March 10, 2022 by The Daily Orange

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N • Diplomatic visit

S • Onto Duke

Itay Milner, a representative of the Israeli consulate in New York City, visited a Newhouse class to prepare the students for an upcoming spring break trip to Israel. Page 3

With a blowout win over Florida State in its ACC Tournament opener, Syracuse advances to face top-seeded Duke in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Page 16

city

The great collaborator Charles Willie focused on advocating for students during his career at SU

Rented homes in city face disparity By Danny Amron and Kyle Chouinard the daily orange

photo illustration by meghan hendricks photo editor, photo courtesy of james willie

By Kyle Chouinard

Palmer said Charles Willie was a wonderful presence. “(He was) very thoughtful and raserless pencils were strewn across James deeply committed to the school Willie’s childhood home. and university with his concerns as an advisory board member,” His father’s writing proPalmer said. “(He had) a very cess demanded it. All of his books strong moral voice.” were written with a pencil in hand on yellow paper. Palmer said Charles WilJohn Palmer “He would burn through lie was deeply attuned to the former dean of the maxwell school concerns of students and how erasers,” James Willie said their experience at SU could be about his father. James’ father, Charles “Chuck” Willie, was Syracuse Uni- improved. On the advisory board, Willie was an advoversity’s first Black academic administrator and first Black cate for students, Palmer said. Charles Willie had issues with the use of the “Saltine tenured professor. He joined SU in 1950 as a teaching assistant. In 1957, Willie received his Ph.D. from SU, and in 1967, Warrior’’ as a symbol for the university. According to a he became the chair of the university’s sociology department. clipping from The Syracuse Post-Standard in SU’s archives, Willie wrote letters in 1972 to school departments and In 1972, he became vice president for student affairs. Charles Willie died on Jan. 11 at the age of 94. student organizations alike, saying he was disturbed by the John Palmer served as the Maxwell School of Citizen- symbol’s use, though he didn’t consult with the Onondaga ship and Public Affairs’s dean from 1988 until 2003. Nation before sending the letters. The mascot would be disWhile the two didn’t work together while Charles Willie continued six years later. was at SU, Willie did serve on the school’s advisory board Beyond letters, James Willie said his father was always while Palmer was its dean. see willie page 4 asst. news editor

If you ever met him and spent time with him, you didn’t forget him. His presence was very strong in a very positive way.

Just under half of Syracuse’s properties are occupied by their owner, according to data from Open Data Syracuse. Homeownership can be a crucial part of economic stability, according to Syracuse University geography professor Timur Hammond. Throughout the city, Syracuse’s median property value in owner-occupied properties is 13% higher than in rental properties, according to data analyzed by The Daily Orange. Hammond added that the differences between rental and owner-occupied housing within the university neighborhood includes different levels of maintenance and quality of the housing. The balance between rent and upkeep costs is a tension landlords face, Hammond said. An improving rental market may lead a landlord to invest more in property upkeep, he said. Rental properties may also require more work than their owner-occupied counterparts. Hammond said that unplowed driveways and icicles are often ignored but are signs of a lack of upkeep for a property. These signs are especially present within the university neighborhood, he said. “It’s one thing if landlords live in the city and they have a vested interest in the city of which they’re a part (of ), but it becomes really easy for landlords who live outside of Syracuse to see these properties as only kind of dollars and cents, financial calculations,” Hammond said. W hen landlords are not around the city on an everyday basis, they may not see the impact of their lack of investment, Hammond said, which makes it easier to justify the bare minimum instead of taking on maintenance as part of the shared responsibility of living in Syracuse. Hammond added that the location of a landlord does not entirely indicate “good” or “bad,” but does play a role in how their decisions are made. Mary Traynor, an organizer see housing page 4

2 march 10, 2022

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“He was very set in terms of what his principles were, but he was always willing to compromise when it came to ‘What do you have to do to make change?’” - James Willie about his father, Charles Willie Page 3

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march 10, 2022

on campus

coronavirus

Diplomat prepares class traveling to Israel SU to move to ‘YELLOW’ masking alert level By Kyle Chouinard asst. news editor

itay milner from the Israeli Consulate General in New York visited Professor Joel Kaplan’s JNL 530 class to work with students on the stories they planned for their spring break trip to the nation. francis tang asst. news editor By Francis Tang and Katie McClellan the daily orange

Itay Milner, a spokesperson and consul for media affairs at the Israeli Consulate General in New York, spoke to Syracuse University Professor Joel Kaplan’s class on Tuesday. He spoke in preparation for the JNL 530: Topics in Specialized Reporting spring break field trip to Israel, which begins on Friday. The international reporting class trip, which has been sponsored annually by the Jerusalem Press Club since 2018, will spend nine days traveling to Jerusalem, along the Lebanese border and the West Bank and through the Golan Heights to Tel Aviv, Kaplan said. “We’ll meet different groups, different people and the students will pursue their stories,” Kaplan said. The students shared their story

ideas with Milner, who provided potential sources and explained Israeli politics as well as his job at the consulate general. Students plan to cover stories ranging from the treatment of Ethiopian Jews in Israel to women wanting to pray at the Western Wall — the holiest prayer site for Jews, where a partition separates women from praying in the same section of the wall as men in Orthodox Jewish tradition, Kaplan said. Some students have decided to cover Ukrainian Jews in Israel in light of the recent Russian invasion. “We have a lot of sympathy for Ukrainians. We’re doing many things to assist them,” Milner told The Daily Orange. A significant number of Israeli citizens were born in the former Soviet Union and have moved to Israel in the last 30 years, he said. “Many of them have families

there,” Milner said. “This is not a foreign relations issue. This is an internal (one) first.” The Israeli government recently built a field hospital in Ukraine and has delivered hundreds pounds of humanitarian aid within the past few days, Milner said. Israel is accepting both Jewish and nonJewish refugees, he added. Milner also touched on antisemitism in Syracuse and SU. The Student Association passed a bill in February 2021 adopting a portion of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-semitism. “Due to the widespread critique and the wording used by the IHRA and its implications on limiting academic freedom, and potentially doing harm to Palestinians and questions of Palestinian human rights, I personally did not feel it was SA’s place to endorse this defi-

nition,” then-SA President Justine Hastings said at the time. “The resolution equates anti-semitism with anti-Zionism, which is not only false but dangerous for the reasons described above.” Milner said he disagrees with Hasting’s comment. “Anti-Zionism is anti-semitism. I think that you can’t take this right from Jews to have the right for selfdetermination,” Milner told The D.O. “Even the Palestinians — they have their own aspirations and they want to have their own nation state. And I think it’s legitimate. I even support it. I think that they should have a nation state. It may (not have worked) until now because we have some disputes, but hopefully it will work in the future.” Natalie Bono, a student in the class, will be working on a story about the artwork found on the see israel page 4

on campus

SU program offers students of color mentorship By Yi Qin

contributing writer

The WellsLink Leadership Program at Syracuse University has helped first-year students of color develop leadership skills and learn more about the university. According to the program’s website, those enrolled in the program receive two semesters of support and then, following their transition into their second year of studies, become WellsLink alumni. There is also a newly developed program for second-year WellsLink students, according to the website. MaryKate Keevins, a sophomore who participated in the WellsLink Leadership Program, said she had a difficult time connecting with other students of color on campus her freshman year, especially due to the

pandemic. She joined the program because she was looking for a community on campus. “It was a forum where we could all get together and have a safe space on campus for ourselves to meet each other and find community but also learn how to acclimate to campus,” Keevins said. Elliot Salas, now a sophomore, was also in the program as a freshman. “I noticed that being in WellsLink was actually the only time I saw people of color and diversity be together for events and having fun learning together about Syracuse,” Salas said. Erickson Gomez Fernandez, a sophomore who previously participated in the program, is now a peer leader. “The program changed me by helping me develop more social and

leadership skills,” Gomez Fernandez said. “I also got to meet a lot of great people who have taught me so much in such a short amount of time.” This program can also allow students to learn more about the campus. “WellsLink helped me as well with my identity, overcoming selfissues like imposter syndrome, and aided me during overwhelming times with stress relievers,” Salas wrote in a draft speech for the transition ceremony. “WellsLink has helped me gain so much information about Syracuse and helped me use everything that the campus has to offer to its fullest potential,” Salas added in the speech. The activities the program offers can be categorized into four types: fun competitive games, stress bust-

ers, financial resources and learning about self-identity, Salas said. Some freshmen were impressed by the self-identity activities. “My overall experience with the WellsLink Leadership program has been positive because it has allowed me to network and learn more about myself.” said freshman Daqwuan Smith. The students will also meet with a peer leader once a week, Keevins said. The program teaches students about professional development, such as resume resources and using LinkedIn, as well as more SU-specific pieces of content, such as planning second-year courses and living arrangements, Keevins said. “What I liked about the program is that they really want you to see wellslink page 4

Syracuse University will move to a “YELLOW” COVID-19 masking level on Monday, March 14, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Mike Haynie announced in an email Tuesday afternoon. Under this level, masks are only recommended indoors in the presence of others and outdoors in large group settings for people who are vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated are required to continue wearing a mask indoors at all times and outdoors in the presence of others. Masks are no longer required for vaccinated individuals during academic instruction. Haynie wrote in the email that several indicators were used to inform this decision. At SU, random surveillance testing positivity rates have averaged between 0.9% and 2.1%, Haynie said. The vice chancellor also noted that SU has a high rate of compliance for its vaccination and booster policy.

2.3% The positivity rate for students, faculty and staff under the university’s random surveillance testing for vaccinated community members

“The action we’re announcing today is possible because of our community’s commitment to good public health practices — particularly the overwhelming campus community compliance with the university’s COVID vaccination and booster requirement,” Haynie wrote in the email. As of March 8, SU has 102 active COVID-19 cases and a positivity rate of 2.3%. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Onondaga County currently has a “medium” COVID-19 Community Level. Haynie also announced that randomized surveillance testing will continue with some changes. “To further ease the COVIDrelated requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, we will begin to reduce the number of vaccinated individuals required to test each week, while prioritizing ongoing testing for vaccine-exempt individuals,” Haynie wrote. kschouin@syr.edu @Kyle_Chouinard

4 march 10, 2022

from page 1

willie writing. He wrote 35 books and over 100 articles, he said. “If you ever met him and spent time with him, you didn’t forget him. His presence was very strong in a very positive way,” Palmer said. Louis Kriesberg, a professor emeritus in the university’s sociology department, came to Syracuse in 1962. He said by the time he had arrived, his “energetic” colleague Charles Willie was working in the sociology department. He called Charles a “great collaborator.” Kriesberg said the sociology department at the time was tight-knit, and while the two never worked on projects together, they shared notes and critiqued one another’s work. “He was very set in terms of what his principles were,” he said, “but he was always willing to compromise when it came to, ‘What do you have to do to make change?’” Both James Willie and Kriesberg detailed Charles Willie’s religious work in the Episcopal Church. Charles Willie delivered a sermon at the ordination of the “Philadelphia 11.” At the 1974 service, 11 women became the fi rst from page 1

housing with the Syracuse Tenants Union and a staff attorney at Legal Services of Central New York, sees things differently. “I don’t really see a difference (between out-of-town landlords and local landlords),” she said. “It’s easy to blame socalled out of towners, but that lets our local, well-known slumlords off the hook.” Traynor also said many of the poorly maintained low-income housing complexes in Syracuse tend to serve majority Black communities. She said the lack of investment in properties such as these indicates landlords are being motivated by profits. “You have low-income Black people renting from white men who are just making money hand over fist and not putting in any money,” Traynor said. “They don’t give a damn about Syracuse.” According to data analyzed by The D.O., the average amount of unpaid taxes is 51% higher in rental properties than owneroccupied properties in Syracuse. A bill introduced to the New York State Legislature in 2019 looking to protect renters would prevent eviction “without good cause.” The law would set a limit on how much rent can be raised per year in non-rent stabilized properties. Rachel May, who represents Syracuse in the State Senate, co-sponsored the bill. “We’re trying to get Good Cause Eviction protection because when tenants call code enforcement, which is the super legal way to do things, landlords evict them,” Traynor said. “So tenants won’t call code enforcement because they don’t want to be evicted.” Traynor added that frequently repairs or upkeep do not result from a citation, regardless of whether a tenant is evicted or not. from page 3

israel separation wall between the West Bank and Israel. “My story is about artwork normalizing the existence of the wall for those communities living around it,” Bono said. She said from page 3

wellslink succeed in everything that you do,” said Jadyn Washington, a freshman in the program. “When (my counselor and I) have our annual meetings, she makes sure I attend my classes

