February 5, 2020

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N • Diverse force

The Syracuse Police Department has continued efforts to diversify its police force in 2020. SPD Chief Kenton Buckner prioritized diversity in his first year at SPD. Page 3

O • Reneprom reflection

Student Life columnist argues how highlighting events like Reneprom convey solidarity with underrepresented communities on campus.

Page 5

dailyorange.com

P • Global outreach

A student-led fundraising initiative, A Hand for Wuhan, is raising money to send medical supplies to the Chinese province affected by the coronavirus.

Page 7

S • Winding road

For a variety of unfortunate events, Taleah Washington attended several schools across the country before joining Syracuse women’s basketball.

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state

CDC to test Cornell student for virus

By Michael Sessa asst. news editor

Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry is one of 37 food pantries in Syracuse. Thirty percent of Syracuse residents receive federal aid through SNAP. elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

The next meal

Nearly 60,000 people in Onondaga County lack reliable access to food

By Marnie Muñoz asst. copy editor

F

ood insecurity has always been a part of Kate Madsen’s life. It’s a problem she expects will continue even after graduating from Syracuse University.

Madsen, a senior studying music at SU, is one of nearly 60,000 people in Onondaga County who lack reliable access to healthy, affordable food, according to 2016 data.

Food insecurity extends far beyond Syracuse, affecting a total of 14.3 million people across the country in 2018.

“It’s been really hard figuring out where my next meal is going to be,” she said.

Madsen is trying to navigate filing an application for federal aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP benefits, monthly supplements for purchasing nutritious foods, are allocated depending on household size, income and expenses.

SNAP eligibility standards will shift this April, though, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to change the way benefits are dispersed. The new rule will revise existing standards for how see food

insecurity page 4

on campus

SU implementing demands from student groups

By The Daily Orange News Staff

Syracuse University has begun implementing reforms in response to student demands made last fall.

At least 25 racist, anti-Semitic and bias-related incidents have occurred at or near SU since Nov. 7. The incidents sparked forums, student protests and calls for university-wide reform. #NotAgainSU, a Black studentled movement, presented Chancellor Kent Syverud with a list of 19 demands Nov. 21 to meet in response to the incidents. Jewish, international and indigenous students also shared concerns and solutions.

Syverud signed 16 of #NotAgain-

SU’s 19 demands as written and revised the remaining three. He also agreed to the requests of Jewish and international students. The concerns and solutions of indigenous students remain under discussion, according to an SU website tracking the university’s response to demands.

Here is an update on the progress university officials have made in implementing students’ requests:

Demands from #NotAgainSU

Student protesters demanded a housing portal to select roommates based on mutual interests and identities. The movement also called for expanding multicultural learning

see demands page 4

Black, Jewish and international students submitted concerns and suggestions to SU Administration. corey henry photo editor

A Cornell University student has presented symptoms of the new coronavirus, Cornell officials said in a statement Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently processing the student’s laboratory tests, which could take a full week. The student does not live on Cornell’s campus and is currently in isolation.

The Tompkins County Health Department is investigating any contact the student might have had with others at the university or in the community, Cornell said.

Cornell is about 50 miles away from Syracuse University, and there has been no potential cases reported near SU campus.

The novel coronavirus, a respiratory disease, spreads through saliva and causes pneumonia-like symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever and coughing. Health officials believe the illness originated in Wuhan City, China.

SU announced a temporary travel restriction to China on Friday in response to the continued spread of the virus, which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency. The U.S. State Department and the CDC have advised against traveling to China.

SU also “strongly” recommended that anyone traveling to China for personal reasons reconsider their plans, according to an SU News release. Anyone who travels to China during the temporary restriction will not be allowed in SU buildings or facilities for 14 days after returning to the U.S., university officials said.

SU previously announced plans to expedite a new travel and safety policy requiring all students and faculty to register any international travel plans prior to their departure.

The university will follow guidance from the State Department and the CDC to remove the restrictions “as soon as it is deemed safe to do so,” officials said.

There are no confirmed cases of the virus in New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday.

The New York State Department of Health has sent test samples from 17 patients possibly infected with coronavirus to the CDC, Cuomo said. Eleven have tested negative and six other samples are still pending, he said. msessa@syr.edu @MichaelSessa3

2 feb. 5, 2020

dailyorange.com

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inside P • Work in watercolors Becca Stadtlander, a professional illustrator and fine artist, is speaking on campus with the Visiting Artist Lecture Series on Thursday.

Page 7

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S • Dribble drive

Buddy Boeheim spent the offseason integrating shot variety into his game. The result is increased production this year for SU men’s basketball.

Page 12

letter to the editor policy The D.O. prides itself as an outlet for community discussion. To learn more about our submission guidelines, please email opinion@dailyorange. com with your full name and affiliation within the Syracuse community. Please note letters should not include any personal information pertaining to other people unless it is relevant to the topic at hand. All letters will be edited for style and grammar.

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N

New policy SPD implemented a policy on interactions with transgender people.

See Thursday’s paper

NEWS

Follow the money

Foreign forum

Registered student organizations discuss Student Association’s financial transparency.

See Thursday’s paper

Syracuse Abroad will host a forum Thursday on studying abroad amid political unrest.

See dailyorange.com

dailyorange.com @dailyorange feb. 5, 2020 • PAG E 3

regional news Here is a roundup of the biggest news happening around New York state.

LEAD INSPECTORS The city of Syracuse will hire two new code inspectors to inspect nearly 5,500 rental homes for lead under a proposed law. The Common Council will look into allowing inspectors to test and cite for lead paint, which is poisonous. source: syracuse.com

HIGHWAY SAFETY Drivers who threaten or assault highway construction workers will see stiffer penalties under a proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s state budget. The New York Department of Transportation has recorded upward of 900 incidents where drivers assaulted highway workers or entered work zones in the past five years, Cuomo said. source: syracuse.com

BEST RESTAURANT

Cultural connection ELIF KIYCI attended a Turkish Culture and Conversation Table on Tuesday. SU’s Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Middle Eastern Studies Program and Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics sponsored the event, held in Eggers Hall. The Turkish table is one of several cultural conversation tables SU will host this year. sarah lee asst. photo editor

A Syracuse restaurant, EthioEritrea, is one of the 20 best new restaurants in the world, according to a CNN assessment.

The ten-table restaurant serves a combination of Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes. source: syracuse.com

DOME ROOF

city

SPD continues efforts to diversify force

By Chris Hippensteel asst. news editor

The Syracuse Police Department is continuing its efforts to diversify the city’s police force in 2020.

SPD Chief Kenton Buckner, who came to the department last year, said he wants the city’s police force to be more reflective of the Syracuse community. He addressed these efforts in a public forum in September 2019 where he called for the community’s help in seeking out diverse recruits.

“Having a police department that is reflective of the community is the goal so everyone feels represented,” said Sgt. Matthew Malinowski, an SPD spokesperson, in a message to The Daily Orange.

SPD’s first academy class of 2019 graduated five female officers and three Black officers out of a total of 33 graduates, said Nilieka Brown, public information specialist for

SPD, in an email. There were five female officers, five Black officers and one Asian officer in the next 32-person class.

There are six Black recruits, one indigenous recruit and one Asian/ Pacific Islander recruit in the ongoing 2020 class, Brown said. There are 35 recruits total.

