thursday, april 3, 2025 celebrating 121 years
N • Anthony’s address
Syracuse basketball legend and recently elected hall of famer Carmelo Anthony will deliver SU’s 2025 commencement speech.
Page 3
C • Sticker stories
Laptop stickers showcase the SU community’s sense of style and individuality. There’s usually a story behind them.
S • ‘Stay tuned’
Football players Darrell Gill Jr., Malachi James and Malachi Coleman are chasing down SU’s 4x100 relay record with sprinter James Nmah.
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Tim Kearns, who attended SU in the 1980s, filed a lawsuit against the university and a former professor under the Adult Survivors Act
By Stephanie Wright editor-in-chief
Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual abuse.
Tim Kearns was waiting for his daughter’s college graduation ceremony to begin when his son showed him an article on his phone about the New York State Adult Survivors Act.
It was May 2023, a year after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the act into law, opening a oneyear window for adult survivors of sexual abuse
who had passed the statute of limitations to file revival action lawsuits.
Kearns, who attended Syracuse University, said he was shocked to hear about the window. He knew right away that he wanted to find an attorney and pursue a case.
In his lawsuit, Kearns alleges that Theodore Wallin, then a professor in the Whitman School of Management, allegedly sexually abused Kearns while he was a student at SU. The lawsuit alleges that Wallin’s conduct caused Kearns to suffer physical, psychological and emotional injuries.
The lawsuit — filed against Wallin and SU on Nov. 21, 2023 — also alleges that the university breached its duty to protect Kearns from injury. It alleges
negligence in the university’s hiring and retaining of Wallin as an employee.
“I wanted to forget about it. I wanted to bury it, never to think about it again,” Kearns said. “I was so ashamed of what happened that I didn’t tell anybody.”
Wallin’s attorney wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange that Wallin denies the allegations brought against him. A SU spokesperson wrote in a statement to The D.O. that the university does not comment on active litigation.
Over a year after its filing, the lawsuit has faced delays because it implicates a former insurance provider for SU that has since filed for bankruptcy. Arro-
on campus
By Sydney DePietto staff writer
Mary Grace Almandrez emphasized Syracuse University’s continued commitment to inclusivity and the importance of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts on campus during SU’s semi-annual DEIA forum on Wednesday. Almandrez, vice president of SU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said the university will continue to be a leader in the space amid President Donald Trump’s anti-DEIA orders. The forum was an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to discuss DEIA on campus. “I think about this moment in time, being very dynamic and at times, deal-
ing with unexpected circumstances,” Almandrez said. “What remains consistent is our commitment to community and connection.”
Tanya Williamson, ODI’s assistant vice president, joined Almandrez in moderating the discussion in the Schine Student Center. The talk focused on the university’s spring semester DEIA initiatives and the
future of such policies under the Trump administration.
Almandrez highlighted several accomplishments from this semester, including professional development events focused on addressing the challenges students of color face on campus, cultural barriers across academic disciplines and dialogue about wellness on campus.
She shared the results of the university’s CORE Four Workshops and said participants are applying its teachings in their roles on campus. The workshops, open to SU faculty, staff and students, focused on the foundations of DEIA, allyship, identifying microaggressions and strengthening the sense of belonging on campus. see deia page 7
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The forecast for this upcoming week, per
WHAT: “No Other Land” Screening
WHEN: Thursday, 6 p.m..
WHERE: Palace Theatre
WHAT: Trans Support Day 2025
WHEN: Saturday, 12–4 p.m.
WHERE: Peck Hall Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: International Festival WHEN: Sunday, 2–5 p.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, Goldstein Auditorium
By Siya Angras staff writer
Since the New York Public Interest Research Group was founded in 1976, the nonprofit has led various environmental advocacy efforts that have, in some cases, contributed to legislative change.
But, since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the group has faced newfound challenges as it works to overcome the administration’s efforts to weaken environmental protections.
Under Trump’s command, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has undone regulations that would have pushed power plants and carmakers toward cleaner forms of energy while eliminating the “good neighbor rule” that regulates downwind air pollution, CNN reported. Trump is also pressuring the EPA to review and possibly rescind policies limiting greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
Reece Holt, NYPIRG’s project coordinator for its Syracuse University and SUNY ESF chapter, said the organization has launched multiple petitions to protest Trump’s anti-environmental policies and spread awareness about their impact. Holt said the organization has had success on campus — garnering 500-600 signatures on most of its petitions — but has struggled to earn the attention of local and state leaders.
“The biggest struggle that we faced in passing the legislative priorities that we’ve been fighting to pass for years now has always just been that New York state has a slow bureaucracy,” Holt said. “Governor Hochul is taking a long time, frankly, to pass out and release the climate regulations we’ve been fighting for. She is delaying a very crucial renewable investment that will help make New York safer and cleaner for everybody who is living here.”
On March 21, NYPIRG co-hosted a Demand Climate Leadership press conference in downtown Syracuse to make their platform known to state
officials like Hochul. Jessica Singh, an SU senior and NYPIRG’s project manager for environmental protection, said the conference also aimed to call out the state’s government for its inaction in regards to environmental protection.
Singh, an international relations and policy studies major, said she was surprised there weren’t more students at the conference and encouraged her peers to contribute to the organization’s efforts. While acknowledging the widespread impact of Trump policies, she said young people have a responsibility to educate themselves and focus on the environmental threats of the new administration.
“There is a lack of communication and advertisement about these initiatives,” Singh said. “SU students should know what’s going on beyond the community and I think we need to form a bigger coalition by doing larger scale events in order to engage our peers.”
Matthew Huber, a geography and environment professor at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, echoed Singh. He said a “powerful political movement” is the only way to prevent environmentally harmful policies.
To combat these policies, he said people will need to unify and magnify their concerns.
“We have a huge need to start rapidly decarbonizing or transitioning the energy system away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy,” Huber said. “But, it’s really a big political problem to figure out how you can take on the socioeconomic class of people who have all this power over all this capital invested in fossil fuel infrastructure.”
On SU’s campus, Singh is spearheading NYPIRG’s Earth Week events through her Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign. The campaign, set for the last two weeks of April, will focus on promoting environmental initiatives through campus collaborations and community engagement.
Trump’s 25% tariffs on sustainable raw materials like foreign aluminum and steel entering the U.S. will likely contribute to New York state’s growing trash crisis. The tariffs, which Trump formally announced Wednesday as part of his promised “Liberation Day,” limit the import of many sustainable single use materials, such as aluminum. As a result, companies will be forced to increase plastic use.
The recycling rate of plastic bottles and jars was 29.1% in 2018, compared with the recycling rate of 50.4% in aluminum beer and soft drink cans. This decrease puts added pressure on New York’s “anemic and slipping” recycling rate, according to NYPIRG.
Singh said NYPIRG is advocating for the modernization of the “Bottle Bill” in response to Trump’s policies.
The 1982 bill, which NYPIRG led advocacy campaigns for, aimed to reduce litter and solid waste that would otherwise end up in landfills by allowing people to redeem a nickel upon deposit of their returnable containers like bottles or aluminum cans. The bill has not been updated since it was passed nearly 40 years ago, but it has still been effective, as litter from beverage containers has been reduced by 70 percent.
To improve participation, NYPIRG is partnering with SU/ESF professors for a panel discussion and a thrift fashion show co-organized by University Girl Magazine, with help from SU’s Student Association. The group will also host a bottle drive in collaboration with UGirl.
“You don’t have to be a project leader. You can just be a regular chapter member and you’ll have basically the same opportunities as an intern,” Singh said. “It really does set you up for opportunities that you never thought you would be able to do.”
sangras@syr.edu
By Justin Girshon sports editor
Carmelo Anthony will deliver Syracuse’s 2025 commencement address during graduation in the JMA Wireless Dome on May 11, the University announced Tuesday. Anthony led the Orange to their lone men’s basketball NCAA Championship in 2003 before embarking on a 19-year NBA career, leading to his Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 election on Wednesday. Anthony’s son, Kiyan, 247Sports’ 36th-ranked class of 2025 recruit, will be a freshman on SU’s men’s basketball team next season.
“Carmelo Anthony played a pivotal role in one of the most storied moments in Syracuse University history,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a press release. “His exceptional talent, relentless work ethic and athletic excellence are matched by his unwavering commitment to giving back, especially in creating opportunities for young people and aspiring student-athletes.” Anthony averaged 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after SU defeated Kansas 81-78 in the national championship. Anthony’s No. 15 jersey was retired by Syracuse in 2013. Following one collegiate season, Anthony declared for the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected No. 3 by the Denver Nuggets.
Across his storied NBA career, Anthony had stints with Nuggets (2003-11), New York Knicks (2011-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-21) and Los Angeles Lakers (2021-22). He scored 28,289 points (22.5 per game) through his career, the 10th highest total in league history. Though Anthony never won an NBA title, he was a four-time gold medal winner with USA Basketball.
“I’m excited to be returning to the Dome to celebrate the amazing achievements of these graduates,” Carmelo Anthony said in SU’s press release. “This is a full-circle moment, and serves as a powerful reminder of how education, resilience and a supportive community can empower you to achieve your dreams. Go Orange!” justingirshon@gmail.com @JustinGirshon
By Ben Butler culture editor
Amid ongoing pressure from Syracuse University students, SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts plans to launch a new Adobe Creative Cloud student personal device license allocation model by the fall 2025 semester, according to a representative of VPA.
While some SU colleges provide Adobe CC personal licenses to its students, its College of Visual and Performing Arts only offers the software to those enrolled in specific courses.
“The College of Visual and Performing Arts (is continuing) to evaluate cost-effective strategies for providing Adobe Creative Cloud licenses to students who require the software for academic purposes,” the representative wrote in a Tuesday statement to The Daily Orange.
All active faculty and staff are provided Adobe CC licenses, according to an ITS page. However, Adobe CC personal device licenses aren’t universally available to SU students.
In some of SU’s academic programs, the software is included in the curriculum, while in others, it is not. Faculty set the curriculum and the deci-
sion to provide Adobe CC personal device licenses to students depends on several factors, including cost and whether students will use the software.
The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications provides Adobe CC licenses to every student enrolled in the college, regardless of major. According to an IT support page last updated in January 2024, Newhouse students receive personal device licenses during the academic semester only.
Newhouse spends approximately $198,000 annually to provide these licenses, a representative for the school wrote in a statement to The D.O. on Tuesday, which are covered by student program fees. Approximately 2,500 students are enrolled in Newhouse, which means it costs the college just under $80 per student per year to provide Adobe CC personal device licenses.
A student paying for Adobe CC out of pocket can expect to pay $240 for their first year and $420 in subsequent years, with a $20 per month charge for the first year of the license that increases by $15 for remaining years.
In SU’s School of Architecture, all students enrolled in the program receive Adobe CC personal device licenses. By covering the cost
through program fees, the school secured “a dramatically lower price on student licenses,” according to an IT page for the School of Architecture last updated in May 2024.