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female priests in the Episcopal Church. Following the ceremony, the church deemed that they were “irregularly” ordained, The Huffi ngton Post reported in its 40-year retrospective of the event. “This shouldn’t be seen as an act of arrogant disobedience, but an act of tender defiance,” Willie said during the sermon, WHYYFM reported in 2014. At the time, Willie was the vice president of the House of Deputies, a governing body in the Episcopal Church. He was already the first Black vice president of the Episcopal Church of the United States, James Willie said, and was lined up to be the first Black president. But after the Church nullified the priesthood of the 11 women, Charles Willie stepped down, Kriesberg said. “He resigned in protest of what he considered a sin,” Kriesberg said. Later, Kriesberg said, the church would accept women as ministers. He said Charles Willie was applauded and awarded by the Episcopal Church following the reversal. James Willie said his father was a “natural bridge” for people and worked to reach out and connect different groups toward a common goal. On SU’s campus, Willie worked to expand the university’s outreach into the greater Syracuse community. James Willie said his

father worked to allow children from Syracuse to use the university’s gyms during times SU students were not using them, such as on Sunday mornings. As a sociologist, Willie studied and aided in the Black student experience at SU. According to a Post-Standard article in SU’s archives, Willie said some predominantly white colleges in upstate New York that only recruit a “token” amount of Black students do not create an adequate Black community on campus. James Willie said his father was always very involved with his students, both advocating for them and working with them to find out what they need to do to accomplish their goals. His father told him that many Black students at SU wanted him as their adviser as a Black professor. He didn’t want to turn students down. “He would often have a graduate student or a newly minted Ph.D. work with him … and they would get published along with him,” James Willie said. In 2017, SU Chancellor Kent Syverud presented Charles Willie with the Chancellor’s Citation Lifetime Achievement Award. “Throughout his career, he leveraged the power of social research to advance the cause of justice,” Syverud wrote in a press release.

Gretchen Ritter, SU’s vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, said Charles Willie was a scholar of desegregation, race relations and higher education in SU’s Feb. 24 University Senate meeting. Charles Willie also collaborated with Martin Luther King Jr. — the two became friends at Morehouse College, where they both graduated. David Barbier Jr., a junior at SU, said in the 2022 MLK Jr. Day celebration that Charles Willie invited King to speak at SU multiple times, leading to King speaking at SU in 1961 and 1965. Palmer said Charles Willie reminded him of King. Charles Willie’s whole career was not at SU — he left the university to join the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1974. The school’s current dean, Bridget Long, said in a release she had admiration for Charles Willie, and that she greatly benefited from his support and encouragement when she was a young faculty member. “He truly was a bright and shining light for all he encountered — a trailblazing scholar adept at using his research for the benefit of countless schoolchildren, and a deeply kind person who helped to develop generations of students after him,” she said. kschouin@syr.edu @Kyle_Chouinard

Hammond also said tenants have limited options when dealing with landlords who fail to adequately upkeep properties. Residents can call code enforcement or work with organizing groups like the Syracuse Tenants Union to advocate for themselves, both of which are contingent on tenants having the time or energy to do so, he said.

It’s easy to blame so-called out of towners, but that lets our local, well-known slumlords off the hook Mary Traynor syracuse tenants union organizer

Alternatively, Traynor sees community ownership of housing, via methods such as community land trusts or co-ops, as a solution to ensure more people have the opportunity to have a stake in their housing and create environments with improved living conditions. Traynor said she believes housing is a public good — if community land trusts were deployed at a large scale in the city, people would have “clean, safe places to live with dignity,” she said. “People do need to control their own housing, own their own housing,” Traynor said. “It can’t be left up to developers who need to make profit on it.” news@dailyorange.com

graphics by megan thompson design editor

she admires Milner’s journey to becoming a diplomat. “I’m excited to talk with my sources,” Bono said. “I’ve met a lot of people and so I’m excited to see everyone that I’ve been talking with in person and being in that country for the first time. I think being able to go to Palestine is a really special

thing because Israelis are not allowed over that border. So that’ll be an experience that I can have that many others can’t.” She said Milner helped students prepare for their trip by advising the class that every Israeli has an opinion and will want to speak with them, and that students should always listen to what they

have to say. “They’re going to have a great experience, and for young, aspiring journalists — which they are — there’s no better place to write your own story than the story of Israel,” Milner told The D.O. “There (are) so many different stories there.”

and stay up to date with my schoolwork. ” Students who participated in this program exercised their leadership skills and put them to use. Salas is currently a ’Cuse First Leader, and Gomez Fernandez is now a peer leader. Salas and Gomez Fernandez wanted to share their experiences with the first-year

students of color because they enjoyed participating in the program during their first year. “My reason for participating and becoming a peer leader is because I enjoyed the program a lot my freshman year, and I wanted to give others the same experience

my peer leaders were able to give me,” Gomez Fernandez said. Salas said SU has a large collection of clubs and organizations that made him feel at home. “I learned that I wasn’t alone.”

news@dailyorange.com

yqin19@syr.edu

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opinion

6 march 10, 2022

international voice

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international voice

Aspen Syracuse residents done Aspen Syracuse 住户不 waiting for fixed security issues 愿再坐等安全问题被改善 By Ava Hu

editor-in-chief, wemedia lab

Translated by Francis Tang asst. news editor

Editor’s Note: International Voice is a project that The Daily Orange’s Opinion section founded in partnership with WeMedia Lab, a student media organization at Syracuse University serving international students on campus.

n March 7, 2022 at 9:15 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, an armed robbery took place at the Aspen Syracuse apartments complex (located at 4101 Brighton Place). The student being robbed was a Chinese national, who was threatened from behind after they entered the apartment’s entrance. The entrance was controlled by card access. The suspect was an armed male wearing black clothes and a black mask. After being threatened, the Chinese student handed the suspect about $100 (approximately 700 Chinese Yuan). The suspect then left the scene. There were no injuries presented. Aspen Syracuse Apartments is a third party owned living space where many Chinese international students reside. Currently, there are about 500 Chinese international students in Aspen residents’ WeChat group, of which 300 to 400 are current residents. Since Oct. 17, 2021, however, our group chat has discussed incidents such as car damage, robbery, larceny of packages at the apartments. On Oct. 17, 2021 at 2 a.m., seven Sedans parked in the garage of Building 3 were smashed, a majority of which are owned by Chinese students. Two Chinese international students took photos of the suspects. Although local police were dispatched to investigate the incident, the residents said they didn’t receive satisfactory updates. Aspen Syracuse Apart-

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ment didn’t take enough responsibility either. On Jan. 2, 2022 at 4 a.m. several cars parked outside Buildings 3 and 2 as well as in garages were smashed. The back windows and sensors of at least two involved cars owned by Chinese international students were severely damaged. The police investigated the incident, but there have not been satisfactory updates. On Feb. 21, 2022, a locked car was prised open. Objects in the car were stolen, which were worth approximately $2,000. On Feb. 24, 2022, multiple cars parked in Building 1’s garage were smashed. Police vehicles came to investigate, but there have not been satisfactory updates. In the meantime, the fences between Building 3 and the adjacent community were blown down by the wind or intentionally damaged multiple times. Residents have witnessed people from the adjacent community trespassing the fences into Aspen for at least two or three times. In addition to the massive car smash incident on Oct. 17, 2021, packages and deliveries downstairs often go missing inexplicably. The entrance and security doors are also frequently damaged. Although Aspen’s Chinese residents continue to provide feedback, communicate through email, as well as complain in person and express demands through the phone many times, we are not satisfied with what has been done since. Until Monday, when a Chinese resident was threatened by a gun in a stairwell that was supposed to be locked, after the incident and the self-proclaimed “online 24/7” Aspen Syracuse’s security service — which they mentioned in an email to residents — had not made a satisfactory response, each and every Chinese resident is unwilling and unable to remain silent. The Google reviews have disappeared, the ambiguous response

by the front desk staff, all made us profoundly feel the difficulty of studying abroad and the misery of living under someone else’s roof. Chinese international students living in the Aspen apartments have organized to spread the incident to Syracuse University and local organizations and news outlets. Multiple students jointly contacted the Department of Public Safety. Some students started to reach out to legal services. We are actively reaching out to Aspen, hoping to positively and actively address the vital security problems once and for all. We don’t want to keep the door open just to be free from damage to the car window. We don’t want to bring hundreds of dollars in cash just to give it out when threatened by a gun. We don’t want to have our heart in our mouth, checking the apartment door, entrance and security door over and over again. We don’t want to give up thousands of dollars in rent and security deposit to run everywhere to rent a new apartment, just so that we could have a place to live. We didn’t choose Aspen, Syracuse University and to study abroad to become a footnote of someone’s criminal records or a victim in the news or widespread gossip. Here in Syracuse, safety should have been our right; being free from worries should have been deserved. But now, we are here, having baseball bats and chains prepared at home, while our hearts are filled with constant fear. Regardless of race and location, no one should be treated like this for whatever reason. We hereby call for all Chinese international students in Syracuse to pay attention to this issue and spread the word with the WeMedia Lab as well as Aspen residents. Let us have more people know what happened here in Aspen Syracuse Apartments. And let us stay tuned for what will happen here under the attention of all Chinese members. From now on, we won’t wait again.

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Aspen Syracuse三栋的围墙曾多次被风吹倒或遭到蓄意破坏。住户曾亲眼目睹有人从隔壁社区翻墙进入该公寓。 francis tang asst. news editor 胡小蔓

美国东部冬令时2022年3月7日下午9 时15分，Aspen Syracuse学生公寓（位于 4101 Brighton Place）发生一起持枪抢劫案。被抢劫的学生为中国人，在其进入由磁卡控制的公寓大门后被人从身后劫持。抢劫犯为一名持枪男性，身穿黑衣，戴黑色口罩。被胁迫后，中国学生将身上大约一百美金（折合约七百人民币）交给抢劫犯，随后抢劫犯离开。过程中无人伤亡。 Aspen Syracuse 公寓由第三方所有，大量中国留学生住户居住在此。目前，Aspen住户微信群内中国留学生人数近500人，其中300-400人左右为现居住户。然而，自从2021年10月17日起，该群内关于公寓砸车、抢劫、快递失窃等事故的讨论层出不穷。 2021年10月17日凌晨2时，停在三栋车库内七辆轿车被砸，其中大部分车主为中国学生。肇事者的照片被两名中国学生拍下。尽管当地警方出动调查此事，但住户表示并未收到令人满意的后续。Aspen Syracuse 公寓也并未承担足够的责任。 2022年1月2日凌晨4时，三栋、二栋楼下及车库内数量车被砸，至少两辆中国学生的车后窗、感应器被严重损坏。警察出动调查，未给出令人满意的答复。 2022年2月21日，一辆上锁的私家车被撬开，车内近两千美金物品被盗。 2022年2月24日，一栋车库内数辆车被砸，警车出动调查，并无令人满意的反馈。期间，三栋临近隔壁社区的围墙多次被风吹倒或遭到蓄意破坏。住户曾至少两到三次亲眼目睹有人由隔壁社区翻墙进入Aspen。自2021年10月17日大规模砸车事件起，楼下的包裹、外卖也经