SPD graduated two academy classes in 2019, with a focus on diversity and city residency, Brown said. The department hopes to graduate another diverse class of officers in 2020, she said.

The department has also emphasized promoting female and minority officers within the department, Brown said. Last year’s promotions included a Black sergeant, an Asian sergeant and a female lieutenant, she said.

Buckner said in September that the department hoped to involve local cultural organizations in its recruitment efforts.

SPD has begun collaborating with some of these organizations, said Tavores Flournory, an officer involved with the department’s recruiting efforts.

“It’s one of [Buckner’s] main priorities, for us to get more diverse,” Flournory said. “That’s one of the things we’ve been working on.”

SPD tabled at the Syracuse NAACP’s cultural tent at the 2019 New York State Fair and set up displays at last year’s Festival Latinoamericano Syracuse, Flournory said. These events have allowed the department to appeal to recruits who may otherwise have been reluctant to enter the force, he said.

“I try to take Spanish-speaking officers, show them that they can have people speak both languages,” Flournory said. “To see someone else of their nationality doing the job, hopefully they can see themselves doing it too.”

Recruiting civilian SPD employ-

ees, such as traffic guards and community service officers, is also important, Fluornory said. Finding Spanish-speaking crossing guards for areas of the city with large Hispanic populations, for example, could be beneficial, he said.

Flournory has traveled to colleges throughout central New York colleges to recruit students, he said. The department also visits Fort Drum, a United States Army military reservation, throughout the year to recruit individuals from military backgrounds, he said.

Making the police force more representative of the community it serves is an ongoing mission, Flournory said.

“Now, the department looks like the community,” Flournory said.

“If we have members from every aspect of the community here, it makes it easier to communicate to the public.” cjhippen@syr.edu

city

Syracuse zoo named one of worst for elephants

By Molly Gibbs staff writer

An animal rights organization listed Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo as one of the top 10 worst zoos for elephants in North America after an investigator visited the zoo in November.

In Defense of Animals released its 16th-annual 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list in late January, giving the Rosamond Gifford Zoo the 10th spot. This is the fifth time the

zoo has made IDA’s list.

The organization considers a number of factors to narrow down the list, including health, space, enclosures and climate in its assessment. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo was placed on the list primarily because of the zoo’s breeding program.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo responded to the ranking in a three-page statement, calling the list an “ongoing smear campaign.”

Laura Bridgeman, a representa-

I understand that zoos are doing, or trying to do, the best they can.

There is no way that elephants can thrive in zoos. And that’s the bottom line.

Laura Bridgeman

in defense of animals representative

tive from In Defense of Animals, said IDA sent an investigator to the zoo in late November to observe the zoo’s treatment of its animals. The investigator spent eight hours at the facility, and a Rosamond Gifford Zoo representative said a male elephant named Doc would be sent to another zoo soon, Bridgeman said.

IDA shared the video with The Daily Orange, but requested that it not be published in order to protect the privacy of the see elephants page 6

Syracuse University is looking to sell portions of the Carrier Dome’s existing roof once the stadium’s new roof is constructed, officials said.

Syracuse University Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said the school is still looking for vendors and has yet to finalize the plan. source: syracuse.com

LOCAL PRIMARY Local election officials are working to avoid future technical difficulties in the upcoming primary like those seen in Onondaga County’s November elections. Last fall’s elections was the first time Onondaga County Board of Elections allowed uploading early voting results at the same time as election day results, which stalled the system that counted the votes. source: cnycentral

HIT AND RUN A Canadian truck driver was unaware he had hit a pedestrian in a deadly accident in Salina. The truck reportedly hit and killed Richard Wydick, 30, from Liverpool.

The hit and run happened around 5:54 p.m. Sunday. New York State Police inspected the truck and determined it has no safety violations. source: cnycentral

CORONAVIRUS TESTS Cuomo announced Tuesday that six coronavirus sample tests in New York state are still pending.

There have been no confirmed novel coronavirus cases in New York state. Three of the pending samples are from New York City.

Seventeen other tests returned negative. source: cnycentral

4 feb. 5, 2020

from page 1

food insecurity SNAP calculates an individual’s benefits based on their heat and utility costs.

Nearly 15% of Onondaga County residents and more than 30% of Syracuse residents currently participate in SNAP, according to Onondaga county data. Nearly 1.5 million households participated in SNAP, as of USDA data in June 2019.

Evan Weissman, an assistant professor of food studies in SU’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said the SNAP shifts are too severe and pose lasting negative consequences.

“I think that there’s no doubt for the Syracuse community, for central New York as a whole, for New York State and the United States, there will be negative impacts from the changing of SNAP eligibility rules,” he said.

From a young age

Food insecurity reveals itself far too often in the lives of students who depend on federal benefits for their meals, said Rachel Murphy, food and nutrition services director for the Syracuse City School District.

The problem of student hunger has challenged her ever since she took the job, she said.

Eighty-four percent of SCSD students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, according to county data. The rate is well-past state provisions requiring that at least 60% of a district’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch in order for the district to provide those services for free.

The proposed SNAP changes could reduce the number of SCSD students eligible for free lunch. Losing benefits under the rule changes would put a strain on the system by potentially making other local districts more dependent on SCSD services, Murphy said.

“We’re in a community where there’s a lot of stories of poverty, food insecurity,” Murphy said. “Let’s at least feed the kids.”

SCSD is working to bolster existing programs with a hunger action plan that would include a new online income eligibility application to secure state funding for the district, Murphy said.

Madsen grew up in public schools where most students relied on free or reduced lunch provisions, she said. She volunteered at local food banks, though her family always barely kept themselves above the margin of needing the assistance, she said.

As an adult, she has difficulty buying cheap enough foods that will still meet her health needs, Madsen said. She spends much of her time shopping at various dollar stores within the area and preserving food for as long as she can.

Physical access

Income, transportation and geographic location are main factors affecting food insecurity, according to a county report.

More than half of census tracts in Syracuse are classified as food deserts, according to the report. Food deserts, as defined by the USDA, are census tracts where poverty rates rise above 20% and where more than 33% of residents live more than half a mile from their nearest supermarket. from page 1

demands communities to more residence halls.

SU announced Feb. 3 the expansion of a multicultural living community for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The university also signed a contract with My College Roomie, a student roommate matching software company, to pair students based on shared interests. The company’s services will be implemented in the spring.

Syverud revised #NotAgainSU’s demand for a housing portal based off of identities, citing legal restrictions. #NotAgainSU demanded that any students involved in hate crimes and acts of racism face punishment, including expulsion.

The university will immediately suspend any student involved in bias-related vandalism or graffiti, Rob Hradsky, vice president of the student experience, announced Jan. 29. Students who witness, protect or know an individual who commits the acts will also be held accountable, he said.

Hiring counselors to represent marginalized identities on campus and counselors with language fluency was also one of the movement’s demands. #NotAgainSU also called

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

The updated SNAP eligibility rules could increase public reliance on food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries, Weissman said.

The city of Syracuse has 37 food pantries, in addition to two available on SU’s campus.

The Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry, located on the second floor of Hendricks Chapel, serves the student community seven days a week. An additional food pantry is available to students on South Campus.

Still, Weissman said food insecurity is about more than geographic access to healthy food.

