On the eve of change
The
By Samantha Olander senior staff writer
Cameron Colville has wanted to be a Lockerbie Scholar since he was 10 years old. Now, as one of the final two recipients of the scholarship, achieving that dream is bittersweet.
Colville and fellow scholar Anna Newbould are the last students to receive Syracuse University’s Lockerbie Scholarship before it transitions from a year-long program for two students in Syracuse to a one-week immersion trip for a group of ten.
“Fourteen years later, it means a lot to feel like I can achieve something by being here and connected with the tragedy,” Colville said. “I’m not sure if the new model can be as impactful as I feel this experience has been so far.”
For the residents of Lockerbie, Scotland, the scholarship shows a commitment to honor the memories of those who died in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing by forming connections between the affected communities, according to SU’s website. Colville and Newbould said the connection feels especially meaningful this year as they are the final students to experience its original structure.
The Lockerbie Scholarship was established to honor the 11 Lockerbie residents who died when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Dec. 21, 1988 due to a terrorist bombing. Since 1990, SU has selected 35 students and two Lockerbie Academy students each year to honor the 270 total victims, including 35 SU students, who died. This year will be the final selection of two Lockerbie Scholars for a year-long stay on SU’s campus.
Colville and Newbould acknowledged the power of Remembrance Week, but said finding out they were the last two scholars was “a shock.” They said they’re concerned the change might limit the impact of the scholarship’s legacy.
“I feel as though I’m not being given the chance to prove how meaningful and life-changing this scholarship can really be,” Newbould said. “It’s almost overshadowing (Remembrance Week) in a way that I wish it wasn’t.”
A university spokesperson wrote in a Wednesday morning statement to The Daily Orange that the transition reflects changing interests and dynamics of students.
By Madeline Goodheart asst. digital editor
In 1988, Regina Trach Gallary, then a SUNY Oswego student, had her ticket booked for Pan-Am Flight 103. A change of mind only a few days prior saved her life.
She originally planned to join fellow Oswego students Colleen Brunner and Lynne Hartunian on their European backpacking trip at the end of their semester abroad in London. But, realizing she wouldn’t have enough money to enjoy the trip, Gallary rescheduled her flight to December 18 — just days before
the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing on December 21, 1988.
Both Brunner and Hartunian were among the 270 people killed in the terrorist bombing, including 35 Syracuse University students and 11 residents of Lockerbie, Scotland, where the plane crashed.
“Their zest for life was contagious. They were so much fun to be around,” Gallary said. “You always just wanted to do whatever they were doing.” Brunner and Hartunian both majored in communication studies at Oswego. Brunner, the youngest of eight children, was originally from North Boston, New York. Hartunian,
born in Troy, was returning home to Niskayuna, New York to become a godmother to her nephew. Brunner attended Hamburg Senior High School, where she served as secretary and vice president of the student council and was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. At Oswego, she worked in the admissions office and belonged to the Alpha Sigma Chi sorority. Her mother previously described her as having a “special gift of inner love.”
Hartunian graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1985 and went to the Barbizon School of Modeling in Albany, New York. During
summer breaks, she worked at her dad’s supermarket and loved to play piano. She aspired to go into television communications or advertising.
She graduated from Oswego cum laude posthumously. After the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, her high school started a scholarship awarded each year in her name.
After finishing their classes in London, Brunner and Hartunian spent several weeks backpacking through Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Their friends and roommates, Janette Hausler and Kristin Usaitis, joined them on the trip. Hausler
and Usaitis were also members of Brunner’s sorority. Hausler and Usaitis had planned to spend Christmas in Europe, but Brunner and Hartunian, both familyoriented, wanted to be with their loved ones for the holiday, Hausler said. In the end, Hausler and Usaitis decided to return home for Christmas and booked their flights for Dec. 23. As the pair took a train from Germany back to London on Dec. 22, they noticed passengers unfolding their newspapers. The headlines immediately caught their attention. All of them were about Pan Am Flight 103.
cameron colville (left) and anna newbould (right) are SU’s last year-long Lockerbie Scholars. They hope to carry on the program’s legacy. calysta lee staff photographer
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INSIDE
The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.
NEWS
“I’m not sure if the new model can be as impactful as I feel this experience has been so far.” - Cameron Colville, 2024 Lockerbie
Scholar
Page 1
CULTURE
“If you want a real big sandwich, go to New York City, but this is the best place to go outside of New York.” - Mark Andrew Cummings, Water St. Bagels customer
Page 4
OPINION
“For Lebanese and Palestinian students, witnessing the devastation in our homelands while being physically removed from it — safe in the privilege of our lives in the United States — can be both painful and isolating.” - Kinda Alhourani, columnist
Page 11
SPORTS
“If I were comparing it to one year of volleyball or the rest of my life to be a functional human, then I have to be smart.”Laila Smith, former SU volleyball player Page 16
COMING UP
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: American Democracy at the Crossroads
WHEN: Oct. 25, 12 - 1:30p.m.
WHERE: Virtual
WHAT: Spooky Harvest Fest
WHEN: Oct. 26, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Central New York Regional Market
WHAT: Westcott Halloween Dog Parade
WHEN: Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to 12:30p.m.
WHERE: Petit Branch Library
International scholars bring global perspective to Remembrance
By Henry Daley asst. copy editor
While a majority of Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholars have grown up in the United States, current scholar Adya Parida said she believes international students are especially equipped to relate to the themes of the program.
Parida — who grew up in Odisha, India — is one of five international students in the 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar cohort. She said she and her peers hope to bring a global understanding of how communities cope with tragedy to the program.
“With a different culture, I feel like that sort of nuanced understanding is something that I really give kudos to my international background for,” Parida said. “Sometimes it can be difficult to understand, but that sort of exposure really helps you with that.”
Each year, the university chooses 35 incoming seniors to represent the SU students killed in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing on Dec. 21, 1988, while returning home from study abroad programs. The Remembrance Scholars also work to preserve the memory of all 270 people who died in the terrorist bombing and subsequent plane crash into the town of Lockerbie, Scotland.
This year, the Remembrance cohort’s international students include Parida, Yifan “Ivan” Shen of Shanghai, China; Cheryl Olanga of Nairobi, Kenya; Zachary Murray of Kingston, Jamaica and Nadia LyngdohSommer of Singapore.
Since her freshman year, Parida said she has had friends who were involved in the Remembrance program. She said seeing them participate in Remembrance Week, a series of events hosted by the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars to spread campus awareness of terrorism and the stories of the victim, was something she felt drawn to.
Parida is representing Peter Peirce, a graduate student who was pursuing a master’s degree in architecture. Peirce was returning from a semester abroad in Florence, Italy.
“I just felt really connected with the goal,” Parida said. “It’s an honor to be a scholar because you’re representing someone, you’re representing their legacy, you’re representing their values and their families that come. You get to know them on a personal level.”
Shen said he has learned a lot about the bombing’s global impact first-hand. Shen, like Parida, started preparing his application to be a scholar years before he actually applied.
Before enrolling at SU, Shen said he visited campus and spoke with former Remembrance Scholars, who encouraged him to spend time abroad in Lockerbie to help him learn about the tragedy. Shen visited Lockerbie and spoke to a resident who witnessed the bombing, who he said cried while retelling the story to Shen.
“It was in a small group of 15 to 20 people in that room, but that person felt safe and felt the necessity to pass on her knowledge, her memory about the event,” Shen said. “I never experienced something like that before, that level of intimacy and trust and vulnerability the witness was able to share with the people in the room.”
Shen said his time in Lockerbie helped him understand the trauma inflicted by the bombing. The empathy and openness of the witness was an adjustment compared to how he was raised in China, where he said there’s a more reserved cultural tone for discussing troubling events.
His conversation with the witness helped him bridge the cultural difference and better
explained the implications of the bombing to people in his home country.
“Because I come from China, and some people think you’re just here to get a degree or just to learn, the Remembrance Program … showed me the possibility (that) someone not from here can still be involved and make a difference,” Shen said.
Parida said the program helped her spread awareness about the bombing to her peers overseas, as she made social media posts about its impact that reached her family members and their communities. She said her posts show how international students can bring people together globally, and find a community among students with similar goals.
“I definitely feel like international students share a bond regardless of where we are on campus. Because of our shared experiences, being an international student in any country, not just in the U.S., it takes a lot of extra work,
a lot of extra challenges. I feel like that shared experience ties us really well,” Parida said.
Samantha Trumble, the Remembrance Program advisor, said she hopes the scholars use Remembrance Week to help spread awareness and encourage students to apply for the program. The application for next year’s cohort will be available on the Center for Fellowship & Scholarship Advising’s website later this semester.
Parida echoed Trumble’s sentiment, saying that while the program is a lot of work, she encouraged students to apply.
“We try to embody the values of what it means to be a Remembrance Scholar every single day through our actions,” Parida said. “The whole campus community is watching you, and wherever you go, your behavior on campus, or the way you talk to people or do things, it reflects the message you’re carrying. It’s a tremendous honor.”
hdaley@syr.edu
SU responds to letter about Lockerbie Scholarship changes
By Kate Jackson asst. news editor
Syracuse University responded to an open letter from hundreds of community members who expressed their disappointment with SU’s changes to the Lockerbie Scholarship program.
Elisa Macedo Dekaney, associate provost for strategic initiatives, wrote the response letter to elaborate on some of the proposed changes to the program, including a new year-long program at Lockerbie Academy for 10 chosen students that would end with a week-long immersion trip to SU’s campus.
The university responded on Oct. 18, four days after the open letter was sent. The open letter, written by 2011-12 Remembrance Scholar Christopher Jennison and signed by 427 people, included perspectives from Lockerbie Scholars, Remembrance Scholars, SU students and others invested in the Lockerbie program.
Dekaney said the university reviewed the educational component of the scholarship and determined that because Lockerbie Scholars are non-matriculating students, students were focusing more on the social aspect of university life rather than their academics. As non-matriculating students, Lockerbie Scholars cannot transfer SU credits to another college.
“Though that social component is important, it’s not in line with the original goals of this program,” Dekaney wrote.
SU’s initial announcement said the trip would be for 11-12 students and did not mention the year-long program in Lockerbie.
The open letter argued that the proposed changes “significantly diminish” the impact of the program, which has lasted 35 years in memory of the 270 people who died, including 11 Lockerbie residents and 35 SU students, in the 1988 Pan Am
Flight 103 bombing. The letter also highlights the bonds between Syracuse and Lockerbie students developed through the program.
Jennison said he drafted the open letter to allow past scholars to express their feelings. He said the letter serves as a collective response from the Lockerbie and Remembrance community members who he said were not consulted prior to SU’s decision.
“I think very much it was a chance for people to have their voice heard, to have a forum to voice their feelings and frustrations,” Jennison said.
The letter included several anecdotes about friendships between Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars to show the impact Lockerbie students had on the Remembrance program and the broader campus community.
“The Lockerbie Scholar program is a living memorial to the connection between Syracuse University and Lockerbie. During my freshman year in fall of 2003, I became close with a Lockerbie scholar, and that changed my life and opened my eyes to the world,” Stephen Miller, a 2006-07 Remembrance Scholar, wrote in the letter.