常无故失踪。同时，大门、安全门也经常遭到损坏。尽管Aspen中国住户不断反馈，多次通过邮件沟通、线下投诉、电话表达诉求，公寓目前的改进依旧不能令人满意。直到周一，当一名中国住户在本该上锁的楼梯间内遭到持枪威胁，在事件发生后，声称“24小时在线”的Aspen Syracuse安保服务仍未作出令人信服的回应，每一位中国住户都不愿，也不能继续沉默。消失的Google评论，前台人员的含糊其辞，一次次让我们无比深刻地感受到异乡求学之难，寄人篱下之苦。居住在Aspen公寓内的中国留学生已组织起来，向雪城大学、雪城当地各组织、新闻媒体扩散此事。多名学生联名向雪大公共安全部反映，部分同学开始联系法务。我们正在积极与Aspen联系，希望能正面、积极、一次性解决这至关重要的安全问题。我们不愿意从此不锁车门，只为免受车窗玻璃被砸。我们不愿身上带好几百美金，只为在被持枪威胁时破财消灾。我们不愿时刻提心吊胆，反复检查应该上锁的家门、大门、安全门；我们不愿放弃几千美元的房租和押金四处奔波求租新公寓，只为求安身之所。我们选择Aspen，选择雪城，选择留学，不为做谁犯罪案底的注解，新闻里的受害者，被流传的戏言。在雪城，安全本该是权利，安心是本该是注定。而我们现在在这里，家里准备着球棒、锁链、和一颗惴惴不安的心。任何一个民族，在任何一个地方，无论何种原因，都不应被如此对待。在此，我们呼吁所有雪城的中国同学，和 WeMedia Lab、Aspen住户一起，持续关注此事，转发扩散热度。请让更多人知道在Aspen Syracuse公寓发生过的事。也让我们拭目以待，在所有中国成员的关注下，这里未来又会发生什么事。此刻起，我们不会再等待。 xhu144@syr.edu

Emily Steinberger

Mandy Kraynak

Anthony Alandt

editor-in-chief

managing editor

digital managing editor

Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Video Editor Asst. Video Editor Asst. Video Editor Executive Producer Executive Producer Executive Producer Podcast Host Podcast Host Podcast Host Sportscast Host

Max Mimaroglu Jaden Chen Asha Duerden Tyler Toledo Idan Jaffe Andrew Hood Nick Luttrell Dominic Chiappone Harry Kelly Jordan Greene Jade Chung Arabdho Majumder

editor-in-chief, wemedia lab 编者注：International Voice 是 The Daily Orange 的评论部门与 WeMedia Lab 合作推出的专栏。WeMedia Lab 是雪城大学面向国际学生的学生新闻组织。

Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Digital Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor

Ivana Xie Jana Seal Anthony Bailey Sophie Cohen Henry O’Brien Connor Pignatello Grace Katz Katie McClellan Sophia Moore Rachel Raposas Cole Bambini Spencer Goldstein

Asst. Illustration Editor Asst. Illustration Editor General Manager Advertising Manager Fundraising Coordinator Business Asst. Circulation Manager Student Delivery Agent

Estelle Liu Chloe Perline Mike Dooling Mark Nash Mira Berenbaum Tim Bennett Steve Schultz Tyler Dawson

pag e 7

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

march 10, 2022

column

Going home for spring break is a healthy alternative to partying By Jonah Weintraub columnist

pring break is quickly approaching and Syracuse University students are itching for a buffer in the middle of a hectic semester. With no long weekends or days off since classes have resumed, it’s easy to see why the overwhelming majority of our community members are eagerly awaiting the interlude, regardless of plans. For many, spring break serves as an opportunity to travel and let off steam. Destinations such as Miami, Cancun and Punta Cana serve as hotspots for college kids who are looking to have a week of fun with no scholarly responsibilities. But some-

what lost in the lore of “spring breaking” is the fact that spring break is, well, a break. Therefore, students shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to rest, especially if it serves their best physical and mental interests. Everyone has different needs when it comes to their well-being. While the remedy for some students may be a week of partying on the coast, others might just need to wind down, and there is nothing wrong with either option. However, due to the party culture of college life, the popularity of going with friends on a wild spring break vacation makes the prospect of returning home seem taboo. No set of collegiate cultural standards should make students feel as if doing what’s best for their per-

sonal success is not a valid decision. If returning home for the break is what’s best for you to recuperate, that’s all the justification you need. With something as trivial as bypassing a bender at the beach, it’s even more reasonable to tune out others’ opinions and prioritize your rest. SU has also been deemed one of America’s top party schools by multiple outlets, meaning that parties are not only available to students over spring break. Additionally, because students are balancing social life with academic life throughout the semester, they shouldn’t feel bad about taking spring break to rest. College students are also likely to be going out or doing work instead of capitalizing on downtime while

on campus. One of the traits SU is known for is having a “work hard, play hard” environment. It often feels as if we have a six-day week with Sunday to recover. Adhering to this type of lifestyle for an extended period of time is physically taxing, as there is a level of general exhaustion in turn. You should feel no humiliation in giving your body the week to decompress. Beyond just getting the physical rest, taking a mental pause from the ever-moving life on a college campus is therapeutic. Yes, your body may need to just lay down and unwind, but it also never hurts to have no need for a charged social battery. Removing yourself from the need to feel productive or social is just as legitimate

of a need as getting sleep. Take joy in having an excuse to be shamelessly relaxed: something that is rarely achieved on a college campus. Enjoy time with your family, catch up with friends or eat at your favorite restaurants. But most of all, don’t feel like you’re wrong for doing so. By the time we return, there’s roughly a month and a half of classes left and whatever way you spend the break before this home stretch is an individual decision. For those who are not going on an intense spring break trip, there is no reason to not be self-assured in your decision. Jonah Weintraub is a freshman broadcast, digital journalism major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jsweintr@syr.edu

column

Forcing students to show documentation to miss class is robotic By Teagan Brown

columnist

t was 2 a.m. on a Wednesday when my phone started ringing. I picked it up and my sister was on the other end sobbing, completely distraught. As any good big sister would do, I left my apartment ten minutes later, got in my car and drove three hours to Buffalo, New York, where my 18-year-old sister attends college. The last thing that was on my mind was my 8:25 a.m. English class that I have three times a week. Instead, I was focused on if my younger sister was going to be alright. I was not worried about missing an assignment, an announcement about a project or some other thing that seemed miniscule in comparison to the wellbeing of my sister. While I was occupied helping

her, I did find time to email my two professors who I had classes with that day. I typed out an email detailing my early morning trip and even included a tweet I had posted about leaving for Buffalo with a picture I took while I was there that had a geo-filter and time stamp. My earth science professor emailed me back saying she completely believed me and even included the assignment that was going to be done in class that day. She told me if I needed to take more time, it was not a problem and to let her know. This is the response I expected to get from both professors, that was unfortunately not the case with my English class. Instead, I got a two sentence response that told me I needed to have documentation from the university saying I “have an emergency reason to be absent” and that I would have to obtain it through my adviser.

There was no acknowledgement of the message I sent, nor any statement that made me feel I was supported in the midst of this family emergency. Students shouldn’t have to go to an adviser to talk about an emergency that, most of the time, they don’t want to mention the details of to begin with. In these unprecedented times, the last thing students need is to take the time to go to their advisers and ask for a piece of paper about an emergency. One student, Jasmine Elsify, was a freshman last year when she had a family emergency of her own. Her grandfather had passed away and while one professor didn’t ask for an excuse from her adviser, the others did. “When you’re dealing with something so emotional and harsh, why am I going to go out of my way to figure this out when your mind is not in the right place?” she said. The response Elsify got from

the majority of her professors is a normal response all across campus, but it shouldn’t be that way. Professors and SU administration need to think about the impact this requirement has on students. When I asked Elsify how their response made her feel she said, “it felt very insincere and almost heartless.”She went on to say that her professor who was understanding sounded less “robotic” compared to the others. When Elsify went to her adviser and told them why she needed to be excused, they asked for proof of death. Due to her grandfather’s passing taking place in Egypt, they were lenient about documented proof, but in no case should the university be asking for proof that a family member died. If professors were more understanding and trusting of their students, maybe they could form

better relationships and classroom dynamics. Elsify shared a similar sentiment to my own and I think it’s one that should be adopted across campus. “Take time out of your day to put your heart into your students who are actually going through stuff because I feel like if you act this way towards students, it just pushes people away from furthering their education because it almost feels personal at that point,” she said. Students are asked to trust SU, and to trust that it’ll create an environment where we can be comfortable. It asks us to trust all that it does, but why won’t it trust us? Teagan Brown is a junior history and broadcast and digital journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at tbrown30@syr.edu and followed on twitter @teagannbrownn.

outcrowd

Abortions rights are trans men and non-binary rights too By Jacob Laros the outcrowd

This piece was written for The OutCrowd, Syracuse University’s only student-run LGBTQIA+ publication, and published in collaboration with The Daily Orange. The OutCrowd’s fall 2021 issue is available around campus today.

or over 50 years, reproductive rights have been labeled as women’s rights in the United States. Since Roe v. Wade, the right to privacy has shaped the process and infrastructure for abortion rights and assisted millions of Americans with making one of the most difficult choices they could ever make. However, these liberties are slowly being uprooted across the country with the Republican Party hellbent on the repeal of a constitutional right. States like Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Indiana have either passed or are planning to pass restrictive bills that cut down on Americans’ right to choose, making it virtually impossible to receive an abortion in those states. With the debate of reproductive health back on the Supreme Court docket, it’s necessary to illuminate the sever-

ity of the issue and to show that this will affect every single person with a uterus, not just women. Our society has acknowledged the rights of transgender and non-binary people, but hasn’t accepted them as actual people. They are constantly discounted, undercut and treated as lesser than their cisgender counterparts (see, for example, the results of GLSEN’s 2015 National School Climate Survey). One way this can be seen as exclusion is within the conversation of abortion itself. The vast majority of trans men and non-binary people have something in common with cis women: the ability to reproduce and carry a child to term. These people are by no means women, as they have either come out as male or don’t fit within the binary gender construct. However, they still need safe and humane reproductive rights, just as women do. The conversations we hold for abortion are erasing, excluding these groups of people and diminishing their legitimacy. “By using women-specific gendered language around reproductive health care, we reinforce and perpetuate systems of harm and exclusion that affect trans men and nonbinary people every

day,” writes a group of Boston University faculty members in an opinion piece published on BU Today. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas recently passed SB8 (Senate Bill 8), the most restrictive abortion ban currently in the U.S. This law makes it illegal to receive an abortion after 6 weeks, a time frame within which most people don’t realize they are pregnant. The fight against this bill has been labeled as a “fight for women,” but using the word “women” disregards the other lives affected by the bill, perhaps to an even greater extent. Trans and non-binary communities are also subject to this six-week rule, but likely have a reduced chance of receiving care (for example, data shows that among cisgender women seven percent of abortion attempts are done without clinical supervision. The same number for trans people is 19 percent). “Anyone who is poorer in Texas is now going to find it harder to have an abortion, harder to get out of state to have an abortion and they’re going to be more likely to have to deal with the ramifications of that,” said Cassing Hammond, an Associate Professor of Obstetrics

and Gynecology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, to the site Northwestern Now. “It means more self-sourced abortions, more later abortions for those who can make it to safety (procedures which put individuals at greater risk) and in the long-run in Texas, exacerbate maternal mortality.” The LGBTQIA+ community is prone to suffering from poverty — in the southern states, one in every four LGBT people live in poverty, according to Forbes — and the price for abortions is usually unviable. With this new restriction, queer folk will be put at an even larger disadvantage, as it makes abortions more expensive and more exclusive. There are also severe mental health consequences that a forced pregnancy can have on trans and non-binary people due often to gender dysphoria. Body and identity insecurity runs deep within these communities and restrictive laws serve as catalysts for these painful thoughts that harm millions of Americans across the country. Abortion rights aren’t just for women and the language we use to express this narrative must change, regardless of an individual’s opinion on

reproductive rights. If we continue to refuse trans and non-binary people the legitimacy they deserve in this issue, it will cascade down further, stripping queer, trans, and gender non conforming people of their rights and liberties. These roadblocks can be found in every facet of daily life. There are body examinations for any trans child looking to join a sport. We have seen a strong push to ban gender inclusive restrooms in public areas. Conservatism has found a new enemy within pronouns. Every day, there is a new aspect in our world that has become more transphobic and this all has to do with how American culture views trans and non-binary people. It’s unfortunate that large chunks of this country see trans and non-binary people as illegitimate because the more we exclude them from resources like healthcare, the more we feed into the process of ravishing these millions of lives. Every single person with a uterus in this country should have access to safe and affordable abortions. But, as we label this fight solely for women, we refuse to see the bigger picture and how pressing this matter is for those put at the largest disadvantage. jdlaros@syr.edu

culture

8 march 10, 2022

Spring into break These SU students have found unique ways to spend their spring break Story by Dakota Chambers, Sophie Cohen the daily orange