“Getting to that store isn’t necessarily the entire picture. You need to have money in your pocket to buy the food that’s there,” he said.

Multi-dimensional effects

Food insecurity has implications for both rural and urban communities because access to food links across communities, Weissman said. Food insecurity is directly related to economic inequality, he said.

Kayla Kelechian, an organizer for the Workers’ Center of Central New York, said she is frustrated that low-unemployment rates have been used to justify SNAP eligibility shifts.

Despite new restaurant job openings in Syracuse, many low-income workers who rely on SNAP benefits encounter harsh working conditions and wage theft, Kelechian said. In effect, available jobs are not sustainable for more than a few months at a time.

“It’s like, you either be exploited or you don’t have food,” she said.

Changing SNAP eligibility will also devastate low-income farm workers who depend on the program in the Syracuse area, said Stacy Bautista, a spokesperson for the Eastern Farm Workers Association.

Changes to federal spending on food stamp programs have been happening for decades, Bautista said. Dealing with this, in addition to negative effects of climate change on the farming industry, has been difficult for EFWA members, she said.

The only way for people to prepare for the April changes is to organize, Kelechian and Bautista said.

Moving forward

SNAP and free or reduced-price school meals have been effective in combating food insecurity, but they should not be the ultimate goal of federal public assistance, Weissman said.

“You wouldn’t need programs like that if you ensured everybody had adequate access to the means necessary for survival,” he said.

Weissman said he hopes to continue expanding regional food connections in Onondaga County so institutions such as SU can help local, largely untapped markets grow, he said.

Madsen said she is determined not to let food insecurity completely define her life as a student and musician. Continuing to learn about how food insecurity affects the lives of students and their families is important work, she said.

“Communities are never stagnant. You are always evolving. People move in, people move out, industry opens, closes, businesses rise and fall,” Murphy said. “And because of that, you’re always going to have to find a way to measure who you’re serving.” ammunozc@syr.edu | @munoz_marnie

for diversity and inclusion training for all SU counselors by fall 2020.

SU created and posted four additional counseling positions and is seeking an associate director for diversity and inclusion at the Barnes Center at the Arch. Current supervisors at the Barnes Center attended a diversity, equity and inclusion session Jan. 22.

Reforming SEM 100 to accurately address modern diversity issues was the movement’s second demand. SU’s website tracker states that curriculum changes are under consideration for fall 2020. #NotAgainSU demanded that the Office of Student Living allocate more funding for programming, multicultural events and residence adviser training. Since then, SU has allocated more than $135,000 to expand OSL staff development and support diversity and inclusion.

SU also hosted a daylong professional development session on issues of diversity and inclusion for all OSL staff Jan. 30. OSL and the Office of Multicultural Affairs doubled capacity for the Students of Color Leadership Retreat and established an International Students Leadership Retreat for fall 2020.

Student protesters also called for SU to invest in student volunteer opportunities

Syracuse University student Kate Madsen said she visits food pantries to stock up on iron supplements and inexpensive goods like macaroni and cheese. Madsen prepares her meals to ensure she has enough to eat. elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

to serve low-income communities of Syracuse. The university is investing more than $300,000 to better serve these communities.

International Student Concerns Racist graffiti targeting Asian people have been found in multiple SU residence halls, and a slur was yelled at a Chinese student Nov. 16.

In response, international students demanded that the administration allocate funding for more opportunities to encourage domestic students’ understanding of other cultures.

SU appointed Juan Tavares, director of the Center for International Services, as a liaison between communications and international students. SU’s Office of Enrollment and the Student Experience allocated more than $400,000 to expand diversity programing and add four additional staff to the Center for International Services.

Hiring more multilingual resident advisors and increasing diversity training for all RAs was another demand of international students. Of the 175 spring 2020 RAs, 56% identify as students of color and 39 are multilingual. The Office of Student Living hired 14 new RAs who identify as students of color for the semester.

The students also requested more scholarships for “international students with outstanding academic performance, social practice or other excellent abilities.” No new scholarships for international students have been established since the demand was made.

Jewish student concerns

Swastikas have been found written in SU residence halls, Bird Library, Marshall Square Mall and etched in a snowbank near the 505 on Walnut luxury apartment complex. A white supremacist manifesto was also allegedly sent to students’ cellphones in Bird Library.

Students’ first demand was for SU to ensure university cameras are in working order.

In response, SU installed additional cameras in Day Hall on Dec. 1. Campus Safety and Emergency Services has evaluated the installation and is developing a plan and budget estimate for similar installations in additional residence halls.

Hradsky is also working with Hillel staff on a draft structure for a Marginalized Identity Student Leadership Coalition consisting of faculty and staff. The coalition will meet to discuss group campus climate concerns. news@dailyorange.com

O

OPINION

dailyorange.com @dailyorange feb. 5, 2020 • PAG E 5

letter to the editor

Required classes benefit students

D

ear Editor, I read with interest George Hashemi’s column “SU should change core requirements” in the January 22 issue of The Daily Orange. Mr. Hashemi believes that SU should reduce core requirements that are unrelated to students’ majors.

I am a Newhouse photojournalism alumna (1979 undergraduate degree and 1984 graduate degree), and after a more than 40-year career in communications, I can say that those core requirements seemingly unrelated to my major helped advance my career. Those bio and Earth science courses?

They came in handy when I landed a job with a conservation agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I understood the natural science basis for what the agency did on the land, which informed my writing and photographic assignments. My science background also

gave me instant credibility with scientists and technical people, many of whom looked down on communications people who knew “nothing” about science and were “just PR people.”

At Syracuse and early in my career, I was dead-set on being a photographer, not a writer. Well, those Newhouse writing, editing, and public relations courses came in handy when I reached the career ceiling for photographers and moved into broader communications positions. At the start of the Great Recession, with a child starting college, I found myself looking for a job due to government budget cuts. After nearly 30 years in environmental communications, I was able to qualify for and obtain a position as a public information specialist with the NYS Department of Labor — a complete, but necessary, subject matter change.

SU requires diverse core cours-

es for a reason. If you are aiming for a career in communications, you will be communicating about something else, whether it’s the environment or a new social services initiative. It’s helpful to have some subject-matter background or at least a basis for evaluating what your sources say. For those in tech fields, like engineering, who don’t see why they need a writing course: my brother is an engineer.

He advanced rapidly in his career, in part because he could write well. The technicians charged with carrying out his plans and designs could understand them.

In my experience, those seemingly unrelated but required core courses helped me in life and my career.

Sincerely, Karen Rusinski Williamson Photojournalism 1979/MS Communications Photography 1984

letter to the editor

Impeachment upholds democracy

M

ichael Furnari’s most recent conservative column is wrong in many ways and displays the disregard for the rule of law that infects the entire Republican party, young and old. I would, however, like to highlight one particular paragraph.

Furnari states: “If Trump were to be removed, there would be no turning back.” However, that would be exactly what the country would be doing, turning back a leader who blatantly disregards the law and thinks the Constitution allows him to do anything he pleases. It would be using the Constitutional powers of Congress not to circumvent the 2020 election but rather to protect the 2020 election from a man hell-bent on using the power of the presidency (and taxpayer money) to cheat his way to a victory.

