thursday, feb. 20, 2025
N • Teaching leaders
Tashia Thomas Neal created SCORE to give students an outlet to educate and empower themselves and others about racial injustice.
Page 3
Answering ‘the
call’
After decades in faith and public service, the Bishop of Syracuse believes in action
C • The Cherry Pit closes On Feb. 28, the four co-owners of The Cherry Pit, a vintage clothing store, will close the store to pursue individual endeavors in fashion.
free
S • Coach Carter
Assistant coach Khyreed Carter’s personable and player-oriented style helped SU to consecutive 20-win campaigns from 2022-24. city
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By Arabella Klonowski asst. copy editor
From an early age, Bishop Dr. H. Bernard Alex felt strong ties to his Syracuse community and quickly learned the power of dedication.
Growing up with seven siblings, Alex watched his father work the night shift as a janitor at the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts, now the Everson Museum. Not knowing how to read his supervisor’s cursive handwriting, his father would wait for the museum guard to fall asleep and run home to have his wife read his assignments to him before returning to work.
His father dedicated 35 years to his work at the museum to ensure his eight children could pay for college.
“If we wanted to go to college, he was going to do what he had to do for us to get there,” Alex said. “So if we didn’t go, we couldn’t say it wasn’t because we didn’t have an opportunity.”
Now, Alex serves as the Bishop of Syracuse and pastor of the Victory Temple Fellowship Church. In 2023, he was elected DeWitt Town Board member and continues to serve as its first Black representative.
Alex said his work in the community allows him to combine his faith and political involvement throughout the Syracuse area into similar efforts.
“I see my faith to be a faith of action in a political setting, not religious,” Alex said. “(It’s a) big difference because I like religious people and I don’t like church people.”
Alex’s childhood home on South Townsend Street looked up at the hill Syracuse University stands on. He said he grew up in the projects and attended church with his family. Alex spent his childhood days reading editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica from front to back, leading to his “love of words” and decision to study English at Tuskegee University.
Laurie Kingsberry, an SU alumni and former student director of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble at SU, worked closely with Alex as a member of the choir while they were in college. Alex attended SU for just over a year while recovering from gastrointestinal surgery.
“He came in as a leader,” Kingsberry said. “You know that some people just come in and they sort of sit and watch, but he came in immediately giving us corrections and direction … and we appreciated that.”
Kingsberry said Alex takes every opportunity to help arrange choir events and finds quality speakers to strength-
en programming. He said Alex even comes in to speak to the choir when he has the chance.
Alex’s wife, Jahnjae Alex, said the two met during their high school’s music department practice. She recalled a young Alex whose commitment to civic engagement was ever-present back then.
“(His work is) exhausting and it takes a lot of time and energy, but I know it’s for the good of many others,” Jahnjae said. “He is the voice for those who don’t have a voice, either because they don’t know how to use the voice or they just don’t have the platform to speak for themselves.”
Despite holding the title of doctor, bishop and formerly, pastor, Alex said he prefers to not be addressed by them. He said his strength lies within his actions, not his title.
“They have learned to trust me,” Alex said. “If you can trust me to cook for you, if you can trust me to come to the school and help get your kids out of trouble or help you with a housing issue or whatever, then you’ll trust me in empowering you to understand this political process.”
Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens said she first met the bishop over 30 years ago, when he was her pastor, and has stayed in contact with him ever since. see alex page 5
Syracuse common councilors address city lead
By Duncan Green news editor
As city officials, advocates and third-party sampling groups work to address the ongoing lead water crisis in Syracuse, Daron Medley, a local elementary schooler diagnosed with lead poisoning in 2018, has repeated the same question to anyone who will listen:
“My brother and I have already been lead poisoned,” Medley said.
“Why do you want to poison us again?” In a special committee meeting Tuesday, Robert Brandt, Syracuse’s deputy commissioner of water, presented updated lead water data and proposals to expedite the pipe replacement process to the city’s Common Council.
Brandt said the city is aware of at least 14,000 private lead service lines, though that number could be as high as 30,000. The Public Works committee discussed short-term plans,
I understand entirely where ... residents are coming from. Anytime you hear the word lead, that’s a scary thought.
Sol Muñoz city spokesperson
including refabbing 2,700 homes in the coming year, while acknowledging the need to test homes with unknown statuses. Between 2005 and 2007, Syracuse replaced the public side of the city’s water lines, covering every pipe from the main to the curb stop where the line is then considered “private,” Brandt said. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, all lead pipes — private or public — must be replaced by 2034.
Brandt refuted many of the claims made by Elin Betanzo in an analysis of the city’s lead water data last week, including allegations that the city’s efforts caused delays in pipe replacement. Brandt said the city is ahead of EPA standards but acknowledged that mismanaged sampling efforts last year contributed to a lack of trust throughout the community.
“I’m trying to fix this problem,” Brandt said. “I’m willing to do whatsee lead page 5
bishop dr. h. bernard alex is a community leader in Syracuse, blending faith, politics, and social justice advocacy. He’s led numerous community service initiatives aimed at positively transforming the city. surya vaidy staff photographer
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WEATHER
The forecast for this upcoming week, per The Weather Channel.
COMING UP
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Newhouse Black History Month Symposium
WHEN: Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Newhouse 3, Hergenhan Auditorium
WHAT: Orange After Dark Pop Princess Party
WHEN: Friday, 10 p.m. to Saturday, 12 a.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, The Underground
WHAT: University Union Student Concert
WHEN: Saturday, 8–10 p.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, The Underground
ben butler culture editor
SCORE youth-leaders educate on racial disparities, history
By Anna Clair Levitt staff writer
In 2020, Tashia Thomas Neal noticed students across the Syracuse City School District were unsettled by the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing civil unrest, while also struggling to return to daily life after months in quarantine.
As students struggled to return to life at school, Neal, who was then working at the Onondaga County Department of Children and Family Services, was inspired to give students an outlet to educate and empower themselves and others while combating racial injustice. Along with colleagues Monica Bacote, the diversity, equity and inclusion director at CFS, and Jenny Dombroske, now executive director of community engagement at Syracuse University, she developed the Students of Color Organizing to Reclaim Education program.
“I (thought) maybe it’ll be pretty cool for kids to learn about things like implicit bias and Black history and then teach it to teachers,” Neal said.
SCORE is an after-school program that prepares students in the community to educate others about racial disparities, bias prevention and the histories of minority groups that aren’t taught in schools. The founders hoped students could learn from one another and provide support in the face of systemic racism.
“If we could give them access to the tools to learn about these complexities, maybe then they could share their insights in a way that adults could learn from,” Dombroske said. “Maybe they could even teach the teachers.”
The program was recently awarded the Unsung Heroes Award by SU, presented annually in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The award is given to community members, students, faculty and staff who have positively impacted others but are not widely recognized for doing so, according to the university’s website.
“When I was asked to join the MLK Celebration Planning Committee, and was reminded of the Unsung Hero Awards, I knew immediately that I would nominate this group,” Dombroske said. “SCORE embodies everything the Unsung Hero award stands for and they deserved recog-
nition for being such an impactful and unique forum for learning and growing toward a more equitable world.”
In honor of Black History Month, SCORE has hosted youth-led teaching sessions open to the community throughout this week.
On Thursday, student educators will present “Teaching Hard History,” which examines the history of the African American experience, specifically targeting stories that aren’t taught in public school systems. They’ll also present “A Better Way to Tell the Story,” which focuses on reframing narratives of African American history to highlight resistance and underrecognized Black figures, Neal said.
The presentations, along with the many other SCORE-hosted events, are led entirely by stu-
dents who went through the program.
“It really increases your confidence and how well you can publicly speak, and also how to ask questions and get a crowd involved,” student SCORE Leader Avya Mangla, said. “It’s really a skill that you can use in any facet of your life, and I really learned a lot of that from SCORE.”
The program provides students with in-depth training, lessons from expert speakers and resources such as mental health and yoga workshops. It also provides a stipend to the students who complete it. This past year, the organization employed four youth “SCORE Specialists” to help lead its initiatives.
“It’s really important in recognizing and valuing the work that they do. They are giving a service to the community by conducting
these workshops and by learning the material and conducting the workshops,” Neal said. “That also ties in with the youth-guided, youth-driven aspect of where we want SCORE to be.”
Other workshops that SCORE has trained students to run include “Implicit Bias,” which focuses on acknowledging and reducing subconscious biases, and more recent workshops focusing on reducing implicit bias toward the LGBTQ+, Arab and Muslim communities.
The organization has inspired students to bring what they have learned through the program to other facets of their lives, Neal said.
For student leaders Emma Wilson-Hefti and Ososeno Ikhide, the training motivated them to start a DEI-focused club at their high school.
Wilson-Hefti and Ikhide, both first-year SCORE leaders, helped lead this month’s BHM workshops. In their club at East Syracuse Minoa Central High School, they relay what they learn in SCORE training to their peers and tackle topics of bias, discrimination and diversity.
“Being able to teach other people about these heavy topics, such as implicit bias and Black history, especially at schools, is something that students aren’t able to do,” Ikhide said. “Opening a space or creating a space where students can do that has been very helpful to us.”
SCORE conducts workshops in August throughout Syracuse after students have completed training. It’s conducted these core workshops for around 3,000 community members since its founding. In addition to working in tandem with SCSD, other community organizations like the Dunbar Association and Allyn Family Foundation also give support.
Program leaders plan to continue expanding the program. Many students who have completed the program, including those in college, are set to return this summer to help lead the organization.
“Oftentimes young people are discounted, there’s so much adultism, ‘young people don’t know anything, they don’t care about anything,’” Neal said. “SCORE highlights the skills that they have, the passions that they have, the abilities that they have.”
aclevitt@syr.edu
The SCORE program was created in 2020 for students to educate others about racial injustice and minority histories. courtesy of tashia thomas neal
SUNY ESF hosts open house for communal Interfaith Space
By Henry Daley asst. news editor
Before SUNY ESF opened its Interfaith Space, Ava Wiggins had to run to her dorm or Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel between classes to find a place to pray. Wiggins, who identifies as Muslim, said she prays two to three times a day as part of her faith.
Located on the first floor of ESF’s Moon Library, the new space is open to students, faculty and staff for meditation, prayer and quiet reflection. The Interfaith Space hosted its open house Tuesday morning for students to visit the new space. Members of ESF’s Interfaith Council led attendees through guided meditations and box breathing exercise sessions.
The ESF sophomore, studying aquatic and fisheries science, said the lack of a nearby space made it difficult to fulfill her prayer needs and attend classes on time. Wiggins, a member of the interfaith council, which oversees the prayer and meditation room, attended the open house.
“I’ve noticed such a big change in my own morale,” Wiggins said. “Being able to stop at the library, go pray, and then go to class, I don’t feel like I’m always rushing and choosing between my spiritual needs and my academic needs.”
Though the space has only been open for a few weeks, Wiggins said it has already made her schedule less stressful. She said providing comfort for those who use the space is one of the Interfaith Council’s main goals. The council, which includes students, faculty, staff and community members, held its first meeting last week.
The space is funded through a grant the school received last fall. ESF is one of 22 SUNY campuses to receive funding to furnish or enhance its interfaith prayer and reflection spaces. Renee McNamara, ESF’s dean of students, said the grant intended to promote inclusivity and create a welcoming environment for all students.
She said the Interfaith Space is open to the entire community and hopes the meditation room will help students foster a greater sense of belonging on campus.
“I think there’s a want and need for this space,” McNamara said. “We have had requests
since I’ve been here at ESF for students to have a space on campus where they can come and just have a quiet space, either for prayer or meditation or reflection.”
Sarah Fessler, ESF director of student success and engagement, echoed McNamara. Fessler said she hopes the space will serve as a symbol of hope and resilience amid recent legislation from the White House targeting diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, his administration has followed through on campaign promises to cut DEI initiatives. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, recently announced plans to cut over $880 million in employee contracts from the United States Department of Education.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion is really at the forefront of a lot of conversations,” Fessler said. “In a time where students and even faculty, staff and community members are really feeling stressed out and worried about the future, this can provide a sense of comfort and a space for people to come and reconcile with all of those things.”
Despite the council’s limited time on campus, Wiggins said she believes the group can use the space to reach a larger audience.
“I hope that as time goes on and we get more signage and stuff where the room is, that more students will be able to feel comfortable in supporting their own spiritual needs as well with the room here,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins also hopes the room will play a crucial role in addressing the lack of spiritual and religious support services at ESF. The space’s accessibility, she said, makes her feel heard and respected—a feeling she hopes other students who use the space will share.
