February 15, 2024

thursday, feb. 15, 2024

celebrating 120 years

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S • Students Sports mini shift mac NIL

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mohammed shat receives a certificate for the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship program. He graduated from Syracuse University as a Fulbright Scholar. courtesy of madison young

Every day we wait for his communication, which consists of a couple words:

‘We are still alive’ Maka Tokmazishvili shat’s friend, humphrey fellow

Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Shat and his family still see Gaza City as home. Now, bombings have forced them to flee, trapping them in Rafah. courtesy of madison young

Friends of Maxwell alumnus Mohammed Shat start a fundraiser for his evacuation from Palestine

By Samantha Olander asst. copy editor

M

adison Young first met Mohammed Shat while studying at Syracuse University. She recalled loving memories he shared about his family back home. Now, she only hears stories that worry her — stories of his family having to flee from Gaza City, the place he and his family used to call home.

“I remember (Shat) shared that he was fleeing from Khan Yunis … and how traumatizing it was because he and his family were just running past tons of bodies and bodies on the street,” Young said. “Some days they might have the freedom to look for food and water, and others they might just be fleeing nearby streets.”

Shat graduated from SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs as a Hubert Humphrey Fellow through the Fulbright Exchange Program in 2023. He is now trapped in Gaza with his wife and 11-year-old daughter, according to a GoFundMe campaign created by his friends and former colleagues.

Shat and his family are currently located in Rafah — a city in the southern portion of Palestine that borders Egypt — after being forced to flee from Gaza City and Khan Yunis due to recent bombings and airstrikes that destroyed their family home, Young said. She said they do not currently have a “lot of access” to actual shelter, nor to a clean source of water or food.

“Their family’s situation has been precarious and life-threatening (in) every location they’ve evacuated to,” the GoFundMe page reads. “With no end in sight, every day has become solely dedicated to survival while Shat and his family exhaust the very last of their resources.” see shat page 6

sports business

Noah Eagle reflects on calling Super Bowl for Nickelodeon

By Cooper Andrews sports editor

A young Noah Eagle would have never believed he’d broadcast a Super Bowl alongside color commentators SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star.

The 2019 Syracuse University graduate is no stranger to big moments. He’s the lead broadcaster for NBC Sports’ Big Ten Saturday Night and Big Ten Basketball on Peacock while also having called NFL contests for FOX Sports and the NFL Network.

Yet Eagle was left starstruck after he met with Syracuse native Tom Kenny and Bill Fager-

bakke — the voices of SpongeBob and Patrick, respectively — on Zoom a week before Super Bowl LVIII. For someone who loved “SpongeBob SquarePants” as a kid, it was a full-circle moment.

“I’m walking down the street after the Zoom, and I’m like, ‘Did that really just happen?’”

Eagle said.

Eagle called his first-career Super Bowl at the age of 26, leading the crew for Nickelodeon’s firstever Super Bowl broadcast on Feb. 11 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

The network has been calling select NFL games since its debut on Jan. 10, 2021, when Eagle broadcasted an NFC Wild Card matchup between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints.

Nickelodeon games have won over a younger audience and gained national popularity due to their untraditional broadcast style where cartoon characters and video effects like slime cannons play a major role in the viewers’ experience.

Of Super Bowl LVIII’s record-setting 123.7 million average viewers, 1.2 million people tuned into Eagle’s call on Nickelodeon’s kid-oriented broadcast, which was the first-ever alternative television feed of a Super Bowl game. Eagle, who’s called all five Nickelodeon NFL games, said the network’s latest triumph encapsulates the significant strides it’s taken to deliver such a unique format on the sport’s grandest stage.

“I don’t think any of us really anticipated what this would look or sound like going into year one or really what the reception would be,” Eagle said.

“We all just went in knowing it was a blank canvas that we got to outline and then paint and fill in the colors. And we got really fortunate that people seemed to enjoy it and it got a response that I think none of us anticipated that it ever would.”

Eagle’s father Ian, an SU alum who has worked at CBS as a commentator since 1998, was at Super Bowl LVIII as well calling the international feed. Though they didn’t see each other before the game, Eagle said, his father gave him advice before he got into the booth. see eagle page 13

2 february 15, 2024

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A lot of people, even around the country, figured out quickly: these highways, that went through poor communities, this was a pattern. We were not the only place where it happened.’” Maurice “Mo” Brown on the construction of I-81 Page 3

CULTURE “Some of the senior (alpacas) will come over and nuzzle next to me or give me little kisses on the nose.” - Lisa Hetko, neighbor to Seven Acres Alpaca Farm Page 5

OPINION “We hope to allow students to feel comfortable, especially when they leave the university, and don’t have these more discreet options available to them.” - Zoe Black, Health Promotion Specialist for Health Equity at University of Rochester Page 11

SPORTS “We got so many (references) in, but my favorite ones were the ones I could set SpongeBob and Patrick up with and then let them run with it from there.” - Noah Eagle on hosting Super Bowl on Nickelodeon Page 13

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WHAT: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion: Open Skate WHEN: Feb. 18, 12 - 2 p.m.

WHERE: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion

6 february 15, 2024 dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

NEWS

dailyorange.com february 15, 2024 3 news@dailyorange.com

city

Palestine rally calls for Indigenous solidarity, immediate ceasefire

By Faith Bolduc

asst. digital editor

Around 75 people rallied in support of a “free Palestine” Wednesday afternoon at the James M. Hanley Federal Building in downtown Syracuse, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to “genocide” in colonial regions, including North America.

The rally, co-organized by the Resilient Indigenous Action Collective and Syracuse University’s chapter of Faculty for Justice in Palestine, sought to raise awareness of the similarities between Palestinians and other Indigenous groups today, RIAC member Gabriel Memberto said.

“Israel is on stolen land just as the United States and Canada are also on stolen land. There are similarities between the two,” Memberto said. “(We wanted) to raise awareness around the similar struggles against settler colonialism that Palestinians and Indigenous people in socalled ‘North America’ face.”

The RIAC, a self-described “Indigenousled and Indigenous-only organization,” is an advocacy group dedicated to promoting Indigenous rights and social justice on “Turtle Island,” according to its Facebook page. The RIAC is made up of many Indigenous people from the Onondaga Nation and across Canada, Memberto said.

According to the Oneida Indian Nation, the name Turtle Island originates from the Haudenosaunee creation story where, after mud is placed on a turtle’s back, the turtle grew along with the mud on its back, forming North America.

Attendees stood outside as they listened to speakers, sang and danced, holding hands and stepping in a circle to the beat of the music.

Around the area, attendees stuck posters photos of people into the ground and hung children’s clothing items to represent killed Palestinians.

Speakers emphasized the importance of finding connections between Indigenous peoples in the Americas and those of Palestinian descent.

One speaker, a member of the Cayuga Nation who did not give her name, said she related to the feeling of being forced to leave despite having a “connection” to the land.

“It’s hard to watch things get taken away from you that way, but you keep going,” the

speaker said, describing the experiences of Indigenous Americans. “You have a thousand ancestors who have your back so you know you have to keep going. And that’s the same for Palestine every day.”

Karlie Jones, who referred to herself as a member of the Iroquois Confederacy, said she attended the rally to support Palestinians “fighting” for their land. She said that because of her experience protecting her land, she relates to Palestinians losing theirs. Jones said she wanted to find the “truth” in the conflict.

“I started digging, I started finding out that, in fact, there are original people, and those original people are fighting for their land,” she said.

“That’s me in this modern day right now. That’s me, and that’s our territory, and that’s all of our people … we’re all still fighting for our land.”

The rally served to create a space for Indigenous peoples to spread awareness and to show their support of the conflict currently ongoing in Palestine, Memberto said. Over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war started, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Memberto also said Indigenous peoples and Palestinians are more alike than not. RIAC organized the event to acknowledge that the “struggle for liberation comes on many fronts,” showing their “love for Indigenous resistance,” according to an Instagram post from the group.

Jones said that while she has had to fight to protect her land from the effects of colonialism, she has had to “take a step back” and look at the situation to see the “bigger picture.” Jones said that while she is personally fighting for her own land, others, including members of her community and the Palestinian community, are facing similar struggles.

She said she wanted to make a difference and use her voice to make past and future generations proud. Jones also said it upsets her to think about how there are people who can “push a button, sign a piece of paper or make a phone call” that could wipe out populations. “(To) think that there are people that are able to have that much control over somebody’s life … is heart-wrenching,” she said.

Memberto encouraged the Syracuse community to attend Palestinian-led organizations’

Demonstrators call for a ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza at a rally co-organized by the RIAC and SU’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine. faith bolduc asst. digital editor

events to further educate themselves on the connections between Palestine and Indigenous land in America.

“There’s a lot of people spreading a lot of important educational pieces about settler colonialism,” Memberto said. “You live on

stolen land. Syracuse is on stolen land. It is on Onondaga Nation territory, Haudenosaunee peoples’ territory, so it is very similar in that sense to raise awareness around that.” flbolduc@syr.edu

city

Syracuse officials look toward ‘next step’ for I-81 project

By Griffin Uribe Brown asst. digital editor

The city of Syracuse will hold sessions later this month to reveal the city’s “vision” for the I-81 project, according to the city’s Chief Operating Officer Corey Driscoll Dunham.

Dunham said the city of Syracuse has been “in communication” with the New York State Department of Transportation. Although the state has plans for the $2.25 billion project, the city’s vision will be more specific and align community desires for places affected by the project like Almond Street, she said.

Following a New York state appeals court’s dismissal of Renew 81 For All’s legal challenge to the project on Feb. 2, the DOT can move forward with demolishing the viaduct. The state’s Supreme Court’s Appellate Division for the Fourth Department ruled unanimously that the DOT will no longer have to conduct additional environmental studies before the viaduct’s scheduled removal.

“These conversations have been happening well over a decade,” said Maurice “Mo” Brown, an Onondaga County legislator for the 15th district, which includes parts of downtown Syracuse, the South Side and Southwest neighborhoods. “We have to figure out what the next step is.”

In 2013, the DOT, Syracuse’s Metropolitan Transportation Council and Federal Highway Administration released the I-81 Corridor Study, a five-year-long study that concluded there would be a “near-term reconstruction or replacement” of I-81, according to a record of decision document.

In 2019, the DOT announced its recommendation of the “community grid” option to replace the I-81 viaduct.

Following a COVID-19 delay, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the project would “break ground” in 2022. In Sep. 2022, Renew 81’s nowdismissed lawsuit was filed, and a month later, a judge halted the construction for over a year.

“We are disappointed by the Court’s decision.

We may seek leave for the Court of Appeals (to) hear the case,” wrote Alan Knauf, an environ-

mental law attorney who represented Renew 81 in court, in a statement to The Daily Orange.

Brown called the halt to the project “frustrating.” He said the conversation around the court-ordered halt prevented other conversations about the city’s plans for the land beneath I-81. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh previously called the delay “unnecessary” in a statement to The D.O. Several Syracuse city officials, including newly-elected auditor Alexander Marion, expressed support for the continuation of the viaduct removal project following the dismissal of Renew 81’s legal challenge.