In SU’s response, Dekaney recognized the impact of the scholarship program and agreed that it has strengthened the bond between the Syracuse and Lockerbie communities. The response said that moving forward, the program may undergo “reimagining” to allow for more Lockerbie students to participate.
Jennison said he hoped the open letter would encourage SU Chancellor Kent Syverud, the Board of Trustees and other academic leaders to open a discussion forum about the decision. He said this would allow members of the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholarship community to voice their opinions for the university to take into consideration.
In the response, Dekaney said the university’s proposal for future Lockerbie Scholars will be discussed in upcoming meetings with SU’s Lockerbie partners.
Dekaney said in her response that SU will continue to facilitate engagement between Lockerbie Scholars and Remembrance Scholars, university leaders and local officials despite the changes. This will include shared programming opportunities between Lockerbie and SU students who study abroad in London, she said.
Jennison said SU’s Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars are some of the most involved students on campus and remain invested in the
Remembrance program even after graduation. Given the opportunity, Jennison said many people would be willing to financially support the program so it could maintain scholars’ presence on campus year-long.
“I understand that things need to evolve, but I would think that with such a profound and lasting and meaningful pair of scholarships that are often capturing some of the most active leaders of the campus that the university would have discussed or foreshadowed in some way with the community,” Jennison said.
Kate Jackson
yifan “ivan” shen (left) and adya parida (right) are two international students out of five international students in the 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar cohort. courtesy of adya parida and yifan “ivan” shen
Over 400 people signed an open letter expressing concerns with the Lockerbie Scholarship changes. SU has since responded. collin snyder contributing photographer
They dough it better
Water Street Bagel Co. was named the fifth-best bagel shop in New York state
Story by Ben Butler
asst. copy editor
Think about bagels, really good bagels, and where to get them. The obvious answers come to mind: Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey.
But if you ask Mark Cummings, who was at Water Street Bagel Co. with his girlfriend and her father, the popular Syracuse bagel shop is “phenomenal.”
“If you want a real big sandwich, go to New York City,” Cummings said. “But this is the best place to go outside of New York.”
Water Street Bagel Co. opened in 2018. Meg Dellas’ family wasn’t new to the restaurant game; her great-grandfather started Varsity Pizza and her family also operates Faegan’s. Dellas never thought she would get into the family industry. But something drew her back to Syracuse to work for her father at Faegan’s, and her family ties have helped her succeed at her own restaurant.
Yelp’s recent ranking of Water Street as the fifth best bagel shop in New York state came as a shock to Dellas, who had no advance knowledge of the list. What wasn’t shocking to Dellas was the praise itself; after all, Water Street doesn’t skimp on ingredients. Her staff, particularly her bakers who have
been with her since the shop opened, have all helped to develop the bagel, and that care and attention to detail shows.
Why bagels? Dellas said it was to fill a hole in the market. Syracuse had a few bagel chains, like Bruegger’s, but no homemade options downtown and certainly not a wood-fired shop. Dellas knows why that was the case now — bagel shops are difficult to operate.
“We just wanted to make our life extremely hard,” Dellas said. “But we wanted to bring something to Syracuse that hadn’t been brought before.”
One thing that sets Water Street apart is its method. Most bagel shops use rotating ovens, but Dellas, taking inspiration from bagel shops she visited prior to opening the shop in NYC, Philadelphia and New Jersey, chose to use wood-fired ovens.
Every day starting at 2 a.m., except Mondays when the store is closed, bakers make the dough, slow proof it in the walk-in cooler and boil and bake it until it’s ready for sale. It’s a busy job, but it gives the bagels that distinct smoky flavor and crisp texture, Dellas said.
“This is more of a process, and it’s more of a show,” Dellas said. “Little kids on the weekend, their parents hold them up and they watch the show.”
Bagel prep might be intense at Water Street, but Dellas said her employees truly care about what they’re serving. Erin Brousseau, Syracuse University senior and
employee at Water Street, agreed. Brousseau said the positive experience of customers, atmosphere of the location and the topof-the-line bagels are all fundamentals of Water Street.
Brousseau, who is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, came to Water Street on her friend’s recommendation and was drawn to the shop because of the food. Brousseau worked at a bakery in her hometown, and that pastry connection helped bring her to Water Street.
“I’ve always enjoyed that camaraderie aspect of all these different people coming together at this local little spot,” Brousseau said.
Everybody working at Water Street is flexible, doing a little bit of everything from the register to working expo to making bagels as a cohesive bageling unit, Brousseau said. That chain of command and effective prioritization, Brousseau said, is essential on busy days, especially the weekends.
Brousseau, who has only been working at Water Street for two months, has already mastered the customer service the shop is reputed for. Brousseau said that what the service staff provides warrants the acclaim Water Street has earned.
“There are a lot of regulars, and I already have their orders memorized off the top of my head,” Brousseau said. “The fact that we care for the customers so conscientiously represents that we should be in the top 10.”
What catches the eye at Water Street is the massive exterior window, which Dellas said she tries to keep open as Syracuse’s notoriously shifty weather permits. The window also remained open for a long stretch of time during the COVID-19 pandemic, with staff, masked and all, serving fresh bagels through the window.
Dellas said the shop never closed once during the pandemic, except their usual Monday closures, which helped develop a loyal customer base. The shop gained recognition as a Syracuse staple and being somewhere that people could rely on.
That reputation brought Jake Purnell to Water Street. Purnell, who works for Upstate Medical Hospital, travels often. He came to Syracuse on a 13-week contract, and asked locals where the best places to eat in town were. Overwhelmingly, people gave him two recommendations: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Water Street. Purnell felt that Water Street was a less touristy, more authentically local pick.
“When you go to Philly, everybody’s like, ‘You should go to the statue of Rocky,’ because everybody f*cking knows the statue of Rocky,” Purnell said. “But then you get some deep local recommendations and places that locals have to keep from the tourists, and (Water Street) was one of those.”
Purnell likes cheap prices, because it enables the consumer to return to the restaurant.
Purnell said prices, the more valuable
“That’s smaller holes “They’re about them.” Small chain costs prices. Dellas she would in a year and about doing
For Dellas, buy the best like Acme tends to cut its reputation coming back.
“That’s people in Dellas said.
Purnell Street increased much for him increases be New Yorkers taste of Water
“I would but I wouldn’t ritzy, fancy, don’t want
Photos by Joe Zhao, Maxine Brackbill and Ben Butler the daily orange
said once restaurants increase their the food becomes a premium that is valuable to tourists than locals.
“That’s the thing about local spots; they’re holes in the wall,” Purnell said. affordable, and only the locals know them.” restaurants face the issue of supply costs and often are forced to raise their Dellas said that was probably something have to do, as she hasn’t raised prices and a half, though she seemed reluctant doing so again. Dellas, it’s a matter of excellence; they best brands for their sandwich combos, Acme Smoked Fish’s lox. Cutting costs cut into Water Street’s bottom line, and reputation for quality is what keeps people back.
“That’s also why we’ve gotten so many here; they do notice our product,” said.
Purnell quietly admitted that, even if Water increased its pricing, the quality is too him to pass up. But the impact of price that would really bug Purnell would Yorkers coming up from the city for a Water Street. would absolutely pay more for that big one, wouldn’t want to see this place become a fancy, touristy spot,” Purnell said. “You want them to lose their local charm.” bnbutler@syr.edu
Meg Dellas, owner of Water Street Bagel Co., smiles by her shop’s window. The shop’s outdoor seating, brick exterior and wall-size window are part of its charm.
A staff member assembles, wraps and then shows off a bagel.
Shirt World closes after 48 years, signifying new beginnings
By Dylan van Breda staff writer
Dave and Sandra Jacobs said their love story was written on Marshall Street.
The Jacobs’ met in December 1984 at Shirt World, an independently-owned Syracuse University merchandise store. At the time, Dave was working and Sandra was a customer.
Dave said that when they first met, he asked Sandra for her phone number, but she declined and offered to take his instead. He didn’t know going to work that day would change his life forever.
“She came in and we hit it off, ” Dave said. “(She) lived in (Los Angeles), so I visited her two weeks later. Three months later, she came back and the rest is history.”
The Jacobs’ have sold SU merchandise to the community on Marshall Street for 48 years. On Friday, Oct. 18, Shirt World announced its impending shutdown. The store’s closure comes as locally-owned storefronts on Marshall Street are increasingly being replaced by national brands.
Dave said his parents opened Shirt World in Syracuse in 1976, a year after he began studying at SU. He said that, at the time, the shop was one of the only ones in the city selling merchandise for the university.
“(My parents) are just rockstars, and they laid the foundation for what we have now,” Dave said.
Dave worked for his parents at the store for a few years before playing football at Syracuse. After short stints in the NFL in 1979, 1981 and 1987, he returned to Shirt World.
Eventually, Dave and Sandra took over the business from his parents and have managed it ever since.
Teddy Fernandez, an SU freshman and a Shirt World patron, said he appreciates how the store inspires the community on Marshall Street.
“He’s had the shop for so long. Even though I’ve only known him for a month and a half, he’s
university senate
been really great and he’s supporting the local community,” Fernandez said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s closing. It’s been open for so long, and everybody knows the store. Everybody likes it.”
Community is what kept Dave and Sandra working for so long, Dave said. He also said students are the backbone of what he does.
“The students are why we’re here, why we get up every day,” Dave said. “If you have a great
product and great customer service, it’s not about the money … it’ll all come together as one family.”
Poe Porter, who has lived in Syracuse for his whole life and is a sophomore at SU, said Shirt World has a special place in the heart of many across the city. Porter said it would be
“weird” to see Marshall Street without the store.
The Jacobs plan to move from the retail business to being landlords. Wendy Hen -
nessey, Sandra’s sister and an employee at Shirt World, said the decision to move on was a big one.
“We’ve been here through everything, through final fours, through football highs and lows. We’re a part of Marshall Street. To make that decision, to say it’s enough,” Hennessey said. “I’ll go have a Piña Colada somewhere.”
djvanbre@syr.edu
USen members share mixed feedback on Syracuse Statement
By Duncan Green asst. news editor
Syracuse University’s Senate discussed the Syracuse Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry during its second meeting of the semester Wednesday afternoon. Multiple senators voiced concerns regarding the statement and its approval process.
The statement, first written and approved by an ad hoc statement working group in early May, outlines protections for faculty and student speech on campus. The team was co-chaired by Gretchen Ritter, then vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. It also included faculty, staff, students and alumni.
Thomas Keck, a former University Senator and member of the working group, presented the statement to the senate. He discussed the process of creating the statement and the importance of maintaining freedom of speech, academic freedom and university neutrality when facing social and political issues.
Senator Steven Diaz, a professor in SU’s Mathematics department, said the statement should have been overseen by an elected representative body such as the senate, not by an ad hoc committee.
SU Chancellor Kent Syverud said that other groups, including SU’s Board of Trustees, also showed interest in creating the statement. He said the statement working group was intended to include a small group of individuals with expertise in related areas.
Another senator, Humanities Professor Harvey Teres, said there needs to be “continued collaboration” on the statement and expressed concerns about the lack of input from sources outside the working group.
“If it’s a statement that speaks for the entire community, then different sectors of the community need to ratify the statement,” Teres said.
