, but

‘Syracuse never came’

By Connor Smith sports editor

J

ayson Raines dominated Syracuse’s camp. Invited to SU in June 2019, Raines made the 3.5 hour drive from West Orange, New Jersey, hoping to add to his list of offers. But even after Raines played well, Syracuse coaches told him they were still unsure about offering him a scholarship, and they wanted to watch a few of his senior year games.

On the drive home, Raines’ high school coach remembered UVA calling and offering a scholarship. Stanford called days later, telling

the 3-star wide receiver they wanted him. Syracuse didn’t offer until January, and Raines committed to Stanford instead, playing in five games for the Cardinal this season.

“This is a guy who, if (Syracuse coaches) had been a little more aggressive, they could’ve had,” said Darnell Grant, Raines’ high school coach. “I just know that a team from 3,000 miles away came and plucked the kid, and the kid’s playing for them, being productive as a freshman. I would think that’s a kid that could’ve possibly stayed home.”

Raines’ recruitment illustrates Syracuse’s inconsistent efforts in the football hotbed of New Jersey under head coach Dino Babers. see new

jersey page 8

men’s basketball

Syracuse staves off NC State comeback in 89-82 road win

By Roshan Fernandez senior staff writer

RALEIGH, N.C. — To open the second half in PNC Arena, Syracuse couldn’t miss. In fact, it didn’t miss for the first 10 minutes.

The Orange were an astounding 11-of-11, including four 3-pointers. The offense, at least to start off, was fueled by interior scoring. Jesse Edwards and Jimmy Boeheim scored 19 and 16 points, respectively, uncovering along the baseline for dunks and layups or driving into the paint themselves. That opened up looks outside the perimeter down the stretch.

Syracuse built a lead that was as

many as 11 points midway through the half. Yet it wasn’t comfortable at all, as the SU defense — a unit that allowed NC State to score a season-high 45 first-half points — watched that evaporate. Within minutes, the lead was just one.

Coming off perhaps SU’s best performance of the season, one where the Orange played strong defense and scored 55 points in the second half to bolster a confident, 22-point win over Wake Forest, Syracuse continued that momentum on the road. The Orange (11-11, 5-6 Atlantic Coast) once again took care of business, beating NC State (10-13, 3-9 ACC) 89-82 on Wednesday.

The win pulls SU back to .500

on the season for the third time since it had a losing record in early January. It stretches the Orange’s win streak to two games and gives them a chance to extend it to the longest of the season against an uneven Louisville team on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse nearly blew its late lead on multiple occasions. Buddy Boeheim couldn’t run down a deep inbound pass and turned it over. Joe Girard III drove but was blocked when he tried to finish.

Edwards had to foul a shooter.

But in the clutch, SU made its free throws and pulled out the victory.

Movement and passing inside the paint allowed SU to keep up despite the fact that NC State

started 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Wolfpack continued to build on their 3-point shooting, stretching their clip to 10-of-20 from 3-point range by halftime.

They were 50% from the field in the first half, too.

NC State made three straight 3-pointers multiple times during the first frame, a combination of poor close-outs for the Orange on some, and deep makes for the Wolfpack on others. Terquavion Smith missed two straight wideopen looks from the corners and was 4-of-8 for 14 points at halftime.

But the Orange were still in it. In addition to their success in the paint, they got to the foul line, knocked down timely 3-pointers

via Buddy and Cole Swider and trailed by just three points at the break. The problem, like so many other instances this season, was foul trouble for their centers.

Edwards picked up two fouls early on, forcing backup Frank Anselem to step in.

By half, Anselem had three fouls. SU had to play with Jimmy at center for much of the end of the first frame, which appeared to give the Orange an offensive advantage. It’s possible they could’ve even led at the break, despite the shower of 3-pointers that NC State unleashed.

SU was extremely unlucky to close out the half. Buddy was see nc

state page 8