May 9, 2024

N • Expense issues

Student Bar Association leaders have expressed budget concerns, alleging unauthorized expenses throughout the academic year.

Page 3

C

• At last

The Class of 2020 mostly had abnormal graduations. Many of those same graduates are having their first real celebration this week.

Page 9

S • Offensive mastermind

With over a decade of coaching experience, Pat March has helped Syracuse develop into of the most dangerous attacks in the country.

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INSIDE

The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.

NEWS

“I was starting to catch on to the fact that there were things being spent without my knowledge. And these were big ticket items.” — Bonnie Cheng, SBA’s executive treasurer for the 2023-24 academic year

Page 3

CULTURE

“This graduation makes up for the one that I didn’t have, so in a way, it’s not only a celebration of my achievements in college but of my achievements in high school as well.” — SU senior Gabriela Moncivais

Page 9

OPINION

“Let graduation not be the end of our advocacy but rather only the beginning.” — SU student Sofia Aguilar

Page 12

SPORTS

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WHERE: Zoom how to join us

“I’m not Canadian. I don’t play box lacrosse at the level a lot of these guys have.” — Pat March, Syracuse men’s lacrosse offensive coordinator

Page 16

COMING UP

Noteworthy events this week.

WHAT: Senior Celebration 2024

WHEN: May 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Einhorn Family Walk

WHAT: MFA Thesis Film Screening

WHEN: May 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hosmer Auditorium at the Everson Museum of Art

WHAT: 24th Annual Art History Graduate Symposium

WHEN: May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Student Bar Association leaders have expressed budget concerns, alleging unauthorized spending

By Roxanne Boychuk asst. copy editor

The Student Bar Association of Syracuse University’s College of Law saw a significant increase in spending during the 2023-24 academic school year, with their annual budget exceeding its expected revenue, according to a 2023-24 budget report obtained by The Daily Orange.

At the start of the academic year, the SBA Senate approved a budget totaling $55,000, including about $28,630 in rollover funds, according to the report, which was created by incoming SBA Executive Treasurer Zach Eichner. Throughout the fall semester, additional rollover money became available, leading to the final approved budget of $81,500.

By Dominic Chiappone, Ahna Fleming and Stephanie Wright the daily orange

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Syracuse University refused to relocate from the Shaw Quadrangle after university administrators formally requested Wednesday morning that it move to an alternate location due to commencement activities, according to an SU statement.

The university will treat the refusal as a violation of university policy

and will address it through conduct processes, the statement read.

“The University will continue to prepare the Quad and other areas of campus for Commencement activities,” the statement read.

“We remain focused on ensuring our graduates and their loved ones have a safe, welcoming and joyous celebration.”

SU’s Student Experience Division first distributed a document with its request for the encampment to relocate Wednesday morning.

This academic year, the SBA spent over $72,000 of its budget, leaving around $8,900 in rollover, according to the report. In the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, SBA rollovers amounted to approximately $37,000 and $30,000, respectively, according to the report. Now, some of the SBA’s executives claim the association’s increased spending was not approved through the correct channels.

“I was starting to catch on to the fact that there were things being spent without my knowledge,” said Bonnie Cheng, the SBA’s executive treasurer for the 2023-24 academic year. “And these were big ticket items.”

Cheng said the financial issues began to arise in late fall due to inconsistencies with transparency among association members. She and Eichner said many of the funds were allocated without the treasurer’s approval, causing them to need to “catch up” with the expenses after they had already been spent.

Eicher said he posted the report on the College of Law’s Blackboard page, outlining the SBA’s financial situation from the past year. The report states that “concerns including spending, management of funds, transparency, representations to the student body, and the executive compensation have all been part of the discourse” within the association.

The university proposed two alternative locations for the encampment — a greenspace adjacent to the Life Sciences Complex on College Place and the Women’s Building Field at the corner of Euclid Ave. and Comstock Ave. The document said SU facilities staff would be available to help the encampment relocate.

The document also said SU would require the encampment to include only students, faculty and staff affiliated with the university

to “ensure the safety of our campus” during graduation activities.

The document said if members of the encampment failed to comply, SU would charge individuals for violating the Student Conduct Code and refer them to the conduct system.

“The University has permitted you to engage in protest for the past week with an opportunity to bring awareness to your positions,” the relocation request document read.

“However, seeking to remain on the Quad beyond this point will constitute

a disruption of University activities in violation of University policy.”

The GSE will “not discuss the question of moving” until administration has a “good-faith meeting” with the encampment’s negotiations team and provides a list of actionable items regarding each of the encampment’s six demands, GSE organizer Cai Cafiero told The Daily Orange.

“If they were to have a meeting with us, and to give us that list of

flynn ledoux illustration editor

Asleep

Explore Syracuse University’s 2023-24 school year with photos of major moments, from new student housing to artist performances

photos by

Asleep all year?

University’s with these moments, housing performances

By Daily Orange Photography Staff

Syracuse University has had an eventful 2023-2024 year. Take a look back at major events of the school year in photos.

SU announced changes in housing, adding 727 Crouse Ave. and the Sheraton Hotel into new student housing. The year included several other changes, including Falk College separating “Human Dynamics” from the school, and the African American Studies program being

without a program chair for most of the semester, facing uncertainties about the future of the program.

SU sports enjoyed successes, with Dyaisha Fair scoring her 3,000th point earlier this season before being signed to the Las Vegas Aces.

Students had plenty of fun during the once-in-alifetime solar eclipse, storming the court after the men’s basketball team won against then-No.7 UNC, and at concerts with DaBaby and Bruce Springsteen. photo@dailyorange.com

Tenant’s Union emphasizes tenant rights, landlord accountability

By Griffin Uribe Brown staff writer

After hearing about the extent of Syracuse’s lead issues from homeowners and tenants, Palmer Harvey created and co-chaired a housing task force at Southside Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today, where she first served as a volunteer.

As a longtime housing activist and current Onondaga County legislator, Harvey said conversations with community members have made her increasingly aware of housing concerns beyond lead, including poor conditions, exploitative landlords and an overall lack of awareness of tenant rights.

In 2018, Harvey teamed up with Mary Traynor, a former housing attorney with Legal Services of Central New York, to found Syracuse Tenants Union — an organized group of renters in the city. The new union took inspiration from similar organized tenant groups across New York state, she said.

“There is a lot of non-education — the landlord is not going to tell (a tenant) they can call code enforcement,” Harvey said. “Bad actor landlords have gotten their way because it’s been allowed for so long.”

Today, the union holds several community events highlighting tenants’ rights and advocating for improved housing conditions, including its upcoming “Safe Housing for All” rally and march in downtown Syracuse. STU also hosts general meetings and “Know Your Rights’’ sessions at the North Side Learning Center.

“We believe that tenants are their own best advocates, and tenants together are stronger than tenants trying to fight for their rights alone,” said Liam Hines, a Syracuse University alumnus who joined the union in 2021.

At a March town hall meeting, Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown said only 40% of the county’s renters can afford quality rental housing, which he said is “as competitive as New York City’s” housing market.

Shortly after the union’s formation, housing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the union’s programming to generating awareness campaigns for these concerns, Harvey said. Around that time, Hines, a thengraduate student at SU, joined the union as an organizer to “get involved” in the broader community, he said.

In January 2022, the lifting of a state pandemic-era eviction moratorium left “tenants on the streets,” Hines said. Harvey said the union “switched gears” and began to focus on combating housing issues through addressing legislation and tenant rights.

Initiatives to help those affected by the pandemic occurred alongside the union’s legislative projects, Harvey said, such as its two-year effort to back a state law allowing tenants to sue their landlords.

Early in his time with the union, Hines and other volunteers canvassed apartments throughout the city, collecting community concerns surrounding poor housing conditions and unresponsive landlords, he said.

STU members are continuing to canvas, where they speak to community members about the union’s initiatives as well as inform them of their rights as tenants.

The union’s “Know Your Rights” meetings and teach-ins also inform renters of their legal powers, including their right to report issues and

code violations without retaliation or eviction from their landlords.

The group also organizes demonstrations with members throughout the city and within specific housing sectors. STU also orchestrates rent strikes, or the refusal of an organized group of tenants to pay rent when a landlord is not fulfilling their side of a lease.

Hines said the union’s primary goals include increasing tenant rights, improving housing conditions and repairs, lowering rent throughout Syracuse and preventing unjust evictions. Currently, the union is working to increase the number of landlords on the rental registry, a database of rental properties and owners.

“We’re trying to make (the rental registry) tougher so that bad actor landlords have tougher, stiffer penalties for behaving the way they do with their homes,” Harvey said.