“Syracuse has spent a decade planning how to reunite our community. We all know the community grid is the right answer for Syracuse,” Marion wrote in a press release. “I am pleased with today’s ruling that will allow us to move this project forward.”

The 1944 Federal Highway Act originally funded highway I-81, with construction to different parts of the highway concluding at the end of the 1960s, according to the record of decision. The highway’s construction destroyed the 15th Ward, which housed 90% of Syracuse’s Black population in 1950, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which referred to the construction of I-81 as “racism by design.”

The community grid project is the “best way to right the wrongs” of the highway’s original construction, Brown said. He said the development of the area will fiscally benefit Syracuse because the city only collects taxes from around half of its tax base, due to tax-exempt hospitals and schools like Syracuse University.

Brown said his duties as an Onondaga County legislator include supporting the state and city’s plans to demolish I-81 while fulfilling his “obligation” to his constituents. As the construction begins, he anticipates resident relocations and commute time to increase.

“It’s on us at the county level to make that as easy as possible … making sure that the state DOT and those planners have everyone’s best interest when they reroute things,” Brown said.

cole ross digital design editor

“We have to be the voice for the people, for the businesses, for the community.”

Although Gov. Kathy Hochul has the final say on decisions around the I-81 project, Brown said the state government has made a “concerted effort” to listen to local opinions and communicate with people in the city, through events like open houses.

Dunham said the city is “working collaboratively” to achieve both the DOT’s and the city’s goals of making the city more walkable and more accessible as part of its Vision Zero campaign. She cited that 25% of Syracuse residents don’t own a private vehicle.

“We’ve been a very car-focused community, a very car-focused society at large,” Brown said.

“When you start thinking about modern cities, modern cities aren’t as car-focused. We’ve got to figure out better ways to move people around.”

Dunham emphasized the difficulty of updating the community on the plans and updates to I-81’s process. She said the city is making efforts to make the government “accessible” and share updates to the project in as many ways as possible.

Brown emphasized that highways across New York — and the U.S. as a whole — “bulldozed” through Black communities without any “consideration.” He said the community grid project is a way to acknowledge those “wrongs” and “move forward as a country.” “(Syracuse) is not an outlier. We’re an outlier in that we took longer than a lot of places in the world. A lot of people, even around the country, figured out quickly: these highways, that went through poor communities, this was a pattern. We were not the only place where it happened,” Brown said. gbrown19@syr.edu

Fluffy Love

4 february 15, 2024

After 40 years together, Bill Bundy and Paul McKinney have spent the last nine as alpaca caretakers

There are about 25 total alpacas at Seven Acres. Among the 25 there are currently four babies: Archie, Cassie, Marty, and Mario. The process of bringing new alpacas into the world is a special experience for everyone involved.

WINSTON is one of the younger male alpacas who w “adventure” Bundy and McKinney have taken on with t

By Rachel Raposas senior staff writer

By Meghan Hendricks

senior staff photographer

B

ill Bundy unlatched the gate inside his barn. As he entered the open space of hay-covered floors, open windows and a slight scent of manure, nearly 20 alpacas emerged and flocked toward him. Rosie, a very social alpaca, nuzzled up to Bundy as the morning rain crept into the barn. This is how most of Bundy’s days begin.

Paul McKinney, sporting a baseball hat that read “Alpacaholic,” followed just behind Bundy, greeting the fluffy animals with a pet and a smile. Before this latest endeavor, Bundy and McKinney were an animal trainer and a teacher, respectively. The pair has spent the last 40 years together, the last 10 years as a married couple and the last nine years as proud alpaca caretakers at Seven Acres Alpaca Farm.

“We decided that this would be our new adventure,” said McKinney, who shared a loving look with his husband.

“If anybody had told us 20 years earlier that we would have an alpaca farm, we would have said ‘You’re crazy.’ But we’re here and we love it,” Bundy added.

Their adventure with Seven Acres — located about half an hour northwest of Syracuse — began with five female alpacas and two mentors who taught the pair the basics of raising the animals. Since then, the farm has become a popular destination for agritourism, a tranquil atmosphere for alpaca yoga and a loving home for Bundy, McKinney and their 24 alpacas.

Each alpaca has their own unique personality, Bundy and McKinney agreed. Maddie is the boss, and Rosie is the “meet-and-greeter.”

Like people, some alpacas have more dominant personalities, which leads to a “boss.”

Maddie and Pearl were part of the first group of Bundy and McKinney’s alpacas — those two “rule the roost,” Bundy said.

Alpacas naturally tend toward a hierarchy, McKinney said. They fight and wrestle and chase each other until a winner or “boss” emerges. When the dynamic shifts — if an alpaca leaves or one is added to the group — typically a new boss is determined. Except for Maddie, McKinney said. Against all odds, she holds her own.

Outside of the barn, four male alpacas galloped around a fenced pasture. When they noticed Bundy with a group of visitors, they began chasing each other. The large brown alpaca flung himself at a smaller white alpaca until the two animals collapsed into a bundle of kicks and squeals.

CHACHA AND EMMY are two of the female alpacas on the farm. All of the female alpacas — and the babies — reside in the same part of the barn.

“They’re just showing off now,” Bundy said.

Back inside, Rosie meandered her way in between Bundy and McKinney and knelt to the ground. She tucked her legs under her fluffy midsection and tilted her long neck upwards to look at the couple.

“Oh, this is a compliment,” McKinney said as Bundy patted Rosie’s head. “This is something we’ve become very cognizant of. If she does that with a visitor, that’s a sign they have a good spirit.”

An average day for the couple involves cleaning the barn, refilling water and food containers and giving each alpaca medicine if they need it. Bundy takes care of the alpacas’ needs throughout the day and McKinney tends to the garden, the lawn and their dog Missy. He also assists Bundy if he needs it.

“In the evening, before going to bed — hi, Marty,” McKinney paused to pet his curious alpaca’s head. “Before going to bed, Bill will come out and tuck them in for the evening.”

“I leave one light on,” Bundy added.

That one light is for the alpacas’ benefit,

BUNDY AND MCKINNEY are i be a lot of work, they are fun an

Every time I walk over there, I’m grinning ear to ear ... they’re just so gentle ... and (you) forget about everything that’s going on in the world.

Lisa Hetko Bundy and McKinney live on the property and the barn is not far seven acres farm neighbor behind their house.

february 15, 2024 5

will be taken to the alpaca shows this year. Bringing the alpacas to shows is just one aspect of the this farm.

BILL BUNDY AND PAUL MCKINNEY have owned the farm for nine years and have been together for almost 40.

inspired by the comfort the alpacas bring to people. Although the animals can nd just “darn cute.”

but also for Bundy’s and McKinney’s peace of mind. Bundy installed a few cameras in the barn to check in on the alpacas throughout the night. It’s not necessary most of the time, Bundy said, unless an alpaca is pregnant.

It’s more work, time and energy, but the moment a baby alpaca is born is a beautiful experience, both men agreed. It’s a miracle witnessing the babies, called cria, get up and walk just half an hour after being born, McKinney said. But what’s even more rewarding, he said, was seeing the living, breathing being his husband helped create.

The couple’s neighbor, Lisa Hetko, has been incredibly helpful to the farm, the owners said.

Though she didn’t know anything about alpacas before Bundy and McKinney moved in, Hetko has always been an animal lover. The new farm piqued her interest, and from the first time meeting the alpacas, she had fallen in love.

“Every time I walk over there, I’m grinning ear to ear. I go over there, and I could sit in the pasture for hours,” Hetko said. “Some of the senior (alpacas) will come over and nuzzle

next to me or give me little kisses on the nose. They’re just so gentle and help you relax, and The alpacas eat mostly hay, but some of them, especially the babies, also get alpaca feed. Bundy fills up the hay forget about everytrough in the morning after he cleans the barn. thing that’s going on in the world.” interest in teaching their young children climb all over them. Their animals also have Hetko recalled the first alpaca birth she ever where their food comes from or how their an affinity to senior groups, McKinney added. helped with. On an otherwise peaceful Fri- clothes are made, which led them to Bundy and “It just warms your heart. These animals day night, she got the call: “She’s in labor!” McKinney’s farm. seem to know when somebody needs a hug,” Hetko sprinted out the door, her husband not But sometimes, the alpacas themselves Bundy said. “They’re livestock — there’s no far behind with a camera in his hand. are enough. Over the summer and when way around that — but they are darn cute When they got to the barn, the mother alpaca the weather cooperates, Bundy and McKin- livestock, and they seem to have a relationship was lying on her side, and Bundy was on the ney host yoga sessions where people can with humans, much more than other animals.” phone with the people he bought the mother unwind in various positions while alpacas The farm, the alpacas and the life they’re livfrom, asking for advice. Hetko made sure to pace around them. One of the most lovely ing now has been a wonderful adventure, McKprop the head up, and she and Bundy pulled the sessions, Bundy said, was with a group of inney said. It’s been a real challenge for them, he baby out. That’s the story of Josie, Hetko said. young adults. That day, he looked away for a said, but it’s mostly just been a lot of fun.

Since its opening, Seven Acres has become moment, and before he knew it, every animal “I help when I can, and stay out of the way a popular site for agritourism — farm tourism was engaged with a person. when I can,” McKinney said. “This is his pasfor both enjoyment and education. Especially It’s inspiring how comforting people find sion, something he really loves to do. And I just during the early months of the pandemic, the alpacas, Bundy said. The alpacas will enjoy watching him enjoy the alpacas.”

Bundy said, many families showed greater kneel down around children and let the kids rlraposa@syr.edu

6 february 15, 2024

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

on campus

ODI workshop promotes looking beyond the DEIA acronym

By Julia Boehning asst. news editor

Around 30 Syracuse University faculty and staff gathered in Hinds Hall Wednesday morning for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s “More Than An Acronym” workshop — the first of three in its CORE Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility series.

The session, titled “More Than an Acronym: What is D.E.I.A. and Why Should It Matter to Me?,” was facilitated by Christina Papaleo, a DEIA learning and development specialist at the ODI. Throughout the presentation, Papaleo instructed attendees to draw comparisons between their personal definitions of DEIA and those outlined in the goals of the university’s five-year DEIA strategic plan.

Papaleo said the event’s purpose was to establish a “shared” language and understanding surrounding DEIA at SU, as well as clearly define the several acronyms the university uses when discussing these terms — to which she said faculty have been “desensitized.”

I erase more than I draw. It does not come out pretty the first time. (Take) that approach to this work. It’s OK to erase more than draw.

Christina Papaleo deia specialist

“(Acronyms) are used a lot … I got my master’s in higher education, and I was amazed by this ‘alphabet soup,’” Papaleo said. “It gets to the point where they’re overused, which causes a lack of clarity and communication.”

During the workshop, Papaleo urged attendees to find “commonalities” between their perspectives surrounding DEIA, as they came from a variety of departments on campus, such as the Barnes Center at The Arch, Information Technology Services and Office of Major Events.