Furnari continues, writing that “Any hope for normalcy would evaporate.” However, does he think the current circumstances are the new normal? Does he consider it normal for a president to bribe foreign countries to participate in his political dirty tricks? If so, he would, unfortunately, join many Republican senators who admit that the evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing is overwhelming, while at the same time find it insufficient to remove the president.

Finally, Furnari predicts that “The response to a Trump impeachment would not be a return to a more civil politics, but a declaration of all-out partisan war.” First of all, a Trump conviction (which I assume he means) must, by definition, be bipartisan, considering that two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote for

conviction.

Second, are we not currently in a partisan war? Fifty-one Republican senators voted to hear no witnesses in the Senate trial for the first time in this nation’s history, essentially covering up the president’s crimes.

This will ensure an acquittal but prevent an exoneration and certainly be remembered as one of the foolish and unpatriotic examples of blind loyalty to a crooked man and party.

Furnari may be too young to remember it, but if he is so concerned about using impeachment as a political weapon, he should write to Ken Starr, a member of the president’s defense team, and ask him about impeaching a president over sexual misconduct.

Letter to the Editor policy

• Please include your town of residence and any relevant affiliations • Topics should pertain to the Syracuse area • Letters should not include any personal information pertaining to other people unless it is relevant to the topic at hand, which will be decided at the

discretion of The D.O.’s editor-inchief and managing editor • Any links to third-party websites will also be published at the discretion of the editor-inchief and managing editor • All letters will be edited for style and grammar Thank you in advance for following these guidelines.

To have a letter printed in The D.O. and published on dailyorange.com, please follow the guidelines listed below: • Limit your letter to 400 words • Letters must be emailed to opinion@dailyorange.com

News Editor Emma Folts Editorial Editor Brittany Zelada Feature Editor Amy Nakamura Sports Editor Danny Emerman Presentation Director Talia Trackim Photo Editor Corey Henry Illustration Editor Sarah Allam Co-Copy Chief Keighley Gentle Co-Copy Chief Austin Lamb Digital Editor Casey Darnell Video Editor Casey Tissue Asst. News Editor Gillian Follett Asst. News Editor Chris Hippensteel Asst. News Editor Michael Sessa Asst. Editorial Editor Nick Robertson Asst. Feature Editor Christopher Cicchiello Asst. Feature Editor Mandy Kraynak Asst. Sports Editor Mitchell Bannon Asst. Sports Editor Andrew Crane

Asst. Photo Editor Elizabeth Billman Asst. Photo Editor Sarah Lee Asst. Illustration Editor Tanisha Steverson Design Editor Nabeeha Anwar Design Editor Katie Getman Design Editor Shannon Kirkpatrick Design Editor Katelyn Marcy Design Editor Emily Steinberger Asst. Copy Editor Sarah Alessandrini Asst. Copy Editor Sydney Bergan Asst. Copy Editor Marnie Muñoz Asst. Copy Editor Tim Nolan Asst. Copy Editor Gaurav Shetty Asst. Copy Editor Morgan Tucker Asst. Video Editor Rachel Kim Asst. Video Editor Camryn Werbinski Asst. Digital Editor Richard J Chang Asst. Digital Editor Roshan Fernandez Asst. Digital Editor Susan Zijp

Sincerely, Dominic Francese Syracuse University Class of 2003

student life column

Media should highlight Black excellence

A

fter five years of Renegade Magazine’s existence, student-run publications like The Daily Orange have come to the fortunate realization that Black publicaCORI tions should DILL not be the only MY CUP outlets highOF OJ lighting Black excellence.

Student-run publications should stand in solidarity with marginalized student communities with their coverage in order to be fully representative of all student voices.

Reneprom, the launch event for Renegade Magazine’s Feel Good issue — celebrated Black excellence on Syracuse University’s predominantly white campus, which encouraged publications to cover an event that made SU students feel good about the slowly changing racial climate.

As the unintentional segregation at predominantly white institutions adds to the on-campus racial tension, student-run publications should be the support system necessary for improving an unfortunately polarized campus environment.

The D.O. published an article highlighting Renegade Magazine’s “feel good” event. While the piece provided information about the magazine on a surface-level basis, it stood as one of only two D.O. articles in the history of the paper to feature one of SU’s only Black publications. The piece works to reinforce the light that Reneprom brought back to SU amid oncampus hate crimes, and sheds a brighter light on a group of underrepresented students that are working to have their voices heard.

A few years ago, positive coverage of marginalized communities would have been seen as taboo at best. Stories on minorities are often negatively framed, appearing only at times of racial injustice.

“I wanted a platform that fully understood and represented me ...

[Black SU students] so often have to balance our identity with our environment,” said Jalen Nash, SU senior and current Renegade Magazine co-editor-in-chief.

When he encountered a story written about SU’s first Black publication, Nash was surprised, as he understood from firsthand experience that “there was a time when The D.O. would not have done something like that.”

The article highlighted a com-

t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r ac u s e , n e w yor k

Haley Robertson

Catherine Leffert

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

munity that had yet to be represented in a positive connotation, proving that student-run publications are slowly, but surely progressing in the direction of integration.

The D.O. wrote dozens of articles covering the recent oncampus hate crimes. The article highlighting Reneprom stands as one of the few articles that shed a positive light on SU’s Black community themselves, instead of just their efforts to evade racism.

Nash said that one of Renegade’s main motivators for throwing a college-style prom was his peers’ collective feeling that “Cuse culture” was dying. For many Black SU students, spending several days protesting on the hard Barnes Center floor chipped away at their sense of campus belonging.

Thus, Reneprom worked to reinstate that sense of pride by taking a break from constantly fighting for Black culture and celebrating their identities instead. Coverage from publications such as The D.O. stood as a strong reflection of this mentality and a tribute to the Black excellence on campus that often goes unrecognized.

The positive recognition of SU’s Black community cannot just stop at a singular article highlighting Renegade Magazine and its one-time event. Being a school that has some of the top student-run publications in the country, these outlets need to continue to utilize their platforms to call attention to racial prejudice and also make marginalized communities comfortable in embracing their identities.

Nonetheless, Nash’s appreciation of The D.O. for “trying to take steps to write stories on what is happening to us” is understandable when it comes to the fact that the top college newspaper has such high standards to uphold. Publications that appeal to the general population and simultaneously work to recognize underrepresented communities are few and far between.

If student-run publications continue progressing in the direction of integration, they could be some of the first to place such a positive emphasis on Black excellence within the SU student community.

Cori Dill is a freshman studying newspaper journalism and political science. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at crdill@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter at @dillcori.

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from page 3

elephants zoo’s representative.

In the video, the zoo’s representative states “he’s going to another zoo for breeding purposes.” The representative does not explicitly name Doc but previously mentioned the elephant seconds before, saying “Doc is one of our biggest elephants.”

“Doc isn’t going anywhere,” the zoo said in its statement. The zoo declined to comment further.

The IDA investigator also recorded the zoo representative pointing to a young elephant, Bantu, and explaining that “he’ll be leaving in a couple of years. After five or six years, they go to other zoos because there can only be one male.”

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo confirmed this in its statement and said that Bantu, almost five, will eventually be ready to leave his family and join a bachelor group.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo is one of only 72 zoos with elephants to receive accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and is one of 11 to have surpassed all requirements to become a breeding facility, the statement said.

