March 7, 2024

on campus

Design students at The Warehouse Cafe are limited to using two meal swipes per day under new plan.

By Claire Samstag asst. news editor

Charlotte Griffith, a sophomore studying environmental and interior design, said she struggles finding balanced meals while at Syracuse University’s Nancy Cantor Warehouse, or “The Warehouse” in downtown Syracuse, a place where she takes most of her classes.

With access to only one cafe in the building, Griffith said it is difficult for her to manage her meals while going to classes. These concerns surrounding food access for design students have been exacerbated this semester, she said, following the addition of an updated meal swipe policy at the building’s Warehouse Cafe.

“Last year, I would be getting all kinds of things, and now I’ll get a salad and a water,” Griffith said. “(Now), they’ll say I went over (the meal swipe limit) and I have to pay with dining dollars for the extra 80 cents or whatever it is.”

As of October 2023, Food Services did not have information related to differences in the Warehouse Cafe’s meal swipe system compared to the rest of the university, according to the Wayback Machine. Since then, the website added a section titled “Using Your Meal Plan at the Warehouse Cafe,” which states students are limited to using one meal swipe at breakfast and one at lunch at The Warehouse Cafe, even if they have an unlimited meal plan.

The Warehouse Cafe is the only dining facility in the building, which is almost two miles from the university’s main campus. The cafe’s prices have also increased within the last year, said Samara Vachani, a sophomore studying fashion design. Breakfast is now limited to $10 and is served from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., according to Food Services’ website. Lunch is limited to $14, served from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Griffith said she can’t maximize her meal swipes due to the “expensive” prices of the food. Before this academic year, she said she never hit her meal swipe limit.

The amount of time design students spend at The Warehouse depends on their major and year, said Zeke Leonard, coordinator of first-year experience at the School of Design. There are two models for studio classes: the first is designed so that students have class at The Warehouse for two and a half hours twice a week, and the second has students meet once a week for five hours, he said.

If any of my professors run over time, after 12 o’clock, it really limits the ability to do anything other than eat in the cafe.

Charlotte Griffith su student

“They also don’t really advertise exactly how it works, so me and the people that work at the cafe itself have no idea what to do,” Griffith said.

Griffith said she has classes back-toback from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. with only a 30-minute break before her next class at 12:30 p.m. During her breaks, she only has time to quickly grab food from Warehouse Cafe before heading back to class.

“If any of my professors run over time, after 12:00, it really limits the ability to do anything other than eat in the cafe,” Griffith said. Denise Heckman, an associate professor in the School of Design, said that this year, students are at The Warehouse for longer periods of time than previous years due to changes in the curriculum. Now, many students depend on the cafe for all three meals, she said.

SU workers begin unionization process

By Roxanne Boychuk asst. copy editor

Drawing from the unionization of graduate student workers in 2023, Syracuse University’s hourly food service and library workers are in the early stages of forming a union.

There are about 750 graduate student food service workers and 150 undergraduate and graduate library student workers on campus. One of those students, Nawazish Shaik, said he was approached by the Service Employees International Union about helping students unionize and has since been helping them spread the idea. Students organizing with Shaik said the union would work to improve wages, worker-manager relations and “unhealthy” working conditions.

(It’s) a lot of time and a lot of stress. Even though we work part-time jobs, we have full-time responsibilities.

Nawazish Shaik food service worker

“The work environment (at part-time jobs on campus), which a lot of students currently have, is not safe or healthy, physically or mentally. (It’s) a lot of time and a lot of stress. Even though we work part-time jobs, we have fulltime responsibilities,” said Shaik, a food service worker at Pages Cafe and caterer at the JMA Wireless Dome studying applied data science.

Shaik said the union has about 50% of the signatures it needs to go forward with the process. If they get enough signatures, the next step would be to file with the National Labor Relations Board for an election, said Drew Van Dyke, a graduate student studying library and information science who works at Bird Library. Then, the group would meet with SU administrators to become recognized as a union.

During a Feb. 7 Graduate Student Organization meeting, SU’s GSO Senate passed a resolution in support of the Hourly Food Service Worker Union Campaign. At the meeting, graduate students Bertram Probyn, Hussain Suwasrawala and Vinay Desiraju presented a GSO and Graduate Employment Issues Committee survey from spring 2023 that found the pay rate for a general food service employee was $15.30 an hour and $16.16 an hour for a student supervisor.

Although the pay rate has increased slightly in the spring 2024 semester, about 55% of workers reported working in multiple locations or having a second job, Probyn said at the Feb. 7 meeting. Both Cornell University and Binghamton University pay their food service workers a minimum rate of $16 an hour. see union page 4

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INSIDE

The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.

NEWS

“The work environment (at part-time jobs on campus), which a lot of students currently have, is not safe or healthy, physically or mentally. (It’s) a lot of time and a lot of stress. Even though we work part-time jobs, we have full-time responsibilities.” - Nawazish Shaik, Syracuse graduate student

Page 1

CULTURE

“Especially right now, this world is trying to silence some voices and take basic human rights away, and this movie is proof that people don’t want that and it shouldn’t be that way.” - Karen Ryan, Syracuse alumna and Oscar nominee

Page 6

OPINION

“Latine individuals, like other marginalized communities, face intersecting forms of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status, all of which shape the narratives they bring forth.” - Valeria Martinez, columnist

Page 10

SPORTS

“If you were going to play rock, paper, scissors with Jake and he lost, he would want to kill you.” - Jonathan Posner, former Culver Academies head coach

Page 13

COMING UP

Noteworthy events this week.

WHAT: Orange After Dark: Light the Yard Game Show

WHEN: March 8, 8 - 11 p.m.

WHERE: Schine Student Center, The Underground

WHAT: Orange After Dark: Syracuse Spotlight Event -

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

WHEN: March 9, 6 - 9 p.m.

WHERE: Rosamond Gifford Zoo, 1 Conservation Place

WHAT: De-Centering Europe in Plague Studies

WHEN: March 11, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

WHERE: Eggers Hall, 220, The Strasser Legacy Room

SU, former student settle sex-based discrimination lawsuit

By Kendall Luther news editor

Editor’s note: This story includes descriptions of sexual assault.

A former Syracuse University student who alleged the school engaged in gender-based discrimination in his expulsion has reached a settlement agreement with the university.

The case was dismissed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York Monday after it was informed by the parties that the case was settled outside of court.

In the lawsuit — initially filed in June 2022 — the plaintiff, who is referred to under the pseudonym John Doe, alleges the university took “damaging actions” and “inadequate procedures” in its “gender-biased” investigation into a sexual misconduct complaint filed against the plaintiff by the pseudonym Jane Roe — then a sophomore at SU.

“The Investigative Report was fashioned in a way to have Plaintiff found responsible,” the lawsuit reads. “Upon information and belief, the Investigator cherry-picked witness statements to paint Roe as incapacitated and Plaintiff as responsible, while burying or ignoring any evidence or statements that could negatively affect Roe’s credibility.”

The lawsuit raises complaints, such as SU’s conclusion that he had assaulted Roe in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, applied sexual misconduct in a way that discriminated against men, violated the New York State Human Rights Law and breached conduct under New York state law.

In the university’s motion to dismiss the complaint in June 2023, SU contended the plaintiff did not allege defects in the outcome or selective enforcement and has not pointed to any breach of contract. The plaintiff initially opposed the motion stating that his allegations were sufficient to state a claim.

The lawsuit claims that the university was “motivated to favor Roe” because it did not want to face “further criticism that it failed to protect female students from assault or to take the complaints of female students seriously.”

The lawsuit references a 2020 Survey on Sexual and Relationship Violence, in which about 19% of students who participated reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact since becoming an SU student.

In August 2020, SU updated its Title IX policies in accordance with regulations the U.S. Department of Education released earlier that year. Changes included allowing witnesses and survivors to be cross-examined during Title IX hearings, mandating live hearings for sexual harassment complaints with an advisor for both parties and not considering statements

from individuals who refuse to participate in the hearings.

The lawsuit also suggests that the university’s mishandling of the case was informed by external pressure from the student body and the U.S. Department of Education due to a fear of losing federal funding.

“Upon information and belief, Syracuse has repeatedly been under fire for the number of sexual assaults on their campus and deprived Doe of procedural protections and operated with a gender bias against Doe in order to appear ‘tough’ on sexual assault,” the lawsuit states.

At the time of the sexual encounter, Roe was one of the leaders of SU’s pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta. The plaintiff, who was in the process of pledging the fraternity, reached out to Roe and seven other older members of the fraternity to establish a mentor-mentee relationship.

After meeting for coffee to discuss the potential mentee-mentor relationship and briefly spending time together at parties at the social fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, Plaintiff and Roe arranged to meet at a party at the DKE house on March 21, 2021, and mutually decided to go upstairs.

The lawsuit claims Roe then initiated sexual advances with the Plaintiff and was “awake, coherent, and a willing participant the entire time.” The plaintiff also claims Roe took pictures with him on Snapchat without his consent. After Roe was walked home by the plaintiff, Roe allegedly texted and called him to apologize and ask if he was OK.

The plaintiff and Roe spoke the next morning via FaceTime and, during the call, Roe allegedly claimed she did not remember anything from the night prior but still wanted to be the plaintiff’s mentor. Later in the day, Roe called the plaintiff and told him that she was uncomfortable and asked for space. That night, the president of DKE told the plaintiff he was no longer welcome as a member of the social fraternity because of what Roe had told the fraternity’s president, the lawsuit states.

DKE’s president then reported the allegations against the plaintiff to the SU Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which issued a mutual no-contact order to both parties.

After speaking with his mother, the plaintiff recognized that he was sexually assaulted by Roe, who used her “platform as a mentor to pressure him into a sexual relationship when plaintiff was only seeking out a professional relationship,” the lawsuit reads. He then filed a formal complaint with the university’s Title IX office.

Bernerd L. Jacobson, the designated Title IX investigator for the case, conducted interviews with both Roe and the plaintiff. The lawsuit claims a number of Roe’s witnesses provided “unsupported testimony that was even disproven by video surveillance footage

from the party” and that others confirmed Roe and the plaintiff did not appear intoxicated.

On Sept. 16, 2021, Jacobson issued an Investigative Report, which the plaintiff claims included inconsistencies and errors. The plaintiff filed a response to the report in the year-long Adult Survivors Act window and requested that Roe be asked about substances she may have taken that could have affected her memory as one witness stated Roe may have consumed medication before the encounter.

The lawsuit claims Jacobson conducted followup interviews and failed to ask Roe about medications after asking “almost all” of the follow-up questions to the plaintiff. It also states Jacobson failed to include the witness observations of the plaintiff and Roe’s intoxication in the report, which stated that both he and Roe appeared to be “dead sober” the night of the party.

During the live hearing, the plaintiff claims Sheriah Dixon, the hearing officer, “grilled” him with questions which he felt was “unveiled victim blaming.” The plaintiff claims he was also “inappropriately questioned” by Roe’s advisor.

“Roe, on the other hand, as the female complainant, was met with only clipped questioning that was, on information and belief, meant not to ‘retraumatize’ Roe, and allowed her to explain away the inconsistencies in her story and the stories of her witnesses as a result of alleged trauma,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims Dixon’s decision letter, issued on Nov. 29, 2021, was filled with incon-

sistencies in comparison to Jacobson’s timeline. The lawsuit alleges that there were discrepancies between the timeline of Jacobson, Dixon and those who were at the party.