The session began with several teambuilding exercises, all of which emphasized the importance of establishing and understanding language. The main activity urged attendees to write their definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility on color-coded sticky notes, which they then stuck to a corresponding poster. from page 1

shat

Young and Shahzeb Naeem, both 2023 Maxwell graduates and former peers of Shat, said they have only been able to “irregularly” contact Shat. Naeem said that there are often hours or days when Shat is unable to respond due to a lack of service or electricity.

Maka Tokmazishvili, a friend of Shat’s and a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at Maxwell, said communicating with Shat became “extremely challenging” in October 2023 due to prolonged power outages and communications blackouts in Gaza. She said Shat struggles to charge his phone and often can only convey a brief message “confirming his survival.”

“Every day we wait for his communication, which consists of a couple words: ‘We are still alive,’” Tokmazishvili wrote over WhatsApp to The Daily Orange. “His home is destroyed, they don’t have food and water. He says that the situation is growing worse day by day and he asks us to pray for them.”

Shat’s conditions in Rafah have escalated in the past few days as Israel continues to bomb Gaza, Young said. Over a million Palestinians have fled to Rafah due to Israeli bombing.

At least 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war started, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Some Palestinians have decided to try to flee Rafah as the city braces for a potential Israeli assault. A United Nations official warned that an assault could lead to a “slaughter,” NPR reported Wednesday.

Young and Naeem said they initially became concerned for Shat and his family’s well-being around mid-October and November when many of the bombings and communication blockades worsened. Young said Shat, who has “endured a lot,” does not tend to seek out help

In a Hinds Hall classroom, Syracuse University faculty and staff attendees write their personal definitions for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility on color-coded sticky notes.

julia boehning asst. news editor

After conducting these tasks, Papaleo asked attendees to compare their definitions with peers and then share their observations with the broader group.

“Some of the definitions were very formal, like they read it out of a manual,” one attendee said.

“One thing we all notice is that it seemed like we used very different language to get at similar definitions and the same ideas,” another said.

Following the breakout discussions, Papaleo, who said she has a “visual impairment,” drew connections between these definitions and her personal experiences growing up with a disability. She also highlighted her background as an artist, using her artistic process as an analogy for developing one’s understanding of DEIA. “I erase more than I draw. It does not come out pretty the first time,” Papaleo said. “(Take) that approach to this work. It’s OK to erase more than draw.”

After conducting the activities, Papaleo outlined SU’s official definitions of DEIA as defined in its DEIA strategic plan — which the university first released in 2021. SU is “in the process” of changing these definitions, she said. She called

these goals the “DNA of SU,” describing how departments across campus adhere to these collective principles.

Going word by word, Papaleo defined each part of DEIA, reading the university’s definition and discussing methods to implement each principle. After the presentation, Papaleo asked attendees to identify how they will implement DEIA into their respective positions at SU. Makram El-Hassan, a special education trainer at the Mid-State Regional Partnership Center (which is affiliated with SU’s School of Education), said he attended the workshop because understanding DEIA is crucial in his department.

“In order for students, staff and society to broaden our understanding, we need to challenge our prior assumptions and erase some of the things that you know,” El-Hassan said.

El-Hassan, who said he has worked in special education for almost 20 years, believes these conversations are important to create an inclusive environment on college campuses and center “all voices.” “​(SU) serves everyone — the society includes everybody, every ability, every background,” El-

Hassan said. “People need to feel safe, and they need to feel seen.”

Olivia Tamburro, a human resources representative for SU, said she hoped the event would help her become more “mindful” and “conscious” when discussing DEIA in the workplace.

As a human resources professional, Tamburro also said she believes it is “important” to continue practicing how to listen and understand others’ needs.

“Working in HR, we see a plethora of people with different needs and different requests,” Tamburro said. “Not everyone needs the same information or (the) same assistance. It’s different for everyone.”

Papaleo said the event will serve as a “soft launch” for future CORE series events, the next being a microaggression workshop on Feb. 21. “(The workshop) is really for you to bring back with you to your areas,” Papaleo said, addressing the attendees at the end of the session. “Keep the momentum going. Let this work be more than an acronym.”

from others, but he eventually reached out as conditions worsened.

Shat’s daughter, Eve, has also fallen ill with what “appears to be” a water-borne illness, Young said. The sickness is most likely due to contaminated water as they do not have access to clean sources of water or sufficient medical facilities where they are staying in Rafah, Young said.

“I would definitely say his daughter recovering is a high concern because their medical facilities are out of supplies,” Young said.

“I don’t think (she’s) recovered much and it’s been a week to a week-and-a-half now, which is very concerning.”

When Shat began to talk about “no longer having hope,” Young said she realized how dire his situation had become.

“I think that’s a narrative that has been broadcasted very commonly across Palestinians experiencing it,” Young said.

“They just see themselves dying. They don’t know when, but they don’t have hope to survive it.”

In response to increasing concerns over Shat, his family’s safety and the sickness of his daughter, Young, Naeem, Tokmazishvili and Ivana Tatar, another 2023 Maxwell graduate and a friend of Shat’s, met to discuss options to raise money and support for the family’s evacuation from Gaza.

Initially, the group reached out to Maxwell for help with evacuating Shat and his family, but were told that while the administration “empathized” with their situation, there was nothing they could do, Naeem said. With Maxwell’s ranking as one of the leading public affairs schools in the U.S., Naeem said they had hoped the school would be able to assist in the evacuation efforts, but they were left at another “dead end.”

“Maxwell tried to contact the U.S. State Department, but just given the political climate,

it has been very difficult for people or even the state to evacuate people,” Naeem said. “So, we were like, ‘we just have to do this on our own.’”

Young said the GoFundMe, which they created on Jan. 30, was their second plan to raise money for Shat and his family. The overarching goal of the GoFundMe is to pay the cost for Shat and his family to evacuate Gaza and “ensure their survival,” Young said.

As of Feb. 14, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $11,000 — a bit over one-third of their $27,000 goal. If their goal is reached, $24,000 would go toward evacuating Shat’s family through the Rafah-Egypt border and $3,000 would go toward transaction costs, Young said. While their fundraising efforts received a lot of “traction” during the first two weeks, Young said they are hoping to expand their network outside of Syracuse through outreach and social media.

“It’s for them to survive,” Young said. “All of our biggest concerns are that the next day we’ll find out that it is too late and something happened to them.”

Palestinians have started to create GoFundMe accounts to secure safe passages for their families out of Gaza, with many asking for tens of thousands of dollars from strangers as a last resort to bribe their way onto the Egyptian border-crossing list — the only way currently out of Gaza for many families, according to The Daily Beast.

Young and Naeem said they had hoped the Maxwell School would publish a statement of support for Shat and his family or spread the GoFundMe, but were informed that the school cannot make statements of support for individual persons. Young said the school has not been “super responsive” and that she is “disappointed” in their lack of willingness to amplify their message.

The university did not respond to The D.O.’s request for comment.

Naeem said the outpouring of support from the Maxwell community has been very “heartening.” He said everybody loved Shat and has been supporting him and his family through donations and messages.

“It’s not even political,” Naeem said. “It’s a very humanitarian issue. It’s simply about helping an amazing person.”

Shat has dedicated his career to humanitarian development and serving his community, Tokmazishvili said. Through his experience as a monitoring and evaluation officer at Catholic Relief Services and later as a monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning officer with Mercy Corps, Shat ensured the safety and provision of food and resources for those in the Gaza Strip for years, Tokmazishvili said.

Friends and colleagues described Shat as a “friendly and welcoming” person who always remains optimistic, even when facing hardship.

Naeem said Shat has always been someone who will talk to anyone and put others before himself.

“Despite the daily horrors faced alongside his family, Mo’s consideration and care for others remains unwavering,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Mo’s deep commitment to humanitarian efforts has positively impacted many lives; the current crisis in Gaza has put him and his family in a position where they now are the ones in need of immediate assistance.”

Despite the continuing violence, Shat never had any intention of leaving Gaza City, his hometown, until the airstrikes and bombings forced him to, Tokmazishvili and Naeem said.

“Mo and I (have) wonderful memories together. Saying farewell to him on our last day in the U.S. was the worst part of our journey because, deep down, we all knew he was returning to a harsher reality than any of us,” Tokmazishvili wrote. “When we inquired why he hadn’t left Gaza before, his response was unwavering: ‘That’s my home.’”

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7 february 15, 2024

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8 february 15, 2024

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CULTURE

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february 15, 2024 9

Music students from the Setnor School of Music performed on the night of Valentine’s Day to showcase their talents. Pictured here are the composers and musicians whose music filled the stage of Hendricks Chapel.

jess vann contributing photographer

Student Symphony Setnor’s concert celebrates the artistry of Syracuse University students

By Kate Jackson

contributing writer

A

s Syracuse University music students shuffled into Setnor Auditorium before the start of their annual Composers Concert, nervous tension filled the air. The auditorium was filled with the sounds of clarinet, flute and saxophone players practicing.

“Part of learning about how to compose

music is also having it performed, and sharing it live,” said Dr. Nicolas Scherzinger, a Setnor professor and one of the organizers for the event.

On Wednesday evening, Setnor School of Music held the Composers Concert in Crouse College’s Setnor Auditorium. The event introduced seven compositions, each written by an SU student.

The concert ran in direct correlation with composition seminar classes taught by Scherzinger, Natalie Draper and Loren Loiacono, where music composition undergraduate and graduate students gather to discuss relevant music and art topics.

Besides experience, the performances also provide recordings for students which they can use in future professional opportunities. Several composers are hoping to use the recordings from this concert in their

portfolio to further their academic and artistic careers. Many students have expressed they want to submit them to scholarship festivals this summer, student composer Addison Flower said.

“Every single event like this is significant to me just because having the opportunity to hear your work played on a stage by a person is just such an incredibly special thing,” said another student composer, second-year graduate student Matthew Schlicht said.

Schlicht composed “Bones,” the program’s fourth piece, and it was performed by his friend and fellow student Holden Shea on the classical guitar. The concert showcased five of the eight movements of this piece, a microcosm of the whole set.

Schlicht said his composition proposed some new obstacles, specifically while writing for a

see concert page 10

slice of life

Anelise Chen discusses book, ‘So Many Olympic Exertions’

By Ben Butler

contributing writer

Addressing the crowd in front of her Wednesday, Anelise Chen criticized a culture of self-doubt, stress, anxiety and unfair comparison. Though striving for perfection is common, Chen said people need to put less pressure on themselves.

Chen, a creative writing professor at Columbia University, visited Syracuse University as part of the Raymond Carver Reading series, a SU series featuring prominent writers. Before reading and discussing her novel, “So Many Olympic Exertions,” she held a Q&A session with attending students.

The novel, which Chen called experimental, attempts to answer

one question: “Why to live?”

Exploring success, failure and loss with a semi-autobiographical lens, the novel follows Athena, its protagonist, as she grapples with the suicide of a friend from college.

Throughout the week, students taking ENG 107: Living Writers studied the novel and came to the event with a plethora of questions. Max Delsohn, an MFA student in the English department who introduced Chen to the audience, said that, utilizing sports, Chen is able to craft a depressing, yet effective, narrative.