In 2022, Central Current reported that according to city records, nearly half of Syracuse’s 9,000 one-and-two-family homes were “not in compliance” with the registry — either

by violating city codes, being inconsistent with tax obligations or having an expired rental registry certificate.

As the union works to push legislation to strengthen Syracuse’s rental registry, Jocelyn Richards, an STU member and organizer, said she hopes city and state officials will prioritize supporting local renters’ concerns.

“(Local officials) act supportive and they’ll say, ‘Oh, my gosh, the housing crisis in Syracuse is so bad,’” Richards said. “But then when we present them with a solution, they’re like, ‘Yeah, it won’t work because of this, this and this’ — it’s frustrating.”

Harvey said Syracuse’s current lawmakers have brought “vast improvement” to the city’s housing crisis but need to do more to address the treatment of renters. As the union grows beyond its “grassroots stage,” organizers seek to increase membership and sponsors, she said.

“The tenant union has definitely grown, in numbers and experience, at least in the three years that I’ve been there,” Hines said. “It’s been pretty amazing to see.”

Unlike Harvey, Hines said he believes Syracuse’s housing challenges have worsened since he joined the union. In March, a Zumper report found that between Feb. 2023 and Feb. 2024 in Syracuse, “one-bedroom rents were up 22%” — the highest increase among United States cities despite national rent rates flattening, the New York Times reported.

STU’s next event will be Saturday’s rally and march, which will begin at 1 p.m. at Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse. The demonstration has multiple co-sponsors, including Syracuse’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Citizen’s Action of New York and the Workers’ Center of Central New York.

Demonstrators will outline housingrelated demands for Syracuse’s elected officials during the rally, according to the group’s Instagram.

“There are unions in pretty much every city, and they all look different,” Richards said. “We’re actually not incorporated, we’re a grassroots group. We’re trying to be empowerment-oriented, so we want to help people help themselves.”

gbrown19@syr.edu @GriffinUriBrown

‘Non-affiliate’ reportedly gestured Nazi salute toward students

By Julia Boehning news editor

Chief Student Experience Office Allen Groves and Department of Public Safety Chief Craig Stone wrote in a campus-wide email Saturday night that there have been reports of a non-university affiliated person gesturing a Nazi salute toward students.

After a “brief” verbal altercation, the “nonaffiliate” reportedly punched a student, Stone and Groves wrote. The altercation started after proPalestine protesters with a “Community Support Rally” returned to Walnut Park from SU’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment. An off-duty residential community safety officer deescalated the incident.

“Syracuse Police, as the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over this matter, is speaking to witnesses to get a better understanding of what transpired and reviewing all available security camera and witness cell phone video footage,” Stone and Groves wrote.

The student did not want medical attention nor did they want to pursue charges, they wrote.

Along with a request for students to contact either DPS or the Syracuse Police Department with information, Stone and Groves wrote that there will be an increased law enforcement presence “on and around campus in the coming days.” Most rally participants were not students, they wrote.

An SPD spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange Sunday that the department responded to a harassment investigation at approximately 4:50 p.m. on Saturday at DPS’ request. Though the student requested not to press charges, the incident is still under investigation, the spokesperson wrote.

Around 75 people joined the initial 3 p.m. protest hosted by the Syracuse Peace Council. The “rally” called on the university to “engage in honest negotiations” with those in the encampment, according to an Instagram post from the SPC on Friday.

Rally participants called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the university’s respect of students’ rights to protest and SU’s adherence to the GSE’s six demands. Several community speakers, including Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown, stated their support for the GSE. The

group later walked through campus, arrived at Shaw Quadrangle and began chanting “long live the student encampment.”

Members of DPS and the SPD interviewed a series of people outside of Zeta Beta Tau, a Jewish fraternity, after the altercation. Throughout the protest, people on the porches of nearby Greek life houses, including ZBT, shouted at the pro-Palestine group, also playing the Israeli and American national anthems.

No direct confrontations occurred between SPC demonstrators and counterprotesters until the pro-Palestine group returned to Walnut Park from visiting the encampment. As the pro-Palestine group again left Walnut Park, people sitting on the porches called after them.

“Why are you in front of the Jewish fraternity (ZBT), antisemites?” one yelled.

“Go to Gaza,” another person said. “See what happens to you.”

One person on ZBT’s porch threw an empty water bottle at the protesters, though it’s unclear whether or not they were aiming at someone. The person, along with those standing on the porch, then got up to follow the pro-Palestine protesters.

The altercation then occurred between a smaller group of protesters and counterprotesters. The student counterprotester said he was punched in the face by a rally participant and several witnesses reported one person threatening another with a taser.

“They’re choosing to do (the protest) right in front of the one Jewish fraternity (ZBT) on campus. There’s one house that is a Jewish fraternity, and they have the entire park,” said one SU student who requested to remain anonymous. “The fact that the school hasn’t taken action is absolutely deplorable.”

Along with those on the porches, people walking and driving by the pro-Palestine group yelled obscenities at the protesters. A smaller number of passersby supported the protesters, whose speakers continued to address the audience throughout.

Another group of protesters that called themselves “pro-American” also arrived in the park. Along with handing out American flags to bystanders, they called the speakers of the proPalestine rally “un-American,” telling them to “go home” and booed them as they spoke.

SU confirmed in a campus-wide email that there have been reports of a “non-affiliate” gesturing a Nazi salute following a pro-Palestine rally. brycen pace asst. photo editor

During the initial rally, Brown drew comparisons between the current encampments across the country and previous protests, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. He “applauded” GSE members for their protest efforts.

Representatives from several community groups, including the Syracuse chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Pan African Community of Central New York, gave statements supporting the GSE. Two members of the encampment also recited their list of demands for the university.

After each speaker, demonstrators would chant as counterprotesters responded and continued to play music.

On Sunday night, SPC and JVP posted a joint statement to Instagram condemning “violence, Antisemitism, and racism” in response to the May 4 incident. The post states neither SPC nor any of the other sponsoring organizations are

aware of the identity of the protester who allegedly performed the Nazi salute, but all groups involved condemn his actions.

“Racism, bigotry, and violence are fundamentally antithetical to our vision of a just world,” the statement reads. “Acts such as those that occurred after (Saturday’s) rally undermine our movement work to dismantle antisemitism along with anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and all other forms of oppression (sic).”

SPC and JVP also confirmed that members of the GSE at SU were not involved in the planning of Saturday’s protest and only attended to recite their demands. The statement speaks out against any “violence, slurs, and other forms of harassment” being directed toward encampment members following the rally that would “endanger” student demonstrators and other advocates. jmboehni@syr.edu @juliaboehning

Housing concerns in Syracuse caught the attention of Onondaga Legislator Palmer Harvey, who later founded Syracuse Tenants Union. courtesy of syracuse tenants union

The budget report states that this year’s budget issued lower executive stipends than previous years. Eichner said $4,800 was allocated in total for executive stipends, split among four executive board members, totalling to $1,200 with no parking benefit. In the 2021-22 school year, a stipend of $3,750 was split among three members who each received $1,250 each as well as free parking passes.

Charles Sirotek, a member of the SBA’s Class of 2025 Judicial Board, said he disagrees with the report. He claims that the SBA stopped issuing stipends last year because “everybody hated it,” and then brought it back this year. The report said numbers have “varied widely” on how much was allocated for stipends in 2022-23, with amounts ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

“They’re clearly uncomfortable not having (the stipend) because it’s obvious – based on both the cultural trend of the laws and also in the draft document itself – you’re not supposed to be paid for this (executive) position,” Sirotek said.

He also said the report “admits” to violating the constitution by including payment to the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society. The budget “includes emergency $5,000 to AHS - typically forbidden by SBA bylaws,” the report states.

actionable items on each demand, we will be happy to discuss relocating and what that would look like,” Cafiero said. “We’re waiting for them to come to the table.”

Cafiero, a graduate student in SU’s School of Education, said it has been “very difficult” to arrange a meeting between the encampment and administrations. Administration offered to meet with the GSE on Monday the 13th, which is after commencement, Cafiero said.

“Offering a meeting five days after (the relocation request) does us no good. We want to see that they are willing to negotiate before we comply,” Cafiero said.

The GSE refuses to relocate unless the university meets with its negotiations team and addresses its demands before Monday, Cafiero said.

The encampment at SU began on April 29, with organizers calling for the university to divest from Israel and support a ceasefire in Gaza, among other demands.

In the relocation request document, the Student Experience Division wrote that the Quad will play an “essential” role as it has in previous years of graduation ceremonies. Graduation events and receptions will begin Thursday and will last until Sunday. SU began setting up tents on the Quad Tuesday, according to the document.

news@dailyorange.com

Dear readers,

The current SBA President Devon Brown is also reportedly “not present,” Sirotek said, due to an outside commitment that removes him from campus. Sirotek said Brown should “instantly” resign, and that he’s also heard there is no expulsion provision for executive members to be removed from their position. According to a Linkedin post from a month ago, Brown has been in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of an international law program.