AZA facilities are dedicated to caring for animals in a humane and scientific manner, accord-

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

ing to the AZA website. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is accredited through September 2023.

The AZA also has a list of standards for elephant management and care. Facilities must allow for “adequate room” to easily move about and lie down, although there is no scientific data clearly indicating the amount of space needed for an elephant to be healthy and well adjusted, the site states.

The elephant herd’s night house at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo includes a 12,000-squarefoot barn with heated floors and sand to protect the elephants’ feet. The elephants also have access to a nearly seven-acre preserve the zoo said it expanded last year, as well as a 50,000-gallon watering hole.

Bridgeman acknowledged that the Rosamond Gifford Zoo recently renovated its exhibit, but said keeping elephants on display and visible to the public is “very traumatic for elephants.”

The ideal outcome for the IDA would be for the zoo to send all of their elephants together to a warm weather sanctuary, Bridgeman said.

“I understand that zoos are doing, or trying to do, the best they can,” Bridgeman said.

“But at the end of the day, there is no way that elephants can thrive in zoos. And that’s the bottom line.” mogibbs@syr.edu

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•

PAG E 7

Helping hand

RUOHAN XU said that he decided to start the initiative with Zeng after SU students reached out to them. emily mcneill staff photographer

SU students raise money for Wuhan amid severe coronavirus outbreak

ZE ZENG said that he was grateful for the show of support from donors at the university during a difficult time. elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

By Mandy Kraynak asst. feature editor

A

fter calculating the cost of sending 10,000 masks and 1,000 goggles to a region in China affected by the coronavirus, the organizers of the A Hand for Wuhan fundraiser set a goal of $30,000. They didn’t expect to surpass that goal within two days of the fundraiser’s launch.

Syracuse University students Ruohan Xu and Ze Zeng created the fundraiser to purchase medical supplies — including masks, goggles and coveralls — to send to Wuhan, a province in China at the epicenter of the coronavirus.

Xu and Zeng are working with several Chinese student organizations as well as the Center for International Services, which helped to launch the campaign.

The students extended the fundraising goal to $50,000 after reaching their see wuhan page 8

from the studio

from the stage

Illustrator speaks about career path Indie band Whitney talks vulnerable lyrics

By Kasey O’Rourke contributing writer

At one point, the desire to become a professional illustrator was all that Becca Stadtlander could think about. Art had always been part of her life.

This desire was anything but quick and easy to make a reality.

Through overcoming years of doubt, insecurities and submitting her work to every website, blog and art director she could think of, Stadtlander finally became comfortable in being a full-time illustrator.

Now, a decorated fine artist and professional illustrator, Stadtlander

will become the latest speaker for Syracuse University’s Visiting Artist Lecture Series. On Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in Shemin Auditorium, Stadtlander will give mentorship and advice to students with the desire to pursue a career in the fine arts.

Stadtlander’s work has been featured in Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, The New York Times, and Google, among others.

Associate professor of studio arts Sam Van Aken, who organized the Visiting Artist Lecture Series, said that the series is open to all and simultaneously acts as a four-credit course. He added that, primarily, School of Art students enroll; how-

ever, it is open to anyone that is keen on learning more about the arts.

“We bring in visiting artists to talk about their work and practice, and it does a couple things: One, it gives students different ways to think about art-making and gives students insight to artistic practices. So, how people actually make a living as an artist and have a career in it,” Van Aken said.

This exhibit is just another steppingstone in her journey to success in her dream career. The hardest obstacle getting to this point has been actually getting hired, Stadtlander said. see stadtlander page 8

By Patrick Henkels staff writer

The band Whitney is currently on what Julien Ehrlich describes as a “small market tour,” performing in cities like as Indianapolis and Louisville. The band will perform on Feb. 12 at The Westcott Theater. The Daily Orange spoke to Ehrlich from Whitney about the vulnerable lyrics on its latest record, “Forever Turned Around.”

The Daily Orange: Whitney is touring in support of its new

record, “Forever Turned Around.”

I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about this new record.

What makes this record so “honest” for the band?

Julien Ehrlich: I mean, it’s like a slice of where Max [Kakacek] and I were at: trying to be as vulnerable and as honest as possible in our anxieties. We were in our feelings.

D.O.: Where do you think those vulnerabilities show up on the record?

J.E.: I mean, in the lyrical content. see whitney page 8

8 feb. 5, 2020

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from page 7

wuhan original goal. They have raised $40,151 as of Tuesday evening and have 11 days remaining, according to their fundraising page.

Xu said that other SU students reached out to him because they were concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in China. The students who are helping with the fundraiser come from various parts of China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao. They have a strong desire to help their motherland, even if they cannot help directly, Xu said.

Xu decided to create the A Hand for Wuhan fundraiser after hearing about the shortage of medical supplies in Wuhan. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a

We can see that still Syracuse University is like a great family that everyone supports each other Ze Zeng su freshman

public health emergency.

“I’m from China, and also as [an] international student, I think that we need to do something for the global health issue,” Xu said.

Xu reached out to Ruth Chen, a professor

of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the chancellor’s wife.

Xu already had a relationship with Chen, who is also originally from China.

Chen told Amanda Nicholson, the assistant provost and dean of student success, about the students’ idea for a fundraiser at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration dinner on Jan. 26. The next day, Nicholson met with Juan Tavares, the director of the Center for International Services, and Xu and Zeng to discuss the program.

The fundraiser launched within a week of the meeting, Nicholson said.

Chen said in an email that she was worried about the parents and families of SU students, faculty and staff in China and wanted to help the students with the fundraiser. Zeng said he appreciated the support

from the university, as it provided a platform for the fundraiser.

Zeng added that he was grateful for the show of support from donors and the university at a time when he noticed people losing faith in the university after the bias-related incidents that happened last semester.

Nicholson said the fundraiser reflects a partnership between the administration and the students who stepped up and had the idea. It’s always important to extend help to others when there is a clear need, she said.

“This is an enormous challenge right now,” Nicholson said. “But you know, I think you can sit and talk about it, or you can try and do something about it. And every small step helps.”

from page 7

Her favorite artists include Grandma Moses, Edward Gorey and Vincent van Gogh.

With inspiration gleaned from the beauty of everyday objects, Stadtlander has been able to create a signature style of realismmeets-whimsy, beautifully showcased in gouache, an opaque watercolor paint popular amongst illustrators, Stadtlander said.

Her extensive portfolio includes illustrations of her favorite landscapes, book covers, animals and mystical creatures.

In 2019, Stadtlander was awarded the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration, given to her in recognition of her illustrations in the historical fiction book “Made By Hand: A Crafts Sampler.”

Despite the acclaim and her latest accolade, Stadtlander said her latest difficulty is handling the “solitude” that comes with being an illustrator. She conducts most of her work via email and creates pieces in her home.

Ginnie Hsu, an assistant professor in the School of Art who also had a hand in the lectures, said that the goal is to “bring in illustrators and designers that are in the current industry to have them share their experiences with students.”

As a multimedia storyteller and illustrator herself, Hsu most enjoys meeting other illustrators and exchanging ideas.

Stadtlander feels honored to have been selected for this opportunity, hoping she can provide something helpful to students with dreams of making it big in the world of art just like her.

