feature guide | fall 2011
As time goes by Remembering the traditions that capture the spirit of Syracuse University
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Editor’s note Hi there,
T H E I N DE PE N DE N T S T U DE N T N E W SPA PE R OF SY R ACUSE, NEW YORK
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We invite you to step back in time and reflect on traditions that still shape and define Syracuse University today. Rich in history, they sweeten over time and give the school its distinctive flavor. As years pass, students have traded some in and created new ones. However, these customs and legends still linger on in our memories. So join us as we peel back the layers of SU and trace the roots that reach deep beneath The Hill. Kathleen Kim Feature Editor
front page photo courtesy of su archives
TABLEof CONTENTS
III
Lasting legacy
Steeped in history, the No. 44 holds sentimental value for fans.
IV
Making noise
Youthful energy and passion for sports drive SU’s student section.
V
Take a twirl
The SU Orange Girls add flare to the marching band’s performances.
VI-VII
Closer look
SU builds its history one landmark at a time.
VIII
Case of the Goonies
Throughout the years, being a Goon has taken on a whole new role.
IX
Get into the greek
Take a glimpse back at traditions that shaped today’s greek life.
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Strength in
numbers
Legacy of No. 44 preserved by dedicated fans, memory of past champions By Danielle Odiamar Asst. Feature Editor
E
very family has its stories— the ones passed down from generation to generation. For Brian Schantz, one classic family story involves his greatgrandfather punching someone in the middle of a crowded football stadium.
It was New Year’s Day, 1960. The Syracuse University football team was in the thick of the game against the University of Texas-Austin for the Cotton Bowl. At a time of strong racial tensions in the country, the divide between SU fans and Texas fans, Northern fans and Southern fans, was tangible. All eyes transfixed on SU’s running back, No. 44 Ernie Davis. But Schantz’s greatgrandfather, Frank Schantz, and his grandfather, John Schantz Sr., were having trouble paying attention. “There was a Texas fan behind them, and he was just making racial slurs about Ernie Davis the entire game,” said Schantz, senior economics and history major. “Finally, towards the end of the game when he was sure Texas was going to lose, he knocked my great-grandfather’s hat off.” Fed up, Frank, who had boxed at SU, turned around and decked the Texas fan right in the face. Starting with Frank, four generations of Schantz men have attended SU carrying on a tradition of SU football fandom.
The No. 44, no longer in play, now hangs nobly from the Carrier Dome rafters. Schantz acknowledges that although 44 will always be a historic number for SU and a passion for his family, he fears that its legacy is no longer what it used to be. “People still remember the number now, but in the future, if they keep it retired, the whole legend behind it will start to fade.” *** Athletes who have come and gone at SU have seen firsthand the power and immense pressure that comes with wearing No. 44. No. 44 represents decades of fans’ dedicated love for the game that spans generations. It reflects an era when SU football reigned supreme with titanic figures such as Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little at the game’s forefront. “Everything you do when you’re wearing it is expected of you. … It’s almost impossible for you to do anything in your own right,” Little said in a 1970 article by The Daily Orange. “The number does have a special magic — for the fans.” For supporters like the Schantz family, which yearns to see SU football restored to its former glory, 44 is more than a number. It is a tradition that not only empowers a player but invigorates and inspires the fans. Schantz recently watched the last game of the season against West Virginia from 1987, when Don McPherson lateralled the ball to No. 44 Mike Owens to go undefeated. He said that it’s an experience he wishes fans could have now. “There’s just something really cool about see 44 page 10
Standing tall
The original Ernie Davis statue had Nike cleats and a modern football helmet, corrected by the university and sculptor Bruno Lucchesi in a five-month period.
kristen parker | asst. photo editor ERNIE DAVIS is the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner. In honor of the legendary player, his statue stands proudly outside Hendricks Chapel.
courtesy of su archives FLOYD LITTLE (LEFT) AND JIM BROWN, both running backs, helped to create the prestige and legend of the No. 44. Little is SU’s only three-time All-American. Regarded as the greatest SU athlete of all time, Brown is the first player to make the No. 44 famous.