Later in the meeting, the discussion moved to freedom of speech among faculty. The statement says faculty members have the right to speak publicly within the area of their scholarly expertise, as well as in discussions of governance within the university.
Senator Robert Van Gulick, a professor in the Philosophy department, said he and others didn’t understand the need for the limitation to “area of expertise.” He raised concerns about the ability of professors and other members of
the SU community to speak out about public and political issues.
Keck said the working group discussed this wording extensively and that the right to speak publicly on political matters as members of an academic institution is a debate that has existed for years. He said it was important to distinguish between academic freedom and free speech, as the two terms are often conflated.
“Freedom of speech … applies to all citizens, all members of the national and local community, to engage in any kind of political speech,” Keck said. “Academic freedom often is defined more narrowly to focus on speech that is relevant to the production and dissemination of knowledge within an academic enterprise.”
Senator Margaret Thompson, a professor in the History department, voiced concern about public speech by people associated with the university and asked how public figures, such as Rudy Giuliani, would be held accountable by the university.
Giuliani received an honorary degree from the SU’s College of Law in 1989. The former mayor of New York City was disbarred and indicted for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots and attempting to overturn election results.
Thompson said as the recipient of an honorary degree, Guiliani’s actions have implications for the university community and the statement.
Syverud said that Guilaini’s honorary degree has been discussed and reviewed by SU’s Board of Trustees. He said it was possible they could discuss the subject during their upcoming November meeting.
During the meeting’s Chancellor Q&A, Senator Biko Gray, a professor in SU’s Department of Religion, said he was “disgusted” by the hazing videos allegedly recorded at SU’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and other fraternities. He said he is “deeply concerned” for the safety of students participating in these activities.
Senator Sheriah Dixon, SU’s associate vice president and dean of students, agreed that the videos were “concerning” and said that, if investigations proved the allegations against the fraternities were accurate, those involved would be held accountable.
Syverud said that recent events on campus may justify widespread “climate assessments” of fraternities and sororities following the due process of ongoing investigations. digreen@syr.edu @duncanigreen
wendy hennessey, sandra jacobs and dave jacobs (left to right) stand outside Shirt World, an independently-owned Syracuse University merchandise store that’s closing after 48 years.
cassandra roshu digital managing editor
SU Chancellor Kent Syverud described the development of the Syracuse Statement, first released in May, during Monday’s meeting. christian calabrese staff photographer
city Common Councilor Patrick Hogan to enter 2025 mayoral race
By Julia Boehning news editor
Patrick Hogan, a 2nd district councilor for the Syracuse City Common Council, has registered to run in the city’s 2025 mayoral race, syracuse. com first reported Wednesday afternoon.
Hogan, who has been a member of the council for almost 13 years, filed his registration with the state Board of Elections this week. He told syracuse.com he would not publicly launch his candidacy until the end of the 2024 United States general election season.
Current Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has reached his two-term limit and is not eligible
“While we have enjoyed this program in its longstanding format for many years, we believe it is time to reimagine and expand … to allow even more opportunities for Lockerbie students to visit and experience Syracuse University,” the spokesperson wrote.
Both scholars said the scholarship was something they had worked toward for years. Colville, who is the first university graduate to be selected for the scholarship, first heard about it when his older sister started at Lockerbie Academy. After studying sports science at the University of the West of Scotland, he waited to apply until he gained more academic and volunteer experience. Even then, he said he wasn’t selected on his first try.
For Newbould, the path was more straightforward. She applied her senior year at Lockerbie Academy, motivated by her older brothers and classmates who applied before her, she said. She also said she was inspired by seeing prior scholars who made lifelong friends by coming to SU.
“When you first get to Lockerbie Academy, the head teacher tells you about it, and you know two of you will get to represent Lockerbie in Syracuse,” she said. “It’s something I always wanted to apply for.”
Newbould, who grew up just outside Lockerbie, said she was saddened by how the change would affect future applicants. She said
When the pair reached London, they got a newspaper and saw Brunner and Hartunian among the names of victims, Hausler said.
“We called our parents to say, ‘Do you know anything about this?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, we do.’ We didn’t know for a whole day,” Hausler said. “That’s sort of the trauma of it.”
This year marks the 36th anniversary of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. SU is holding its annual Remembrance Week this week to honor the lives lost.
Oswego’s campus features several memorials that serve as commemoration spaces for Brunner and Hartunian, including the “Free and Easy Forever” memorial, which also honors two victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Other memorials include a plaque from the class of 1989 and a dedicated commemoration space in Oswego’s Penfield Library.
The university has also established a memorial scholarship fund in honor of Brunner, according to its memorial page.
Usaitis said she attends the annual memorial service for the Pan Am Flight 103 victims at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. While she said she enjoys going each year and walking through the cemetery, she notices a lack of recognition for Oswego and its students among the other activities that honor victims.
Brunner and Hartunian’s friends consistently described them as “lively,” “funloving” and “positive people.” Gallary said that she never saw them upset over anything.
Dresden Engle, another friend of Hartunian, said she met her in theater classes and remembers thinking she was a beautiful ballet dancer. Engle recalled how Hartunian taught her how to balance properly while dancing, and in return, Engle helped her with her singing skills.
Engle described Hartunian as “happy, dramatic, effervescent, ambitious and a dreamer.” Throughout Hartunian’s time abroad in London, the two sent each other letters.
Engle recalls one particular letter, the last she ever sent to Hartunian, in which she expressed her disappointment over not getting a role in a play.
“You can’t let this stuff get you down,” Hartunian wrote back. “Life’s too short.”
for reelection in 2025. Hogan is now the third Democrat to take steps toward vying for the spot in the November 2025 mayoral election. Others include Sharon Owens, the Syracuse deputy mayor, and Jimmy Oliver, the community engagement director for the Syracuse Police Department.
Hogan, a Syracuse native, has worked in city government for around 50 years — previously serving in the Parks and Recreation department, the Syracuse Base Intervention Team and most recently on the Common Council.
In 2013, Hogan challenged former Mayor Stephanie Miner and Alfonso Davis in the mayoral Democratic primary election. Hogan lost
she waited six years to apply for the program and fears the opportunity will be “stripped away” from others who did the same.
Colville and Newbould arrived in Syracuse in August and said they quickly found themselves immersed in a new culture. For Colville, who had visited the United States before, Syracuse offered a quieter, more welcoming environment than he had anticipated, he said.
“I didn’t expect everyone to be as welcoming as they have been,” he said. “You hear the accent, and they just start talking to you.”
Newbould, who is 17, said she faced the challenge of being far from home for the first time. She said Kelly Rodoski, the “Syracuse mom” for the Lockerbie Scholars, helped make the transition smoother. One of her most rewarding experiences has been joining Syracuse’s club soccer team, which recently qualified for nationals in Texas, she said.
SU’s senior club soccer team captain Grace Lesko said Newbould has been a great addition to the team both on and off the field. She said Newbould’s presence on campus this year has allowed her to travel to different states and strengthen friendships on the team.
“She shows up to soccer every day with a positive attitude … (and) has a contagious laugh and smile that brightens up the team,” she said. “Having her here for a year allows her to continue to explore this great opportunity she has shown immense gratitude towards.”
Colville, on the other hand, said he struggled to find his purpose at SU because
the race to Miner, the incumbent, who then began her second term.
In July 2023, Hogan told syracuse.com that he was considering running for mayor in 2025.
When Hogan was re-elected to the council in 2020, he emphasized focusing on improving the city’s workforce. Hogan also expressed enthusiasm regarding Micron Technology’s multi-billion-dollar investment into the central New York region as they prepare to construct a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Clay, New York.
Hogan has also previously backed the city’s efforts to address its housing crisis, including Walsh’s Syracuse Housing Strategy.
he already attended university. He found his community at campus gyms, where he said he formed connections and deepened his knowledge of sport science and strength conditioning — areas he feels are more advanced in the U.S. than in Scotland.
“Originally there was sort of the challenge of finding my place within Syracuse,” he said. “So I clarified that I want to get more experience … The industry I want to go into is done very well here, but not as well in Scotland, so I’m trying to bring some of that back.”
After his year at SU, Colville said he intends to return to Scotland and pursue a master’s degree at Loughborough University. He wants to start a business that leverages his experiences at SU to help others build selfdiscipline and confidence through sports, in addition to strength and conditioning, as his way of embodying the “Look Back, Act Forward” theme.
“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of selfesteem, but sports gave me confidence,” he said. “That’s sort of how I want to act forward, by inspiring others to go down a route of self-improvement.”
Newbould, who will attend Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to study sport and exercise science next fall, also said she’ll also carry the lessons and connections she’s made at SU back home.
Both scholars worry the program’s shift will impact the depth of relationships between
“After all these years of working for the city and the community, I still look at every day as an opportunity to do something better for the city of Syracuse and the central New York area,” Hogan told The Daily Orange in 2020.
Along with his role in the council, Hogan also serves as chairman of the Onondaga County Industrial Agency. He was also appointed to the Board of Directors for the Greater Syracuse Land Bank.
The general mayoral election will be in November 2025. Party primaries will be in June of that year.
jmboehni@syr.edu @juliaboehning
SU and Lockerbie students. Newbould said the one-week immersion on SU’s campus may not allow future scholars to build the same connections that come from living in Syracuse for a year.
“I think the connections will change, it’s going to be harder to make those lifelong friendships,” she said. “This scholarship has had such a massive impact on so many people’s lives, not just from Lockerbie, but from Syracuse as well.”
Colville said the Remembrance Scholars’ influence so far has been impactful to him.
“I’m learning a lot from (this year’s cohort),” Colville said. “Hearing about all of their act forward projects is really inspiring and it makes me want to take what I’ve learned back home and implement that into my community and try and make a change there.”
As Remembrance Week continues, both Colville and Newbould said they’re remaining committed to honoring the victims of Pan Am Flight 103. Colville, who said he teared up while writing a speech for the week, said it was a powerful experience to think about and connect to all the victims.
Even with the changes to the program, Colville and Newbould both said they’ll still carry on its legacy.
“Together, we’re stronger. This program has shown me that we can overcome anything as long as we have a connected network,” he said. “That’s the biggest lesson I’ll take with me.”
saolande@syr.edu
Hartunian wrote that just weeks before she died on the flight, Engle said.
Brunner and Hartunian were both actively involved in their churches, Gallary and Engle said. Gallary said Brunner served as a lector and had a close relationship with the campus Catholic ministry’s priest. Engle recalled attending church every Sunday with Hartunian, who often joined her in song during mass as Engle sang in the choir.
Oswego’s Hall Newman Center held a memorial service mass celebrating Brunner and Hartunian on January 28, 1989.
“They sort of gravitated towards each other, but they weren’t exclusive. They didn’t exclude anybody,” Gallary said. “Everybody was included in everything that they did, and they always saw the good in everybody.”
Hausler recalled a running joke the group shared a dime Hartunian had brought from the U.S., which kept randomly reappearing in Europe. Over the years, she and Usaitis would find dimes during significant moments, like at their memorial service or graduation.
One weekend in Scotland, both girls shopped for holiday gifts for their families. Gallary said that Hartunian buying a Claddagh ring for a
friend, a wool sweater for her
and a purse for her sister.
