August 24, 2020 by The Daily Orange

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N • Gyms reopen

After Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted a ban on gyms in New York state, SU announced the Barnes Center recreation spaces would reopen with restrictions in place. Page 3

C • Curtain calls

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Unsure of when they can reopen due to COVID-19, local theaters such as Redhouse Arts Center and Syracuse Stage have adapted programming and performances. Page 9

S • Balancing both

A select group of Syracuse University students balance the commitment of being ROTC cadets and Division I athletes at the same time. Page 12

coronavirus

SU official predicts no outbreak from Quad gathering

SU students detail quarantine experience By Sarah Alessandrini asst. news editor

illustration by sarah allam illustration editor

Test results from students who attended party ease officials’ concerns By Chris Hippensteel news editor

Four days after at least 100 freshmen gathered on the Quad in violation of public health guidelines, Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie said he’s confident that the gathering will not result in an outbreak of coronavirus infections. After videos circulated of the gathering on the Quad, Haynie called the students’ actions “selfish and unsettling” and warned that the event could lead to the closure of campus. But new test results from the students who attended the gathering have led university officials to believe that the event will not cause a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, he told The Daily Orange. “In spite of what happened on the Quad, we’re doing pretty good,” said Haynie, head of SU’s COVID-19 response. “I don’t think we should be so hard on ourselves.” The students living on campus at the time of the gathering, which large-

ly consisted of freshmen, had either already completed an on-campus quarantine or had moved in since Aug. 17, Haynie said. The test results for the students who moved in days before the gathering have all come back negative, he said –– something university officials didn’t know at the time. “When that happened Wednesday night, we didn’t have the results,” Haynie said. “We had no idea on Wednesday night, of the group of students that gathered on the Quad, if there were COVID-positive students in that mix.” The university has continued to see encouraging test results throughout SU’s move-in period, which lasted until Aug 23. As of Saturday, the infection rate among students stood at 0.24%. All cases the university has identified have been isolated, Haynie said. Most of the infections are among students who came to the Syracuse area before receiving negative test results. Despite the promising data, Haynie

said he could not rule out the possibility of a student spreading COVID-19 on the Quad. False negative test results remain a possibility, he said.

What happened on the Quad?

The gathering on the Quad began with a small group of students congregating around 9:45 p.m but had “grown considerably” by 10 p.m, according to Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado. DPS dispatched officers to the Quad at 10:19 p.m., and the area had been cleared by 10:30 p.m. Videos show students on the Quad not practicing social distancing and some not wearing masks. The D.O. spoke with several students who were on the Quad on Wednesday night. Most said that the gathering came together largely informally as smaller groups arrived throughout the night, leading to the large crowd ultimately captured on video. The students agreed that the gathering exceeded 100 people, while see quad page 4

While waiting for the results of his at-home coronavirus testing kit, university personnel transported Mark Nash to the Sheraton Hotel to quarantine. Nash, a freshman public relations major, arrived at Syracuse University on Aug. 2 from his home in Seattle. After spending one day in the Sheraton, Nash’s COVID-19 test came back negative, and an SU trolley transported him to his dorm in Lawrinson Hall. “I’ll give SU credit,” Nash said. “It was a pretty solid quarantine at the Sheraton.” Among its efforts for preventing the spread of COVID-19, SU has restricted access to certain floors of the Sheraton to use as quarantine and isolation housing for students. Students who quarantined inside the hotel told The Daily Orange that they remained in separate rooms, and had meals delivered to their doorstep. The university selected certain floors of the hotel for quarantine and isolation housing because of their direct exterior ventilation system, said Joe Hernon, SU’s director of emergency management and business continuity. The vents on those floors lead directly outside rather than into other rooms, where they could have spread COVID-19 particles. Isolation is meant for students who have contracted COVID-19, while quarantine is for those who may have been exposed to the virus. Students in isolation can live within a common space or “family unit” and share facilities with others who have contracted the virus. Students in quarantine reside in a single room with a non-shared bathroom. After SU identifies a student as having been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID19, the university’s medical transport team will bring them to the Sheraton to quarantine. Nick Luttrell, a freshman broadcast and digital journalism major, expected his family to help move him into his SU dorm when he arrived on campus Aug. 2 to complete a two-week quarantine. Instead, he had to relocate to the Sheraton for two days until he received a negative result from his at-home COVID-19 test. Both Nash and Luttrell described their quarantine rooms as “typical hotel rooms.” Luttrell’s room came with two queen-sized beds, a TV, WiFi access and other amenities. “I was able to relax, but I was see quarantine page 4

2 aug. 24, 2020

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PAG E 3

aug. 24, 2020

on campus

SU creates team to engage protesters By Mira Berenbaum asst. copy editor

After Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that gyms can resume operations, SU said it would reopen weight lifting and cardio areas at the Barnes Center at The Arch on Monday. The center’s basketball courts will remain closed. emily steinberger photo editor

on campus

Barnes Center to reopen with restrictions By Abby Weiss

asst. digital editor

Syracuse University students and staff will have to follow strict safety procedures at the Barnes Center at the Arch when the facility reopens its recreation areas on Monday. The university initially planned to keep most recreation areas at the Barnes Center and all its satellite gyms closed in accordance with state orders. Gov. Andrew Cuomo mostly lifted those restrictions last week, limiting gym capacity to 33% and implementing strict social distancing guidelines In response to Cuomo’s decision, SU announced it would open the Barnes Center’s track, cardio spaces and weight rooms, in addi-

tion to the climbing wall, pool and Esports room. The facility’s basketball courts will remain closed. The Ernie Davis gym will also reopen, while all other SU satellite gyms remain closed. SU will require students using the reopened recreation spaces to disinfect equipment after using it, wear masks at all times and practice social distancing. Students must also make reservations to use recreational spaces through the Barnes Center’s Wellness Portal and complete a daily online health screening before arriving at the facility. Students using SU’s fitness facilities must also remain 10 feet apart while using equipment and during fitness classes.