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courtesy of su archives Saltine Supporters named themselves after the official mascot at the time, the Saltine Warrior. This enthusiastic student section set a precedent for Otto’s Army, which carries on past traditions with its infectious school spirit.
Sound off
On to victory
SU won its first national championship with an undefeated season in 1960.
Outspoken fans, quirky characters turn up volume in the Loud House
By Erik van Rheenen Asst. Copy Editor
T
hey jump from their seats, stomping on the bleachers before the whistle blows. They hurl catcalls and heckle opponents before the buzzer even gets a chance to blare out. And although still young, Otto’s Army makes sure supporters and rivals alike recognize the group as the new wave of the Syracuse University student section at sporting events. “Otto’s Army was founded on the basis that many of the traditions common to Syracuse students had been diluted over the years,” said Trenton Gaucher, a recent SU graduate and last year’s president of the organization. Founded in 2006, Otto’s Army carries the torch passed down by student cheering sections in the past. The group brands itself as its own entity to step out of the shadows of other nationally recognized student sections. “People don’t talk about Duke University without mentioning the Cameron Crazies,” said Louis Milman, a recent SU graduate and last year’s promotions officer for the organization. “Otto’s Army is just as integral or impactful as they are.” One of SU’s first nicknamed student sections was the “Saltine Supporters,” named after the official mascot at the time, the Saltine Warrior, according to the 1946 Onondogan yearbook. Brad Slavin, communications officer of Otto’s Army and
sophomore television, radio and film and information management and technology dual major, said the group upholds some of SU’s longstanding traditions, including singing the alma mater and football fight song “Down the Field.” “There are a ton of traditions that we follow at games,” Slavin said, “But we’ve also created some awesome traditions that will hopefully continue for years to come.” Some new additions to the list of traditional staples include a point system used to reward the biggest SU sports fans and kickstarting the basketball pep rally. During his time as an Otto’s Army officer, Milman recognized a growing trend in students actively participating in the student section. “As more people have learned about Otto’s Army and became a part of it, the organization has become ingrained in the university,” Milman said. The growth of Otto’s Army spawned offshoots of past traditions, including unofficial team mascots. In the 1980s, a local insurance agent named Dennis Brogan became a Carrier Dome legend by donning a bright blue Zorroesque mask and orange cowboy garb. The mysterious “Dome Ranger” rallied crowds and patrolled the sidelines at basketball games. During the throes of a February home game in 2010, the Ranger made a triumphant return to form, leading a hollering chorus of “Let’s go Orange” from courtside. Brogan’s antics paved the way for more SU superfans to emerge at home games. Michael Collins, a sophosee FANS page 11
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Musicians for hire
Before 1901, SU hired bands to perform at football games. The SU marching band formed in 1901 and performed its first show on May 9, 1901. The band was given the nickname “The Pride of the Orange” in 1970 after a European Concert Tour.
courtesy of su archives Dottie Grover, one of the first twirlers for the school, became a national symbol and was featured on Look and Calling All Girls magazines. She accompanied the marching band with her solo twirling act.