The council plans to host a tabling event at Hendricks, where a chaplain will speak to promote the space. As a member of SU’s Muslim Students Association, Wiggins believes the space could inspire more ESF students to strengthen their partnership with the university.
“I see a very bright future for the council and this room,” Wiggins said. “I just want this
to be a safe space for students, and I want them to see this room and see the council and understand that we are here to support them, and you don’t have to choose between two things that are important to you. We can have both.”
DISCLAIMER: News Editor Duncan Green is a student intern on InterFaith Works of CNY’s Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship. Green did not influence the editorial content of this story. hdaley@syr.edu
USen votes to approve 135 new courses, 120 revised courses
By Delia Rangel asst. news editor
The Syracuse University Senate approved its curriculum committee’s February report and discussed President Donald Trump’s recent orders attacking diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in its Wednesday meeting. University administrators explained how potential federal funding freezes could impact SU.
Throughout the meeting, SU Chancellor Kent Syverud and Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew told senators the university remains committed to its students and is navigating the uncertainty coming from the White House.
The curriculum committee’s February report, which senators voted to approve, outlines the 135 new courses, 120 revised courses and several programs reviewed by the committee.
“Even though it’s a formality, this is the by far most important vote we are doing as Senate,” Albrecht Diem, a professor and director of undergraduate studies in SU’s history department, said. “Because we as Senate have, by making this vote, control over the curriculum.”
Over 200 professors signed a petition earlier this month urging the deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs to work with the CAS/MAX Curriculum Committee to delay the implementation of the new Liberal Arts Core.
The senate’s curriculum committee is responsible for evaluating the curricula of the various schools and colleges across the university, approving courses and programs and recommending changes to the Senate regarding instructional policies, Thomas Barkley, a professor of finance practice at the Whitman School of Management, said.
Syverud highlighted the university’s stable budget amid uncertainties from executive orders. He also said he would not impose hiring or salary freezes as other universities such as The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University have.
Syverud also said he has tasked a committee with conducting a study of SU’s Parking and Transportation Services. The committee will collaborate with chief facilities officers and stakeholders to assess how parking policies should be revised.
“I know some of you are thinking it is odd to be talking about parking when so much more important is happening in the world, “ Syverud said. “But many in our community have raised parking concerns, including through the University Senate, and I do think we have the bandwidth, including in the Senate, to move forward with this, while also responding fairly to actionable changes coming from all directions, including from Washington.”
Biko Gray, an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the department of religion, said many students are looking to university officials and watching how SU responds to Trump’s policies and rhetoric.
“To what extent are we leaning into compliance with rules that will increasingly get stringent over time, that we know will get stringent over time?” Gray said. “To what extent are we leaning into compliance, actually enabling the very violences that could produce disastrous effects for many communities in the United States?”
Neither Syverud nor Agnew responded.
The senate’s Intersectional Equity for Race, Ethnicity, Sexuality, Gender Identity, & Disability Committee, co-chaired by PJ DiPietro and Suzette Melendez, presented an update on its efforts to prioritize discourse on campus regarding fair inclusion and creating an equitable environment.
Melendez, a professor in the College of Law, said the committee has addressed concerns and engaged in discussions regarding a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate and antisemitism across the United States. She said the committee has worked with students and faculty who have expressed feeling “invisible” on campus due to their identities.
“The main charge, which we’ve consolidated here, is to prioritize discourse and inquiry regarding fair inclusion and an equitable environment on our campus and among all university constituents,” Melendez said. “And you know, we really wanted to emphasize that inclusion and equity.”
DiPietro, assistant professor in women’s and gender studies, echoed Melendez’s remarks, noting that many students involved in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment during the spring 2024 semester have shared feelings of disempowerment. These students perceive the university as “a punitive organizational culture” rather than one focused on accountability in disciplinary matters, DiPietro said.
She also said many graduate students on campus feel “alienated” and invisible because of limited support and guidance from the university.
Devashish Mitra, a professor and chair of the economics department, echoed DiPietro and said graduate assistantships were reduced after the Syracuse Graduate Employees United received its new contract, worrying many graduate students.
With Trump’s recent efforts to pause federal funding programs, Mitra expressed concerns that the funding for such positions will diminish, noting the importance of graduate student teaching assistants to undergraduate learning.
Agnew said while she can’t promise increased funding for graduate student programs, the university is committed to supporting them and maintaining the strength of its programs.
In response to the uncertainty caused by the White House, the university has worked to support members of the community impacted by Trump’s orders, she said. In light of recent cuts to the National Institutes of Health funding, Agnew said she and Duncan Brown, SU’s Vice President for Research, personally called every faculty member impacted by the cuts and assured them of SU’s support.
“There are challenging moments ahead,” Agnew said. “But I’m comforted by the fact that despite all the noise and energy in the system, our academic enterprise remains strong and focused with a clear vision and values that have guided us in sustaining a strong and vibrant community across many decades.”
Other business:
• Craig Stone, chief of SU’s Department of Public Safety, is retiring, Syverud announced during the meeting. The university will begin the process of finding his successor soon. • Agnew said the final two of four town halls regarding the university’s Academic Strategic Plan will take place via Zoom on Mar. 21 and April 29. dsrangel@syr.edu
The space is in ESF’s Moon Library. ESF Sophomore Ava Wiggins says she hopes the space fosters greater spiritual support on campus. henry daley asst. news editor
University senators discussed the curriculum committee’s report, parking policies, and supporting students and faculty under Trump. ella chan asst. photo editor
“(He is a) public servant, and servitude is the foundation of faith,” Owens said. “You are here to provide for, meet the needs of and comfort others, and he is able to marry those two worlds together really efficiently.”
Growing up in an area heavily impacted by the I-81 viaduct and experiencing the hardships it created for primarily Black neighborhoods, Owens said Alex has continued to be vocal about the struggles his community continues to face.
Alex spoke at an event in December, hosted by SU’s School of Architecture, discussing the impact of rebuilding Almond Street, a neighborhood affected by I-81’s construction. During his remarks, the Bishop said that in order to fully know the Syracuse community, students need to leave the hill and learn about the area’s people and history.
Owens said Alex holds a “wealth of knowledge” and the advocacy work he does, like the Almond Street discussion, shows his commitment to educating local residents and members of the SU community. She said Alex “tells it like it is,” giving people the opportunity to receive difficult but genuine advice.
Although he serves as a bishop alongside his position on the DeWitt Town Board, Alex said he didn’t plan on ending up where he is today. He said he didn’t feel “the call” until he began taking faith-based classes in college despite growing up attending church with his family.
He didn’t act on it until he accepted a position in Syracuse as a youth pastor, however.
“Having grown up in church, I always felt the pull,” Alex said. “Some people call it the calling. I felt the pull and I didn’t want that because I saw it as restrictive.”
Alex struggled to settle on a career path as a young man. While he was interested in becoming a pastor, he didn’t want to give up his other public service efforts. As a pastor, he feared he may be barred from other community leadership positions, such as elected office.
When the opportunity to work for the church first appeared, Alex was working for the Mayor’s Office in the Office of Minority Affairs. He said he felt like something was waiting for him in church, and eventually accepted a job as a pastor.
He’s remained with the same congregation for 34 years.
“Our faith community is a community-based congregation. We are not a Sunday, only come in, go home,” Alex said. “No, we serve and meet the needs of the community in transition.”
Throughout his career, Alex has led extensive service projects, such as preparing 200 homemade meals for people in need on a weekly basis, a tradition that has run for over a decade and held strong through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex has also arranged numerous projects across the city, such as Syracuse Safe Surrender, in which his parish collaborated with the Onondaga County District’s Attorney Office to clear people’s minor non-criminal offenses, like traffic violations, to make entering the workforce less difficult.
“When people are in a moment in their lives, which may be a stressful time, fearful time, a confusing time, they know they can call Bishop Alex to get direction,” Owens said.
He even created a drive during the pandemic, collecting over 1,500 gallons of laundry detergent after he was approached by a woman at one of his community meals, who said she was sending her children to school in dirty clothes because she didn’t have enough money to purchase soap.
Weeks after the detergent drive, Alex was stopped on the street by a stranger. The man reached into his wallet, pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to the bishop, thanking him profusely.
Alex didn’t understand the gesture until the man told him Alex’s detergent had allowed him to wash his clothes before an important interview that grew into a job. Because of the bishop’s kindness, the man said he was able to provide for his family.
When he handed Alex the money, he told him to use it to continue helping others in the community. The interaction drove Alex to tears.
During the pandemic, Alex told his wife he was planning on marching in a protest for George Floyd as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. While he encouraged her to join him, it was clear to Jahnjae he would’ve taken to the streets all alone if he had to.
The bishop acknowledged that others recognize him as an activist, but said he doesn’t see himself as one. Instead, he prefers to think of himself as a “community transformist.”
“It’s about transforming communities, not about activism. To me, that’s a reactionary problem. We gotta act up. We gotta activate. We gotta move,” Alex said. “It’s about transformation and that’s done through conversation, building relationships, talking to hard dogs and having the rough meetings. We are transforming and showing that we are better together.” akklonow@syr.edu
ever it takes to make sure the testing is legit. Last time, I went to probably 60 homes myself and went door to door to all the homes that exceeded (lead) levels.”
Amid widespread distrust caused by the city collector’s performance in 2024, officials are looking elsewhere to procure samples. To “earn back the trust” of the public, Brandt said the city needs to involve a non-governmental water testing group.
He told councilors he had been approached by 120Water, a third-party water sampling company, after reaching out to various potential partners. As he presented the company on Tuesday morning, several committee members voiced concerns about relying on a single private group.
Third District Councilor Corey Williams said the committee wouldn’t regain the trust of city residents by “waiving the competitive bid” for the partnership and encouraged Brandt to seek out additional potential partners.
“You can’t hand select,” Chol Majok, a councilor at-large and 2025 mayoral candidate, said. “If the community can’t trust you already, why would they trust you with hand-picking a (sampling group)?”
Despite concerns, councilors unanimously approved the deal with 120Water during Tuesday afternoon’s general council meeting.
Even with the new partnership, Brandt acknowledged that the company requires city residents to collect water samples themselves. This raised further concerns among councilors about the potential for inaccurate testing.
Clean water advocate Darlene Medley said the city’s decision to exclude groups such as Families for Lead Freedom Now from decisionmaking and sampling efforts only deepens the distrust within the community.
Medley, the west branch leader of FLFN and Daron’s mother, brought her twin sons to the meeting, both of whom have experienced lead poisoning. She criticized city officials for continually delaying the replacement process, claiming Brandt “doesn’t care” about resolving the crisis. She also called the deputy commissioner’s responses to councilor’s concerns “inadequate.”
“You’re not listening to us. Families for Lead Freedom now has been around (longer than) anyone sitting at that table,” Medley said. “We know lead better than anybody in this room, people are not going to open the doors for you.”
Sol Muñoz, Mayor Ben Walsh’s infrastructure public information officer, said the city has publicly acknowledged the shortcomings of testing conducted in 2024 and has “properly disciplined” employees who used hoses to collect samples from outdoor spigots at some testing sites.
“The whole point of the sampling is actually to kind of mimic how a person would go to their sink and fill up a glass of water,” Muñoz said.
Sympathizing with the advocates’ concerns, Muñoz said the city has never “purposefully tried to tamper data or lied.”
After being made aware of poor testing procedures, the city issued statements to the public and hosted town halls to engage with and inform advocacy groups of the errors.
Muñoz acknowledged the concerns, assuring that the city is taking steps to prevent similar issues moving forward.
“I understand entirely where these advocates are coming from, where these residents are coming from,” Muñoz said. “Anytime you hear the word lead, that’s a scary thought.”
Brandt, who was appointed to his position in February 2024, said he has lived in homes with
lead pipes his entire life and understands the suffering caused by lead contamination.
Under federal policy, lead testing must be conducted in Tier-1, or single family, homes. Betanzo’s report claimed the city tested some homes at random to “dilute” the results.
In a city where 60% of residents are tenants living in multi-residential homes, Williams said the city should be maximizing its testing efforts across all buildings, rather than simply meeting state and federal standards.
“I’m having a hard time figuring out why we’re doing the minimum of testing,” Williams said. “If that’s our minimum requirement, we’re going to get it done right. But why aren’t we going above and beyond?”
Brandt said the city attempted to test homes outside the EPA’s restrictions — homes without confirmed lead pipes but deemed likely to be contaminated based on their time of construction and location. When submitting the results from 400 homes, he said New York state’s Department of Health returned the list and told him to remove any addresses with unknown lead status, reducing the total to 170.
Despite the restrictions, Brandt said the city is ahead of schedule in following the EPA’s 10-year plan to remove all lead pipes from city residences. With support from groups such as 120Water and funding from both the state and city, Brandt said Syracuse has been able to expedite testing and pipe replacement efforts.
