January 23, 2025

thursday, jan. 23, 2025

celebrating 121 years

free

N • Trump’s return

C • Searching for support

S • Hometown kid

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In his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed nearly 100 executive orders, reversing many of Biden’s policies.

After President Trump’s inauguration on Monday, the LGBTQ+ community at SU focused on supporting each other.

Jyáre Davis was a star forward for three years at the University of Delaware before transferring to Syracuse.

valerie goldstein, a Syracuse University graduate and fifth-grade teacher, died with her family from carbon monoxide poisoning on Christmas Day. She is remembered by her friends for her kindness, passion for teaching and her infectious personality. courtesy of alethea shirilan-howlett

‘Superhuman’ Valerie Goldstein is remembered for her unstoppable drive, infectious personality and thoughtfulness

By Delia Rangel

asst. news editor

O

n their first night at Syracuse University, Emma Baker and their roommate eagerly made their way to the Shaw Quadrangle, ready to meet new people at a Harry Potter movie night. In the crowd of nervous freshmen, Baker spotted Valerie Goldstein, decked out in Ravenclaw earrings and a matching tie.

“We used to joke that that’s when I knew that I was gonna love her forever,” Baker said.

Valerie, a 2024 Syracuse University graduate, died alongside her parents and younger sister on Christmas Day as a result of a carbon monoxide leak in their New Hampshire vacation home.

Originally from Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, Valerie graduated from SU with a bachelor’s degree in policy studies. She was in her first year working with Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that places recent graduates in underserved schools to teach for two years, when she died. Valerie had been working as a fifthgrade teacher at Baskerville Elementary in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

“Those kids loved her. She was there for not even a full calendar year, and she was already making such a big impact on these sweet kids and seeing the best in them and making learning fun,” Eleni Cooper, a communications design major at SU, said.

Cooper met Valerie in their first week of college at an icebreaker event for the Renée Crown Honors Program’s orientation.

“My initial impression was ‘Oh my God, she’s so cool, so confident and so amazing,’ and then at some point, a day or two in, she invited me to Dellplain Hall,” Cooper said. “She brought me over to meet her neighbors on the floor and the four of us clicked immediately.”

Cooper and Valerie lived in a house together last year, where Valerie covered the wall in paper flowers to be signed by guests to commemorate their visits, they said. Cooper also credits Valerie for introducing them to some of their closest friends and romantic partner. see valerie page 6

courtesy of eleni cooper

city

Syracuse community reacts to Israel-Hamas war ceasefire

By Henry Daley and Arabella Klonowski the daily orange

On Jan. 15, delegations from Israel, Hamas, the United States, Qatar and Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement in the 15-month-long Israel-Hamas war.

People from Syracuse University and the broader Syracuse community cel-

ebrated the deal and called on lawmakers to maintain peace.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a land assault in western Israel, killing about 1,200 civilians. The attack sparked a 15-month conflict that claimed over 46,000 Palestinian lives and wounded 109,000 others before the two sides reached the ceasefire and hostage deal.

Throughout the conflict, protests broke out across Syracuse, with gatherings ranging from marches and education workshops to poetry readings and fundraisers.

At SU, protestors set up roughly 70 tents on Shaw Quadrangle and remained for 3 weeks to show solidarity for Gaza, condemn Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip and

call upon university administration to divest from Israel.

As protestors occupied the Quad, SU’s Graduate Student Organization and Student Association passed resolutions in support of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and students’ rights to peaceful protests. It also condemned antisemitism.

A GSO spokesperson said the organization supports the ceasefire, remains saddened for the many lives lost and expresses compassion for everyone affected. The organization said it would support protesting graduate students in the future, while “building community, promoting healing, and embracing (its) collective humanity.” see ceasefire page 6

2 january 23, 2025

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NEWS

january 23, 2025 3

national

President Trump signs nearly 100 executive orders in first days

By Duncan Green news editor

On Monday, just hours after his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed nearly 100 executive orders, overturning 78 Joe Bidenera orders, and fulfilled campaign promises from declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border to pardoning Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

In his first days in the Oval Office, Trump has pushed the limits of presidential power to historic levels, Margaret Talev, the Kramer Director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, said.

