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april 7, 2022 high 50°, low 42°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
N • Tree trouble
dailyorange.com
C • TED Talk time
Members of the New York State Hemlock Initiative have been trying to cut down on a predator of Hemlock trees around Skaneateles Lake. Page 3
This weekend, TEDxSyracuse will host the “Paradigm Shift” event featuring seven speakers who have wisdom to share with the Syracuse community. Page 6
S • Local influence Lyle Thompson, who grew up on the Onondaga Nation Reservation, has influenced Indigenous players throughout his college and pro lacrosse career. Page 12
on campus
Unmasked
Clint Smith discusses new book By Danny Amron asst. news editor
illustration by yiwei he illustration editor
The Daily Orange spoke to students across campus about their reaction to the “YELLOW” masking level By The Daily Orange News Staff
O
n Monday, March 14, Syracuse University moved to a “YELLOW” COVID-19 masking level. Under the level, masks are no longer required for vaccinated individuals during academic instruction. The Daily Orange talked to about 100 students across SU’s campus about their reactions to the change. Here’s what they had to say. Many students said the downgrade to “YELLOW” level shows the pandemic is moving into the right direction. Vincenzo Suarez, a junior entrepreneurship and public relations major, said he felt relieved that SU is doing better. “I know some people have seen it as like, ‘Oh, we’re not ready for that yet.’ But I see this as maybe it’s a sign that we are doing better and we’re getting better. So for me, I think it makes me feel optimistic and hopeful for the future,” Suarez said. Meris Rosenberg, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said while many of her professors chose to keep their masks on during instruction, most students in her classes don’t wear masks. “It’s definitely weird, but I don’t mind it. It’s nice to see people’s faces again,” Rosenberg said. “At least for me, I’ve had the COVID shots. So I feel like it’s not that big of a risk.” Ophelia DeStefano, a sophomore political science and education major, said it shouldn’t be a problem as long as the positivity rate on campus stays low. “It also helps because some of the teachers I thought were
more scary, and then they take their mask off and they’re smiling the whole class,” DeStefano said. Some students said that while they appreciate the switch to a lower masking tier, they don’t think it makes a significant difference considering many students weren’t following maskwearing guidelines before. “I think it is just fine at this time (to not wear a mask) because even when the COVID mask level was at “RED,” I didn’t see everyone following those rules,” Sitao Wang, an engineering graduate student, said. Some students noticed a positive social impact resulting from the change in masking level. Law student Corrine Kalala shared that she appreciates the social aspect of optional masking, and noticed that she hasn’t seen tension or shaming between those who choose to wear a mask and those who choose not to. Some students thought the university chose the wrong time to downgrade the masking level. Liam Goff, a sophomore broadcast and digital journalism major, said, while it’s good that SU moved to the “YELLOW” level, switching the mask requirement immediately after spring break without testing lacks foresight. Andrea Sanchez, a junior policy studies and political science major, said she doesn’t agree with letting everyone go maskless immediately after spring break. “I felt like maybe having a change immediately after spring break and going back to yellow and having everybody
see masks page 4
Poet and journalist Clint Smith spoke to Syracuse University community members about his latest book, “How the Word is Passed,” via Zoom on Wednesday night. The talk was part of the Newhouse School of Public Communications’ Leaders in Communications speaker series. Melissa Chessher, a professor of magazine, news and digital journalism, hosted the Q&A with Smith. Smith, who is a staff writer at The Atlantic, spoke about how he sought to create a narrative nonfiction work that chronicled the pervasive nature of slavery on contemporary American society. He noted that some of the most visible examples of this are through the glorification of prominent Confederate figures through monuments, street names and the names of schools. “The thing is, we know that symbols and names and iconography aren’t just symbols. They’re reflective of the stories that people tell. And those stories shape the narratives that communities carry. And those narratives shape public policy and public policy shapes the material conditions of people’s lives,” Smith said. Taking down these statues would help people recognize what has shaped how American history is understood, with emphasis on the way that cer tain communities have been disproportionately and intentionally harmed, he said. A lthough Smith recently became a journalist by trade through his work at The Atlantic, he said that he still struggles with the label because of the intersectional nature of his work. “I didn’t go to journalism school or communication school, and I don’t even come from a media background,” he said. “I’m kind of an untraditional journalist. It’s a weird experience and even when the reviews of this book started coming out, because almost every reviewer was like, ‘poet see smith page 4