Amid the wreckage of Hartunian’s luggage that fell on Lockerbie, an intact bottle of French wine she intended to give to her parents was recovered.
“They’re almost angelic, in a way, they were taken at the prime of their life. They had so much ahead of them. They touched so many people. And you just never know when your time is up,” Gallary said. “The fact that they were together was remarkable too, because they were pretty close.” mmgoodhe@syr.edu
newborn nephew
Two SUNY Oswego students, Lynne Hartunian and Colleen Brunner, were among the 270 victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing on Dec. 21, 1998. Their friends continue to remember them for their positivity. courtesy of the oswego alumni association
CULTURE
Birds of a feather
Along Meadowbrook Drive, communitydriven gardens and birdhouses brighten neighbors’ days
By Mia Jones asst. digital editor
Look out the window next time you drive down Meadowbrook Drive and you’ll likely notice a large birdhouse in the shape of a Syracuse University basketball. Further along, you’ll see more replica birdhouses – a tall white church, complete with a steeple and stained glass, a bi-plane with “Bird Watcher” written in cursive on its side and even a minion from “Despicable Me.”
The collection of birdhouses along the street’s median, set against vibrant floral gardens, attract drivers, runners, walkers and tourists. The gardens and bird houses stretch from Nottingham High School to beyond Euclid Avenue.
“People like it because it’s so whimsical to drive down Meadowbrook and see all the little birdhouses,” Dudley Breed, a neighborhood resident who’s been involved with creating the birdhouses, said.
Breed, along with neighbors Tim Robinson, Dave Kirby and Dan Stricker, have transformed their neighborhood through the greenery and birdhouses. What started off as a few plantings has now expanded to 29 gardens and around 25 birdhouses along the street, Kirby said. For many residents, the installations give their neighborhood a strong sense of community and ownership.
Over 15 years ago, Stricker wanted to add to the greenery and gardens that had already been planted in his neighborhood. He noticed many
birds nearby, which inspired him to build and put up the first birdhouse.
Stricker and Robinson worked together to construct the birdhouses after the first few went up. From there, the project exploded and more birdhouses appeared in the neighborhood, Stricker said.
Now, the birdhouses have become an invaluable addition to the neighborhood. People change their driving routes on the way to work and even come from out of town just to take a peep at the birdhouses and flowers.
Gary Steele, another resident and birdhouse builder, said the ideation process for the birdhouses relies on constant improvisation when the construction doesn’t go as planned. For Steele and Stricker, the process starts with a vision in their head of how they want a new birdhouse to look, rather than a sketch or concrete plan.
Steele began creating some of his own birdhouses over a decade ago, starting with one on Montana Street. As some of the installations are up to 15 years old, Steele takes them down and repairs or repaints them if they’re damaged.
see birdhouses page 10
By Sophie Szydlik senior staff writer
There was a time when Denny Randall thought he’d never hear the mighty Wurlitzer organ again. The antique organ he and 14 other volunteers bought from RKO Keith’s Theater in 1967 had to be disassembled and relocated — thousands of pieces delicately transported — as the theater housing it for 40 years was torn down “around their ears.”
The pieces littered the floor at the organ’s new home, the New York State Fairgrounds, taking up so much space one volunteer wore roller skates to make navigating the sprawling heap more efficient. The future didn’t look too promising, and Randall wondered if he and the rest of the team made a mistake.
“We had to take apart the whole organ and drag stuff out as the building basically collapsed around us,” Randall said. “It was a mess. I never thought it’d make another noise.”
Within a year, the Empire State Theatre & Instrument Museum had a concert — and haven’t stopped since. In 2025, the Wurlitzer will be 100 years old, still housed in the Empire Theatre at the NYS Fairgrounds 60 years after Randall helped save it from demolition. Organists flock to play concerts on the Wurlitzer at ESTMIM every year, which consistently sell out. Most recently, the annual Halloween silent horror film showing Sunday featured organist Brett
Miller who accompanied the classic silent film “Nosferatu” on the organ.
The ESTMIM’s 1925 Wurlitzer is the only remaining one of its kind in central New York, and is likely the only one in the U.S. still operating with its original relay control, said Randall, who, at 86, now serves as the museum’s vice president.
Like church organs, theater organs use air blown from beneath the ranks through tuned pipes to create sound. Wurlitzers also integrate an
electrical system of cables and relays creating a switching system, allowing a combination of pipes and effects to be played simultaneously. At any given moment, because of the Wurlitzer’s unique combination of manuals, ranks, traps and percussions, a person could sit on the bench and play anything from a tuba to xylophone or even the sound of horse hooves. That’s the magic of a Wurlitzer, Randall said, and a deliberate design strategy. see organs page 10
Colorful birdhouses and vibrant greenery beautify Meadowbrook Drive in Syracuse’s University Neighborhood. The elements are collective efforts by residents. solange jain asst. photo editor
‘The Brutalist’ navigates American dream
By Henry O’Brien senior staff writer
Even in an era of massive comic book films and endless franchises, Hollywood has been looking for the next “great American film.” These stories can span decades, usually have larger run times and are about how one can rise to a place of power in the United States before succumbing to their flaws or corruption.
Stories like Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” or Francis Ford Coppola’s first two “Godfather” movies are worthy of this title. The works are featured in the top three of the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest films of all time. But there are also more subversive works, like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” or Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic of Malcolm X, that remain just as relevant then and now as systemic racism and police brutality remain in this country.
Actor-turned-writer-director Brady Corbet tries to add his name to this canon of films with his latest work, “The Brutalist.” The movie has played at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and has been a darling at other film festivals throughout the fall. With a runtime of about three hours and 35 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission, the film tells the story of a Hungarian Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor László Tóth (Adrien Brody), as he immigrated to the U.S. from the 1940s to the 1980s. see brutalist page 10
Vote for our humor columnist this election
By Sarah Wells humor columnist
I don’t know if you guys have heard from the sounds of my upset stomach across campus, but apparently, there’s an election coming up. Frankly, I feel like I’m getting deja vu.
It’s like 2020 all over again … and 2016 all over again … God, I am tired.
I’ve been anxious about this election for months. I’ve never dreaded November more than I do this year, and that’s saying something. I hate the end of Halloween. When else am I supposed to watch Adam Sandler’s 2020 classic “Hubie Halloween?” Not during Easter, that’s for sure.
However, the stress of the election has caused my brain to pose one consistent question to itself: What would I do if I were president? A whole lot, that’s for sure. There are a lot of things I would outlaw (that wouldn’t affect women’s reproductive rights, actually). My campaign would be for the people.
First of all, I would ban all mention of the movie “Inception.” If I have to listen to one more
male television, radio and film major talk about the effect of that movie on them, I will rip off my ears and stuff them in a blender. The same goes for “Interstellar,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Dark Knight.”
As a woman who loves to talk about movies, I have had enough! No offense to Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan, you guys are super talented. Your fans just make me want to never enter the Newhouse School of Public Communications ever again.
Dogs decked out in Halloween costumes have been all over my social media. Whether they’re dressed up as Bowser, wearing a fake dog wig or pretending to be a bipedal human, I eat it up every time. My next act as president would be to make it mandatory for anyone who owns a dog to dress them up in Halloween costumes. This would strongly increase morale and create more adorable Instagram content for people (mostly me) to consume.
Speaking of social media, I would also move to ban Snapchat streaks. What a stupid, stupid concept. No offense to those of you who have an
active streak, but if you do … really? Pick up a book, please. I’m begging you. The higher your streak is, the longer your jail time. Three days is a week. Ten days is a month. One hundred days? I hope you’re ready for a life sentence, bucko. Hope the “good morning streaks” were worth it.
Last but not least, as President of the United States, I would use my power to fight for a cause that plagues Americans every single day: slow walkers. Slow walkers will be given roller skates (or Heelys) to speed them up so we impatient folks can get on with our day and make it to class. This will not only give slow walkers the great new skill of roller skating, but it will also save my voice from not having to yell, “OK, move it along!”
Now that I’m thinking more about it, being president sounds fun. With my experience in comedy, I’d be entertaining on the national stage. Who knows, maybe I could end wars with my quick wit. Spirit Halloween, you better stock up on those dog costumes for next year, because President Wells is on her way to the White House! sswells@syr.edu
CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND
Nancy Dunkle, Oscar’s Cash and Bread n’ Butter
Get in the spirit of spooky season this Friday at Dazed. The student-run house show venue will host artist Nancy Dunkle, along with bands Oscar’s Cash and Bread n’ Butter. Mythos Magazine, a Syracuse University on-campus illustration and writing club, will provide face painting, caricature drawing and more. Halloween costumes are encouraged for attendees. DM Dazed for the address. Tickets are $10 at the door.
WHEN : Friday at 10:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dazed
PRICE: $10 at door
Rock on with Dark Hollow this Friday at Middle Ages Brewing Company’s Beer Hall. Dark Hollow is a Grateful Dead tribute band that started in 1996. It looks to carry on the Dead’s legacy by transforming “ordinary moments into magic,” according to Dark Hollow’s website. The group is a seven-piece band led by founding members guitarist Mike Vincitore and vocalist Mike O’Hara. Together, the artists perform songs from across the Dead’s discography. This event is open to ages 18 and older.
WHEN : Friday from 8-11 p.m.
WHERE: Middle Ages Brewing Company
PRICE: $24.90
Chris Webby
Chris Webby will perform this Saturday at Westcott Theater. The Connecticut-born rapper is notable for versatility and creativity in his raps, according to his website, with the incorporation of pop culture references and cartoons. The American rapper has released original songs like “Friend Like Me” and “Baggage.” Local rap artist Vinny “Vintage” Freeman will open Webby’s headline performance. See both acts this weekend in Syracuse.
WHEN : Saturday at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)
WHERE: Westcott Theater PRICE: $30 to $35
Orange Appeal and other on-campus a cappella groups will perform this Saturday at Orange Appeal Spooktacular. For the night’s first half, Orange Appeal will take the stage with 15 songs. For the second half, Oy Cappella, another Syracuse University a cappella group, is gueststarring. The event is hosted each October to encourage excitement for musical talent and the Halloween season across SU. This event is free and open to the campus community
WHEN : Saturday 8-10 p.m.
WHERE: Hendricks Chapel PRICE: Free
Dark Holloween with Dark Hollow
Neighborhood residents take on different roles, each adding something to the production of the birdhouses. Robinson built the basketball, church, plane and minion. He and Stricker uphold the creative end of the birdhouse installations, while Kirby has been managing the gardening and business side since its inception.
Each year, the neighborhood’s gardens, which are county property, receive about 3,000 plantings, including flowers like zinnias and marigolds from the Onondaga Park Greenhouse.
The collective effort is maintained by Meadowbrook neighbors who do their own
Founded in Tonawanda, New York, The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company’s organs sprung up as theater owners wanted audiences to feel like they were watching a performance with a live orchestra, without the financial burden of paying individual musicians. With a Wurlitzer, one musician had a full orchestra at their fingertips.
Wurlitzers were in such high demand that in 1926, the factory completed one whole organ per workday. During the silent movie era, Syracuse was once home to 23 of the musical giants, Randall said.