Brandt also noted the city has distributed 6,200 water filters throughout the community and “has not turned away” anyone who has requested one. FLFN Co-Chair Oceana Fair previously claimed Onondaga County has yet to release the funds allocated in 2022 to distribute filters.
While city officials debated new sampling strategies, Brandt said they are already falling behind on 2025 sampling. Testing, which was scheduled to begin in February, has been delayed as the city negotiated a request for proposals. The proposals resulted in the partnership with 120Water just this week.
To accelerate the process, 5th District Councilor Jimmy Monto said advocates and volunteers from city groups should go door-todoor in affected neighborhoods and explain the importance of proper water collection. Medley, Fair and others have called for similar community engagement.
Brandt said local nonprofits “wouldn’t know if someone had lead service lines,” even though groups such as FLFN have accessed city data with a FOIL request through the National Resource Defense Council, which produced Betanzo’s report.
Medley said people in need of sampling are likely to turn city officials away when approached for sampling because of distrust and fear of legal retaliation from landlords. She said affected populations will only respond to people they recognize and trust as advocates for them.
When engaging with potential victims of lead poisoning, Medley emphasized that she always reminds people the testing is for their safety and not something that will result in punishment or eviction.
Brandt didn’t share any plans for nonprofits to help in city testing efforts. Medley said the city hasn’t seriously considered advocates as contributors to sample collection efforts during the testing process.
First District Councilor Marty Nave didn’t call for a state of emergency as advocates from NRCD and FLFN have, but still described the crisis as “a real health issue” that requires swift action from the city government. Nave said city standards should be raised and widespread testing should become mandatory.
“(The city) should have the right to say to the landlords, ‘We are doing this for a reason,’” Nave said. “... Dealing with human beings and families in our lives, this is mandatory, and we have to come from this perspective because this is a serious problem.”
Brandt said since all remaining pipe replacements are privately owned, city officials cannot force families to test their water. Muñoz said the county has a responsibility to educate constituents and inform residents in contaminated homes.
“We rely heavily on the Onondaga Health Department to help educate residents about what they should be doing, like running the water before they go to drink it in the morning, or things of that nature,” Muñoz said. “We are not health experts and don’t pretend to be, so we want to make sure that that information is coming straight from the health department commissioner.”
digreen@syr.edu
cole ross digital design director
Syracuse city officials face criticism for delayed lead pipe replacements and mismanaged testing, as community advocates demand more transparency and involvement in the process. daily orange file photo
CHERRY ON TOP
The Cherry Pit, a vintage clothing store, will close as its owners pursue other endeavors
By Mia Jones asst. culture editor
Redesigned vintage clothing gradually brought together Syracuse University alumni Jean Mariah and Abigail Minicozzi. After Mariah did a photoshoot for Minicozzi’s clothing business, the two became close. When Mariah visited The Cherry Pit, a store that Abigail and co-owner Michelle Pfaff opened, she admired their success in running a business from such a young age.
Mariah eventually became best friends with Abigail, borrowing clothes and getting first dibs on items. Mariah said it’s been a joy to watch Abigail develop her designs and grow into understanding her style.
“Thank you to The Cherry Pit, it brought me my best friend, and I got a lot of really cool clothes out of it,” Mariah said.
On Feb. 28, the four co-owners — Pfaff, Abigail and Lilyan Minicozzi and Alexandria Penak — will close The Cherry Pit to pursue individual endeavors in fashion and retail.
“It’s a beautiful thing that we were able to create in Syracuse, and its ending is sad but we brought so much community together,” Abigail said.
The Cherry Pit in Wildflowers Armory started as a collective to sell handmade and curated vintage clothing and accessories to a Syracuse audience. After years of clothing swaps, sales and pop-ups, The Cherry Pit has upheld the same mission of promoting sustainability and secondhand shopping while growing into a beloved community resale store.
Abigail decided she wanted to open her own storefront in the building after hosting pop-up clothing sales at Wildflowers Armory during the beginning of her freshman year at SU. She met co-founder Pfaff, who instantly loved Abigail’s clothes, through one of her pop-ups.
McCarthy Mercantile founder Michael John Heagerty saw potential in Pfaff and Abigail Minicozzi. With his background in operating stores, he pushed the two secondhand clothing sellers to merge their talents into The Cherry Pit. The two signed the lease in January 2021 and officially opened the shop.
Though putting together two people who never ran a physical store before was a bit of an experiment, watching the store grow and become a recognized brand in the Syracuse area was rewarding for Heagerty.
“I remember sitting around it (the table) and I said, ‘I’m telling you right now, you’re going to do something special, because you each possess a different quality, that, when combined, is going to be the perfect hybrid of retail,’” Heagerty said. “And off they went.”
Penak began selling her personal shop, Street Cat Vintage, at The Cherry Pit in fall 2021. Pfaff and Abigail had been following Penak’s shop on Instagram and became fond of her style, so they reached out to see if she’d be interested in joining the team.
The Cherry Pit collective consists of clothing and accessories from four independent businesses, one from each of the co-owners. By closing The Cherry Pit’s brick and mortar storefront, the owners will embark on developing their personal shops.
The four owners started selling clothing and accessories online through Depop and Instagram before joining forces at The Cherry Pit. Over the past four years, they’ve sold their wide range of personal tastes.
Abigail runs Holy Gail, where she sells her handmade designs, and is pursuing a career in fashion design. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Lilyan, is upcycling and creating custom jewelry through her shop LilacSun.
The Minicozzi sisters have always been interested in fashion. The two created a business when they were younger and sold handmade bracelets in their front yard. To Lilyan, running their businesses together in The Cherry Pit is reminiscent of what they did when they were little, and has helped them grow and stay connected in their passions.
Abigail said it’s been fun for them to be involved in the retail side of the fashion industry at such a young age.
Fawnd Vintage, run by Pfaff, is planning to expand to other Syracuse locations, such as the Syracuse Antiques
Exchange, and sell more items online. Penak will continue selling her curation of clothes, Street Cat Vintage, in the same space The Cherry Pit occupied, but she’ll now sell alongside vintage seller Fragile Threads. Their new shop will combine their two names into Fragile Cat, set to open around mid-March, Penak said.
While The Cherry Pit’s will no longer have a physical shop, their Instagram account will continue. The co-owners plan to still do some story sales and promote their individual businesses as they continue on their journeys, Pfaff said.
“I already know (the co-owners) are going to succeed in whatever they put their heads to, because I’ve been firsthand side-by-side with them since day one,” Heagerty said.
see cherry page 9
slice of life
Ameresome celebrates Nigerian culture, Queens fashion
By Savannah Stewart asst. culture editor
During his childhood, Nigerian American clothing designer John
Ayoola Fadugbagbe was a regular accessory of his mother, Folashade Fadugbagbe, on visits to flea markets and a local tailor in his hometown of Queens, New York. He’d wait and observe, while she handled multicolored, patterned Ankara fabrics and tested various methods of layering and draping.
John’s appreciation for the art of garment creation and styling wasn’t fully formed yet, but he subconsciously took note of the materials, patterns and tools of his surroundings. Between the cutting, sewing and hours of waiting, something eventually clicked in the creative nooks of his mind. His observations of his mother’s passions were no longer latent, and her entrepreneurial spirit shone onto John.
“That light, that joy I received when I was a child, seeing my custom
traditional outfit I wanted to replicate that in my work,” John said. “My background all comes together.”
John is the founder of Ameresome, a clothing brand that specializes in one-of-one pieces — military-inspired, customized vintage apparel from a curated collection of pins and patches that echo his Nigerian heritage.
Traditional Nigerian culture is marked by eccentric, elaborate fashion, John said. From weddings to funerals, you may see an agbada, a four-part
suit-like outfit, for example. This is an expression of Nigeria’s vibrancy. Originally from Nigeria, John’s moter settled in Queens 23 years ago. She said fashion runs in the family’s DNA, from her mother and aunt, to herself, then to her children and niece. She led her clothing line, RoyalWearsNYC, for three years, designing t-shirts, exercise apparel and special occasion garments for men, women and couples.
John recalls the months of growing up when aspects of his mother’s cre-
ative process would transfer between Folashade in New York and Nigerian manufacturers. When the final product would finally arrive at their front door, John was eager to be in the presence of sales to her friends and community.
“I realized that I wanted to have the same feeling of working so hard on a piece and designing it and going through so many iterations and presenting to the world,” John said.
While a native of Queens, all five boroughs raised John. He attended a see designer page 10
Customers search and shop for clothes at The Cherry Pit, a local vintage store in Syracuse. The shop keeps its distinct vibe with disco balls and fairy lights. ella chan asst. photo editor
‘Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey’ showcases talent of VPA faculty
By Eliana Rosen asst. digital editor
Elaborate metalwork jewelry, massive sculptures, intricate drawings, busy canvases, photographs and projected videos fill the Nancy Cantor Warehouse Gallery in downtown Syracuse. The white walls and sharp corners overflow with textures, color and sound, transforming an otherwise plain space.
Beneath each piece, a placard describes the Syracuse University faculty member who created it.
“These artists are going beyond their departments and expanding the scope of their mediums,” Lauren Ashley Baker, art exhibitions operations coordinator for the gallery, said.
This exhibit is the first in the newly renovated gallery space. Its name, “Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey,” represents this inaugural display, Baker said. As a musical overture serves as an orchestral introduction, the faculty display begins a new era of the gallery space.
“The title resonated with me with the beginning of this gallery space,” Baker said. “And we’re off with a bang.”
“Overture” features the artwork of nearly 30 faculty members from SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. It’s on display at the Warehouse Gallery from Feb. 7 to March 3, featuring a wide range of art mediums, from textile and ceramics to photography, illustration and set design.
Educators from each of VPA’s departments are represented throughout the exhibit, showcasing the diverse art forms and styles of the school’s faculty. The variety of mediums, including art, design and drama, enhances the gallery’s impact, Baker said. The exhibit allows students and community members to appreciate the richness and variety within VPA.
beyond the hill
The gallery presents a valuable opportunity for students to see the work their professors have done and view real, successful examples of the techniques they learn in the classroom, Carmel Nicoletti, associate professor in the School of Design, said.
“They think of us as these people that are just teaching them stuff, but they don’t think of us as creators in and of ourselves,” Nicoletti said. “They get to see that we actually practice the things that we preach.”
Nicoletti showcased metalwork jewelry for the gallery. As a dancer and visual artist, she utilizes these mediums to create statement pieces. She made sure she felt connected to the pieces she chose to submit as she sees her work as an extension of herself.
The gallery also gives faculty the opportunity to appreciate the work of their colleagues, differing from other exhibits where they may not know the artists, Todd Conover, associate professor of fashion design, said. As their art evolves and changes, it’s exciting to share it with fellow faculty, Nicolleti said.
Conover, who began his career in fashion design, now works with metal to create a new approach to jewelry. He borrowed pieces back from an avid collector of his work to include in the collection. He said the exhibit has allowed him to see those pieces in a different light.
“It’s very interesting to revisit a piece that you haven’t seen in a while, because suddenly all of the making part of it falls away and I look at it in a very different way,” Conover said.
In the past, VPA hosted annual faculty showcases at the beginning of the school year, Margie Hughto, professor of ceramics, said. Hughto has taught art for over fifty years, with her work featured in airports and train stations.
Her contributions to the collection are three large platter-shaped ceramic pieces titled “Vast Riches,” “Deep Space,” and “Space and Time.”
see warehouse page 10
‘A Place To Call Home’ gallery explores Syracuse housing crisis
By Genae Horst staff writer
When Central Current, a nonprofit news organization, started in 2020, it was the perfect opportunity for freelance photographer Mike Greenlar to do the exact work he wished to do — taking pictures of people with underreported stories.
“I’ve always had personal projects — like charcoal workers in Haiti, an Algonquin family that I lived with in Canada, I did a book on unexploded ordnance in Laos,” Greenlar said. “ This is the kind of photography that I’ve always been involved in.”
Greenlar has been part of the Central Current team since 2022 and worked on its most recent collaboration with ArtRage Gallery, titled “A Place To Call Home.” The exhibit is on display through March 22, and it features 20 of Greenlar’s photos and 19 of photographer Michelle Gabel’s.
Originally proposed in March 2023, the exhibit dives into the housing crisis in Syracuse, capturing the intersectional identities of those struggling with housing insecurity and those who have found homes through the organization A Tiny Home for Good. Both Greenlar and Gabel began shooting in March 2024, and it took them roughly a year to build enough trust and inventory for their exhibit.