Illustration by Shannon Kirkpatrick presentation director

nstead of packing bathing suits and board shorts to relax under the sun in Cancún, Mexico, these Syracuse University students have decided to skip the cesspool of college students partying at all-inclusive resorts. They will spend the week visiting their families abroad, completing research projects, networking with film enthusiasts and going on outdoor adventures. Thomas Brossi, a fourthyear architecture student and the vice president of the SU Outing Club, will spend spring break on the club’s annual 10-day trip to Franklin, West Virginia. Club members plan to carpool down to Thorn Spring Park from Syracuse and then take part in an adventurous week filled with mountain biking, caving, rock climbing, backpacking and more. “(The Outing Club) has been doing it for a long time,” Brossi said of the trip. “I think this is our 48th or 49th year of going down to West Virginia.” Brossi said he’s excited about leading the excursion’s mountain biking trips for the first time now that he’s qualified to do so. After two years of canceled spring break trips due to the pandemic, Outing Club members will get a chance to have fun and spend quality time together. “Everything feels super safe, and you’re welcome to try anything or not try anything at all. But I think that’s what makes it really special,” Brossi said. Sophomore studying citizenship and civic engagement Nicky Kim said she will be traveling internationally to Ecuador to see her mom and sister, who have recently

moved there for her mother’s teaching job. Kim said is looking forward to exploring the city, spending time with her family and going to different outdoor markets. “I will be flying alone to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and will be there for 10 days,” Kim said. “I’m looking forward to a break from all the crazy social activity that goes on here.” Many of Kim’s friends will be going to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for break. Kim said that she would love to go to an all-inclusive resort, but that type of trip will always be an option. Ecuador is something unique. “I will always be able to go on a quintessential Cabo college trip. Right now it’s not something I can afford, and I wanted to experience something completely different and be a little more independent,” Kim said. Back in the U.S., Maria Gomes, a second-year architecture student, will be traveling domestically for a road trip through California. Gomes and two friends are flying to Los Angeles, California, and then driving up north. She said she plans to visit other friends, enjoy the weather and stop at trendy restaurants along the way. “We are starting south in Santa Monica and then going to Napa Valley and ending up in San Francisco,” Gomes said. Gomes expressed her desire for spring break to be much longer so she could come back from her trip and relax, rather than jumping right back into the swing of school. On the other hand, Gloria Gress, a freshman in the Bandier program, said a weeklong break is a perfect amount of time to take a quick trip with friends without taking too much time away from school. Next week, Gress will travel to Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest (SXSW) to explore and network with people in the tech, film and music industry. SXSW is an annual conglomerate of conferences and festivals featuring keynotes, panels of leaders from many distinct see travel page 12

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

pag e 9

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

march 10, 2022

slice of life

Destress over break with tips from this SU professor By Sophia Moore asst. copy editor

Some students feel like stress and student life seem to be intrinsically linked. There are a variety of factors that lend themselves to high-stress environments as a college student, including writing last-minute papers and roommate disagreements. With spring break around the corner, however, many Syracuse University students are taking the upcoming week to calm down and reset before midterms and the end of the semester. Dessa Bergen-Cico, a professor of public health and the director of the addiction studies

program at SU, has researched the effects of stress on student health, specifically its effects on the brain. She said that short-term memory, emotional regulation and attentional control for students were all negatively impacted by higher rates of stress. “We were able to really look at measuring things related to cognition that are, again, not only important markers of stress, but underlie things that are very important for students to be able to learn and study,” Bergen-Cico said. “So being able to direct your attention to where it needs to be, being able to retain information and functional working memory, those are really important key constructs.”

For many students, untreated stress is a normal part of their life. Freshman Weiwei Liu said that her writing intensive courses often cause her stress, which piles on top of long-term worry caused by the pandemic. Liu also said the act of balancing her social and academic life has been a struggle since coming to college. But Bergen-Cico said she urges students to work on managing their stress levels. Specifically, she points to meditation as a way to reduce stress in both the short- and long-term. Through her studies at SU, Bergen-Cico has taken a closer look at how meditation can be used as a tool to reduce student stress, putting her theories into practice with the help of the students in her PHP

405 (Science and Practice of Mindfulness) and PHP 605 (Science and Practice of Mindfulness for graduate students) classes. Students in these classes have a practice lab where they’re able to practice mindfulness for anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes over the course of six weeks. To conduct her study, Bergen-Cico used a functional near infrared spectroscopy to monitor blood flow in the brain and target brain functions that are typically impacted by stress. “We measured those areas of cognition before and then again six weeks later in the semester and found significant improvements

see destress page 12

screentime column

5 movies you should watch in your free time over spring break By Christopher Reilly screentime columnist

Many college students think of spring break as a week to go somewhere warm and let loose, whether it’s a beach in Florida or an all-inclusive resort in Cabo. For others, however, it is just a much-needed time to relax and escape the busy life of being a student. Both types of people have different plans, yet they share the same qual-

ity: downtime to watch a movie. The traveler might be in their Airbnb or hotel with some time to spare before their dinner reservations, and the student takes it easy is always looking for something to sit back and relax with. Because of this, here are five movies perfect for spring break.

“Caddyshack” (1980)

One of the most iconic movies of the 20th century, “Caddyshack” follows the lives of many

unique characters during their summer at a prestigious country club. Starring three of the most famous comedians of the ‘80s — Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray — the movie is a hilarious look at the wild things that can happen in a summer when people from all walks of life come together. The movie is set in the summer, so it sports sunny scenes and lots of golfing, which just might inspire you to get out on the green during your break. Whether you’re traveling or staying home, this movie is the gold

standard for comedy, and it will have you laughing no matter where you are.

“The Hangover” (2009)

Following “Caddyshack,” “The Hangover” is one of the most iconic movies of the 21st century. This movie caters to those out partying at a resort, or anyone on a vacation, really, because of the wild Las Vegas hotel, exotic animals and desert landscapes. Three men are caught in a

see movies page 12

humor column

You’re bound to run into the people you’re trying to avoid at home By Aine Hunt

humor columnist

With spring break approaching, instead of going to Cabo, some of us will be forced to return to our dreaded hometowns. As hard as we’ll try to avoid those characters we went to high school with, it’s almost impossible to steer clear of them. Here is a list of the worst people you could possibly run into while you’re home. 1. Your eighth grade ex. Will they remember when you dated for three weeks? Yes. And have they forgotten about that first French kiss you shared? Absolutely not. Don’t worry, you can always rely on your eighth grade ex to bring up one of the most embarrassing moments of

your existence in front of the cashier in CVS. 2. Second on our list is that girl who’s now super into a hair product that you’re 99.9% sure is a pyramid scheme. You’ve been avoiding answering their constant DMs on Instagram about “being your own girl boss” and “making six-figures a year by following their simple advice.” Now, as they stand in front of you at the Starbucks line, you’re finding yourself agreeing to purchase four bottles of her “miracle” shampoo for your “obviously damaged” hair. 3. Oh, and of course we have to talk about that girl from your high school that just got engaged. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing really wrong with her, but her sudden com-

mitment to spend the rest of her life with one person makes you feel bad about being single. That diamond is so big and her fingers are so small. Now you’re sweating thinking about how if you die alone with seven cats; at some point the cats might start consuming your flesh. Oh my God, can she tell I’m thinking about cats consuming my flesh? Just smile and tell her congratulations. 4. Your high school math teacher. If his creepy jokes about you finally being 18 weren’t enough, he’s now rocking a mustache and wants to know what you think of it. You tell him mustaches are “so in right now” and run for your life. 5. You can’t forget about that person you

never talked to in high school, but now they also go to your college. Your lives are so connected at this point, you feel obligated to make some sort of small talk. So, when they stop you on the street you ask, “Did you watch the game?” and they say, “Which one?” and then you pretend like you’re getting an important phone call and walk away. 6. Your mom. To be honest, you sort of expected to see her while you’re home, but what you didn’t expect is to be woken up at 7 a.m. with a list of things she needs to complete today. Really, Mom? Dry cleaner, grocery store, apply for internships and tell her you love her. All in one day? Be realistic! ahunt04@syr.edu

event tracker

5 events to check out if you’re staying in Syracuse for spring break If you are staying on campus through spring break, do not fear — there are plenty of fun activities and events to check out through the break. From live performances to item expos and everything in between, Syracuse and the immediate Central New York area will have a multitude of opportunities to have fun during break.

Greater Syracuse Antiques Expo

One of the most iconic movies of the 20th century, “Caddyshack” follows the lives of many unique characters during their summer at a prestigious country club. Starring three of the most famous comedians of the ‘80s — Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray — the movie is a hilarious look at the wild things that can happen in a summer when people from all walks of life come together. The movie is set in the summer, so it sports sunny scenes and lots of golfing, which just might inspire you to get out on the green during your break.

Whether you’re traveling or staying home, this movie is the gold standard for comedy, and it will have you laughing no matter where you are.

WHEN: Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 WHERE: Horticulture Building, New York State Fairgrounds

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

For the first time since 2019, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set to take place in downtown Syracuse this Saturday. This year’s theme of the parade is “Dance Through Downtown,” and in coordination with this theme, there will be over 100 local Irish dancers performing in the parade. The 40th anniversary parade will start at noon in Clinton Square on March 12, and will include music, dance and song. WHEN: Saturday, March 12 at noon WHERE: Downtown Syracuse, beginning at Clinton Square

Central New York Regional Market

On Saturday March 12 and 19, the Central New York Farmers Market will host over 300 vendors that sell locally grown produce, meat, dairy products and dozens of other items. The farmers market is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers fresh-made food for attendees to explore. On Sunday, March 13 and 20, CNY Regional Market will also be hosting Flea Markets featuring second-hand clothing, toys, vintage furniture and more. WHEN: Farmers Market, Saturday, March 12 and 19; Flea Market, Sunday, March 13 and 20 WHERE: 2100 Park Street, Syracuse, New York

Jeff Dunham Seriously!?

Acclaimed ventriloquist Jeff Dunham will take the stage in the Upstate Medical University Arena at Oncenter War Memorial on Friday, March 18. Dunham has received awards like the American Comedy Award for Funni-

est Male Stand-up, while also receiving criticism for his jokes. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are on sale from $46.