With the advent of sound films, the need for live accompaniments dwindled, and Wurlitzers fell out of fashion. Theaters like RKO Keith’s — once dubbed “the most magnificent theater in all the universe” — were torn down.
“The contractors were half-assed and they were in a big hurry to get the building down so they could put up this stupid Sibley store,” Randall said.
Had it not been for Randall, who got involved after walking past the demolition site and telling contractors he’d preserve the organ and other volunteers, the Wurlitzer would have been destroyed alongside the theater.
There was just one catch: Randall couldn’t afford it.
The Wurlitzer cost $1,500, which by 1967 standards was no small sum, Randall said. To scrape together the funds, volunteers hosted a benefit concert featuring organist Luella Wickham.
The concert was packed and raised the necessary funds to purchase the organ. Then, within a few months, they accepted an offer from the NYS Fair to house the Wurlitzer at the fairgrounds.
Randall explained that, as a state-funded program, the NYS Fair — and consequently the Wurlitzer — is maintained with the Fair’s budget. However, the Wurlitzer’s day-to-day maintenance is done entirely by volunteers, namely Dale Abrams.
Abrams is 70 years old and has been the organ technician at ESTMIM for roughly 15 years. With a background in electrical work, he began working on player pianos — mechanical pianos that play themselves using a pattern of holes in a paper cylinder — in high school.
It wasn’t until his father brought him to see the Wurlitzer when Abrams fell in love with theater organs.
“I joined the group about 15 years ago and spent four years working on it under our head maintenance man. He taught me everything and then some,” Abrams said.
Now, Abrams lives and breathes the Wurlitzer, spending his days working inside the chambers to ensure they’re in impeccable working order. He controls every factor, down to temperature and humidity levels.
Corbet’s attempt at imitating iconic films may feel obvious and contrived, but “The Brutalist” emerges as a unique and profoundly unsettling drama about our present moment. Corbet is just as interested in America’s place in 2024 as he is in the 1950s and the 1960s.
The film is inherently intertwined with the 20th century and the massive increase in immigration into this country. Corbet crafts an end product that explores art, religion, wealth and power in the U.S. today.
“The Godfather Part II” begins with young Vito Corleone looking at the Statue of Liberty. Corbet pays homage to this intro by showing László stuffed aboard a chaotic boat heading for Staten Island before the camera turns Lady Liberty upside down.
László has escaped a nightmare, still waiting for his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy) to come to America. But now, he must navigate a country that doesn’t fulfill the promises of its American dream.
But sure enough, despite initial struggles like getting banished by his furniture store owning-cousin (Alessandro Nivola) and
gardening along the street median, where flowers are planted, Kirby said. Breed, a retired landscaper, said that it’s all one large, interconnected park system.
Stricker reached out to Breed over a decade ago because of his experience landscaping at Nottingham High School. Breed sketched plans for a park that is now located where Meadowbrook meets Euclid.
Though the park doesn’t have an official name, Kirby calls it “Euclid Park.” It features birdhouses, pathways, flowers and several benches – one of which has poetry etched into the back, a detail done by a friend of Breed’s daughter.
The gardens and birdhouses are a point of conversation and a shared bond between residents that make Meadowbrook a distinct community, Kirby said. As neighbors and volunteers work in
their gardens, passing cars stop to acknowledge their work.
“There’s a value to it that everybody understands and wants to be a part of,” Breed said.
The ongoing environmental project has brought SU students off campus to aid with maintaining the gardens. John Parrish, an SU graduate who now lives in Louisiana, spent two summers planting flower beds and spreading mulch along the median after connecting with Kirby.
“Those neighborhoods that aren’t part of Syracuse University whatsoever have their identities forever linked with the school through their support and cooperation,” Parrish said.
Stricker said people have gone as far as moving to the area to live alongside the multi-faceted project. He said the beautification project gives the neighborhood a certain flavor.
“I see houses for sale on Zillow and there’s one of my birdhouses in the background,” he said.
Stricker used to see many out-of-town teachers frequent the area. He said one former colleague from Edward Smith School, an elementary school nearby, told him she takes a drive down Meadowbrook whenever she feels low.
The birdhouses and gardens of Meadowbrook work in tandem to lift peoples’ moods and create community, Stricker said. It’s hard to talk about one without talking about the other because of how well they compliment each other.
“If we didn’t have the volunteers we wouldn’t be doing this, and if we didn’t have the generosity of the neighborhood we couldn’t be doing this,” Kirby said. “It’s a collective effort that keeps it going.”
mjones58@syr.edu
Despite never having a piano lesson, Abrams taught himself how to play the organ and never consulted a manual for guidance on the thousands of inner workings.
“I don’t even know if there is a manual,” Abrams said.
Randall doesn’t have any formal music training either, he said. Instead, he purchased a piano player from a Lions Club Auction for $4 as a teenager and learned from there.
With 11 children, Randall’s mother was staunchly against a piano in the house, because it was “already loud enough,” he said. So, he stored the piano in the carriage house.
“I talked a kid with a pickup truck and a bunch of my buddies into helping me,” Randall said. “There’s only about 800 pounds to drag home, I told them.”
heroin addiction, he finds his big break with wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. (Guy Pearce).
László, a renowned architect in his home country, brings brutalism to the powerful socialites of eastern Pennsylvania who find beauty in the bland simplicity of Van Buren Sr.’s library. The architectural style emphasizes using raw materials like concrete and steel to create an efficient structure that forgoes any decorative elements.
This leads Van Buren Sr., played with a soulless emptiness by Pearce, to commission László to make a massive community center with a pool, theater, bowling alley, church and much more. The project changes at Van Buren Sr.’s whim and eventually becomes about making a religious center, frustrating his son Harry (Joe Alwyn). László continues the project, opening us up further to his relationship with brutalism and wealth.
In a world where entertainment companies now rely on artificial intelligence, an environmentally harmful tool, “The Brutalist” hints at the sinister implications that efficiency in art can have.
Brutalism also takes on more of a political context because of László’s history. Coming from a war-torn Europe, he uses brutal-
When Hurricane Hazel hit Randall’s home in Weedsport, New York, that carriage barn was destroyed but the player piano escaped unscathed. With nowhere else to store it, he dragged it up to the front porch and covered it with a tarp where it stayed until after his marriage — much to his mother’s disdain.
Still, the instrument was in disrepair when Randall purchased it and he didn’t have playing or restoration experience. To fix it, he found a way on his own.
“I didn’t have two nickels to rub together so I bought a book on how to restore a player piano, and I got pretty good at it,” Randall said. “In fact, I went to work a second job at night in a piano shop. I fixed player pianos for several years and from there, it was just natural to fall into … other mechanical instruments.”
ism to follow young architects of the time who “sought to create structures rooted in functionalism and monumental expression,” according to Architectural Digest.
This massive structure in Pennsylvania highlights a story of religious freedom and success in the U.S. after surviving such horrific atrocities during the Holocaust. The film uses a hornsheavy score by Daniel Blumberg and vast 35mm VistaVision cinematography from Lol Crawley to symbolize the grandiosity of László and Van Buren Sr.’s mission.
Once Erzsébet and Zsófia finally arrive in America due to László’s new friends in high places, it seems that the architect’s home life will be secure, and he can focus on the challenges of building such a monument. If only it were so simple.
László’s relationship with his wife and niece seems transactional and fraught from the beginning. He and Erzsébet argue and there are rarely any moments of actual warmth or love.
Brody, who already has an Oscar-winning performance in “The Pianist” as a Jew during World War II, brings a similar gravity as he did to “The Pianist” while trying to seem like a combative yet principled architect. Jones’ char-
For Randall, Abrams and all the ESTMIM volunteers, sharing the Wurlitzer’s music is the priority.
Whether it’s with the upcoming Disney concert on Nov. 10 or a silent film screening, ESTMIM is in it for the music, Randall said. The organization looks to honor the legacy of its Wurlitzer for 100 more years to come and spark a love of music in younger generations, the same way it was sparked for him.
“There used to be a program on WSYR Radio, Deacon Doubleday … and I’d call in. He’s the one that got me interested in player pianos,” Randall said. “Now we have all his rolls from his piano player and it’s neat. I like to believe we’re … teaching people and showing them the mighty Wurlitzer.” sophszyd@gmail.com
acter further reveals an ugliness and destructive nature inside of László. The two actors bounce off each other and create a chemistry based on nastiness and ruthless pragmatism, personified by Jones.
As László struggles to keep the project going, he and Erzsébet receive an opportunity to come to the novel nation of Israel by Zsófia. Even in the U.S., Jewish persecution and memories of the Holocaust are so fresh that Zsófia doesn’t want to stay.
What makes “The Brutalist” such an effective, upsetting work about America comes from the feeling of inevitability swimming underneath the film’s surface. Similar to “There Will Be Blood,” no matter the severe obstacles that the wealthy and powerful face, the wheels of the U.S. and those ruling it will still maintain control.
Corbet posits that the dreams we make about countries or societies will turn out to be dangerous fantasies that the powerful will exploit and perpetuate. Even in an epilogue that takes place four decades after László’s entry into America, these lies will continue to work as a morbid feedback loop with no end in sight.
dale abrams has been the organ technician at the Empire State Theatre & Musical Instrument Museum for roughly 15 years. Despite never taking a piano lesson, Abrams taught himself to play the Wurlitzer organ. lars jendruschewitz photo editor
OPINION
letter to the editor
ASA empowers Arab voices and unites campus members in action
By Kinda Alhourani
The creation of the Arab Student Association at Syracuse University has coincided with a particularly challenging time for Arab students. While the ASA was not founded in direct response to the current geopolitical climate, its creation comes at a time when rising violence in the Middle East and global anti-Arab sentiment are deeply affecting many students.
This timing, though coincidental, has made the ASA an invaluable resource for students navigating the complexities of being far from home while their Arab communities face profound challenges.
As president of the ASA, I have seen firsthand the unprecedented emotional strain on the Arab community. For Lebanese and Palestinian students, witnessing the devastation in our homelands while being physically removed from it — safe in the privilege of our lives in the United States — can be both painful and isolating. The guilt and helplessness that comes with watching events unfold from a distance are difficult to articulate, especially when much of our knowledge about the safety of loved ones comes from media headlines.
The current conflict has only exacerbated feelings of isolation among Arabs, particularly those who are here as international students. We already constitute a minority on this campus, and the unique emotions we face make this isolation even more pronounced. The need for community and connection is greater than ever.
While the ASA was initially founded to celebrate Arab heritage, its mission has naturally evolved in response to these circumstances. What began as a cultural organization has become a space of refuge, where Arab students can come together, share their experiences and offer one another support during these difficult times.
However, this community is not just for Arabs –it’s for all students who seek to engage, understand and show solidarity. Inclusivity is at the core of our mission. We aim to create a space for open dialogue, cultural exchange and mutual support, expanding our reach and making the ASA a bridge to the broader SU community.
At a time when our experiences may feel overlooked or misunderstood, the ASA provides a platform for Arab students to have their voices heard and enables students to share their stories in a setting that values and respects their narratives. Through educational programming, cultural events and advocacy initiatives, we aim to challenge misconceptions and foster a more nuanced understanding of Arab identities.