The page notes that “the Adobe license is the most expensive software requirement for the program, and the school had been looking for ways to reduce that cost.” The IT page also states that the school intends “to offer this software in future years as well if costs remain stable.”
In VPA, students receive Adobe CC personal device licenses only when enrolled in certain classes that expire at the course’s completion.
The list of eligible classes in VPA includes a handful of upper-division illustration courses, all drama design and technical theater classes, all courses in the Department of Film and Media Arts and nearly all courses in the School of Design — with the exception of interior design and textiles courses.
In the School of Design, the process to get courses approved for Adobe CC personal device license distribution is fairly straightforward, Program Director Emily Stokes-Rees said. Each semester, she submits a list of classes to VPA’s ITS department for evaluation to provide licenses for students enrolled
in the courses. She said it’s simple for the School of Design, as the list includes virtually all of the department’s courses.
When the department decided to implement Adobe CC personal device licenses a few years ago, Stokes-Rees said it was a collaborative decision among the faculty. For StokesRees, Adobe CC is a “critical” tool in design. However, she said that isn’t necessarily the case for other programs.
When she fills out the budget, Stokes-Rees sends it to VPA’s budget office for approval. Sometimes, VPA returns it with potential adjustments, but the line item for providing Adobe CC is always filled in, she said.
“It’s a large expense,” Stokes-Rees said. “Does it have an impact on money that we would have otherwise used for other things? Absolutely.”
VPA’s ITS department declined to comment.
When asked if VPA should emulate Newhouse’s approach to providing Adobe CC, StokesRees was ambivalent.
“In an ideal world, that would make life a lot easier,” Stokes-Rees said. “But for the time being, the system is actually working just fine.” bnbutler@syr.edu
Whether it’s Otto the Orange, a Minecraft wolf or a funny phrase, laptop stickers are a curated expression of identity and creativity
By Spencer Howard asst. culture editor
yracuse University students and staff open their computers to showcase an eye-catching mosaic of stickers. While they may be focused on what’s on their screen, the other side commonly has a story.
From a Hendricks Chapel “be kind.” sticker to one bearing Woody Guthrie’s classic message “THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS” (made popular among Gen Z because of author and YouTuber John Green), stickers of all varieties represent the identities of the owners that “stuck ‘em.”
Sophomore Carter Moreland’s laptop is layered with stickers from front to back, a feat he’s been working on since he first purchased the laptop over eight years ago. A few stickers from brands he frequently shops from, like Apple and In-N-Out, litter the rectangular space alongside his SU-related stickers. Others have no relevance to him at all, and are just “miscellaneous.”
His favorite sticker is one he got upon admission to the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, an achievement he considers a major step in his life.
While some of his stickers have faded over time, others are brand new.
One reads “Standard Meat,” which
stands out to Moreland because it’s a conversation starter. Although he initially got the sticker from a family friend who owns the meat distribution company, he said people often ask about its origins.
Even SU professors have decorated their computers. When students sit down in Seth Gitner’s classes, they often come face to face with five stickers plastered on the associate professor’s laptop case.
There’s a few promotional stickers from Syracuse University, one of SU’s iconic mascot Otto the Orange and a National Press Photographers Association sticker. What really jumps out, though, is a comedic, yet stern reminder to his students: “Everything I say will be on the exam.”
“You know, my colleagues are like, ‘Where can I get that one?’” Gitner said. Apart from sparking dialogue, Moreland, a political science major, said that a person’s laptop stickers speak volumes about the things they’re interested
My laptop lot about because I can know about somebody else based they have Gabriel su freshman
in. Most people have at least one or two stickers showing off a point of view, slogan or an organization, he said.
Gitner also pointed to the conversational nature of students’ stickers. He likened a computer sticker to the college equivalent of a framed picture hanging inside someone’s home.
“I feel like when someone has a sticker on their computer, I’m already finding out what they like, what they do,” Gitner said. “It just helps me to build a relationship with whoever I’m talking to, student or whoever.”
As an associate professor in the Departments of Magazine, News and Digital Journalism and Visual Communications, Gitner is always encouraging his students to build a rapport with their story sources. Laptop stickers, no matter how meaningless they might seem, provide an outlet for students to
laptop says a me and, of that, know a lot somebody based on what on theirs. Blanco freshman
Although not a journalism student, freshman Gabriel Blanco recalled a time when his sticker from the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, which he’s on as a potential bone marrow donor, gave rise to a funny conversation with a friend. The sticker reads “Will you marrow me?”
Blanco’s laptop, which he bought just before coming to campus, also showcases his journey since arriving on campus in August.
Starting with Halloween stickers and moving counterclockwise from the bottom-right corner of his laptop, Blanco’s stickers track other calendar holidays, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Interspersed between the holidays are decals from SU events, and even a Minecraft wolf.
“I really see a timeline with it,” Blanco said. “It’s just really cool to see it grow throughout my time here.”
Since coming to campus, Blanco has been collecting stickers from various places, like organizations tabling in Schine Student Center or places he’d like to visit, such as Mount Everest. He rarely turns down a free sticker, bringing most of them home to his dorm.
“If I see someone is handing out stickers, I’ll just take one and save it for later,” Blanco said. “They’re literally everywhere.”
One of Blanco’s favorite stickers is a turtle that says “Oceanholic,” which displays his love for nature and animals. Other stickers portray scenes of mountains or encouraging messages like “You can do it!” and “Life is good.”
Because Blanco’s computer is so representative of his interests and experiences, he feels as though he can gauge similar things from others.
“My laptop says a lot about me and, because of that, I can know a lot about somebody else based on what they have on theirs,” Blanco said.
Regardless of major or school, laptop stickers remain a staple form of expression for SU’s community. Less conventional than clothing but just as expressive, these decals send messages big and small. As long as laptops remain a ubiquitous part of college life, they’ll stick around.
“I’m growing, you know? I’m like, ‘Oh, now this represents me,’” Gitner said. sphoward@syr.edu
wood Indemnity Corporation was a successor to Royal Insurance Company of America, which insured SU through a general liability policy at the time of the alleged abuse, according to case documents filed by SU’s counsel.
Wallin’s counsel confirmed that as an SU employee, he was insured by its insurance policy at the time of the alleged abuse, in a January 2024 status update to the court.
I wanted to forget about it. I wanted to bury it, never to think about it again.
Tim Kearns su alum
Kearns said the lawsuit’s delays have caused him further emotional distress.
“It’s incredibly frustrating, to go from feeling validated with the filing of (the lawsuit) to an immediate feeling of being re-traumatized,” Kearns said.
Kearns’ lawsuit is seeking punitive damages for the “personal injuries, pain and suffering” of the alleged “assault, battery and sexual abuse” from Wallin.
The language of the ASA directs courts to promote the “timely adjudication” of revived actions.
Kearns, who studied in Whitman and in the Newhouse School of Public Communications, said he first met Wallin in January 1985. He reached out to Wallin to ask him to be a faculty advisor for SU’s chapter of the Sigma Chi Epsilon fraternity, which Kearns was a member of.
Administrators in Whitman recommended Wallin to Kearns as a potential advisor for the fraternity, Kearns said. According to Wallin’s profile on Sage Publishing, Wallin worked as a professor in Whitman for 34 years, including as chair of its Department of Marketing and head of several programs. He is also listed as a professor emeritus at Sejong University’s School of Business in Seoul on his Linkedin.
As of Wednesday, Wallin is listed as a professor emeritus in SU’s Emeriti directory.
After meeting Wallin through the context of the fraternity advisorship, Kearns described his relationship with him as that of a mentor. Kearns said he would frequently visit Wallin’s office for conversation, though he didn’t have him as a professor yet.
In the fall semester of 1986, Kearns enrolled in the course TDM365: Transportation Management with Wallin as his professor. Kearns said he was “delighted and excited” to have Wallin as a professor.
But Kearns did poorly on an exam in the class, he said — sometime between October and December of 1986, as listed in the lawsuit’s time frame. Kearns said he went to Wallin for an opportunity to bring up his grade; Wallin suggested an “oral retest,” Kearns said.
It’s incredibly frustrating, to go from feeling validated with the filing of (the lawsuit) to an immediate feeling of being re-traumatized.
Tim Kerns su alum
Wallin instructed Kearns to come to his office for the “retest,” Kearns said. Kearns recalled the office being empty the evening that he went. He said Wallin directed him to sit in a secluded department office area with no windows — not the personal office where Kearns had visited him before.
The lawsuit claims the alleged unwanted sexual contact occurred in Wallin’s office. Kearns clarified this claim, saying the “retest” occurred in the department office area outside Wallin’s office.
For the “oral retest,” Kearns said Wallin directed him to sit in a chair against a wall in a corner, while Wallin sat at a desk in front of him.
“He was increasingly leaning over in my direction and as the questions were being asked, and as I was attempting to answer, he moved closer and closer in front of me
and started to stroke my leg, then my thigh, and then up and over my groin area and over my genitals,” Kearns said. “All the while I’m trying to answer the questions. And this continued for some time.”
Kearns confirmed that this incident constitutes the alleged abuse in the lawsuit.
Internally, Kearns was experiencing panic and paralysis, he said. Through therapy, he said he’s since come to recognize his response to the alleged abuse as dissociation.
“I was just absolutely in shock, and I was concerned about my grade. I knew that he had an amount of power over me. I didn’t understand why it was happening,” Kearns said. “I thought he was somebody that I trusted. He was at a position of power. He was a faculty member, and he had a lot of power over me, my grade, my association with the fraternity and the other people that he knew.”
After the alleged abuse, Kearns said he didn’t tell anyone. He said he lost motivation to finish college and left SU after that fall semester, still needing some credits to fulfill his degree. Though he walked in SU’s May 1987 commencement ceremony, he did not receive his degree until 1992, after he took classes to fulfill his final credits at Temple University.
In spite of the alleged abuse, Kearns and Wallin maintained occasional contact, Kearns said. The two spoke on the phone on a few occasions, and once when Kearns was back in Syracuse between 1988 and 1989, they got lunch together at a restaurant off campus, he said. Kearns said there was no mention of the alleged abuse or further unwanted sexual contact from Wallin after the fall of 1986.
Kearns said he maintained contact because he wanted to reclaim the mentor relationship he had with Wallin. But, Kearns mainly stayed away from SU, as he wasn’t able to enjoy his university ties, he said.
“One of the biggest tragedies of this was the loss of that genuine relationship that I felt,” Kearns said. “I can’t answer for (Wallin), but it’s now tainted by the feeling that all he ever wanted for me was to be his sexual gratification.”
Kearns said he has continuing issues of distrust because of the alleged abuse, among other emotional impacts he’s sought counseling for.
Arrowood’s liquidation enacted stays — or stops on legal proceedings — in the case. Because of the stays, neither defendant has responded to the claims in the lawsuit, Kearns and his attorney, Amina Karic, said. The original deadline for the defendants’ response was Dec. 6, 2023.