Passing thebaton
Orange Girls twirl through years with dedication, grace
By Sara Tracey Staff Writer
T
he Orange Girl’s task seems simple: entertain. But past and present performers say the role comes with a set of challenges. “There’s a lot of intrinsic motivation,” said Ashley Andrew, the current Orange Girl and a junior communication sciences and disorders major. “I’m really just pushing me, myself.” The Orange Girl doesn’t have a coach. No one tells her the moves. In a section in the marching band, there are several members playing backup roles. She flies solo. When the Orange Girl first became a university tradition, she was just called “a girl.” And she was the only girl. In 1947, Howard Kelly, assistant director of the Syracuse University Bands, brought something new to the all-men marching band: a woman. For 15 years since the position started at the university, the twirler was the only woman in the band. The group adopted the name “100 Men and a Girl,” and Jessie Ann (Harp) Griffing, the first baton twirler, took the field on horseback during a SU and Niagara football game. The “Girl” in the marching band became a national symbol. Dottie Grover, one of the first twirlers for the school, graced the covers of Look and Calling All Girls
magazines, according to her memoirs. She performed on the first-ever televised bowl game — the Orange Bowl of 1953. When Judy Delp stepped into the role in 1962, the title of “Orange Girl” was officially coined. The position of the Orange Girl is one of independence and self-discipline, but Andrew started out as a student at nationally known baton troupe Red Star Twirlers. The New Hampshire studio has turned out five of SU’s 22 baton twirlers. And many the Red Star Twirlers graduates found their way on the campus through their SU peers. Melissa Gaffney, 2009 SU alumna, taught the current Orange Girl when she was just 7 years old. Since age 3, twirling has always been a part of Gaffney’s life. Three days a week, her family made the one-hour drive from Woburn, Mass. to East Derry, N.H., just so Gaffney could twirl with the Red Star Twirlers. “I always found more things to try,” she said. “It’s a competition with yourself: Can I do this? Can I master this? Can I take it to the next level?” After eight years as a Red Start Twirler, Gaffney made a big leap to SU as the Orange Girl from 2004 to 2009. She quickly realized a public performance has tricks besides the ones in the Orange Girl’s set routine. Sometimes rowdy opposing fans spit insults at Gaffney. Batons fall through fingers and hit the turf. The baton twirler has to pick it up and keep going, all while smiling. see TWIRL page 11
Only girl in the world In 1947, SU’s marching band began the “100 Men and a Girl” tradition.
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From the traditionrich soil of Syracuse University sprouts a crop of landmarks steeped in history. Students walk by these monuments every day but many never stop to wonder what lies beneath these R-E-S-P-E-C-T The American Planning Association named Greater University Hill one of America's Top 10 Neighborhoods in 2008. Neighborhoods in APA’s Great Places in America Program exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role of planners and planning in creating communities of lasting value. University Hill received this distinction because of its community engagement and role as an economic engine for the central Upstate New York region.
Who were Sacco and Vanzetti?
Holden Observatory Crouse College Chimes The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti In 1967, when Syracuse University installed the Ben Shahn’s mural mosaic portrayFinished in 1887, the diminutive Holden Observatory was the second building built The first lines of Syracuse University’s alma mater read, “Where the vale of Ononon campus. Designed by Archimedes Russell, this tiny yet imposing Romanesque building moved from its original location to make room for Eggers Hall in 1991. Despite its new location, Holden still had an unimpeded view of the night skies. Now located between Crouse College and the College of Law, Holden — a national landmark — is no longer an operating observatory.
daga / Meets the eastern sky / Proudly stands our Alma Mater / On her hilltop high.” No building embodies those opening lines more than Crouse College. John Crouse expressed a wish that the building be endowed with chimes, which would ring out over the “vale of Onondaga.” The brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon dutifully rang the bells. During World War II, when all the men went off to war, the tasks fell to the sisters of Alpha Phi. Anybody associated with the university can join the Chimemasters, the group now responsible for ringing the Crouse Chimes.
Accused as anarchists, Italian immigrants Ferdinando Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were charged and executed for a murder in 1920 that resulted from an armed robbery of a payroll station in Massachusetts. Many thought the verdict was unfair.
ing the famous Sacco and Vanzetti case to the side of Huntington Beard Crouse, the university still had a mural program. Many of the murals on campus remain as remnants from that era, and The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti is no exception. Invited to create a mural dedicated in honor of Richard Evans III, an SU student killed in a motorcycle accident, Shan decided to install the mosaic on a side of HBC. Despite the controversy inspired by the case, the university community widely accepted and praised the mural.
LEGENDSof theHILLTOP Text by Rebecca McGovern
Photos by Bridget Streeter
PRESENTATION DIRECTOR
STAFF PHOTOGAPHER
rlmcgove@syr.edu
Ring them bells Also remembered The two additional names engraved on the stone seat across from the Wall of Remembrance are those of Glen and Paula Bouckley. The couple was not associated with the university, but lived in Liverpool, N.Y.
Robin Hood Oak
Kissing Bench
Donated by the Class of 1912, the stone bench was the first gift given to the university by a graduating class. Several versions of the legend of the Kissing Bench exist, but all involve eventual matrimony. “The present myth is that if you sit on the bench and kiss, then you will eventually get married,” said Mary O’Brien, a Syracuse University reference archivist.