“In referring to the point of living, and all apparent pointlessness, what could be more pointless than playing sports?” Delsohn said.

Sarah Harwell, the associate direc-

tor of creative writing at SU, shared a similar perspective. Harwell doesn’t typically enjoy sports but found the book “fascinating” because it was about both sports and failure.

“I went to the sports section (of a bookstore) and most books were autobiographies of famous athletes and didn’t treat sports as the site of this philosophical inquiry,” Chen said.

When asked by a student how the relationship between her body and mind informed her work, Chen discussed how she rediscovered her body after quitting swimming by going outdoors and taking up cycling.

“We shouldn’t forget our bodies, because I think with our phones, our bodies aren’t doing what they traditionally have been doing, which is

being active in the world. I think now, more than ever, we need to keep our bodies in our minds,” Chen said.

The novel’s narrative centers on self-talk; Athena doubts herself amid the loss of her friend and eventually has trouble with her Ph.D. dissertation. But Chen urges readers to break out of that way of thought, seeing it as detrimental to mental wellness.

“Self-talk is about winning, losing — it’s very self-critical. You are always comparing yourself to others.

That way of thinking has translated into other parts of life … I found it to be quite toxic,” Chen said during the Q&A. Chen’s upcoming work, “Clam Down,” continues to cover themes

of self-perception, mental health and identity, but with a radically different perspective.

“It’s from the perspective of a clam, which is the ultimate distancing,” Chen said. “It’s not even a human perspective.”

It has its roots in a column Chen wrote for the Paris Review where she was a “mollusk correspondent.”

Despite the absurdity, the decision to write from a clam’s perspective was deliberate, Chen said.

It comes from a texting typo that the character in the Paris Review receives from her mother. Instead of “calm down,” the text says, “clam down.” The mistake inspired Chen, who thought about what that implied. see book page 10

10 february 15, 2024

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slice of life

Languages Department hosts ‘Wor(l)ds of Love’

CONCERTS

THIS WEEKEND The Song & Dance

Pardyalone is set to perform this Friday. The Minnesota native is known for his hip-hop style and harmonic beats. Releasing songs like “Cupid” and “Not a Home’’ both in 2022, Pardyalone has amassed nearly 700 thousand followers on TikTok. Tickets are available for purchase online.

WHEN: Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $20.29

Middle Ages Brewing Company The Warped Tour Band is performing this Friday at the Middle Ages Brewing Company. The band pays tribute to emo and punk rock covering artists like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and New Found Glory, who all made appearances on the nowdefunct tour. Tickets are available online.

WHEN: Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $20

As part of their 50th anniversary, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics hosted a “Celebration of Love.” Spanish class students read romantic poetry by Pablo Neruda. brycen pace staff photographer

By Irene Lekakis

contributing writer

Amy Lishangdhang, a sophomore at Syracuse University, stood in the echoing atrium of the Life Sciences Complex and recited a poem to the “Wor(l)ds of Love” event attendees. She read a Korean poem about love, her first time reading the language aloud since starting to learn it.

“I was so nervous but I think (the poem) has a really deep meaning,” Lishangdhang said. “I am really happy to have this chance to read this poem.”

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and commemorating the milestone with events like Wednesday’s “Wor(l)ds of Love” — a creative forum where undergraduate, graduate, part-time and full-time students could recite poems, music and verses.

Gail A. Bulman, a Spanish professor and the department’s chair, created the event a decade ago to cultivate an inclusive campus community for international and North American students who speak other languages.

from page 9

concert solo classical guitar. Through his process, Schlicht discovered that a lot of things he had written were either difficult or impossible to play on the actual instrument.

“You need to almost sit with the instrument, or someone who plays the instrument and just kind of pick their brain and see, is this kind of figuration possible?” Schlicht said. “And often the answers are long winded and you get a lot of … things are possible, but not feasible, not practical.”

Even after the four-month writing process was finished, Schlicht said he was still unsure how the piece would turn out. The creative process behind “Bones” was a fabricated image of “magical or paranormal bones that each have unique qualities,” he said.

Schlicht originally wrote the composition for Aidan Elwell, who performed it for his senior recital before graduating last year. Having his piece

“The purpose of the event is to celebrate peace and love in the world by focusing on reciting poetry or music or a verse in different languages,” Bulman said.

The event has been hosted in different places on campus throughout the years. This year, the language department team chose the Life Sciences Atrium, which prompted students to listen to the recited poetry before or after a class.

“It’s kind of a feel-good event,” Bulman said.

“One goal is to highlight all of the wonderful linguistic diversity that we have on campus.”

The event proved to be a helpful avenue for learning and education, as it aided Professor Patricia Ann Burak in exploring poetry with her Russian literature course.

Burak and a few of her students recited translated literature from the book “The Poems of Doctor Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak.

The different languages and cultures being shared in the space encourage students to learn about their peers and to teach people about the different forms of literary expression, Burak said.

“We want to show value and appreciation for diverse cultures and diverse languages,” Bulman said. “We want to emphasize world peace and harmony and love.”

Students had creative freedom when deciding how to share their chosen art piece, Burak said. Poems can be read by a single student, a few students or a whole class. Original poetry is accepted but so are readings of published works. Typically, anywhere between 60 to 100 poems are recited, Burak said.

“This is just a love of poetry and an opportunity for people to get together and hear poems in their own language and in other languages,” Burak said.

For a lot of students and faculty, Burak added that the event is an escape from the ongoing hardships of reality and an opportunity to release some of their qualms with the world. It is a temporary safe space where people can share their thoughts through their culture and language.

“The written word and the musical word gives us another way to live life without having to be hampered by the tediousness of some of what’s going on in reality,” Burak said.

played again this year, by a different performer, offers an exciting, new perspective, Schlicht said.

Flower was another one of the concert’s composers. She worked with six student performers for a piece titled “On the Hill,” a woodwind quintet combining the flute, clarinet, oboe, french horn and bassoon.

“That was the real learning experience for me,” Flower said. “I learned more about what I should be writing for them, what I should be putting on the page, and how to explain it verbally.”

Flower’s composition was inspired by her typical day at SU and sitting atop Crouse Hill, not far from the concert’s venue. The piece begins with a flute, or what Flower interprets as a “bird call,” continues with the clarinet, “symbolic of grass blowing in the wind” and the French horn plays throughout, “mimicking the Westminster Chimes.”

“Working with performers you can write all of the music you want,” Flower said. “But if you write something that no one wants to play, it’s never going to get heard.”

Unlike Flower, some students also performed

their compositions. Jihang Dai, a first-year Setnor graduate student, performed his piece “Reminiscences of Donghuamen Street” on the piano. Part of Dai’s process involves improvising, so he can connect with the instrument before he begins writing.

One of the reasons Scherzinger helps organize this concert is to provide students with real-world experience and encourage them to try new things before they enter the music industry. Scherzinger manages events, sets up concerts and facilitates the concert’s administrative side.

“None of this would be possible without the head of our program, Dr. Nick Scherzinger, who does so, so much for us,” Schlicht said.

Scherzinger said that the main lesson students learn through this experience is that “music making is collaborative” and, although composers write the music, the performers bring it to life.

“Having stuff performed is our bread and butter,” Schlicht said. “Music doesn’t exist unless someone is there to play it.”

iclekaki@syr.edu

kjacks19@syr.edu

from page 9

book

“It actually seemed surprisingly fitting, because when we’re hurting or going through something, we shut down. That’s what I was doing: clamming down,” Chen said.

Chen was influenced by Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” as well as Yoko Tawada’s “Memoirs of a Polar Bear,” while writing “Clam Down,” which hits the shelves later this year. But Chen was equally influenced by personal experiences in writing “So Many Olympic Exertions,” drawing heavily from her personal life.

“The novel isn’t a diary, but I wanted it to have that feel. I love reading journals … they’re so intimate,” Chen said. “That was what my friends and I were going through.” bnbutler@syr.edu

As the second writer of the Raymond Carver Reading Series, Anelise Chen talks to students about her novel, So Many Olympic Exertions. lars jendruschewitz asst. photo editor

Funk ‘n Waffles Caroline Bergan is taking center stage this weekend at Funk ‘n Waffles.

Hailing from Potsdam but residing in Syracuse, Bergan mixes country, pop, jazz and rock and roll. Bergan released her debut album while attending Syracuse University in May 2023. Tickets for this show are available online.

WHEN: Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $13.07

The Dollhouse Muddle, Offbeat Degradations, Shrouded Prey and Triple Dog Death Barrage are performing at The Dollhouse this Saturday. Half of the show’s proceeds will go to the Chadwick Residence, a nonprofit organization that provides services to homeless people in central New York.

Tickets can be purchased and donations can be made at the venue’s door.

WHEN: Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $5 to $10

Westcott Theater United We Dance is coming to Westcott Theater this Saturday. The EDM rave will feature music by artists such as Fisher, Martin Garrix, Tiësto and David Guetta. Don’t miss out on this electric dance party! Tickets for the show are available online.

WHEN: Feb. 17 at 9 p.m.

PRICE: $20 to $99

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

february 15, 2024 11

OPINION

Needing a PlanB SU needs to help students by implementing emergency contraceptive vending machines at Barnes By encouraging dialogue and providing convenient access to contraceptives, we can create a culture of informed decision-making, ultimately benefiting both the academic success and overall well-being of college students.

SUNY Upstate became the first SUNY school to implement emergency contraceptive vending machines. courtesy of serena schmitt

Sarhia Rahim columnist

SARHIA RAHIM

T

I COVER MY HAIR, NOT MY BRAIN

here has been a demand nationwide for accessible emergency contraception ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned. But even before the decision, the American Society of Emergency Contraception took matters into their own hands and launched the Emergency Contraception for Every Campus project (EC4EC) in 2019. Some colleges, like Cornell University and the University of Rochester, have since installed these vending machines on their campuses.

At the University of Rochester, Health Promotion Specialist for Health Equity Zoe Black partnered with EC4EC, securing donations to fund shipments of Plan B to Rochester’s University Health Services. Black credits this August 2023 initiative as one of the most impactful ever at the University of Rochester Health Center.

“Of course we are fortunate enough to live in a state where abortion access is still legal, but this was an idea that came to us from students, specifically,” Black told The Daily Orange.

SUNY Upstate Medical University, located less than a mile from Syracuse University, is another of the 40-plus colleges who have introduced emergency contraceptive vending machines to their campus. SU must be next on this list.

Many college students find it difficult to access regular contraception once they attend college. These machines not only address the practical challenges that many college students face in obtaining contraceptives but also contribute to promoting reproductive health and autonomy.

EC4C also helps to facilitate this process through a peer-to-peer method training of distribution, which Rochester has also utilized, Black said. At SU, the Health Promotion

office employs peer educators who are trained in sexual health resources and would be able to perform a similar task.

If a student wishes for their prescription to be confidential that can become a problem if they use their parent’s insurance. While Plan B does not require a prescription, buying over-the-counter can be pricey, with prices ranging from $40 to $68.