Cuoo mandated that all reopening fitness centers have strong ventilation systems. As one of the newest facilities on campus, the Barnes Center exceeds air filtration requirements, according to the Barnes Center website. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced Thursday that indoor gyms in the county can reopen on Monday, and group fitness classes can resume. The county is prepared to inspect all gyms within two weeks after their reopening, as required by the state, he said. With the Barnes Center available, the university had less of an incentive to reopen its other satellite fitness centers, said Shannon Feeney Andre, director of commu-

nications and media relations for student affairs. “Once opened, we saw significant usage of the Barnes Center and decreased usage across satellite centers,” she said. “Ernie Davis Fitness Center will remain open as it provides the largest, most comprehensive satellite fitness center.” Students will have limited time slots to use some of the Barnes Centers’ recreation spaces. Reservations for weight and cardio areas are limited to 90 minutes, SU said. Between time slots, SU staff will clean and disinfect equipment. The university will also use an ultraviolet cleaning system see barnes page 4

student association

SU will host Mental Health Awareness Week By Alexandra Pollack contributing writer

Syracuse University’s Student Association will host its annual Mental Health Awareness Week this fall with both virtual and inperson events. The coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide reckoning over racial justice have led to an impending mental health crisis, said SA President Justine Hastings. Through several resources and events, SA hopes to help meet students’ increased mental health needs this semester. “Mental health awareness has always been important,” Hastings said. “But it is especially crucial

now due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hate crimes in our country.” Mental Health Awareness Week will take place in October. Each day will have a theme that represents a different aspect of mental health, including self-care, healthy eating habits and the relationship between mental health and the arts. With events taking place both in-person and online, SA hopes to reach more of SU’s student population, whether they’re at home or on campus this fall, said Ryan Golden, SA vice president. Hastings wants to emphasize “mental health for the marginalized” because it’s often an issue

ignored in mental health discussions, she said. “I wanted to talk about the intersections of mental health when it comes to race, gender and class,” Hastings said. “I’m not really trying to highlight any specific communities because I feel like there’s just so, so many.” SA would like to collaborate on events with different faculty and administrators, including Syeisha Byrd, the director of the office of engagement programs at Hendricks Chapel. With faculty support, SA is hoping that Mental Health Awareness Week will reach all populations across campus, Hastings said. SA is also partnering with

Listeners on Call, an organization that matches students with “trained listeners” to help them through whatever they may be struggling with. Students can submit an audio recording to the organization, and the listeners –– who are trained on how to handle different types of calls — begin a dialogue with the student. While Listeners on Call doesn’t qualify as professional psychiatric counseling, it may be helpful for students to talk to a trained listener anonymously, Hastings said. Listeners on Call provides students with a possible solution before Mental Health Awareness Week begins so those who need help don’t see sa page 4

The university announced Friday that it established the team, comprised of 10 members, in response to #NotAgainSU’s protests last academic year and nationwide protests against police brutality this summer. #NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, organized two sit-ins last academic year to protest the university’s response to slew of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents that occured at or near Main Campus. During #NotAgainSU’s occupation of Crouse-Hinds Hall in the spring, SU’s Department of Public Safety sealed off the building and prevented outside food, medicine and resources from entering. The university provided food to the protesters. “We know that we can’t handle a campus protest like we did last year,” said Cole Smith, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a member of SAET. “We’re trying to improve the outcomes that come out of those protests.” SAET does not intend to stop student protests, Smith said. Instead, the team would like to engage with protesters and understand what change they wish to see to best support them. The university’s ability to respond to #NotAgainSU protesters could have been “much better” had the team been in place, he said. #NotAgainSU responded to the university’s announcement of SAET’s establishment on its Instagram story, noting that the university “starved, suspended and withheld” organizers from medical and hygiene products, as well as legal and religious counsel. John Liu, interim vice chancellor and provost, and Amanda Nicholson, interim deputy senior vice president of enrollment and the student experience, appointed the team’s members. Student Association President Justine Hastings is the only student representative on SAET. While Hastings would have liked to see more student representation on the committee, SAET plans to invite student organizations, including #NotAgainSU, to voice their opinions at meetings. Student protests are inevitable because of the varying needs of SU’s student body, Hastings said. Many students, faculty and staff do not have access to the Board of Trustees, so concerns are often unaddressed and change often takes time, which sparks protests, she said. SAET’s role is to support safe and accessible ways for students to protest, Hastings said. “(Protests) shouldn’t be the norm if the university is actively listening to and addressing student concerns,” Hastings said. “(The committee’s) role should be to try and quickly understand what it is students are protesting for and provide support, knowledge and or action steps to meet their goals.” mlberenb@syr.edu