SU’s counsel also delayed the case by moving it to federal court because Kearns isn’t located in New York, but SU and Wallin are. The case moved out of the New York State Supreme Court in Onondaga County to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Arrowood is implicated in the case because its policy would pay if SU settled the lawsuit or if Kearns wins at trial.
Arrowood went into liquidation on Nov. 8, 2023, according to the Delaware Department of Insurance’s website. Arrowood’s liquidation enacted an immediate 180-day stay on all lawsuits like Kearns’ that are affected by the insurance company’s policies. The original stay was set to be lifted on May 6, 2024.
On March 1, 2024, an order was filed seeking an ancillary receiver proceeding in New York for Arrowood and an additional 180day stay. When the order was approved on Sept. 27, 2024, an additional 180-day stay was granted, further delaying Kearns’ case.
An ancillary receiver is an officer of the court who is appointed to oversee assets of a liquidated or bankrupt company in the jurisdiction that they are appointed in.
While Kearns is hoping to gain closure for his traumatic experience, the stays have meant that evidence discovery and depositions cannot move forward. Thus far, there has been one hearing for the case, on Dec. 9, 2024, in which the court instructed all parties to show why the matter should not be closed, dismissed or proceed forward.
On March 26, the stay from September ended. In a Monday status update filed to the case’s judge, SU’s counsel said that since New York’s Insurance Liquidation Bureau has not yet reviewed the case’s eligibility, it cannot engage in “substantive discussion” regarding the case. Attorneys for Wallin wrote in a Tuesday status update that they agreed with the university’s report and had nothing else to add.
Attorneys with expertise in civil lawsuits said that while these stays are common for bankrupt insurance companies, the delays can retraumatize survivors impacted by those policies. Hardeep Shergill, an attorney who focuses on civil rights, said she’s seen other
Tim Kearns attended Syracuse University from 1982–1987. At SU, he was a member of the Sigma Chi Epsilon fraternity.
insurance providers file for bankruptcy when implicated in sexual abuse lawsuits. When insurance companies file for bankruptcy, most cases that implicate them cannot move forward until the bankruptcy is resolved, she said. Shergill said these delays pose no downside to the defendants in these cases.
Delays only benefit the defense here, so they obviously have no issue to continue delaying, delaying, delaying, whereas obviously plaintiffs are going to find it very frustrating.
Hardeep Shergill attorney
“Delays only benefit the defense here, so they obviously have no issue to continue delaying, delaying, delaying, whereas obviously plaintiffs are going to find it very frustrating,” Shergill said. “Their whole life is on hold until this case is over, basically, and it’s a type of case that, because it’s so personal, can be very traumatizing for a person to have to keep living through for years.”
Arrowood’s liquidation has impacted every case it’s involved in as an insurer. Robert Druger is part of a group of SU alumni who filed a separate lawsuit against the university under ASA on Nov. 3, 2023. The case — May et al v. SU — includes claims of negligence and negligent hiring by SU in relation to alleged abuse by Conrad Mainwaring. Druger echoed Kearns’ frustration over the stays on the cases.
Druger, who is originally from Syracuse and is the son of SU biology professor emeritus Marvin Druger, also previously filed a lawsuit against the university in 2020 regarding alleged abuse he suffered from Mainwaring.
He said he first met Mainwaring when he was a student at Nottingham High School in the Syracuse City School District. Druger’s individual case names SCSD and its board of education, along with SU and its board of trustees.
Mainwaring, who was a participant in the 1976 Olympics, worked at SU with its track and
La Shaun Jones, an administrative assistant for New Student Programs, spoke about recent changes within her program in terms of descriptions and labels pertaining to DEIA. She said there have been changes to language in event descriptions to “stay underneath the radar” amid Trump’s anti-DEIA policies. Jones questioned if the university would see a campus-wide mandate to avoid losing federal money.
In response, Almandrez reaffirmed the university’s commitment to continue supporting DEIA initiatives and said this work at SU remains unwavering. She said its offices will continue to comply with the law while also retaining its core values.
“It’s not an erasure, because that’s not who we are,” Almandrez said. “The work we’re doing is critical. It is part of our DNA.”
The forum also included an interactive group discussion. Participants were given postage sheets to write their thoughts on finding community at SU and which ODI services have the greatest impact.
Carlota Deseda-Coon, the director of the Kessler Scholars Program for the Intercultural Collective at SU, emphasized the importance of stepping outside comfort zones and creating safe spaces to cultivate growth as a whole community.
It’s not an erasure, because that’s not who we are. The work we’re doing is critical. It is part of our DNA.
Mary Grace Almandrez ODI vice president
“As long as you feel respected, we can probably have a space where we can have that dialog, even with people that don’t think like you do, or don’t
field team and as a deputy director and dorm counselor at Brewster Hall. In February 2024, Mainwaring pleaded guilty to charges of sexually molesting boys at Camp Greylock in Massachusetts in the 1970s. He was sentenced to up to 11 years in prison.
A 2019 ESPN investigation uncovered at least 41 allegations of sexual molestation against Mainwaring, spanning schools and programs across the United States and England over 44 years. Mainwaring is named in three of nine lawsuits filed against SU under ASA.
Druger described the lawsuits as “hanging over” him because of the delays.
“You don’t talk about something for 40 years and all of a sudden it’s in your face, it’s hard to deal with,” Druger said. “It’s hard to talk about even now.”
Kearns said the lawsuit process has been an “emotional rollercoaster” after he buried the alleged abuse for decades.
Like Kearns, Druger also faced a notice of removal in the case he’s involved with, May et al v. SU.
Druger’s residence was incorrectly listed as a Pennsylvania address when first filed. The case was moved to federal district court, but in October 2024, it was remanded back to the New York Supreme Court in Onondaga County once Druger’s residence was corrected, according to case records.
Druger said he feels the removal to federal district court was a stall tactic on the university’s part.
There’s no real justice in this. I can’t undo what was done, but I can make a statement. It’s not about money.
Bob Druger su alum
Edward Nitkewicz, an attorney who specializes in personal injury law, said even without a bankruptcy stay, ASA cases can still take a long time. Since ASA cases’ allegations are from years ago, it can be difficult to find first-hand witnesses and documents for evidence, he said. When an involved party files for bankruptcy, it freezes the entire case, he said.
Several Catholic dioceses across the country, and the Boy Scouts of America, have filed
for bankruptcy after the ASA and similar laws in other states brought forward thousands of sexual abuse allegations.
“Many of our many victims that we represent understand that they wait a long time, but they try to be as patient as possible, and it’s emotionally taxing,” Nitkewicz said.
When an insurance company fails, it goes into a state-governed liquidation proceeding, said Daniel Rabinowitz, an attorney who specializes in insurance law. The state’s insurance department will take the bankrupt company under receivership, he said.
Once an insurance company is under receivership, people making claims on the policy have to seek payment from the state-run insurance fund. The court will set a deadline for people to file a claim and evaluate the claims for merit to see if the policyholder can be compensated.
Things become more complicated when a liquidating insurance company is located in one state but has policies in another. Rabinowitz said the state where the company is located usually takes the lead in proceedings, but people affected in other states still have the ability to make a claim.
The filing deadline for proof of claims involving Arrowood is May 15, according to the Delaware Department of Insurance website. Karic, Kearns’ attorney, said she has filed proof of claim with Arrowood.
Once cases move onto the litigation phase, they usually still move slowly, Rabinowitz said.
“People who are tort victims, tort meaning any kind of civil wrong like harassment or abuse or molestation or whatever, unfortunately, you get victimized twice,” Rabinowitz said. “You get victimized the first time by whoever did it to you, and then if the insurance company is insolvent, you have to wait a long time to get relief, and it’s very frustrating, I’m sure.”
Since the ASA window closed in 2023, Shergill said many cases under it are still “nowhere near” settlement. Cases like this can take anywhere from two to five years to finish, she said.
In the Monday status update filed by the university’s counsel, it maintained that no proceedings in the case could occur without the authorization of the New York Insurance Liquidation Bureau.
Kat Thomas, one of the attorneys for Druger’s cases, wrote in a statement to The D.O. that the stays prohibited litigating the cases for a year and a half, including issuing subpoenas.
“You feel helpless when you watch your clients get re-victimized by the system,” Thomas wrote. “We are relieved to know that many of the New York Supreme Court judges are aware that
the stay was not extended and advising that the litigation should go forward.”
Now that the stay has been lifted, Karic, Kearns’ attorney, said she intends to progress the case by requesting evidence and depositions.
“It’s been incredibly, incredibly frustrating for all of the survivors as their opportunity to be heard, to have their stories be heard, and for justice has been thwarted by the bankruptcy proceedings and the stays, so we’re very thankful that the stay has been lifted in this case,” Karic said.
You get victimized the first time by whoever did it to you, and then if the insurance company is insolvent, you have to wait a long time to get relief, and it’s very frustrating, I’m sure.
Daniel Rabinowitz attorney
In his lawsuits, Druger said he’s not focused on money, but rather making a statement for other survivors. He said he’s eager to get the cases over with so he can move on to working on helping prevent further abuse.
“There’s no real justice in this. I can’t undo what was done, but I can make a statement. It’s not about money,” Druger said. “A lot of times money is the only thing you can do, but if you’re going to make a difference, you’ve got to fight the legal system to make a statement.”
Druger emphasized that predators will only be caught when survivors tell their stories.
Moving forward, Kearns said he wants both defendants to respond to the claims listed in the lawsuit and for evidence discovery and depositions to begin.
He said he feels the university is not taking accountability for the alleged abuse.
“There was a serious lifelong emotional distress caused by what Wallin did to me,” Kearns said. “There’s the shock of the moment and then there’s the ongoing consequences throughout my life, which continue to this day, despite decades of therapy.”
spwright@syr.edu @stephaniwri_
think like I do,” Deseda-Coon said. “That’s the only way that we can move forward to provide a space, or little pieces of space that ultimately can make us all feel a part of something larger.”
Emlyn Lewis, an SU sophomore, said having DEIA services available on campus provides her with comfort and reassurance, and makes SU feel like a closer-knit community.
Almandrez said the university is focusing on improving DEIA initiatives on campus, with the creation of a new suite in Steele Hall that will house the Inclusion and Belonging Office and Disability Access team.
She also said there haven’t been discussions about dismantling affinity groups at SU. She said these groups are essential for the university’s growth. The university has created two new groups, including one founded by LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and allies, she said.
In the face of adversity and change, Almandrez said she believes in the strength of the SU community to continue fighting for the future of DEIA.
“We are a campus that is resilient,” she said. “We are a campus that has this long legacy and history of being a campus that is working into all, and we will continue to do this work together as we weather these different storms.” sadepiet@syr.edu
Solace, a clothing company created by Syracuse University students, highlights the fashion needs of people who are neurodivergent
By Charlotte Price asst. digital editor
After a job interview in 2023, interviewers criticized Carolyn Fernandes for picking at her nails throughout the conversation. But for the Syracuse University senior, moving and fidgeting is a part of everyday life.