The legend behind this majestic oak started in the 1920s, when a professor in the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry took a trip to London. Once there, he visited Sherwood Forest to see the mighty oak in the center of the forest, where the legendary hero and his band of followers hid. “While he was there, he picked up some acorns and brought them back,” O’Brien said. “He planted them, and the oak grew.” The Place of Remembrance, a monument to those lost in the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, marks the midpoint of what has been dubbed The Robin Hood Oak remains an important and iconic part of the ESF campus “The Gateway to the University.” and culture. The college even created a service award named after it. Before the memorial’s construction, there was a flooding problem with the steps leading up to the Hall of Languages. “Basically, the Robin Hood Oak Award recognizes a senior student who has “They figured, ‘Hey, as long as we’re going to have this Place of Remembrance, we might as well redo the whole thing.’ And that’s what they did,” O’Brien said. made outstanding contributions to the college and to the general public,” said In the background, the Hall of Languages stands guard over the engraved names of the 35 students killed in the bombing on their way home from studying David White, ESF media relations coordinator. abroad. Every year during the Week of Rememberance, there is a Rose Laying Ceremony to commemorate the lost lives of the students.
Place of Remembrance
The biggest bell in Crouse College is named Big John after John Crouse, the man who funded its creation and the construction of the building.
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Attitude adjustment Goon Squad sheds authoritative reputation for more supportive role By Debbie Truong Asst. News Editor
S
tanley North drove up to Watson Hall in September 1969, skeptical of beginning his first year as a Syracuse University freshman.
Tip your cap Freshmen had to wear green or orange beanie-like caps and tip them whenever they ran into upperclassmen, or risk getting hazed by the Goon Squad.
As his family’s station wagon settled alongside the curb, North and his mother noticed a circle of about 20 people, all wearing hats, clapping and jumping. Intrigue turned into concern as they suddenly rushed toward the Norths' vehicle. Alarmed, North's mother quickly rolled up the windows and locked the station wagon's doors. North, on the other hand, exited the car to the awaiting students. One greeted the freshman with a "big kiss" and hearty welcome to campus. “My attitude toward Syracuse changed immediately at that moment,” said North, now an SU alumnus. The students were members of the Goon Squad, a team of upperclassmen organized to lend a helping hand during freshman move-in. This campus tradition dating back to the 1940s survives to this day, with every move-in experience unique to each class of goons. For students in the mid-40s, the entirely sophomore-run Goon Squad openly hazed freshmen, according to an Oct. 18, 1944, article published by The Daily Orange. The 1944 Goon Squad members demanded any freshmen whose names they wrote down during the day to attend a “hazing convocation.” They imposed an extra study night on freshmen males who failed to show up, according to the article. A year later, a group of freshman architecture students formed the Freshman Architect's Protective Association to safeguard themselves from the hazing of upperclass goon architects, according to an Oct. 19, 1945, Daily Orange article.