“The failure of the Hearing Officer to make a factual determination as to a critical timeframe and the careless act of giving credibility to disproven approximations by non-testifying and/or under-the-influence witnesses improperly impacted the outcome of the hearing,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Dixon’s letter also provided no indication that Roe was unable to consent at the time of the sexual encounter and that the plaintiff knew or should have known that Roe was unable to consent at the time of the sexual encounter, which the lawsuit alleges is required by university policies.

The plaintiff claims the university limited his appeal to 10 pages, which the complaint alleges limited his ability to challenge all procedural inadequacies. The lawsuit claims the university’s “biased, illegal, and improper conduct” subjected the plaintiff to an improper investigation and adjudication process that “destroyed his reputation and will permanently impact his future education and career prospects.”

“Plaintiff has exhausted all available avenues for appeal under the University’s policies. This lawsuit represents Plaintiff’s only hope to redress the wrongs occasioned by Defendant,” the lawsuit reads.

kaluther@syr.edu

@kendallaluther

Chowdhury talks AI, being a woman of color in tech at SU lecture

By Zaara Malik contributing writer

Rumman Chowdhury, a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence industry, shared her insights into how the development of AI can morally contribute to society in a Wednesday evening lecture at Goldstein Auditorium.

Instead of seeing it as a tool of replacement, Chowdhury said she sees AI as a resource to grow curiosity and knowledge. She also described her experiences as a woman of color working in the tech industry — a field historically dominated by white men — at the lecture, which was hosted by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

“It was my job to create applied solutions in these fields, so instead of replacing people, (AI) can just retain information really quickly and understand abstract pieces of information and issues,” Chowdhury said.

After obtaining bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees, she transitioned from her political science and sociology background to the world of technology when she was offered an analytical scientist position at Quotient Technology. She felt data analytics also applied to the humanities, another field she was passionate about.

“I like building things and solving problems but, in a way, that is a belief centering human beings,” Chowdhury said. “There was a lot of academic work and a lot of really smart people are thinking about that problem … it scratched every itch.”

Nearly four years after her first job in artificial intelligence at Accenture AI, Chowdhury joined Parity Consulting as a project manager. Shortly after, she joined Meta as the director of ethics, transparency and accountability. She

later served as the advisor for Creative Destruction Lab, founded her own non-profit and was a visiting fellow at Harvard University.

Chowdhury is now the co-founder and chief executive officer at Humane Intelligence — a non-profit that reviews new AI models with a focus on “safety, ethics, and subject-specific expertise,” according to its website.

At Wednesday’s event, Chowdhury described her experience “breaking barriers” as a woman of color in the technology industry, joking that she had hit the glass ceiling so hard she had gotten whiplash. Chowdhury, who has been in the field since 2016, shared pieces of

advice for women of color looking to take a similar route.

“Never be in an environment that disrespects you,” she said. “Anybody who is in a non-majority group has lived life accommodating things that were not built for them, whether it’s institutions, other people. Unless you are an able-bodied white man, the world was not made for you.”

Chowdhury said trusting her institution and making sure she’s respected in the workplace has guided her throughout her career. She said she has lowered her “trigger for stepping back” from projects and experiences, something she has never regretted.

Several SU student and faculty attendees said they were already involved with the world of AI and were excited to listen to Chowdhury’s lecture regarding the future of humanity concerning generative AI.

One attendee, first-year data analytics student Kyle Tasker, said he decided to attend the event after hearing about it from a family member. He said he thought Chowdhury’s experience would be relevant to his coursework as a student of SU’s School of Information Studies.

“I’m hoping to get a better general understanding of AI and how it’s used in ethics,” Tasker said. “I’m currently doing AI research here at Syracuse, and currently we are attempting to make a bot and making it as ethical as possible.”

Aaron Benanav, a faculty member of the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute at SU, said ASPI helped organize Wednesday’s event and that he was “excited to hear what (Chowdhury) has to say about automation and the future of AI.”

“It’s the topic that I write about so I’m curious to hear about her perspective on how generative AI is going to change work, society and the future,” he said.

ASPI is an initiative within Maxwell that intends to emphasize and evaluate the relationships between “technology, society and policy,” according to its website. The institute co-organized the event alongside SU’s Office of Academic Operations. ASPI’s next slated event will host author Debbie Urbanski — a science fiction author who has written about the potential outcomes of AI.

“The revolution we are seeing is the accessibility of these tools that before we needed specialized knowledge … for,” Chowdhury said. zamalik@syr.edu

In the university’s motion to dismiss the complaint, SU contended the plaintiff did not allege defects in the outcome or selective enforcement. maxine brackbill photo editor

chowdhury, a leader in AI and algorithmic ethics, described her experience “breaking barriers” as a woman of color in the tech industry. maxine brackbill photo editor

Graduate Student Organization Senate passes amended constitution

By Griffin Uribe Brown asst. digital editor

Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization Senate President Daniel J. Kimmel led a discussion on the topic of free expression and safety amid the university’s effort to create the “Syracuse Statement” — a statement providing an update of SU’s stance on academic freedom and free speech — during its Wednesday meeting.

Kimmel is a member of the statement’s working group, which is co-chaired by Provost Gretchen Ritter and Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves. After listening to GSO members’ answers to a list of questions, Kimmel said a survey will be sent out in the next week.

“I’m feeling that the minimal amount of responses we had to these really critical questions to our citizenship – myself included, I didn’t have any responses – speaks to the amount of voice we feel that we have on campus on graduate students,” said Alex Scrivner, a senator-at-large. “We can’t even comment because we don’t actually believe (our voice) will go anywhere.”

Kimmel said they would “relay” that message and feedback from other GSO members to the working group.

The Senate passed an amended constitution after voting on multiple motions to add or remove proposed text on the document. New additions to the constitution include a general membership article, a standardization of executive board duties and the removal of officer clauses, Kimmel said.

“I just wanted to thank all the members of the Senate … for doing this work,” Kimmel said. “I

“That cafeteria was never meant to serve students that way,” Heckman said.

Previously, students could only use one meal swipe daily at The Warehouse Cafe, Heckman said, but after writing in complaints to SU’s Food Services department, students were granted an additional swipe. She also said Food Services has tried to hold meetings with students to discuss their concerns but that students haven’t shown up.

Between long classes and short lunch breaks, Heckman said students in her classes have asked to leave early to get food, which she often lets them do.

“When we can get the students and the food services in communication with each other, they are willing to work, but it’s just getting them in communication with each other,” Heckman said. “I think they’ve been trying to be helpful, but often they don’t get the right information to be helpful.”

Dalia Scolnick, a freshman and vegetarian, said the food options are very limited, especially when she’s at The Warehouse on Fridays. She said she is in The Warehouse from around 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and most of the options include meat.

“I only have two selections a day, and it’s not healthy … I basically drink a Celsius, barely eat and then come back, and I’m not doing so great,” Scolnick said.

“This movement marks not just a quest for improved wages and working conditions but embodies a profound assertion of our collective values – a testament to the belief that the strength of our institution lies in the well-being of every individual who contributes to its vibrancy,” GSO wrote in a statement posted to its Instagram.

Outside of pay, Shaik said he does not get assigned enough work hours to live off of those wages alone, so he has to work multiple jobs on campus. He said most graduate students usually juggle three jobs — the most common being at food services, the Dome and residential security.

“(Managers) have the whole winter break to tell us when they will schedule (us) and when we can pick up shifts, but no, they just pick a random morning and then they send an email and then it’s like a lottery ticket. You come, you get it. If you don’t, you’re screwed. So you have to have a backup job,” Shaik said.

Suwasrawala, a graduate student pursuing engineering management who works at Brockway Dining Hall, said many food service workers are international students. He said they feel voiceless because many do not understand their rights in the workplace and that their status puts them in a “very anxious” position where they cannot stand up for themselves.

“The students are not given the respect that they deserve. It’s a part-time on-campus

specifically want to thank the parliamentarian, the pro tempore and the chair for the close-to-30 hours of work they put into the constitutional convention, which resulted in the resolution you passed tonight.”

Before passing the revised constitution, the Senate voted against a resolution that would limit Senate meetings to three hours.

The Senate passed a resolution that establishes that resolutions to amend constitutional amend-

Charlotte Pond, a sophomore interior design student who is gluten-free, said she finds it difficult to find food friendly to dietary needs too.

“There’s literally nothing there for me to eat except for a bowl of fruit, and they got rid of the

job but (the managers) behave (like) they have given us a full-time working contract,” Suwasrawala said.

“The expectations that the management has out of the students is just insane.”

Suwasrawala described an instance where he had been making omelets for a few hours without a break at the dining hall one morning. He had a coworker take over the station for him to get a drink of water. He was then told by a manager that he was not allowed to get a drink.

Only 4% of food service workers feel management is approachable, according to the spring 2023 survey.

The main goal of the unionization is for workers to gain respect from their employers, Van Dyke said. Library workers have concerns about work-life balance, lack of transportation options for people working late and control over scheduling work hours, he added.

“People who work in a library … they’re connected to the entire university community throughout everyone’s academic journey,” he said. “Having (our) word recognized, and putting ourselves in a position where we can negotiate with administration and where we can bring our concerns to the administration as a collective power, I would say is the biggest unifying goal of this campaign.”

If recognized, the group plans to negotiate a fair contract that addresses workers’ concerns at the bargaining table, Van Dyke said. In the meantime, he said, he will continue talking to fellow food service and library workers and encouraging them to sign union cards.

ments must be approved by a three-fourths majority vote. It also passed resolutions that Senate agendas must be sent three business days before the meeting and that the Comptroller’s monthly meeting with the budget officer, which Comptroller Melissa Alvisi said happens unofficially, is officially added to her responsibilities.

In the president’s report, Kimmel said the Community Review Board — which monitors the conduct, community functions and policy of the Department of Public Safety — has a graduate student spot open and encouraged applications.

The Senate will meet next in 132 Lyman Hall at 5:30 p.m. on April 3.

Other business:

A resolution was passed to require proposed guest speakers be approved by a majority vote by the Senate — except guest speakers deemed “vital” by the GSO Executive Board.

A resolution to override the Executive Board’s sustainment of the Finance Committee’s previous decisions to reject the Sigma Upsilon Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for Counselors failed.

A motion to use GSO Funding to purchase shrimp for the Senate Appreciation dinner was referred to the Climate Action Committee. Becca Vinciquerra, the interim vice president of external affairs, said the motion would expand the dinner’s pescatarian options.

Funding requests for the Marriage and Family Therapy Trans Team, Black Graduate Student Association and Iranian Student Association were approved.

gbrown19@syr.edu

@GriffinUriBrown

the university and the broader Syracuse community. In February 2023, students told The Daily Orange that the building’s distance from SU’s main campus creates a disconnect from other SU students.

“It’s just annoying because it’s like they almost don’t care about the fact that we’re downtown,” Pond said.

Leonard said the location of The Warehouse relative to on-campus dining options makes it challenging for students to get the food they need. He described food access as an ongoing “issue” among design students.

Leonard said that food services sent out an email to the “Warehouse community” outlining changes to the meal swipes. Vachani said she did not recall receiving an email from Food Services detailing the changes.

“All that I can say is my understanding from food services is that they are open to this being an ongoing conversation,” Leonard said.

Vachani said she’s noticed that schools like SU’s Newhouse School of Public Communications have larger cafes with a greater variety of options, including “fresh” food.

KIND Bars and now they only have one type,” Pond said.