WHEN: Friday, March 18 WHERE: Upstate Medical University Arena at Oncenter War Memorial

Movies and the Masters at Symphoria

On March 19, violinist Lisa Dondlinger will be joining local orchestra Symphoria for a night filled with classical and movie music. Dondlinger has worked with multiple popular artists, including Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, and she has been referred to by Peabo Bryson as the “finest first chair in the business.” Joining the violinist will be conductor Sean O’Loughlin, and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $31, and a livestream option is available to view the show as well. WHEN: Saturday, March 19 WHERE: Oncenter Crouse Hinds Concert Theater

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illustration by yzzy liwanag the outcrowd

The music industry has seen an increase of queer Latinx artists pushing back against machismo culture by making music that is authentically them By Maria Nido the outcrowd

hough I’ve always proudly identified as a queer Latina, I didn’t truly experience what living as a queer person in a fully Latinx society was like until I spent a couple months in Puerto Rico this past summer. I found myself censoring my queerness in certain spaces out of fear of hateful judgement from family members and, at times, strangers. This is a reality that up-and-coming Chilean artist Jonah Xiao faced when he would purposely write his songs in English, just so that his friends and family wouldn’t know he was gay. Being a queer individual in Latinx society poses its trials and tribulations, especially because there’s two collective cultural experiences that are embedded in it: a poignant influence of “machismo” and hypocritical Catholicism. Within the context of Latinx society, machismo can be defined as toxic masculinity that not only perpetuates an ideology of cis-male superiority, but also demeans the possibility of men being open with their emotions. Hypocritical Catholicism, in simple terms, is the justification of Catholics to treat queer people with hatred and contempt due to opposition against same-sex relations by the Church. Despite these realities, in recent years, the surge of openly queer Latinx artists has skyrocketed. Eder Díaz Santillan, a well-known radio personality in Latin America, is the host of his podcast, “De Pueblo, Católico y Gay,” which means “From Community, Catholic and Gay.” In his podcast, which has more than 100 episodes, Diaz explores stories surrounding the discovery of the sexual and gender identities of the queer Latinx individuals he interviews. The podcast often focuses on how their family dynamic affected or did not affect their self-discovery process.

“There was always queer expression, but never outspoken queer identity,” Diaz told the OutCrowd when asked about his observations of queer Latinx individuals in the music industry. “What’s helped the modern-day queer artist is having a direct line of communication to their audience, as the label no longer is the mediating connection between artist and fan,” Diaz said. “No longer can (an) artist be told by their teams that being openly queer is going to be rejected, because the proof is in the support they receive in media.” “The idea of the closet needs to begin being referred to as an issue of mental health. Furthermore, there needs to be change in the way we talk about the closet,” he said. “The closet is society, it’s the industry, and it’s the media — it’s the responsibility of the public to eliminate the idea of the closet, not the queer individual. If an individual is ‘in the closet’ it is because a safe space hasn’t been created for them to be their authentic selves.”

Q&A with up-and-coming Latinx artist Jonah Xiao

Last fall, the OutCrowd connected with Jonah Xiao and Villano Antillano to hear about their experiences being queer and Latinx in the entertainment and music industries. Jonah Xiao is a Chinese-Latino artist from Chile who makes urban/ pop music that represents his experience as a queer man and narrates his life experiences through his music and visuals. These responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. While these interviews were conducted primarily in English, certain cultural elements were explained in Spanish and have been translated for the final text. OutCrowd: Can you pinpoint the first time you realized you wanted to work in music? Jonah Xiao: When I was in high school, I always knew I wanted to do something related to music. However, when I went off to college, it was difficult to find time for music, as I was busy getting my undergraduate and master’s degrees. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I finally had the time to work on my music, which is when I released my first song. People seemed to really like “Inhala Inhala,” and soon enough I was put in connection with Cactus Music management and Warner Chile.

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The scene, which once went by the names “future pop” and “bubblegum bass,” is providing an accessible safe space for queer and trans people in music using the internet’s newest tools and platforms By Payton Dunn the outcrowd

riving five hours away from campus to go to my first hyperpop show was the most eager I’ve been in my entire life. I got to the venue before the doors had even opened, imagining that I’d be the very first one to get into the venue and to make my way to the front row. But as I walked closer, I noticed that there was already a line of excited fans. When I thought that I’d gotten to the end of the line, I saw that it was just turning around the corner, stretching all the way around the block. The show was being hosted by the music video channel Overcast, who announced in June 2021 that they’d be bringing some of their most talented and popular artists to Philadelphia on Oct. 9, 2021. My favorite artists right now, aldn and midwxst, were going to be performing at the show. Within 12 hours of tickets going on sale, they’d already sold out. All 1,100 audience members eventually made their way into the venue, making for some of the most tightly packed mosh pits I’ve ever been in. After the show, I squeezed my way out of the pit and began mingling with other fans outside of the venue, even meeting a handful of artists who’d come from all over the country just to see their friends perform. Right as my friend called our Uber, I noticed someone across the street who I recognized from Twitter — Billy Bugara. Bugara, who was only 21 years old at the time, had already become the creative director of SoundCloud, the social media manager of the music blog Masked Gorilla, and they had written for the website of the music video channel Lyrical Lemonade. They also recently went on to help start the independent label deadAir, whose artists include quinn, dltzk and saturn. Bugara and I stayed in touch, and on a call I asked how they defined hyperpop. “In the most basic way you can put it, hyperpop is just contemporary future pop,” they said. “It’s taking pop music to levels it hasn’t been to yet as far as experimentation, creativity and overall embodying the modern sentiment in general.” Hyperpop can also be seen as a musical reflection of the chronically online LGBTQIA+ Gen-Z experience. If we’re talking the historical experience of “the Closet,” the advent of the internet digitized those closets and equipped them with portals to connect with queer, trans and ally people around the world. Hyperpop — which utilizes highly electronic and glitchy sounds to create music so extreme that listeners often interpret it as self-parody — has transformed digital queer and trans niches into full on parties. The word “hyperpop” was popularized in 2019 by a Spotify editorial playlist of the same name. The term had been used in Spotify’s metadata since 2014, and even though it would take the streaming service five years to create the playlist, it would still go on to take ownership of hyperpop in many listeners’ minds despite the scene’s origins on SoundCloud. Bugara admitted that to this day,

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SoundCloud will “recognize what scenes are brewing on their platform but (won’t) capitalize on them,” leaving platforms like Spotify the opportunity to swoop in. The hyperpop scene as we know it today started in 2013 by trans producer Sophie Xeon with the release of the track “BIPP,” which instantly received praise from outlets like Pitchfork, who declared it the best new track of that week. A year later, SOPHIE shook up the musical landscape yet again with the track “LEMONADE,” which combined the producer’s usual earcandy refrains with a bubblegum pop melody so sweet that it rotted the teeth of some critics. Both “BIPP” and “LEMONADE” would be featured on SOPHIE’s debut album PRODUCT. Despite overwhelming acclaim from other outlets, the budding scene wasn’t without deriders. Pop critic Alexis Petridis from the Guardian wrote in 2015 that SOPHIE’s album was nothing more than “slappingly obvious pop provocations.” Petridis would go on to write that “Sophie and PC Music have nothing new to say in response, not a single idea that hasn’t already been explored to the point of exhaustion.” PC Music is the record label and collective started by British producer A.G. Cook, who’s most known for being Charli XCX’s executive producer on several of her projects, including 2017 mixtape “Number 1 Angel” and the 2020 studio album “How I’m Feeling Now,” and for dividing critics straight down the middle with his avantgarde pieces of sonic exploration. PC Music, which was made up of signees that Cook discovered on SoundCloud, frequently collaborated with SOPHIE, and the music they put out can only be described in culinary terms: it sounds like they went into a kitchen from the year 3021, put bubblegum pop, trap, crunkcore, 8-bit and dubstep in a blender, and decided to keep that blender running at the highest possible setting while they banged their pots and pans against the chromium metal countertop to make the drums. To make things even more confusing, after PC Music solidified themselves in the musical ecosystem, artists not signed to the label started drawing influence and collaborating with them, with each artist bringing their own set of esoteric influences into the mix. Dorian Elec-

tra — a genderfluid artist from Houston, Texas — will add in baroque organs, harpsichords and Gregorian chants, creating an end result that sounds straight out of the Halo soundtrack. The duo 100 Gecs will add in hints of ska to create some of the most annoyingly catchy melodies you’ll ever hear. If things weren’t already chronically online enough, Laura Les from 100 Gecs pitches their vocals up after recording them. The technique comes from “nightcore,” which was a form of remixing songs on YouTube and SoundCloud where users would speed up and pitch up popular tracks. Many different artists in the hyperpop scene have taken on the technique, making for vocals that sound like SpongeBob SquarePants ranting to you about ketamine while already tripping on LSD. Despite its seeming novelty, the technique actually serves a deeper purpose for many of the artists using it. In June, quinn — an artist originally from the DMV (a colloquial term for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area) — tweeted out, “i don’t pitch up my voice because of hyperpop, i’m just transgender.” Pitching up the vocals helps many trans artists relieve the gender dysphoria they get from hearing their voice back on the recording. This form of vocal manipulation may sound uncanny and artificial to new hyperpop listeners, but it’s actually helping those in the hyperpop community create a more authentic version of themselves on the recording. Quinn’s musical work would actually go on to start an entire new scene called “digicore.” Digicore spun off from hyperpop in 2017, and in 2018, Bugara came across its beginnings while scouting out artists for the blog Underground Vampire Club. Even though Bugara wasn’t an artist themself, they got sucked into Discord servers with digicore artists and became great friends with them, curating their music into a playlist for SoundCloud. “What that term embodies is a community of artists that have all gone up together,” Bugara told the OutCrowd, emphasizing that each digicore artist comes in with a wide variety of inspirations. If you click play on Bugara’s digicore playlist, you’ll see hyperpop page 12

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from page 8

travel sectors, film screenings, comedy shows, a music festival showcase and a variety of interactive exhibitions. “I am so excited to meet a bunch of people in all different kinds of industries. South By Southwest is full of artists and creatives who want to showcase their work and meet people,” Gress from page 9

destress … for the students in the science and practice of mindfulness class, and so that was really cool to see,” Bergen-Cico said. But when it comes to putting de-stressing techniques into practice, SU students operate according to their own desires. This spring break, sophomore Iona Volynets has plans to spend time with their family and partner. Liu is looking forward to taking a trip to Boston to defrom page 9

movies wild ride to find their missing friend, who just happens to be the groom in a wedding the next day. The movie will have you laughing from beginning to end, and it will make you want to enjoy your spring break just as much as the guys did during their bachelor party. This is a hilarious film perfect for anyone, and more importantly, for spring break.