“Michelle and I just went on our own and came back with an exhibit that kind of had both sides of the housing crisis, a solution with Michelle’s photographs of the tiny homes, and I concentrated on some of the people that were struggling with their housing,” Greenlar said.
Greenlar and Gabel took their creative approaches in different directions and explored a range of personalities in their photographs. Greenlar honed in on a specific resident, Denise Masterson, whom he came to know through multiple meetings and photography sessions. Greenlar even bought her a shopping cart so she could transport groceries more easily, since she didn’t have access to a car.
Gabel, on the other hand, took a different, broader approach. Gabel found that in her approach to this project, she wanted to answer questions about the impact of housing issues on certain groups and how emotional support is administered to victims of housing issues.
“The whole project is daunting,” Gabel said. “A lot of people haven’t really seen spaces where the challenges that people face are right there.”
Gabel said that part of what she loves about photography is that you can use powerful images
to bring awareness to a situation. Working on this exhibit with the angle of hope allowed her to share the stories of people who had struggled with housing but found success, and what changes can be made with a little bit of support and help along the way.
The exhibit’s collection of photographs took about a year to put together because Greenlar and Gabel had to build relationships and trust with the community. Chris Libonati, managing editor of Central Current and Syracuse University alumnus, said their subjects let them into one of the most vulnerable and toughest parts of their lives, and doing that takes time.
Reggie, one of Gabel’s subjects who did not provide his last name, even went out and bought his own camera — inspired by Gabel’s work.
Reggie and the rest of Gabel’s subjects had established a strong sense of trust with Gabel herself, and because of the relationship they built, the experience they went through was unlike anything she’s done before.
“They wanted to see themselves represented,” Gabel said. “The relationships that you build, building that trust, it doesn’t come right away. You don’t just walk in.”
Inspired by the freelance photographers’ work, Libonati wanted to focus Gabel and Greenlar’s talents on creating something meaningful. The nearly 40 photographs shown in the exhibit were created with the hope to push people to gather together and actually have a conversation about this reality.
“There are so many stories to tell,” Libonati said. “This exhibit is great, but we’re only going
to tell a fraction. It’s a real shock, because it’s a real comprehensive issue. I hope that people engage with the folks on the ground to understand what they’re going through, and so I hope people see this.”
After the exhibit concludes at ArtRage, all the photographs will run on the Central Current website. Libonati says the exhibit not only matches Central Current’s editorial goals, but helps to display the personal impacts of
cuse’s housing crisis.
“We can talk about rent and we can talk about the cost of buying a home all we want, but unless we’re putting a face on it so people can understand the personal stories, no one will get a full understanding of the crisis in a way that moves them to action,” Libonati said.
Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey” features the artwork of nearly 30 faculty members from SU’s VPA. chasden gilson-walker contributing photographer
Syra-
The ArtRage Gallery photography exhibit, “A Place to Call Home,” captures the intersecting identities of those struggling with housing insecurity and those who have found homes through A Tiny Home for Good. courtesy of michelle gabel
‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ honors historical relevance
By Lily Zuckerman design editor
So much can change in 50 years — laws, norms, people. But the comedic relief Saturday Night Live provides to those who tune in for the late-night television variety show remains the same.
On Sunday, the over-three-hour 50th anniversary episode, titled “SNL50: The Anniversary Special,” reaffirmed SNL’s prominence in today’s pop culture while praising the rich historical impact the show has had for generations.
SNL aired live for the first time from the National Broadcasting Channel studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on Oct. 11, 1975. The sketch comedy show started with a cast full of young amateurs performing countercultural comedic skits, but has since evolved into a defining part of mainstream American culture.
Before it produced household names in comedy — Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Kate McKinnon, Jimmy Fallon and Bill Murray — SNL was just a cast with relatively unknown players who soon became A-list celebrities, like John Belushi, Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd.
Over the course of 50 years, 894 people have hosted ‘Saturday Night Live.’ And it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder.
John Mulaney comedian
Even with a sharp rise in streaming services, SNL has survived. Sunday’s special proved the show can thrive in a digital culture where viewing techniques and practices differ from those of when it was created. Unlike the pilot episode of season one, where viewers could only watch SNL and its skits live through broadcast television, I signed into the Peacock app on my iPad 30 minutes after the special began and rewinded to the beginning to watch it.
Despite the changing technology and mode of consumption from 1975 to now, the main theme of the anniversary special seemed to bridge the gap between the old and new coming together. It was like a time capsule, where 50 years of culture was released all at once.
Sunday’s special also brought back legendary alumni and reveled in the history and legacy of the classic late-night show. Its legacy has been defined by live comedy
sketches, commercial/news parodies and celebrity monologues that poke fun at popular culture. Classic musical performances like David Bowie in 1979, Taylor Swift in 2021 and Kendrick Lamar in 2014 have defined cultural moments.
The special opened with a rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” performed by two stars: Paul Simon and pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Simon sang on the show in 1976 alongside George Harrison while both were already living legends.
On Sunday, he performed with a musician of a completely different genre (and far younger generation) than his original duet partner. In this sentimental performance, Carpenter and Simon’s stellar connection was evident despite the gap in age, bridging a generational gap.
Sunday’s celebration featured plenty of other high-profile acts; Lil Wayne performed a five-song medley, Paul McCartney played three tunes from the classic Beatles album, “Abbey Road,” and Miley Cyrus alongside Brittany Howard and The Roots sang “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Airing live from New York (as usual), Steve Martin, who has hosted the show 16 times, the second-most ever behind Alec Baldwin’s 17, performed the opening monologue. While the monologue represented the good and bad times of SNL, it also touched on the same notion that Carpenter and Simon accepted in their introduction: we’re all aging whether we like it or not.
Martin acknowledged that he turned 79 this year while the show turned 50, and asked the audience about his appearance now that he has hearing aids. He then dove into morbid humor to complement his references to senility.
“A person born during the first season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ could today be easily dead of natural causes,” Martin said.
It makes sense that Martin was chosen to give the opening monologue, considering how often he’s done it in the past. It was captivating. Usually, you might get bored with only one person talking at you for a while, but my eyes were glued to the screen.
Martin was joined onstage by John Mulaney and longtime friend and co-star Martin Short. Mulaney, a frequent host and former writer of the show, made a joke that included fun facts about the show’s history.
“Over the course of 50 years, 894 people have hosted ‘Saturday Night Live,’” Mulaney said. “And it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder.”
Short — “the only Canadian who wasn’t in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’” Martin joked — added that he and Martin were meant to host together. Martin demanded that Short be dragged off the stage by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers when he admitted to not having his passport on him, a satire of recent immigration policy.
SNL has always been political in nature. By paying tribute to recent events, SNL has
stayed relevant through years of political and cultural changes. My most fond memories of SNL skits are those mimicking impressions of presidential candidates, like Baldwin’s signature Donald Trump impressions.
Other performances in the special included a mini-musical sketch by Mulaney and Pete Davidson that featured parodies of songs from iconic movies and musicals such as “Les Misérables,” “The Lion King,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Fame” and “Hamilton.” Even LinManuel Miranda made an appearance on stage.
The sketch brought viewers through New York City’s history in the last 50 years, subtly hinting at the cultural and political changes that have taken place, like New York’s gentrification through the ‘80s and ‘90s, as well as Broadway hits over the decades.
Moments like these are part of why people tune in to watch SNL every Saturday night; the wittiness and discrete references make the jokes relatable. But they also allow different generations to connect on a deeper level with one another; your grandparents, siblings and little cousins can all engage with these cultural touchstones.
A defining SNL bit, Weekend Update — a parody of a broadcast news segment — will never get old. Born in 1975, original anchor Chevy Chase pioneered a mock television skit that would discretely deliver jokes about American politics, pop culture, presidents, global crises and even everyday habits.
Fifty years later, headliners Colin Jost and Michael Che continue the segment’s
legacy and successfully deliver commentary about modern news developments. They entice the audience in the same way that Chase did in 1975.
Other appearances at the desk included conversations with former cast members and their iconic roles, such as Cecily Strong as “The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation with at a Party” and Bobby Moynihan as “Drunk Uncle.” Weekend Update alumnus Seth Meyers joined the desk to speak with “Lorne’s Best Friends from Growing Up” (Fred Armisen, Vanessa Bayer), and Bill Murray ranked his “Top 10 anchors of Weekend Update,” leaving out Jost and Che.
Though the anniversary special lasted upwards of three hours (far too long to sustain my short attention span), the nostalgic bits that touched on the history of the show kept me entertained. Though I wasn’t alive for many of those nostalgic moments, SNL brought me on a trip down memory lane, allowing me to relate with the generations that came before me.
Murray with Jost and Che was indicative of the old and the new coming together, just like Simon and Carpenter, Mulaney and Martin. The timeless content, unchanging sketches, legendary alumni network and the fact that the show has both a television and on-demand audience is why SNL still attracts immense attention — a testament to its survival.
lilyvzuckerman@gmail.com
julia english cartoonist
flame
madison denis contributing illustrator
Before The Cherry Pit, Pfaff sold clothes for a couple years on Instagram and thought it would be good to learn from someone younger. Between her and Abigail’s individual brands, they each bring in different connections.
When the shop opened, Abigail was 18 and Pfaff was in her mid-20s. The age difference was a cool dynamic, Pfaff said, because the two could blend together different clothing styles in the store. They started off as strangers, but they’ve clicked well over time. Pfaff said she’s enjoyed watching Abigail go through her college years and pursue her dreams.
“I’ve learned so much from her,” Pfaff said. “My style and my view — I always give her credit, she’s really inspired me.”
While Pfaff’s focus is more on vintage bohemian, earth and fairy-inspired styles, Allie brought in what Pfaff calls “a badass biker style” she’s really enjoyed seeing. Abigail presents her own designs and thrifted curations, while Lilyan offers handmade accessories and upcycled items, like candles that have a piece of jewelry at the bottom.
The eclectic and diverse range of styles found at The Cherry Pit shows people how fashion can be anything for anyone, Abigail said. The owners are often inspired to try new clothes because of their style differences. Penak said after seeing different items that Pfaff and Abigail brought in, she’s broadened her horizons when she thrifts.
Penak used to rely mainly on Instagram to sell her personal shop, but selling at The Cherry Pit has been a game changer for her. It’s brought her brand more visibility, and she’s met more people in the vintage clothing world.
Lilyan, an SU junior studying industrial design, joined the collective in January of 2023 when Abigail went abroad to London. She’s been selling her brand, LilacSun, since she was a junior in high school, and had a vending space upstairs in Wildflowers Armory before joining The Cherry Pit. LilacSun’s work focuses on curated and upcycled clothing, as well as handmade items like jewelry and chain mail pieces.
At the end of the day, what’s most important to the co-owners is the way the four of them have worked together as a team to run the business, and everyone who’s helped along the way.
While the owners attribute much of their growth to Heagerty, he’s not the only person who
has contributed to The Cherry Pit’s community of sustainable and vintage fashion lovers. Abigail credits Pfaff for her smart marketing tactics, and each of the owners bringing in their own pockets of people, including friends, family and classmates. SU students have been their biggest demographic of shoppers, Penak said.
Sitting in class during her days at SU, Abigail would perk up when she heard people talking about The Cherry Pit. It was the “coolest thing ever” when she saw people on campus or at a party wearing clothes that she sold at The Cherry Pit.
Mariah said The Cherry Pit was a go-to spot toget clothes for going out, and their friends always had a Cherry Pit sticker on their laptop or phone.
The Cherry Pit has become an integral part of the fashion and secondhand vintage culture at SU, industrial design junior Sarah Mason said. Close friends with Lilyan and Abigail, Mason said The Cherry Pit’s sourcing and prices drew in SU students.
“They make the work they’ve been doing super accessible to students, on top of being a really awesome collection of style and community,” Mason said.
Pfaff said they’ve loved learning what they want to create and put out into the vintage community, whether it’s staying at Wildflowers Armory or moving on to other things. When The Cherry Pit started, secondhand clothing shops weren’t as popular in the Syracuse area as today, she said.
As one of the first stores that opened in the lower level of Wildflowers Armory, The Cherry Pit’s owners watched other shops open downstairs, like Just Bros Vintage and Forget Me Not, and built close relationships with the new shops owners. Pfaff said it’s been wonderful for the four of them to be part of a small business community where they can support other local Syracuse businesses as well.
“I’m just happy to be a part of what I feel was like revolutionizing the Syracuse vintage scene,” Pfaff said.
For the past four years, The Cherry Pit has garnered a community of vintage shoppers who prefer curated pieces to places like Destiny Mall, Pfaff and Abigail said. They’ve hosted a total of 15 clothing swaps, offering an efficient and sustainable way to find new clothing items. Pfaff said it’s been wonderful to see the long term impact they’ve made.