When SU first occupied The Warehouse in 2006, former Chancellor Nancy Cantor said the building was intended to bring together

“I know people that are in The Warehouse from 9:00 (a.m.) to 2:00 or 3:00 (p.m.) every day, or some people are even there from 9:00 (a.m.) to 5:00 or 6:00 (p.m.). That’s your whole nutrition for the day,” Vachani said. “Some people are just not eating or not getting enough food.”

csamstag@syr.edu

“It’s a really interesting time to be doing this because I think more people … are thinking about themselves as part of a collective of people and not as just singular individuals,” Van Dyke said. “All across this

New additions to the constitution include a general membership article, a standardization of executive board duties and the removal of officer clauses. joe zhao asst. photo editor

Syracuse University’s hourly food service and library workers are seeking to improve wages and working conditions.

lars jendruschewitz asst. photo editor

charlotte griffith said she can’t maximize her meal swipes due to the expensive prices of individual food items in The Warehouse Cafe. maxine brackbill photo editor

alumni alumni Academy

Academy

By Kelly Matlock culture editor

WSU alumna Karen Ryan’s “Nimona” is nominated for an Academy Award this year

Animation and spent 11 years working in the studio’s various departments.

hen Syracuse University alumna Karen Ryan was a student at SU, she was taught that film students have to avoid getting lost in the industry and stay connected to the world around them. Almost 20 years later, with her film nominated for an Oscar, Ryan still thinks about that advice.

“You need a story to tell if you’re gonna be a storyteller,” Ryan said. “Tell the stories that matter, tell the stories that are going to make people feel.”

Ryan graduated from SU in 2006 with a television, radio and film degree. Now, her animated film “Nimona” is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Ryan was a producer on the film, which is one of a few kids and family animated movies that feature primarily queer main characters and themes.

After graduating, Ryan moved to Los Angeles with about 20 members of her graduating class. Although she didn’t study animation at SU, she got a job at Disney

ND Stevenson, who created “Nimona,” first started the story as a webcomic in 2011. It was then adapted into a graphic novel in 2015 before Fox’s Blue Sky Studios picked it up as an animated film. Ryan said the collaboration of the team working on “Nimona” “unlocked” the movie. With input from everyone on the crew, the story is personal, and the final product includes pieces of every person who worked on it, she said.

“(Animation) is the most collaborative form of filmmaking I’ve ever experienced … you can move people, you can reach them, you can make them laugh, make them cry in such a strong way,” Ryan said. “Every single person in animation changes the movie as they work on it because they have to put themselves in as artists, so everybody who’s touching it affects the film.”

In 2019, Fox and Disney merged. After Disney took over Blue Sky, it shut the studio down in 2021. Without the support of a studio, most projects would have collapsed, but Ryan and the rest of her team believed in “Nimona” and were determined to make it happen, she said.

With a set of reels they developed before Blue Sky shut down, Ryan and the rest of the remaining team showed the film around Hollywood. At one event, a producer at Annapurna Pictures saw “Nimona.” The company’s anima

see nomination page 9

‘Daring to Dream Gala’ celebrates Black artists in Goldstein

By Olivia Boyer asst.

OBlue lights reflected the audience’s dazzling dresses and suits at the “Daring to Dream Gala” in Syracuse University’s Goldstein Auditorium. The event displayed Black excellence through performance, showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of SU’s campus culture.

“The culture on the Syracuse campus has definitely been something that evolves every year and changes in one way or another,” Ryan Nkongnyu said.

SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs organized the “Daring to Dream Gala” on March 3, and students Raven Campbell and Nkongnyu hosted the event by introducing guests. The gala’s title was chosen to encourage attendees to reach for the stars, inviting Leon Thomas III, a musician, actor

and recent GRAMMY winner, to highlight Black excellence in media. It also spotlighted several student performers, including bands like The Goods and poets like Arianna Wilson.

Wilson’s poetry influenced sophomore Kim Lucas to dream. Her words about Black Americans having disadvantages but continually lifting each other up inspired Lucas, encouraging the audience to dream among the community.

“We still uplift and we still grow as a community and as a person, but altogether we still grow in harmony and just trying to make a better world for ourselves and for our future children,”

Lucas said. “It was really inspiring.”

Lucas, along with many other audience members, watched Thomas in their childhood. Thomas is known for role as André Harris on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.” Several attendees said

his presence at the gala brought people together through nostalgia.

Thomas also played a significant role in many attendees’ childhoods because he was the only Black cast member on the show, said Dashawn Austin, the lead co-chair of SU’s Black History Month Planning Committee. To him, the actor and musician felt like home.

As the only Black character in “Victorious,” Thomas was a large source of representation for children of color. Seeing how he’s grown and become a GRAMMY winner, furthering his career is inspiring to Austin.

Thomas performed the GRAMMY award-winning song “Snooze” by SZA, which he wrote. He also performed several songs from his newest album, “Electric Dusk,” including “Love Jones” and “Blue Hundreds.”

“He was able to dream so big and he was able to make all of his dreams come true,” Austin said.

“Daring to dream” is a large part of Austin’s life because they are a firstgeneration college graduate. They’re proud to be able to plan events for students who have been in similar situations. By using their own dreams as a map, Austin hopes to expand the dreams of others.

The event reflected the evolving culture at SU, Nkongnyu said. Nkongnyu, a member of the Student Association Finance Board, said many newly registered student organizations or clubs are being added to SU’s campus. These additions help SU’s culture become more diverse.

“We celebrate all kinds of nationalities here. It’s really beautiful symbolism. SU is such a good place to do that.” said Ariana Arias, an

attendee of the event. “When I first came here, I was thrilled that this university was celebrating Latin American History Month.”

The gala signifies how SU is continuing to foster the dreams of students through the arts, allowing students to celebrate each other through music, dance and poetry.

“When you find a common ground, so whether that’s your favorite show you watched as a kid, whether it’s your favorite musical artists, music and things you’d like as a kid can really bring people together, even if it’s two people who are very different,” said Kaitlyn Paige, a student organizer for the gala.

Disclaimer: Kaitlyn Paige is a columnist for The Daily Orange. She did not influence the reporting on this story.

lgboyer@syr.edu

bridget overby presentation director

Gear up for the Oscars with the help of our columnists

By Matthew Deckers, Nate Lechner, Henry O’Brien screentime columnists

The 2024 awards season will conclude on Sunday night with the 96th Academy Awards. The hit summer double feature, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” both of which are nominated for several categories at the awards, defined the past year.

In addition to the celebration of “Barbenheimer,” there are several other interesting films nominated for Oscars this year. Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” is a fascinat-

Hollywood, bringing a unique blend of original storytelling and technical design to his work. While he has received several Oscar nominations for his past films, Nolan has yet to receive the Best Director award, which he deserves for “Oppenheimer.” The film is the perfect mix of Nolan’s visual prowess and intricate storytelling.

Best Actor

Henry O’Brien: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

As part of the “Oppenheimer” sweep, Murphy will bring home this award. He was the Best Actor winner at the Screen Actors Guild

win the award.

Best Supporting Actor

O’Brien: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

Downey Jr. was a magnificent antagonist, playing an egotistical, power-obsessed heel to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Lewis Strauss represented the idea of fusion, a far more destructive force than Oppenheimer’s fission, and Downey Jr. should get his roses for displaying that idea. However, there were better supporting performances in the past year. Robert De Niro’s haunting performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Best Original Screenplay. The “May December” nomination is welcome, given how little love Todd Haynes’ masterpiece has received this season. But the statue will go to “Anatomy of a Fall.” Its writing just barely edges out “May December,” brilliantly examining how subjectivity and media portrayals of women shape opinions in judicial systems. The adorable canine star of the film, Messi, has been hugely popular among the Academy.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Lechner: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” Taking an 800-page biography that took 25 years to write and turning it into a nearly $1 billion

ing courtroom drama, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” displays a unique journey of self-discovery and Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” is an emotional comedy-drama about finding connections between people.

Here are our screentime columnists’ predictions for who will take home a golden statue on Sunday:

Best Picture

Matt Deckers: “Oppenheimer” “Oppenheimer” emerged as an awards front-runner in a highly competitive race, earning top prizes at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards and other awards bodies. All its acclaim is for good reason. Christopher Nolan’s historical biopic about physicist

(SAG), the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, and he should gain the golden trophy at the Academy Awards. I have a massive soft spot for Paul Giamatti’s performance in “The Holdovers,” but Murphy has all the qualities of the titular subject, with the nuclear physicist’s charm, eccentricity and contradictions that made the picture a force.

Best Actress

Lechner: Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

This year featured several tremendous performances from lead actresses, including Sandra Hüller in “Anatomy of a Fall” and Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Their performances were uniquely nuanced and drove

is one of the best of his storied career. Still, no shade toward RDJ. The win will still be a deserving victory for an actor who contributed to morphing Hollywood into what it is today with his leading role in “Iron Man.”

Best Supporting Actress

O’Brien: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Although Giamatti may not win Best Actor, his co-star will win Best Supporting Actress. As the film’s lonely cafeteria manager Mary Lamb, Randolph was the emotional anchor of the film that put both Giamatti and Dominic Sessa’s characters in their place. Randolph constructs emotional walls around her character and once they start to crumble, the audience can

blockbuster is an incredible feat on its own, but Nolan’s work in adapting Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s “American Prometheus” deserves recognition. Even when jumping forward in time, “Oppenheimer” does not waste a single line of dialogue across multiple locations and characters. Gerwig and Noah Baumbach deserve praise for their writing on “Barbie” as does Tony McNamara on “Poor Things,” but Nolan will keep the “Oppenheimer” train rolling and pick up a Best Adapted Screenplay award.

Best Cinematography

Deckers: Hoyte van Hoytema, “Oppenheimer” From the striking black-and-white photography of the beginning of “Maestro” to the inventive use of camera lenses in “Poor Things,”

J. Robert Oppenheimer is a monumental technical achievement and a harrowing, paradoxical portrait of science, ideology and destruction. There are several great films nominated for Best Picture, but “Oppenheimer” is the best.

Best Director

Nate Lechner: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

For over 20 years, Nolan has been lauded as one of the most exciting filmmakers in

each film’s emotional force. Despite the success of the other nominees, Gladstone’s work in “Killers of the Flower Moon” is the most moving. Her performance as Mollie Burkhart stands out from the film’s many greedy characters and is a small beacon of sincerity, even as everyone she loves is being murdered. During awards season, Gladstone received recognition for her role at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards and should receive the Best Actress award Sunday, making history as the first Indigenous actress to

sympathize with Lamb’s feelings. While Emily Blunt and America Ferrera gave commendable performances in “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” respectively, I can’t imagine Randolph not winning the award.

Best Original Screenplay

Deckers: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Aside from “Maestro,” a story with pompous dialogue that reveals little value about its characters, any of these nominees deserve to win for

there are plenty of visual delights in this year’s cinematography lineup. Four-time Nolan collaborator Hoyte van Hoytema will win for his groundbreaking use of IMAX, which paints events both enormous and intimate on a massive canvas. I personally felt that Rodrigo Prieto’s work on “Killers of the Flower Moon” left me with more to think about, from colorful Oklahoma vistas to fiery violence. However, the Academy Award will go to Hoytema, a deserved win. culture@dailyorange.com

emma lee contributing illustrator

emma lee contributing illustrator

The SAMMY Awards champion local music

By Ava Lombardi asst. copy editor

In 1993, Syracuse resident Frank Malfitano sent handwritten postcards to a few musicians in the area, pitching his idea of a local music award show. Thirty-one years later in 2024, the Syracuse Area Music Awards garnered 330 submissions from artists of various genres, all connected by their central New York roots.

“I am just stunned that every year, there are more and more submissions,” said Liz Nowak, executive director of the SAMMYS. “It really encourages local musicians to record their work, make a record of it and to go through the paces of what it takes to get their music out there.”