4 aug. 24, 2020

from page 1

quad

some put the number as high as 200. One student described the gathering as a “mosh pit.” Another said it was “literally a mob.” “Some of the people there were probably caught up in the excitement of jumping into college life,” said one student who was on the Quad on Wednesday night. The student asked to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions from SU. SU mandates that gatherings must be limited to 25 people, with all attendees practicing social distancing. New York state guidelines limit nonessential gatherings to 50 people. DPS personnel who were on the scene did not immediately break up the gathering, several students told The D.O. One student said they saw an officer watching the gathering from a squad car, while two others said they saw officers walking among the students trying to encourage social distancing before ultifrom page 1

quarantine anxious at the same time,” Luttrell said. “I was just waiting for my COVID test to be returned.” Aside from checking in, both Luttrell and Nash had little to no contact with hotel staff. Staff leave meals outside students’ doors three times a day, and students can choose alternative meals based on any dietary needs they may have. Quarantine floors are off limits to other guests at the hotel and are only accessible using key cards. Similarly, students in quarantine are not allowed to go anywhere else in the hotel. Students who request time outside need someone to monitor them, Hernon said. “There should be none or very limited direct contact,” Hernon said. “Basically, you’re not supposed to wander around the hotel.” The university understands that asking students to isolate themselves in one place for 14 days is difficult, Hernon said. Students in quarantine at the Sheraton have an assigned case manager to help with any of their academic, physical and mental health needs. “We learn something every time with a case,” Hernon said. “This is a policy, this is a protocol, but in a way it’s more of a guideline from page 3

barnes on its check-in computers and Esports room equipment, and will install plexiglass at the reception and customer service windows. Students will have to swipe from page 3

have to wait, she said. SA has posted several other resources, such as mental health hotlines and financial support options, on its website. The association also plans to utilize resources available through

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mately breaking up the gathering. DPS is headquartered at Sims Hall, a short walk from the Quad. A spokesperson for DPS did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday. Breaking up student gatherings that violate New York state health guidelines is the combined responsibility of DPS and other university officials, Haynie said. DPS has launched an investigation into the gathering. Any students identified in security camera footage of the Quad will face disciplinary proceedings, Maldonado said in a campuswide email. Students told The D.O. that they went to the Quad hoping to meet new people. For many freshmen, Wednesday came a few days after the end of a two-week quarantine, during which students were largely confined to their dorms. “If you quarantined, it was one of the first days actually being able to be outside,” said another student who attended the Quad gathering and also requested to remain anonymous. “People were itching to do something so that we are trying to match and enhance every time.” Aside from receiving fresh towels, students in quarantine shouldn’t expect housekeeping services since they’re not allowed to leave their rooms, Hernon said. Students may have their rooms cleaned if needed, depending on the length of their quarantine. Students who are having any issues with their room should first contact the front desk of the Sheraton, Hernon said. If the problem is outside of the hotel’s responsibilities, SU staff will follow up with the student to address their needs. The Sheraton staff are not responsible for ensuring that students are following the rules of the quarantine, but they will report any misbehavior they see, Hernon said. “These are all legally mandated quarantines,” Hernon said. “But also, we as a university are pledging to enforce this and ensure our students do the right thing so we can protect our community.” Although his quarantine situation wasn’t ideal, Luttrell understands the university is doing what it must to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak. “We’re in a pandemic. You kinda have to be ready for the unexpected nowadays because that’s what happens,” he said. scalessa@syr.edu their SU ID when they enter and exit the Barnes Center. SU will also hold in-person outdoor fitness classes with a maximum of 25 people and allow students to use recreational facilities located on the Women’s Building field. akweiss@syr.edu the Barnes Center at The Arch, such as counseling, group therapy and nutrition services. “By hosting SA’s annual Mental Health Awareness Week, we are dedicated to having conversations about mental health and combating the stigma around it,” Hastings said. azpollac@syr.edu

SA’s Mental Health Awareness Week will take place in October, with each day representing a different theme of mental health. siena pennington contributing writer

it was going to happen now or later.”

Moving forward

Two days after the gathering on the Quad, videos again circulated of a significantly smaller gathering of students outside Flint Hall. Many of the students were not practicing social distancing. At least four DPS cars later arrived at the Mount Olympus dorms to disperse the crowd. While the university’s guidelines require students to practice social distancing, university officials, including Haynie, said the students did not behave inappropriately. “We have asked our students to interact and socialize responsibly in small groups this semester, which, as far as we’re aware, is what they were doing this weekend outside of Flint Hall,” said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications, in a statement. Haynie agreed that the students’ actions outside Flint didn’t constitute an egregious violation of the university’s guidelines. The university should provide students with the opportunity to

socialize in a safe manner, he said. “There were some examples of folks who weren’t social distanced… but they didn’t cross a line such that they were necessarily in violation of the law,” Haynie said. “If we want to go through and decompose every frame of every video, and say ‘Okay, this is wrong and this could be better,’ I don’t think that’s very useful.” Despite the gatherings on campus, Haynie said most SU students are committed to preventing the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Moving forward, the university will continue to allow students to socialize in a safe manner, he said. Students should pause to reconsider whether a situation is truly a violation of the law before calling DPS, Haynie said. “It’s not that we’re trying –– or even the state is trying –– to create a situation where people can’t have social interaction,” Haynie said. “We have to balance compassion with an appropriate response to a given situation.” cjhippen@syr.edu

Staff at the Sheraton Hotel deliver meals three times a day to students in quarantine, who have limited interactions with others. ghael forbes contributing writer

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CULTURE

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PAG E 7

aug. 24, 2020

Play by the rules

Syracuse Stage’s last live performance was the opening night of Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus, ” held March 11 at the company’s Archbold Theater. The production was also filmed and offered as a webcast. courtesy of syracuse stage

Local theater companies unsure of when they can take the stage due to COVID-19 By Matthew Nerber contributing writer

s Syracuse University welcomes students back for the fall semester, local theater companies are left wondering when they will be allowed to invite audiences into their spaces. Live performance venues, including music and theater, are still barred from opening under New York state’s COVID-19 restrictions. The 2020-2021 season will be anything but typical as companies from across Syracuse have to get creative with their programming. “Every decision we’re making is being driven by a focus on the safety of our staff, the safety of our audience and the safety of our patrons,” said Bob Hupp, Syracuse Stage’s artistic director. Syracuse Stage closed its doors on March 16, with limited staff members showing up, said Jill Anderson, Syracuse Stage’s managing director.