Seeking sexual health services can be restricted to students seeking help beyond certain office hours or if they do not have time to set an appointment prior. Getting emergency contraception from a machine can take away anxiety for a student who would instead have to go into a clinic or on-campus health center in-person.

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These machines not only break down logistical barriers but also address the harsh reality that some colleges are essentially contraceptive deserts, leaving students with limited or no access to crucial reproductive health resources. Many vending machines placed at other universities offer items beyond Plan B as well.

SUNY Upstate’s machines will offer pregnancy tests, Advil and Benadryl just to name a few. Emergency contraception will only cost $10 as well, much lower than average pharmacy costs.

For women, access to contraceptives has proven to increase their access to higher education. Women who enrolled in law and business school classes increased tenfold by 1980 after birth control was made accessible. On the other hand, when there is limited access to birth control options, it forces women to consider putting their education on pause. A study based on community college students found that 61% of students who became pregnant stopped their education.

It’s essential to note that these vending machines should not be viewed as a sole solution but rather as a complementary resource. Practicing safe sex involves options that also prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Education on the morningafter pill itself may also be necessary after the vending machines are introduced. Not only does it work up to 72 hours, but it may be less effective if the individual weighs above 165 pounds.

But these vending machines can encourage conversations around contraception and take away any stigma associated with it. Black agrees that while some school’s prioritize a discreet location for vending machines, there is power in having them out in the open and destigmatizing the use of emergency contraceptives.

“We hope to allow students to feel comfortable, especially when they leave the university, and don’t have these more discreet options available to them,” Black said.

By encouraging dialogue and providing convenient access to contraceptives, we can create a culture of informed decision-making, ultimately benefiting both the academic success and overall well-being of college students. With a new health center and a robust Health Promotion office, SU has a responsibility to its students to make emergency contraception low-cost and easily accessible.

Sarhia Rahim is a junior Policy Studies Major.

Her Column appears bi-weekly.

She can be reached at slrahim@syr.edu.

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dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

media

It’s time that we stop overlooking Black men’s mental health struggles KAITLYN PAIGE

MEDIA GURU

Following the pandemic, there has been an influx of diagnoses for depression, anxiety and several other mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Due to the increase in mental health concerns, the number of teenagers and adults seeking mental health resources and treatments is also on the rise. More and more Americans are going to therapy and taking medications for their mental health.

There has also been an increase in conversations and reports centered around the mental health crisis, with organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the center as they work to raise mental health awareness and attempt to find solutions for the crisis.

But, this cannot be said about every American or every organization and these conversations are not happening everywhere, especially not within marginalized communities, in particular the Black male community.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Black men aged 15-24, with the suicide rate for Black men exceeding the death rate for Black women and other racial minority groups in 2018. Black adults, in general, are more likely to suffer from mental health-related issues or experience persistent mental health symptoms compared to their white peers.

Black men are less likely to be featured in mental health research and are less likely to receive quality mental health care, turning toward primary care or emergency rooms instead of seeking qualified mental health professionals.

Overall, Black Americans are more likely to experience inequalities related to healthcare, including mental health. Besides the racial disparities present within the American healthcare system, there are a collection of reasons both professionals and Black men themselves attribute to these alarming statistics.

Much of this starts with Black Americans having one of the highest levels of distrust toward health care professionals of any other

xanthe kakaras contributing illustrator

racial or ethnic group. This lack of trust toward health professionals and various healthcare services can be traced back to a history of Black men being used for dangerous medical experiments such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study of 1932.

Even today, the Black community still has reasons to enter healthcare spaces with distrust as Black women have the highest rate of maternal mortality and Black Americans are “systematically under-treated for pain.”

There’s also a stigma centered around Black men seeking mental health services within the Black community. According to a study done by the National Alliance on Mental Health, over 60% of Black Americans viewed mental illness as a weakness.

Dr. Ruth White, a former social worker and CarbonFive’s diversity, equity and inclusion director, believes that because Black Americans have endured so much adversity, many view mental health conditions as a means for further oppression, as many people with mental health conditions, regardless of race, are often alienated in society.

Financial burdens caused by the high costs of mental health treatments and a lack of insurance furthers stigma and potential judgment. Many in the Black community view spending money on mental health services to be not as important as other things, especially as they tend to result in negative attitudes from family and friends.

In addition, societal stereotypes placed on Black men lead many Black men to feel as if

therapy or mental health resources are not for them. The lack of mental health professionals that look like them further exacerbates this. In society, Black men are often painted as overly-masculine figures who are not allowed to express their emotions as freely as women or their white counterparts.

“There’s a certain strength about being vulnerable, yet Black men are always supposed to be the ‘man’ and many do not want to be seen as weak,” said Izzy Sy, a freshman in the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“There’s stereotypes surrounding … Black men being strong or providers and many Black men feel that they need to comply or fit in with those stereotypes. It’s hard to be a Black man and it’s even harder to find spaces to feel comfortable in,” said Josh Crawford, a graduate student in Newhouse.

Within the mental health profession, 66% of professionals are white while over 75% of professionals are women. Just under 20% of the workforce is Black.

Touching on his own experiences with mental health services at SU, Crawford said that “coming from an HBCU, I came to SU with a certain amount of distrust. We need more Black men on campus, including mental health professionals. Black men need someone available that we feel comfortable going to.”

Better mental healthcare for Black men starts with looking at the connection between race and mental health and the various barriers in place that prevent Black men from getting the mental health resources they deserve.

One’s mental wellbeing and mental health needs should be just as taken care of as one’s physical health.

Combating these barriers will take time.

There is a long way to go in terms of distrust and a lack of representation within American healthcare along with the cultural stigmas and societal expectations placed upon Black men. Breaking down these barriers must be a collective effort in which mental health professionals, healthcare policymakers and society as a whole work with and listen to Black men about their mental health concerns and needs.

We need more Black men present in mental health spaces, not just as therapists, but as a part of the mental health conversation from the very beginning.

Kaitlyn Paige is a junior studying Public Relations. Her column appears bi-weekly, and she can be reached at kipaige@syr.edu

pop culture

Elmo asked how everybody’s doing, so why aren’t we all asking each other SOFIA AGUILAR POP CULTURE PRINCESS

Elmo is one of those characters who made my childhood a more fun period of my life – his child-like silliness, his scruffy red fur, his habit of referring to himself in the third person. He’s always been a comforting presence, one who offers honesty, safety and vulnerability and who brings out these same qualities in others.

That was never more apparent than this past month when Elmo’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, tweeted, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?”

It’s a question everyone has heard at one point in their lives, but, for seemingly no explicable reason, 20,000 people responded (and they responded honestly). Some replies posting memes and long-winded rants were for humorous effect, particularly from corporate accounts for Domino’s and Sour Patch Kids looking to get some free advertising.

Interestingly enough, the majority of the comments were people opening up about losing their jobs, experiencing economic instability and feeling immense dread about the state of the world. Others talked about their mental health struggles with depression, suicidal thoughts or grief over the loss of loved ones.

“I really really try to be happy and strong at work but, sometimes it's just too much, Elmo.

I'm struggling,” tweeted one user.

By the next day, it was enough to inspire the official Sesame Street account to post a link to mental health resources and other Muppet characters to spread words of encouragement.

And while most people were ready to move on to the next social media trend, I wasn’t. This was an extraordinary moment of collective vulnerability, a rare blip of unity that was bigger than Elmo and a larger indication that, for a multitude of reasons, no one, in fact, is doing OK.

In a recent article about the viral moment, Nebel Crowhurst, the chief people officer at Reward Gateway, said, “The lesson from Elmo is clear: people want to be supported and listened to.”

Granted, X has always been one of those platforms where everyone is extremely honest, sometimes too much. Microblogging has become an art form in and of itself, with people documenting every aspect of their lives and every thought that pops into their heads. Honesty is inherent in the format through which we share those ideas.

This viral moment, though, is more than just regular X antics. It’s a sign that the state of the world and its plethora of problems internationally and domestically – global climate imbalance, genocide, multiple humanitarian crises, low minimum wage, high housing costs, lack of universal healthcare, social injustices – are costing us our sense of safety, happiness and, ultimately, our mental health.

We have plenty of reasons to be scared and miserable at this moment. But, what isn’t as clear is what we were doing about it or why we seemed so taken aback by a seemingly simple question.

When it’s a part of our casual social interactions, a throwaway line at the top of a conversation that we quickly move past, we don’t expect a truly honest response, so we don’t give one beyond a generic “I’m fine.” It’s not that we’re not asking each other how we’re doing – it’s that we’re not asking it seriously, not answering it honestly and not giving our state of being the weight and candor it deserves.

Yet it’s important to remember that the blame isn’t entirely on us. Under a capitalist system, we’re socialized to place our entire worth on our productivity and put our mental health second.

We’re not supposed to acknowledge our exhaustion or unhappiness or stress or our feelings that something is wrong. We’re not supposed to ask if other people are feeling this way. We’re not supposed to voice our anger about the sheer number of things that are out of our control.

emma lee contributing illustrator

What is in our control, however, is how we look after one another. After all, in the face of such adversity, it’s our right – perhaps even our responsibility – to engage in community care. Sometimes that means supporting mutual aid funds or organizing a protest or dropping off a care package.

And sometimes it ’s as simple as asking how someone is doing and being honest about ourselves in return. We need to allow ourselves to sit in our feelings, be in solidarity with others and be inspired to make the world a better place or at least not feel so alone.

More than anything else, Elmo has taught me that we need to do a better job of initiating more open dialogues about our mental health.

Yes, there are important things to be done and important issues to tackle but if we’re not facing our own problems, how can there be any hope of solving the ones plaguing all of us? In the end, we shouldn’t have to wait around for a stuffed puppet to ask us how we’re doing; we should already be asking that of each other and of ourselves.

Sofia Aguilar is a first-year grad student in the Library and Information Science program. Her column appears weekly.

She can be reached at saguilar07@syr.edu.

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from page 1

eagle “Remember who you’re broadcasting to,” Eagle recalled Ian telling him. “Don’t try to make the moment about you doing the Super Bowl. Make that moment about all the kids that are watching it, and make that moment about SpongeBob and Patrick.”

When broadcasting Nickelodeon games, Eagle is forced to alter his preparation. He still types up notes and has a player chart to peer at, but it extends much further.

Eagle rewatches the Nickelodeon cartoons that he grew up with so he can make references to the show and banter with Kenny and Fagerbakke while they’re in character, creating a more entertaining telecast for kids. Through diligent prep, Eagle produced a rolodex of lines to drop throughout the Super Bowl. from page 16

slice

emphasize that “Slice is built on passion” and strive to put their clients first in every situation. Though at first, they were shot down by 15 athletes, Tilem estimated.

“It seemed like no one wanted to be the first domino that would drop,” Tilem said. “We were getting on calls with athletes, we were following up with their parents… We were definitely stressing.”

Then on April 5, 2023, the first domino finally dropped. Slice signed high school point guard Malachi Brown, a then-senior out of Legacy Early College in Georgia who eventually committed to Seton Hall.