Five days after the association was founded, the 60-member Goon Squad created five-person patrol groups to ensure that freshmen wore “lids,” beanielike hats. They enforced the lid policy during a 1945 SU football game against Colgate University. If Syracuse won, freshmen could remove the caps. If the Orange lost, freshmen had to wear the lids until the first snowfall, according to a Nov. 14, 1945, article. Freshmen wore the lids until the next snowfall, which fell days after the Colgate game. This carried into 1948, when freshmen had to tip their lids to sophomore Goon Squad members. “Freshmen on campus have been required to wear orange caps signifying humility to the more worldly upperclassmen,” the article stated. The tradition waned in the 1960s, when Larry Bashe attended SU for his undergraduate and graduate careers. Freshmen wore lids more as a show of solidarity than in fear of retaliation from upperclassmen, he said. “I thought the beanie thing was an attempt to pull people together,” Bashe said. A sophomore Goon Squad member in 1963, Bashe said goons served as informative figures during the freshman move-in process. Goons fielded questions from eager students who could not preregister for classes and didn't receive roommate notifications before stepping foot on campus, he said. “It was very positive. People were just starving for information,” said Bashe, also former president of the SU Alumni Association. Like Bashe, 1984 SU graduate Melinda Reiner doesn't recall instances of hazing during her time on the Goon Squad, but she observed another tradition. The night before freshmen arrived on campus to move in, Reiner said, Goon Squad members gathered on Marshall Street and University Avenue and poured
Survival of the citrus
courtesy of su archives The Goon Squad has been helping freshmen move onto campus for more than half a century. buckets of orange paint on the ground. Goon Squad members then pushed one another to the ground, grabbed fallen members by the ankles and dragged them through the paint down University Avenue. The goal: to paint an orange line that led from University Avenue up to the Hall of Languages, which, at the time, led straight to each other. “My butt was a paintbrush, basically,” Reiner said. The Goon Squad remains a recognizable force on move-in day, with 624 goons during the last move-in, though traditions have been lost through the years. Stacy Kolcum, a junior political science major and member of the latest Goon Squad, said she volunteered to move into her South Campus apartment early and wasn't aware of past Goon Squad traditions. Kolcum said she disagrees with hazing freshmen and her favorite aspect of the move-in experience was offering advice to freshmen. Said Kolcum: "I'd rather just try to be as helpful as possible." dbtruong@syr.edu
SU weeds through weak crop of mascots, grows a real winner with Otto
By Karin Dolinsek asst. copy editor
A
nyone with the slightest interest in Syracuse University athletics knows Otto and his firecracker personality. A staple at SU games, the fuzzy orange energetically bounces around the Carrier Dome, raising students’ school spirit. Though it is hard to imagine a game without Otto, many current SU students may be surprised to know that he is just a young, 21-year-old mascot.
courtesy of su archives
In the 1920s, SU football had a four-legged mascot with a mind of its own named Vita the Goat. According to the Class of 1925 Onondagan Yearbook, the goat was "held in leash by freshman guardians" during the games. She was draped in signs encouraging SU football players to beat competing schools. As stubborn as goats are rumored to be, Vita didn’t stick around for long. In October 1931, The Syracuse Orange Peel, a campus magazine, reported that excavations near Steele Hall allegedly uncovered
the remains of Big Chief Bill Orange, a 16th-century Onondagan chief. The article was a hoax, but it marked the end of Vita and the beginning of the Saltine Warrior. According to a Feb. 22, 1990, article in The Daily Orange, the father of a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brother created the Saltine Warrior costume in the mid-1950s. The Lambda Chi brothers began a 40-year tradition dressing as SU’s mascot, but it ended in 1990 when the university enabled any student to participate in the mascot tradition. In 1978, there was a shift in mascots again. The Office of Student Affairs rejected the stereotypical Native American when members of a Native American student organization protested, said Claudia Estelle in a Sept. 15, 1978, editorial in The Daily Orange. “(It's) all in the presentation,” said Onondagan Chief Oren Lyons, a 1958 alumnus and former SU lacrosse star, in a March 23, 1976, article in The Daily Orange. “The thing that offended me when I was there was that guy running around like a nut.” The Warrior’s retirement sparked a somewhat desperate contest among possible successors, according to a Feb. 12, 1978, article in The Daily Orange. Enter a see next page
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Greeking out
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Some Greek life traditions hold true, some fade out over time
By Colleen Bidwill Asst. Feature Editor
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andering through campus, students can frequently be seen proudly decked out in their fraternity or sorority letters. More than just letters in the Greek alphabet, these symbols represent tight-knit communities of brothers or sisters. Although many may equate greek life to nothing more than parties, there’s a long history of traditions behind these social, academic and service organization. Here are a few that run deep in Syracuse University’s greek community. cbidwill@syr.edu
ATO cannon
It all started with a gift from an alumnus in 1922. Rumored to be from the Civil War, the cannon symbolized the wars between the Orange football team and their opponents. Four brothers from Alpha Tau Omega, dubbed cannoneers, wheeled the gun to each home game and blasted it after every Orange touchdown and winning game. The cannon became the main target for pranks; students from Cornell and Colgate enjoyed trying to steal the cannon. Once, four Colgate men snuck onto the sideline and tried to run the cannon across the stadium toward their own side. ATO brothers, Orange cheerleaders, the Alpha Chi Rho bell crew and various SU fans chased them down, creating a brawl. In 1926, during a winning game against Vermont, touchdown after touchdown made the cannon hotter and hotter. Suddenly, when the cannon fired, the ramrod tore through the cannoneer’s shirt. The cannon was banned for 11 years. A freak accident in 1960 injured seven students with only minor injuries. Although the students recovered, the cannon’s presence never did.