“He hasn’t disclosed where he’s going … (and) it’s irrelevant because it’s still taking him off campus and away from the law school. He could have pursued a position where this wouldn’t be a problem,” Sirotek said.

The D.O. has received numerous tips claiming that Brown is responsible for the over-spending and transparency issues within the SBA. Brown did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The D.O.

Each registered student organization can request up to $2,500 from the SBA, Cheng said. She said while most of the money has gone to organizing on-campus events, such as “Go Orange” and tailgates, she has consistently not been aware of most SBA funding and had to approve allocations after they were already spent. She said she confronted Brown about her concerns and that he was “accepting” of her worries.

“I have really scrambled on the back end to make up for this,” Cheng said.

The D.O. obtained screenshots showing that SBA members brought these concerns forward in a “Syracuse Law 2025” GroupMe chat, where members asked if it was true that elected people voted in favor of their own stipends and if the SBA has been increasing student fees. They also asked where the funds for the stipends came from and why they were allocated without approval.

In response, Brown sent a statement in the chat, then proceeded to leave all group chats affiliated with the SBA, an anonymous source told The D.O. In Brown’s message to the group, he wrote the SBA is not increasing student activity fees, and the association had invested approximately $40,000 in RSOs this past year — which he called the “highest investment to date.”

“We were able to pay for everything this year, and there is plenty of money left over and you will all be able to comfortably pay for things next year,” Brown wrote in the statement. “Contrary to rumors, the SBA is not facing a significant budget deficit.”

Brown ended his statement by thanking everyone for their work and contributions before leaving the chat. An anonymous source said there have been suggestions to make Brown “pay out of pocket” for the expenses, but it is “unlikely” this will happen.

Sources said Craig Boise, dean of the College of Law, called the SBA’s spending “lavish.” In an email to Brown obtained by The D.O., Boise wrote that the College of Law cannot advance any further funds to the association this year. He wrote that he hopes the SBA will place “robust” policies and procedures to ensure that funds are used “equitably” for the next year.

Eichner said he and Cheng will be “ready and responsive” to any questions going forward regarding the SBA’s budget. He said he will also be looking through old records and budgets to create a “coherent picture” of how to assess the previous and current financial situations within the association.

Cheng said they also plan to fundraise, keep track of how much money organizations have and lower the $2,500 request limit for RSOs. She also said the treasurer’s signature on the budget will “carry more weight” than the president’s, and that Eichner will bring back a financial committee.

“What has to happen … to try and rebuild those sources is to go back into the university side of the records, to see what money was allocated, what money was spent,” Eichner said. Senior Staff Writer Kyle Chouinard contributed reporting to this article.

rmboychu@syr.edu

@Roxanne_Boychuk

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Syracuse University administrators said they would treat the encampment’s refusal to relocate as a violation of university policy and would proceed with conduct processes. meghan hendricks senior staff photographer

Turning the tassel

The

Syracuse University Class of 2024 is graduating this weekend. For

many of them, it’s their first ever in-person graduation.

By Rosina Boehm culture editor

In 2020, high school senior Gabriela Moncivais briefly stepped out of her car sporting a “Class of 2020” customized face mask. She grabbed her diploma from her principal and then celebrated her graduation in her car’s passenger seat.

“It was a little anticlimactic for what you worked so hard for 12 years of school and education,” Moncivais said.

Many Class of 2024 graduates have never had a “normal” graduation.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced their high school graduation in 2020 to be different, ranging from online ceremonies to car parades. Now, as Syracuse University prepares for the Class of 2024’s graduation, it will be many student’s first time having an in-person ceremony.

Senior Clara Neville is the youngest of three siblings and watched them graduate from the same high school she attended. She had expectations for her last year of high school, but many of them were squashed.

“(Graduation) was something that I was really looking forward to, and it was super strange for mine to be so different,” Neville said.

Neville, however, feels lucky to have had a car parade graduation like Moncivais. Sophia Darsch had both virtual and car ceremonies. Before her actual graduation, Darsch went into school wearing her cap and gown and walked across the stage. Videos of the senior class walking one by one were later compiled into a YouTube livestream.

“I remember watching it, and my family was very excited, but I just felt sad about it because I felt like I didn’t get a chance to say bye to people or really celebrate my time in high school or K through 12,” Darsch said.

graduation page 11

SU senior bridges gaps in Syracuse with love for music, food

By Savannah Stewart asst. copy editor

At four years old, Samantha Parrish’s father sat her in front of a piano, an instrument she would classically train with for the next 10 years. She learned the ukulele with her grandmother, wrote songs and participated in musicals and a cappella groups. For Parrish, now a senior at Syracuse University, music has always been incorporated into her life. Going into college, she knew SU’s Bandier Program was the only choice for her.

“I’ve…come to realize the immense power of gathering and the collective energy that people bring when they are listening to music and they are resonating with the same sound,” Parrish said.

This year, Parrish created CrossRoads Collective as part of her capstone project. This student-run organization bridges the gap between SU and the local community by hosting fundraising events in the arts for local causes. Over the past four years, Parrish has realized the separation between the campus and community and hopes to instill sustainability with CrossRoads. Parrish started building CrossRoads in the spring through the winter of 2023. At the time, she was working with her bandmate Vir Batra and two graduate students to host a festival in Thornden Park to grow community engagement. The group was unable to get all the moving parts together because they didn’t have enough time or money.

Initially, their mentors advised them to refrain from following through with the festival despite its communitybuilding premise. But Parrish said that moment got her “gears turning,” and she spent last summer in Syracuse laying the groundwork for her vision of community involvement in the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

She began by going to youth centers and having coffee with community leaders to better understand Syracuse’s landscape. Parrish said this engagement led her to many different places and people that she would have never expected. Then, this past fall semester when Parrish was abroad in Osaka, Japan, she started to develop her capstone project ideamore.

“I had in my mind (that) maybe it’ll be one show a month where it’s a fundraiser show and also, this could be a student organization,” she said.

She registered CrossRoads with the SU Student Association and it was approved through a semester-long process. When Parrish returned to campus this January, she “hit the ground running” with the school’s resources.

This semester, CrossRoads focused on music education and food access. Students brought free music lessons to inner city kids on Syracuse’s north side. CrossRoads also had about eight SU students who taught lessons in guitar, piano and voice at the Mundy Branch Library and at a youth center in Camillus.

In the fall semester, sophomore Anjali Engstrom and freshman Annie

Knobloch started working with Rhonda Vesey at Food Access Healthy Neighborhoods Now to educate more SU students about food insecurity in Syracuse. After the three met, Parrish, Engstrom and Knobloch decided to make food insecurity a part of CrossRoads’ mission. Engstrom, who had done prior research about central New York’s food deserts, joined the organization’s e-board, collaborating with Parrish on how to combine music education with FAHNN’s work.

CrossRoads partnered with FAHNN to raise awareness about the lack of supermarkets on the south side and helped fundraise for FAHNN’s bi-monthly market, which is hosted at a vacant supermarket.

flynn ledoux illustration editor

Story by Daily Orange Culture Staff

Illustration by Flynn Ledoux illustration editor

As the Syracuse University Class of 2024 prepares for graduation, The Daily Orange has compiled a group of songs. For graduates ready to celebrate, reminisce or cry, this playlist has it all.

“Graduation” by Benny Blanco, feat. Juice WRLD

It may be a bit on the nose, but no graduation playlist is fit without this song. It reminisces on moments from school that were a nuisance, yet also commemorates “All the times we spent together.” Blanco and Juice WRLD certify that they will be friends forever, much like the bonds of college friends.

“Congratulations” by Post Malone (feat. Quavo)

This Post Malone and Quavo collab will have any graduate celebrating. The duo sings of patience and the struggles leading up to a big moment.

“I was patient, aye, oh / Now I can scream that we made it,” Quavo sings.

After four years at SU, alumni can join Malone in singing “Congratulations” to each other and themselves.

“MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman

A funky, quirky and bouncy track that Complex has called a contender for “Song of the Summer,” “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” will help blow off some steam. Simply put, when the beat drops in, you’re going to bust a move with your fellow graduates.

“We Are Young” by fun. (feat. Janelle Monáe)

This is the perfect song to grab the best friends you’ve met in the last four years and belt together. The band sings of youth and friendship. Whether you’re celebrating your last night coming home

from the bar or are ready to “set the world on fire,” this song is sure to bring your friends together.

“Best Song Ever” by One Direction

If you’re ready to “dance all night,” this is the song for you. It’s an upbeat bop sure to get your graduation party on its feet. Create one last memorable night for you and your friends with the song about the “Best Song Ever.”