The Harry Potter collection

Spring break is a week long, and if students don’t have too much work, there will be plenty of time to spare. A perfect way to use this availfrom page 10

latinx OC: What do you want people to think when they hear a Jonah Xiao song? JX: I simply want to be taken seriously as a musician and songwriter. I’d rather focus my efforts on the quality of my music, rather than flooding my social media platforms with meaningless content just for the clicks. OC: Who are your current sonic inspirations? JX: Frank Ocean is a consistent fave. Funnily enough, I grew up listening to a lot of American music, but recently I’ve been getting into the artists from my country and from the region. I love all the Latin artists of today too, like Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Karol G, just to name a few. OC: Tell me about your recording process during your “San Diego 18” EP. JX: In 2018, I did an exchange program in San Diego, California. I wanted to sonically capture the feeling of being young, being with my friends, being gay and just simply existing in San Diego. Transparency was really important for me in this project. I really wanted to dive deep and talk about my romantic and sexual relationships freely. The “San Diego 18” EP was actually the first time I was 100% open about being gay. Initially, when I would write about my gay experiences, the lyrics would be from page 11

hyperpop hear one song that sounds like emo rap, one song that sounds like plugg (an emerging subgenre of hip-hop that features minimalist drums and an 808 so fat that it completely envelopes the airy synth melodies lying underneath) and even a song that sounds closer to folk than it does to any form of hip-hop at all. The community was created with a culture of acceptance that has made it a home for queer and trans teens expressing themselves with music. “It’s almost a crime not to be accepting,” Bugara said. Bugara hopes that, going into the future, less “industry-ready acts” will be able to see more success. “This time last year, if you told me, ‘Hey, who’s gonna be the biggest star in the

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said. “I am also excited to get away from the Syracuse dining halls and the terrible weather.” Instead of venturing off campus, Emily Ortega, a first-year graduate student studying forensic chemistry, will be staying in snowy Syracuse to work on a research project with Professor Michael B. Sponsler. Ortega’s project involves making polyacetylene chains in inclusion crystals. She’ll be working with urea, a naturally occurring mol-

ecule found in urine, to perform tests that allow inclusion crystals to remain straight instead of the crystals cross linking onto other properties. “It’s a really interesting project and it’s organic chemistry based, which is something I really liked in undergrad,” Ortega said. “Actually being able to do this stuff in a lab is very exciting.” Ortega explained that she does have some FOMO because most of her friends are traveling to warm places to bask in the sun, while

she’ll be working in a lab. But, she feels like a week away from her normal routine will still feel like a break. “I will be doing something I love so it won’t even feel like work,” Ortega said. “The hours are very different from my normal schedule and I think I will have a very peaceful time staying here.”

stress and reset before coming back to campus. And while getting away from campus to visit family and friends is a popular idea during spring break, freshman Willow Scappace has found some other ways to de-stress during the semester. “It’s okay to tell people ‘I don’t really want to hang out’ or not do anything too extravagant. Find what makes you happy,” Scappace said. “If going to the beach makes me the happiest, then I definitely say go for it.” Bergen-Cico said she believes that de-

stressing during the school year is just as, if not more, important as de-stressing during breaks. Despite the number of assignments and responsibilities that can build up during the semester, she said she recommends spending mindful time doing nothing — which truly means doing nothing. For any de-stressing technique, from yoga to a mindful morning routine, consistency is key, Bergen-Cico also said. Finding a stable way to incorporate meditation, intentional breathing or other mindfulness practices into your daily

routine is necessary to seeing results. “Consistency of a few minutes a day of either yoga or intentional, mindful meditation, that really helped improve the constructs of what we call self regulation,” Bergen-Cico said. “Sometimes we don’t give ourselves time to be alone, and sometimes we aren’t aware of why we’re doing that, so (give) yourself time to do that and see what comes up.”

ability is to partake in a Harry Potter marathon. These films are familiar favorites to many and perfect to rewatch, and for the people who have never seen the classic magical movies, they’re a must-watch this break. Available on HBO Max, all of the Harry Potter movies, including other specials and movie versions, can be watched, allowing for multiple days designated to experiencing the Wizarding World. If you haven’t seen the movies yet, it is a great world to become a part of over break, and if you have seen them, you know you won’t have any issue experiencing the magic all over again.

you will never turn down watching a new, great movie. And during spring break, free time is likely all you have, so a perfect movie to watch during that time is “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Starring film legend Al Pacino, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role, the movie follows the cutthroat reality of a real estate office pressured to get results. With great performances from Pacino and Alec Baldwin, the movie has snappy dialogue and tense scenes that will keep you entertained throughout. If you are looking for a movie you haven’t seen and want to be impressed, this is a great choice.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992)

“The Florida Project” (2017)

bored, you will never turn down watching a new, great movie. And during spring break, free time is likely all you have, so a perfect movie to watch during that time is “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Starring film legend Al Pacino, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role, the movie follows the cutthroat reality of a real estate office pressured to get results. With great performances from Pacino and Alec Baldwin, the movie has snappy dialogue and tense scenes that will keep you entertained throughout. If you are looking for a movie you haven’t seen and want to be impressed, this is a great choice.

in English so that my peers wouldn’t be able to understand what I was saying. However, for this EP, I fully let myself go and spoke about my honest truths. OC: What’s next for Jonah Xiao? JX: So, I’m currently working on production of another body of work. Plus, I have a single that is coming out soon called “En Tu Celly,” which I’m very excited about.

Villano Antillano (she/they) is an urbano/ trap artist hailing from Puerto Rico. They purposely inserted themselves in the most “violent” genre that they could: Latin trap, which can be heard loud and clear from their “malianteo-esque” lyricism. OutCrowd: What is Villano Antillano’s sound? Villano Antillano: So, I grew up in Puerto Rico, which is one of the birthplaces of reggaeton and Latin trap. I’m very influenced by the Caribbean and my home, so it made sense to create with those influences in mind. There was always this aggressiveness to me. As an LGBT person, I went through a lot and was forced onto the streets very early in my life. I feel like I grew up with a lot of rage, and it all flows out in my music. OC: Who are your current sonic inspirations?

VA: I actually listen to a lot of house music. But I’m very into malianteo, which is a subgenre of Latin trap that is focused on the stories of drug wars and how hard life is on the streets. I have a very big thing for Luar La L and Ankhal — both are malianteo artists. I f*ck with their lyricism and think they are really talented. OC: How have you found the courage to be openly LGBT in face of homophobia? VA: Being LGBT is everything I’ve known. At some point, I recognized that I could not let the fear of getting hurt get in the way of me living my life authentically. In the grand scheme of things, I want to know that I did what I wanted to do. In keeping that mindset, that’s how I mustered the courage to transition and insert myself to a genre that is known to not accept individuals like me. When I first started, I thought to myself, I’m not making this for straight people, and I don’t care what straight people think. I was quickly surprised by a lot of the older generation MCs and DJs who have come up to me and told me that they f*cked with my sh*t. It’s a nice feeling, but I don’t need it. OC: What kind of songwriter are you? VA: I feel like I’ve lived the experiences that require you to have enough range to honestly rap.

Rap, to me, is a weapon of social change that is used to denounce f*cked up sh*t in society. I truly believe that the music I make is tied to the fundamentals of hip-hop because it’s looking to reform and change society for the better. OC: How did the pandemic affect your artistry? VA: The pandemic was the year that I decided I was going to medically transition. I was lost in my head and living alone. I did a lot of shrooms and listened to a lot of music. I sat down with myself and admitted a lot of realities and parts of myself that I was subconsciously suppressing. It was the year I let go and really let myself flourish. My grandmother also passed away during this time, and she was a very important part of my life. In accepting what death truly is, I think it further strengthened the fearlessness that I lead my life with. OC: What’s next for Villano Antillano? VA: I’m very excited for the release of my upcoming single “Vocales.” The song has so much energy. It’s like doing a line of cocaine from the track to the lyrics. Also, I’m completing an album. It’s the soundtrack to my transition. It feels really good to be making the music I’ve always wanted to put out. After that project comes out, I look forward to beginning planning a tour and hitting all the spots I’ve wanted to perform in.

scene?’ I would’ve definitely said quinn. And to be honest, I wish it was like that because nobody deserves this more than quinn just because she’s been here from the start,” they said. Bugara went on to add, “quinn could’ve signed for eight gazillion dollars at this point, you know? But quinn doesn’t want to do that. quinn wants to do her thing the way she wants to do it and that’s all gonna pay off one day and it’s gonna open doors for these people — these independent musicians — to really have an easier way of breaking into the mainstream.” Bugara also emphasized just how fast hyperpop and digicore grew within the last two years. When the pandemic hit, while it halted many aspects of the entertainment industry, it actually turned hyperpop and digicore from small f lames into bonafide bonfires. Hyperpop and digicore, with their lyrics revolv-

ing around mental health and LGBTQIA+ experiences, gave a sense of community to queer and trans teens struggling mentally even harder than they were before the pandemic. The music’s hy ped up instrumentals provided distraction. Just as hyperpop’s growth seemed uninterruptible early this year, the community experienced its biggest tragedy to date: SOPHIE’s death. The producer at the heart of hyperpop’s creation had been staying in Athens, Greece, at the time and climbed up the balcony to get a better view of the full moon before slipping and falling on Jan. 30, 2021. SOPHIE left behind a huge legacy and an entire new generation of artists who had the influence of tracks like “BIPP,” “LEMONADE” and those that followed as a core inspiration to everything they made. SOPHIE also left behind a long list of collaborations, including work on Vince Sta-

ples’ 2017 album Big Fish Theory and Charli XCX’s 2016 EP Vroom Vroom. This level of mainstream success was unprecedented for trans woman producers. Of all the songs featured on the Billboard Hot 100 and in the Grammy Awards nominations from 2012 to 2018, only 2% were produced by women, and the stigma placed on trans creatives only further compounds the issue. SOPHIE broke down barriers, and in doing so created a community for LGBTQIA+ artists on a level that’s never been seen before, a scene and a community accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Hyperpop still retains a niche audience, but if its success during the pandemic is any indication, that niche is sure to grow even more in the coming years. It’s only a matter of time before the scene, which was once called “future pop,” actually becomes the future.

Many people can agree that when you’re bored,

Q&A with up-and-coming Latinx artist Villano Antillano

Many people can agree that when you’re

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florida state second consecutive Syracuse possession that ended with an and-one. Twenty-three of those first-half points came in transition, ignited by Torrence’s return to the lineup and executed by the trio of shooters — Girard, Buddy Boeheim and Cole Swider — that SU built its 2021-22 roster around, and it laid the foundation for the Orange to cruise to a 96-57 win over the Seminoles in the ACC Tournament’s second round. There were no blown leads, early or late, like the last two games. No defensive lapses. No last-second inbound catastrophes, caves against the press or final shots that turned disastrous, like each of Syracuse’s 16 losses this year hinged on. Instead, its early advantage kept increasing until it turned into its largest conference tournament victory margin since 1999, according to the ACC Network. Swider led the Orange with 28 points, reaching that total despite only logging eight minutes in the second half. Jimmy Boeheim had as many second-half dunks (2) as Florida State had 3-pointers the entire game. And the Orange produced their best game when they couldn’t afford anything less, exploding on offense and limiting the Seminoles to a 32% shooting percentage, to send them into a quarterfinal matchup with top seeded Duke on Thursday. “I can’t tell you how important (Torrence) from page 16

pietramala spirit” on the field, as he was willing to take risks for the big play. The same occurred when the Blue Jays practiced, as Pietramala would turn up the intensity for two to three hours and make plays his teammates envied. “Whether it was a scrap with a midfield or attack, he always played like it was the championship,” Lilly said. “He never disappointed.” Under defensive coordinators Fred Smith and Bill Tierney, Pietramala learned how to synthesize his individual abilities with the team’s defense. The defensive system preached that the six defenders and goalie were completely responsible for Johns Hopkins’ success or failure, said John DeTommaso, who played alongside Pietramala in 1986. That understanding of how a team’s defense could influence the outcome of a game helped Pietramala as a coach, too, John said. “You can’t play great, without understanding the intricacies of the game,” John said. “He had that as a player and as a coach.” Pietramala took the job as Johns Hopkins’ head coach in the summer of 2000 after serving as the defensive coordinator from 1995-97. Pietramala preached the same defensive strategies he learned as a player, helping players like Matt Bocklet and Tom Garvey develop into some of the best defenders JHU had seen since he was a player. “That was ingrained in us,” Garvey said about team defense. “A lot of the drills we did in practice was sort of the ethos of Johns Hopkins lacrosse and working as a team.” Pietramala pushed his players individually, Bocklet said. In his first team meeting after transferring from Fairfield, Bocklet saw on the white board that he was paired up against Paul Rabil, from page 16

berkman Berkman soon joined Powell’s club lacrosse team, Team 22, making the three-hour drive twice a week to the practice facilities. Simultaneously, Berkman played for the LB3 Thunder lacrosse club and once again played under Syracuse alumni Liam Banks and John Zulberti. The connections with former SU players allowed Berkman to be seen by then-assistant coach, Kevin Donahue, when he was just in eighth grade, and Berkman ultimately committed a year later. “He definitely wanted to go to Syracuse, and he made that known,” Powell said. “At the time, that wasn’t really happening in Florida. There