The ASA is not just a space for reflection — it’s also a vehicle for action. Our organization is dedicated to raising awareness about issues that impact Arabs both locally and globally. By collaborating with other student organizations and building partnerships across campus, we hope to create a more inclusive environment where diverse voices are amplified and supported.
The founding of the ASA during such a turbulent time underscores the significance of its mission. We are here to offer a sense of belonging to those who feel disconnected or displaced, to provide educational resources that promote greater understanding and to advocate for justice and inclusivity. In a world where Arab voices are often marginalized, the ASA stands as a symbol of empowerment, unity and resilience.
Kinda Alhourani is a senior majoring in nutrition and dietetics, and chemistry. She can be reached at kmalhour@syr.edu.
‘Bed rotting’ during free time quietly kills your
By Lila Paton columnist
“Bed rotting,” a term coined by Generation Z creators on social media, has become a widespread phenomenon that millions of young people are adopting into their routines. Bed rotting consists of spending extensive time performing unproductive activities in bed like endless scrolling on social media, binge-watching TV and mindless snacking.
Although lounging in bed is a frequent decompressor for many college kids, once leisure time transforms into rotting, the benefits of this kind of relaxation crumble away.
There are 168 hours in a week. Fifty-six of those hours will likely be spent sleeping — if you are keeping to a healthy minimum of eight hours per night — which leaves 112 hours for daily activities, a large chunk of which is dedicated to school. For Syracuse University students specifically, the expectation is for faculty to assign at least 100 minutes of work outside of class time per week for each credit hour, of which we are expected to take a minimum of 15 per semester to graduate.
For simplicity’s sake, say that all courses are three credits each (five classes) which meet three times a week for 60 minutes per session. This means that 15 hours are spent in class while 25 hours are spent doing homework for each class. Another two and a half hours a day, on average, are spent on hygiene and grooming, like showering, brushing teeth or washing hands.
The reality of these statistics is that college students have nearly eight hours a day to dedicate to activities of their choosing, and given the stress that often comes with academics, we should be doing things that contribute to our well-being.
We live in a world where social media use has evolved into a societal norm, especially for Gen
Z, where spending large chunks of our daily lives excessively scrolling in bed has become overly normalized. And, unfortunately, bed rotting is employed by so many young adults who mistakenly use it as a way to relax without understanding the true effects it has on our brains.
Due to the increased use of social media and escalated device usage, including that 70% of teenagers use social media multiple times a day, bed rotting has detrimental effects on mental
health beyond pure laziness. Incorporating bed rotting into a regular routine can indicate signs of mental health issues like depression and anxiety, since device usage disrupts real-world interactions. Viewing social media in isolation floods people with images, notifications and social comparisons, creating a fear of missing out and feelings of imperfection and desolation. Similarly, bed rotting acts as a significant source of distraction from responsibilities
motivation
and healthier activities that become neglected through avoidance. Denying, procrastinating and avoiding more pressing matters is not a healthy way to decompress or relax. Instead, it heightens overwhelming feelings, circling back to an increased presence of anxiety.
College students already have enough that consumes their mind as they try to balance and navigate academics, social life and university involvement. Many people are overwhelmed with feelings that take up additional space in our brains, otherwise known as emotional flooding, which is unproductive and harmful.
If your intention behind designated bedrotting time is to allow your brain and body to rest and prevent burnout, bed rotting is not the approach to take.
There are many more proactive self-care methods to engage in that actually generate positive results, including being physically active, prioritizing a good sleep schedule, practicing mindfulness and pursuing hobbies that ignite passion. And given that self-care has been clinically proven to improve mental and physical well-being, the negative effects of bed rotting on mental soundness can actually be reversed through proper execution of self-care.
I implore everyone to spend the extra time you have in your day doing something worthwhile that will contribute to the goals, hobbies and passions established in your life, because I strongly believe that time will be far more productive and positive than simply rotting in bed.
Lila Paton is a freshman majoring in magazine, news and digital journalism and business management. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at lgpaton@syr.
Stephanie Wright
Cooper Andrews
Cassandra Roshu
sarah mcconnell contributing illlustrator
Amid rising violence in the Middle East and global anti-Arab sentiment, our columnist says SU’s Arab Student Association is a resource for many. joe zhao video editor
SU nabs Australian commit in 2025 class
By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor
Australian shooting guard Luke Fennell has committed to Syracuse men’s basketball, according to 247 Sports. Standing at six-foot-six, Fennell is class of 2025 prospect and currently plays for South East Melbourne Phoenix in Australia’s National Basketball League.
Prior to joining Australia’s NBL as a development player for the 2024-25 season, he pushed Australia’s Under-20 game to a gold medal in the Albert Schweitzer Games in Germany. He also participated in Australia’s NBA Global Academy.
He hasn’t yet been on campus at SU but has reportedly built a connection with the staff already.
“Syracuse was really friendly,’’ Fennell told Syracuse.com. “The whole staff reached out to me. I heard from them every day. They gave me all the information I needed to be comfortable. They did a great job of making me feel welcome.’’
Fennell’s commitment marks the second international prospect to commit to the Orange in as many years. 6-foot-9 Serbian prospect Petar Majstorovic joined Syracuse for the 2024-25 season. Fennell is the third commit in the 2025 class, joining five-star forward Sadiq White and three-star wing prospect Aaron Womack. amstepan@syr.edu
Smith found her transition from studentathlete to solely a student to be difficult. She still does. Her roommate, Klara Zarnovicka, is still on the team. When the team travels to away games, Smith feels an emptiness being without them.
Through that struggle, Smith set her sights on new endeavors. She got a dog and a cat, which she wouldn’t have time for if she was still playing volleyball. Over the summer, she worked at Recess Coffee. Yet, something was missing.
“Being associated with sports is in her blood,” Smith’s mother, Heather, said. “I’ve always played sports. She has an older brother who always played sports, so she was always getting dragged to games.”
As her athletic career closed, Smith wanted to get involved in sports marketing and communications. That’s when she received an email about an internship with Devendorf.
“It’s a nonprofit, so that was even more interesting to me,” Smith said. “I thought it would be a perfect fit for me and something I could get a lot of experience for.”
Devendorf played for Syracuse from 200509 and is the program’s 15th all-time leading scorer. Following time on Jim Boeheim’s staff from 2016-18 and a stint at Detroit Mercy, Devendorf started ED23 Hoops in August 2019. The program offers basketball camps, clinics, oneon-one training and AAU leagues.
Beyond improving kids’ basketball skills, Devendorf emphasizes teaching life lessons and values in teamwork, dealing with adversity, communication and confidence, which are important for life after sports.
“These are all things you learn through sport that you need to have if you want to be a part of society, business, get a job or even own your own business,” Devendorf said.
To do that, Devendorf sought somebody to take pictures, create content and inform people and businesses about the foundation and camps’ activities. Smith jumped at the chance, producing content at all events while networking on her own.
Devendorf established the nonprofit ED23
Chasing records
Kyle McCord is on pace to set Syracuse’s single season passing touchdown record
drives, back-to-school events, golf tournaments and turkey dinner giveaways. Smith and other interns promote the events and spread awareness through social media.
“It lets (the community) know what we’re doing,” Devendorf said. “All the interns have a huge impact.”
On Oct. 5, ED23 Hoops hosted a basketball skills and drills camp for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17 with SU men’s basketball players Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Donavan Freeman. During the camp, Smith took photos and videos for social media to share afterward.
Just a month ago, Smith had the same responsibilities for the ED23’s inaugural golf tournament at Drumlins Country Club. The event saw guests such as Syracuse men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry, Chris Bell, J.J. Starling and Freeman attend a round of golf and a charity auction. Smith was there to help capture the moments.
amount of eyes now on the foundation and its work.
“We’re able to make a larger impact, get grant money and other businesses involved,” Devendorf said. “Now instead of handing out 200 turkeys, we can hand out 600, 700 turkey dinners. The same thing goes with the clothes drives, the shoe drives and the golf tournament. We’re just able to do more and get more people involved.”
For the rest of the fall semester, Smith will continue to work as a media intern with ED23 Hoops and Foundation, with their annual Turkey Dinner Giveaway right around the corner. Smith’s concussions closed the door on her playing career, but opened a pathway to helping others.
source: cuse.com
In his ACC debut, McCord led Syracuse to victory. The Orange won 31-28, leading by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter. It was a game McCord envisioned before the season started.
“I know in the Big Ten, some of the teams run the ball all game and pass 10 times a game,” McCord said at ACC Kickoff on July 25. “The quarterbacks in the ACC in my opinion are topnotch. There will be some games where we might get into a little bit of a shootout this year.”
While he won his first ACC shootout, McCord was brought back to earth in Syracuse’s loss to Stanford. For the third straight game, he recorded over 300 passing yards, but two costly interceptions — including a pick-six — helped the Cardinal come out on top.
After all the Heisman hype through two games, many questioned if this was the real McCord. But, it’s clear this is an improved version of McCord.
With the Buckeyes a season ago, per Pro Football Focus, he had a 31.3 offensive grade when pressured and a 67.5 grade when blitzed. Six games into 2024, those numbers have improved. Under pressure, he’s at 77.9. When blitzed, he’s at 92.2.
McCord rebounded from the loss to Stanford, with a career-high 385 passing yards against Holy Cross. He threw the ball 50 times, resulting in four touchdowns.
Then came his largest usage to date. On the road versus then-No. 25 UNLV, McCord attempted a career-high 63 passes, completing 40 of them. Using heavy run-pass option concepts, the Orange ran 96 total plays and doubled the Rebels’ time of possession. SU finished with 30 more passes than runs, but McCord saw the discrepancy as a positive mark.
“I think the number, to be honest, is a little inflated. A lot of those passes were quick throws
to the flat or to the outside for five yards,” McCord said. “We have a run play called, but they’re just giving us access on the outside. I’m taking it. And so it, really, in my mind, is just an extension of the run game, but goes down as a pass.”
The numbers back McCord’s thinking. He’s averaging just 11.98 yards per completion, ranking 74th in the nation. But that doesn’t mean McCord has been ineffective downfield.
The quarterback has a 99.1 PFF grade on passes 20 yards or further and is 11-of-12 on passes 20 yards or more between the numbers.
Two weeks ago against NC State, McCord totaled 346 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also completed a season-high 73.8% of his passes.
Even without Zeed Haynes, SU’s No. 1 wide receiver, for the last four games, McCord has spread the wealth. The Orange are the only Football Bowl Subdivision team with three players — Jackson Meeks (76.5), Trebor Peña (76.3) and Oronde Gadsden II (72.2) — averaging over 70 receiving yards per game.
Halfway through the season, McCord’s playing at a historic pace. For SU program history, Ryan Nassib’s 2012 season produced program records for single-season yards (3,749), touchdowns (26), completions (294) and attempts (471). McCord’s on pace to shatter them all.
McCord’s productivity is nearly the opposite of SU’s offense from a year ago. The Orange totaled 17 passing touchdowns and 2,223 yards in 2023. A year later, they’ve already passed the touchdown mark and will easily pass in yardage in their next contest versus No. 19 Pitt.