“Tongue Tied” by GROUPLOVE

“Tongue Tied” celebrates going to someone’s best friend’s house. GROUPLOVE sings about the shenanigans between friends and their youthfulness. Enjoy your friend’s company after graduation with this song while exchanging your favorite college memories.

“Don’t take me tongue tied / Don’t wave no goodbye,” GROUPLOVE sings.

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears

If you’re ready to take the world by storm, this song is perfect for you. Even if something great is coming to an end, the song is a reminder that they have to end. Celebrate post-grad and your friends with this song.

“I’m so glad we’ve almost made it / So sad they had to fade it / Everybody wants to rule the world,” the band sings.

“We’re All In This Together” by High School Musical Cast, Disney

“High School Musical” and Disney Channel were the pinnacles of many people’s childhoods. Celebrate this next milestone with this nostalgic song.

If you want to be more on the theme, choose the “Graduation Mix” from “High School Musical 3.”

This choice is more sentimental while singing the same chorus.

“Fireflies” by Owl City

“Fireflies” is a song all about trying to slow down childhood. While the next chapter might be scary, reminisce on the good times with this song.

“To ten million fireflies / I’m weird ‘cause I hate goodbyes / I got misty eyes as they said farewell,” Owl City sings.

“Heroes” by David Bowie

“Heroes” played in the background of the iconic tunnel scene in the coming-of-age movie

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Like the film’s characters Charlie, Sam and Patrick, graduates can feel infinite hope listening to this Bowie classic.

“Kids” by Current Joys

Reflecting on childhood nostalgia and fear of growing up, “Kids” perfectly encapsulates the feelings of graduating seniors.

girl summer’

By Sarah Wells humor columnist

I just turned in my last class’ final essay last night at 11:59 p.m., with tears in my eyes and a stomach full of Celsius. This can only mean one thing: The end of the semester! It’s officially summer break, and by “break,” I mean spending the summer working three jobs to pay off my student loans. I mean, who even has time to be burned out?

On my days off, though, there is one thing I’m looking forward to: Beach days. I love lounging around these man-made beauties, even though I’m slightly scared of tiny bugs that live in the sand (I’m from upstate New York, so there are no natural beaches, just lakes with factory sand around them). Anyways, there is nothing better than the sand between your toes, the wind in your hair and a toddler screaming because his mom is making him wear sunscreen (I mean, honestly, just buy the spray kind and sneak up on him. It’s not that hard).

If you’re also craving a beach day like I am, you’ve come to the right place. Put on your swimsuit and strap in because I have a bunch of do’s and don’ts to make your next beach trip the best one yet.

First, make sure you’re protected from the sun. I like to bring an entire wetsuit with me. You know, the kind surfers use during the winter in New England. Sure, I may not be embodying the “hot girl summer” look, but I know I’m not going to have any pesky sunburns on my shoulders! I also like to bring a bottle of SPF 150 that my dermatologist custom-ordered for me. Maybe I look like one of the Cullens from “Twilight” when I wear it, but, at the end of the day, it’ll all pay off.

PRO TIP FOR EXPERT BEACHERS: Do NOT go in the water and yell the words “shark,” “snake” or “I’m drowning.” Especially not that last one. Moving on, I love to swim. I also love to make friends! So, combining the best of both worlds, I

“Oh, I am just a kid / One day I’ll go far,” Current Joys sing.

“Wait” by M83

With a few lyrics, this instrumental track says everything graduates need to hear. From melancholic opening notes to a powerful ending, this song will take graduates on an emotional journey that encapsulates all four years of college. No need to “Wait,” your future starts now.

“Where’d All The Time Go?” by Dr. Dog

Do you feel like college flew by too fast? You’re not alone. Dr. Dog’s lead singers reflect on the passing of time and a wish to go back. Listening to this song, you can savor each moment before graduation.

“Where’d all the time go? / It’s starting to fly / See how the hands go / Waving goodbye,” Dr. Dog sings.

“Pursuit Of Happiness (Nightmare)” by Kid Cudi

Whether it’s beginning their first job or traveling all summer, each graduate is on the pursuit of happiness. Blast this song to celebrate graduation and welcome the future.

“I’m on the pursuit of happiness, and I know / Everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold, hey / I’ll be fine once I get it / I’ll be good,” Cudi sings.

“Encore” by JAY-Z

Jay-Z’s classic track celebrates universal hustle, pride and perseverance through bars about overcoming doubt and obstacles. Opening with a trumpet crescendo, joined by an upbeat tune, cheers from an omnipresent crowd and motivational guest vocals, “Encore” is the perfect song to make anyone feel like a winner. culture@dailyorange.com

Scan this QR code to listen to every track for this weekend’s graduation

like to swim toward strangers and pop up out of the water when they’re not expecting me. I like to use the Hippo method of “eyes above water.” Then, when I’ve gotten them in my clutches, I hit them with a “I bet I can stay underwater longer than you.” This method only has about a 5.7% success rate, but when you find a cool person who will do it, it’s totally awesome. That’s how I found my boyfriend.

Speaking of water activities, I love to bring my surfboard. I mean, there are rarely waves at the lake, so I usually end up swimming out and sitting there, but I think I look pretty cool. It’s like

Senior Celebration 2024

Don’t miss one of the final chances to commemorate graduating Syracuse University students at this year’s Senior Celebration. Festivities include live music, food trucks, commemorative make-and-takes, caricatures, airbrush hats, photo ops and more.

WHEN: May 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Einhorn Family Walk

MFA Thesis Film Screening

Bring your friends and popcorn to the last campus community movie night. The Department of Film and Media Arts will showcase the cinematography of seven students at this year’s MFA Thesis Film Screening. The showcase will include work from graduate students Haoran Zeng, Ghazal Yousefi, Sarah Aristy, Qianli Tian, Sam Bray, Tevvon Hines and Yushan Liu.

WHEN: May 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hosmer Auditorium at the Everson Museum of Art

24th Annual Art History Graduate Symposium

The Department of Art & Music Histories will recognize four students in its Annual Art History Graduate Symposium. The ceremony will feature presentations from graduate students Maeve Donnelly, Molly Joyce, Daniel Madison and Olive McKnight. A variety of topics will be explored, from persuasive realism to gay liberation. The event is open to the public and will take place on Zoom.

WHEN: May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WHERE: Zoom

2024 B.F.A. Exhibition

Support the arts at this year’s exhibition hosted by the School of Art and the Department of Film and Media Arts. The exhibition – which began on May 3 and will continue through May 10 in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse Gallery – features the work of graduating seniors from a variety of majors within the School of Art. Whether you’re a fan of art or film, you’re sure to find something to love. To hear from professors and artists in the school, attend the gallery reception.

WHEN: May 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: Nancy Cantor Warehouse Gallery

ltanwa Orinwa 2024

Join the campus community in celebrating the achievements of SU graduates of color at the 22nd annual Itanwa Orinwa (Our Story, Our Song) ceremony. The ceremony will recognize African American, African, Caribbean, and Latino students by honoring their completion of higher education. It will take place in the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday. Registration is not required for nondegree recipients, including families and friends.

WHEN: May 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: JMA Wireless Dome

“Soul Surfer,” but in the first half before all of the shark stuff happened. When I’m done with that, I often like to throw a frisbee around. I don’t really understand how the physics of frisbees work, and sometimes they end up in the lake or smacking into someone’s head, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to learn.

With these tips in hand, have an amazing summer! If you happen to be swimming and see me approaching you with just my eyes above the water, be sure to compliment me on my column. I do sign autographs with a waterproof pen. sswells@syr.edu

Giana DiTolla and most of her family live in Southern California, where she’s from. They would come together for her cousins’ and siblings’ graduation to cheer them on.

She had talked about having a graduation party with her two other cousins at their grandpa’s house, which never happened. However, her older cousins and her sister had that same party they hoped for three years prior. She appreciated the ceremonies she had but thought about the family celebration she missed.

“They were doing the best with what they had, but I’m still disappointed and still mourning that ceremony where I get to walk up on stage and my family gets to see me,” DiTolla said.

Having these different sorts of graduations led the Class of 2020 to feel like their grade school education was “incomplete,” Moncivais said. Many other people don’t realize what the

“We’re both very passionate people,” Engstrom said. “We’re both definitely creative and approach things from different angles, but I feel like our differences in approach help keep each other in check and keep each other balanced.”

Parrish said working with FAHNN was a cool opportunity this semester. A standout of FAHNN and CrossRoads’ partnership was during Bruce Springsteen’s performance in the JMA Wireless Dome on April 18. CrossRoads brought a team of SU students to represent FAHNN at the show, and they raised roughly $3,000 in donations.