By the beginning of April, production staff was creating personal protective equipment for front line workers instead of creating shows. It was only until recently that production staff could go back to work on building shows. The theater also didn’t lay off any workers and focused on employees keeping their jobs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Hupp said. “Unlike just about every other theater in the country, we didn’t lay anybody off,” Hupp said. “(We are) making sure that they can work remotely, but (Syracuse Stage’s employees) are able to get a paycheck from Syracuse Stage and stay employed. That’s something that’s been a priority for us.” Syracuse Stage’s last live performance was the opening night for Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus,” directed by Hupp, on March 11 at the company’s Archbold Theater. Luckily, “Amadeus” was filmed, and Syracuse Stage was able to offer the show as a webcast, charging patrons $35 to experience the play virtually.

The response to the stream was unanimously positive, Hupp said. Despite the theater being based in New York, people from 47 states and four countries watched “Amadeus,” he said. Virtual experiences have kept patrons interested. The company’s “Cold Read Series,” which in the past has sold around 100 tickets, was attended by three times as many patrons when it was held in March, Hupp said. The education content has had a similar reach, with non-local middle school students who wouldn’t normally be able to attend now able to participate online, Anderson said. Syracuse Stage has been working with Onondaga County and SU to see how people could safely come and watch a show in Archbold Theater, Hupp said. Ideas include cutting intermissions from shows and getting rid of the concession stands, but Hupp believes that won’t be for another four to five months. see theater page 8

from the studio

slice of life

SU music artists perform virtually Light work supports local photographers

By Mandy Kraynak culture editor

Two Syracuse University students and an alumnus joined a video call on Thursday night, not for an online class or work meeting, but to perform their original songs for incoming freshmen. The three music artists, SU alum Kyle Micho and juniors Jada Crawford and Sarah Gross, each played a short set during a virtual Orange Celebration LIVE! event hosted by CitrusTV and Z89. Micho, who graduated from SU last semester, was the first performer at the event. He performed the song

“AM,” which he wrote when he was living in Watson Hall. Micho likened virtual concerts to singing into a mirror due to the lack of a visible and audible audience. “It’s always fun for me to do, but it’s more fun when there’s an audience,” he said. Micho, who has been writing songs since age 11, doesn’t categorize the music he makes into a specific genre. When he asks other people to describe the genre, he gets a range of answers, he said. Micho didn’t aspire to be a songwriter; it just happened. He listens and watches, rather than

writes, and the songs are just there, he said. He also hopes to go to Los Angeles once live music returns. Until then, he is stuck in Baldwinsville. “I’m kind of in limbo — in purgatory,” he said. Micho is working on an album that he hopes to release this fall. “It’s been taking a long time, and I’ve been living kind of like a recluse for a little bit working on it, but it’s gonna be ready soon,” he said. At the virtual event, Crawford performed her song “Cups,” which she wrote when she was about 16 see welcome

week page 8

By Mandy Kraynak culture editor

For Binghamton-based artist Hans Gindlesberger, receiving a Light Work grant has been a bright spot during the pandemic and has given him momentum to continue his work. Gindlesberger, Ben Cleeton and Christine Elfman are the three central New York photographers who were awarded Light Work’s 46th Annual Grants in Photography. Each recipient

received a $3,000 stipend, and their work will appear in “Contact Sheet: Light Work Annual” and at an exhibition at Light Work later this fall. The Light Work grant is one of the longest running photography fellowships in the country, said Cjala Surratt, the communications coordinator at Light Work. Light Work strives to support emerging and underrepresented photographers, which includes giving visibility to local artists, see light

work page 8

8 march 11, 2020

from page 7

theater For actors, Hupp plans for shows to begin rehearsing virtually. He also plans for the theater to create an “NBA style bubble” and make sure that they test everyday. The theater has worked with other regional theaters venues to create a standard protocol, Anderson said. “(We’re) thinking about ways to ensure that if a patron comes to a live event at any of our spaces, the protocols are either the same or thoughtfully divergent,” Anderson said. “Statistics show people who support one arts organization tend to support two, three, multiple across the region.” Redhouse Arts Center was also forced to cut a show short, ending its production of August Wilson’s “Fences” in March and pivoting to streaming content. Instead of live performances, Redhouse produced a play that took place entirely on Zoom. The theater also offered online educational programs, just like Syracuse Stage. In July, Redhouse invited students ages 6 to 18 back into the building for in-person learnfrom page 7

welcome week years old. Crawford describes her music as folk/ grunge. She writes music using her acoustic guitar but also loves metal and grunge music.

It’s always fun for me to do, but it’s more fun when there’s an audience Kyle Micho su alum

Crawford started writing music in elementary or middle school. At first, she just wrote lyrics because she didn’t know how to play any instruments. She got a guitar at age 10 but didn’t know what to play because she grew up on reggae, hip-hop and R&B music. Reggae and hip-hop don’t have set chords to learn, while R&B doesn’t usually feature guitar, she explained. “It’s a nice break away from singing, playing the guitar, bass piano, whatever,” Crawford said. “But it’s still doing what I love, and it’s therapeutic for me, especially with writing songs, because I write about how I feel or how I think.” from page 7

light work Surratt said. The Light Work grant is specifically for photographers within a 50-mile radius of Syracuse. Russell Lord, the Freeman Family Curator of Photographs at the New Orleans Museum of Art was one of this year’s three judges. He looks for quality of composition and how well a project conveys the artist’s intended purpose, as described in the artist statement. This year’s grant recipients featured different themes and styles of photography, he said. “You really couldn’t have three more different photographers, but all working at very high levels,” Lord said. Gindlesberger’s submission to the Light Work grant is a collection of different but related projects that focus on the physical presence of images. After a particularly busy year of shows, Gindlesberger realized that a lot of his engagement with his work was virtual. He would send digital prints to exhibitions to be printed off site, he said, but didn’t physically engage with the work. “I sort of missed this physical connection with the work,” Gindlesberger said. “So I started engaging with these projects that really kind of looked not only at the image but also looked at the physical aspects of photography.” Gindlesberger created crayon rubbings of archival images that had been distressed, damaged or preserved to pick up on the surface details of the pictures. He also created contact prints after recasting photos in glass. Cleeton’s project titled “The Town” started out as his capstone at the S.I. Newhouse School