Each year, local talent submits recordings for consideration in 13 categories, ranging from “Best Single” to “Best Jam Band.” A nomination committee ultimately chooses the top artists to represent the Syracuse music scene at the show, which is a chance for local musicians to come together to celebrate their accomplishments.

This year’s event has two parts: the show’s Hall of Fame Dinner taking place at Dinosaur Bar-BQue on March 7 and the award show at the Palace Theatre the following night.

The 2024 SAMMY nominees include 63 musicians and six Hall of Fame Inductees. After receiving submissions from December through early-January, the nomination committee began verifying each piece of work, ensuring local artists properly recorded their music and submitted it before the deadline, Nowak said.

Then, the committee sent the music to James Abbott, a recording engineer and professor at Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, who chose the winners with his own panel of industry professionals and educators.

“This way it’s not, ‘Oh, it’s Joe from the corner bar that plays every weekend, we like him,’” Nowak said. “It’s really objective and unbiased. You are judged on the quality of your songwriting, your recording and how you present yourself on your streaming service.”

Besides living within 60 miles of Syracuse, there are no limits on who can submit music for the committee’s consideration, Nowak said.

Steven Cal — a singer-songwriter from Cato, New York, and a 2019 SAMMY award recipient — is nominated for “Best Country” and “Best Single” this year. He said the country music community in

humor

central New York is “pretty tight-knit” and influenced his work over the years.

“This is the third time I have been nominated for an award, and I have never been nominated for two, so I’m pretty excited about that,” Cali said. “It’s nice to put in a lot of hard work and then have something that shows you that other people have listened and enjoyed it.”

Cali’s 2023 EP, “Nights to Burn,” is nominated for an award, as well as his single, “Girls & Whiskey.” This year marks Cali’s first time performing at the event, a night he said is sure to be exciting.

Alongside this year’s award winners, a handful of members in the city’s music scene will be inducted into the SAMMYS Hall of Fame. Principal Pops Conductor for the Syracuse Orchestra Sean O’Loughlin will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement award.

O’Loughlin is a graduate of SU and the New England Conservatory of Music. He became the princi-

pal pops conductor of Symphoria, now the Syracuse Orchestra, in 2012 and has enjoyed watching how the orchestra’s music “changed (central New Yorkers’) lives in a very positive way.” This is his first time receiving a SAMMYS award.

“I feel like this award is a marker for all of the great work that the Syracuse Orchestra and I have done in our community throughout the past decade and more,” O’Loughlin said. “It is nice to pause and reflect on that work while at the same time looking forward to the years ahead.”

Nowak said the SAMMYS have helped further the career of local musicians and highlights the variety of talent in Syracuse. Reminding local musicians that they don’t need to travel to New York City to make it big is a priority, she said.

“If one trombone doesn’t get left in a closet,” Nowak said, “we’ve done our job.” aalombar@syr.edu

Our humor columnist has advice on student loans

By Sarah Wells humor columnist

If you attend Syracuse University, chances are you are very familiar with dreaded student loans. It’s hiding in your credit score like some sort of monster that only jumps out to scare you when you’re trying to apply for an apartment rental. I think about my student loans a little too much, and at the worst possible times. I’m pretty sure I could be standing at the altar on my wedding day and start worrying about my last Sallie Mae billing statement.

At this point, I’ll do most odd jobs for some money. Notice how I say most. Don’t email me with some weird stuff like clipping your grandma’s toenails. However, I have come up with a collective list of activities around campus that I’d be willing to do to make an extra buck or two.

This first one is probably the easiest. If anyone from the Barnes Center at The Arch is reading this, I’d love to teach a Zumba class. I have 12 years of adolescent dance classes under my belt, along with

division, which is led by former Blue Sky executives Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird, provided the resources that the film needed. Once Netflix also got involved, the film was back on.

“As much pushback as we got for the content of the movie, that is the reason why we survived because at every turn, individuals who we talked to wanted this movie to be made,” Ryan said. “It got saved and now it made it to the world. And we’re Oscar-nominated, which is insane.”

Newhouse School of Public Communications professor Tula Goenka taught Ryan in the early 2000s, adding that she was one of her favorite students. In January 2006, Goenka brought a cohort of students, including Ryan, to Los Angeles for a week.

raw talent. Just don’t reach out to any of my old dance teachers about it — they’re jealous.

Honestly, though, I’ve taken a lot of Zumba classes and I think I’m more than capable of teaching one. Would most of the songs in the playlist be from musicals? …Maybe. Am I able to do more than 20 minutes of cardio without throwing up in my mouth? We’ll surely find out!

Speaking of cardio, in last week’s column I talked about how active the Otto the Orange mascots are, running around, doing their little tricks and such. We’ve all seen how dirty that suit is. At its worst, it’s Otto the Basketball Your Brother Fished Out of A Mud Puddle rather than Orange. That’s why, for a small fee, I am willing to power wash it. I’ll get my strongest hose (garden), my squeakiest gloves and spray that sucker clean until Otto is orange again.

There’s one email that Syracuse students always dread getting: the horrendous “reset your Microsoft password” threat. That’s why I’ll do it for people. If they pay me, of course. If you tip, I’ll even make your password fun, like “2Sexy4U,”

She still has a picture from that trip in her office.

That same semester, Goenka was diagnosed with breast cancer. She still remembers Ryan bringing in brownies as a gift when she found out about the diagnosis.

“I still remember it so clearly. She’s such a wonderful person,” Goenka said. “I’m just so excited for all her successes.”

Goenka described Ryan as a helpful alumna, saying she often refers students interested in visual effects and animation to her. Ryan always “pays it forward,” she said.

“I think it’s really important for current students to hear from professionals in the industry,” Goenka said. “Hearing from somebody who was sitting in that chair in that same room 10 years ago, or 15 years ago really is much more special than talk-

CONCERTS

The Dollhouse

Critical Lens, Pickpocket, Feast of Love and MIDDLING Band will perform at house show venue The Dollhouse Friday. These bands include a range of music genres — from hardcore punk to emo rock. The dress code for the show is “‘Carrie’ meets ‘Jennifer’s Body,’” so be sure to dress accordingly. Buy tickets at the door.

WHEN: March 8 at 8p.m.

PRICE: $7 at the door

Funk ‘n Waffles

Driftwood takes center stage this weekend at Funk ‘n Waffles. The American folk rock band hails from Binghamton, NY. Two high school friends created the band, which has now turned into “one of the hardest working, original bands in the business,” according to the band’s website. Tickets for this show are available online.

WHEN: March 8 at 8p.m.

PRICE: $29.30

Westcott Theater

Musical duo Thievery Corporation, made up of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, will perform this Friday at Westcott Theater. Garza and Hilton are known for their eclectic sound, mixing electronic, dub, reggae and more. The band also combines sounds from the Middle East and Brazil into their tracks. Tickets for the show are available online.

WHEN: March 8 at 8p.m.

PRICE: $39.50 - $109

The Song & Dance

“EasyRDR” or something else you’d see on a personalized license plate. You’ll never be locked out of your Microsoft account again.

I’d also be willing to act as a freelance ID Detective. If you lose your student ID and can’t be bothered to get a new one for $25, you can instead pay me $30 to track it down for you! I have a children’s spy kit from Target and unmatched determination. However, I will laugh at your freshman ID photo upon tracking it down.

With spring break coming up next week, I’ve also started to dabble in the business of travel agency. I have an assortment of travel plans for the adventurous college student: locations include Florida, Canada, Florida, Canada and of course, Canada! I will also dorm-sit for you while you’re off on spring break. I mean, how else are you going to know if your dead plant is okay?

If anyone has any inquiries, please reach out to my professional email listed at the bottom of the page.

sswells@syr.edu

ing to a stranger.”

When Michael Schoonmaker, the chair of the television, radio and film department, has a student who is struggling and needs support, he also calls on Ryan.

“Some (students) needed to get confidence in finding work and confidence in themselves,” Schoonmaker said. “Karen’s the perfect one to talk to about that.”

Schoonmaker described himself as the self-appointed president of the Karen Ryan fan club. He said she was everyone’s favorite student and that she took advantage of every opportunity SU offered.

Schoonmaker said Ryan produces content with her whole heart and that, as a student, she always made the journey of production as rewarding as the final product.

“She was unforgettable,” Schoon-

maker said. “It’s really hard for me to imagine (that she graduated) almost 20 years ago. Seems like she’s still here because her effect is still here.”

Ryan was drawn to the production of “Nimona” because the story’s protagonist was the first strong female character she saw who wasn’t on a journey of self-discovery — she knew who she was.

As a storyteller, the goal is not only to entertain people but to make the world a kinder place, Ryan said. She wants to inspire more content like “Nimona” in the world.

“(The nomination is) a huge statement of support,” Ryan said. “Especially right now, this world is trying to silence some voices and take basic human rights away, and this movie is proof that people don’t want that and it shouldn’t be that way.”

kamatloc@syr.e

Adelitas Way will perform this weekend at The Song & Dance. The highenergy rock band is known for their hits like “Nights Like This” and “Other Side.” The Las Vegas native fourpiece band has toured with iconic artists Guns N’ Roses, Creed and Papa Roach. Tickets are available for purchase online.

WHEN: March 10 at 7 p.m

PRICE: $32.11

Middle Ages Brewing Company

The Mother Hips and Midnight North are set to perform at the Middle Ages Brewing Company. The Mother Hips is a folk-rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Midnight North is a four-piece Americana band also from the Bay Area. This show marks the last performance of the pair’s fourshow east coast tour. Tickets are available online for presale or at the door before the show.

WHEN: March 10 at 8 p.m

PRICE: $20 in advance, $25 day of show

This weekend, the annual SAMMYS will celebrate local musicians. The celebration consists of a dinner the next before the event, and a ceremony. courtesy of kevin ight & leah king

Many publications, including The Daily Orange, do not have enough Latine representation, which hinders efforts to increase awareness of minority stories and experiences

is indoctrinated by white nationalist state leaders whose maintenance of wealth depends on our work, resources and land – with only our health at stake.

Had it not been for an editor at The Daily Orange reaching out to me about becoming a columnist, I would’ve stayed in research and gotten published maybe once or twice in my four years here. As a triple major taking 19-credit semesters, I don’t have a lot of time to spare, and as a first-generation college student I didn’t know that contributing to a college newspaper was something I’d have the time to do on top of everything else.

Rather than highlight the myriad of opportunities students have to tell and echo stories on an amplified platform, these publications tend to gatekeep knowledge from the communities that need it most. We deserve access to these platforms that will undoubtedly reach a wider audience than that of academia.

To be more than lab rats or tokens we must be allowed and encouraged to use our voices and assets, such as The D.O., to speak out on societal unconformity; disaffiliation with the inferior connotation of storytelling is the first step.

The lack of Latine representation within academic and journalistic spheres reveals a pervasive undercurrent of marginalization and erasure. It’s not that we have nothing to say – it’s that as people of color, especially Black, Indigenous and Latina women, we’ve been subjected to structural systems that make economic stability less and less possible, and ultimately make storytelling unfeasible for economic stability.

This marginalization is deeply intertwined with the neocolonialist framework that underpins our education and, mainly, our economic systems, perpetuating systems of inherent inequity. Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of cultural expression and identity — yet it is often pushed to the sidelines in academia because it’s

deemed less serious or valuable than other sources of knowledge production, such as those that align with individualistic Western values.

The consequwences can be reflected by the lack of input in The Daily Orange’s LatinX section, in which I’ll be marked as the second collaborative voice; more Latine columnists have gone through the revolving doors of The Daily Orange, but an editorial staff that reflects our predominantly white institution’s demographics has been negligent to represent the 10% of Latine students on campus.