“Standing on the side stage while Bruce himself, who shouted us out and our work out on stage at the end of the show, was the cherry on top,” Knobloch said. “We all broke down in such happy tears, hugged and got right back to showing the audience what CrossRoads is about.”

As a lifelong musician and the daughter of a chef, Parrish has always had a connection to music and food and felt both were essential. The best lesson she’s learned in her last semester at SU, she said, is that everyone loves music and food.

When CrossRoads and FAHNN talk about the lack of a supermarket and how people have to shop

Lost

graduates missed out on. Moncivais is sad to have missed graduation, prom and her school’s all-night party.

“I hear stories all of the time, people are like, ‘Oh, I skipped my college graduation. Like it wasn’t that big of a deal for me,’” DiTolla said. “I was like, ‘The last time I walked across the stage was probably kindergarten.’ So like, I gotta do this, and I really want it to be nice and I want it to be special.”

Unlike other graduates, Han Zhang had an in-person ceremony. As a Chinese international student, the country had a lower risk of COVID19 outbreaks, which allowed her class to walk the stage.

However, the major difference at her ceremony was that there were about 40 people in her class without their families. Zhang still had fun, though, because she could take photos with the people she became close with. She was also used to her family not being there because she had gone to a boarding school.

“I think it surprised many people that we had an in-person graduation,” Zhang said. “We were still happy.”

Zhang also never stepped foot onto SU’s campus until her sophomore year, which was the first time she’d ever been to the United States. Looking back on their college years, many graduates realize how much they missed out on.

The Class of 2024’s freshman year hosted mostly online classes, as they couldn’t gather in groups of more than four. DiTolla recalled how much “Zoom Fatigue” she felt. Club fairs were hosted on Zoom, which led to her not getting as involved as she would have initially liked. Similarly, Moncivais was surprised when the Shaw Quadrangle’s three tents got taken down for the first time and still remembers the moment she took off her mask to sing in her musical theater classes.

Because of these restrictions, Darsch feels like she had three years of college rather than four.

“I was able to do a bunch of things that I had thought college would be,” Neville said.

at a Dollar General to get nutrients for their day, the organizations don’t have to convince people to show their support because they understand the need.

Parrish said that while the journey of leading a large team has had its ups and downs, the opportunities have been fruitful.

“It took me an entire summer to even understand some of the things that were going on in Syracuse,” Parrish said. “But a really nice lesson that I learned is that people are always willing to give back or to listen.”

Like Parrish, CrossRoads Collective has drastically changed Knobloch’s perspective. Growing up in a lively city like Los Angeles, Knobloch said there are issues with food insecurity and homelessness and poverty, but there are several projects that exist already. With CrossRoads, she felt like she and her peers were starting from scratch.

Working on the team together took a lot of perseverance, creativity and collaboration as they navigated the complexities of working in the real world outside of their SU “bubble,” Knobloch said.

“But then, when something like graduation comes around, we’re reminded of what we missed out on.”

As the SU’s Class of 2024 prepares to graduate this weekend, many have no clue what will happen.

Neville said that if they had had a high school graduation, they would know what to expect. The class is going in blindly and doesn’t know when it’ll feel real, she said.

Darsch said this graduation is the closure of her entire academic career, and it’s the first time she knows for certain she will cross the stage. She is excited to celebrate with the rest of the SU graduates who also missed out on their high school graduation.

“It’s now been 16 years of education,” Moncivais said. “This graduation makes up for the one that I didn’t have, so in a way, it’s not only a celebration of my achievements in college but of my achievements in high school as well.”

rlboehm@syr.edu

“From the beginning, (Engstrom) and I have made a point to not come off as trying to be ‘saviors’ with this project, so we have also made an effort to work directly with the people in the city and their ideas,” Knobloch said.

As Parrish closes out her time at SU, she hopes that through CrossRoads, people understand to leave the world a better place than you found it. While she said that sounds cliché, she believes it is something necessary for everyone to do.

“So often, we take for granted a lot of the things that are just given to us because we got lucky and we got to be put at a certain place in our life,” Parrish said. “A lot of the times, giving back to the community isn’t something that’s at the forefront of the conversations, but rather something that’s on the back end, and that’s not sustainable.”

As a campus leader, she advises her friends, especially those who are underclassmen and in CrossRoads, to make sure their passions always align with benefiting the community in some sort of way, because society wouldn’t be here without them.

“Take leaps of faith, embrace mistakes, learn from them,” Parrish said. “The universe will put problems in front of your face time and time again until you figure out the solution.”

sfstewar@syr.edu

Sock Memorial Day

samantha parrish is closing out her undergraduate years at SU. As founder of CrossRoads Collective, she shares her journey and wise advice with her peers. joe zhao video editor

Graduating students need to carry their activism with them

By Sofia Aguilar columnist

The past few weeks have been a reckoning for college campuses all across the United States. On April 17, Columbia University students set up the first-ever Gaza Solidarity Encampment, demanding that the university divest from Israel and arms manufacturers that have perpetuated the ongoing war in Palestine, as well as other conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world.

Since then, student encampments have been set up at more than 120 colleges, including Syracuse University on April 29. Despite 99% of protests being peaceful, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, protests have often resulted in brutality and violence with police and pro-Israel protestors. It has also caused many administrations to change or cancel their commencements altogether. It has made it impossible for students to transfer their advocacy from the college environment into the real world without repercussions.

And still, thousands keep returning and showing up to fight for innocent Palestinian lives, including Palestinian college students who can no longer attend school, defend their theses or graduate, because the Israel Defense Forces bombed all universities in Gaza.

As I witness these encampments, I can’t help but think about how often students have protested against a controversial issue that has torn

apart the nation. How often they were met with police and military resistance. How, every time, they ended up being right. Protesting war in Palestine shouldn’t surprise or scare people when protest has historically been a crucial aspect of student advocacy against segregation, apartheid, educational inequality, the Vietnam War, the War in Afghanistan, police brutality and gun violence, just to name a few.

Then and now, we as students have become this country’s moral compass. Maybe it’s because of our age and our inherent idealization, motivation and ability to organize. Maybe it’s because we are the least likely to be afraid and stay silent when we see something wrong and know, without a doubt, what it means to be on the right side of history.

Over the years, I’ve realized that it’s easy to remain this hopeful when we’re young and in solidarity with like-minded people who are also pursuing a path of knowledge. We don’t yet believe that we know everything because we’re always learning something new, expanding on what we already know and holding each other accountable every day in class. We do, however, believe wholeheartedly that we can change the world.

But, I’m learning that what’s hard is not necessarily changing the world we live in. Rather, it’s holding on to that spirit of advocacy and social responsibility post-graduation and bringing it into our workplaces, homes and communities.

However, there are a whole host of problems we will face as working adults such as inadequate pay, lack of benefits, union busting, rising student debt, and more.

Unfortunately, we don’t have to look far to see how some of us lose that as we age. My father, for example, was a passionate student activist in the 1990s, attending protests and organizing with his peers both before and after he immigrated to the U.S. After years of being undocumented and without money or work, he’s managed to stay generous, remembering what it’s like to have nothing. Nonetheless, he has adopted a capitalist mindset that has all but reduced his activism to donations without other actionable steps.

Even celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, who once held Martin Luther King Jr.’s father hostage during his time at Morehouse College, have become no more than endorsements for banks and symbols of excess wealth and privilege.

When we lose our college community, it’s easy to get caught up in what we’re supposed to attain in adulthood, like a house, mortgage, money and children. It’s even easier to separate ourselves from outside problems that don’t seem to affect us, both domestic and global, and settle for the world just as it is, but somehow worse than the one we initially inherited. But all we will manage to do is mistake stability for complacency.

Of course, this doesn’t happen to everyone. There are plenty of adults and elders who have made advocacy and activism their life’s work

and who we can continue to learn from. But, what is it worth to carry values of ethicality and morality as students if we don’t also bring those into the next chapter of our lives, even in a small way? If we don’t create a better world for the next generation than the one our parents left behind for us?

It doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to give up fighting or reserve our social justice activism to the college campus just because we’re graduating.

Especially with the development of social media, we know, arguably better than any other generation before us, how to organize a community, how to protect one another, how to form a blockade. We know how to heal injuries from police-inflicted tear gas and rubber bullets, how to share resources, how to disrupt a system and how to speak to the media. We know how to lead and participate in an open discussion of ideas, disagree respectfully and call one another in. We know how to advocate for what we want.