Their pitch to Brown didn’t waver from their strategy, Gilbert said. They kept the same mindset and developed a personal connection by speaking to his mother. Gilbert and Tilem talked to the two about the financial benefits he could receive by simply posting on Instagram and signing brand deals ignited by Slice. The Browns were fully on board.

“I think they were the first (family) actually to think it through and believe in us to be completely honest,” Gilbert said.

More athletes began to follow suit. Over the summer, Slice signed Syracuse football linebacker David Omopariola and wide receiver Donovan Brown. from page 16

hawryschuk was a senior at Archbishop Carroll High School (D.C.) and already committed to Syracuse, Hawryschuk coached at one of her clinics.

“Right then and there, you could tell we were going to be great teammates,” Swart said.

The pair dominated on the field, and their bond is “more family than friendship” off the field, Hawryschuk said. In their hearts, Swart and Hawryschuk are still the same kids who clicked instantly seven years ago, Swart said, driven by a constant desire to improve.

When Team USA announced plans for a women’s box lacrosse team to compete in a worldwide tournament this summer, Hawryschuk reached out to Swart immediately.

Gait, who coached both at SU and is from British Columbia, Canada — where box originated — trained the women’s players with a few weeks of box lacrosse each fall. She and Swart have a photo playing together at SU that they plan to recreate in their Team USA box jerseys.

“It was always one of my favorite memories from each fall,” Hawryschuk said of playing box at Syracuse. “The IQ, skill, physicality of the game is something I always enjoyed doing.”

Prospective players needed to sign up for one of the three ID Camps in New York or New Jersey from May through Aug. 2023. Swart and Hawryschuk attended them all, determined to make the practice group “Team 1,” which they did last fall. Since this is a completely new discipline for the women’s game, they were more like training sessions than tryouts.

Assistant coach Crysti Foote said Hawryschuk from page 15

army

Though Army’s Gabrielle Mirak scored a free-position goal at the 1:55 mark, Smith won the ensuing draw control and scored off Ward’s second assist, giving SU an 8-2 lead after 15 minutes.

“You got to be able to start hot when another team starts hot,” Army head coach Michelle Tumolo said postgame. “We didn’t match their energy, especially in that first quarter.”

After its prolific opening quarter, Syracuse kept rolling offensively. Smith, who notched a hat trick in SU’s season-opener, scored her third of four goals 30 seconds into the quarter after an unassisted shake-and-

After a 74-yard punt, Eagle did his own SpongeBob impression, saying “74” in a similar manner to how Spongebob says “25” in a season three episode entitled “New Student Starfish.” When either the Eagles or 49ers started on the 22-yard line, he would start singing Taylor Swift’s “22” — alluding to Swift dating Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce. He even sprinkled in a few references to “Kenan & Kel,” one of his favorite shows growing up.

“It’s just knowing what your audience is wanting,” Eagle said. “We got so many (references) in, but my favorite ones were the ones I could set SpongeBob and Patrick up with and then let them run with it from there.”

In addition to Sandy Cheeks as the sideline reporter and Dora the Explorer as a rules analyst, among others, Eagle said Nate Burleson, his lone non-animated partner, helped bring the most out of the broadcast.

Eagle said Burleson does an “outstanding job” at making the game simple for the audience while

providing fantastic energy to the broadcast. He added that Burleson has made preparation easier for him, crediting their strong rapport.

“We’ve had really great chemistry from the start,” Eagle said. “When you work with good people like (Burleson), it’s just automatic.”

While his preparation was heightened, Eagle still stuck to his customary pre-game routine. A day before the Super Bowl, he went to the gym early to clear his mind and assembled his charts in the afternoon. He also watched some more SpongeBob clips and attended rehearsals for the broadcast — something he never has to do on other networks. At night, Eagle took his spotter and statistician to dinner and ice cream, a tradition of his.

Even being thrust into a high-pressure environment, Eagle wasn’t phased to call the Super Bowl. He compared it to rigorous studying for a test. Eagle had prepared all he could for the once-in-a-lifetime setting and was

ready to seize the moment.

“I didn’t look at it as, ‘Oh my god, this is the Super Bowl,’” Eagle said. “I looked at it as, ‘Oh, this is another Nick game, this is going to be fun. I just went in and let it rip from there.”

Eagle’s mind bounced around when asked about his favorite moment from the day. He brought up how the game ended in overtime, and how he’s one of few people to call a gamewinning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Yet, Eagle most remembers his emotions after sitting down for the telecast’s opening when SpongeBob and Patrick came on.

Eagle took it all in. He reached the pinnacle of sports broadcasting, all with the network he watched as a child and surrounded by the cartoon characters he once adored.

“There was just this feeling of, ‘Alright, I’m here. I’m doing this. This is really really cool,’ that came over me,” Eagle said.

Omopariola, an incoming freshman at the time, said he was initially scared to enter the NIL sphere. But Gilbert eased him in by speaking highly of the collaborative environment Slice was looking to instill.

“They get their own part from getting deals for us. So it’s like, they’re not just chilling, they’re actually always working to get us paid,” Omopariola said.

Heading into the 2023-24 academic year, Gilbert and Tilem knew they needed to expand as Slice continued to grow its player base. They hired high-quality photographers, videographers and editors while increasing their staff to generate more brand deals and signees.

Tilem said that during winter break, Slice took on a group of interns to help with outreach. They have also persuaded their friends to join the company and perform responsibilities such as player outreach and securing partnerships. The two live with six other students, and Tilem said each of them is involved with Slice — including Lichtenstein.

“It was honestly just a no-brainer,” Lichtenstein said of joining Slice. “Not only through real-world experience, but also something we can put on our resumes and walk into job interviews and slap it down on the table (and say), ‘Hey, I’m a junior in college and I’ve signed three Division I athletes.’”

The staff living together has increased productivity, as Gilbert pinpointed how they

will sit together in an “email circle” and reach out to brands on behalf of their athletes. Plus, the Slice apartment has transformed into a common space for not just those who live there, but for the companies’ athletes as well.

Players often come to the apartment to film videos or even just to hang out. The open setting at Slice has allowed it to be more personable with its signees, which Gilbert believes sets the agency apart from others.

“It’s a funny relationship,” Gilbert said. “We’ll text them after games and we’ll get on FaceTime and go, ‘David (Omopariola) and Donovan (Brown) come over to our apartment and just hang out.’

I think it’s all the little things that just add up to make us unique.”

On Nov. 8, 2023, Slice announced on its Instagram page that it signed Shy Hawkins, a four-star Syracuse women’s basketball commit. That same day, according to Gilbert, Fair sent Slice a DM asking if there was any more availability for new signees.

Considering the possible rewards of signing Fair, a star point guard who ranks No. 6 on the women’s college basketball all-time scoring list, Gilbert and Tilem pounced on the opportunity.

“We weren’t going to say no,” Tilem said. “We wanted to connect with her immediately and have a deal ready for her before we signed her.”

Fair joined Slice shortly after Hawkins did, and has quickly become one of the faces of the

agency’s player base. The company has done multiple photo and video shoots with Fair — partnering with In The Lab and a soon-to-bepublished video for CW Sports — while also posting about her on-court successes as SU tries to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Signing Fair was another boost to Gilbert and Tilem’s confidence. Yet a rare emotion — nerves — swelled inside the two on Feb. 8, once they detected SU running back LeQuint Allen Jr. at a women’s basketball game. Gilbert said he and Tilem saw Allen Jr. sitting alone in the crowd, which caused them to be apprehensive at first. Then, Gilbert’s poise kicked in.

“Just follow me, we’re doing it,” Gilbert remembered telling Tilem.

Gilbert and Tilem went up to introduce themselves to Allen Jr., and walked away with his phone number. Per Gilbert, the encounter encapsulates their growth. They used to beg high school athletes on Instagram to sign with Slice, and now display an unflappable swagger to approach whomever they please. For Gilbert and Tilem, no athlete is too big for them.

“I think (Tilem and I) both have a good head on our shoulders. We live day by day, and every day is something new,” Gilbert said. “I can confidently say when I’m older, sitting in my chair, I’ll look back and be like, ‘Holy sh*t.’”

was one of the first people to impress the coaches her first time out and has steadily improved each time Foote has seen her play. According to current Syracuse women’s head coach Kayla Treanor, Hawryschuk has the potential to be the best box player on the US team because of her physicality.

Foote echoed that sentiment, explaining Hawryschuk’s stick work and physicality are the ideal combination for box lacrosse.

She’s also been selected for two of the three Super Sixes events, including a fourteam tournament in Canada last October.

Hawryschuk helped Team USA take home the gold, winning 8-7 over Team Canada in the final. As time ticked down in the gold medal game, Hawryschuk ran the clock out, then chucked her stick into the air before celebrating with former Syracuse teammates Swart and Nicole Levy.

“All three of us from Syracuse can finally say that we won, which was awesome,” Hawryschuk said.

The faster-paced sixes game allowed Hawryschuk to refine her offensive skills and introduced her to the defensive side of the ball. Playing attack at Syracuse, Hawryschuk never played much defense apart from riding clear attempts.

Hawryschuk is a disruptive presence – a ball magnet on both ends who wreaks havoc in transition. Because of that, Foote said Hawryschuk can excel among the best sixes players in the world.

“Over the course of the weekend, I saw her physicality shine, being able to get to goal,” Foote said. “She might have been missing shots in the beginning, but by the end of the weekend she was bake snipe. Adamson then picked up backto-back assists to Ward and Rowley.

Rowley’s goal, which marked her secondcareer hat trick, gave Syracuse an 11-2 lead at the 11:23 mark of the second quarter. She finished with a career-high four goals.

“I thought (Rowley) did a great job tonight and stepped up,” Treanor said. “We wanted to attack (Army) early in our possessions and I think Payton did a great job of that.”

Following two straight possessions with assists, Adamson extended Syracuse’s lead to double-digits. Mashewske notched a draw-control win, then the Orange swung the ball around before Adamson scored her first goal of the game.

Despite its poor draw control in the first

ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews

@ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews

emily hawryschuk and sam swart were teammates at Syracuse after Hawryschuk coached Swart in a youth camp. The pair also played Super Sixes with Team USA. courtesy of sam swart

able to finish and really help our team win that gold.”

Given Hawwryschuk’s significant sixes experience, DeCecco instantly thought of her as an impact player when putting the Unleashed All-Star teams together. DeCecco said sixes is “made for someone like (Hawwryschuk).”

Hawryschuk has gained valuable professional perspective on the Olympic format and is sharing that knowledge with the next generation. It’s important work because finding skilled and committed youth coaches for women’s lacrosse is difficult, Foote said, even in a hotbed like Central New York.

But with more avenues for the game to grow, fundamentals are vital to the next generation and players like Hawryschuk are the best teachers.

“It’s the playing, but it’s also the career building,” DeCecco said. “If you want to be a paid women’s pro lacrosse player and build a career out of it, it wasn’t going to happen for me and it may not happen for Emily because of the timing and where she is. But the girls she’s coaching, that’s the dream.”

Hawryschuk may not be able to make a living just by playing lacrosse — lots of male professionals still can’t. But the skills she’s learning in these new disciplines could help the kids she’s coaching get to that point.