Lilyan said she’s loved seeing fellow SU students meet at The Cherry Pit and destress from school or find a community of like-minded people. Sometimes operating the shop gets busy, but the outpour of support on Instagram in light of The Cherry Pit’s closure has shown Lilyan their influence over the years. The Cherry Pit’s legacy as a space for the community to participate in sustainable fashion is long-lasting, Lilyan said.
“You don’t actually see the impact that’s happening,” Lilyan said. “Now that it’s ending, we’re more aware of the impact that it had.” mjones58@syr.edu
from page 6 cherry
michelle pfaff, a Cherry Pit co-owner, sits next to the shop’s mannequins. Although she’s sad about the store’s closing, she’s grateful for the fond friendships and memories the Cherry Pit has given her. ella chan asst. photo editor
predominantly Black middle school and said he hadn’t grown accustomed to experiencing other cultural and racial backgrounds besides those similar to his own. It wasn’t until he started high school in Astoria that this drastically changed.
To him, the city is a “melting pot.” Astoria is a neighborhood situated at the center of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. It was like a “clash of cultures” when his friends from Iranian, Bengali, African American and Sikh descent would flock to their high school from across the five boroughs.
“That immense familial feeling showed me how beautiful and elaborate and vibrant food photography, street fashion, everything, the whole thing is,” John said. “Everything translates into one another.”
Much of this diversity inspired Ameresome. John is a Syracuse University senior and political science major with a career trajectory that has very little to do with his interests in fashion, yet he stays true to his knowledge of garment creation and a critical analysis of the fashion industry’s current state.
Fashion today, in many ways, lacks personality and creativity, he said. He’s seen certain pieces and said he can tell there’s a lack of life woven into them. Someone can easily create a mock up design on Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, send it to a manufacturer and upload it to an online market, but he said this becomes repetitive and breeds both overproduction and careless consumption. Most designers, he shared, aren’t taking the time to think about their audience and the stories that have the potential to be conveyed.
With Ameresome, he said he takes an approach that he hopes reshapes the fashion world, much like the strides of Virgil Abloh, Yohji Yamamoto and other iconic industry figures. He said he’s willing to spend over 30 hours on one garment, as it’s this kind of rarity that drives him.
“My audience is very tailored and every piece that I create is for a person that is in love with the craftsmanship and with the creativity and the individualism of each piece,” John said.
In East Rockaway, New York, he’s frequented a Sunday flea market for the past year, where he’s greeted like family, along with a massive bowl of pins and patches — all at specially discounted prices just for him. John’s collection of pins and patches are often sourced from flea markets like the one in East Rockaway. Other times, he’ll scour eBay or shops in new cities he visits.
John lived in Washington, D.C. for six months for the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public
The works, inspired by the cosmic landscapes captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, are formed with black clay and ceramic slips to reflect the look of outer space.
Faculty like Hughto agree it’s important for students to see what their professors’ work looks like. They’ve long advocated for a university-affiliated space to display their work, and were excited to see it finally come to fruition, Dusty Herbig, professor of printmaking, said.
Recently, the faculty showcases haven’t been able to go up partly due to a lack of gallery space, so Nicolletti said she hopes these faculty shows will continue regularly in the future. Herbig compared the lack of gallery space for VPA faculty to a drama program without a stage. Without a place to show their work, they’ve felt something was missing.
“We’ve been long overdue for a faculty show and an exhibition space,” Herbig said. “It’s been such a battle for so long.”
The Nancy Cantor Warehouse sits in the heart of downtown Syracuse. Its location is a crucial part of the gallery’s impact, Baker said. It allows the artists to “bridge the gap” between the Syracuse community and the university, making the art scene more accessible for everyone. The faculty, both as SU instructors and local community members, are able to showcase their work in both the places they’re connected to, Herbig said.
The gallery hosted an opening reception on Feb. 7., which over 400 students, faculty and community members attended. Baker said it was exciting to see the exhibit so “jampacked.” Conover is glad he and his colleagues finally have a space to speak about their work — something they haven’t always been afforded. The crowd was a testament to the impact the artist community will continue to have on the university and the surrounding community.
“It was great to see the space full of people having conversations about the work and connecting with one another,” Baker said. “That’s what the space is truly meant for, for us to have engagement through conversations and talking about art, and to be a cultural hub for the university.”
ehrosen@syr.edu
Affairs’ immersion program. There, he said he was constantly thrifting and sourcing in shops in neighborhoods like Adams Morgan. Sometimes, however, he doesn’t set out to source and finds himself back in a familiar state of observation.
“I’m getting inspiration from a piece, I’m taking a photo, I’m doing this, I’m looking at that, I’m looking at architecture,” John said. “I’m constantly in my creative mindset and developing my design and portfolio.”
Each patch is sewn onto the garment by machine, ensuring longevity, he said. John begins the process by mapping each patch, temporarily securing them in his desired place with a sewing pin, then permanently attaching them.
For his customers, he’ll serve their style wants by asking about their interests, giving him an idea of the kinds of messaging to look for in patches. Recently, he designed a jacket for his close friend, SU junior and health and exercise science major Kazembe Okera-Anglin, who wanted physical therapy patches and African insignia — like liberation flags — alluding to his Ghanaian heritage.
Okera-Anglin said he felt an immediate draw to Ameresome because it was yet another way he could provide support to John in their friendship. He noticed the ways in which John incorporated his Queens identity and Nigerian culture into the brand to make each piece distinctive.
Harlem-born Okera-Anglin said while New York boroughs may sometimes have “beef” with each other, they maintain a mutual understanding of the many ways in which style can be represent-
ed. He said John captures this through Ameresome and his own style.
“You can see a lot of his clothes were a lot of baggy jeans,” Okera-Anglin said. “Artists and rappers such as Cam’ron from the city would wear a lot of baggy jeans and Timbs.”
Okera-Anglin previously purchased a jacket a while ago that he didn’t enjoy wearing because it wasn’t representative of his taste. So, he asked John to rework it, giving him free reigns of creativity but still finding ways to make the process collaborative.
“He incorporated a lot of things that I feel like represent me,” Okera-Anglin said. “Some of it was frivolous and it was things that I like, but a lot of the patchwork and the buttons that he put onto the piece and the pens were very meaningful to me with career paths.”
While John is the face behind Ameresome, he said he wants each piece to speak for itself. He envisions his brand’s legacy to flourish from both his “God-given gift” to connect with others and his strategic use of his platform. He said he hopes Ameresome embodies his humble, friendly and diligent character.
“I want Ameresome to not only be a brand, but to be a mindset: hard working, compassionate for others, goal orientated, community, community driven,” John said. “I want Ameresome to be more than just the garments. I want to live a life of Ameresome. I want to live a life of being an outstanding citizen.” sfstewar@syr.edu
CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND
Patrick Young
Set the bar high for the rest of the weekend by watching a performance from Patrick Young. Born and raised in Syracuse, Young started his musical journey at just 3 years old. Now, he is an accomplished singer and guitarist performing at Harvey’s Garden. He will sing a variety of music, both covers and originals, ranging from pop to country to rock.
WHEN: Friday at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Harvey’s Garden
Battle of the Bands
Join Dazed for their Battle of the Bands charity show, in collaboration with OttoTHON. Whichever band has the most votes will win the battle and appear at OttoTHON. To vote, donate any amount to @ottothon on Venmo and write in the description what band you’re voting for. Alternatively, you can vote in person during the show. Donations sent to OttoTHON will be donated directly to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
WHEN: Doors open at 10 p.m., show at 10:15 p.m.
WHERE: Dazed PRICE: $10 at door
The Strictly Hip
Enjoy your favorite rock covers from The Strictly Hip. The five-member band includes Jeremy Hoyle, Bruce Wojick, Frank Nicastro, Alan Sliwinski and Johnny Panic. The Strictly Hip has mastered their performance of rock song covers from The Tragically Hip, a famous Canadian rock band. Doors open at 7 p.m.
WHEN: Saturday at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Funk n’ Waffles PRICE: $23.63
Rave performances segmented by DJ sets will take on Syracuse Saturday for the Shrek Rave. Swamp colored cocktails will be served, keeping participants spirits alive. The rave welcomes those who are up for a packed dance floor and a good time, and fans of the classic movie. The party will continue until 2 a.m.
WHEN: Saturday at 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Song & Dance PRICE: $47.15
White Panda is known for their innovative electronic dance music mashups and DJ remixes. White Panda often samples music from Bryan Adams, Green Day and Elton John. He will perform some of his previous projects and singles including songs from, “What’s Up?” “Mother’s Daughter” and “Ice Cream Women.”
WHEN: Saturday from 7-11 p.m.
WHERE: Westcott Theater PRICE: $25
Shrek Rave
White Panda
john ayoola fadugbagbe designed a jacket for his close friend, SU health and exercise science junior, Kazembe Okera-Anglin. courtesy of john ayoola fadugbagbe
“Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey” was “long overdue” for SU’s VPA faculty to display their work to the community. chasden gilson-walker contributing photographer
OPINION
Return to physical media to counter internet uncertainty
By Gray Reed columnist
Until this point in my life, the internet’s been a safe haven for me.
When I was in high school, I loved curating Instagram fan pages for my favorite bands and YouTubers. During COVID-19’s quarantine period, I found comfort in watching Twitch streamers and consuming content from services like Netflix and Max.
What seems like the hobbies of any socially awkward teenager with an internet connection were truly an escape. At the time, I was struggling to come to terms with my queer identities and mental health. Being able to connect with like-minded people from around the world gave me a sense of community while I struggled to find one in my hometown.
So, it’s painful for me to admit the internet’s charm is gone.
To me, the world and its problems begin to feel more manageable when I’m surrounded by callbacks to tangible culture of the past.
Access to apps like TikTok has become a maneuverable political tool for people like President Donald Trump to maintain a firm grip on their power. X has been transformed from its original role as a quick-to-use microblogging service into Elon Musk’s newest capitalist payto play. The ethical conundrums of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking the internet on a tirade of misinformation, one misleading headline at a time, are hard to ignore.
Today, I approach social networks with a sense of caution, realizing they are no longer the community-building spaces I once adored, but rather invitations for division and harm. I’ve
Study
By Maya Aguirre columnist
taken a step back — or at least am trying to. This detox involves the tall task of forcing my eyes off my screen and onto the real world.
My friends and I routinely find ourselves rummaging through stores, including the Barnes & Noble on Erie Boulevard, Syracuse Antique Exchange and Books and Melodies. These outings have reintroduced me to the wonders of physical media: books, records and CDs, art prints, old photographs and more.
Originally I was drawn to these items as a means of unplugging from stressors. I felt significantly less pressured while reading a paperback book than an online news article. To me, the world and its problems begin to feel more manageable when I’m surrounded by callbacks to tangible culture of the past.
Over time, I’ve realized owning physical pieces of media carries importance far beyond simply removing yourself from the screen. In an online world where literally everything is at our fingertips, I often fail to properly appreciate the true value of art and unchangeable information.
I can dismiss my online findings just as quickly as I’ve found them; anything and everything is a click away on the internet. It doesn’t work that way with a physical record or book, which relies on your own determination of which information is important to keep when purchasing.
This sense of mundane convenience on the web is substituted with the ability to curate a personal collection of material expressions of your personality, along with the opportunity to invest your resources into something you’ll enjoy for the long haul.
You’re unlikely to spend $20 on a book you’re only partially interested in, but you might make the same financial investment on a broader subject you’re certainly passionate about. Physical media encourages us to explore our genuine interests and curate our sense of identity through the items we choose to collect and use.
Further, there’s the quality of longevity that comes with physical media that online spaces can’t offer. Websites can be updated and certain content can be restricted or removed entirely, but if you’re in possession of a physical magazine, the information printed within it can’t be altered.
This moment in American history is currently marked by censorship from the Trump-Vance administration in areas such as LGBTQ+ history, diversity, equity and inclusion and scientific research. Just within the past week, all references to the transgender community were removed from the Stonewall National Monument’s webpage.
Physical media acts as a way to preserve history without having to worry about the source material being edited to fit agendas. As long as you can maintain your own copy of a book, piece of art or record, its information survives for the next person you lend it to.
This is especially crucial now, during a time when government officials are working to erase decades of history and mislead the American public into following their conservative programming.
To combat this, take the time to visit your local thrift and used book stores. Explore
markets featuring items from Syracuse vendors, like Wildflowers Armory downtown.
Learn to appreciate the effort and meaning behind the production of individual pieces of art and media. Think about what that can mean in terms of disconnecting from the greater digital market, which aims to serve you convenience over personal meaning.