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ing and used social distancing and masks to limit the threat of COVID-19. Samara Hannah, Redhouse’s executive director, said that, while some education has been able to continue in-person, the theater is far from ready to invite actors back into the space. She anticipates a return to live performance sometime next year, but she stresses that continuous testing and other protocols are needed to safely return to normal operation. “The goal is to get back into live theater,” Hannah said. “(But) it’s situational, and you know, really the lives of people is the top priority and what we are focused on.” Nicholas MacLane, an actor, director and designer who works with Central New York Playhouse, said that, as a performer, he would be comfortable returning to the stage once it was deemed safe by local officials. He hopes for shows to be shorter so that he and other actors can stay safe. “I don’t know at what point I’d be comfortable doing a whole two and a half-hour show,” MacLane said. “I think for a while we’re gonna see smaller cast sizes.” mjnerber@syr.edu

Writing music during the quarantine has been difficult, Crawford said, but she hopes to get back into it as the semester starts and have music released before the end of 2020. SU junior Sarah Gross was the final performance of the event. She performed two songs, “Pay Toll” and “ Villas of Rome,” which she wrote on one of her first nights at college when she was missing her family. Gross describes her music as Americana pop with some influences of jazz, noting that it is similar to Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile. Female rock artists have inspired her work, she said. Gross looked up to her older brother and wanted to play guitar as he did. She was also a dancer and knew that she wanted to make music that people could dance to. Now, she hopes to pursue a career in music. Accustomed to writing music for school and for her band, Gross didn’t have anyone to play with during quarantine. During this time, she went back to making music for fun again. This past month, Gross recorded her album “Songs From the Passenger Seat,” which she plans to release in the fall, she said. “That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing during the pandemic — just writing and recording and just kind of being in my own little hobbit hole of music,” she said. ackrayna@syr.edu

of Public Communications and evolved into a whole project on Syracuse over the years. Cleeton said he doesn’t see a lot of good local reporting on Syracuse and wants to do justice by the stories of the people he has met. “The papers just don’t really represent these invisible neighborhoods in Syracuse well or accurately,” Cleeton said. “As I’ve spent more time getting to know people, the realities are very different than what we see, where there’s a lot more to everyone in these different neighborhoods that are kind of invisible in the margins.” Cleeton hopes the project will show Syracuse in a different light. Elfman’s body of work focuses on the tension between the desire for stability and the impermanence of photography. Even though we think photographs freeze a moment in time, they show how difficult it is to capture life, she said. Elfman took photos of rocks and statue fragments with large format film and printed them as both permanent silver gelatin and inkjet prints and as impermanent fading anthotypes. The same light that creates the anthotypes eventually causes the images to fade and disappear, she said in an email. Aaron Turner, another judge for this year’s grant, was an artist in residence at Light Work in 2018. Turner said that while judging the submissions, his personal goal was to cultivate an expansive representation of photography. “In terms of myself as an artist,” Turner said. “I’m always trying to figure out how the medium of photography is constantly being pushed forward: new ideas, new ways of thinking.” ackrayna@syr.edu

In July, Redhouse invited students ages 6 to 18 back into the building for in-person learning with masks and social distancing. courtesy of redhouse arts center

KYLE MICHO performed his song “AM” during a virtual Orange Celebration LIVE! event hosted by CitrusTV and Z89. courtesy of kyle micho

Hans Gindleberger’s work features both crayon rubbings of archival images and contact prints. courtesy of hans gindlesberger

aug. 24, 2020 9

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from page 12

rotc

handful of cadets balance both ROTC and a sport — like Hanuska did, and like Division I athletes Michael Midkiff, a football longsnapper, and rowers Madeleine Gordon and Olivia Schaertl currently do. But beyond the strenuous physical aspects of both programs, beyond the fatigue and the lost hours of sleep, are the leadership skills that translate to all aspects of life and the camaraderie associated with being a part of two “families,” Gordon said. “That’s the main thing we’re doing, constantly assessing their leadership potential,” said Captain Stephen Waltenbaugh, an assistant professor of military science at SU. Early in the fall, ROTC focuses on individual skills like first aid, land navigation and weapons qualification, but the program shifts its focus to leadership skills about halfway through the semester. Cadets who are sophomores and older are assigned a position that requires them to execute leadership tasks multiple times per week, Waltenbaugh said. The key is to develop enough self confidence to delegate and give orders, which is a daunting task, Waltenbaugh said. Firmly telling a peer “you go do this now,” is difficult, Hanuska said, because it feels more natural to ask “Hey man, you feel like doing this now?” Cadets’ self confidence is ultimately tested during a months-long summer camp in Fort Knox, Kentucky, the culmination of the ROTC program. Cadets are expected to execute tactics in unfamiliar territory and participate in a strict competition with a platoon of cadets they don’t know, all while being evaluated by an ROTC instructor they don’t know, either. “If (you) can be an effective manager of 50 people employing multiple weapons systems in a wilderness area, what can’t you achieve?” Waltenbaugh said. The leadership skills ROTC is continuously building translate particularly well to sports, Waltenbaugh said. The program teaches a certain level of trust and com-