“I was always clear-minded about being an artist,” Stadtlander said. “It’s the only thing I could picture myself doing. Art was everything all the time for me.”

stadtlander “I wanted to be a working illustrator so bad — it was all I thought about,” she said. “I was terrified that no one would ever hire me, and that I had made a big mistake going to art school. I just kept my focus and tried not to think about the what-ifs.”

I wanted to be a working illustrator so bad- it was all I thought about.

I was terrified that no one would ever hire me and that I had made a big mistake going to art school.

Becca Stadtlander professional illustrator and fine artist

BECCA STADTLANDER’S work has been featured in Penguin Random House, The New York Times and HarperCollins, among others. courtesy of becca stadtlander from page 7

whitney This is the type of record where the lyrics didn’t just pop out finished. We did a bunch of rewriting to make sure that the sentiments and everything that we are saying on the record would hold up. We can sing them every night and feel totally proud of them.

D.O.: Compared to your work in the past, aside from lyrically, how would you say this record

You can tell that we don’t just settle on a melody that sounds OK. We’re trying to play a melody that can really move you.

Julien Ehrlich member of whitney

differs from the work you’ve done in the past?

J.E.: I think we just played the songs better. Whenever I’ve gone back and listened to “Light Upon the Lake,” I just hear a record where it’s like we didn’t necessarily know how to perform a finished song. Like, the songs are good, but they sound kind of janky or like jangly. With “Forever Turned Around,” I feel like we just like learned how to nail the performances a little bit better because we had toured so hard on “Light Upon the Lake,” and we did just genuinely get better at our instruments.

D.O.: So, you just think that, instrumentally, it was much better executed?

Stadtlander said that she has been drawing since she was able to “pick up a crayon.”

As for her creative inspirations, Stadtlander said that they come in the oddest of forms. Movies, books, Internet and TV shows have proven to be some of the most profitable wells of inspiration. She added that some of her best work has come to her while she was sitting in the bath or driving to the grocery store.

But when all else fails, Stadtlander will seek out her favorite books or simply go for a walk “and give [herself] a break” she said.

ackrayna@syr.edu

korourke@syr.edu

J.E.: The arrangements are like a little more sophisticated as well, and the melodies, I think, are a little bit more like — I saw somebody on Twitter call them “luxurious.” I was like, “Oh, that’s kind of nice!”

You can tell that we don’t just settle on a melody that sounds OK. We’re trying to play a melody that can really move you.

D.O.: Right. And usually when you guys write songs, does it start off instrumentally or lyrically, or does it all vary there as well?

J.E.: It usually starts with like a chord progression. We’ve written a ton of catchy chord progressions, but it isn’t until, like, a melody and a phrase or something really sticks to it.

Then, we work to finish it and make it a song.

D.O.: Can you tell me a bit about how Whitney all came together?

J.E.: The Smith Westerns broke up, and we didn’t necessarily try to start a band straight out the gate together. Obviously, Max and I were best friends sort of dealing with that breakup.

We remained really, really close, but we were kind of working on our separate things. I was writing a record with Ziyad, and Max was working on some solo songs.

After a while, it was just one random day.

We just woke up one morning because we lived together, and Max had bought a tape machine and we wanted to learn how to use it.

We just wrote a song because we had to record something onto it, and it just happened to be something that we really liked.

From then on, we woke up the next morning and made another song. And both of those songs ended up on the record. And then we wrote “Golden Days” and we were like, “Oh, OK, so this can really be a thing.”

This interview brevity and clarity.

has

been

edited

for

pthenkel@syr.edu

JULIEN EHRLICH (LEFT) AND MAX KAKACEK make up the music duo that is Whitney. The group recently released an album. courtesy of whitney

feb. 5, 2020 9

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

from page 12

washington but an untenable economic situation led to them shutting down the program, Washington said. The rooms were filled with air mattresses. “Here we go again,” James thought, “another obstacle.”

Because that’s exactly what it was: Yet another obstacle. Washington’s freshman year at Syracuse has introduced her to the first stable program since she finished eighth grade. Forestville Military Academy, where she spent her freshman and sophomore years in high school, closed. Rock Creek Christian Academy, where she transferred for her final two years, had five girls on its roster to start.

Then, DME folded.

“Here, I know I don’t have to worry about that,” Washington said.

Syracuse isn’t going anywhere. The minutes head coach Quentin Hillsman gave Washington at the beginning of the season might have disappeared, but they’ll reemerge at some point. It might be next year, when Gabrielle Cooper is gone. But until then, Syracuse will provide more for her than she will for them.

“She’s used to being a giant-killer, you know the David and Goliath story,” James said.

“She’s used to being the underdog and coming out on top.”

There have been “magical” scenes for her this season, like in SU’s season-opener against Ohio when she faded away from the basket and hit a falling buzzer-beater before halftime. But with those have come the eye-opening ones for the freshman, like when she counted five open 3-pointers from her bench spot that the Orange surrendered to Miami’s Mykea Gray in their Jan. 12 loss — a player SU specifically addressed during pregame film.

They’re so glaring because Washington looks for those same openings: The few extra inches on a wing. The closeouts a second too late. James had taught her that. He’d always been her coach, from Washington’s youth basketball days, when she’d give James the silent treatment on car rides home, to her high school years when she understood why he pushed her so much.

Before coming to SU, James was the only coach Washington ever played for. She was introduced to the sport in second grade, when she’d watch James coach the Ballou (Maryland) High School boys’ team. That’s where Washington learned her first dribble move.

As she got older, she featured more and more advanced moves. At Forestville, Washington was part of the first girls state championship in school history. But as her sophomore year wound down and the Knights neared a second-straight title, the school announced it was closing because of declining enrollment.

Washington was devastated. This was not only her school but her mother and father’s too. During part one of the Board of Education Boundary Hearing — one of the final in the decision-making process — Washington hopped down the steps toward the podium clad in a gray Nike sweatshirt. As president of the sophomore class and captain of the basketball team, she spoke about how the closing would rip the Forestville community apart.

“Forestville is very family-oriented,” Washington said during the hearing. “You always know that when you’re down on the ropes you have people to pick you up.”

But she’d have to find that same quality at Rock Creek, where James took the head coaching job and Washington followed. So did some of Washington’s Forestville and Havoc City AAU teammates. The gym was outdated and had no air ventilation. On cold days in the winter, they couldn’t practice at all or had to use another gym. Players would put on layers under their practice jerseys, one of Washington’s teammates said.

Washington and her team sometimes returned to Forestville for practice, using its track to shuffle and backpedal, using the gym for mountain-climbers, wind sprints and crab walks. They’d complete the “seven trees” drill that involved running up a steep hill and weaving through each tree along the way. When Rock Creek scrimmaged, they didn’t practice sets. James and other assistant coaches would play, but their offense relied on freedom.

With Washington averaging nearly a tripledouble as a senior, Rock Creek ranked as one of the top high school teams in the country. It played on the Nike Tournament of Champions

TALEAH WASINGTON decomitted from Old Dominion during her senior year, signing with Syracuse and Quentin Hillsman. elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

circuit, traveling to Arizona in the winter and playing in the top bracket despite not practicing for weeks. Then came the New York Rose Classic, a trip to Maryland and other national tournaments, all with Washington at the forefront.

“I call it the invisible bag,” James said.

“We put our money, our coins and rubbed our coins together to help accumulate all this money and scholarship.”