The internet is woven so deeply into our everyday routines, so I don’t think it’ll be easy to completely disconnect from the digital space anytime soon. Taking the time to engage with physical media is a way to reclaim and prioritize not only our sense of self, but also the roots our modern society sprouted from.
Gray Reed is a senior majoring in magazine, news and digital journalism. Their column appears bi-weekly. They can be reached at greed04@syr.edu
history’s patterns to combat Trump’s corrupt agendas
Learning from history’s lessons develops the human response to disaster. Our existence proves wisdom is usually learned the hard way. But in our current era, we are privileged to learn most things the easy way — we can rely on the mistakes of our ancestors to show us right from wrong.
For example, we know that proper sewage systems are crucial to preventing diseases like typhoid or cholera because of the hygienic issues that arose with urbanization in the late 19th century. Since we learned proper sanitation greatly decreases the spread of these diseases, we don’t often have outbreaks of the same magnitude.
You might think our historical knowledge and natural desire to advance society would deter us from toying with the same terrible ideas that have historically resulted in pain. But the nuances of history and predictability of patterns right now reveal a different story.
While learning history is our best tool in fighting injustice and combating corruption, it’s also a blueprint for ill-intentioned people in power. The media frequently tiptoes around this reality nowadays as President Donald
Trump’s second term has begun with a litany of policy decisions and rhetoric that take direct inspiration from alarming global narratives.
In analyzing our current political moment through this lens, we walk a fine line. To compare the Trump administration to the most evil dictatorial regimes in global history without any context can be harmful, as comparing oppression and brutality can be difficult to fairly gauge and risks insensitivity.
But discussing relevant historical tragedy when clear warning signs are exposed is thoroughly justified. We can’t delegitimize the genuine threat the current administration poses to the residents of this country and the rest of the world.
Trump’s referred to undocumented immigrants as “animals” and has publicly declared on more than one occasion that they are “poisoning the blood” of our country — long before the American people elected him to lead the United States for the second time.
These comments were immediately likened to those made by Adolf Hitler far before his seizure of power. This notion of “pure blood” is one that began before Hitler’s reign, dating back to the Progressive era in the United States when social discrimination and suppression was justified with the racist, now-disproved pseudoscience known as eugenics.
While these remarks — among many others made during his 2024 campaign — were alarming, Trump was still elected on fair grounds as our 47th president. His position was decided by the principles of democracy, but his attempts to increase his power upon taking office are overtly inspired by historic instances of authoritarianism. His ideas directly contradict the tenets proposed and honored in our constitution.
“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump posted on X Saturday. The Napoleonic ascription didn’t make it past the public’s scrutiny as social media users and news sources underscored its resemblance to Napoleon Bonaparte’s controlling, devastating rhetoric that rendered the French population politically immobile.
When Trump declares himself above the law and akin to Bonaparte, it denounces the foundational values of our country. Trump’s use of language that blatantly dehumanizes immigrants is bigoted and racist. When he purposefully evokes historic tragedy to rouse hatred and build a facade of uncheckable might, it’s no accident.
The language does damage enough on its own, but Trump hasn’t stopped at rhetorical references to authoritarian
regimes of the past. Over the first month of his presidency, Trump’s executive orders, purges and attempts to expand his scope of power have been tragically predictable. We’ve already learned this lesson and seen this trajectory before.
Comparing Trump’s policy and language to some of history’s most repressive, deadly regimes must be done sensitively, but is no longer radical. Trump uses his style of crushing, provocative policy intentionally to force and overwhelm those who oppose his immorality into silence while he restructures our American democracy.
To call out such behavior wherever we have the opportunity is our best chance at slowing further regression. Sitting idly by while Trump and his associates give us real warnings of intention runs us the risk of stumbling into the exact type of evil America has historically combatted. Knowing the patterns of history before it’s cemented as our reality once more is key — we must remain ahead of Trump’s wake of bipartisan destruction.
Maya Aguirre is a junior majoring in magazine journalism and history. She can be reached at msaguirr@syr.edu.
Stephanie Wright
samantha siegel contributing illustrator
“I’m just the seasoning of the pot,” Carter said. “(Players) already have all the tools to be successful. I’m just gonna add some seasoning and some fine-tuning to make your game taste that much better.”
After Jankoska’s senior year, Carter joined Buffalo and later became an assistant under Legette-Jack. From playing video games to assisting the players with anything on or off the court, he played a key role in the Bulls’ success.
This extended to inviting guard Cheyenne McEvans, who couldn’t travel because of a torn ACL, to stay at his house on road trips. Additionally, he picked up forward Saniaa Wilson from class and helped her register for courses. He even held team barbeques at his home.
Carter also helped Woolley, who joined Buffalo from Australia in 2021, adjust to the United States. He and his wife, Kyla, took Woolley to Target to buy necessary supplies, since her parents couldn’t accompany her due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I knew I had that sort of support in the coaching staff, not just from the head coach, but from the assistant coaches as well,” Woolley said.
Carter’s knack for forming strong relationships has transitioned to his recruiting. While he wasn’t heavily involved at Buffalo, his cool, confident demeanor has made him a powerful asset in attracting players to Syracuse, former Buffalo assistant coach Blair Estarfaa said.
When recruiting, Carter prioritizes traits like mental and physical toughness. He doesn’t focus solely on five-star recruits — as shown by an unrated prospect in Fair scoring over 3,000 career points. Carter also looks for players with long wingspans who can play strong defense. These qualities can help anyone succeed, he said.
From the outset of his coaching career, Carter quickly established himself. He taught players to trust their offensive reads and survey the entire court by simulating real-game situations. He worked at all hours, staying late or waking up early to train players one-on-one.
“He’s the first one in (the gym), he might leave, and then he’ll be back later that night, I promise you that,” Estarfaa said.
At Buffalo, Carter inherited a roster headlined by UMass transfer Dillard, a low double-digit scorer with the Minutewomen. But he made her one of the best players in the country through one adjustment.
Dillard loved watching now-Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young at Oklahoma. Young consistently used his off-hand to swat other players away, which generated an automatic foul on the second touch. Implementing this, Dillard averaged the second-most points in the country (25.2) and the most made free throws (233) in the country across the 2018-19 campaign.
boys, Costabile easily cracked Baer’s 14U Tier I lineup in the 2019-2020 season.
There, Costabile often displayed her stick skills as an aggressive, offensive defender. Baer took note of this and recommended Costabile move to forward, where she plays today at SU.
Weeks before her freshman year of high school in 2020, Costabile’s family moved from Pennsylvania to the Jersey Shore. Costabile now had to drive almost two hours each way to the Flyers’ home rink, the Ice Line.
Over the next four seasons at the Flyers, Costabile continued to build on her skillset as a scrappy, fearless offensive threat and was given ample opportunities to do so. All Flyers teams played 70-to-75 games each season from August to early April, boosting Costabile’s skills.
“The physicality and pace pick up each level you go up,” Baer said. “If (players) are just showing up for practice and not doing anything else as far as working out or working on their skills, they’re gonna fall behind.”
With the lack of competition in West Chester, the group usually traveled to tournaments in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Canada where college coaches scouted them.
Amid their intense schedule, Flyers players also hit the ice three times a week for practice, twice a week for team lifts and met for halfhour video sessions on Wednesdays. Method Hockey, a state of the art hockey-oriented gym, was also accessible to use for one-on-one workouts with coaches and power skating via a synthetic ice treadmill.
“Wednesdays were our toughest nights because we didn’t get on the ice until 9 p.m., so we’d be practicing until 10:15 p.m.,” former Flyers defender Ella Sennick said. “Usually, Thursdays we’d either have to go to school or we’d be traveling (to another game).”
The pinnacle of Costabile’s Jr. Flyers experience was the 2022-23 season when she totaled
Led by Dillard, the Bulls went on a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 in 2018. They knocked off No. 6 seed South Florida 102-79 and No. 3 seed Florida State 86-85, employing two distinct defensive schemes to secure the victories. Though Buffalo was ultimately defeated by defending national champion South Carolina, the rapid turnaround between games provided Carter with invaluable experience, setting the stage for his transition to higher-level play at Syracuse.
“(In) the NCAA Tournament, you get one day to prepare,” Carter said. “So having to do that has prepared us to be ready when we get three days to prepare how to really attack someone.”
Following four more 15-plus win seasons at Buffalo and with Syracuse needing a head coach after Quentin Hillsman’s exit a year prior, Legette-Jack — an SU alumna — was hired and brought her Buffalo staff with her. Carter, Fair, Woolley and numerous other team members moved to SU soon after.
Per Estarfaa, who also came to the Orange for a year, Carter instantly began working with players. Carter says he tailors individual workouts to what motivates each player.
He knows Woolley’s competitive, so he’ll make her drain at least seven of eight shots at a spot before moving elsewhere on the court. Carter then analyzes practice and game film with players, highlighting areas they can improve.
“When I work with (Carter) individually, he just sees little parts of my games that I could utilize more, holding here for an extra second, or getting this little thing,” Woolley said. “He just sees the little parts, rather than as a whole.”
Carter provides detailed scouting reports of opponents, too. Woolley said she leaves every scouting session knowing the other squad’s offensive identity, weaknesses and go-to players.
For example, when preparing for physical teams, Carter breaks out an exercise ball. While other teams use pads, he feels that doesn’t portray a game situation. Instead, Carter and his staff bounce balls off players to simulate a player bumping into them. It teaches them to be comfortable facing contact and to stay on their feet in games.
“If you’re not ready, you’re going to get knocked off track, and that ball is going to go anywhere,” Carter said. “But if you’re low and aggressive, and you take that contact, now that resistance doesn’t mean anything to you because you’ve already prepared for it.”
Carter’s ability to connect with players through unconventional ways led to success at Buffalo. Despite Syracuse on the bubble of making the ACC Tournament this year, he’s in a perfect position to employ those tactics again to help steer SU in the right direction.
njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
years
under
Before her freshman season at Syracuse, Stella Costabile developed her game with the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers. jacob halsema staff photographer
12 goals and 14 assists to help bring her 19U team one win shy of its first USA Hockey national championship. Despite her primary assist on the Flyers’ only goal, the St. Mary’s Shattuck Sabres claimed the title, 4-1.
SU forward Jackson Kinsler — a St. Mary’s Shattuck forward at the time — still jokingly holds her gold medal over Costabile’s head.
Costabile didn’t stray far from her Flyers teammates with the Orange. Just four games into her career, she was tasked with trying to beat her former 19U goalie Maelee Ambrass when Syracuse battled the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Oct. 11, 2024.
Even while wearing different jerseys, the friendship still held.
“I made a glove save and (Stella) came up to me after,” Ambrass said. “One of my teammates came over to hit her so I had to step in and say, ‘No, I know her!’ It gave me a little laugh in the middle of the game.”
Now preparing for her first college postseason, another familiar face awaits her when the Orange host Robert Morris in the Atlantic Hockey America quarterfinals. Thalia D’Elia, who shared the ice with Costabile at the 16U and 19U levels, will look to upset her old friend Saturday in round one.
With plenty of college hockey ahead of her, it’s certain Costabile will continue to cross paths with more friends. But the bonds she formed as a Flyer will always remain, no matter whose logo she dons.
“It was like my home,” Costabile said. “The Jr. Flyer alumni is awesome because I get to reunite with all of (my teammates), even in the AHA. I’ve definitely made my best friends through that program.”
“Jr. Flyers is where I grew up since I was 12, so it’s always gonna have a spot in my heart,” she added.
mgray06@syr.edu @ma77hew_gray
khyreed carter spent five
coaching
Felisha Legette-Jack at Buffalo before following her to Syracuse in 2022. courtesy of su athletics
Analyzing SU’s path through inaugural 6-team AHA playoffs
By Harris Pemberton asst. digital editor
After amassing just 10 points in the now-defunct College Hockey America last year, Syracuse missed the conference playoffs for the first time in program history.
Now, a year later, the Orange are back in the postseason. Following its winningest regular season of head coach Britni Smith’s three-year tenure, Syracuse secured the No. 3 seed in the inaugural six-team Atlantic Hockey America playoffs.
SU enters the postseason winning six of its last seven games, hoping to turn the momentum into its first conference title since 2022. Though to get there, the Orange must prevail against foes they failed to beat consistently this season.
Here’s Syracuse’s (13-21-0, 11-9-0 AHA) path through the first-ever AHA playoffs: Explaining the tournament
The AHA’s inaugural season creates a playoff format unfamiliar to Syracuse. All six conference members make the playoffs, seeded one through six based on regular-season standings.