“All I want to do is share the game of lacrosse with the younger generation and play it as much as I can,” Hawryschuk said.

quarter, where Army successfully retained possession on six of the game’s opening 11 draws, Mashewske helped Syracuse dominate the second. After a sluggish firstquarter draw control where the Orange won just 3-of-11 against the Wildcats, Treanor opted to have Adamson step into the circle for the second.

But Wednesday, Mashewske was Syracuse’s draw control specialist throughout the game, helping the Orange go 5-for-7 in the second quarter en route to winning 16-of-27. Mashewske won a game-high nine draw controls.

Duffy scored her first goal of the game six minutes before halftime but Emma Tyrrell responded with her first a minute later and the Orange retained a 13-3

double-digit lead at halftime.

The Black Knights scored the first two goals of the third quarter, but answers from Ward and Rowley helped the Orange retain a 15-5 lead after three quarters. Throughout the fourth, Syracuse opted to mostly deploy its reserves and picked up its first win of the season in complete fashion, never losing a quarter.

“Overall, we had a lot of people step up and we were able to bounce back after this past weekend (against) Northwestern,” Treanor said.

wbmiller@syr.edu @wymill07

justingirshon@gmail.com @JustinGirshon

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men’s basketball

Opponent Preview: Everything to know about Georgia Tech With the ball, Georgia Tech has a tendency to turn it over, coughing it up over 12 times a game, which is in the bottom-third of the ACC. However, on the glass, it averages 38 rebounds per game.

By Cole Bambini

senior staff writer

Syracuse did the unimaginable Tuesday, upsetting No. 7 North Carolina one month after the Tar Heels beat the Orange by 36 points. Syracuse led for most of the game,and made big plays down the stretch to secure its first AP top-10 win since 2019.

“They embarrassed us the last time we played them. We wanted to come out and make a statement, at least show that we’re here and we compete,” Judah Mintz said.

The page now turns to Georgia Tech, where Syracuse makes the trip Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets and the Orange split the season-series last year, winning on each other’s home floor.

Here’s everything to know about Georgia Tech (10-15, 3-11 Atlantic Coast Conference):

How Syracuse beats Georgia Tech

Each game is different, but there were many aspects in the win over North Carolina, aside from making over 60% of its shots, that can be applied down the stretch.

Syracuse has been playing with a very limited lineup recently, using just seven players. Though SU got into foul trouble early, aggressive defenders like Maliq Brown and Quadir Copeland played without getting their fourth fouls. Tight defense in the post forced UNC to kick out for 3s, which UNC made, but GT is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the conference.

Georgia Tech is strong on the glass, and averages 38 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks third in the conference. Limiting Yellow Jacket possessions to just one shot will reduce the number of second-chance buckets in the paint that might draw fouls on the Orange big men.

All-time series Syracuse leads 8-7.

Last time they played

To close out February last season, Syracuse hosted Georgia Tech, which it had defeated by 17 over a month earlier. But similarly to how the Orange flipped the script versus UNC, the Yellow Jackets turned the tide with a 96-76 victory at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Yellow Jackets entered as the league’s third-worst 3-point shooting team, but dropped a school-record 18 triples on the Orange, who conceded 13 or more 3-pointers for a fourth straight game. Miles Kelly and Lance Terry both had seven threes.

Syracuse, which gave up 53 first-half points, trailed by only nine entering the second half.

But it missed all seven of its 3-pointers and shot just under 40% from the field, burying itself into a hole it couldn’t get out of.

“We just have not been able to stop anybody four games in a row,” former head coach Jim Boeheim said. “That’s on me, it’s my defense, and we’re not able to stop anybody with it.”

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 56% of winning, with a projected score of 75-73.

Stat to know: 13.3%

Head coach Adrian Autry preached about Syracuse’s ability to control the basketball as a factor in defeating North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets aren’t as aggressive defensively and steal the ball just under five times a game, the second fewest in the ACC. Consequently, Georgia Tech forces turnovers on 13.3% of its possessions, per KenPom, which ranks 354th in Division-I — essentially rock bottom. If Syracuse can limit the turnovers, it should have no trouble versus Georgia Tech.

Player to watch: Miles Kelly, guard, No. 13 Georgia Tech enters its matchup with Syracuse on a four-game losing streak, while SU comes off a win over No. 7 UNC.

ryan jermyn staff photographer

The Yellow Jackets report

Sitting in the bottom-third of the conference, Georgia Tech is coming off a 58-55 loss at Notre Dame, the second of a two-game road trip and its fourth straight loss. Similar to Syracuse, it lost by 29 to Wake Forest but also upset North Carolina by one at home. The win over UNC on

Jan. 30 snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kelly, Baye Ndongo and Kowacie Reeves Jr. all average double-digit points for the Yellow Jackets, who have the third-worst scoring offense in the ACC. Defensively, GT gives up 4.4 points per game and ranks 170th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Ken Pom.

Kelly torched the Orange last year in their second meeting with 30 points. This year, he leads the Yellow Jackets with just under 15 points per game and is the team’s leading 3-point option. On Feb. 10, he scored a season-high 36 points with six 3-pointers.

Starting all 25 games this season, his production is very similar to last year when he averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 41% from the field. colebambini@gmail.com @ColeBambini

men’s lacrosse

Beat writers split on if No. 5 SU will defeat No. 4 Maryland

By Daily Orange Sports Staff

Syracuse cruised to victory for the third straight game, dismantling Manhattan 16-3 and keeping their undefeated season alive. Joey Spallina continued his dominant start to the season with the first 10-point game for an SU player since Ryan Powell in 2000 as the rest of the attack stayed hot.

After three relatively easy games in which the Orange outscored their opponents 54-20, Syracuse faces its first big test of the season in No. 4 Maryland. The Terrapins won the National Championship in 2022, but had a disappointing end to 2023 when Army upset Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But Maryland has regrouped to start the 2024 season.

Unlike Syracuse, so far, Maryland has tested itself against ranked opponents. The Terrapins opened up the year with an overtime win over then-No. 19 Richmond, which was followed by a 11-4 win over then-No.9 Loyola Maryland. This matchup will reveal whether Syracuse can compete with highly ranked teams or if it’ll continue to be a tier below the country’s best.

Here’s how our beat writers think No. 5 Syracuse (3-0, Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare against No. 4 Maryland (2-0, Big Ten):

Zak Wolf (3-0)

Tested by the Terrapins Syracuse 16, Maryland 14 Here’s where the tests begin. After three relatively easy games, we’ll get to see what Syracuse is made of. The Orange started 3-0 last season but fell to Maryland in a game which they never led.

This time will be different.

A big part of SU’s success so far has been the difference at the faceoff X. If Syracuse wants to beat Maryland, it can’t afford to let its faceoff woes from last season come back to bite it. The Orange won just 41.9% last season, but with the additions of graduate transfer Mason Kohn and freshman Johnny Mullen, Syracuse has gone 75.3% from the X through three games.

But Saturday won’t be as easy for Kohn and the rest of the faceoff unit. Maryland faceoff man Luke

Wierman is no slouch with a career 60.4% win rate and is the Terrapins all-time leader in faceoff wins (667). But despite Wierman’s accolades, Kohn can keep pace with him. I expect a big performance from Kohn and for him to be in the conversation for the best faceoff man in the country as a result.

On the back of a strong performance from Kohn, Syracuse’s offense will continue its hot streak and start 4-0 for the first time since 2020.

in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

But that loss doesn’t blemish Maryland’s recent record, including an undefeated 2022 season. The Terrapins know how to win against the best teams and they’re going to show that again Saturday.

Spallina and the rest of Syracuse’s attack feasted on adequate goalies from Vermont, Colgate and Manhattan. But the unit has their work cut out for them versus Logan McNaney,

who is back this year after tearing his ACL last February. At his best, McNaney is a brick wall. He posted back-to-back 19- and 17-save performances in the 2022 Final Four, giving up four goals to Loyola this past weekend.

I think the Orange will reach double digits, but their struggles against McNaney will end in their first loss of the year. sports@dailyorange.com

Cooper Andrews (3-0) Not so fast Syracuse 13, Maryland 15

In the words of College Gameday’s Lee Corso: not so fast, Zak. Yes, SU’s attack will continue to shine versus Maryland. Spallina, who leads the nation with 26 points and is the reigning ACC Attack of the Week, should prove to be lethal.

However, I think Kohn is set to have his coldest performance from the faceoff X since joining Division I going up against Wierman.

Thus far, Kohn’s had an easy transition away from D-III — facing Vermont, Colgate and Manhattan — posting a 77% winning percentage in those games. He simply doesn’t have the reps against an opponent like Wierman and will struggle to do the job Saturday.

This game has the potential to prove a lot for the Orange, who were recently promoted to Inside Lacrosse’s No. 5 team in the nation. If Kohn succeeds, then Syracuse has a bonafide star as its faceoff specialist and can become even more dangerous due to its elite offense. Though I just don’t expect everything to come together — mainly, Kohn providing his attack with more possessions — versus the Terrapins.

Anish Vasudevan (3-0)

Turtles can bite Syracuse 12, Maryland 13 Two years after the Orange made their last NCAA Championship appearance, the Terrapins made their third in five years. While Syracuse slowly fell out of the national conversation, Maryland quickly became a mainstay with John Tillman at the helm of the program.

Army, who SU faces 11 days after this matchup, shockingly ended the Terrapins’ 2023 season

Our beat writers are split on if No. 5 Syracuse will defeat No. 4 Maryland and start 4-0 for the first time since 2020.

maxine brackbill photo editor

february 15, 2024 15

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men’s soccer

SU soccer alum Nico Perea takes his skills from grass to sand

By Nick Jepson

asst. digital editor

While kick-starting his beach soccer career, Nico Perea thought back on late-night trips to the Manley Field House. Along with teammates Trevor Alexander and Emil Ekblom, they rolled out a gymnastics mat on the turf. The trio crossed the ball hundreds of times as they attempted to pull off bicycle kicks, side volleys and acrobatic headers.

In beach soccer, these skillful moves are necessary. Now, when Alexander sees highlights of Perea playing for the U.S. National Team, he always sends him a text to remind him — “It all started at Manley!”

Beach soccer is a game that most in the United States may be unfamiliar with, but it encapsulates the highlight plays every audience loves. Perea never thought he would play this form of the game, but now he’s embarking on his second FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, beginning Feb. 15 in the United Arab Emirates.

“I knew it was something that was played on a professional and national level,” Perea said. “But I never thought about actually playing it.”

Before his transition to beach soccer, Perea played at Syracuse from 2011-14, where he

started 73 of the 76 games during his fouryear tenure. A decade following his SU career, Perea is one of U.S. beach soccer’s top players, winning the federation’s Player of the Year award in 2021 and 2022.

After taking off his Syracuse captain’s band for the final time, Perea had one thing on his mind — getting drafted to Major League Soccer. Perea said he heard rumors about him potentially getting selected, but he went undrafted.

Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre still saw the potential in Perea.