munication — crucial between teammates of any sport — and encourages cadets to pursue leadership positions everywhere they go, he said. Both rowers, Gordon and Schaertl are cadets of the Class of 2022 and Class of 2023, respectively. ROTC leadership modules help the entire boat be perfectly “in tune,” which is essential, Gordon said. With rugby, Hanuska and fellow cadet and teammate Nick Brincka said the discipline ROTC taught them earned them respect and trust from their teammates. Others on the team looked up to Brincka, who served for four years in the military right out of high school, Hanuska said. Initially, the physical rigor of multiple daily workouts was tough and tiring, Gordon said. Instead of the typical three days of ROTC physical training a week, Gordon did six days as part of an additional program called Ranger Challenge. She also lifted weights in the morning for rowing and had afternoon practices at Onondaga Lake. With ROTC physical training regularly scheduled for no later than 6:30 a.m. and rowing practices running into the early evening, establishing a routine for doing homework and managing time is crucial, Gordon said. One time, Gordon woke up at 3:30 a.m. for a 12-mile “ruck” march — where ROTC cadets carry backpacks weighing 50 pounds or more — and then got on a bus to go to her rowing race at 8:30 a.m. Because of the sheer amount of exercise Gordon does, her sleep schedule makes her seem “like a grandma,” she said. She’s gone to sleep before 7:30 p.m. “It’s worth it beyond words — I don’t even look at it as I’m not getting sleep,” Gordon said. “It’s my normal.” The Pentagon mandates that cadets have the option to participate in activities like sports that make them more well-rounded, Waltenbaugh said. Athletes in-season can be excused from ROTC physical training, which is exclusively body-weight exercises composed of a cardio day, a core and lower body day and an upper body day. For Hanuska and Brincka, the two would take a day off from rugby if they had an Army Physical Fitness Test the following day, allow-

ing them to rest and recover. Other times, they would skip ROTC physical training after a particularly rough game. Without that flexibility, doing both ROTC and a sport would be impossible, Schaertl said. McKenna Pason, a Class of 2020 cadet, used to borrow workouts from ROTC physical training and bring them to the soccer field where she captained SUNY ESF’s team. If she liked something from ROTC — like routines with squats, burpees and lunges — and thought it might help her teammates, she brought it up. “When I tell people that I did ROTC and soccer a lot of people think ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so crazy,’” Pason said. “But I love playing soccer, so that was pretty easy for me... And then ROTC obviously was my future, so you kind of look at it as, ‘This is my career.’” For many cadets like Pason, Gordon and Hanuska, the military is paying for their education at Syracuse. In return, they participate in ROTC and four years of service after gradu-

ation. Brincka came to Syracuse after four years of service and, after spending the last four years in ROTC, is now on track to become an officer. Many have family members who served and have dreamed of serving since they were young. Both sports and the army build strong bonds because teammates have to go through hardships together, Hanuska said. He remembers one of his instructors who used to say “the army is the greatest fraternity in the world,” because wearing the same uniform makes everyone brothers and sisters. “With rugby, you forge bonds with other people, when we’re on the field together, everyone’s getting beaten up and miserable,” Hanuska said. “It’s the same with the military, you’re out in the field freezing your butt off and that makes you close the person next to you.” rferna04@syr.edu @roshan_f16

Madeleine gordon (middle), an ROTC cadet and Division I rower, has adjusted to the strenuous physical workouts of both programs. courtesy of madeleine gordon

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the basketball tournament

Inside SU alum Kevin Belbey’s founding of Boeheim’s Army By Will Hentschel staff writer

When Kevin Belbey walked out of Faegan’s Cafe & Pub one night in 2014, he was inspired to create the ultimate Syracuse alumni basketball team. He had run into Eric Devendorf at the restaurant, and the SU men’s basketball alumnus was on board with the idea. With the help of other alumni, Belbey went on to create Boeheim’s Army, an Orange alumni team that participates annually in The Basketball Tournament, a single elimination competition that takes place every summer. Belbey spent nearly every day of his undergraduate time at SU involved with the men’s basketball team. Arriving on campus in the late summer of 2009, he immediately joined the team’s managerial staff. Belbey was in Syracuse nearly year-round, attending every early workout, practice and game. He started by filling water bottles and mopping sweat off the court. By his junior year, he was promoted to head manager and oversaw the entire staff of about 20 managers. After the season ended and his subsequent graduation in 2013, Belbey stayed at Syracuse to attend law school. “I knew I wanted to try to stay involved. I had just given so much time and effort for four years to the program,” Belbey said. “But I didn’t know the best way. I didn’t have the time to still be a manager every day.” It was during his first year at law school when Belbey was first introduced to TBT. A friend he knew from home in New Jersey mentioned the creation of a new, winner-take-all tournament and pitched the idea of a Syracuse alumni team. Belbey thought the idea was too good to be true but didn’t have the time to bal-

kevin belbey founded the Syracuse alumni team in 2015 and has nationally expanded the team’s popularity as its general manager. courtesy of ben solomon

ance school and this new project. A few months later, Belbey watched the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni beat Team Barstool for the $500,000 prize. “I thought to myself ‘If Notre Dame can do this, Syracuse can do it and do it better,’” Belbey said. As a basketball manager, Belbey had experience connecting and bringing in former SU players for campus events. During his junior year, Belbey revamped and headed Syracuse’s “Midnight Madness” event at the Carrier Dome. The event sold nearly 20,000 tickets, and the ongoing NBA lockout allowed former Orange players to revisit campus for the event. Former players Wes Johnson, Jonny Flynn and Carmelo Anthony — who was making his

first trip back to Syracuse since his championship run in 2003 — all showed. Philadelphiabased rapper Meek Mill performed as well. In late 2014, Belbey began constructing the Syracuse alumni team, which he named Boeheim’s Army. He first reached out to Hakim Warrick, who played for the Orange from 2001 to 2005, and participated in TBT 2014 for a different team. The second player Belbey was able to recruit was former SU guard Devendorf, whose career has taken him to Turkey, Israel, Greece, Australia and New Zealand. To date, Devendorf is the only Boeheim’s Army player to play for the team every year. With Belbey at the helm, Boeheim’s Army participated in their first tournament in 2015, making it to the quarterfinals, and losing to