Diverse representation shapes our collective understanding of who we are, where our priorities should lie and whom we can become.

Valeria Martinez columnist

A lack of diverse perspectives and narratives that reflect the richness and complexity of Latine’s experiences in The D.O. - a Syracuse University relic - continues the complicit legacy of undermining the value of the stories that my peers of color have to tell.

Further, as we work to understand the root causes of this marginalization, it is crucial to examine the intersectionality of identity within storytelling. Latine individuals, like other marginalized communities, face intersecting forms of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status, all of which shape the narratives they bring forth.

The dominance of Eurocentric perspectives reinforces stereotypes and erases the experiences of Latine communities, but it also perpetuates systems of power and privilege that maintain the status quo.

Decolonizing these systems requires a concerted effort to challenge dominant narratives and create space for diverse voices to be heard and valued. Initiatives and platforms that empower Latine storytellers play a crucial role in this endeavor, providing rightful opportunities for representation and reclamation of cultural capital.

By centering Latine voices in storytelling, we can promote empathy, understanding and social change.

Representation matters — not only for the individuals whose stories are being told but also for the rest of society. Diverse representation shapes our collective understanding of who we are, where our priorities should lie and whom we can become. The value of storytelling cannot be underestimated within academic and journalistic spheres — it is a powerful tool for challenging inequality and inequity, amplifying marginalized voices and creating a more just and inclusive world.

My story guides my desire to mobilize social justice, and my diverse experiences create a wealth of knowledge that drives change; it’s essential that we leverage our stories and experiences to confront and dismantle the neocolonialist values entrenched in our Western mindset and systems.

Growing up in a culture rooted in hospitality and warmth, I prioritize creating culturally-safe spaces in the organizations I engage with, honoring the morals generationally instilled by my family. I encourage everyone to join me and reach out to The Daily Orange – let’s amplify the unique aspects of our stories that shape our realities, working together toward a more equitable status quo.

Valeria Martinez is a sophomore majoring in Earth Science, Sociology and Environment, Sustainability and Policy. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at vmarti10@syr.edu

Columnist Valeria Martinez says that we should challenge the lack of diversity by centering more Latine stories in the media. maxine brackbill photo editor

Academic freedom is not absolute, must bend to protect Jewish students’ safety

An anonymous Syracuse parent

Editor’s Note: A group of parents, students and alumni gathered information for the preparation of a filing sent to the House of Representatives regarding antisemitism at SU. The author of this letter is a member of that group.

To the Editors,

In its recent editorial, The Daily Orange Editorial Board criticized the actions of a group of Jewish students and parents who filed a request for the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate antisemitism on the SU campus. The piece acknowledges that “there is undoubtedly antisemitism on SU’s campus,” and takes issue with (1) impinging on academic freedom to eliminate antisemitism; (2) engaging government to address antisemitism on campus; and (3) parent and student opinions in the report, falsely deriding those opinions as “inaccurate” on the basis that the authors hold different views about concededly accurate facts. The editorial omits critical information and falsely attributes errors where there are none. With the clarifications made below, it is hoped that all parties can come to the table and work collaboratively on the acknowledged problem of antisemitism on campus.

I. Academic Freedom Must Sometimes Bend to Ensure Student Safety

Chancellor Kent Syverud announced at the last University Senate meeting that when the safety of students is significantly threatened, Syracuse University will prioritize student safety over academic freedom and free speech. The editorial board criticizes this policy, stating that the placing of student safety above academic freedom shows a “lack of regard for academic freedom” and “foster[s] an environment not conducive to academic freedom.” The editorial board echoed the very position of presidents Claudine Gay, Elizabeth Magill and Sally Kornbluth at the now-infamous Dece. 5 House of Representatives hearings on antisemitism at colleges, where calls for Jewish genocide were defended as acceptable “in certain contexts.” As Representative Elise Stefanik made clear for all the world: academic freedom and freedom of speech are never absolute rights, and they must bow to

letter to the editor

safety in this country. Even if the editorial board believes it is morally defensible to subordinate the safety of Jewish students below an absolute right to academic freedom (a dubious prospect), Syracuse must honor the directive made explicit at the recent House hearings: such views violate federal law and are unacceptable in the U.S. I am pleased that Syverud, ahead of those historic House hearings, understood the lesson that the editorial board along with President Gay and Magill did not (a misunderstanding which cost those college presidents their jobs).

II. Engagement of the Government as Needed

The editors cast the parent and student group’s filing with the federal government in a negative light, urging that educators should be able to teach without fear of being named in a government filing and other consequences. While I take issue with even the premise that educators ought to enjoy immunity from consequence, the significant factual omissions from the editorial make even that suspect premise irrelevant. In the group’s filing, four representative communications over a three-month period were attached reflecting that the group of hundreds of parents and students joined together and asked in unison, time and time again, to meet with administrators, to engage with the university over described incidents of antisemitism, and to open a collaborative dialogue with the university about antisemitism. The filing explained that the multiple requests to engage the university in conversation “did not receive any reply from any Syracuse official, stymying the ability of students and parents to even bring antisemitism to the attention of the administration and collaborate to fix the persistent problem.”

While the editors misleadingly paint the group’s engagement of government as failing to “foster communication within the university culture,” the filing makes clear (and the editorial did not) that the group made precisely that effort — repeatedly and consistently — for months, but these pleadings fell on deaf ears. Had the university responded even one time to the many requests for discussion, the government intervention may have been avoided.

III. Differences of Opinion are Not Mistakes

The D.O. also takes issue with the report as demonstrating a “lack of care” both in containing “inaccuracies and how it defines antisemitic actions.” “Inaccuracies” must pertain to objective facts – calling the sun purple for example. When one person finds a painting beautiful and another finds it ugly, this does not make either opinion inaccurate, those are opinions which (by definition) cannot be “inaccurate.” The editorial addresses three principal “inaccuracies”:

The report describes a letter from architecture students and a response from Dean Michael Speaks as antisemitic; in response, the editorial claims the letter and response are not antisemitic because they merely criticize the Israeli government. The editors further take issue with the description of events in that it “distorted the magnitude of the situation on campus.” The letter andSpeaks’ response did far, far more than criticize the Israeli government: the letter praised the conduct of protestors on campus who called out Jewish Syracuse students by group names, labelling them as personally complicit in genocide, placing those students in fear for their safety. Vice Chancellor Gretchen Ritter described this conduct in a Nov. 9 email: “This kind of reprehensible behavior put a group of our students, based on their identity, at risk of harassment, retaliation and potential violence.” The architecture students’ letter praising such discriminatory conduct is itself discriminatory; and for Speaks to then thank the students’ praise as a “thoughtful communication” — and to actively welcome praise for conduct which Ritter criticized as “reprehensible behavior” — has nothing whatsoever to do with criticism of the Israeli government. To describe the letter writers’ and Speaks’ statements as mere critiques of the Israeli government is a lapse of journalistic integrity. Moreover, that the criticized filing deems “reprehensible behavior put[ting] a group of our students, based on their identity, at risk of harassment, retaliation and potential violence” to be antisemitic is a valid opinion (albeit one that differs from that of the editorial board), not a “distortion” or “inaccurate” definition of antisemitism.

The report describes a poster displayed prominently in class and encouraging students to attend a political rally, describing this dynamic as an “abuse of power” and “hostile

adherence to antisemitic views.” The editors concede that the poster was displayed, and they concede that the encouragement was given, but they suggest that the filing fails to understand “the dynamic between students and instructor,” which according to the editors makes the assertions of hostility, antisemitism and abuse inaccurate. Again, conclusions of hostility, antisemitism and abuse are opinions, not facts. The editorial board concedes the accuracy of the facts as described. To label differing opinions as “inaccurate” is a professional misstep. Moreover, the contention that there is some dynamic whereby professors freely push political views on students during classroom hours is highly questionable. Query whether the university administration would permit such a dynamic. Many if not most universities outright prohibit the conduct complained of here. See, for example, the recent statement of Cornell University’s provost reiterating that promoting a political point of view during classroom time “diminishes our roles as educators” and is a violation of school policy. Cornell Statement.

The editors also criticize the filing for raising the topic of an employment offer to poet Mosab Abu Toha, noting that Abu Toha is not the first to be offered a position through the Scholars at Risk program. Nowhere did the filing suggest he was – how is this an error?

In summary, a group of Syracuse students and parents did not reflexively run to the government as a resource of first resort without making an effort to engage with the university. Rather, the group of Jewish students and parents were ignored for months and denied an opportunity to engage in the type of meaningful discussion the editorial board hopes they would have pursued. Further, there being room for differences of opinion and viewpoint diversity, one cannot assign an opinion as “inaccurate.” Conceding that there exists an antisemitism problem on campus, hope springs eternal that the entire Syracuse community can cohabit on campus with respectful treatment of one another, allowance for differences of opinion, and complete protection of and safety for all community members, including Jewish students, professors and teaching assistant’s who are sorely lacking those entitlements at present.

Sincerely, An anonymous* Syracuse parent *Owing to the antisemitism on campus, this parent does not want their child to be targeted as a result of this letter.

SU AAUP Exec. Committee believes all full-time faculty deserve a track to tenure

The AAUP Executive Committee

Earlier this year, a few non-tenure track fulltime teaching faculty in Syracuse University’s School of Architecture were told their contracts will not be renewed next academic year. It was striking evidence of the precarity of many instructional faculty at SU and across the country, where estimates suggest nearly 75% of faculty lack access to tenure.

While labor precarity might seem unrelated to issues that continue to roil our campus and nation regarding academic freedom and free speech and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, they are intimately related. Faculty who lack the security of tenure are less likely to teach controversial subjects, explore any and all research topics and speak truth to power in spaces of academic governance.

This is why the American Association of University Professors sees tenure as vital to protecting the core value of academic freedom more generally, and advocates that all full-time faculty, even non-research teaching faculty, deserve a path to tenure. Academic freedom does not begin and end with research, but is vital for all roles faculty play on this campus.

Our Syracuse University’s AAUP chapter recently released a statement explaining that:

“Tenure is necessary to ensure that when fulltime faculty perform (their)0 duties they do so without fear of censure or penalty. … non-tenure track teaching faculty … face difficulties acting as (departmental and committee) leaders and directing policy without the protections and status of tenure. The protections of tenure are particularly important for non-tenure track faculty who also disproportionately teach, advise and advocate for the most vulnerable students on campus.”

This statement also notes that “according to the latest faculty census (2022) conducted by the Syracuse University Senate, only 50.1% of faculty are tenured or on the tenure track.”

Another way of reporting this data is to simply state that nearly 50% of our faculty lack true academic freedom. Nearly 17% of this group are fulltime faculty whose contingent status makes them

vulnerable to dismissal like the recent experience in the School of Architecture.

Of course, tenure is not the only path out of labor precarity. Another viable option, following the recent example of our graduate students, is unionization. The power of collective bargaining could allow our non-tenure track full time faculty the possibility of bargaining more job security and protections for academic freedom into a labor contract.

In fact, Adjuncts United – the union that represents part time faculty at SU, but not full time nontenure track faculty – has exactly this language on ‘academic freedom’ in their own contract: “The university affirms that these standards

(of Academic Freedom in the Faculty Manual) also apply to part-time faculty.”

While the standards in the faculty manual ostensibly apply to all faculty (non-tenure track faculty included), without the assurance of tenure or union affiliation, many non-tenure track faculty have good reason to doubt the university’s firm commitment to extending the full protections of this statute should they express unpopular viewpoints on controversial issues, either in the classroom or beyond.