Penn State and Mercyhurst, the top two seeds, received byes to the second round. The bottom four seeds, SU, Rochester Institute of Technology, Lindenwood and Robert Morris, will play in the preliminary quarterfinal round to determine the second-round meetings.
The quarterfinal matchups are organized based on seeding. Since the Orange placed third in points, they’ll play the lowest of the four remaining squads, No. 6 seed RMU. No. 4 seed RIT and No. 5 seed Lindenwood square off on the other side of the bracket. The first round will feature a single-elimination game on the higher seed’s ice.
The winners of the two first-round matchups will take on the top two seeds. Penn State will play the lower seed of the two quarterfinal winners, while Mercyhurst will take the higher seed. The second round is a best-of-three set hosted by the higher seed.
From there, the tournament follows a traditional final-four style, with the two semifinal winners battling for the title. The championship game will be a winner-take-all match on March 8.
First Round: No. 6 seed Robert Morris Syracuse begins its playoff run at home Saturday against Robert Morris. SU crushed the Colonials in all four regular-season meetings by a combined score of 17-4.
The squads first met in December, when the Orange were propelled by senior forward Bryn Saarela’s seven-point weekend in back-
lacrosse
By Daily Orange Sports Staff
Syracuse men’s lacrosse outscored Jacksonville, Vermont and Towswon — its first three opponents — 55-17 en route to a 3-0 start. But this perfect start came to a screeching halt against then-No. 6 Maryland on Saturday. Under the tutelage of two-time national champion John Tillman, the Terrapins have been a thorn in SU’s side. Saturday was no different, with UMD notching a 11-7 win.
to-back 4-1 wins. The Orange met the Colonials again in early February and defeated them 4-1 and 5-1, respectively.
Robert Morris finished last in the AHA with nine points, only mustering two wins in conference play. The Colonials scored the least goals (23) in the conference and conceded the most (83).
It’s a favorable matchup for SU, which hasn’t lost to RMU in over a year. Syracuse will again look to its high-flying offense — which has scored 4.33 goals per game over its past six contests — to propel it over the Colonials for the fifth time this season.
Semifinal: No. 2 seed Mercyhurst
Should SU handle business against RMU, it’d go on the road to face Mercyhurst in a three-game series. The Orange went 1-3 in four meetings with the Lakers this season.
Syracuse dropped both games at home in January, falling 2-1 and 4-2. In February, though, SU looked sharper, forcing a narrow 5-3 loss and picking up a 4-2 win
COOPER ANDREWS (3-1) THIS IS FINE SYRACUSE 18, HARVARD 11
As the reigning men’s lacrosse beat writer predictions champion, it’s totally OK that Zak is the current lead horse in the 2025 standings. The room around me isn’t on fire. This is fine.
to snap its nearly three-year-long drought against Mercyhurst.
The Lakers place second in the conference in goals scored (64) and goals allowed (37).
Mercyhurst sailed through AHA play relatively smoothly but struggled in November, dropping games to Lindenwood and RIT. In 2025, though, it won nine of 12 conference matchups, including a win over top-seed Penn State to break the Nittany Lions’ undefeated AHA campaign.
The key to SU’s success will be its defense. The Orange haven’t had problems scoring against the Lakers recently but will need to limit their high-powered attack that’s scored 3.25 goals a game in the teams’ last four meetings. Getting on top early will also be important across the three-game series; Syracuse is 12-6 when scoring first compared to a pitiful 1-15 when conceding first.
AHA Championship: Likely No. 1 seed Penn State
If the Orange can piece together two series wins, it’s hard to imagine a way they don’t meet Penn
ZAK WOLF (4-0) ORANGE > CRIMSON SYRACUSE 17, HARVARD 10
State in the final. The Nittany Lions dominated the AHA, going 19-1 in conference play. They’ve rarely been tested by anyone except Mercyhurst. Penn State’s success has primarily been fueled by its defense, which ranks fourth in the country with 1.53 goals allowed per game. Its offense, meanwhile, placed sixth nationally with 3.62 goals a game. PSU is propelled by two top-20 scorers: Tessa Janecke (21 goals) and Maddy Christian (18 goals). SU dropped all four games to PSU this season but took it to overtime in a 3-2 loss and again in a 1-0 defensive battle in January. Should Syracuse battle the Nittany Lions in the final, its power play will be crucial. PSU spends the most time in the penalty box of any team in the nation, averaging 9.79 minutes per game. If the Orange can lock down defensively and capitalize on their power play unit, whose 21 goals ranks 11th in the country, it gives them a chance at an upset win.
harrispemberton@gmail.com
@HarrisPemb6
NICHOLAS ALUMKAL (3-1) BACK ON TRACK SYRACUSE 16, HARVARD 7
It’s been 19 years since Syracuse last faced Havard
The Orange entered the matchup averaging 18.33 goals per game, but Maryland completely neutralized them in the second half, allowing just two goals. Syracuse led 5-4 at halftime before a 4-1 UMD third-quarter blitz gave it control. This led to the Orange’s seventh straight loss to Maryland.
To avoid its first losing streak of the season, SU faces Harvard for the first time since 2006. The Crimson scraped by then-No. 20 Providence 12-10 in their season opener before falling to Colgate 19-15 on Tuesday.
Here’s how our beat writers think No. 6 Syracuse (3-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare Saturday against No. 15 Harvard (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) in the JMA Wireless Dome: sports@dailyorange.com @DOsports
Enough sulking. The Orange played at a disappointing level against the Terrapins this past weekend in College Park. But, if you’re Syracuse, this is fine. It’s only February. Nothing matters until May. In the meantime, I think SU is primed for a major bounce-back showing against Harvard — which couldn’t defend Colgate for the life of it on Tuesday.
Syracuse’s immense troubles when the pace of play is slowed down won’t be close to an issue on Saturday. The Crimson faceoff unit was absolutely dreadful through their first two games. Their tandem at the X, freshman Jackson Henehan and sophomore Owen Umansky, are 40% on faceoffs. This should be the best game of the year to this point for John Mullen, who’s totaled at least a 50% faceoff win rate in each of SU’s first four games.
If Mullen can hand the Orange possession after possession, their potent attack will thrive. Syracuse will also find plenty of success in transition, and get downhill dodgers like Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa on the scoresheet more consistently. Saturday’s outcome won’t please Crimson alumni whose entire personality stems from the fact they, “Went to Harvard, actually.”
I hate to be the guy who says “I told you so,” but… I told you so. Syracuse’s game against Maryland went exactly how I thought it would. It was too obvious that Tillman would concoct a game plan to slow SU’s offense down. This weekend will be different for the Orange.
This is a classic get-right game for Syracuse. Coming off a lackluster offensive showing — where it scored just two goals in the second half — it’ll flex its muscle and regain the swagger it severely lacked against the Terrapins. Harvard is a solid team, led by potential Tewaaraton candidate Sam King, who recorded 73 points (38 goals, 35 assists) last season. However, the Crimson might not be able to get the ball to King enough due to their lackluster faceoff group.
Harvard was 64th among 73 Division I teams in faceoff percentage (43.1%) last season and didn’t solve that issue this offseason. In their win over Providence, the Crimson had four different players take a faceoff, combining to go 7-of-26. Harvard was also under 50% against Colgate. That’s a recipe for disaster against Mullen.
The Crimson also have a freshman goalie in Graham Stevens. In his collegiate debut, the fivestar recruit saved over 50% of the Friars’ shots on goal, before letting in 19 goals against the Raiders. Considering Syracuse’s offense is better than Colgate’s spells trouble for Harvard.
I can’t trust a team with a non-existent faceoff unit and a youthful goalie. Give me the Orange in a comfortable fashion.
Losing to Maryland this early in the season might be a blessing in disguise for Syracuse. It served as a necessary gut check for the Orange and highlighted a familiar weakness — struggling when the game’s played at a tortoise’s pace, much like in their season-ending loss to Denver last year. They must return to the drawing board before facing more fearsome competition later in the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament.
What’s more, SU’s shooting was woefully inaccurate on Saturday. Its .171 shooting percentage was its lowest since a 7-5 seasonopening win over Vermont (.159) on Feb. 4, 2023. The errant shots were partly down to the Terrapins’ smothering defense.
The windy and rainy conditions probably also played a role. But, SU’s attackmen and midfielders just had an off game in a bigtime matchup.
That won’t happen again versus Harvard. Syracuse’s offense will return to its pinpoint accuracy and leave freshman goalie Stevens frequently picking the ball out of his own net. After a middling faceoff performance in College Park, Mullen will assert himself against the Crimson’s unproven faceoff unit. If Harvard gives the Orange a close one, it’ll start with King.
But I see SU limiting the senior’s impact on the game and returning to winning ways, picking up its fourth win of the season..
Syracuse ice hockey earned the No. 3 seed in the inaugural Atlantic Hockey America playoffs following its best regular season under thirdyear head coach Britni Smith. sean sterling staff photographer
Data dive: Advanced stats behind No. 6 Syracuse’s 3-1 start
By Cooper Andrews managing editor
Besides a few jaw-dropping goals, nothing Earthshattering has happened for Syracuse men’s lacrosse through its first four games. It dispatched its first three weaker opponents, per usual, before losing 11-7 to then-No. 6 Maryland last Saturday.
If SU has learned anything thus far, the Terrapins are a team it doesn’t want to face in May. But the Orange’s national title hopes remain alive. They house one of the best offenses in the country, led by attackman Joey Spallina’s NCAA-leading 25 points, while the numbers show their defense and goalie play are trending in the right direction, too.
Here are the advanced statistics that stick out for No. 6 Syracuse (3-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) nearly a third of the way through its 2025 regular season
41.0% Adjusted Offensive Efficiency
Per analytics database Lacrosse Reference, SU ranks third in the nation with a 41.0% adjusted offensive efficiency rate. The metric, which reflects the number of goals the Orange have scored divided by their total number of possessions — not counting failed clears — underscores the potency of their attack.
Talent is the obvious reason behind Syracuse’s unabating offense. But are the Orange doing anything different compared to last season’s potent attack? Yes, and no.
They’ve adjusted through their midfielders. Finn Thomson switched from midfield to attack as a replacement for the now-graduated Christian Mulé and is pairing well alongside Spallina and Owen Hiltz, racking up eight goals through four games.
Additionally, Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa are getting more runs as downhill dodgers — something Syracuse lacked at times last season. With Jake Stevens gone and Sam English’s defensive responsibilities ramped up, Leo (seven goals, two assists) and Rhoa (nine goals) have diversified SU’s offense, expanding beyond relying solely on Spallina dishing from X.
Boasting a diverse set of scoring options, the second-best turnover rate in the country (11.25 giveaways per game) and John Mullen’s solid .595 faceoff win percentage, the Orange are the definition of efficient. Yet, they’ve faltered in slower-paced games.
Against Jacksonville, Vermont and thenNo. 16 Towson, Syracuse posted adjusted offensive efficiencies of 52.0%, 33.1% and 47.6%, respectively. That Vermont total doesn’t account for the mostly garbage time second half. However, SU’s efficiency dipped to a lousy 25.8% against Maryland.
Rhoa’s 3.13 Individual Player Efficiency
Rhoa is having an impressive start to his junior campaign. His individual player efficiency rating
women’s lacrosse
sits at 3.13, per Lacrosse Reference, the seventhbest mark in the country.
The stat characterizes a player’s role within a team and how large their contributions are in comparison to the rest of the roster. Rhoa ranks 50 points higher than Spallina, who is 15th in the nation with a 2.63 individual efficiency. Rhoa’s nine goals are tied for the second-most on the Orange, along with Hiltz, as he’s displayed a noticeable jump from last season.
Rhoa’s ability to create offense by himself is what makes him so valuable. He’s as pure of a goal-scorer as it gets; Rhoa doesn’t have an assist, but not for a lack of field vision. He’s been dangerous in one-onone matchups, using his blistering speed to create separation while having the option to pull the trigger with both his left or right side.
This was made clear by his four-goal outing against Towson. Rhoa may not offer a multilayered package, but he’s only scratching the surface as an elite scorer.
20.5% Adjusted Defensive Efficiency
In its second year under defensive coordinator John Odierna, SU’s back end is making significant strides. Syracuse’s 20.5% adjusted defensive efficiency ranks sixth in Division I, per Lacrosse Reference, and would be the Orange’s highest mark in the category since last season’s 25.8% scoring.
SU didn’t finish in the top 10 in defensive efficiency in each of the last 10 years. Odierna has his group in the right spot, however. Last year, the Orange were 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency
— number of goals allowed divided by number of possessions. Now, they’re six spots better.