House dogs
Paddles
The saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend. Throughout the years, many fraternities and sororities kept a variety of pets — rabbits, monkeys, goldfish and ferret. But nothing is more common and traditional than dogs. Archive pictures show that the tradition of a canine as a house mascot goes as far back as 1891 with Delta Kappa Epsilon’s pooch. A St. Bernard lived in Sigma Alpha Epsilon in 1957, and Zeta Psi cleverly named its canine Psi. To show that the dogs are truly part of the fraternities, some fraternities include their dogs in composite photos that show the faces of all members in the house. They usually display the house dog in the middle, sometimes dressed in a suit similar to what the brothers wear in the photo. Today, it’s not uncommon to see brothers of houses, such as Phi Kappa Psi, walking down Comstock or Walnut avenues with a dog trailing close by.
Now, “Littles,” younger members of a sorority, decorate them and give them to their “Bigs,” the older members, to show their appreciation for being “adopted” into the house. Though current greek houses use the tradition, past fraternities and sororities that used paddles were Phi Mu in 1955, Sigma Phi Epsilon in 1949 and Sigma Nu in 1941.
On the second floor of the Syracuse University Bookstore, wooden paddles of all different shapes and sizes dangle on a wall. Many fraternity and sorority students still buy them and continue the tradition, even if they do not use the paddles for the original purpose of hitting new members or pledges.
Valentine’s Day Run
This Delta Tau Delta tradition required a sophomore brother of the fraternity to run across the Quad for three laps and kiss every girl he came across. He did this wearing a pair of white boxer shorts with a pattern of hearts. The tradition originated when a brother wanted to go on a date but could not afford to do so. His brothers agreed to pay for the date if he agreed to run around the Quad as Cupid on Valentine’s Day and kiss as many women as he could. It stuck. For a while, the brother who ran got a bucket of money. Later, the run turned into a week of fundraising, which included a dance and a dating show for the American Heart Association. Each smooch cost 2 to 3 cents in donations. The records reached upwards of 300 lucky ladies.
photo courtesy of su archives
from pre vious page
Roman-style gladiator clad in orange armor. Cue Egnaro the Troll, stomping around the turf. According to the SyracuseFan.com forum, people even proposed the cowboy-like Dome Ranger; Dome Eddie, described as “a gnat-like figure in orange sweats with Elton John glasses and an incandescent wig” by Sports Illustrated; and a green monster named Beast from the East. “No other team would ever be able to forget the SU troll,” Estelle said. “Can’t you see Egnaro chasing the West Virginia Mountaineer around Archbold Stadium?” In 1980, a vague idea of an Orange “with appeal” was introduced, according to an April 4, 1980, article in The Daily Orange. According to a 1929 issue of the Alumni News, an orange was chosen to represent SU because it was symbolic “of the glory of the sunrise and the hopes of the golden future. It is the hue of strength, vigor and confidence.” Lambda Chi brothers first named their Orange costume “Clyde” and then “Woody.” The brothers considered two potential names for their third Orange costume: Opie or Otto. They feared Opie would evoke the rhyme “dopey,” so they christened SU’s favorite fruit Otto in 1990. “We want something that will symbolize SU’s dynamic athletic program and would appeal to prospective students,” said Peter Webber, director of auxiliary services, according to an article in the March 27 weekly issue of Syracuse Record. After some more deliberation, then-Chancellor Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw said he believed the SU community truly loved Otto and named him the official SU mascot, according to a Dec. 5, 1995, article in The Daily Orange. Otto is now a symbol of SU’s athletic vigor — and it’s difficult to imagine a game without the young hallmark mascot. kvdolins@syr.edu
courtesy of su archives The Saltine Warrior (Right), originally Native American, was transformed into a Roman gladiator after protests occured due to the sterotypical image that was portrayed.