This offensive philosophy puts significant weight on McCord’s shoulders. It forces SU into a win by McCord, lose by McCord scenario weekly. But he’s proven to sustain his production and scrap together wins, potentially better than any Syracuse quarterback ever has. amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
In the past year, the foundation’s involvement has grown exponentially because of the
“It’s good work we’re doing,” Smith said. “It really helps with that marketing and communications aspect that I probably will go into once I graduate.”
qdpostma@syr.edu
SU quarterback Kyle McCord is averaging 47 passing attempts and 360 yards per game six games into 2024. jacob halsema staff photographer
In Laila Smith’s lone season with SU, she recorded 77 kills in 16 games. Though her playing time was limited after suffering multiple concussions. joe zhao video editor
joe zhao video editor
football
Beat Writers unanimously agree SU will upset No. 19 Pittsburgh
By Daily Orange Sports Staff
Halfway through Syracuse’s first season under Fran Brown, the Orange are 5-1 and 2-1 to start Atlantic Coast Conference play.
After a Week 4 blunder against Stanford, SU has won its last three games, including an overtime thriller over then-No. 25 UNLV and its first win over NC State in Raleigh since 2013.
Quarterback Kyle McCord has been stellar, totaling 2,160 yards through the air and 19 touchdowns. McCord’s prowess has led SU to have the sixth-best scoring offense in the conference.
Following their second and final bye week of 2024, the Orange return to action with their biggest test yet, a Thursday night battle with No. 19 Pittsburgh. The Panthers, led by redshirt freshman Eli Holstein at quarterback, are undefeated, and also enter the contest off the bye. A win over Pitt would clinch SU its third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since it had five straight appearances from 1995-99.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (5-1, 2-1 ACC) will fare against Pitt (6-0, 2-0 ACC) on Thursday night:
AIDEN STEPANSKY (4-2)
Syracuse 34, Pitt 30
STEEL CITY STUNNER
This Pitt team is legit. The Panthers haven’t started this well since Dan Marino’s senior season in 1982. And they haven’t had a quarterback start his Pitt career 6-0 since Marino’s freshman year.
But make no mistake — Holstein is no Marino. And though star running back Desmond Reid leads the ACC in all-purpose yards with 182.6 per game, I have the Orange outlasting the Panthers in prime time.
Syracuse’s defense is on the cusp of returning star linebacker Marlowe Wax to the lineup. Brown said in his weekly press conference that the matchup at Pitt will likely be the last without Wax. In his place, Justin Barron has moved up to linebacker and has increased his production each week. I see the trend continuing in the Steel City.
The Orange and the Panthers will wrestle back and forth throughout the contest with McCord and Co. continuing their explosiveness. The Pitt defense — though allowing only 23.5 points per game — presents a favorable matchup for McCord if the offensive line can
buy time due to its lower pass rush (71.7) and cover grade (78.4) than rushing defense grade (83.8), per Pro Football Focus.
In an exciting finish, Syracuse will march down the field with minutes remaining and pull ahead late, stealing a game on the road and moving into the AP Poll Top 25 for the first time in the Brown era.
COOPER ANDREWS (4-2)
Syracuse 38, Pitt 24
SILENCING THE YINZERS
Pat Narduzzi is treating McCord like a god heading into Thursday’s matchup. Pitt’s 10th-year head coach said Syracuse’s quarterback is the best signal caller his program has faced in awhile. Narduzzi called him a future NFL Draft selection, even saying he’s unsure if he’s ever watched tape of McCord throwing an incompletion on a third down this season.
For the unfireable Narduzzi, it’s quite strange to loudly sing the praises of McCord when his own passing defense is the third worst in the ACC. And McCord will make him pay this week.
McCord has thrown over 300 yards in every single game this season. There’s no reason why that won’t continue against the Panthers, who allow the 95th-most yards through the air per game in the country. If Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns against this Pitt defense, I can’t even imagine what McCord would do. Expect a similar performance to his 381-yard, four-touchdown outing versus Georgia Tech in Week 2.
On the flipside, I’m not confident that Holstein can match SU’s offense. The Orange likely will have cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. back in a starting position, which should curb the impact of Pitt No. 1 wide receiver Konata Mumpfield. The biggest concern, though, is Holstein’s measly 57.9 PFF passing grade. Both he, and Pitt, will be exposed Thursday when Syracuse wins by double digits.
JUSTIN GIRSHON (3-3)
Syracuse 30, Pitt 27 BRINGING THE BOOM
Pitt is 6-0. Which is amazing, no doubt about it. But I’m questioning how good the Panthers really are. According to PFF, Pitt’s strength of schedule so far is the 102nd hardest in the
nation. For comparison, the Orange have faced the 88th most challenging schedule.
When looking at their six wins, it’s hard to pick one game as the Panthers’ best of the season. Cincinnati and Cal are solid teams, but neither stands out as an amazing win to put Pitt over the edge. Meanwhile, the Panthers barely squeezed by 3-4 West Virginia and took care of business on the road against a middling North Carolina team.
Even with its blip against Stanford, there’s an argument Syracuse is the best team Pitt has faced thus far in 2024. And with how the Orange have looked over their three-game
winning streak, I don’t see any reason to believe they’ll slow down. Among the units facing off, SU’s aerial attack is by far either team’s biggest strength. And whether Trebor Peña plays or not, having McCord under center gives Syracuse a chance anytime. I had my reservations about this SU team earlier in the season, but now, I think it can beat almost any team in the nation on any given day. They’ll showcase that to the country with a win over the Panthers.
sports@dailyorange.com
@Dosports
Syracuse loses to Virginia in 5 sets, drops to 0-9 in ACC play
By Vivian Collins staff writer
Syracuse entered its fifth set with Virginia carrying all the momentum. The Orange were on the verge of winning their first Atlantic Coast Conference game since Nov. 6, 2022. They’d just defeated the Cavaliers 25-21 in the fourth set to force a fifth and final set.
I feel like (it’s) kind of heartbreaking because we were right there, but I think it’s gonna give us extra motivation.
Veronica Sierzant outside hitter
Following a kill from Virginia’s Brooklyn Borum, the Cavaliers led 14-12, putting them at match point. Though an attack error from Lauryn Bowie gave the Orange another shot.
Ava Palm stepped to the line to serve with the game on the line. She tossed the ball, drew back her hand and launched the ball right into the net. Palm’s service error gave Virginia the point it needed to win the set 15-13 and secure the match.
Palm’s error was the nail in the coffin for Syracuse (12-9, 0-9 ACC). The Orange fell in five sets to Virginia (16-4, 6-3 ACC) for their ninth straight loss. Despite the defeat, it was only the third time SU has pushed a game to five sets this season.
“Obviously, this is not the result that we want, right?” Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “But … I’m really proud of the way we performed and the way we fought.”
The start of the first set was tense, with the lead shifting back and forth. The Orange trailed
6-3, but a kill by Sydney Moore sent them on a 5-0 scoring run.
Greta Schlichter recorded back-to-back aces to put the Orange in front. From there, they never fell behind Virginia in the set. But the Cavaliers didn’t go down quietly, tying the set five times before Syracuse broke away.
Veronica Sierzant set the ball for Nikolnikova to score the set point and her third kill of the match, pushing the score to 24-19. Then, a strong block by Moore forced an attack error on Virginia, earning the Orange their first set win at 25-19.
It also marked Syracuse’s first time winning a set at home in ACC play.
“Honestly I wasn’t really surprised,” SU’s Nikki Shimao said. “I think we practiced really hard this past week leading up to this (match).”
SU kept up with Virginia in the beginning of the second set, tying up the score three times before UVA took a 7-4 lead. Virginia continued to push past SU, though. A 5-0 run helped extend its lead to 18-9 and take full control.
Virginia outside hitter Lauryn Bowie’s kill helped secure a 25-19 set win.
The third set was filled with challenges for SU, literally and figuratively. After a kill by Virginia middle blocker Kate Dean, Ganesharatnam challenged the call, arguing that Dean hit the ball out. The challenge was unsuccessful and Virginia kept the points, keeping the score at 10-7.
Later in the set, Ganesharatnam challenged a call on an attack by Palm. The challenge was successful for the Orange, changing the score from 22-16 to 21-17.
Though Syracuse couldn’t mount a comeback. Virginia led 24-22 before Ashley Le’s kill gave the Cavaliers their second-set win.
While the lead went back and forth in the beginning of the fourth set, SU managed to put a stop to the momentum Virginia gained from the previous two sets with a kill by Skylar George. At that point, the Orange led 9-8.
Syracuse maintained the lead for the rest of the set. Virginia kept it close, never falling more than six points behind Syracuse, but Palm’s 18th kill of the match won the Orange their second set to tie the match.
At the beginning of the fifth set, SU looked strong. The Orange scored the first three points, a run that was immediately followed by a Virginia timeout.
Upon their return, the Cavaliers went on a 7-0 scoring run. SU answered with three points of its own. From there, Virginia maintained the lead, but Syracuse did not fall far behind.
A kill by Borum had the Cavaliers at match point. The play was followed by a Virginia attack error, making the score 14-13 in favor of Virginia. Then came Palm’s error, which sealed Syracuse’s fate.
Despite the error in the fifth set, Palm played her strongest game of the season. Palm led Syracuse with a season-high 20 kills. While the match came down to the very end, Virginia outmatched Syracuse in key statistical categories. UVA tallied 69 kills while SU had 53. The Cavaliers recorded a higher hitting percentage (0.205), dished more assists (67) and totaled more digs (85) than the Orange.
Despite that, Syracuse nearly pulled off its first ACC win of the season. The Orange were a couple points away but didn’t make enough plays down the stretch to come away with the victory. “I feel like (it’s) kind of heartbreaking because we were right there, but I think it’s gonna give us extra motivation,” Sierzant said. vpcollins06@gmail.com
Our beat writers feel Syracuse will go on the road and earn its third ranked win of the year by defeating No. 19 Pittsburgh. meghan hendricks senior staff photographer
SU came from behind to force a fifth set against Virginia, but the Orange fell 15-13, in the final set sealing their ninth straight ACC loss of the year. charlie hynes staff photographer
WR commit Julian McFadden thrives at La Salle College HS
By Caitlin McDonough contributing writer
Julian McFadden’s recruitment took time to develop. As a junior at La Salle College High School in Pennsylvania last October, the wide receiver began sending his film to 10 college coaches a day.
Soon after, Delaware State head coach Devin Redd, now an offensive analyst at Syracuse, gave him his first scholarship offer. From there, McFadden’s recruitment began heating up and on March 21, he took an official visit to SU.
Wide receivers coach Ross Douglas knew McFadden was on campus and offered him a scholarship. McFadden didn’t hesitate, accepting the offer on the spot.
Before emerging as a three-star recruit and committing to Syracuse, McFadden burst onto the scene after transferring to La Salle College High School before his junior year. The wide receiver notched 53 receptions for 916 total yards and 13 touchdowns, receiving First Team All-Catholic honors.
After spending his first two years of high school at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy,
football
McFadden needed a change of scenery to help him reach the next level. He instantly fit in with the Explorers, largely due to his personality.
Colleen DiDonato, McFadden’s faculty advisor at Springside Chestnut Hill, said he has the aptness to act like he’s known people for years, even in new environments.