Junior long poles Billy Dwan and Riley Figueiras anchor Syracuse’s defense. Together, they’ve forced 12 turnovers, with Figueiras leading the team with seven, while each collecting seven ground balls. Dwan and Figueiras’ physical play complements RIT transfer long-stick midfielder Michael Grace, who has eight ground ball pickups and three forced turnovers.
Syracuse’s defensive prowess is further highlighted by the 128 shots opponents have taken at goalie Jimmy McCool, with only 72 finding the target, a testament to the Orange’s lockdown defense so far.
McCool in 80th Percentile
Will Mark was a rock in net for Syracuse the last two seasons. When Mark graduated, McCool was named the starter. The former five-star recruit didn’t have it easy versus Maryland, allowing 11 goals on 23 shots faced. But the junior has shown flashes of stardom in his first four starts.
McCool boasts a .621 save percentage this season, stalling 41-of-66 shots on goal. Per Lacrosse Reference, McCool is in the 80th percentile in save rate for goalies across the country.
While much of his production has come against lower-level opponents, McCool didn’t flinch across his first three starts. He tallied a scintillating .818 save rate in his debut versus Jacksonville, followed by a solid .688 clip against Vermont. He then
posted a .563 save percentage in SU’s win over then-No. 16 Towson.
First-year starters often experience growing pains, but McCool has yet to have a truly bad performance. Even against then-No. 6 Maryland, he began the game 3-for-3 on saves to allow SU to get on the board first.
Spallina’s 0.16 Adjusted Turnover Percentage
Spallina’s off to a magnificent start to his junior season, registering 21 points across his first three contests. He was held to just two goals and no assists against Maryland, though he was one of the lone bright spots courtesy of a personal two-goal run to give SU a halftime lead.
The difference in his game this campaign is limiting turnovers. After posting an adjusted turnover percentage — the number of turnovers a player averages per touch — of 0.66 in 2024, he’s reduced that figure to an impressive 0.16 in 2025, ranking among the best in the nation, per Lacrosse Reference.
Syracuse’s offense revolves around Spallina’s distribution from X and through setting the attacker up for wraparound chances with screens. The ball is always in his hands, yet he’s coughed it up just twice in four games. For someone like Spallina, who finished last year with 88 points, to barely turn the ball over, it’ll likely force defenses to progressively throw more attention at him. ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews
Evaluating Syracuse’s revamped defense 3 games into 2025
By Aiden Stepansky digital managing editor
New Syracuse starting goalie Daniella Guyette displays a simple message across the right side of her goalie mask. On a white piece of tape, the word “Semifinal” is written twice, with one on top of the other.
As the fresh face of SU’s revamped defense, Guyette’s engraving sets the tone for the unit’s ultimate goals in 2025.
“The past two years I’ve been here making the semifinals, but never really making anything of it,” Guyette. “I want to use that to fuel me and push us forward, really making sure we’re capitalizing on that national championship.”
After the Orange’s second consecutive Final Four appearance, goalie Delaney Sweitzer transferred to Northwestern and starting defenders Katie Goodale, Bianca Chevarie and Hallie Simkins graduated. Kaci Benoit and Coco Vandiver are Syracuse’s only returning starters from a season ago, with Guyette filling in between the pipes, senior Julia Basciano surging into a starting role and freshman Lexi Reber creating an instant impact.
Basciano suffered an injury in SU’s second game against Maryland, thrusting sophomore Ella Blesi into the starting lineup against Cornell. Syracuse’s new-look group has allowed just 9.33 goals per game while forcing 50 turnovers, propelling the Orange to a 3-0 start and showing their potential.
In Syracuse’s season opener, SU head coach Kayla Treanor didn’t see much from her backline. Against the Great Danes, the Orange allowed just two goals in each of the
first two quarters, holding UAlbany out of the net from 12:33 left in the second quarter to 5:15 in the third.
SU’s rapid offensive production extended possession time, giving the defense long stretches of rest. Despite the inactivity, Treanor observed growing chemistry and improved communication.
Producing immediately as a revamped unit is no small feat. A year ago, the Orange allowed just 9.68 goals per game, causing the second most turnovers per game in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 9.55. Continuity from 2023 fueled their early success, with Benoit as the only addition.
With almost all of the group departing, the losses allow Benoit and Vandiver to step up as a sophomore and junior. Benoit described SU’s zone defense as similar to 2024. This time, the backer, Vandiver, follows the ball. Last year, Simkins served as the backer, following cutters through the 8-meter arc.
While Vandiver’s role has elevated, so has Benoit’s. The Darien, Connecticut, native is a captain for the Orange after an All-ACC Freshman Team selection last year. Treanor said she’s emerged as a vocal presence, not just on the defensive side but for the entire team.
Benoit quickly became a focal point of the defense, matching up with two-time Tewaaraton Award winner Izzy Scane in her college debut. Through the early experience and the rest of her freshman campaign, Benoit said her confidence grew under the tutelage of seasoned veterans like Chevarie, Goodale and Simkins, preparing her for greater responsibility.
“Last year, they all took me under their wing immediately and became really good friends
with me,” Benoit said. “So I just want to be that for all the younger girls this year.”
Benoit’s main protégé is Reber. The No. 14 player in the 2024 class has quickly jumped into the fire with the Orange. Reber said as a senior at The Bryn Mawr School (Maryland) a year ago, watching Benoit’s role at Syracuse inspired her to assume a similar position. Since then, she’s modeled her game after Benoit’s, aiming to match her tenacity and sharp technique.
Reber admittedly was nervous in her first college game. But she’s embraced the challenge, playing nearly every minute so far, a welcome sign for SU’s present and future.
While Benoit, Reber and the rest of the unit excelled in the season opener, their first real test came in game two against then-No. 7 Maryland. After a slip-up less than two minutes in, SU tightened its defense. Syracuse held the Terrapins scoreless for over 10 minutes in the opening quarter, forcing three turnovers as its offense built a 5-1 lead.
With just over five minutes left in the first quarter, UMD’s offense worked the ball around but couldn’t find anything. As the shot clock dwindled, Benoit closed in on an attacker who dished to Maryland’s Maisy Clevenger at X. Vandiver and Guyette closed in on Clevenger as she approached the crease and forced a shot well over the crossbar, resulting in a shot clock violation.
Success continued into the second quarter, where the Terrapins didn’t score until the 1:11 mark. By the time Maryland attempted a comeback, it was already too late. SU’s defense locked all openings with midfielders Emma Muchnick, Alexa Vogelman, Sam DeVito, Joely Caramelli and more contributing to pressure
that went beyond the 12-meter fan. The Orange caused nine turnovers while Guyette posted a marvelous 11-save performance. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Syracuse in College Park, however. In the third quarter, Basciano suffered an injury, limping off with help from Treanor and an athletic trainer. She missed SU’s game against Cornell Tuesday, watching from the sidelines and relying on crutches for support.
The senior, who played sparingly across her first three seasons, had been a solid piece of the unit. Once Basciano exited, sophomore Blesi entered the fold, collecting a ground ball against UMD and adding another in her first career start versus Cornell.
With Blesi adding a wrinkle to the group, Syracuse again stood strong against the Big Red. The Orange allowed just two goals in the first quarter and one in the third, cruising to another blowout victory. Guyette’s 14 saves on 24 shots produced a .583 save percentage, her best mark of the season.
Through her first three starts, Guyette’s been everything SU has needed and more. She boasts a .528 save percentage on 71 shots faced, which is on pace to be the best single-season save percentage from a starter under Treanor. With each game, Syracuse’s defense adds another layer of chemistry. The blend of experienced veterans and first-time starters has created a formidable unit, one that’s consistently met every challenge it’s faced. As more difficult tests await, the message on Guyette’s mask will serve as a reminder of the Orange’s ambitions. amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
Syracuse men’s lacrosse has been defined by boasting one of the nation’s highest-scoring and turnover-free offenses.It’s led to a 3-1 start to the 2025 season and a No. 6 ranking in Inside Lacrosse’s Top-20 poll. aaron hammer staff photographer
SPORTS
Khyreed Carter’s calling card in developing guards has molded elite talent
By Noah Nussbuam asst. sports editor
When he was hired as the University at Buffalo’s Director of Women’s Basketball Operations in 2017, Khyreed Carter built relationships with players by playing video games with them. It’s an untraditional method, as most coaches form bonds with players through eating meals and talking over the phone. But Carter isn’t like most coaches.
So, alongside Cierra Dillard, Autumn Jones, Theresa Onwuka and Summer Hemphill — who usually won — he played Call of Duty every other night.
“I think it helped them see me as a person, but it also allowed them a space to communicate with me that wasn’t in the confines of work,” Carter said.
After helping Buffalo — first in its front office before becoming an assistant coach later that year — through its most successful stretch in program history from 2017-22, Carter followed head coach Felisha Legette-Jack to Syracuse. Using a unique personable and player-oriented coaching style, Carter, 31, has helped the Orange to consecutive 20-win campaigns and an NCAA Tournament round of 32 appearance last year.
Despite a bright future and impressive resume, Carter is focused on helping SU improve on its disappointing 202425 campaign.
“I always tell (Carter) that he’s going to be an NBA coach one day, and he’s like, ‘No, I like to hang out with you, and this is where I need to be,’” Legette-Jack said.
I’m just gonna add some seasoning and some fine-tuning to make your game taste that much better.
Carter’s calling card throughout his career has been developing guards. He’s molded Dyaisha Fair, Dillard and Georgia Woolley into double-digit scorers by making small tweaks to their games. But his career wasn’t typical. In college, he walked onto Southern Illinois’ team. However, he got injured and transferred to Michigan State to pursue a journalism degree.
At MSU, Carter still wanted to stay involved in the game. So, after he graduated in 2017, he accepted a graduate assistant position from Spartans women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant.
Carter started with Michigan State’s scout team, working with the men’s and women’s squads. Carter compiled scouting reports and used them to mimic opponents’ plays and individual threats in practice. This experience sharpened his ability to read defenses — a skill he brought with him to Syracuse.
By 2015, he was trusted to work one-on-one with players. His “guinea pig” was then-junior guard Tori Jankoska. Before Carter coached her, Jankoska was primarily a 3-point shooter. Under his guidance, she expanded her game, learning to expose defenses by scoring at all three levels.
“He knows how to attack different ways to score against a certain defense,” Jankoska said. “It’s definitely something I used, and we could talk about and bounce ideas off each other, just because we both have that offensive mindset.”
Their workouts typically centered on a demanding drill where Jankoska had to hit a certain number of 3s in an allotted time. Carter kept raising the bar until she failed. They ended with “game-winning shots,” forcing Jankoska to perform under pressure. She thrived in those high-stakes moments during her senior year.
This transformed Jankoska’s game, as she became Michigan State’s all-time leading scorer and the No. 9 pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft.
By Matthew Gray senior staff writer
On Nov. 3, 2024, SU forward Stella Costabile made the two-hour drive from Syracuse to Rochester. While SU was set to face The Rochester Institute of Technology days later, her trip had nothing to do with the upcoming matchup.
When she arrived at the Tim Hortons Iceplex, Costabile tracked down her former coach and friend Chris Baer. Baer was her head coach with
Khyreed Carter su assistant coach see carter page 12
the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, a nationally recognized travel program based in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
While Baer’s 16U Flyers squad battled the Bishop Kearney Selects that morning, the two reflected on their time with the program and Costabile’s experiences just 11 games into her college career.
“It was kind of nostalgic (watching that game) because you feel like you were just doing travel hockey, and now you’re on the flip side and the girls look up to you,” Costabile said.
Costabile’s eight seasons with the Philly Jr. Flyers prepared her to earn her place on a Division I roster with the Orange. After playing alongside up-and-coming D-I commits daily with the Flyers, she now faces off against former teammates regularly with Syracuse, where she’s accumulated four goals and six assists in her freshman campaign.
Once she learned the basics of skating at 9 years old, Costabile first suited up for a boys 12U team: the Valley Forge Minutemen. Costabile was often
the only girl on the roster. Because of central Pennsylvania’s lack of better options, she was part of the team for three seasons before moving on.
“If we wanted to develop, (Stella and I) really had no choice but to play with boys (at the start),” former Flyers defender Rose Dwyer said. “We were both the only girls on the team, so we could kinda relate. It was good for both of us in the end for hockey.”
Heading into her final season of 14U hockey, Costabile knew she needed a change. By continuing
to play on a boys team, she likely wouldn’t garner any attention from scouts and coaches.
Leaving the Minutemen behind, Costabile committed solely to the Jr. Flyers and signed up for their 14U girls team tryouts that year. She’d occasionally joined the team for tournaments while with Valley Forge for the past three seasons, so the Flyers’ coaching staff was already familiar with her.
With increased physical strength she gained from competing against
ice hockey