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44
FROM PAGE 3
seeing No. 44 play 30 or 40 years after Jim Brown and Ernie Davis,” Schantz said. The three, regarded as the greatest players in SU football history, all bore No. 44 on their backs and chests. They brought the Orange tremen-
“People still remember the number now, but in the future, if they keep it retired, the whole legend behind it will start to fade.” Brian Schantz
SENIOR ECONOMICS AND HISTORY DUAL MAJOR
dous victories and a lasting prestige, perpetuating the dedication of fans to a single number. *** The legacy of No. 44 began with SU’s greatest athlete of all time: Jim Brown. Fourteen other players before Brown wore No. 44. As the story goes, equipment manager Al Zak tossed him the then-insignificant jersey. From 1954 to 1956, as the first running back to wear 44, Brown made the number famous.
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Brown later would travel to Elmira, N.Y., with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder to recruit the player who would break almost all of Brown’s records: Ernie Davis. He led the Orangemen to a national championship in 1959 and became the first and only AfricanAmerican to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961. Davis recruited Floyd Little in 1962. Six months later, after battling leukemia, Davis died at age 23. It was an untimely loss that Schwartzwalder called a “tragedy.” Little was the last outstanding player to wear the number from 1964 to 1966. At the time of his graduation, Little was a three-time All-American. Schwartzwalder said Little’s successful career solidified the legend of No. 44. During the years between Little’s career and the number’s official retirement in 2005, few players had accomplished the mystifying success of Brown, Davis and Little. “Over the years, there’s been a couple of other guys that have worn it, but no one strikes me as outstanding,” said John Schantz Jr., Brian’s father and 1982 alumnus, as he listed off other players who wore the number. “They didn’t deserve 44, though,” he muttered under his breath with disdain. *** The number is inseparable from Syracuse culture: It’s no coincidence that all of the University’s telephone numbers begin with 44 and Syracuse’s zip code, 13244, ends with the illustrious 44. Despite how engrossed 44 is in Syracuse life, the Schantz family believes that the longer No.
44 remains off the field, the weaker the legend and allure of the number will become. Many fans see a correlation between the loss of No. 44 and a weaker fan base for SU football. Schantz Jr. recalls his time at SU when attending a football game meant you were entering the “Loud House.” “I used to go to every game and that place would get packed with 50,000 people, and man, that place was unbelievably loud, you couldn’t hear yourself speak,” Schantz Jr. said. “Kids who go to games nowadays, they don’t know, which is unfortunate, but they just don’t get as big a crowd right now. Brian Schantz is hopeful that a return to tradition will help bolster the SU football program
that has greatly declined since the time of the all-star No. 44 players. “We’ve got Marrone, and he’s kind of brought us back to our roots, all the little traditions of the program, because he played for Don McPherson, and he knows the traditions,” Schantz said. But Schantz believes that’s not enough and said that he wants to see a return of SU football’s glory days, with No. 44 leading the way. “I think that if 44 comes back, it will be part of signaling the renaissance of our program. We’d have Marrone, a true Syracuse guy, and 44 back all at the same time,” Schantz said. “It would be like Syracuse Football is finally the way it’s supposed to be.” dmodiama@syr.edu
Who wore 44?
Fourteen SU football players wore No. 44 before Jim Brown made it famous. After that, many players who wore the number have been running backs, following in Brown’s footsteps, but others played different positions. Here are some players who had the honor of wearing the legendary number: NAME
YEARS
Jim Brown Tom Stephens Ernie Davis William Schoonover Floyd Little Rich Panczynszyn Mandel Robinson Glenn Moore Michael Owens Terry Richardson Rob Konrad
Looking for something to do? You’ll find it at orange Central!
oNe-oN-oNe: seaN o’keefe aND Jeff glor
meisa baTTle of The baNDs
Dream big wiTh emme
SU-South Florida football in the Dome November 11, 8 p.m.
oraNge CeNTral bash Food, rockin’ DJ, Orange Circle Awards November 11, 5:30 p.m.