march 10, 2022

is,” Boeheim said. “We didn’t have him in North Carolina and Miami, and the pressure hurt us in both games. And he relieves that pressure, gives us another ball handler. I didn’t really want to go that small, but the small lineup worked. It has worked for us at times, and it worked today.” It worked earlier in the season for SU against the Seminoles, too. “Better than I thought,” Boeheim said on Jan. 15, when he turned to Torrence for help dealing with ball pressure and it kept the Orange within striking distance after they’d blown a first-half lead. Wednesday’s edition of the three-guard lineup featured Bourama Sidibe or Frank Anselem at center, given Jimmy’s foul trouble, but they still pushed the ball after each of FSU’s 46 misses or SU’s six steals. “They kind of come off of shooters at times, and if you get into the paint, it makes the job easier for the rest of us,” Girard said. In the early minutes, Florida State started establishing its dominance on the offensive glass. The Seminoles secured six offensive rebounds before the first media timeout, including one by Wyatt Wilkes when he snuck behind Jimmy and finished the layup while drawing a foul. But after the Orange went with three guards they constructed a quick 8-2 spurt that put them up nine points and forced an FSU timeout. Buddy connected on a 3 on that first possession, and Girard and Swider followed a few sequences later in transition — with Swider generally considered one of the best attacks of all time, for his first one-on-one matchup of the 2007 season. Rabil scored on Bocklet with ease, he said, but the decision showed Pietramala’s confidence in his newest player. In the winter months, Pietramala split the team into individual groups, picking up a stick to show his players what he wanted them to do, Garvey said. He taught the defenders where their hand positioning should be on their stick behind the goal and where to put their stick on their opponent. “He empowered us with all the information we needed to be successful,” Garvey said. When his players didn’t meet their potential, Pietramala was brutally honest with them, multiple said. During his senior year, Garvey got scored on five times by Syracuse freshman Mike Leveille, and Pietramala spent more individual time with Garvey to get him to the level the team needed. At a meeting following a dismal 2004 freshman season, Pietramala told goalie Jesse Schwartzman that he wasn’t working hard enough. Schwartzman took that to heart for the rest of his career, earning the NCAA Tournament’s MVP honors in 2005. Players appreciated that Pietramala didn’t shy away from the truth. He already had deep relationships with each of them, starting with a crab feast at his house after the first day of practice, leaving Old Bay seasoning, crabs and hammers on picnic tables in his backyard. Pietramala once gave Garvey a ride after practice in an attempt to get to know the thenfreshman before the season started. He played “China Cat Sunflower” by the Grateful Dead before breaking down game film with Bocklet. And Pietramala always had an “open door” policy in his office, where players spent evenings critiquing their own practice tapes. After Championship Weekend losses in 2003 and 2004, everything culminated in 2005 were a few players going to some good spots, but it wasn’t likely that he’d have that opportunity.” Berkman transferred to West Orange (Florida) High School before his junior season after two years with Dr. Phillips (Florida) High School. In his fifth game at West Orange, he recorded 11 assists and soon broke Florida’s all-time assists and points record, finishing his career with 254 and 484, respectively. “He could’ve had a lot more goals, probably could’ve had the goal record if he wanted to,” West Orange head coach Bill Baker said. “Where somebody might just try to dodge through two or three guys, he’s in there making the right pass, making the right looks and always trying to elevate a broader scope of his game.” But when Berkman arrived at Syracuse, the

converting his over a FSU hand in his face and lifting both hands in the air, following a sequence where Wilkes attempted a 3 from the corner that banked off the top of the backboard and never touched the rim. Girard yelled and pumped his fist, while Torrence rocked his arms back and forth, once he sank his 3 that Torrence had kickstarted by grabbing a defensive rebound and threading a pass up the court. But underneath the basket, Wilkes crouched in pain before heading to the bench. After Girard’s 3, Buddy appeared to punch him in the gut as the two fought for position, thrusting his right hand into the numbers near Wilkes’ midsection. The SU guard wasn’t called for a foul, and he drove three minutes later for a layup after stealing possession at the defensive end. Unlike games this season where SU has built a lead, stopped scoring and watched it dissolve over time, this one kept growing. Torrence stole the ball, flung it up the court to Swider, and the forward elevated for a dunk. Syracuse turned to its normal starting lineup at the beginning of the second half, but eventually subbed Torrence back in and he finished with nine assists in a seasonhigh 29 minutes. Pairing with SU’s efficiency on offense was FSU’s inability to convert its 3s, unlike its last meeting with the Orange, when they hit 12-of20 from beyond the arc. Head coach Leonard Hamilton said that he thought they had the same looks on Wednesday, but they just didn’t fall.

Swider said that the Seminoles “come off shooters sometimes” to help with gap defense, and that allowed for SU’s 3s — some more open than others, with a second or two to spare — to fall. “It’s hard to beat a team like Florida State like that, because we played exceptionally well today,” Boeheim said. “When they did get some open shots, they didn’t make them. So it just kind of snowballed.” Anselem and Jimmy both dunked twice in the game’s final minutes, with Jimmy’s second being a one-handed dunk that knocked an FSU player to the ground, and Orange eased the second-half minutes for Buddy and Swider as their lead continued to swell — turning to John Bol Ajak, who limped off with a leg injury, and Paddy Casey. Boeheim said that Ajak’s injury “didn’t look good,” and that “it hurts” if he can’t play against Duke because of SU’s size, and its ever-thinning depth, at the forward position. After Syracuse’s loss to Miami on Saturday, when it blew an 18-point lead in the second half, Buddy said that Syracuse “can’t be Duke unless we have an out-of-this-world game, honestly.” They’re too good for the 2-3 zone, he added, and in their meeting on Feb. 26, the same one where Torrence left with his injury and the same one where Ajak played a seasonhigh in minutes, Duke converted its shots at a clip Syracuse couldn’t match. And now, after SU’s best performance of the season, the Blue Devils await. arcrane@syr.edu @CraneAndrew

Dave Pietramala won a title as a player and two as a head coach for Johns Hopkins. Now, he’s SU’s defensive coordinator. courtesy of johns hopkins

for the Blue Jays. Pietramala took off the gas a little bit, Garvey said, as the team already had pressure from the failures of previous years. The notoriously intense coach emulated his laid-back persona off the field when it came to lacrosse, giving his players Mondays off that season, Garvey said. Johns Hopkins went on a perfect 16-0 run to win the program’s first national championship since Pietramala was a player. But in 2007, Pietramala experienced a start to the season unlike any he’d experienced. The Blue Jays had lost three straight games for the first time in school history, and were having the worst season in almost a century heading into their game against Maryland, Bocklet said. Pietramala took some risks with the lineup

that day, starting players who hadn’t played most of the season like midfielder Austin Walker. Walker had his “coming out party,” Bocklet said, launching the Blue Jays second-half run. After Rabil scored the game-winning goal in overtime, players slid across the mud while their head coach watched from the sidelines. With Pietramala’s changes, Johns Hopkins didn’t lose for the rest of the season. “Pietramala taught us to learn from a little adversity,” Schwartzman said. “He epitomizes Hopkins lacrosse just from the style of play, the intensity of his coaching. You can’t talk about Hopkins lacrosse without mentioning Pietramala.”

transition into his first season didn’t come as easily as he originally hoped, Mike said. Even though Berkman was a standout in Florida, Mike said joining a team of the best players from “hotbed” states — like Maryland and New York — was a different lacrosse environment for him. Then, as injuries and the pandemic limited Berkman’s game action, he took to a more individualized training regimen, continuously training with Powell and John Davis back in Florida. Berkman used Powell’s perspective on lacrosse to inspire his own, especially when his career hit its lowest points. Powell taught him to understand lacrosse from its Native American roots and that it’s a “medicine game.” “(Berkman) was just always big on the Native American roots of lacrosse and it

being a spiritual game,” Mike said. “It kind of brought him joy when there was a time when he wasn’t sure if he could play sports.” So far in 2022, Berkman has embraced his role as a full-time starter. In Syracuse’s opener against Holy Cross, Berkman assisted the Orange’s first goal of the season less than three minutes into the game. Six minutes later, he found the back of the net on his own, scoring from the left wing on a behind the net assist from Pete Fiorini, which set up his eventual first-half hat trick. “He can do a lot of little things out there. If you can do a lot of little things, there’s a chance you can do something big, and that’s what Mikey’s proving,” Powell said.

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14 march 10, 2022

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men’s basketball

Cole Swider’s 28 points lift Syracuse in win over FSU By Gaurav Shetty staff writer

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Five minutes into the game, Florida State and Syracuse were tied at eight, and the Seminoles’ Caleb Mills had a chance to take the lead. But his 3-pointer from the wing rimmed out, and Cole Swider jumped in for the rebound. Swider passed to Joe Girard III, who snaked his way up the court. As Girard paused near the top of the arc, he saw Swider tailing the play to his left. He quickly swung a pass to Swider, who caught it in stride to knock down his first 3 of the game. That 3-pointer from Swider was the closest FSU got for the rest of the game as Syracuse (16-16, 9-11 Atlantic Coast) ran away from Florida State (17-14, 10-10 ACC) to a 96-57 victory in the second round of the ACC Tournament. Swider’s 20 first-half points provided a huge scoring boost as the Orange’s lead grew to 23 points by halftime. He’d score eight more points in the second half as head coach Jim Boeheim began to rest his starters with Syracuse’s chances of victory becoming more assured. “(The Seminoles) come off of shooters

sometimes. They really focus on gap defense, helping in the gap,” Swider said. “So we emphasize in practice all the time moving without the ball and making sure we get to the open spots.”

As a shooter, once you see the ball go through, your eyes widen up. It was definitely good. These guys found me. Cole Swider forward

Swider’s day was quite similar to the 36-point game he put together nine days ago in Chapel Hill against North Carolina where he shot 67% from the field and made seven 3-pointers. And in Brooklyn on Wednesday, FSU struggled to keep up with Swider and the

rest of SU’s offense. To get to his spot more often, Swider used his defense and rebounding abilities to create scoring opportunities. Two minutes after Swider’s first 3, Mills tried again for a 3 from the same spot, but Swider was already in his face and rose up for the block. After the block, Swider grabbed the loose ball and passed to Buddy Boeheim, who stormed down the court for a layup. Buddy missed his layup, but Swider was right behind him to snag the offensive rebound and get the easy putback layup. “I think that Cole has rebounded all year. He’s fought in there,” Boeheim said. The Seminoles tried to reply quickly, but Tanor Ngom missed his jumper and Swider again snatched the defensive rebound. This time, Swider took it himself to his spot, dribbling up the court and to the left wing where he had made his first shot. Once he arrived at his spot, Swider immediately picked up his dribble and splashed a 3 over Wyatt Wilkes. Later, Girard brought the ball up as Swider stood still in the corner and waited for the ball to come to him before he rose up and drained another 3 over Wilkes.

But Swider’s most emphatic contribution came late in the first half as Syracuse was pulling away from the Seminoles. Down 15, FSU’s RayQuan Evans tried to initiate some offense. But his pass to Harrison Prieto bounced off Prieto’s chest, and Symir Torrence stepped in to grab the loose ball. As Torrence rushed down the court, Swider hustled from his spot in the low block of SU’s zone to in front of Torrence. The guard quickly passed it to Swider, who leapt into the air for the fast-break dunk, forcing an FSU timeout. “Sy(mir) did a great job getting everyone involved, and it was a great game,” Swider said. Swider later drew a foul on a 3-pointer in the corner as he fell to the ground, and he drained all three free throws. In the second half it was more of the same as Swider quickly hit a 3 in front of his bench and drew the foul, hitting the free throw for a four-point play. He ended the night shooting 60% from the field and 67% from beyond the arc. “As a shooter, once you see the ball go through, your eyes widen up,” Swider said. “It was definitely good. These guys found me.” gshetty1562@gmail.com

men’s basketball

Boeheim calls Buddy’s punch against FSU player ‘inadvertent’ By Gaurav Shetty staff writer

Halfway through the first half, Joe Girard III rose for a wing 3. Under the basket, Buddy Boeheim battled for a potential rebound with Florida State’s Wyatt Wilkes. Girard’s shot went in, but after the play Buddy appeared to throw a punch at Wilkes’ midsection, causing the Seminoles player to hunch over in pain and eventually be substituted. The referees did not make a call on the play and elected not to call anything after a potential review either. However, since then, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Buddy will be suspended for one game for a “flagrant act” and will now miss Syracuse’s game against Duke. The play continues to go viral on social media as Syracuse (16-16, 9-11 Atlantic Coast)

flew to a 96-57 win over Florida State (17-14, 10-10 ACC). After the game, head coach Jim Boeheim said he was not worried about any potential suspension for Buddy. “I saw the play. The kid pushed him twice, and he swung around and hit him,” Boeheim said. “I think it was inadvertent, but that’s okay.” But on Wednesday night, the ACC announced that Buddy would be suspended for Syracuse’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal matchup against top seeded Duke on Thursday. This means that unless the Orange make a postseason tournament or beat Duke, Buddy’s last game for the Orange will be Wednesday’s win over FSU. After the game, Syracuse Athletics released a statement with Buddy apologizing for the incident. He said he apologized to Wilkes after the game and explained that the action happened in the heat of the game.