She wondered how she would ever get by if something so innate for her wouldn’t be accepted in a professional environment.
Fernandes’ struggles aren’t a singular experience. Lucas d’Oelsnitz, another SU senior, deals with anxiety and ADHD.
Now, d’Oelsnitz and Fernandes work as project coordinator and industrial designer, respectively, for Solace Collective.
“What makes me want to join (a project) is when I see myself as the customer,” d’Oelsnitz said.
Solace is a startup clothing brand focusing on the needs of neurodivergent people through garments designed to incorporate fidgeting or anxiety-relief.
d’Oelsnitz and Fernandes collaborate with team coordinator Aidan Turner and six other
SU students who work on branding, fashion design and engagement.
Solace’s name comes from the Latin root sol, meaning sun. Its motto, “reassurance and warmth,” represents what the brand hopes to provide for people who are neurodivergent, Fernandes said.
Currently, the Solace brand consists of four samples the company received from a garment factory based on its designs. Each is a matching hoodie or sweatshirt and sweatpant set that focuses on addressing a different aspect of neurodivergent needs. A gray hoodie with slashes in the arms reveals red fabric, which the wearer can weave their fingers in and out of, providing a built-in fidget.
The hoodie and sweatpants are double-lined, so the wearer can customize the garment by cutting their own rips in it. Fernandes pictures this being useful for a student who’s especially struggling to focus during class.
A main challenge of developing clothing for customers who are neurodivergent is that one specialization won’t fit everyone’s needs or preferences, Turner said. One approach Solace has taken to this problem is Turner’s favorite
see solace page 10
from the stage
Professor
Shortly after seeing the show’s low attendance, she felt inspired to reconfigure her Business of Live Music & Experiential Brand Activation course curriculum. At the time,
the course (now BAN 345) was more theoretical and lecture-based, and she knew her class had to be more practical to prepare students for organizing life shows.
“ You really learn by doing it,” said Santosuosso, a professor of practice in Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries. “It’s way better than being in a classroom and taking notes. Putting a live show together will allow the students to have some skin in the game.”
Bandier will host its second edition of Spring Madhouse this Saturday at The Song & Dance. The entirely student-run production will open with two student DJs, leading up to its headliners, rappers Lil Sccrt and Mar WRLD.
The class of about 40 students were divided into six teams: production, sound, content creation, digital marketing, grassroots marketing and brand partnerships. While each student held responsibilities within
their own teams, the entire class had to agree on who they wanted to feature, which was harder than expected, sophomore Emmett Milberg said. The class spent almost a month finalizing the show’s headliners from assessing artist’s affordability to choosing a genre that caters to a youthful, more energetic crowd. When selecting the show’s headliners, the cost of travel and accommodations was a concern, prompting the class to focus on local artists, Milberg said.
“ With the budget that we have, I was honestly ready to accept that we might have to book a not so amazing artist, but they’re both really, really great,” Milberg said.
With booking local artists in mind, sophomore Josh Chun suggested Lil Sccrt, an underground rapper from Syracuse. With Lil Sccrt’s following of 33,000, the class hopes he will attract local fans to the show, Milberg said.
By Irene Lekakis asst. culture editor
G.Y. Joey describes the rap scene of his hometown, Syracuse, as something that “doesn’t really have its own sound.” With originality and confidence, Joey is attempting to add to Syracuse’s “bare” sound.
“I can’t force anybody to like my music,” Joey said. Whether they like it or not, I like to keep a deep palette of songs. I never sound the same on the next song.”
G.Y. Joey, whose real name is Calvon Stokes, has made music his entire life. At 4 years old, his mother put him in local music competitions and had him and his brother audition for Sony Music Entertainment. He began rapping a few years later, taking inspiration from his brother, who had already started making mixtapes.
His stage name is short for Joseph. He relates it to the biblical idea that God will bless people named Joseph. Part of his name choice is for marketing purposes — it’s easy to say and pronounce, which’ll hopefully help get his name out there.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Joey began taking his music career seriously. Last year, he had a series of singles that he’d been working on and planned on dropping. After further consideration, he decided to turn it into a full project: his upcoming album, Mud Plug.
“I fall in love with the process of making a project,” Joey said. “I started putting together songs and everything I basically worked on, I zeroed in on it so I could be 100%.”
Joey prides himself on his authentic lyricism in all the songs he creates, though he doesn’t have a distinct theme throughout his new project. He knows if he stays true to himself, listeners will resonate more with his music.
Much of his inspiration comes from his personal life. He raps about things he sees happening to his family, friends or in the media. Though he prefers not to put his style into a box, he said it’s like “a mix of down South and East Coast flows.”
Joey’s longtime friend, Trey Boyd, acknowledged that his lyricism makes him stand out. He said some rappers in the industry today look to create conflict and tension with lyrics that are often fabricated.
“I feel like with (Joey), he knows that hip-hop is always going to be relevant and having that wordplay and delivery is always going to make him stand above other people,” Boyd said.
Another one of Joey’s close friends, Lloyd Simmons, said Joey’s understanding of the industry makes working with him easier. Simmons works as Joey’s photographer and videographer, taking pictures for Joey’s album covers. The two childhood friends have worked together since 2003, bouncing ideas off each other and inspiring one another.
“He’s definitely rooted in his musicianship,” Simmons said. “He’s a very developed fan of the culture and genre. I think he’s an intuitive writer, but he’s also a fan, just knowing the landscape and knowing what the output could definitely make better music.”
Consistency hasn’t always been easy for Joey. He took a three-year hiatus before committing
to the rap industry in 2019. He was frustrated with the people he was working with, and felt like he was putting in more work than them. It made him depressed.
Judgment from others brought Joey out of retirement. He knew he wanted to come back when his brother and those close to him questioned his music career and what happened to it. Instead of getting upset, he channeled his emotions into making music.
From Simmons’ perspective, he could tell the mental break helped Joey get back on track. With a fresh mind and new creative ideas flowing, his music improved.
Family is important to Joey, and made him want to make a return to music. He wants to set a good example for his son.
“I want to teach my son that if you want something, you’ll feel better if you go 100%,” Joey said. “Even if you fail, you feel, ‘That’s the best I got.’”
His positive mindset keeps him going. Those around him see his progress, and he hopes over time that other people will see it, too. By staying consistent, Joey said he’s already made connections he didn’t have before.
“I think his work ethic and his music is amazing. He’s constantly working,” Boyd said.
With dedication to his craft and a positive mindset, Joey has turned rapping, which used to be a side hustle, into his full-time job. His brief hiatus only made him stronger.
“It’s something that I love. I feel like it’s my God-given talent,” Joey said. “I feel like I owe it to the universe, myself and my family to make sure I put in 100%.”
iclekaki@syr.edu
By Lily Zuckerman design editor
Before he started driving Ubers in Syracuse, Navneet Arora had never heard of One Direction.
One night, a passenger asked him to play a song by the boy band. Now, their music, along with LED lights inspired by his ride-sharing contemporary, “Candyman,” is a core part of his brand.
“Ever since that night, 99% of the music I play in my car is One Direction,” Arora said. “I love them.”
Arora’s been a full-time Uber driver since 2023. In September 2024, a student convinced Arora to make a TikTok account. He posted his first video in January, and it went viral. Now, the account, @cuseride, now has over 10,000 followers and over 26,000 likes.
Most rides in Arora’s car consist of One Direction, banter and inspiration for his many TikTok videos. Passengers who ride with Arora via Uber or Lyft hop in, sometimes recognizing that they’ve had him as a driver before.
“He tries to make his rides as fun as possible,” said Madison Mayr, an SU freshman and psychology major. “The lights and music show he wants everyone to have a good time in his car.”
Arora’s typical day starts at 8 a.m. when he drops off his wife at work and his daughter at school. During the day, he cares for his newborn. Once his wife returns home from work around 3 p.m., he gets the car washed, then heads out into the night for Uber rides.
He won’t return until about 2 a.m.
Before this routine became his norm, Arora moved from India to the United States 13 years ago. He settled in Binghamton, where his sister lived, and worked as a cash clerk at a gas station making minimum wage (at the time, $8 an hour).
Arora worked about 50-to-60 hours a week, making it “a very hard couple of years.” Eager for change and better pay, he started driving yellow cab taxis in Binghamton.
Then, in 2018, Arora started driving for Uber. The pay was better due to a combination of fewer registered Uber drivers and increasingly high prices to get a ride.
After two years of driving for Uber and saving a sufficient amount of cash, he decided to start a business in Binghamton with his wife. Arora said despite the business starting off well, he had to close the businesses in 2023.
Looking for a fresh start and more opportunities for his family members, Arora decided to move to the Syracuse area. He now lives in Manlius with his wife, three kids, nephew and mother. Compared to Binghamton, Arora said that Syracuse exceeds his former situation.
“I’m making good money here, it’s keeping me feeding the seven people in my family that live with me,” Arora said. “I never lose hope. I knew that when I lost everything in the past, I could work hard and make that money back again.”
Each day that he’s driving, Arora estimates that he gives roughly 50 Uber rides and 15 rides on Lyft, and he spends over 10 hours in his car. Passengers can expect a clean car when they step into Arora’s vehicle. No matter what, his car goes through the car wash every day.
To add traction to his TikTok, Arora decided to adorn his car with stickers of his handle and QR codes that link to his account. Now, with a car decked in stickers, passengers like Mayr can spot him from about a mile away.
In January, after her first ride with Arora, Mayr woke up the next morning to see that five of her friends had sent her a TikTok that he had posted of her. She and her friends were blasting music while singing.
“I woke up from a night out and received texts from five different people,” Mayr said. “They each said the same thing: ‘Why are you sitting in the front seat?’”
Mayr was happy that a moment like that, singing and dancing to good music with her friends, had been captured on video. Arora tries to post to his page daily, because he said it makes him feel “more connected” with his SU clients.
Similar to Mayr, sophomore Remi Strauss also saw a video one morning from the night before of her and her friends in the Uber.
“Honestly, I didn’t really care,” Strauss said. “He was pretty lit.”
The more time he spends making TikToks, the more he learns about creating content and available features, he said. Just last week, he learned how to add a voiceover on photos and videos.
Arora stays motivated to create and continue his love for making TikTok videos as they reach
Cage Collective
The girls will make their appearance at Cage this weekend. DJs Laur and Heathey J will spin their jams Thursday night. Get ready to dance the night away!
WHEN : Thursday, 10 p.m.
WHERE: DM @cage_collective on Instagram for address PRICE: $7 presale, $10 at door
Setnor Ensemble Series: Guitar and Funk Ensembles
Listen and relax Friday evening with some guitar and funk music. The Setnor School of Music’s jazz and commercial music Jazz Guitar Ensemble and Jazz Funk Ensemble will be performing on campus.
WHEN : Friday, 5-6 p.m.