Team City of Gods, 80-76. By its third year, TBT had gained a reputation for being highly-competitive and entertaining, with the prize climbing to $2 million in 2016. Belbey enlisted the help of an old friend, Marc Lomasky, to manage increasing travel budgets and rising popularity. The two met in an accounting class during Lomasky’s senior year. Although Lomasky and Belbey knew each other during their time at SU, they became closer when Belbey decided to attend law school. Since the formation of Boeheim’s Army, Lomasky has helped run practices, created a bank account for the team and organized team social media pages. “This is just such a fun, little side projecthobby that he does from work and that I do from work,” Lomasky said. “So it really is kind of a nice distraction from work and also a way to give back to Syracuse.” Outside of Boeheim’s Army, Belbey is an agent to numerous Syracuse alumni broadcasters, including Bob Costas, Mike Tirico and Sean McDonough. Belbey said it’s easy to do the tournament every year because most of his clients and coworkers are SU alumni. This past summer, TBT was one of the first live American sports to return to competition, with a 24 team bubble format. Belbey said fans, employees and players were all eager to get back into the rhythm of sports, calling him to ask for roster spots, unlike most years where Belbey had to ask players to join the squad. “Like the rest of us, they’ve just been sitting on the couch watching Netflix and Tiger King,” Belbey said. “They wanted to get out there and compete and play basketball and do something fun.” wrhentsc@syr.edu

men’s lacrosse

Nick Mariano thrives in MLL with brother as head coach By Skyler Rivera

asst. digital editor

Nick Mariano focused on his opponent across the backyard in Yorktown Heights, New York. He’s disadvantaged — Nick’s brother Tom is 23 years older. Tom advanced toward the cage, and moments later a lacrosse ball whizzed past Nick’s head and into the net behind him. Several years later, Nick is the one scoring the goals in Major League Lacrosse and Tom, his childhood opponent, is on the sideline coaching him and the Chesapeake Bayhawks. “That was like the one time where everyone would get together,” Nick said of playing backyard lacrosse with his siblings. “Everyone would just enjoy lacrosse together and we would have fun.” Before becoming an MLL champion with the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Nick spent two seasons playing for Syracuse. He helped lead the Orange to an Atlantic Coast Conference title and two NCAA quarterfinal appearances in 2016 and 2017. Nick was then drafted fourth overall by his brother, Tom, and the MLL’s Florida Launch. Two years later, Nick was traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks where his brother was the assistant coach and eventually, at the conclusion of their 2019 championship season, Tom became the Bayhawks’ head coach. “I kinda pinch myself because I grew up wanting to be a professional lacrosse player.” Nick said. “To live out those dreams and share it with my brother as being a coach it was really special for me” Although the Marianos’ father never played lacrosse, he’s watched the sport for over 30 years and instilled the game into his from page 12

recruiting The three-star linebacker was initially targeted by Louisville, Wake Forest and East Carolina during the first half of his senior year, but academic issues left him heading into 2020 without an offer. He was set to attend Georgia Military Academy until his grades improved in the spring and Division I schools returned. Cornerbacks coach Chip West was the first

three sons and daughter from a young age. Tom picked up the game in high school and his siblings followed. Tom played for Nazareth College and won a Division-III NCAA title before beginning his coaching career at Sacred Heart and Pace University. In 2013, Tom landed a position with the Ohio Machine of the MLL. That same year, Nick graduated from Yorktown High School and landed a spot at University of Massachusetts. But UMass was simply a pitstop for Nick. Syracuse, Nick’s dream school, didn’t extend an offer to him out of high school and remained silent even after he entered the transfer portal following his sophomore season. Nick traveled West to the Vail Lacrosse Tournament, a premier youth showcase tournament held in Vail, Colorado, in an attempt to get Syracuse to offer him a spot with the Orange. At the tournament, Nick was awarded Offensive MVP honors and caught the eye of Syracuse recruiters, who offered him a spot on their roster. Nick Mariano was heading to SU. “A lot of it has to do with the mentality of the Syracuse lacrosse program.” Nick said, “You know you’re expected to win there. You’re expected to have higher expectations than any other program.” During his time at Syracuse, Nick scored a team-high 35 goals, held a scoring streak in 13 consecutive games that ranked 10th in the nation and became a Tewaaraton Award Semifinalist. After college, Nick joined the Launch, coached by Tom. Initially, Nick was nervous about how his teammates would view him with Tom on the coaching staff. Yet, Nick’s success at Syracuse and talent overpowered from SU to contact him in April. West, an experienced recruiter of the Tidewater area, grew up a few miles away from Sparrow. Sparrow received calls from Appalachian State and Norfolk State, both located closer to home. But he prioritized playing at an Atlantic Coast Conference school. He felt a connection with West because of their common hometowns, and Sparrow was confident that he would receive playing time even with more experienced linebackers in front of him on the depth chart.