Whether through an institutional path to tenure or unionization, full-time teaching faculty, professors of practice and visit -

ing professors with specialized knowledge are critical to the educational mission of our university. They deserve more than precarity. They deserve the full rights of academic freedom.

Syracuse University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors Executive Committee

Matt Huber – President

Joanna Spitzner – Vice President

Diane Grimes – Treasurer

Matthew Mulvaney – Secretary

Ivy Kleinbart – Non-TT Faculty Representative

Eileen Schell – Member at Large

Crystal Bartolovich – Past President

With academic freedom at risk, SU needs to protect educators by giving all full-time faculty members a track to tenure. Faculty deserve to teach controversial topics without the fear of losing their job. victoria ciszewska | daily orange file photo

from page 16

perennially ranked No. 1 in the country and are consistent national title contenders.

Culver alum and former Delaware midfielder Jake DeMare said Posner bases his message around having a tireless pursuit at all times and fostered a tight-knit culture. He wants the best for his players and treats you like a son, per DeMare. Nevertheless, none of that came without painstaking commitment.

“There’s a saying at Culver, ‘It’s a Culver thing,’” DeMare said while laughing. “You don’t understand Culver unless you went. I hated it when I was there.”

English was thrown into the fire. According to former teammate and current Delaware attack Mike Robinson, they’d wake up each morning at 7 a.m. to change into uniforms for mandatory room inspection. Then, it was time to line up in the courtyard and march to breakfast. Class from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Two-hour practice right afterward. All that’s left is to hit the showers, eat dinner and a sliver of downtime before a mandatory homework session from 8 to 10 p.m.

And then they’d wake up the next day to do it all over again.

“Culver was not an easy place for your first so many months there,” Stevens said. “It was definitely a culture shock. I’m pretty sure everyone wanted to leave at some point.”

Toughness is a necessity in a military environment — no one exemplifies that like Stevens. Posner, the current head coach

from page 16

and three,” Gait said about the rest of their matchups against top-10 opponents. “We’ll look back one day, hopefully, at these first two overtime losses as important games for us for how we finish the season.”

The spot the Orange are in now is something Gait warned about prior to the season. They let too many games get out of hand late in 2023. There was the 5-0 fourth-quarter run from Maryland to hand SU its first loss of last year. Then, a scoreless 11 minutes which let John Hopkins get ahead for good. And the worst example, a one-goal fourth-quarter lead versus then-No. 3 Notre Dame that evaporated from a 9-0 Fighting Irish run.

This year wasn’t supposed to be a repeat. So what went wrong in both losses?

Kohn and the faceoff unit did what they needed to do, winning close to 50%. Will Mark and the defense were more than sound as well. But the glaring issue was the absence of Spallina, who combined for five points in the defeats after a total of 42 points over SU’s five wins.

5Joey Spallina’s

When asked about Spallina’s struggles against Maryland and Army’s top long poles, Gait said Syracuse needs to help him get better opportunities to score and guaranteed that he’s going to get better. Christian Mulé felt obligated to chime in, too.

“Coach alluded to it, but Joey is a sophomore,” Mulé said. “He’s not going to have 10 points every time he plays. People are just way too hard on him.”

Mulé’s right. Spallina is much younger than most colleges’ top options — just two other sophomores (David Anderson and

at Lawrenceville (NJ), said he was one of the toughest players he’s ever coached, marveling at his focused and deliberate mindset. Stevens took responsibility, reflected accountability and didn’t have to be told when he made a mistake, Posner said.

Captivated by the passion he displays on the field, English gunned to model his game after Stevens. He said Stevens’ versatility stood out as a midfielder who shoots with efficiency and utilizes his quickness and strength to pick up loads of ground balls.

English thought if he could have even a “little bit” of Stevens in his game, he’d solidify himself in Culver’s midfield.

Though developing the same heart as Stevens is hard to come by. Posner revealed that Stevens often played through severe injury, recalling one instance where he played a string of games on a broken foot and the coaching staff ultimately forced him to sit out.

“If you were going to play rock, paper, scissors with Jake and he lost, he would want to kill you,” Posner said. “That’s how intense and competitive he was. He was always serious.”

Stevens’s willpower rubbed off on English. During his junior year at Culver, Posner noticed that English was having trouble speaking. English cited that his mouth was killing him and he felt he was coming down with a fever.

Posner asked to examine his mouth, seeing English had inflammation near his wisdom teeth. The head coach drove English to Indianapolis so he could receive treatment from an acclaimed oral surgeon in the area. He needed his wisdom teeth taken out right away. Posner called English’s

Teddy Malone) are ahead of him in the NCAA’s goals per game category. But the rightful criticism comes with being the No. 1 recruit heading into college and, more importantly, wearing the No. 22. It’s not something he can escape.

Spallina was far too one-dimensional versus Maryland’s Ajax Zappitello. He couldn’t get an inch of separation without the help of a pick (even then Zappitello usually got back in front of him). He never shot from the left side or pulled off a successful dodge.

Against Army’s AJ Pilate, it was the same story. Spallina committed four turnovers for the second straight game. He rarely did anything off-ball and finished with no goals for the second time in his career.

Spallina’s third turnover revealed another problem with SU’s new attack — its inability on man-up opportunities. In April 2023, the Orange had the fourth-best manup offense nationally, scoring 57.4% of the time. So far this year, they rank 33rd with a 38% success rate.

“It could be the spark that turns it around this year,” Gait said.

Spallina and Jackson Birtwistle marshaled the man-up unit with 10 and 11 goals, respectively, in 2023. This season, Gait said there’s no urgency on executing the plays and that everyone is staying inside instead of stretching out the defense.

The same could be said about the offense overall given Spallina’s flat play. Mulé isn’t worried about that either, saying the media needs to realize that attention on Spallina opens up the rest of the offense.

Again, Mulé’s correct. It’s OK for Spallina to be out of the picture sometimes as long as the rest of the cast steps up.

SU’s attack is more talented than ever. Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa are destroying short-stick matchups. The Orange upgraded from two transfers in Cole Kirst and Alex Simmons to three in Sam English, Jake Stevens and Mulé. Owen Hiltz has flashed improvements, too, though he also combined for two points against Maryland and Army.

If more of the potency from Syracuse’s weak

why she’s not playing,” Victoria said.

mother, Kim, to approve of the procedure.

“I was kind of hoping that maybe I could get him back up here to Canada, where (the operation) would be covered under our insurance,” Kim said.

The surgeon ripped English’s wisdom teeth out while he wasn’t under any anesthesia. Posner watched it all, he said as English pulled through, ridding himself of any pain and illness to get back on the field.

“I played the next day at practice,” English remembered. “That was definitely one of my finer moments.”

As his commitment to the program grew, English continued to follow Stevens’ lead. Posner said English and Stevens grew into similar players, displaying versatile skill sets while becoming “lethal” in transition. Even among a stacked roster, they set themselves apart.

“They always wanted to get better,” Posner said of English and Stevens. “Some kids shut down when you coach them pretty hard. But those two were a coach’s dream.”

Coming out of Culver, Stevens originally committed to Cornell, but flipped to Princeton ahead of the 2019 season. The exact same scenario occurred with English, switching from the Big Red to join the Tigers the following year.

Stevens said he was compelled to look out for English due to their history at Culver. The two had more freedom outside of lacrosse at Princeton. They didn’t live together, but played golf and watched movies and TV shows. Stevens also helped English with his coursework and getting him acclimated to the new setting.

“We were always together,” English said of their time at Princeton. “It definitely made life easier… (Stevens) was just super helpful there the whole time.”

Plus, their on-field chemistry increased, leading to gaudy results. From 2022-23, they combined for 121 points. In 2022, each earned Second-Team All-Ivy League honors and AllAmerican list selections.

Stevens and English propelled the Tigers to the Final Four with their all-around playstyles, solidifying themselves as two of the nation’s top midfielders.

“Watching the season that year and how we both contributed to that team, I think it was pretty special,” Stevens said.

In their latest endeavor at Syracuse, Stevens and English are closer than ever. They finally live together, hitting the links and watching movies in their spare time. They carpool to practice every day and can focus more on lacrosse without the military responsibilities.

The duo may not wake up as early as they used to, and Stevens is no longer tasked with reprimanding English for wearing a dirty pair of shoes. But their intertwined careers have led to them sharing a midfield for one of the sport’s most historic programs. Even for a set of hyper-focused individuals, it’s important to reflect on the winding road that got them there — and the eternal bond that’s been forged.

“It’s cool to look back on it now,” Stevens said. “To see how close me and Sam have become and what we’ve done since those early days.” ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews

nonconference bouts can transfer to ACC play, there’s no stopping it from breaking its two-year NCAA Tournament drought.

Before the season, Gait chuckled about the schedule, saying the Orange could win every nonconference game and make the postseason. If they split the matchups against Maryland and Army that could’ve been the case, but now that’s out of the picture.

Still, the ACC is beatable for the first time in a while. Every ACC team lost in the span of six days, capped off by John Hopkins’ 16-14 win over Virginia on March 2.

The Blue Jays exposed the Cavaliers’ faceoff unit, winning five straight in the second half — Kohn could do the same. Georgetown shut down Notre Dame’s offense, holding the

Kavanagh brothers to nine shots and just two goals — Odierna’s defense could do the same. Penn exposed Duke, which has the 49th-best clearing percentage in the country, with its ride — SU could take advantage of that, too.

McDermott’s improbable win in the “Rounders” finale comes from figuring out KGB’s “tell.” The underground Poker lord is no longer invincible and McDermott baits him to go all-in against a nut straight on the last hand.

The giants of the ACC have shown their tells this season. Syracuse just needs to exploit them.

“It’s just a matter of making one less mistake and one more big play, and when you’re up, maintain that,” Gait said. anish.sujeet@gmail.com

@anish_vasu

Anthony’s, Smith consistently played with and against high-level talent.

Smith helped lead Saint Anthony’s to two New York State championships while simultaneously thriving with Team Elevate. Her development led her to become Inside Lacrosse’s No. 92 recruit in the class of 2020. She committed to Syracuse in January 2019.

Despite her pre-college success, Smith was buried on SU’s depth chart as a freshman in 2021. She only played in six games and didn’t record a point. Victoria said it’s a phenomenon many former high school stars have to deal with in college.

“Unfortunately, it’s a tough process for a lot of people, but you see someone like Nat … She’s the kind of kid that is actually going to hone in those relationships and learn from them instead of be frustrated and not understand

Upon arriving in Syracuse, Smith instantly clicked with then-junior Cockerille. As midfielders, they often battled in practice, which prompted Cockerille to take Smith under her wing.

That season, Cockerille was an All-ACC Second Team selection but still took the time to mentor Smith. Though Cockerille and Smith didn’t play consistently together until 2023 — as Cockerille suffered a season-ending injury in 2022 — they developed a sister-like relationship with Cockerille admiring Smith’s competitiveness.

“She competes every single day, works her ass off every single day to come in and show that she belongs on the field and she produces,” Cockerille said.

That season, Smith enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, notching 24 points including a career-high 11 assists primarily coming off the bench.

Following Sam Swart and Tessa Queri’s graduation, Smith got her first chance to

We’ve had so many threats in the past couple of years and she knows and understands that it’s her time.”

Kayla Treanor su head coach

regularly start in 2023, starting 18 of SU’s 21 games in a season where it reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Smith added to SU’s deep attack, scoring a career-high 21 goals. In Syracuse’s 25-8 bludgeoning of Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Tournament, she notched a career-high four goals.