WHERE: Shemin Auditorium in Shaffer Art Building PRICE: Free
Sunday Best: ‘Cuse Edition
The Black Celestial Choral Ensemble presents the musical talents of gospel artists from the Syracuse University community. This event will feature performances from Shakira Santos, Camira Whitney and Malichi Simmons.
WHEN : Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Skybarn PRICE: Free
Spring is in the air at Dazed this weekend. Head on over to see performances from Padma, Bread n’ Butter and Beer Cat. For this concert, Dazed is partnering with Vera House, a local organization that provides survivors of domestic violence with support and access to housing.
WHEN : Friday, doors at 10 p.m., music at 10:30 p.m.
WHERE: DM @dazedcuse on Instagram for address PRICE: $10 at the door
even more people. As of now, his most watched video has reached over 77,000 views.
SU’s campus is like a second home to Arora.
Ever since moving to Manlius and driving around Syracuse, he’s learned how to make the most of his time driving, and rarely accepts rides outside North Campus.
“Driving kids, making sure they are reaching the destination, wherever they want to go safely,” Arora said. “That’s the model, that’s the goal.” lilyvzuckerman@gmail.com
United We Dance: The Ultimate Rave Experience
If you’ve been looking to go to a rave, look no further than Westcott Theater this weekend. They will feature local DJs Jonathan Hess and Adonix playing original remixes of EDM hits from artists like Fisher, Dom Dolla, John Summit and more. Festival or rave attire is encouraged.
WHEN : Saturday, doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.
WHERE: Westcott Theater PRICE: $27.40
design, a red crew neck and sweatpants set that appears standard at first glance.
Upon a closer look, the cuffs of both the sweatshirt and sweatpants have a piece of exposed elastic that the wearer can choose to leave intact or cut, based on their preference. The feeling of a tight cuff on a sweatshirt or pant leg can be overstimulating for some wearers, Turner said.
“People are divided,” Turner said. “Some people prefer one way. Some people prefer the other way. What we’re doing here is trying to solve this with one garment.”
Another sample is a lightweight, breathable white sweatshirt designed with minimal seams, specifically excluding seams underneath the armpit. Fernandes said the sweatshirt’s fashionable, rugged look combines style with accessibility. The fourth sweatshirt incorporates discrete fidgeting with textured fabrics tucked into the pockets.
The Solace team prioritizes direct feedback from people who are neurodivergent, Turner said. The team hosted 10 tabling events in the past two weeks in busy locations around SU, inviting any student, neurodivergent or not, to try on the garment samples and give feedback.
After choosing Lil Sccrt, sophomore Zharia Harris-Waddy pitched Mar WRLD, a rapper from New Jersey who also has a following in Syracuse. Harris-Waddy said the rapper is also good friends with SU football player Alijah Clark and frequently visits Syracuse, making it a good fit.
After connecting with Harris-Waddy, Mar WRLD, whose real name is C’Mar Webster, worked closely with the Bandier students to prepare for the upcoming performance. From planning his setlist to shooting promotions with the class’s content creation team, Webster said collaborating with the students stands out from his previous experiences.
“Even before coming to the classroom, everyone had lots of love,” Webster said. “Syracuse is the farthest place I’ve performed and I feel very welcomed. It makes me bring more excitement to the show.”
Spring Madhouse not only gives Bandier students the opportunity to apply their skills into the real world, but highlights other student talents like sophomore Lauren Ervin, one of the student DJ openers.
Ervin’s previous performances featured fellow DJs performing the same genre throughout the night. Spring Madhouse poses a different opportunity for her, she said, as she hopes to find a middle ground between her upbeat house music and Lil Sccrt and Mar WRLD’s fasterpaced rap music.
“I was told that I could play whatever I want, but I’m keeping in mind the audience, who’s there to see the rappers,” Ervin said. “I’m trying to sort out my set list and it needs to be really hyped and have more reachable and tangible songs.”
After months of sorting out the show’s logistics, Milberg is excited to see his class’s
Participants can even enter themselves to win free clothes by filling out an online feedback form.
“The message and the purpose of the brand is probably one of the strongest things that we have,” Turner said. “We are designing directly with neurodivergent individuals. We’re saying, ‘Hey, come try these garments on. We want to know what works. We want to know what doesn’t work.’”
The idea for Solace was developed in Intelligence ++, an initiative which includes a two-semester course that focuses on creating products for people with disabilities. Turner said that out of all the products developed in the class, Solace is the only one on track to reach the marketplace.
d’Oelsnitz said Solace applied for and received a $5,000 grant from Intelligence ++, which they poured into the four industrial samples they use for the customer feedback events. Turner said that when he realized ordering their first full set of inventory would cost tens of thousands of dollars, he understood how hard the path ahead might be.
“There’s been plenty of ‘oh sh*t,’ moments, where the world seems like it’s kind of caving in on you, and you’ve got to fight through,” Turner said. “I mean, long nights, early mornings, that’s a given.”
The Solace team has applied for numerous grants to fund their initial round of production, and are currently semi-finalists of Panasci, a Martin J. Whitman School of Management business competition. They’ve also been accepted to the finals of New York Business Plan Competition. d’Oelsnitz said that though significant funds are needed to get the brand off the ground, the team is optimistic.
The team plans to launch pre-orders in early May, shortly after a few of the members graduate. Fernandes and d’Oelsnitz want to turn Solace into their full-time jobs, though d’Oelsnitz plans on taking a job in finance until the brand takes off. He feels anxious about the shift from a college startup to a functional company.
“Right now, I’m having fun doing something I’m passionate about, but once we launch, it becomes real, it becomes a job, and it becomes a tremendous commitment,” d’Oelsenitz said. “I’m excited for it, but obviously at that point, the risk really kicks up.”
d’Oelsnitz said that despite the risk and anxiety, members of the Solace team are assured they will be successful after receiving feedback from consumers. He thinks people are inspired to lend their support to Solace because they have family and friends who are neurodivergent, and can recognize that the products will be effective for them.
Today’s clothing market isn’t addressing neurodivergence, Fernandes said. She hopes people will walk away from Solace understanding that considerations for neurodivergence aren’t only needed, but will soon be a market trend on par with recent sustainability-focused initiatives.
“It’s not only huge because it includes a lot of the stuff I need for my neurodivergence, but we’re creating a more inclusive world so everyone can succeed, and not the ‘neuro-norm’ can succeed,” Fernandes said.
The Solace team hopes to expand beyond sweatsets into business casual clothing, attempting to address Fernandes’ interview situation directly. d’Oelsnitz said the team is also interested in developing undergarments, sportswear or even features that customers can buy separately and attach to clothes they already own.
Turner said there’s always an inkling of anxiety in the back of his mind reminding him that the startup might not work out. But he thinks a healthy amount of doubt and worry is essential for a business: especially when paired with the positive attitude and dependable team he said Solace relies on.
“We know that the purpose, the reason why we’re all doing this, it’s for the greater good,” Turner said. “It’s making people’s lives better, and I’m willing to lose sleep over that any day of the week.”
cprice04@syr.edu
work pay off. From overcoming financial restrictions to scouting local talents, it was a semester of mapping out fine details and never-ending communication within the different teams and the artists, such as finalizing each of the rappers’ setlist.
“Mar (WRLD) just came out with his new album last week so he’s going be performing it
for the first time and (Lil) Sccrt played us some of his unreleased music that he might play at the show,” he said.
With decades of experience in the music business, Santosuosso understands how taxing the industry can be, especially for students aspiring to enter the music industry. As the show approaches, Santosuosso says her favorite
part of the class is seeing her students’ efforts come into fruition.
“ Once the artist hits the stage and the audience is in the room, all of that stress and the grind you went through for weeks, it becomes worth it,” Santosuosso said. “To see (the students) have that moment, that is why people do live music.” tabintes@syr.edu
By Sarhia Rahim columnist
Two years ago, my first article was a call to action for students to appreciate Syracuse and recognize it as their new home while they’re getting their education here. With my last article, I hope to be more selfish in my messaging, speaking as a local resident and upcoming graduate.
An overarching goal of mine with each article is to dismantle preconceived notions through fact. An opinion only gets you so far, so if you want to do well in any academic field, a citation is important.
But when opinion and fact work together, they become even more powerful. That’s how you move people, whether it’s to rally behind a cause or simply inspire them to keep learning on their own.
A part of me is afraid that after I graduate and leave The Daily Orange behind, I won’t see many articles about the city of Syracuse or a sense of concern for the people within it. That also goes for when I leave the classroom environment.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but from my freshman year to now, Syracuse University has shown less and less care for the city it resides in. And for that opinion, here are my facts.
During Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s term, SU had a clear and intentional goal: to critically examine and improve the relationship between campus and community life.
The university launched several initiatives to support that mission under her leadership including the Connective Corridor, the Near Westside Initiative, the relocation of The Warehouse downtown and the South Side Innovation Center.
These community-centered efforts have been deprioritized since Cantor left, replaced by an
expansion strategy that increasingly treats the city as an accessory rather than a partner.
The Connective Corridor, once a promising link between the university and downtown, has lost momentum. The SSIC, meant to foster business and educational opportunities for residents, has faded into obscurity.
As leadership changed, so did the university’s commitment to these initiatives. The SSIC dropped from the institution’s priorities and, with that, a critical bridge between the campus and the community was left neglected. While the SSIC still exists, its prominence has diminished, and the university’s direct engagement in supporting Southside businesses has largely been reduced to a footnote in its history.
Inversely, the university’s footprint grows — not through meaningful collaboration, but through land acquisitions that do little to benefit the communities they encroach upon.
Rather than trying to continue to cultivate relationships with the community, the university is carving out more property and land to expand its reach, but at the cost of the city. Its most recent request was to borrow $500 million from the city to build three dorms, syracuse.com reported.
While none of the money comes from taxpayers, the funds are for nonprofit organizations given by the Onondaga Civic Development Corporation. SU is a nonprofit, but there are plenty in the city that advocate and work for the community.
With so many nonprofits in Syracuse that genuinely support the residents living here, and the looming possibility of funds being cut due to the current presidential administration, there’s no reason for the university to be the one acquiring this money.
Take, for example, the recent purchase of properties along the East Adams corridor, where SU has steadily expanded its real estate holdings near the city’s public housing developments. These acquisitions raise concerns about displacement, gentrification and the university’s true intentions for the land.
Instead of investing in direct partnerships that uplift city residents, the university continues to amplify spaces that cater almost exclusively to students and faculty.
Despite bringing in the First Year Seminar 101 course or keeping ties with the Community Folk Art Center, which offers after school programs to students in the Syracuse City School District, much more can be done. Previous history has shown that the university as an institution can bridge the gap between the hill and city, and has done beyond the bare minimum.
When I arrived as a freshman, there was still an expectation, at least among certain circles, that students should engage with the city beyond campus. There were conversations about community partnerships, internship programs rooted in the city’s needs and opportunities to learn from Syracuse’s history rather than just extract resources from it.
Now, those dialogues feel muted. The university markets the city when it’s convenient but rarely acknowledges the realities of those who live here year-round.