“I swung my arm while turning to go back up the court. It was wrong to act out in frustration,” Buddy said. “I pride myself in respecting the game and our opponent. I will not react that way again.” Boeheim was then pressed again by a reporter on whether Buddy punched Wilkes or not. Again, Boeheim strongly denied any accusations of Buddy punching Wilkes. “I don’t think he hit him. He just swung around and there was contact,” Boeheim said. “The kid pushed him twice. You can’t just let people push you around.” Buddy was not made available postgame to comment on the play, but his teammates Cole Swider and Girard also defended him. Swider said Buddy is probably the nicest player on the team and that Buddy’s character wouldn’t be in question regardless of if the play was

intentional or not. Girard agreed, adding that he hadn’t seen the play yet and nobody on the court made a big deal about it during the game and that Buddy, “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton confirmed postgame that he also saw the play, but was sure to insist that “there’s not a better kid in the ACC than Buddy Boeheim.” “He’s a young man who’s competitive, like everyone else, and I don’t want anything to take away from how well they played and what type of fine young man he is,” Hamilton said. Boeheim said that Buddy did hit Wilkes in response to their battle for the rebound. “He got pushed, and he retaliated. He shouldn’t have done it, but he did,” Boeheim said. “He swung around, and contact was made. If the referee had seen it, it would have been a flagrant one.” gshetty1562@gmail.com

softball

O’Hara returns to Syracuse to mentor next generation of pitchers By Connor Pignatello asst. digital editor

When Sydney O’Hara was applying to colleges, she wanted to attend Syracuse no matter what. A softball star at Cicero-North Syracuse High School and a lifelong Syracuse fan, O’Hara received a scholarship to attend her dream school and hometown team. Even after graduating from SU, O’Hara tried to stay on with the team as a graduate assistant – a position the team didn’t have. So she spent a year as the pitching coach at neighboring Le Moyne before moving to Binghamton for a three-year stint as the Bearcats’ pitching coach. Just four years removed from the school where her name fills the record books, O’Hara is back at Syracuse as the team’s pitching coach. She is responsible for improving a young pitching staff that currently has the worst ERA in the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked in the bottom third last season. As a player, she became the first in program history to earn multiple first-team All-ACC selections and the third to be named an All-American. O’Hara pitched the seventh no-hitter in Syracuse history as a freshman, hit four home runs in a game as a senior and holds the all-time program record for career saves.

O’Hara led C-NS to an undefeated season and a Class AA state title in her senior season and was named the New York State Gatorade Player of the Year. After enrolling at Syracuse, O’Hara became one of the team’s most indispensable players at the plate and the pitcher’s circle in her freshman season, finishing second on the team in batting average and first in ERA among those who pitched at least 20 innings. During O’Hara’s junior season, freshman Andrea Bombace said she was drawn to O’Hara’s work ethic and saw her as a mentor. The next season, freshman Alexa Romero said O’Hara took her “under her wing.” Roughly 1,600 miles from home, Romero was unfamiliar with the Syracuse area at first, but O’Hara showed her around, introducing her to spots on campus like People’s Place and Slocum Cafe. Romero, who graduated last season, said she tried to mentor the underclassmen in her final season at Syracuse in the same way O’Hara did for her. O’Hara convinced Romero of the importance of the mental aspect of pitching, which Romero now uses as a fundamental part of her coaching as a graduate assistant at Regis University. While O’Hara worked at Le Moyne, she assisted with pitching workouts in and out of practice, introduced new strength and condi-

tioning methods and even served as the head coach for a game when then-head coach Jason Marino was ejected. Marino said O’Hara instantly received the respect of the players because of her local ties. Much of the team had played with or against O’Hara at some point, and just one year out of college, she could relate to the players and difficulties they were having. Alexis Eastman said O’Hara helped her significantly with setting up batters, pitch calling and confidence. O’Hara drew from her hitting knowledge to help Eastman attack hitters as a pitcher, Eastman said. And with the help from O’Hara, Eastman was named first-team allconference after being a second-team selection the two years prior. Marino said many of his previous assistants would simply show up and run through drills with the players, but O’Hara put in conscious effort to relate to the players and help them improve. “You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you can’t relate to kids and figure out ways to motivate them you’re not going to be a very good coach,” Marino said. After a year at Le Moyne, O’Hara moved to Binghamton, where she served as the pitching coach for three seasons. Current head coach Jess Bump, who served as an assistant coach with her for three seasons,

said that O’Hara’s mark on this year’s team is indelible. “Something she got really good at was learning our different pitchers and how they needed to be communicated with, how they mentally worked through things and also working with their confidence,” Bump said. Some of the pitchers were visual learners, so O’Hara would put her cleats on, go to the mound and show them what adjustments to make, rather than just telling them, Bump said. O’Hara was a part-time coach at Binghamton and resigned after three seasons due to financial reasons, she said. She applied for positions at several ACC schools before getting a call from head coach Shannon Doepking asking her to interview for the empty pitching coach position at Syracuse. Since arriving, O’Hara has focused on introducing players to the Syracuse area. On the field, she said she has primarily focused with her pitchers on spin, location and developing consistent mechanics. Off it, she created a scavenger hunt for her players earlier in the season and has been teaching them about the university and the city itself. “I’m trying to get them to love Syracuse as much as I do,” O’Hara said. connorpignatello@gmail.com @c_pignatello

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SPORTS

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

NO. 9

SYRACUSE 96,

NO. 8

FLORIDA STATE 57 dailyorange.com @dailyorange march 10, 2022 • PAG E 16

men’s lacrosse

Mikey Berkman keys SU attack By Alex Cirino

asst. sports editor

The Orange exploded on offense with a three guard lineup and limited the Seminoles to a 32% shooting percentage, sending them to the ACC quarterfinals. courtesy of acc

ONTO THE NEXT Syracuse rolled over Florida State in the ACC Tournament’s second round to advance to play Duke on Thursday

By Andrew Crane

senior staff writer

ROOKLYN, N.Y. — It took 31 games to drag Syracuse’s season to this point, to the first sub-.500 regular-season record of Jim Boeheim’s tenure and to NCAA Tournament hopes that teetered on the brink of nonexistence for the first time in five years, and it took 13:55 to make them all seem, for at least the next 24 hours, curable. That’s what a 38-18 run and a 53% shooting clip in the opening 20 minutes will do. And the transition sequence capping that stretch, the Orange’s final field goal of their 49-point first half, started with a Florida State turnover and ended with Symir Torrence sliding across the Barclays Center baseline, clenching both fists and biceps as his layup bounced through the net. He’d rocketed toward the right block with under two minutes left in the frame, glancing toward Joe Girard III in the opposite corner — who had both hands lifted above his head to signal an open 3 — before he continued to drive anyway. RayQuan Evans’ wrist made contact with his, a referee’s wrist shot in the air and Torrence completed the see florida

state page 13

men’s lacrosse

Pietramala’s journey with Johns Hopkins By Anish Vasudevan

asst. sports editor

Without extensive training programs, Johns Hopkins’ newest class of recruits conditioned through pickup basketball before their freshman season in 1986. Everybody was competitive, James DeTommaso said, but one lanky, 6-foot-3 defender named Dave Pietramala immediately stood out in games that were simply meant to be a workout. He dunked, scored with either hand, played tough positional defense and constantly ran the floor in transition, Greg Lilly said. When lacrosse began that

spring, Pietramala had to wait to transfer his skills from hardwood to turf after contracting mononucleosis. His first playing opportunity came nine games into the season at Navy, where he immediately soared down the field after picking up a ground ball and hitting the pipe with a shot, Lilly said. “The way he could keep up with really fast players and take the ball away, he would run it like a fast break,” Lilly said. “Two of our coaches just looked each other in the eye and they said ‘Oh, he’s got to stay in.’” Following the Navy game, Pietramala etched himself into the Blue Jays’ defense, eventually leading them to the 1987 national cham-

pionship. Eighteen years later, he became one of the only collegiate men’s lacrosse players to win a title as a player and a coach, leading Johns Hopkins to the national championship in 2005 before winning it again two years later. He “typified” Johns Hopkins lacrosse and is “synonymous” with the program, former teammates and players said. And on Sunday, he returns to Baltimore for the first time as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator. As a player at Johns Hopkins, Pietramala regularly put together complete games, James said, making plays on both sides of the field. But even if he wasn’t playing his best, Pietramala became someone

the team relied on for timely plays. When the Blue Jays faced North Carolina in the 1987 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, Pietramala struggled throughout the majority of the game. But using his reach — which also helped him block shots in basketball — Pietramala wound his stick over teammate Jack Crawford’s head late in the game, hitting the ball out for a key turnover to help Johns Hopkins escape 11-10. “He would see where we needed a spark and rise to the occasion,” Lilly said. Lilly attributed Pietramala’s ability to move past mishaps during a game to becoming a “free see pietramala page 13

Just three minutes into Mikey Berkman’s Syracuse career on Feb. 14, 2020, he fell to the turf. He would later be diagnosed with a torn ACL, missing the next 13 months after redshirting the previous season. What was supposed to be a yearlong transition period into Syracuse’s lineup was quickly prolonged. And after the pandemic hit, several experienced players returned to SU, extending Berkman’s wait to return to the field. Berkman appeared in just two games in 2021 and was forced to train a lot on his own, where he prioritized physical fitness more than ever before. But this year, after a near threeyear wait, Berkman has become a mainstay in Syracuse’s (2-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) attack unit following Owen Hiltz’s injury. The redshirt sophomore has recorded points in four of five games, averaging 2.6 per game, while leading all starters with a 47.1% shot percentage. Berkman’s lacrosse career almost never began, though. He was less than a year old when he came back from routine blood work with severe bleeding in his arms. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Hemophilia A, the most severe version of the bleeding disorder. “Dealing with hard stuff like that kind of puts other things into perspective of how lucky I am to be playing lacrosse,” Berkman said. Before he took up the sport at 10 years old, Berkman underwent numerous surgeries to install ports — a device that goes under the skin to infuse medication. At 8, Berkman began proactively treating his hemophilia through prophylaxis, which regulated his blood clotting levels once he began playing and prevented any serious injuries, which is why he never experienced any serious injuries once he started playing lacrosse, his father, Mike Berkman, said. Through that process, Berkman began learning how to self-infuse his own medication, something he still has to do today. “At the youngest age there wasn’t a lot of contact, so we just kind of took it year by year to see how he did,” Mike said. Berkman became accustomed to “absorbing contact” through playing in Mike’s pickup box lacrosse league in Orlando, Florida. Mike said it was where his son developed good footwork and balance early on, and it was also where Berkman first began training with Syracuse alumnus and four-time all-American, Casey Powell. see berkman page 13