By her senior year, Washington had decommitted from Old Dominion and signed with Syracuse. She knew Hillsman from attending his Elite Camp growing up — and James knew him from Forestville, too — but then the postgrad year came on her radar.

After James revealed the fate of DME in the Daytona Beach living room, he created his own prep team — called Empowerment — that completed DME’s schedule and sprinkled in other games against Florida junior colleges.

They finished runner-up in the independent national championship in Charlotte, and one-by-one the girls moved out of the school-

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provided housing and into James’ apartment.

Washington became the team cook, assistant coach and go-to player on the court.

She listed what each player wanted to eat and assembled meals like chicken alfredo and lasagna. When they traveled, the group rented vans because James’ two-door Mercedes Benz couldn’t fit everyone — even when they crammed four girls into the back row. Parents pitched in money to help along the way, but the bulk of it came from the Washingtons’ account.

“It made her hungry,” Hillsman said. “That was a rocky path for her.”

At SU, instead of living with seven teammates and her father, Washington has a South Campus apartment. She only has to cook for herself when she wants to, and post-practice meals at the Carmelo K. Anthony Center are always available. Washington’s the happiest she’s ever been, James said. She finally has some stability. arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew

10 feb. 5, 2020

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

ice hockey

Batherson, Syracuse freshmen make collective impact

By Gaurav Shetty asst. copy editor

Anna Leschyshyn drifted into the RPI zone, her stick raised seeking a shot. Defender Jessica DiGirolamo took the puck behind the net and every Engineer skater turned toward her.

It was Feb. 1, and the Orange were in the opening period of a 5-1 win against RPI. DiGirolamo sent a saucer pass into the slot and, without hesitation, Leschyshyn one-timed the puck into the Engineer’s net — lifting Syracuse to an early lead.

It was the latest rookie contribution for the Orange, Leschyshyn’s sixth goal of the season — a total that’s tied for second among freshmen in College Hockey America. The transition from youth to college hockey often comes with a faster pace and stronger players, Leschyshyn said, but this group of SU freshmen have accounted for 21.8% of the team’s points over 26 games. As Syracuse (9-16-1, 7-4-1 CHA) enters its final eight games of the year, contributions from all four freshmen — forwards Madison Beishuizen, Brynn Koocher, Leschyshyn and defender Mae Batherson — will boost the Orange as they search for a second-straight conference title.

“With our roster size, we expect our freshmen to come in and contribute,” head coach Paul Flanagan said.

Batherson is fifth on Syracuse in points scored and leads CHA freshman scoring among defenders. The only freshman on Syracuse’s blue line, she’s already playing on the second defensive pairing. She’s on the powerplay and penalty-kill units, too, and has scored 15 points, including 12 assists.

Batherson’s first of two CHA Rookie of the Week honors came at the start of conference play in November. In a two-game series against RIT, she had a goal and an assist in the opener and a power-play goal the next day.

Then, Batherson dished a trio of assists in an 8-3 win against Mercyhurst for her secondhighest point total in a single game. After following that up with a goal the next game, she earned her second rookie of the week honors

MAE BATHERSON joined the Orange from the Kingston Jr. Ice Wolves of the PWHL where she recorded seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. This season, Batherson has tallied 15 points in 26 game. emily steinberger design editor

for the four-point weekend.

“Took a bit to adjust to the strength and speed of the game at first, but feeling more comfortable and confident as I go through the season,” Batherson said.

The three freshmen forwards have also had varying degrees of success. Leschyshyn is ninth on the team with 12 points, Beishuizen is 12th with nine points and Koocher, despite some injury trouble, is 13th with eight points. They are all top-10 in CHA freshman scoring.

“You never know how much and how often,” Flanagan said, “but I think we’re very pleased

that they’ve come in, they’re all contributing in their own way.”

Koocher has missed five games this season because of various reasons, including a wisdom tooth removal. Still, she’s been an integral part of the offense splitting time at second- and third-line center.

The success of the freshmen for Syracuse isn’t an anomaly, though. Just last year, Lauren Bellefontaine was named CHA Rookie of the Year after scoring 20 points in 38 games and Abby Molughney finished tied for second on the team with 22 points. Together they were named to the CHA All-Rookie team and

their combined point totals accounted for 19% of the Orange’s offense.

This year, the individual point totals aren’t as notable but collectively, the contributions are still there. Each one-on-one skills session with assistant coach Julie Knerr has helped the four freshmen acclimate, easing Syracuse’s transition from the graduation of last seasons’ top point producers.

“Trying to break the rust a little bit for them when they’re first here,” Knerr said, “but also trying to make them feel like the adjustment process is taking its own path.” gshetty@syr.edu

softball

SU needs ‘competitive’ roster additions for turnaround

By Allie Kaylor staff writer

After a disappointing 2019 season, Syracuse hopes an influx of new players will key a turnaround from 21-32. If fall ball was any indicator, it may be right.

When the Orange take the field against California on Feb. 7, five of their 17 players will be freshmen. Head coach Shannon Doepking lauded Kaia Oliver, Jude Padilla, Rebecca Clyde, Catie Dobbs and Mia Cunnings as “competitive” players for SU heading into the 2020 season-opener.

“I think it’s a competitiveness that we lacked last year,” Doepking said. “And I think it’s something that you’re going to get to see really, really quickly.”

The new players’ potential competitiveness from page 12

buddy tendencies to charge and finish around the rim that’d carry him throughout the nonconference slate.

Against smaller teams like Seattle and Bucknell, Buddy focused on his body movement around screens. He took advantage of angles, leveraging his frame to create looks at the rim over defenders. Former Orange coach Eric Devendorf said the sophomore had used his height advantage to shoot over defenders his whole career. It dominated his early approach. In 2019-20, he’s incorporated the same principle to the interior.

Like most SU players this season, Buddy’s nonconference growth was stunted in lateNov. Barclays Center games against Oklahoma State and Penn State. He went 7-for-27.

On one play against OSU, the Cowboys baited Buddy into driving and feeding Elijah Hughes in the corner. An Oklahoma State

showed last fall, when SU played five exhibition games and won four of them. The Orange lost their first game to Colgate but outscored their next four opponents by nearly 50 runs.

Oliver pitched in three of the five games, starting in two of them. In her first start, the Ridgefield, Washington native pitched eightplus innings, allowing one run through the first eight.

“That was just a fuel to the fire,” Oliver said.

Padilla, an infielder and catcher, said she learned a lot from junior Gabby Teran this offseason. Teran led the Orange in hits and runs and was one of the most consistent players on the team in 2019. She emerged as a veteran presence and mentor to the large class of new players, helping them adjust to college life, Padilla said.

Padilla played third base, first base and guard dropped low and picked off the pass. A few possessions later, Buddy drove into space and bounced-passed to Bourama Sidibe. In a similar situation later in the game, Buddy converted from the free-throw line. Postgame, he acknowledged it’d been a learning process.

Against Boston College on Jan. 15, Buddy converted back-to-back layups to give SU an 11-point cushion. He’s more aggressive early in the game, he’s said, as defenses settle. In Buddy’s personal gameplan, he hopes that paint scoring can spark more.

“Just trying to get my inside game going and moving out as the game goes on,” Buddy said after scoring 21 against Pitt on Jan. 25.