I say this not just as a student, but as a resident who’s watched SU’s priorities shift in real time. In both a physical and cultural sense, I worry about what will be left behind when I graduate as the university continues to expand into the city’s neighborhoods and each incoming class seems more disconnected from Syracuse itself.
But my intent isn’t just to critique, it’s to call for accountability.
If SU is truly committed to being a good neighbor, it must do more than build within the city — it must build with it. This means reinvesting in programs that bridge the gap between campus and community, listening to residents about the impact of its expansion and ensuring students are encouraged not to merely use the city, but to understand and appreciate it holistically.
I started my time at The D.O. writing about why students should embrace this city as their home. I end it with a hope that future students will be encouraged to build relationships with the city that SU calls home.
Sarhia Rahim is a senior policy studies major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at slrahim@syr.edu.
By Bella Tabak columnist
Nothing garners more attention in a capitalist society than a loss in revenue, and Elon Musk is feeling this reality firsthand. Local, national and global outrage toward Musk’s role in slashing federal funding as a non-elected official is fueling protests and a boycott against Tesla.
This collective backlash and plummeting stock are draining the billionaire’s pockets and pushing him to a new breaking point.
A boycott is our right to decline the purchase of certain consumer items. While the Tesla boycott may be gaining the most media attention right now, it’s important to recognize it’s certainly not the only one you should be paying attention to.
I first dove into boycotting as a way to combat fast fashion. After learning about the ethical and environmental impact, I was moved to minimize the industry. It was almost unbelievable that consumers could turn a blind eye and purchase polyester garments designed for the landfill.
Today, fast fashion is a market worth $150.82 billion. While CEO pockets are lined, 92 million tons of textile waste are dumped into the environment each year, polluting our air and water more with every ounce of debris.
Unless legislation is passed to ban fast fashion, targeting corporate greed through boycotting companies like Shein and Temu is a feasible solution. There can’t be a supply without a demand, so I strictly buy second-hand garments as a way to boycott and teach others how to do the same.
I now avoid companies outside of fashion for similar, shockingly devious ethical concerns. Amazon exploits its workers and quite openly hates the environment. Prison labor, the equivalent to modern-day slavery in
America, is kept alive through companies like Walmart and McDonald’s.
While some argue there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism, I sleep better knowing I’m doing my part to at least avoid the worst of it.
The internet influences boycotts’ quick responses to unfavorable corporate decisions. Target’s cut of its DEI initiative kicked off a massive boycott, with over 15 million TikTok videos posted under the “Target Boycott Protest” hashtag. More than 100,000 people have pledged to boycott the store for 40 days.
In other realms, the BDS movement boycotts companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine, like Dell. While the boycott hasn’t had a significant impact on the Israeli economy, it’s brought attention to injustices against Palestinians.
Recent exposures have shown me that a lot of entities publicly engage in evil acts without much accountability. But boycotts continue to provide me and many others with an accessible act of protest that allows us to be active participants in global calls for change.
Withholding your funds from those you don’t agree with can be easier than protesting on the street. If that protest is scheduled during your shift at work or a class, you’re not going. Committing to buy produce at the Syracuse Cooperative Market instead of Target, on the other hand, is more realistic.
Boycotting is also more accessible to those who are disabled. Picking up a sign and marching in the streets may seem like an easy task to those who are not living with a disability, but this could be an impossible task for those who are.
This form of protest is also less dangerous. I’ve never felt safe marching for a cause in person because of the United States’ history of targeting protesters. In the 1970s, the national guard opened
fire on students at Kent University protesting the Vietnam War. They killed four students and wounded nine.
Even today, the Trump administration is rounding up students who speak out and protest in support of Palestine. The thought of being arrested — by officers in plain clothes — while advocating nonviolently for your beliefs is a terrifying new reality.
Boycotting is a peaceful, alternative form of protest deserving of more attention. Anyone can try a small act of defiance at the grocery store or a purposeful switch to a small business.
Since the American government is happily holding hands with corporations and oligarchs,
we need to step up where others won’t to hold them accountable. If you are frustrated with America’s lack of political change but don’t want to pick up a sign and picket, think carefully about where you’re swiping your card and spending your cash.
Who you support monetarily may seem insignificant, but if we take a stand together, there can be a noticeable, tangible impact.
Bella Tabak is a junior majoring in magazine journalism. She can be reached at batabak@ syr.edu.
By Justin Girshon sports editor
Fran Brown is the only Atlantic Coast Conference football coach who can say three of his players are also on the track and field team. So when one of them
— Darrell Gill Jr. — came up during his first spring press conference, the second-year head coach didn’t hesitate to brag.
“You know what’s crazy? Our 4x(100) team, three football players are running in that,” Brown revealed.
But Gill, Malachi James and Malachi Coleman aren’t just participating.
“We about to set the school record soon, so just stay tuned,” Coleman said. Syracuse’s 4x100 program record is 40.06 seconds, which was set by James Nmah, Jaheem Hayles, Anthony Vazquez and Trei Thorogood in 2023. Despite having just four practices before their first race on March 22, Gill, James, Coleman and Nmah — now a redshirt senior — clocked 40.65 seconds, just 0.59 seconds off the record.
“I think they are entirely capable of running that fast,” SU track and field associate head coach Dave Hegland said. “That was the fastest season opener that we’ve had in quite some time.”
The trio’s presence on the track is nearly unprecedented. Hegland noted that football players competing in track have become a rarity since the 1990s and early 2000s. The only other ACC football players on their school’s track and field roster are Trevor Rogers (California) and Micahi Danzy (Florida State). Meanwhile, Sean Tucker is the only other SU football player to compete in track and field since 2020.
While most programs discourage it, Brown
embraces the crossover. Known for his recruiting prowess, Brown said on Dec. 9 he looked for size and speed in his 2025 class, which 247Sports ranked No. 42 nationally.
Coleman, a three-star class of 2025 running back, said Brown recruited him as an athlete, offering him to run track and play football. A Virginia native, Coleman set William Fleming High School rushing yards, 55-meter dash and 55 and 110-meter hurdles records.
While Coleman said other colleges gave him similar rundowns during his recruitment process, Brown “stuck with him and let him chase his dreams.” It led to his commitment in April 2024 and his enrollment at SU in January.
James’ process was different. The three-star class of 2024 running back recruit set a New Jersey state record in the 100-meter dash. So, when he was being recruited, he said he always asked coaches if he could run track and play football.
However, the only schools willing to let James compete in both were Air Force, Army and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, per his father Troy. Troy also said Michigan, Purdue and Miami recruited James for track but wouldn’t let him play football. On the other hand, Brown’s immediate yes sealed James’ commitment on the spot.
Gill, who tallied over 140 receiving yards against UConn and Washington State in 2024 en route to notching 31 receptions, 570 yards and two touchdowns throughout the campaign, wasn’t recruited by Brown’s regime. The 6-foot-3 wide receiver was an unranked class of 2023 recruit who committed to SU in February 2023 as part of former head coach Dino Babers’ final recruiting class.
see 4x100 page 15
By Matthew Gray senior staff writer
Following a 3-0 start, Syracuse struggled to fill the hole Olivia Adamson’s seasonending injury punched in its lineup. As it scrambled to adjust, SU dropped four of its next five matchups and even fell to No. 10 in the country. The ranking marked the Orange’s lowest under head coach Kayla Treanor and worst since 2019.
Yet, guided by its new faces and veteran talent, SU turned its season around via a four-game winning streak. And against Yale Wednesday, extending it to five seemed within reach.
But a rude awakening hit No. 6 Syracuse (8-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) against No. 13 Yale (8-3, 1-2 Ivy) Wednesday in a 13-10 loss. Despite Ashlee Volpe’s four-goal game, SU’s attack couldn’t match Yale’s trio of Jenna Collignon, Fallon Vaughn and Taylor Lane, who combined for 13 points. The contest marked the third game this season the Orange never held a lead.
Despite having momentum going into the matchup, the Orange were dominated in the opening five minutes.
After splitting draw control duties with Meghan Rode last time out, Joely Caramelli took the opening draw for SU against Collignon. Collignon, a proven scorer and draw specialist, picked her pocket and fed a pass to Lane, jumpstarting Yale’s first possession. The Bulldogs have tortured teams this season through long possessions, boasting a 58% time-of-possession mark that ranks second in the nation. Using this tactic, Yale cruised early on, building a 2-0 lead. The tallies came just 52 seconds apart.
“Our attackers really felt an urgency to get to the cage,” Yale head coach Erica Bamford said postgame. “We focused on getting to the cage hard and attacking whatever (Syracuse) threw at us.”
Coming up short on three of her first four draws, Treanor pulled Caramelli out of the circle in exchange for Rode. Now trailing 3-1, the replacement gave Syracuse’s attack a much-needed lift.
With help from Kaci Benoit, Rode guided the Orange to win 3-of-5 draws to close the quarter.
Assisted by a series of misses and shots off the post from Yale, Syracuse finally found its footing. Quarterbacked by Emma Ward from X, Molly Guzik found twine and moments later, Mileena Cotter struck via a free-position to momentarily tie the game.
On the other side of the field, the Orange prioritized face-guarding Collignon from the opening draw. In her usual role, SU defender Superia Clark kept tabs on her by hovering around her constantly at midfield. But even with Collignon neutralized, her supporting cast of Vaughn and Lane made up for her absence.
Already notching two goals each in the first quarter, Vaughn and Lane continued to set the pace. Tied 5-5, the duo scored three consecutive goals to complete each of their hat tricks. Across the final eight minutes of the half, Syracuse’s offense became lifeless. Including Volpe’s tally, the Orange only managed four shots on target in the second quarter as possession of the ball was at a premium.
“We do a lot of five-on-five drills at practice anyway, so (without Collignon), we just essentially played the drills that we’ve been running for years,” Bamford said.
SU’s draw control unit didn’t do it any favors, either. Despite showing promise in the first quarter, Rode dropped all five draws she took in the second. The one bright spot for the Orange in the first half was goalie Daniella Guyette. Her six stops gave SU a chance to respond in the game’s latter half, trailing 7-5 at the break.
Guyette was good, but Yale’s Niamh Pfaff was even better. Relieving Cami Donadio to start the second quarter, who allowed four goals on five shots on net,
By Noah Nussbaum asst. sports editor
Joely Caramelli’s breakthrough occurred during the 2021 MidAtlantic Summer Club Championships in front of 200 college coaches, which included Northwestern and North Carolina’s entire staffs. Facing the nation’s top teams — No. 5 Sky Walkers Lacrosse, No. 4 Monsters Elite and No. 1 Top Guns — Caramelli faced immediate pressure.
She wasn’t fazed, helping her club team — the Long Island Jesters — defeat all three ranked squads to advance to the championship. Against Top Gun, she strung draws together, helping the Jesters rebound from an eight-goal deficit, coach Colleen Kilgus said. Though the Jesters fell to Yellow Jackets Lacrosse, the tournament put Caramelli on college coaches’ radars.