We alone are responsible for bringing the skills we’ve learned at SU into the future and taking our college education off-campus. Let graduation not be the end of our advocacy but rather only the beginning

Sofia Aguilar is a first-year grad student in the Library and Information Science program. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at saguil07@syr.edu

Stephanie Wright

Cooper Andrews

Cassandra Roshu

flynn ledoux illustration editor

SU’s offense struggles with runners on base in ACC Tournament loss

By Noah Nussbaum asst. copy editor

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Madison Knight stepped to the plate with runners on first and second as Syracuse trailed 1-0. SU’s offense had struggled all game, only registering one hit until this point and Knight was afforded a golden chance to put runs on the board.

But all Knight did was hit a weak pop fly to second base for the second out of the inning. The threat was ended when Laila Morales-Alves lined out to shortstop.

Unlike its past two series wins against thenNo. 15 Virginia Tech and then-No. 14 Florida State where it averaged over seven hits per game, Syracuse’s (28-23, 9-16 Atlantic Coast Conference) offense faltered. For just the fifth time this season, the Orange were shut out as it 1-0 to Boston College (30-23, 10-15 ACC) in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Facing third team All-ACC starter Abby Dunning, Syracuse registered just two hits and went 0-for-6 with runners on base as its season came to an end.

For the first three innings, the game remained hitless. During this time, Syracuse starter Lindsey Hendrix, who was dominant against the Hokies and the Seminoles, kept BC off balance, only throwing 28 pitches over these frames.

Syracuse, however, fared the same against Dunning. In the first, Angel Jasso reached base after catcher’s interference before advancing to second on a passed ball by BC catcher Hannah Slike. Knight, SU’s cleanup hitter, then lined the ball sharply down the third base line, but was robbed of an RBI double by third baseman Nicole Giery.

In the second, SU again got a one-out baserunner after Makenzie Foster worked a walk. But, nothing came of it after Foster was thrown out trying to steal by Slike, who leads the ACC in runners caught stealing (15).

Another runner reached base for Syracuse in the third when Rebecca Clyde was hit on her

Madalon and March quickly became friends as they each climbed the coaching ranks. They had many conversations about working or running a program together. After Madalon was promoted to the Tigers’ head coach in 2017, that became a reality.

“Whoever became a head coach first we were going to hire each other,” Madalon said. “We trust each other and think the game very similarly.”

At Princeton, March brought a classification process for recruits which he created as an assistant at Vermont. The system numbers players based on their positions and abilities — March still uses a similar version today. Lefty wings would be No. 3 and righty X players No. 6. Then, players were assigned a second number if they were a two-way player (No. 1) or a one-way (No. 2).

The procedure helped with roster management too, ensuring there was the right number of players on the field, Madalon said. In March’s first year at Princeton, Zach Currier, Austin Sims, Michael Sowers and Gavin McBride were numbered No. 3 through No. 6, respectively.

“It was an innovative way to look at a limited recruiting roster,” Madalon said. “We weren’t in a place to take 16, 17 guys … you have to be very pointed with your recruiting with your spots.”

Princeton’s 2017 squad led the country in shooting percentage and was second nationally in

takes and everybody had to take ownership of it. Everybody had to step up and play better because we knew what our potential could be.”

Syracuse responded by piling up nine straight wins. It handed then-No. 9 North Carolina its worst loss ever, came back from a four-goal deficit against then-No. 9 Virginia and took care of thenNo. 7 Loyola.

Syracuse used its experiences in adverse situations to turn it around. As it approaches the NCAA Tournament, SU will do the same.

On April 18, Syracuse’s winning streak ended in an overtime loss to then-No. 6 Boston College. But SU learned from that defeat and dominated Louisville and Virginia to open the ACC Tournament. A title game loss to Boston College hampered its success in Charlotte, yet SU has another opportunity to bounce back.

“My hope would be that (the loss) fuels our team and gives us motivation going into the NCAA Tournament,” Treanor said after the loss to BC.

Following a first-round bye, Syracuse could match up with Stony Brook again. While the Seawolves got the best of it in the first rendition, this is a different SU team.

A potential quarterfinal matchup against Yale awaits, but the Bulldogs have far less expe-

wrist by a pitch. However, this opportunity was once again squandered. Eagles shortstop Gator Robinson made a shoestring catch on a Madelyn Lopez line drive. Then, Jasso grounded out to Robinson, keeping the game scoreless.

Slike provided the first hit of the game when she doubled into the left field gap to lead off the fourth. Giery immediately followed with another double the same way to score Slike for the first and only run of the game.

Syracuse’s offense was retired in order in the bottom of the frame, keeping the momentum with BC. Taylor Posner fouled out to first baseman Makenna Segal, followed by a lineout to left by Knight before Laila Morales-Alves flew out to Zoe Hines in deep left to end the inning.

The Eagles threatened again in the fifth, started by a single to center field from Hines. Hines reached second after Hendrix threw the ball into center on a comebacker from Kali Case. Both of these runners were then stranded when Giery grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

It was another frustrating inning for the Orange in the bottom half. It looked like they would get their first hit when Foster reached base on an infield single, but she was ruled to be out of the box when she hit the ball. Two batters later, Olivia Pess finally ended the no-hitter with an infield single.

Pess then stole second on a ball in the dirt by Dunning. But, SU again failed to capitalize, ending the inning with a Rebecca Clyde strikeout.

In the sixth, Hendrix struggled, allowing a single to Jordan Stephens and a walk to Jules Shields. This forced Syracuse head coach Shannon Doepking to pull Hendrix, putting in righthander Jessie DiPasquale. DiPasquale ended the threat, getting Makenna Segal to strike out looking on an offspeed pitch.

The Orange had their biggest scoring opportunity of the day in the bottom of the sixth. Lopez and pinch hitter Vanessa Flores both

goals per game, utilizing a “400” set (four players in front of the cages and two behind), inverts and big-little play. The latter was something March also instituted with the Catamounts.

With less ability to grab the best American players, Vermont put a premium on recruiting players from Canada due to its close proximity to the border. March has always developed his offensive sets based on the players he has, and at Vermont that meant instilling a “pairs” system, which involved aspects of box lacrosse that players like Ian MacKay were familiar with.

The closest March got to playing box lacrosse was practicing in a basketball gym growing up just south of Baltimore, Maryland. He learned more about the two-man, box game playing alongside Jon Mason and Matt Quinton at Roanoke. And even more by asking questions to the Canadian players he coached.

“I’m not Canadian,” March joked. “I don’t play box lacrosse at the level a lot of these guys have.”

March said the two-man game exploded onto the college scene around the time he started employing it at Vermont. It’s something he’s utilized throughout all his time at Syracuse.

When March arrived at SU in 2020, he said the Orange had three midfielders who “drew a slide walking onto the field” — Jamie Trimboli, Tucker Dordevic and Brendan Curry. The following year, he had then-freshman Owen Hiltz at his disposal, who was familiar with the “400” since his high

rience, facing just three top-10 opponents. If the Orange were to advance to the Final Four, a trilogy with Boston College looms. Surely they wouldn’t lose to the same team three times in one season, right?

Yes, the Eagles have been SU’s kryptonite, but Syracuse is a complete team with strength on the draw control, scoring depth and a lockdown zone defense. It’s not ridiculous to predict Syracuse to beat BC at last.

The Orange know how to battle back when needed. They’ve played in overtime games. They’ve had commanding wins over top-10 teams. They’ve dropped just two games in regulation all season. When it matters most, they need to put it all together and finish the job.

“We want to be playing our best lacrosse now, not in the beginning of the season,” Treanor said.

As key figures like draw specialist Kate Mashewske, attack Emma Tyrrell and goalie Delaney Sweitzer all embark on their final postseason runs with Syracuse, this is the SU team that can finally get over the hump like the Dodgers and Chiefs.

Aiden Stepansky is an Assistant Sports Editor for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at @amstepan@ syr.edu or on X @AidenStepansky. amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky

base as it fell to BC

worked walks, putting pressure on Dunning for the first time in the game. This momentum was soon squashed when Knight popped out to Jackson at second and Morales-Alves lined out hard to Robinson.

DiPasquale forced a one-two-three inning in the top of the seventh, capped off by a groundout to first by Slike. This sent the game to the potential final half inning, with Syracuse’s season on the line.

To start the frame, pinch hitter Angie Ramos, who walked-off Florida State on Friday, flew out to Case in center. Kelly Breen gave SU some life after she blooped a single

school assistant coach Riley Thompson played under March at Princeton.

Hiltz moved from midfield to attack after Syracuse’s season-opening loss to Army. March wanted to get the lefty two-man going between Stephen Rehfuss and Hiltz, where Rehfuss facilitated from X. The Orange defeated then-No. 3 Virginia 20-10 the following week with the duo connecting on three scores.

“You start to talk about these triangles or pairs of chemistry and guys start to develop that during the season,” March said.