SU’s run a screen for their top three scorers — Buddy, Joe Girard III or Hughes — throughout the season as a main offensive scheme. Usually, though, Girard is at the point, Hughes the wing, leaving Buddy as the rover and trigger. When Buddy takes a downscreen from a forward to get the ball on the elbow, the extra space can turn into room for

catcher in high school, meaning Doepking can use her in multiple situations, especially if there is an injury. Syracuse struggled with depth last season, and it was a problem when several players were forced out of position, Doepking said.

“She really helped me in softball on and off the field with my mentality and my attitude towards the game,” Padilla said.

In 2019, now-senior Alexa Romero won 13 of SU’s 21 games, pitching in 44.7% of the team’s total innings. Behind her in innings was Sophie Dandola, who’s since left the team.

Also shining for SU during the fall was Padilla, who had several RBIs throughout the week and a two-run home run against Herkimer.

One of the biggest question marks on the Orange roster coming into 2020 was a replacement for Alicia Hansen, who graduated a jumper or a driving lane.

McNamara said earlier this season that “three playmaking guards on the court at the same time” is key to the offense’s success.

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett echoed the sentiment months later. With Buddy usually matched on the second- or third-best defender, he offers variety.

There have been times where it’s carried him this season. At Notre Dame on Jan. 22, Buddy dropped in four two-pointers in the second half in an eventual two-point win. He went 0-for-5 from 3.

If Syracuse is to end its current two-game skid and gather enough wins to stay alive in a weak ACC, Buddy’s dribble-drive can continue to help the offense mask other issues.

“Everybody’s gonna overplay (Buddy),” Orange head coach Jim Boeheim said postDuke. “He’s a shooter. He’s getting his own shot, though. He’s putting it on the floor.

He’s learning.” nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez

last spring. She spent time bouncing around infield positions and led the Orange in batting average. With an influx of versatile players, it’s easy to have someone that can play in the gaps that she used to fill.

Cunnings and Clyde, other freshmen, are two more examples of the flexibility the team needs, Doepking said. They are both middle infielders with experience on the corners and can play wherever they are called. The Orange also brought in three transfers — one from a junior college. Two of whom play infield; the other is an outfielder.

“One thing we wanted to do with this program was add depth and with that, add kids that are versatile enough to play a lot of positions,” Doepking said. “So we went out and found three shortstops.” aekaylor@syr.edu

from page 12

white

15th in the country for total defense and passing yards allowed per game in 2017, respectively. In 2019 — W hite’s second year in Tempe — the Sun Devils’ defense improved to 35th and only allowed 22.4 points per game.

At Syracuse, White will inherit a secondary that returns defensive backs Andre Cisco, Trill Williams and primary backup safety Eric Coley. The Orange are coming off a 5-7 season where both conference and nonconference opponents carved up SU’s defense, leading to the firing of former defensive coordinator Brian Ward after the Nov. 2 Boston College loss. Arnett was initially hired on Jan. 11 to replace Steve Stanard’s interim role but then left despite signing an offer sheet, according to Syracuse.com’s Nate Mink. arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew

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Early reviews

Rookie report All four of Syracuse ice hockey’s first-years are in the top-10 in points in the conference.

See page 10

Enter Colgate

Syracuse softball has five new freshmen and three transfers vying for lineup spots.

See page 10

S PORTS

Syracuse men’s lacrosse opens up its 2020 season on Friday by welcoming Colgate.

See dailyorange.com

dailyorange.com @dailyorange feb. 5, 2020 • PAG E 12

‘A rocky path’ TALEAH WASHINGTON averages 11.3 minutes per game and hasn’t played more than 7 minutes in the last five games. Washington attended Forestville Military Academy, same as SU head coach Quentin Hillsman, but bounced around several programs before college.

elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

By Andrew Crane asst. sports editor

F

rom the living room of their Daytona Beach apartment, Taleah Washington locked eyes with her father. He had seen this coming, and Washington sensed it too. “Writing on the wall,” James Washington said.

Seven other girls filtered in and faced James, the head coach of their DME Sports Academy prep school team. It wasn’t exactly the Washington’s living room and it wasn’t exactly home, since the rest of their family was still in District Heights, Maryland. Just a temporary spot.

Taleah Washington couldn’t find a basketball home. Then came Syracuse.

men’s basketball

Washington was already a Syracuse (10-11, 4-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) commit, the only DME player with a college destination selected at the start of the year. Minutes weren’t likely with the 2018-19 Orange, so James took the prep job, and the pair moved to Florida following Washington’s high school graduation.

But in that three-bedroom, two-closet and one-bathroom apartment accommodating nine people, it became clear their plan was jeopardized. Soon, Washington and her teammates wouldn’t be associated with DME anymore. It was only January, the middle of their season,

see washington page 9

football

Buddy works to diversify scoring Syracuse hires DC Tony White from ASU

By Nick Alvarez

senior staff writer

Buddy Boeheim dribbled a ball in his left hand with a sophomore season goal on his mind. He stood on a court in the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center, a few feet away from the weight rooms.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore’s skillset had centered around his 3-point shooting. But in his follow-up campaign, he’s trying to become a threat inside the arc. The ‘Melo Center became a cradle for his development. Buddy constantly met with Orange assistant head coach Gerry McNamara throughout the offseason and upped his weight training.

“Trying to make plays off the dribble, that was really my main

focus this summer,” Buddy said.

“Just improve every day so I can do more than just shoot this year.”

The result? Buddy’s attempted more 2-pointers (72) in 11 conference games than he did in his entire freshman season (56). While partially expected with a minutes increase, the statistical leap is indicative of a new play style working. Buddy’s added the dribbledrive to his arsenal, supplementing his main threat. He’s shot 43% from inside the arc and has helped lift Syracuse (13-9, 6-5 Atlantic Coast) to 16th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric.

Buddy’s 3-point shooting sparks crowds and creates nicknames.

Buddy Bullseye. His 38 ACC 3s have raised his points per game to

16.3. Yet it’s his driving that’s diversified his attack, forcing defenders to choose between defending the deep ball or a turnaround jumper from the paint.

After SU’s loss to Duke on Feb. 1, Buddy said defenders were pressing out and sticking to Orange shooters.

Teams were testing Syracuse, and therefore Buddy, to beat them inside.

“We gotta start getting easier looks,” Buddy said. “Teams are adjusting.”

For one hour a day over the summer, Buddy and McNamara prepared for teams’ eventual adjustment. Buddy entered the offseason aiming to improve his athleticism.

Guided by weight trainer Ryan Cabiles, Buddy established the see buddy page 10

By Andrew Crane asst. sports editor

Syracuse has hired Arizona State’s defensive coordinator Tony White for the same position, according to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel. The move comes less than two weeks after recentlyhired Zach Arnett vacated SU’s WHITE defensive coordinator position by leaving for Mississippi State.

White — who was just promoted

to ASU defensive coordinator in Dec. 2019 after two seasons as the Sun Devils’ cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator — deploys the same 3-3-5 scheme that Arnett would’ve brought to the Orange. It’s a switch from the 4-3 scheme that Syracuse head coach Dino Babers has run in his five years at Syracuse.

Before White arrived at Arizona State, its defense ranked 99th or lower for three-straight seasons in scoring defense.

During those years, White commanded San Diego State’s secondary that ranked 11th and see white page 10