Healthy living tips from former supermodel November 12, 10 a.m.
pioNeeriNg iNNovaTioN for susTaiNabiliTy Industry leaders in an open dialogue November 11, 9 a.m.
baskeTball home opeNer Men’s team takes on Fordham November 12, 4 p.m.
is The besT DefeNse a gooD offeNse?
D.l. hughley aND DeaN eDwarDs Comedy duo visits SU November 12, 7 p.m.
Running back Halfback Running back Halfback Running back Quarterback Running back Running back Running back Running back Fullback
O’Keefe talks service, strategy, and space November 10, 8 p.m.
The big game
POSITION
(1954-56) (1957-58) (1959-61) (1962-63) (1964-66) (1967-69) (1976-77) (1981-82) (1987-89) (1990-93) (1995-98)
Panel on judicial ethics November 12, 9:30 a.m.
oraNge CeNTral paraDe Plus pep rally on the Quad November 11, 4 p.m.
Local bands compete for prizes November 8, 8 p.m.
areNTs awarD luNCheoN
Honoring outstanding SU alumni November 12, 12:30 p.m.
lil’ b aND Tayyib ali
With student opener Kay Con November 9, 8 p.m.
remembraNCe week eveNTs
Rose-laying ceremony and convocation November 11, 2:03 p.m.
veTeraNs Day CeremoNy
Features singer Michael Peterson November 11, 11 a.m.
2011
All of this is just the beginning. Get the full schedule at orangecentral.syr.edu!
November 6–13, 2011!
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Twirl
FROM PAGE 5
In her second year of graduate school, Gaffney helped Andrew, a freshman at the time, ease into the twirling position at SU. Working with nearly 200 student instrumentalists is an advantage and a hindrance. Since the beginning, the twirler worked with the band. By looking at charts and drills set by section leaders, Orange Girls had to literally fit between the moving band members. “It’s easy sometimes because the drills really are designed to have a twirler in there. But the next moment, I have people coming in at me from all sides,” Andrew said. But Gaffney and Andrew said the connec-
Fans
FROM PAGE 4
more history and secondary education major, has never missed a home football game or basketball game as his “Orange Man” persona. Collins attends every home game wearing an orange bodysuit, blue running shorts and a navy-and-orange striped tie. Although Orange Man has yet to achieve the same level of mystique as the Dome Ranger or other cult figures in the Dome’s history, Collins hopes to keep the character alive once he leaves school. “I would love Orange Man to become an SU tradition,” Collins said, “I’d like to be able to pass down the suit and the rest of the outfit to an underclassman once I graduate. It would have to go to someone who will be as committed as I have been.”
f e a t u r e g u i d e | fa l l 2 0 1 1
tions they’ve made with band members and fans outweigh the cons. The Pinstripe Bowl, the first bowl game SU played since 2004, is Andrew’s favorite memory as the Orange Girl. “We had a basic performance, but there was this roar that erupted from Yankee Stadium that I hadn’t heard before,” she said. “So many people cheered when they saw us, the band. I had the biggest smile on my face.” Athletics, the backdrop for an Orange Girl’s performance, constantly changes at SU, Gaffney said. Citing the conference change from the Big East to the ACC, she said it’s nice to hold a position with a 70-year-old consistency. “A lot of things can’t be called tradition,” she said. “And it’s incredible that I’ve been a part of something that’s stayed the same.” smtracey@syr.edu
But the Orange Man getup works as standalone costume, and Otto’s Army unites the student body for one cause: to cheer the Orange to victory, no matter the sport, Collins said. Gaucher echoed this sentiment. “It’s a way for students to connect with their university and show pride in their alma mater, just by being loud and wearing orange,” Gaucher said. At 5 years old, the Otto’s Army student section is still gaining momentum and becoming a key institution of SU athletic programs. Milman predicts that Otto’s Army will not only grow as a Syracuse tradition, but also as one that will resonate in the entire college sports nation. Said Milman: “In the not-so-distant future, Otto’s Army will surpass all other student section organizations in terms of notoriety, passion and tradition.” ervanrhe@syr.edu
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