nick mariano (left) is coached by his brother Tom (right) on the Chesapeake Bayhawks, which won the MLL Championship in 2019. courtesy of tom marino

any sense of nepotism on the team. In his first season with the Launch, while only playing in eight games, Nick recorded 16 goals, four assists and one caused turnover. “I don’t treat him any different than anybody else,” Tom said. “I’ve always been very careful that there is no preferential treatment, if anything I’m probably harder on him.” There are only a handful of family duos in professional lacrosse, Nick said, and the unique experience has benefitted them both. For Tom, it’s been rewarding to coach and improve Nick’s game while also witnessing his accomplishments first-hand. Tom’s presence has also

helped Nick mature into more of a leader on the field by controlling the “ups and downs in a game” than he was in college, Nick said. Nick and Tom are playing their backyard game on the professional stage, together. “A lot has to do with surrounding yourself with people who want to be great at what they do,” Nick said. “That was what my family was like, especially what it came to not only being a lacrosse player but a person. They always pushed me to be great at everything I did.”

Sparrow participated in SU’s virtual tour and researched Falk College to learn more about the university. He walked down the hallways and glanced around a classroom in one of the college’s buildings. The building impressed him, and he envisioned himself majoring in the sport management program. While difficult, visiting campus virtually is the only feasible way to differentiate a program, Babers said. “We’re showing them a tour of the stadium,

the health center and our buildings,” Babers said. “I think the kids have loved it.” Babers has consistently reiterated his distaste for Zoom recruiting visits, preferring face-to-face interaction where he can shake people’s hands. But with the NCAA’s extension of the recruiting dead period until Sept. 30, Babers will have to continue the adjustments. “This may be one of our best recruiting periods ever, and it was done on Zoom,” he said.

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Sports

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aug. 24, 2020

Syracuse cadets balance ROTC, athletics

OLIVIA SCHAERTL, a Syracuse ROTC cadet and rower, said that the weekly ROTC leadership modules help her entire boat row in sync, which is essential during races. She’s one of two current SU rowers who also participates in ROTC. will fudge staff photographer

For Division I and club sport athletes, juggling both commitments is ‘worth it’ By Roshan Fernandez asst. sports editor

At the beginning of every year, freshmen ROTC cadets stop at the Ernie Davis statue next to Hendricks Chapel during an early-morning run through campus. For Michael Hanuska, that stop came in 2016. Syracuse’s then-lieutenant colonel paused to tell Hanuska, a SU club rugby player, and his fellow cadets how famous alumni like Davis and Jim Brown had balanced Division I football and ROTC, highlighting how closely aligned the university has always been with the military.

If (you) can be an effective manager of 50 people employing multiple weapons systems in a wilderness area, what can’t you achieve? Stephen Waltenbaugh captain and rotc professor

While still at the statue, the lieutenant colonel encouraged them to branch out like Davis did. “The army of today is a diverse army where they don’t want single-minded leaders,” said Hanuska, a cadet of the Class of 2020. “If you’re all thinking the same and you’re all predictable, you’re always going to do the same thing, (so) it’s gonna be easy to defeat you.” Syracuse’s 101-year-old ROTC program, the longest continually running program in the country, is currently composed of about 160 cadets. Among those, a select

see rotc page 9

football

SU and Dino Babers transition to virtual football recruitment By Adam Hillman staff writer

Anwar Sparrow had never stepped foot on Syracuse University’s campus. He hadn’t shaken head coach Dino Babers’ hand or eaten a meal with current SU players. He hadn’t strolled through the Clifford J. Ensley Athletic Center or sat inside his future apartment on South Campus. But on April 29, the 2020 prospect committed to Syracuse. College football recruiting has taken a virtual form since the NCAA on March 13 implemented a dead period for recruiting, preventing in-person contact between coaches

and prospects until at least Sept. 30. Virtual tours, routine FaceTime calls and pitches over Zoom have replaced campus visits and flights across the country to meet coaches and parents. Following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s stay-at-home order in March, SU recruits walked through the Hall of Languages, Bird Library and the university’s Quad from the comfort of their living room. Nineteen players have committed to the Orange since virtual recruiting began, including Sparrow and 2021 commits Duce Chestnut and Austyn Kauhi. “It kind of goes back to old school where you have to watch tape, call high school coaches, call people in

areas that may have seen these young men play to get the best evaluation of them that you can,” Babers said. “You’re not getting the opportunity to see them in camps, in combines, to make the best decision that you can.” Before the pandemic, Division I schools hadn’t contacted Kauhi. The rising senior feared in March that he may never have the opportunity to impress college coaches. So, he took initiative. Kauhi knew Syracuse offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh worked at Hawaii in the early 2000s and discovered that his son, Blair, had his direct messages open on Twitter. He wrote a quick note and sent his

highlight tape. A few days later, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound. tackle was on FaceTime with Cavanaugh. The two talked about a mutual interest in fishing, the difficulties of living through a Syracuse winter and how Kauhi would fit into the uptempo offense. By early April, Kauhi had his first Division I offer. “No one from Syracuse ever saw me play other than through the internet,” Kauhi said. “I guess I had a really different recruitment than most people.” Kauhi was impressed during his virtual tour by the weight lifting facility, locker rooms and practice field at Manley Field House. The

campus felt “comfortable,” the offensive lineman said. For the two months after his offer, he spoke with Cavanuagh or Babers at least once a week. Babers, a native of Hawaii, connected with Kauhi, and Kauhi valued SU’s appreciation of Ohana, the concept of family in Hawaiian culture. After fielding offers from Navy, Hawaii and others, he committed to Syracuse on June 13. Sparrow, who SU didn’t recruit until post-lockdown, didn’t have the option to wait out the decisionmaking process. He wanted to enroll in a school by June to take part in summer classes and play in the fall. see recruiting page 10