But after the Orange’s 8-7 semifinal loss to Boston College, the roster’s makeup drastically changed. Cockerille no longer had eligibility. Tyrrell and Carney — the team’s highest and third-highest point scorers, respectively — were gone, too.

After learning from the trio over her first three Syracuse seasons, she sees her senior year as the time to implement what she learned into her game.

“I think the people before me on this team have been great players, so it’s definitely something that I learned to watch and actually take in and try to use into my game,” Smith said.

While Smith is just beginning to thrive nationally, the dominance has always been there. Even when she was a “pipsqueak” thirdgrader meeting the Kotowski’s for the first time, she was meant to be a star.

“It’s always been Natalie’s time,” Victoria said. justingirshon@gmail.com

@Justin Girshon

Despite two overtime losses to Army and Maryland, our columnist writes that the defeats shouldn’t warrant concern. jack henry staff photographer

rebound

combined point total against Maryland and Army

Natalie Smith breaking out in Syracuse’s new-look attack

By Justin Girshon asst. sports editor

Dave Kotowski sent a simple, two-line text message that meant much more than it showed.

“Thanks for believing in Nat. She is absolutely killing it.”

To that, former Syracuse women’s lacrosse head coach Gary Gait responded that he “always loved that kid.”

Yet, when Natalie Smith was recruited out of high school, not everyone felt the same. Kotowski — the founder and CEO of Team Elevate, the club team Smith grew up playing for on Long Island, New York — said her 5-foot-4 frame shied Division I programs away. Smith had the skill and intangibles to excel. She just needed a chance on the field.

She got her chance at Syracuse. Though she played sparingly as a freshman, Smith rapidly became a key piece of SU’s midfield as a sophomore before becoming a starter as a junior. Through six games of her senior season, Smith is SU’s second-leading scorer (15 goals). Smith is on track for a career-best season while emerging as a leader on the attack following Meaghan Tyrrell, Megan Carney and Sierra Cockerille’s graduations.

“I know when I was a freshman, it was a lot to take in that first day,” Smith said. “But the people before me really told me how great I was and how great I could be so I think just listening to that (really helped).”

Though SU lost its 2024 season opener to then-No. 1 Northwestern, Smith’s expanded role was on full display. She notched a hat trick and tied her career-high with four points.

Then on Feb. 24 versus then-No. 2 Notre Dame, Syracuse was on the brink of falling to 1-3 as it trailed 10-6 at halftime in South Bend, Indiana. But Smith stepped up. In the third quarter, she scored three of her team-high four goals. Across the frame, the Orange outscored the Fighting

Irish 6-1, taking a 12-11 lead into the fourth. They closed the game out with a 16-14 win.

“We’ve had so many threats in the past couple of years and she knows and understands that it’s her time,” said Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor on Feb. 27. “She has the green light to be dominant and go for it and she’s been great.”

To position herself to thrive as a midfielder for Syracuse, Smith has consistently been guided by veteran voices.

She first picked up a lacrosse stick when she

was 4, influenced by her older sister Olivia — who played at the University of Pennsylvania — and her father Peter — who was a goalie at the University of Massachusetts.

Olivia, who is three years older, said lacrosse was natural for Smith. As a third-grader, she joined Olivia on Team Elevate. For 10 years, she was coached by Kotowski’s daughter Victoria, who previously played collegiately at Lehigh. Victoria was instantly impressed by Smith.

“The first five minutes (we) met Nat, we knew

she was going to be one of the best athletes we’ve ever coached,” Victoria said.

While coaching Smith, Victoria helped her learn how to utilize her smaller frame, improve her fitness and develop her signature sidearm shot. But some of Smith’s best experiences came from playing with Olivia’s team.

Smith played up for the first time as a fifthgrader with Olivia’s eighth-grade team. Despite being “tiny,” as Victoria described, Smith said she was oblivious to the age gap and was just excited to play.

“She’s never complacent, she’s always looking to grow and she’s always looking to challenge herself,” Olivia said. “She always puts herself with the best because if you want to be the best, you gotta play with the best and she’s really lived by that.”

A few years later, when Smith was in middle school, Olivia’s team traveled upstate for a tournament in Lake Placid. Smith tagged along for the trip and Dave asked her to suit up for the team.

Dave said the team trusted that a much younger Smith could contribute against elite competition. In one game, she was cross checked and got “absolutely flattened” by an opposing player who earned a red card, he said.

Instead of leaving the field, she popped right back up. Dave went over to Smith and told her to catch her breath. Once she was fine, he told Smith to get back out there, get the ball and rip it as hard as she possibly could. Smith listened, trotted back onto the field and scored the game’s next goal.

“I think (playing up) prepared me even for college. You’re not going to play with people that are the same age as you,” Smith said, “so you just have to really gel with it and go with the flow.”

As she grew up, Smith continuously improved her game, following in Olivia’s footsteps to Saint Anthony’s High School — an athletic powerhouse on Long Island. Between Team Elevate and Saint

Kaci Benoit prepared for SU at the nation’s No. 1 high school

By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor

For three years at Darien High School (CT), Kaci Benoit battled No. 1 recruit Chloe Humphrey daily, constantly tasked with stopping the topranked player in the nation.

“Every single day in high school was like a competition,” Benoit said. “Practice there was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

So, in Benoit’s first collegiate game, when SU head coach Kayla Treanor switched to a man-toman defense following an eight-goal first quarter from then-No. 1 Northwestern, Benoit was prepared for her assignment. Treanor entrusted the defender with guarding Izzy Scane — the defending Tewaaraton award winner. Benoit held her own, limiting Scane to two goals in the final 45 minutes.

Before her first collegiate game, Benoit was already matching up with elite players at Darien. During Benoits three seasons with the Blue Wave, they were one of the best teams in the country. And as a captain in her senior season, Benoit helped lead a team with roughly 26 Division I commits to a 22-0 record and a Connecticut Class L State Championship.

From beginning to end in 2023, Darien was the No. 1 team in the nation, according to USA Lacrosse. Benoit’s time at Darien prepared her to make an instant impact at SU, starting its first six games.

“It almost feels like a mini college team at Darien,” Treanor said. “It’s great to have a player from there that is so well coached that comes in ready to go.”

Prior to high school, Benoit lived in Branford, an hour north of Darien. As an eighth grader, she played varsity lacrosse and field hockey at Hamden Hall Country Day Private School.

In June 2019, Benoit and her father, David, attended the 2019 Connecticut Class L State Championship between Darien and New Canaan. Darien dominated, winning 12-6.

“When we saw Darien play, I was like ‘Wow, that would be something if we could get down there,’” David said. “But it was never a front burner item. It was more like a pipe dream.”

But the “pipe dream” quickly turned into reality. In Benoit’s freshman year, David reached out to Darien head coach Lisa Lindley, inquiring about Benoit playing for the CT Grizzlies, a club team coached by Lindley.

Many Darien players played for the Grizzlies and they practiced at the school. Benoit drove an hour each Sunday to work with

the team and earned a roster spot just before Christmas 2019.

Benoit was set to attend Loomis Chaffee, another Connecticut private school, as a sophomore. But the school canceled housing and athletics at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and Benoit never enrolled.

So, David and Benoit’s mother, Karen, moved the family to Darien. The Benoits sold their house in Branford and rented for five months in Darien, hoping to get Benoit enrolled as quickly as possible.

Though she had played with many of Darien’s players and under Lindley with the Grizzlies, she needed to adjust quickly. Lindley moved her from midfield to defense because of her quick feet and stick skills.

“She really bought in because she knew practicing with these kids and being coached by (Lindley) and her assistants were going to make her a better player,” David said.

By the spring, Benoit earned a starting spot and anchored Darien’s defense as an elite one-onone defender, helping it to a state championship. The following year, Darien fell short of back-toback titles, falling 14-13 to New Canaan.

With the feeling of defeat still fresh, Darien’s historic 2023 season began at its 2022 end-ofyear banquet. In the final honor awarded at the ceremony, Lindley announced Benoit would wear the No. 85.

The distinction honors Jon Schoen, a former

player’s father who died in 2017 and wore the number for the Boston College football team in the 1980s. Each year it’s given to a senior who exemplifies a strong passion and commitment to lacrosse. Among 11 returning seniors, Lindley and her staff chose Benoit.

Darien entered 2023 with a target on its back — ranked as No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse Poll.

With Darien’s roster filled with D-I recruits, multiple players said Lindley treats the team as a collegiate program, with lifting sessions after practice while breaking down film daily.

“They can’t take a day off,” Lindley said. “They need to focus and bring it and it’s people like the Kaci’s (Benoit) of the world who demand that high-level play.”

On a talent-rich team, no battle stood out more each day than the nation’s top attack against its top defender — Humphrey versus Benoit.

“Some days she would be crushing me and then some days I would have an advantage on her,” said Humphrey, who now plays at North Carolina. “Combining all of those days together really pushed us to be the best offensive and defensive player we could be.”

Ryan Hapgood, who is currently at Dartmouth, said Benoit was her least favorite player to match up against. Fellow defenders Morgan Massey and Maggie Bellissimo said they loved playing alongside Benoit as she helped them better understand defensive schemes and often defended the best player.

In April 2023, the No. 2 Blue Wave traveled to the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland, to face off against No. 1 St. Paul’s School for Girls (MD). Benoit and Darien took down St. Paul’s 13-12, claiming the consensus No. 1 spot in the nation before going undefeated.

Benoit had some attention from colleges before transferring to Darien, but her improvement with the Blue Wave garnered more offers. Syracuse showed interest immediately, setting up a one-on-one visit with the family in September of her junior year.

As the Benoits, Treanor and assistant coaches Kenzie Kent and Caitlin Defliese Watkins walked through the JMA Wireless Dome tunnel onto the field, a hype video narrated by Treanor played on the jumbotron. Treanor’s voice echoed throughout the stadium and Benoit broke into tears. She knew she found her school.

So far in 2024, Benoit has started all six games. From her first matchup with Scane, Benoit has held her own against the best attacks in the nation.

“She’s a tremendous defender, and she’s really good because she’s so versatile,” Treanor said. “She can face guard somebody, she can play in our zone. It’s hard to have her off the field.”

Still, Benoit’s move to Darien often comes to mind when pondering her new destination.

“Moving there was probably the reason why I’m here today,” Benoit said.

amstepan@syr.edu

women’s lacrosse

Natalie Smith took a backseat in her first three seasons at Syracuse. Now, she’s on track for a careerbest season as SU’s second-leading scorer. calysta lee contributing photographer

women’s lacrosse

After moving to Darien High School in her sophomore year, Kaci Benoit’s lacrosse career took off, preparing for a major role in 2024 as a freshman at Syracuse. joe zhao asst. photo editor

Beat writers predict Syracuse’s 2024 ACC Tournament fate

By Daily Orange Sports Staff

For the first time since 2016, Syracuse has earned a double-bye in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. After tying a program record for regular season wins (23) — 13 of which came against conference opponents — the Orange earned the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament. Led by point guard Dyaisha Fair, who recently entered the top five on the NCAA’s all-time women’s basketball scoring list, SU has risen to the top of the conference following a projected ninth-place finish.

After one of its most successful regular seasons in recent memory, Syracuse now has the chance to win its first ACC tournament title ever. In the quarterfinals, Syracuse will either play Wake Forest, Virginia, or Florida State — all of whom SU has beaten this season. Possible matchups in the semifinals include Duke and NC State, who both beat the Orange in the past two weeks.