“She doesn’t get frazzled,” Kilgus said. “That’s what sets her apart from other people in the game, is that she’s just always very calm.”
The MidAtlantic Summer Club Championship was only a piece of Caramelli’s 12-year Jesters career, which helped her become Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor’s first commit in September 2021. Following SU’s draw struggles, Caramelli has revitalized SU’s unit with 37 draw controls in seven starts to begin her sophomore year. Her emergence, aided by her Jesters career, is a pivotal development for the Orange as they chase their first national title.
“When I got to college, I wasn’t surprised by anything,” Caramelli said. “I felt like I was completely prepared for it by my Jesters experience.”
Kate Mashewske commanded the draw circle for the last five years, setting SU’s program record for career draw controls. Caramelli took note of Mashewske’s “make it, take it” style in the circle, where she’d often corral the ball herself. She said this sparked a fire under her this season. With her graduation and Meghan Rode’s struggles to begin 2025, Caramelli was thrust into action against then-No. 12 Clemson on March 1 and stepped up with 26 wins in her first four games as a starter.
Her success — including 343 draw wins at Massapequa High School (New York), per head coach Erin Kollar — stemmed from the Jesters. Growing up, she watched players like North Carolina’s Marie McCool and Jamie Ortega dominate the circle and wanted to follow suit.
At 5-foot-5, Caramelli was often disadvantaged on the draw. Her father, Jerry, a former faceoff specialist for Roanoke College from 1988-90, showed her how to make it an advantage. He first said to ask referees if her hands and feet were positioned correctly. Facing a taller player, Caramelli crouched down. With someone her size, she stood up straight. Each adjustment disrupted her opponent’s rhythm.
“She was able to dominate some of the best draw (midfielders) in the country because of her IQ and understanding weight shift balance,” Jesters coach Bill Taylor said.
Though Caramelli and the Jesters reached elite levels, the program wasn’t always a powerhouse. Unlike elite clubs that recruited talent across Long Island, the Jesters pulled mostly from Massapequa. Early on, they were outmatched. But Caramelli said the team’s chemistry and a stricter training regimen led to success.
To help turn the tide, Jerry — the Jesters’ founder and head coach — implemented what he called “the T drill.” To start practices, the girls formed four tight lines in an X formation. The coaches gave two lines a ball, and players had to catch and pass while the other ball flew from another direction.
The exercise improved Caramelli’s stick work as she learned to score with both hands, Jerry said. By high school, practices became fast-paced and Jerry opened sessions with offensive drills to familiarize players with playing tired. With 17 future Division I commits, it resembled the speed of a typical college workout. So, when Caramelli got to Syracuse, she wasn’t flustered.
“(The girls) just thought that was a normal day of practice, so when they went to college, they said, ‘this is no different,’” Jerry said. “There was no adjusting for them.”
Taylor always knew Caramelli would thrive because of her ability to play every position on the field in elementary school. On offense, she
properly recognized when it was time to cut toward the goal or flash back for a pass. She’d also slide a few steps to the side to slip into a defender’s blind spot and go unnoticed for goals.
Using those skills, Caramelli became a star at Massapequa. She tallied 127 goals and 40 assists in three high-school seasons while leading the program to its first-ever state playoff appearance. Caramelli often dished to open teammates and let other players take control when she was face-guarded, per Kollar.
Yet, Caramelli took on a minimal role when she arrived at Syracuse last year. She didn’t start a game, but scored 11 goals, the ninth-most on the team. In the offseason, Treanor suggested she work on dodging.
Caramelli turned to Christina Esposito, a former Jesters coach and current Clemson assistant coach. Starting as a high-school freshman in 2020, they worked twice a week over the summer on conditioning and stick work. Last summer, Esposito’s training focused on reading
defenders — anticipating their movements and countering without hesitation.
“It definitely helps with my confidence,” Caramelli said. “As I’m taking a dodge or (oneon-one), all of (Esposito’s) tips and tricks are always in the back of my mind.”
Caramelli’s interest in Syracuse stemmed from attending a camp run by Treanor as a kid. During her recruitment, Caramelli had a heated talk with her parents to convince them she wanted to attend SU, Jerry said. They eventually agreed it was her decision. So, after a call and official visit shortly after Treanor took over the program from Gary Gait, she committed.
Now, Caramelli’s development with the Jesters is coming to fruition by leading Syracuse’s draw control. If Syracuse captures its first-ever NCAA title in May, Caramelli will be a key reason why.
njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
By Aiden Stepansky digital managing editor
Nate McNeal bet on himself when leaving Illinois to become Syracuse’s first-ever general manager following the 2023 season.
He’d spent nearly all 34 years of his life in the state, growing up in Chicago, playing at Northern Illinois and spending six of his first eight seasons as a professional in Illinois’ recruiting department. So, when an opportunity emerged to return home after an illustrious first season with the Orange, McNeal couldn’t turn it down.
On Feb. 19, McNeal departed SU to reunite with Illinois, becoming its executive director of player evaluations and acquisitions. In his sole year as Syracuse’s first general manager, McNeal’s expertise helped the Orange to a 10-3 record while building one of the largest 2025 recruiting classes in the country with 35 commits.
Despite early success with SU and deep connections with head coach Fran Brown and Scouting Director Aaron Mannicci, McNeal followed his heart and returned to his roots.
“Obviously, it was a hard decision to make,” McNeal said. “But in this business, you don’t get to work close to home often. I knew this was something that I had to do.”
Making the move to join the Orange last season was largely based on prior relationships with Brown and Mannicci. McNeal worked at Temple from 2019-21 as its director of player personnel. At the same time, Brown served as the Owls’ defensive backs coach while Mannicci worked under both as a student intern.
After Mannicci followed Brown to Georgia and eventually made the jump with him to SU, McNeal reached out to congratulate his former intern. Brown asked McNeal a few weeks later about possible interest in Syracuse’s general manager position. Because of their time together at Temple, McNeal knew he wanted to join the staff.
The rekindled bond made leaving Syracuse even harder. Brown said he often meets with staff members to go over their six-month and yearly goals. McNeal’s didn’t match up with being at Syracuse, and Brown felt he’d be better suited at Illinois.
“I told him I love him. I wish him the best, and I wish the best for Illinois,” Brown said.
A return to Illinois meant McNeal’s third stint in the Land of Lincoln. Following three
years at Northern Illinois as a safety, he became a graduate assistant for the Huskies for two seasons in football operations. McNeal then served as the director of high school relations from 2016-18 and was promoted to the director of player personnel from 2021-23.
McNeal sees Illinois as home and a place he’ll always return to, whether in Champaign or Chicago. He said it’s where he finds community outside of work. The reunion, while rewarding off the field, was also comforting, as McNeal is rejoining longtime co-worker and current Illinois General Manager Patrick Embleton.
McNeal took over as NIU’s director of recruiting in 2021 after Embleton held the role for six seasons. When McNeal became
the director of player personnel, Embleton was the Fighting Illini’s executive director of personnel and recruiting before being elevated to general manager.
“I am excited to reunite with (McNeal),” Embleton wrote in a release following McNeal’s hire. “Nate was here from the start with Coach Bielema and embodies everything we look for in our program: tough, smart, dependable.”
McNeal joked he views their relationship like the lethal tandem of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on the early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers, piecing together the tools to build a formidable roster while leaning on his experience from SU.
“I’ve always viewed recruiting as a very important piece to building a program,”
McNeal said. “And that was amplified times 10 just being at Syracuse.”
As the Orange’s first-ever general manager, McNeal faced unprecedented challenges within the program.
In his first media appearance as SU’s general manager on April 18, 2024, McNeal said, unlike in the National Football League, the power dynamic between the head coach and front office is flipped — Brown had authority over McNeal. When asked about his day-to-day tasks, McNeal cited roster management, recruiting and getting new prospects on campus. He worked hand-in-hand with Brown to identify talent from the transfer portal and pluck players they deemed fit best with Syracuse’s returning players and new recruits.
In the new role, McNeal said he often picked the brains of colleagues in the industry while building systems based on his past experiences that fit Brown’s vision.
“There was no blueprint,” McNeal said. “There was no, ‘This is what you got to do.’ You just had to learn on the fly.”
With Illinois, McNeal said he’s now much more involved with the acquisition and recruiting roles on a day-to-day basis, rather than what he labeled as an “administrative role” with the Orange. He feels working with a first-year head coach for the first time in his career was an “invaluable” experience. On the recruiting side, McNeal said he’ll carry the strategies learned from Brown and assistant coaches Elijah Robinson, Nick Williams and Ross Douglas with him through the rest of his career.
Even with McNeal’s departure, SU is primed to continue its recruiting prowess as it enters year two under Brown. The Orange promoted quality control coach and Florida recruiting extraordinaire Thomas Caporale to their general manager position, already establishing the No. 10 ranked 2026 recruiting class in the country with 14 commits, per 247Sports.
Still, McNeal felt he needed to do what was right for himself, even if that meant leaving a position with a program on the rise.
“In this industry, you’ve got to take some chances and do some things that might not make sense to everybody from the outside,” McNeal said. “But the people that understand it definitely understand it.” amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
By Cooper Andrews managing editor
At this point of the season, all bettors of age can hammer Syracuse’s odds of making the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Lacrosse Reference’s Bracketology gives SU a 96.2% chance.
The Orange sit at 8-2 through 10 games and ride a five-game winning streak into the month of April, tied for their best stretch under fourthyear head coach Gary Gait. Six of those wins are against teams that rank within the top half of the NCAA’s Division I RPI index, highlighted by defeating then-No. 7 Johns Hopkins and, most recently, Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia.
Something would have to go horrifically wrong for SU, currently seventh in RPI, to miss the Big Dance. But that reality isn’t incredibly unrealistic, considering the Orange’s treacherous final four games. From April 5-26, Syracuse will battle four of Inside Lacrosse’s top-12 ranked teams: No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 1 Cornell, No. 12 Duke and No. 8 North Carolina. It’s quite the difficult litmus test, one that’ll finalize the Orange’s postseason resume.
Here’s a breakdown of No. 7 Syracuse’s (8-2, 1-0 ACC) painstaking April slate, and how it can successfully trudge through the difficult stretch:
April 5: No. 5 Notre Dame
This Saturday is the first leg of SU’s late-season gauntlet as it hosts two-time defending NCAA Champion Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 5-2 through seven games in 2025, with losses to No. 2 Maryland and No. 3 Ohio State serving as their low points thus far.
ND may not have 2024’s Tewaaraton Award winner, Pat Kavanagh, but its offense is led by attacks Chris Kavanagh, Pat’s brother, and Jake Taylor. The two have combined for 59 points in seven games, with Chris’ 15 assists leading the team and Jake’s 21 goals ranking first on ND.