Once March realizes that players are cultivating chemistry with one another, he tries to lean on that as much as possible. Against the Cavaliers this year, March said he ensured English and Finn Thomson enough space to utilize their chemistry versus short-stick matchups.

That freedom is something March has given his players everywhere he’s coached. It allows them to be flexible within the “400” and “500” (five players in front and one behind the cage) set, which has similarities to what March used at Vermont and Princeton.

“He wants them to make decisions and have ownership over it,” Madalon said. “He allows plenty of creativity while teaching them the game at the same time.”

But March isn’t only in charge of the attack at Syracuse. He’s also responsible for the ride and clearing, which he said he mastered under head coach John Desko from 2020-21.

to center field — only the second hit of the day for the Orange. Olivia Pess then struck out swinging on an inside screwball from Dunning before the final out was recorded when Clyde grounded out sharply to Giery at third.

This ultimately ended Syracuse’s season, marking the first time since 2021 that they did not win an ACC Tournament game. Situational hitting proved to be the biggest problem for SU in the contest, as it did not get a single hit with runners on base all day.

njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99

When March was absent for almost two games this season following an early ejection versus Cornell, the clearing unit struggled. SU lost to the Big Red before late turnovers and failed clears allowed North Carolina to get within one of the Orange’s lead.

March’s return to the sidelines came at the most opportune time with Syracuse facing UVA’s difficult 10-man ride. SU passed its test with flying colors, methodically defeating the ride to secure a win in the regular-season finale.

“Coach March was leading (the clear unit) all week,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said. “With him on the sidelines, players look over and see him and they feel a lot more composed and ready to go.” Now, all of March’s contributions are coming to fruition with the first NCAA Tournament bid of his SU career. But being an assistant isn’t his final goal. At every stop of his career, March has dipped his toe into everything around a program. For Vermont, he was in charge of equipment and briefly academics, also organizing travel since there wasn’t a director of operations. For Princeton, he put all his energy into recruiting offensive schemes.

He’s content at Syracuse, but it’s a goal at some point to make the next step.

“I’ve tried to put myself in a position where I’ve done a lot of the stuff that needs to be done in a program to one day hopefully prepare myself to be a head coach,” March said. anish.sujeet@gmail.com @anish_vasu

Syracuse had just two hits and went 0-for-6 with runners on

1-0 in the first round of the ACC Tournament. maxine brackbill senior staff photographer

Syracuse’s big game experience in 2024 will help it overcome past struggles to win its firstever National Championship. arnav pokhrel staff photographer

Inconsistencies will plague Syracuse in NCAA Tournament

Two mediocre seasons in a row under head coach Gary Gait left Syracuse with more questions than answers heading into 2024. The Orange were on the brink of making history. The wrong kind.

SU never missed the postseason three years in a row. Coming off a disappointing finish to 2023, doubts remained. Could a Division III transfer and a freshman reshape a dreadful faceoff unit? Was Joey Spallina going to make another jump as a sophomore? Would a new-look defensive unit lock down?

It all culminated into one question that superseded the rest: can Syracuse return to its glory days of competing among the best?

At points, the answer has been a definitive yes, but also a conclusive no. And that’s the issue. The Orange still haven’t given us a concrete answer on if they’re “back.”

Without question, Syracuse’s regular season was a step in the right direction. For the first time since 2021, the Orange will be in the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 4 overall seed — their highest since 2017 when they were the No. 2 seed. But inconsistencies have marred an overall successful campaign.

Syracuse’s roster is undoubtedly one of the best in the country yet it hasn’t completely gelled, and the Orange are running out of time.

To ensure that SU returns to its winning ways, Gait added Tufts transfer Mason Kohn and freshman John Mullen to the faceoff unit, Princeton transfers Sam English and Jake Stevens in the midfield and former Lehigh attack Christian Mulé. Together, they’d help bring back the “Orange Standard.”

“Coach Gait set that standard. I don’t think that standard has been back for a bit,” Spallina said on Jan. 25. “I don’t think there’s necessarily pressure on us, but we know what we have to do and just take it one day at a time.”

But SU failed in its first two true tests of the season, falling in overtime to Maryland and Army. The Orange couldn’t close. A theme synonymous with 2023 seemed to carry over.

Despite initial roadblocks, it soon became apparent SU’s early season losses wouldn’t define it. A 13-12 win over then-No. 2 Johns

alumni

Hopkins — Gait’s first top-five win — was a step in the right direction.

“It’s definitely the monkey off the back a bit,” Spallina said postgame. “We’ve come so close my last two seasons and to finally beat a top-five team is huge.”

The win kickstarted Syracuse’s season-high five-game winning streak. Eleven days later, SU dismantled then-No. 4 Duke 10-4. Will Mark’s 13 stops and 77.8% save rate helped the Orange hold the Blue Devils to their lowest single-game scoring total since 2012.

SU’s attacking depth — spearheaded by Spallina, Mulé and Owen Hiltz — has always been its strong point. Its defense was the main concern, yet the performance against Duke only showed dominance. It wasn’t just that Syracuse won, but how it did.

Reigning Tewaaraton winner Brennan O’Neill was held to just 1-for-11 shooting and the rest of the Blue Devils’ top-rated offense was a non-factor. The victory spurred the question of whether SU was officially “back.”

Yet 10 days later, No. 1 Notre Dame easily dispatched the Orange 16-14. A late flurry cut a once six-goal deficit in the third quarter to two, but it

was too late as the reigning national champions outmatched Syracuse.

Misery was compounded three days later against then-No. 14 Cornell. 7-0 and 16-10 leads disappeared in the fourth quarter, as Cornell came out with an 18-17 double-overtime victory.

Offensive coordinator Pat March’s ejection in the first quarter could be offered as an excuse, but the late miscues were unacceptable.

Immaturity from 2023 began to rear its ugly head again and all of a sudden, Syracuse was back at square one. It lost its composure, comparable to its 20-12 loss to Notre Dame in 2023 where it conceded nine straight fourth-quarter goals.

Even in Syracuse’s 10-9 win over North Carolina — where March was suspended — similar problems occurred. Syracuse led by six in the third quarter but struggled with UNC’s pressure on the ride. If not for Mark’s late heroics, the Orange wouldn’t have survived.

When March returned, it was business as usual for Syracuse’s offense, scoring 18 against then-No. 4 Virginia in a one-goal victory. Sill, there was cause for concern as SU trailed by three with less than 10 minutes left.

The game encapsulated Syracuse’s season. For portions, SU looked unstoppable while its deficiencies were still ever-present, especially on the defensive end. But during their comeback, the Orange played complimentary lacrosse.

The problem is Syracuse hasn’t played a complete game since its regular season performance against Duke. The win over the Blue Devils propelled the Orange to their highest peak in recent memory. Since then, they haven’t been nearly as impressive. There have been spurts, like against UVA, but that doesn’t win national championships.

Recent concerns emerged in the ACC Tournament semifinals — a rematch with Duke. Unlike on March 20, the Blue Devils’ attack exploded. Not even five minutes in, Duke had more goals than in the regular season meeting (five) before Syracuse touched the ball. Mark let in eight shots in a row and was pulled for Jimmy McCool before the end of the first quarter. The Orange never recovered and ended up falling 18-13.

“From the opening whistle, they were ready to prove they weren’t the same team we played earlier in the season and they really took it to us,” Gait said.

Syracuse’s side of the bracket in the NCAA Tournament is somewhat favorable. An openinground game against Towson, then a potential quarterfinals matchup against an inconsistent Michigan team or a beatable Denver squad means SU’s path to championship weekend is clear.

But if its most recent performance is replicated, Syracuse might as well kiss its tournament hopes goodbye. Unlike in the regular season, one bad five-minute stretch of play can ruin a year of work. Yet if there’s one thing to know about SU in 2024, it’s that it plays with a chip on its shoulder. Picked fifth in the ACC preseason poll with uncertainty looming over the program, it wasn’t clear if the Orange would make it to the postseason.

That’s why Syracuse’s season should be considered a success overall. But its performances still beg the question: will SU show up come tournament time? Once push comes to shove, the inconsistencies will likely hold Syracuse back from reaching its full potential.

Zak Wolf is the Sports Editor for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at @zakwolf784254@gmail. com or on X @ZakWolf22.

zakwolf784254@gmail.com @zakwolf22

Andy McCullough discusses release of “The Last of His Kind”

By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor

Daily Orange alumnus Andy McCullough (‘09) has covered Major League Baseball daily for over a decade, where he gained expertise on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the state of starting pitchers. This culminated in the recent release of his first book, “The Last of His Kind.” McCullough, formerly a writer at the Los Angeles Times and now at The Athletic, examined the career of Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw and the burden it took for the future Hall of Famer to reach his unique level of greatness.

McCullough spoke to The Daily Orange to break down his process of writing his first book and the story behind Kershaw’s illustrious career.