“(McFadden) is a people magnet and a huge team player,” DiDonato said. “He has the ability to make everyone feel welcome naturally and is the most humble kid ever.”
On the field, McFadden immediately transformed La Salle’s offense. McFadden often used his agility from running track to create separation. Joey O’Brien, a junior wide receiver and defensive back, said the team trusts McFadden will make huge plays due to him being “lethal.”
“He’s gotten more physical, and he rarely drops the ball because of his fast, shifty hands,” O’Brien said. “He did a lot more training and that’s what helped him with his commitment.”
Each offseason, McFadden works with former National Football League wide receiver Torrey Smith. McFadden played for Smith’s seven-onseven football team, Level82. Through each game, the senior realized he could play in college.
Smith believes in giving opportunities to young athletes and training them properly. With Smith’s help, McFadden added 25 pounds of muscle while incorporating all five food groups into his diet.
At summer tournaments, Smith immersed McFadden into different experiences by visiting colleges around the area. He provided ample advice and encouraged the wide receiver to make a highlight reel.
“We went on a lot of college visits together to get a feel for universities’ programs,” McFadden said. “Last year we went to SMU, Georgia Tech and Penn State. He’s helped me so much.”
A pivotal factor in McFadden’s commitment was the bond he shared with members of the Syracuse football community. Even though the senior has yet to play for the Orange, he already feels part of the team.
“Every time I go up there to visit, a lot of people reach out and I definitely feel loved,” McFadden said. “I’m always talking to coach (Ross) Douglas and even to other new recruits in a text group chat.”
Though McFadden has missed most of his senior season due to a collarbone injury,
his return should come right before playoffs start. In the meantime, the senior has acted like a second coach on the sidelines to other wide receivers.
But McFadden desperately wants to get back on the field. Oftentimes, the wide receiver is reminded the only thing that makes his injury better is patience. La Salle Athletic Administrator Bob Zanneo said McFadden has done everything in his power to help propel the Explorers to victory.
“He’s a football junkie, so he’s not a kid that goes home at three o’clock every day,” Zanneo said. “Whether it is the freshman or junior varsity players, he enjoys giving feedback and watching their games.”
While McFadden’s future lies with Syracuse, he isn’t allowing his future plans to distract him from the present. He still has unfinished business with La Salle.
“Right now I’m focused on (my) senior season and when I get to Syracuse I’ll be all in,” McFadden said. “I take it day to day and game by game with the ultimate goal to win the league and states.”
cmcdon14@syr.edu
Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 19 Pittsburgh
By Justin Girshon asst. sports editor
Following its second bye week, Syracuse travels to Acrisure Stadium to face No. 19 Pittsburgh.
The Orange suffered their only loss this season — versus Stanford — after their first bye week, but bounced back with three straight wins over Holy Cross, UNLV and NC State to put them just outside the AP Top 25 Poll.
While it seemed SU could’ve had injured star linebacker Marlowe Wax return versus the Panthers, he’ll return to the field next week against Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, breakout wide receiver Trebor Peña’s status appears to be up in the air after he suffered a late injury versus the Wolfpack.
The matchup marks the end of the Orange’s three-game road stretch, as they’ll return to the JMA Wireless Dome next week against Virginia Tech.
Here’s everything to know about No. 19 Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) before it hosts Syracuse (5-1, 2-1 ACC) Thursday night:
All-time series Pitt leads 43-33-3.
Last time they played…
The Orange traveled to Yankee Stadium, losers of their previous five games, on Nov. 11, 2023, to face the Panthers. With quarterbacks Garrett
Shrader and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson each dealing with injuries, it was unclear who would line up under center for SU.
Syracuse attempted just nine passes because of its quarterback limitations and mainly ran its offense out of the wildcat formation, which worked to perfection. Quarterback-turned-tightend Dan Villari rushed for a career-high 154 yards while LeQuint Allen Jr. tacked on 103 en route to the Orange running for a season-high 392 yards in a 28-13 win.
The victory got Syracuse back to .500 and its new offensive identity helped spark a second straight season where it reached a bowl game.
The Panthers report
In the ACC Preseason Poll, Pitt was predicted to finish 13th, one spot behind Syracuse. But after the Panthers started the season with four consecutive nonconference wins before defeating North Carolina 34-24, they were ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll — the program’s first ranking since 2022.
Since then, Pitt narrowly defeated California 17-15 before its bye week, helping it climb to No. 19. Following their worst season this century, notching just three wins, the Panthers have been one of college football’s biggest surprises in 2024. A big reason why is their much-improved quarterback play.
Pittsburgh netted Alabama transfer Eli Holstein to take over under center. Thus far, the redshirt freshman has completed 63.5% of his passes for 1,697 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Additionally, transfer running back Desmond Reid has become Pitt’s top offensive weapon. Along with a revitalized offense, Pittsburgh’s defense has thrived, as its 83.3 Pro Football Focus defensive grade is the fifth-best in the ACC. Pitt’s 116 rushing yards allowed per game allowed is the 30th-best mark among Football Bowl Subdivision teams, but its 244.7 passing yards allowed per game ranks 104th.
How Syracuse beats Pitt Playing in what should be an electric environment, getting off to a hot start is crucial for the Orange. For much of the season, SU’s offense has gotten going early. Syracuse has struggled to play a complete game, however.
In the Orange’s first ranked win this season against then-No. 23 Georgia Tech, they came out of the gate strong before nearly blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. Coming off its first bye-week, Syracuse was vastly inconsistent throughout its loss to Stanford. While SU bounced back with an overtime win over thenNo. 25 UNLV, it was a game of runs that saw neither side protect a lead.
For Syracuse to take the next step toward enriching itself in the ACC’s upper echelon and inch toward potential College Football Playoff conversations, it must show it can dominate a game from start to finish. Doing so against Pitt would carry the Orange into November with unforeseen momentum, which they lacked in the Dino Babers era.
Stats to know: 3, 3 and 3
If Syracuse defeats Pittsburgh, it’ll be bowleligible for the third consecutive season. The last time the Orange made three bowl games in as many seasons was when they played in five straight from 1995-99.
Additionally, a win would mark SU’s third win over an AP Top 25 team this season. Syracuse last had as many such wins in 1998, when Donovan McNabb was a senior. A victory would also give the Orange a 3-1 record in conference play, tying their best start (2022) in ACC play since joining it in 2013.
Player to watch: Desmond Reid, running back, No. 0
After accumulating 2,216 all-purpose yards across two seasons at Western Carolina, Reid transferred to Pitt ahead of the 2024 season. The shifty 5-foot-8 weapon has continued his success with the Panthers, rushing for 494 yards while notching 341 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns.
Across the Panthers’ first six games, Reid has run for over 100 yards three times and has two games with 100 or more receiving yards. PFF marks him with a 75.7 running grade and an 82.3 receiving grade midway through the season. Reid’s play earned him the AP Midseason “ACC’s Most Surprising Player” honor. justingirshon@gmail.com @JustinGirshon
No. 19 Pittsburgh enters its matchup with Syracuse as one of two undefeated teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers are led by running back Desmond Reid, who leads the ACC with 182.6 all-purpose yards per game.
meghan hendricks senior staff photographer
purpose new
After
medically retiring,
Laila Smith has found a role with a local nonprofit as a media intern
By Quinn Postman staff writer
In March, Laila Smith was told at a doctor’s appointment that she should medically retire from volleyball. At the time, Smith had suffered three concussions in one year. After sustaining a concussion at Alabama, the first of two concussions at Syracuse came on Sept. 2, 2023, against Delaware State. She was hit by a ball as she rose above the net and immediately felt concussion-like symptoms.
Two months later against Boston College, it happened again. Because of the timeline, Smith developed an increased chance of Second Impact Syndrome, when the brain swells rapidly after a second concussion before recovering from the first. The doctors told Smith if she suffered a fourth concussion, she risked permanent brain damage. She didn’t have much of a choice.
“I knew it was my last year (playing volleyball),” Smith said. “If I were comparing it to one year of volleyball or the rest of my life to be a functional human, then I have to be smart.”
Before her senior season at Syracuse, on May 30, Smith officially announced her medical retirement from volleyball. Unsure of her next step, Smith sought a new passion. She’s since translated her communication skills into a media internship with ED23 Foundation, the nonprofit of former SU basketball player Eric Devendorf, and his basketball camp, ED23 Hoops.
see smith page 13
Analyzing Kyle McCord’s production halfway through 2024
By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor
Jeff Nixon made his vision clear early in his tenure as Syracuse’s offensive coordinator. The Orange brought in gunslinger Kyle McCord at quarterback but still had a dynamic running back in LeQuint Allen Jr. returning.
“We want to be balanced,” Nixon said on March 25. “We want to be able to at any point during the season when we play an opponent, if we want to throw it 50 times a game, we want to be able to do that … If it’s a game where we think we have to win up front, a team that’s struggling in the run, we want to be able to run the football 50 times.”
Halfway through SU’s 2024 campaign, it’s largely been the former. The Orange have thrown 287 passes through six games, 103 more than their rushing attempts. With the offense relying heavily on McCord’s arm, the quarterback has averaged 47 passing attempts a game.
McCord’s heavy usage has resulted in totals putting him on pace for 4,320 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, 564 attempts and 370 completions at the end of the 12-game regular season.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference, his marks would put him for third-most in passing attempts in a single season, behind Boston College’s Matt Ryan in 2007 and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in 2016. If McCord’s numbers were to
have happened in 2023, he would’ve led the conference in completions by 80 and attempts by 110. Nixon and first-year head coach Fran Brown have put their faith in McCord, and so far he’s thrived, leading the Orange to a 5-1 start.
In December 2023, Brown plucked McCord out of the transfer portal. McCord led Ohio State to an 11-0 start last season, but a middling performance in the regular-season finale against Michigan soured his campaign. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day wouldn’t commit to McCord as the starter going forward, causing him to enter the portal.
Knowing the uncertainty McCord faced with Ohio State, Brown made it
apparent the trust and commitment he had for the quarterback. On the first day of fall training camp, he echoed these sentiments.
“I would like for him to take this team and lead this team as far as we can possibly go,” Brown said. “If he can maximize all the guys, I’m the head coach and after the head coach comes Kyle McCord.”
In SU’s season-opener versus Ohio, McCord showcased his passing prowess. Across the final three quarters, he recorded four touchdowns and 354 passing yards on a 27-of-39 mark — all new single-game highs for the quarterback.
“Send Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for allowing us to get
Kyle McCord,” Brown confidently said postgame.
His production only increased the next week in SU’s ACC opener versus then-No. 23 Georgia Tech. This time, it was four touchdowns with 381 yards through the air. However, it was a newfound swagger that stood out. On a thirdand-3 in the third quarter, McCord scrambled out left for 15 yards, spiking the ball out of bounds after the play.
Earlier in the contest, his flamboyance, which was rarely seen at Ohio State, was caught by TV cameras, exuding confidence with an expletivefilled speech to teammates.
football
Laila Smith medically retired from volleyball in May. She now does work with local nonprofit, ED23 Foundation, and basketball camp, ED23 Hoops. lars jendruschewitz photo editor