Here’s how our beat writers think No. 20 Syracuse (23-6, 13-5 ACC) will fare in the ACC Tournament:

Cooper Andrews

Plan the parade

Finish: ACC Champions

Call me a homer. Say I’m doubling down. I really do not care. I’ve had a lingering feeling about this team from the beginning and even through the ebbs and flows of 2023-24, the Orange showed me their potential in a crowded ACC — and I think they’ll reach it.

Compared to last year’s team that had a postseason meltdown against NC State, Syracuse has a much deeper roster with capable scorers in Woolley, Alaina Rice and Alyssa Latham. She, along with Kyra Wood, Saniaa Wilson and Varejão, have also made for a stellar frontcourt, as SU holds the sixth-best offensive rebounding rate (40.9%) in the nation.

The program is finally formidable again. Though, how can I say they’ll upset teams like NC State and Virginia Tech? Well, they have Fair. And no one else does.

She’s made to dominate in March. She just hasn’t received the proper chance. But Fair

men’s lacrosse

proved through dazzling displays from 3 and unabating fourth quarter mastery that she’s the straw that stirs the drink, one that will be too potent for opponents to digest. Virginia Tech star center Elizabeth Kitley may miss the conference tournament due to injury, which leaves Fair and Notre Dame phenom Hannah Hidalgo as the biggest stars remaining.

Something’s gotta give. And I envision Fair leading SU to an easy quarterfinal victory and a tight semifinal win over No. 2 seed NC State to set up a third matchup with Hidalgo’s Fighting Irish in the title game. Then, like she’s already done twice this season, Fair will shock Notre Dame, deliver an ACC Championship for Syracuse and cement herself as the program’s greatest player of all time.

Zak Wolf

One and done

Finish: Quarterfinals Exit

Someone has to be the pessimist on this beat.

If you had told me at the start of the season that this team would earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament, I would’ve looked at you a little funny. I didn’t think Syracuse would do well in a deep conference where every game is a challenge.

Yet, even though I slightly doubted them at the start of the season, I’m doing it again. Will they prove me wrong? Looking at the team, the overreliance on Fair will prove to be costly, especially in the postseason. We saw against Duke and late versus NC State how Fair could be rattled by physical and aggressive defenses.

If Syracuse can get its secondary scoring options like Georgia Woolley and Izabel Varejão going, then it could be a different story. But the postseason is different. Syracuse is no longer the surprise team it was at the start of the season.

Another aspect of this tournament is Syracuse’s layoff — the longest in the field. Some people might see this as a benefit since it gives the team extra rest, but I think it’ll be to SU’s detriment.

There’s been countless times this season where we’ve seen the Orange start games slow and have to claw their way back. You don’t want to play from behind, especially in a win-or-gohome scenario. Syracuse’s lackadaisical start to games will end up costing them in Greensboro.

Justin Girshon

Too many concerns

Finish: Semi-final loss

No matter how it fares in the ACC and NCAA Tournament, this is without a doubt a home run season for Syracuse. Projected to finish ninth by the conference’s Blue Ribbon Panel, the Orange exceeded all expectations by finishing third and are now on the brink of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

But even with how good this team has played, there are too many concerns preventing me from thinking SU can make it to the conference championship game. Likely to play No. 6 Florida State in the quarterfinals, I think the Orange — despite being far less balanced than the Seminoles — will take care of business before likely matching up against No. 2 NC State in the semifinals.

Across SU’s four February games, Fair was

on the court for all but five minutes — which isn’t necessarily a problem when games are spaced out. But in Greensboro, Syracuse would play three games in three days if it makes the championship game. Even if Fair was to stay on track with her 22 points per game, her efficiency could be a cause for concern — especially if SU’s secondary scorers can’t figure it out offensively. All it takes for this team to lose is an off game from Fair. Even if she thrives, a let-down performance from secondary scoring could still prevent the Orange from winning a given game. Over its final three games of the regular season, Syracuse shot 25.0% from the field versus Duke, 32.8% in a comeback win over No. 15 ACC seed Pitt and 35.4% versus NC State. No matter how many points Fair scores, it’ll all come down to SU’s efficiency — whether that’s Fair being inefficient on 25 shots or the secondary scorers failing to support her.

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Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 2 Johns Hopkins

It’s been a mixed bag for Syracuse in 2024. The Orange have taken care of business against weaker opponents as shown in their most recent win over High Point. Yet when facing tougher opponents this season, SU has faltered. First, it was an overtime loss to then-No. 4 Maryland followed by another overtime loss against then-No. 5 Army.

The ranked losses are nothing new for Syracuse. Under head coach Gary Gait, the Orange are 1-13 against top 10 opponents, including losing their last 10. Saturday provides Syracuse with a chance to gain a signature win as it faces No. 2 Johns Hopkins.

The Blue Jays have won four straight, including a 16-14 upset win over then-No. 2 Virginia this past Saturday. Hopkins’ only loss came in overtime against then-No. 15 Denver, but it’s won every game since then.

Here’s everything to know about No. 2 Johns Hopkins (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) ahead of its matchup with No. 9 Syracuse (5-2, Atlantic Coast Conference):

All-time series

Johns Hopkins leads 32-28.

Last time they played

Coming off three straight losses to then-No. 4 Maryland, then-No. 16 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Duke, Syracuse welcomed No. 11 Johns Hopkins to the JMA Wireless Dome. Michael Leo scored to put Syracuse up one at the start of the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays then rattled off three straight goals to come out with an 11-9 victory.

Syracuse was led by Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz. Both registered four points but were held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Hopkins was led by Tim Marcille in net who finished with a career-high 21 saves.

The Blue Jays report

Johns Hopkins is one of the most storied programs in college lacrosse history with nine national championships but in recent years it has struggled. After not making an NCAA

tournament appearance since 2019, the Blue Jays broke their streak in 2023 after going 12-6.

Johns Hopkins returns plenty from last season’s squad, including its top eight goal scorers.

On the defensive side of the ball, JHU lost Marcille but added a veteran presence in Chayse Ierlan in net. Ierlan recorded a 50% save percentage or better in three out of four seasons at Cornell.

At the faceoff X, the Blue Jays are led by Logan Callahan, who boasts a 56.3 faceoff percentage. Callahan has already taken 112 draws in 2024 and has increased his percentage by 10%. The junior went 10-for-16 against Virginia, winning three in a row at the start of the fourth quarter.

How SU beats Johns Hopkins

The biggest thing for Syracuse is to have a strong fourth quarter against Johns Hopkins. The Orange haven’t struggled late in games this year, but they also haven’t closed games well, hence

their two overtime losses. If the SU wants to get over the hump, its offense can’t fall flat in the fourth quarter. Johns Hopkins trailed by one going into the fourth quarter in its last game but outscored Virginia 5-2.

For the offense to not falter late, Spallina needs to have a signature performance. He’s struggled against ranked teams this season. After being held scoreless against Army, Christian Mulé defended his teammate at the postgame press conference. But in 2024, the numbers show that Spallina’s performances are drastically different in big games.

Stat to know: 9.5

Johns Hopkins has one of the best defenses in the country and lets up just 9.5 goals per game, which is the seventh-best mark in the nation. After conceding 13 goals against Denver in their opener, the Blue Jays held their next four opponents to single digits,

including then-No. 15 North Carolina and then-No. 17 Loyola. Although it let up a season-high 14 goals against UVA, JHU held the Cavaliers to just four in the second half, including the last five and a half minutes scoreless. McCabe Millon — the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023 — was held to just one goal on five shots.

Player to watch: No. 23 Jacob Angelus

Angelus led Johns Hopkins in assists (44) along with points last season (61) and is its main distributor on offense. Last season, the attack registered three assists in over half of his appearances and his assists numbers have remained steady in 2024. Angelus has registered 14 assists in six games — eight more than the next Blue Jays player. His 13 goals is just behind Garrett Degnon’s teamleading 16.

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Our beat writers have mixed opinions on Syracuse women’s basketball’s ACC Tournament fate after a resurgent regular season. arnav pokhrel staff photographer

No. 9 Syracuse faces off against No. 2 Johns Hopkins Saturday. The Blue Jays boast a top-10 defense in the country, which allows just 9.5 goals per game. jacob halsema staff photographer

By Cooper Andrews sports editor

Sam English suffered the wrath of Jake Stevens when he entered Culver Military Academy in 2015. Stevens, a then-sophomore, was the beret in charge of inspecting English and a few other freshmen. Stevens yelled at English to clean his room. He berated him when his bed wasn’t made. He examined his uniform and assessed his military duties. And he screamed at English when his shoes weren’t shining bright enough.

English expected to gain a quick companion in Stevens, as the two competed in box lacrosse growing up in Canada. He certainly didn’t think Stevens would be his drill sergeant.

“That was a little shell-shocking,” English said.

Culver — a high-school lacrosse powerhouse in Indiana — molded English and Stevens. It was where their friendship originated, one that’s steadily blossomed through their eerily similar career paths. They were raised within 30 minutes of each other in Canada. They ascended in the lacrosse world while sharing the midfield at Princeton. Everything culminated in their simultaneous transfer to Syracuse, the final stop on their shared lacrosse journey.

Jake Stevens and Sam English have developed an unbreakable bond, spurring from their grueling experience at Culver Military Academy

Eight years together drastically changed their association. Stevens was no longer English’s disciplinarian, becoming his confidant as the duo discussed their potential fifth-year ventures. They wouldn’t concretely state they made their decision in lockstep, yet they didn’t have to. It was inevitable.

Both Stevens and English already established ties with Syracuse offensive coordinator Pat March, who coached Stevens for one year at Princeton and helped recruit English. Stevens said a feeling lingered that he’d select SU, and once English spoke with the staff, it started to make sense for all parties.

Though Stevens’ mother, Shireen, believes her son was always waiting for English’s choice. A few weeks went by after Stevens first brought up the idea of playing at SU, which prompted Shireen to re-inquire about his future.

“So Jake, have you heard anything more?” Shireen asked.

“Well, I don’t know. I’m waiting to see what happens,” Stevens responded.

She pressed him further, questioning what he’d do if English didn’t go to SU. Still, Shireen received the same answer. Once English narrowed his decision to Syracuse, Shireen recalls Stevens saying “Sam’s in.”

“Once Jake made that decision and I knew he was going there, (it) made it a little bit easier for me to make that decision,” English said. “Knowing I have somebody here, knowing I’d be able to transition easily and be here with someone who’s helped me and can help me.”

English needed Stevens the same way he did at Culver. For a military school with a rigorous reputation, it was necessary to have someone guiding them. The program, which rose to prominence following former head coach Jonathan Posner’s hire

McDermott’s face-to-face with Teddy KGB (played by John Malkovich), who drained his entire $30,000 bankroll at the beginning of the movie on a single hand. He needs to win one final game of Texas hold ‘em to get rid of all his debt. And with the odds stacked against him, McDermott wins one hand after another.

“Hanging around, hanging around,” KGB says, dealing cards out for the next hand. “Kid’s got alligator

blood. Can’t get rid of him.”

No. 9 Syracuse has been in McDermott’s shoes twice this season, underdogs against the powerhouses of Maryland and Army. The Orange hung around, sending both losses to overtime. A goal-mouth violation and a missed empty net opportunity stands between them and an undefeated record.

“We can make some mistakes and still be there with a proven top 5 team,”

head coach Gary Gait said following the 14-13 loss to Army. “So we’re close.”

The preseason buzz around Syracuse was high. Joey Spallina’s return after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year. Mason

By the end of the 1998 poker drama “Rounders,” Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon) is disheveled, hours removed from the worst beating of his life. A bruise on his left cheek and two gashes on his nose show the damage.

Jake

Former

ANISH