“I think he was one of the best to wear a Syracuse jersey, and I thought it was a little bit unfortunate not to find the right home,” McIntyre said.

Perea did find a team in Jacksonville, Florida, with the Jacksonville Armada in the North American Soccer League. He spent two seasons with the Armada before bouncing around different leagues the next three years in Rio Grande Valley, Des Moines and Indianapolis. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, Perea was forced to return home to Florida.

When Perea came home, he trained on the beach with U.S beach soccer head coach

Despite not being selected to the MLS, Nico Perea found a unique path in beach soccer, where he plays for team USA.

courtesy of joy marshall

Francis Farberoff. The two met through mutual friends in the local soccer community.

Perea worked w ith Farberoff, strengthening his legs. Perea said the beach is a “great way to stay fit.” But Farberoff didn’t envision him as someone playing on the beach to just stay in shape.

As the pandemic dragged on, the chance to play beach soccer more frequently allowed Perea to dive further into the sport. Though Perea was not completely sold on leaving the grass game behind.

“When you love something and you’ve done it all your life, it’s hard to let go of it,” Perea said.

Yet something seemed to call Perea to the beach game. Being in Florida with his family and friends helped him begin to consider the option. He decided to switch paths, committing to beach soccer.

The change was only the first step in the transition.

Though it holds the same name in “soccer,” the different playing field created new obstacles.

“When you play soccer on the beach for the first time, you feel like you’ve never played soccer before,” Perea said.

Tireless dedication to this new sport had major payoffs for Perea, as he made the U.S. National team ahead of the 2021 FIFA World Cup in Moscow.

In the U.S.’s first group game against Russia, Perea moved down the left side of the field, and received a pass from Nick Perrera, directly onto his left foot. With no hesitation, Perea fired a shot which deflected off the crossbar and in.

“In that moment, I was really locked in,” Perea said. “I believed truthfully, in myself, and I thought ‘okay, I got this.’”

But making it to the top level of beach soccer does not mean his transition is complete.

Perea said everyday he’s still “finding out new things about the sport.”

Although still developing and honing his skills, moments like his goal against Russia has allowed everything to come together. The long awaited goal that he previously thought laid on the grass field, was actually on the beaches’ grains of sand.

Nico Perea is set to appear in his second FIFA Beach

nsjepson@syr.edu Soccer World Cup. courtesy of joy marshall

@nicholassjepson

women’s lacrosse

No. 5 Syracuse dominates No. 18 Army 18-7 in 1st win of 2024

By Justin Girshon asst. sports editor

Syracuse midfielder Olivia Adamson said falling behind 8-2 in the first quarter against No. 1 Northwestern was “unacceptable.” The Orange cut the Wildcats’ lead to 15-14 midway through the fourth quarter, but they ultimately faltered because of their early struggles.

Ahead of SU’s matchup with Army, head coach Kayla Treanor said she wanted her team to open the game with a sense of urgency. Her players responded, leading just a minute and a half into the game before scoring eight goals in the opening 15 minutes.

“I think we had a great first quarter, probably our best quarter of the game,” Treanor said. “So it was a great, great response (from Saturday).”

Wednesday ’s first quarter was No. 5 Syracuse’s (1-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) highest-scoring opening period since notching 11 goals against UAlbany on March 1, 2023. In an 18-7 win over No. 18 Army (0-2, 0-0 Patriot League), the Orange won by double-digits for the first time since defeating Johns Hopkins 25-8 on May 14, 2023, in the NCA A Tournament. SU’s offense was propelled by Natalie Smith notching a career-high six points while its defense surrendered seven goals on just 23 shots.

Though Syracuse controlled the majority of the first quarter, it lost the opening

draw control — a crucial part of its firstquarter struggles against NU. But unlike its shortcomings against the Wildcats, where SU was forced to switch to man-to-man, the Orange’s zone clamped the Black Knights’ first attack.

Following goalie Delaney Sweitzer’s ground ball pickup, she got the ball ahead to Maddy Baxter, who pushed the ball coast-tocoast. Baxter quickly got the ball ahead to Adamson, who scored a career-high six goals against Northwestern, but after Emma Ward cut toward the 8-meter, she dumped the ball and Ward capitalized on her open look, scoring a minute-and-a-half into the game.

Kate Mashewske lost her second draw control in a row, but SU forced Brigid Duffy, the reigning Patriot League Freshman of the Year and Inside Lacrosse’s No. 25 player Division I preseason player, to turn the ball over. Again, Baxter propelled the Orange down the field and scored an uncontested goal to give SU a 2-0 lead.

Over the first seven minutes of the game, Syracuse’s zone defense, along with a freeposition save from Sweitzer, thwarted Army.

Meanwhile, the Orange continued turning their defense into goals on the other end.

Ward, who struggled early against Northwestern, notched her second point on an assist to Smith while Payton Rowley scored her first goal of the season to put Syracuse up 4-0 five minutes into the game.

No. 5 Syracuse won 18-7 over No. 18 Army after a commanding first quarter, where the Orange took an 8-2 lead.

joe zhao asst. photo editor

“We’re all just reading the defense and communicating as an entire offense,” Smith said. “We’re just letting the ball work and we’re connecting on those plays.”

The Black Knights finally found the back of the net eight minutes in when Carleigh Armstrong cut toward the crease unmarked, but Syracuse

responded with a 3-0 run over the next six minutes. Baxter and Rowley scored their second goals of the game while Savannah Sweitzer became SU’s fifth playerto score after a behindthe-back shot to put the Orange up 7-1 with under two minutes remaining in the quarter. see army page 13

SPORTS

16 february 15, 2024

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

SLICE OF SUCCESS Slice Sports Management, founded by SU students, has become one of Syracuse’s premier Name, Image and Likeness agencies.

By Cooper Andrews sports editor

Buried within Syracuse University’s campus lies a cohort of students who are most productive when rotting on the couch. It’s a typical Friday setup for Slice Sports Management, where diligent workers of the sports marketing agency sit together in an apartment sending emails to pitch brand deals for their clients.

The company’s founders — Brandon Gilbert and Jacob Tilem — pinpointed Friday as their favorite day to work. It best captures the bustling nature and highlights the firstclass commitment it puts toward its athletes.

“The selling point now is — do you want a team of 10 hungry, motivated college students to just email for you every single day, no strings attached?” Gilbert said.

Since its inception in 2023, Slice has transformed into one of the premier Name, Image and Likeness agencies in Syracuse.

The sports marketing agency emphasizes

Slice Sports Management, which was created by SU students Brandon Gilbert and Jacob Tilem, has officially signed 18 athletes since 2023, including Dyaisha Fair.

courtesy of ethan canals-fernández

leveraging athletes’ NIL to create sponsorship deals with brands, including American Eagle and Temu. Slice has built up a player base that’s more than 20 names long (18 official signees) which includes Dyaisha Fair, Mounir Hima, Boston College TikTok star Otto Landrum and high school quarterback Joey Gaston — Ice Spice’s younger brother —

among others.

Through their exuding confidence, detailed outreach strategy and content-driven marketing, Gilbert and Tilem have spearheaded a groundbreaking, student-run NIL operation.

“I truly don’t think there are two better people to work for,” said Ben Lichtenstein, who works on brand partnerships for Slice.

Syracuse student-run NIL agency Slice Sports Management has built a groundbreaking business through building personal relationships with their clients.

courtesy of ryan wright

A desire to enter the sports industry led Gilbert to attend SU and major in sports management. He said he thought internships would “fall in his lap” upon arriving on campus, though a harsh reality set in. Gilbert applied for positions with the Syracuse Crunch and the SU men’s and women’s basketball teams. But he was rejected by them all.

Gilbert said he grew “paranoid” about his then-lacking resume. But he took a sales-based sports management course taught by Dave Meluni, an associate teaching professor at SU’s Falk College, with Tilem when they were both sophomores. Because of the class, the pair started their own sports marketing business.

Gilbert and Tilem came to Meluni and inquired about how they could take the idea a step further. Meluni said they’d need to get recognized as an agency to generate profit, as it’s illegal to solicit brands in New York state without a license. Based on what Meluni saw when he had Gilbert and Tilem in class, he knew they were onto something special.

“They know the rules. They know the state rules. And they know what brands want,” Meluni said. “So, these guys have learned the skills (to succeed).”

Tilem’s father, a lawyer, helped them register as an LLC and Slice was off and running. The next step was to sign their first client.

Gilbert and Tilem use social media as their main source of outreach, particularly Instagram Direct Messages. The former explained he and his friends would solely DM athletes to try and get people on their podcast in high school, which was called “Sesh Time Sports.”

It caused Gilbert to understand the “power” of Instagram DMs, he said, and he implemented the same model with Slice.

When messaging athletes, Gilbert and Tilem see slice page 15

women’s lacrosse

Emily Hawryschuk plays pivotal role growing women’s lacrosse

By Wyatt Miller

senior staff writer

Emily Hawryschuk entered the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 31, 2023, with the eight of the largest lacrosse organizations in the United States.

Shortly after sixes lacrosse was added to the 2028 Olympic Games, those entities joined forces.

The ratified agreement, Elevate28, promises a mission to double the country’s participation in lacrosse from 2 to 4 million annual players by 2028. USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio rang the closing bell as trailblazers

in the lacrosse world smiled around him. Yet among countless legends, including Gary Gait, Hawryschuk was most touched by the kids from Bronx Lacrosse.

“We had a couple kids who were there, and to see their faces light up was awesome,” Hawryschuk said. “Going back to the growth of the game, it was really monumental in that aspect.”

Since Hawryschuk — Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer — graduated in 2022, she’s contributed to the exponential growth of women’s lacrosse. Her training academy, 51 Stars Lacrosse, offers workouts to

kids in the Rochester and Syracuse areas — the ancestral land of the Haudenosaunee, the creators of lacrosse. Hawryschuk leaps at every opportunity to play or teach lacrosse, and it’s all in service of giving a larger platform to the game she loves.

Her latest venture is a roster spot in the Unleashed All-Star game, featuring the best women’s lacrosse players in the world playing Olympicstyle sixes lacrosse on Feb. 17.

Over the past 18 months, Hawryschuk has committed all her time to lacrosse. Last year, she served as an assistant coach for Niagara and

now serves in the same position with Rochester Institute of Technology.

Simultaneously, she’s sought out new opportunities to play organized sixes and box lacrosse for Team USA. Although she was drafted in the first round by Athletes Unlimited, Hawryschuk didn’t pursue the women’s field league for contract reasons.

Instead, she wanted to maximize her time coaching in her community.

Her training sessions include small and large group training, focusing on different lacrosse techniques. In the Olympic discipline, every player must play offense and defense, emphasizing

the importance of knowing the fundamentals.

“There’s so much energy around showcases and all those events, but training is where you get better,” said Penn State alum Rachael DeCecco, the Vice President of Lacrosse at the PLL. “To be in your town training kids, that’s the really quality time that you’re getting with these kids who can learn how to be a great player, but also make those relationships.”

Naturally, Hawryschuk’s first-ever coaching connection turned into a lifelong friendship. When Sam Swart see hawryschuk page 15