The Daily Orange: How did you decide this was a topic you wanted to pursue and make into a book?

Andy McCullough:

I covered the Dodgers for several years and during that time I wrote a lot about Clayton Kershaw. He’s obviously the best pitcher in baseball for a very long time and a central figure in modern baseball. I covered a lot of tumultuous postseason outings that he went through and after they (Dodgers) won in 2020, it felt like a kind of end to that sort of narrative. But during the subsequent couple years, I was working on some other projects and trying to do some stuff. Then, in the fall of 2021, I had some conversations with (Kershaw) where he seemed a little bit more open and reflective about the course of his career. I thought that maybe he might be open to participating in a book-length project and I approached him in May of 2022. I told him that I wanted to do the definitive work on his time as a Dodger and I wanted him to participate in it, but I was going to try and pursue it, whether he wanted to be a part of it or not. I told him the book would be a lot better if he was part of it and he was like, ‘Yeah, sure. Sounds good.’ It was a pretty short conversation, about

five to 10 minutes, and he said he would check with his wife, Ellen, to make sure the family was on board with it. And so I started reporting around it from there and then he and I kind of sat down to talk in earnest after the 2022 season in that winter.

The D.O.: What do you hope readers take away from the book about Kershaw’s legacy, but also beyond that?

McCullough:

Number one, I hope they enjoy reading it. I hope they have fun reading it because I had a really good time putting it together.

One of the things that a lot of people in baseball talk about is the decline of the starting pitcher and the way that pitchers are no longer trained to be the Bob Gibson or Nolan Ryan figures that they were 50-60 years ago. Part of this book is charting why Kershaw is going to probably be the last of those to ever come around. In part, the game has gotten so good that even the best of their generation, a player who a lot of people in baseball now believe is the best pitcher ever, is not able to meet those standards just because the game has gotten that much harder. The teams are so much smarter, the hitters have so much more information and are more dangerous.

And so, the normal standard that Kershaw held himself to is something that literally no other pitcher in the sport is expected to do anymore. Part of the reason why is because of what it’s done to him physically and seeing just the limitations of it by seeing the best of his class, the best of his generation, bumping up against them.

The D.O.: This was your first book, so what was it like writing something of this size?

McCullough: It was awesome. I loved it. I really found it incredibly fulfilling. It was certainly stressful at times, but I liked the challenge of trying to do it because I feel like I’ve been doing this for 15 years

now and I know how to write a good game story. That doesn’t provide a ton of fulfillment anymore. I still enjoy it, but it doesn’t feel like a challenge. This was a challenge but I appreciate the scope of it. It was fun trying to move a character through time, almost. You know who this person is based on your reporting and you know from all the time you spent around them, and now you need to get it on a page and make it come to life, almost.

The D.O.: How do you think The D.O. shaped you as a reporter and writer to create a project like this?

McCullough: The Daily Orange was such an important incubator for me and a place that I don’t know if I would be doing journalism if I had gone to another school. Just because I don’t know if I would have found a community and a place that was so competitive and energetic and just was an incredible place to try and fail doing journalism.

Editor’s note: Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

At times, SU has shown potential to return to the elite tier of college lacrosse, but it’s inconsistencies will hurt it in the NCAA Tournament. jacob halsema staff photographer

D.O. alumnus, Andy McCullough tells the story of Clayton Kershaw and the state of the starting pitcher position with his first book. courtesy of hachette book group

ZAK WOLF PHILLY PHILLY

ORANGE ARCHITECT

Through various stops along his coaching career, Pat March has developed into one of the brightest offensive minds in the country

By Anish Vasudevan senior staff writer

Yahoo Fantasy Baseball provided Pat March the perfect blueprint for his current recruiting tactics. While playing with his friends in high school, he learned how he had to take a first baseman early since many good ones weren’t on the board. Sometimes getting the top five midfielders in a class isn’t necessary. Balance is key.

“You don’t want to end with really good lefty wing players but you only need one or two of them the whole,” March said.

March’s recruiting prowess led to key additions at Vermont and Princeton in the 2010s, and he’s continued to bring in top talent at Syracuse. He’s also been instrumental in recruiting through the transfer portal, bringing in Jake Stevens and Sam English (who he originally recruited to the Tigers) to boost SU’s midfield. And as the Orange’s offensive coordinator, March produced the nation’s sixth-best attack during the shortened 2020 season and this year.

“I’m really happy with where I am with Syracuse,” March said. “I’ve worked hard putting together the team we have now and the team we have in the future.”

March’s coaching career began in 2011 at Division III Roanoke College, where he played from 2007-10 as a twotime All-American. Following a year patrolling the Maroons’ sidelines, he became an assistant at Dickinson College, another D-III program.

Recruiting at the D-III level required an extensive work ethic, said Matt Madalon, who coached at Stevens College and is currently the head coach at Princeton. It required hours of cold calling after high school showcases with the first 25 calls leading to nothing as players were committed to top Division I programs. The only reassurance was that you were looking at the right players, Madalon said.

Madalon, who played at Roanoke from 2003-06, started D-III coaching around the same time as March. Though they never crossed paths with the Maroons, Madalon tracked March’s playing career, seeing his toughness as he recorded the sixth-most points (243) in program history.

see march page 14

Battle-tested Syracuse prepared to win 1st national championship

Failing to get over the postseason hump is a common phenomenon in sports.

In the early 90s, the Buffalo Bills consistently won the AFC but lost four straight Super Bowls. Similarly, the Indiana Pacers made the NBA playoffs 16 times in 17 seasons yet never won a ring.

Then there are teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Chiefs. Both dominated their divisions in the mid-2010s before faltering in the postseason. But recently both broke their championship droughts with the Dodgers winning the World Series in 2020 and Kansas City claiming three Super Bowls since 2019.

No. 3 Syracuse women’s lacrosse currently sits with Bills Mafia and

the Hoosier State. In its first 25 years, SU has made the NCAA Tournament 20 times, reaching at least the quarterfinals in 13. Yet, it hasn’t captured the elusive national championship. Though in 2024, after winning their first-ever ACC regular-season title and facing the toughest strength of schedule in the country, according to Lacrosse Reference, the Orange are more prepared than ever to reach the mountaintop at last in the postseason.

In Kayla Treanor’s second season at the helm in 2023, SU fell in the Final Four to Boston College. The year prior, the Orange reached the quarterfinals but were pummeled by Northwestern. And in 2021, under current Syracuse men’s lacrosse head coach Gary Gait, SU lost in the national championship.

It’s been a common theme for the Orange. Go deep and falter at the doorstep. But this season, Syracuse has faced a gauntlet of a schedule. Last year was

similar when it finished the regular season 15-1 and 4-1 against top-five teams. Though the Orange didn’t know how to deal with adversity when it mattered most.

SU started off playing the reigning national champions, No. 1 Northwestern. The Orange quickly found themselves behind 8-2 and attempted to claw back but fell short, dropping the game 18-15.

Though how many teams would’ve beaten the Wildcats at that point? Northwestern lost just one game in 2023 and earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was a difficult loss, but not a defining one.

That changed in 2024, as Syracuse has faced 11 ranked teams and nine in the top 10.

“We definitely play the toughest schedule in the country and that is by design,” Treanor said on March 19 after SU’s win over UAlbany. “Because our ultimate goal is to win a national championship and I’m not sure how you do that if you’re not playing the best teams.”

Following a win against Army, Syracuse tripped up again. An overtime defeat to Maryland gave it a second loss in three games. Instead of panicking, Treanor knew the experiences would be beneficial.

“We had an overtime game, a game where we were down and a game where we were up by a lot,” Treanor said on Feb. 20. “So we’ve had a lot of different game experiences, in only three games. For us, we just want to use this as learning and growth.”

The Orange then rattled off two ACC wins, including a close victory over then-No. 2 Notre Dame. Was Syracuse back to elite status? Not quite.

In a nonconference game versus then-No. 12 Stony Brook SU’s early season struggles culminated in an upset overtime defeat at the hands of the Seawolves. Head coach Joe Spallina and multiple Stony Brook players exuded confidence postgame. Minutes later, Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson could barely get words out. It was clear frustration mixed with shock after three losses in six games. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was a gut punch but another learning point. Treanor says after that game, the team looked itself in the mirror and faced reality.

“We weren’t playing the way that we wanted to,” Treanor said. “We played really undisciplined in that game. We were careless, we made a lot of mis-

Syracuse offensive coordinator Pat March (orange hat) previously spent time as an assistant coach at Vermont and Princeton. Over the years, he’s mastered the art of recruiting and cultivating an offense tailored to players on his roster. courtesy of su athletics

AIDEN STEPANSKY RED OCTOBER