The Fighting Irish started slow, but they’re coming off their best two-game stretch of the season heading into Saturday’s contest. They demolished No. 13 Michigan 19-7 on March 15 before crushing No. 12 Duke 14-7 two weeks afterward. Propelled by the explosive winning streak, Notre Dame ranks No. 1 in Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency (43.4%), per Lacrosse Reference.
Syracuse must rely on its long-pole play to thwart one of the nation’s most underrated attacks. Taylor has been a thorn in SU’s side over his six-year college career, scoring a whopping 15 goals in four total matchups — all ND victories.
Riley Figueiras, who Gait calls Syracuse’s best coverage defenseman, will likely draw Taylor. Figueiras has caused 15 turnovers thus far in 2025, and he’ll need to be a pest against Notre Dame’s top option. Fellow close defenders Billy Dwan III and Nick Caccamo, who’ve combined for 26 caused giveaways, should provide stable relief against ND’s attacking depth.
from page 13
Like Coleman and James, Gill also starred in track in high school, becoming a Texas State Championship qualifier in the 4x200 relay. Atascocita High School track coach Todd Simmons added Gill was the anchor leg of the 4x100 relay alongside teammates who now run at Oklahoma, Iowa and TCU.
Additionally, Gill said he was a “pretty good” long jumper, triple jumper and high jumper. His track and field dominance — and ensuing offers — made him think that’s what he’d do in college. The wide receiver’s first football offer didn’t come until his senior year in late January 2023.
Shortly after his first offer from Washington State, Gill landed an offer from the Orange and committed. Unlike Coleman and James, he wasn’t offered as a dual-sport athlete. Gill said he asked Babers if he could do both, but SU’s then-head coach told him he had to learn the playbook first. As a true freshman, Gill registered seven receptions, 60 yards and a touchdown.
On the other hand, the Orange need to dictate the tempo by controlling possession and maintaining a consistent transition offense. Both of Notre Dame’s losses came when it gave up double-digit goals. If John Mullen, the country’s co-faceoff wins leader, can hold strong against Will Lynch, whose .638 winning percentage ranks sixth in D-I, it’d go a long way in getting Joey Spallina, Owen Hiltz and Co. some quick scoring opportunities.
April 12: No. 1 Cornell (neutral-site) How in the world will the Orange stop Tewaaraton Award shoe-in CJ Kirst? I’m not sure if anyone knows. But there are other means Syracuse can use to upset a juggernaut Cornell squad, which along with the Terpains and the Buckeyes, is a surefire NCAA title favorite.
The Big Red filters their offense through Kirst, the country’s leader in points per game with 6.78. When SU lost to Cornell in double overtime last season, it was because the Orange let the Big Red’s entire array of attackers go ballistic. Kirst had six points. Attack Michael Long erupted for a career-high nine. It didn’t help that Syracuse coughed the ball up 19 times, giftwrapping free possessions for Cornell.
However, SU’s defense has taken a step forward this year. It boasts the No. 4 scoring defense in the nation with 8.20 goals allowed per game. Syracuse had to sell out to stop the Big Red’s top attacks last season. This campaign, it doesn’t.
The Orange shouldn’t overthink their game plan heading into this neutral-site battle in Long Island, New York. Trust Figueiras against Kirst. Use the matchup zone defense that defensive coordinator John Odierna threw at Virginia on March 29. Have faith in goalie Jimmy McCool, who’s accumulated a .596 save percentage — ninth in the country, first among ACC goalies.
Cornell isn’t a horrible matchup for Syracuse, especially if its offense plays like it did last year when it dropped 17 goals. This year’s Orange squad gives the ball away fewer than any team in the country and has kept lapses to a minimum over their last month of play. They’re more prepared to battle the nation’s No. 1 team. Still, it may take divine intervention to curb Kirst’s impact.
April 19:
The Blue Devils, shockingly, present the most winnable game left on Syracuse’s schedule. SU’s most recent meeting with Duke resulted in a dismal 18-13 loss in the first round of the 2024 ACC Tournament. This is a much different Blue Devils’ team, however. And the Orange should be thankful for it.
Brennan O’Neill’s departure for the Premier Lacrosse League left Duke’s offense significantly weakened. While the Blue Devils have five players with 20-plus points, much of that production has come against lowertier programs. Their offensive struggles were exposed in their last two games, mustering six
However, he couldn’t run track in the spring because he had to undergo another transition — learning a new playbook under Brown, who was hired in November 2023. This led to a breakout 2024 campaign, and with Oronde Gadsden II and Jackson Meeks graduating, Gill could be a focal point of the Orange’s aerial attack in 2025. Still, he said he wanted to run track in the spring, which Brown approved.
“I think that it’s rare for a head football coach to be OK with that, much less encourage it,” Hegland, who’s coached at Syracuse since 2004, said of Brown allowing his players to compete in both sports.
Heading into the track season, Gill said he told SU’s coaching staff he’d be happy to do whatever they needed from him — whether in running or jumping. Because of his class schedule, Gill didn’t practice with Coleman or James until his second practice, when he learned they’d be running the 4x100 together.
“The second day I didn’t have class, so I was like, ‘Oh snap, they here. Oh, we all running!’ So then I was like, ‘Oh yeah, we gonna be cooking then,’” Gill said.
goals versus Denver then seven against Notre Dame for two straight losses.
Other than Eric Malever, who leads the Blue Devils with 46 points, there are no Duke weapons that should concern SU. Figueiras and Co. must resist the urge to overslide toward Malever and instead just play their role in the zone.
But what makes this an apparent mismatch is Syracuse’s vaunted offense versus Duke’s middle-of-the-road defense. The Blue Devils’ 26.9% adjusted defensive efficiency ranks 26th in the country, their lowest total since 2020, according to Lacrosse Reference. Meanwhile, SU’s adjusted offensive efficiency, 39.3%, ranks fourth overall.
If the Orange can get Spallina activated to spur their signature rapid ball movement on offense, it should be easy for the junior attack to find vast pockets of space against Duke. All that’s left is Blue Devils goalie Patrick Jameison, who’s been one of the worst starting goalies in the ACC. Syracuse has to pepper him with shots. Jameison’s .495 save percentage is just over 10 percentage points lower than McCool’s save rate.
Seventeenth-year head coach Joe Breschi has resurrected the Tar Heels’ program back to national-contender status in 2025. After three straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance, North Carolina is certainly postsea-
son-bound this year. It ranks No. 8 in the nation, and is in the top 15 of every major efficiency metric — offense, defense, faceoffs, goaltending — according to Lacrosse Reference. It’ll take an all-around masterpiece for SU to defeat UNC. But it has the tools to do so. It’s no secret the Orange’s duo up front, Spallina and Hiltz, will need to match the output of Dominic Pietramala and Owen Duffy, who’ve combined for 56 goals and 18 assists. Yet, SU’s path to victory hinges on two critical areas: dominance at the faceoff X and clean execution on clears. The Tar Heels are the No. 1 team in the nation in adjusted possession margin, +12.1, per Lacrosse Reference. This statistic doesn’t mean UNC does well maintaining the ball; in fact, it’s tied-30th in the nation with 16.11 turnovers per game. It means North Carolina is better than anyone at controlling the ball through the faceoff X and forcing turnovers. Those areas are where the Orange must excel. Mullen has a tough challenge ahead of him as UNC’s .667 team faceoff win percentage is third in the country. And UNC’s not afraid of throwing out an aggressive ride package to force giveaways. However, Mullen’s shown his stripes against top faceoff men before, and Syracuse only coughs the ball up 12.30 times per game, two trends that’ll need to continue in SU’s regular-season finale. ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews
Because of their schedules, James said the trio typically only has time to practice with the track team twice a week, which they began doing in January. Initially, Nmah wasn’t supposed to be part of their relay team.
The original fourth member, who James said was going to run the anchor leg, left SU for undisclosed reasons.
A few days before their first race, James said he learned he’d be the anchor and the fourth member was no longer with the team. Hegland said James’ speed prompted him to become the anchor — the leg most relays have their fastest runner run. With Nmah stepping in, he became their leadoff man with Gill taking the second leg and Coleman slotting in third.
Hegland said Gill was a natural fit to run second because of his height and natural stride down the back stretch — which is mostly a straightaway 100-meter dash. Because of Coleman’s hurdling background, Hegland mentioned he’s a very “skilled” and “natural curve” runner. Unlike the second leg, the third leg’s portion of the relay is run in a curved route before handing off to the anchor, who runs a straightaway 100 meters to complete the race.
William Fleming track coach Robert Vineyard said when Coleman joined his squad in ninth grade, he wasn’t one of the top sprinters. So, despite having no experience, Vineyard taught Coleman to become a hurdler. From there, he “completely bought in,” becoming one of Virginia’s best high school hurdlers.
While the quartet placed eighth in their first relay, Hegland said it was “far from perfect.” They admittedly were held back by a poor handoff from Nmah to Gill. Gill estimates it added about half a second to their time, essentially the difference needed to break the program record. What the group is doing is unparalleled in college sports’ ever-changing landscape. The transfer portal and name, image and likeness have made college sports increasingly more professionalized. But Gill, James and Coleman are a throwback to what college sports used to be, maximizing their athletic versatility.
Now, they’re on the verge of setting SU’s new 4x100 relay record.
“Hey world, watch out. Syracuse football, we’re coming,” James said. justingirshon@gmail.com @JustinGirshon
Pfaff dominated. Holding Syracuse to just one tally in the second quarter, she capped off her strong start to the day by robbing Emma Muchnick on a free-position shot in the final seconds. Pfaff went on to finish with eight saves on 14 shots.
“(The goalie switch) had nothing to do with how Donadio played. It was just about giving Syracuse’s high-percentage shooters different looks,” Bamford said.
Despite their reputation for maintaining possession better than any team in the nation, the Bulldogs coughed up the ball 13 times, eight of which came in the second half. This gave the Orange a comeback opportunity. Rattling off five shots on target to Yale’s two in the third, SU trailed by just one heading into the final frame. All it needed were a few more solid offensive possessions to snatch its first lead of the day. But they never came. As much as their offense came to life, the Orange’s draw control unit continued to wilt down the final stretch. Hindered by its 2-for-
9 mark on fourth-quarter draws, Syracuse’s attack hit a lull once again. The Bulldogs used their lengthy possessions to slowly wear down their opponent, creating open shooting lanes in front of Guyette. With more room to shoot, Collignon finally shook loose for the Bulldogs after being held silent for 45 minutes. Without Clark in her face, she managed to beat Guyette with a filthy move less than a minute in. Seconds later, she punished Syracuse again on the free-position and went on to complete the hat trick.
Collignon not only canceled out Volpe’s threegoal burst in the final frame but also sealed Syracuse’s first loss since March 10. Throughout its recent string of victories, Syracuse has developed a habit of building a significant lead and nearly collapsing down the stretch. But against Yale, it was never even given the chance to do so.
“Obviously, Syracuse has a really great offense. Anyone can score on that team,” Bamford said. “We had a tall task ahead of us, and I’m really proud of how our defense played today.” mgray06@syr.edu @ma77hew_gray