Several of Trump’s orders – such as ending birthright citizenship, which is protected by the 14th Amendment, and asserting that the U.S. government will only recognize two genders — immediately faced legal scrutiny. “(Trump) certainly has indicated that he feels empowered because of everything that has happened … Americans re-elected him, not just with the electoral vote, but with the popular vote,” Talev said. “He takes that as a sign that people want him to test the rules, break the rules, make new rules — do things differently than people expect presidents to do them.”

Following his inauguration, Trump overrode numerous federal laws. These included the Supreme Court’s unanimous upholding of a federal ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok by issuing a 75-day delay in deciding the app’s fate. The president also referred to asylum seekers as “invaders” and declared that newly arrived migrants couldn’t request asylum, a right protected by American law.

Every American president expands the power of the executive branch. As the nation’s most powerful person, a president typically leaves the position with more authority and power than their predecessor.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, former President George W. Bush signed the controversial Patriot Act, granting government agencies unprecedented power to surveil and monitor Americans as the nation as the “war on terror” began.

In July 2014, the United States House of Representatives filed a lawsuit against thenPresident Barack Obama. The law claimed he was failing to execute laws as Congress saw fit,

flynn ledoux illustration editor

abusing executive orders and refusing to cooperate with the Republican-controlled House.

Charlie Savage, a New York Times presidential power specialist, reported that executive orders can’t create new powers for the president, raising questions about the legality of multiple day-one orders signed by the new president. As Obama learned in 2014, Congress historically expects the executive branch to uphold the laws it passes.

With Republicans in control of both the House and Senate and a conservative-leaning judiciary, it remains unclear where lawmakers will set limits on presidential power.

Tyler Toledo, president of SU Campus Democrats, said congressional and judicial responses to the executive orders that overstep presidential power — such as the TikTok decision — will test Trump’s influence in other branches of government.

Under federal law, app stores distributing TikTok in the U.S. were to be fined up to $5,000 for every user to access the app beginning Jan. 19.

While lawsuits remain a possibility, it’s unclear whether Trump will be sued by Congress or a third party group.

“Who’s going to enforce the fine?” Toledo said. “It gets into a sort of constitutional crisis, if nobody is going to be enforcing a law that was passed by Congress, then does all of this stuff just become optional?”

The College Republicans at Syracuse University did not provide comment.

Trump enters office without eligibility to run for re-election. If election trends persist, the Republican party is likely to lose control of at least one chamber of Congress in the 2026 midterms. As a result, the president’s ability to pursue his legislative agenda will likely be limited to the first half of his term.

The new administration’s actions on its first day show an understanding of the limited window for widespread control, Talev said. She added that many of Trump’s executive orders would have made headlines but were overshadowed by the sheer amount released.

“Tactically, it’s harder for critics to have a stage for their criticism when there are 25 actions that are all controversial, rather than all the attention focused on one,” Talev said. “That was by design, and it shows that (Trump) is trying to learn from the lessons of his first term and correct in a way that gives him even more power to control the narrative this time around.”

Amid the mountain of executive orders, Talev urged college students to read the documents themselves. All executive orders are available on the White House’s website. digreen@syr.edu @duncanigreen

city

Syracuse organizations launch petition for Good Cause Eviction

By Madeline Goodheart asst. digital editor

The Syracuse Tenants Union, Housing Justice for All and Citizen Action of New York are lobbying the Syracuse Common Council to adopt the Good Cause Eviction policy, which requires landlords to provide valid reasoning to tenants for rent increases and evictions.

To support this effort, the group has launched a petition aiming to gather 400 signatures advocating for housing security in the city. The policy would mandate landlords to provide valid reasons for rent increases and tenant evictions.

The council hasn’t voted on the policy, despite a 22% rent increase in Syracuse over the past year, according to a March 2024 report from the New York Times. The Syracuse Housing Study, conducted by Mayor Ben Walsh, found that many of the city’s other challenges — including lead in drinking water and widespread poverty — stem from its lack of affordable, quality housing options in the city.

“The quality of the housing stock is a concern. We need investment into the properties to fix them up,” Jocelyn Richards, a member and organizer of STU, said. “The city and the Common Council, they focus exclusively on that.”

GCE has been on the council’s agenda since September 2024, but has been delayed due to pushback from landlords, who believe that it could make removing problematic renters more difficult. In December, the STU hosted a film screening to voice frustrations over the delay in passing the law.

Richards said the organization has actively engaged with local neighborhoods, going door to door to discuss the union’s proposed implementation of the policy. She added that responses have been overwhelmingly positive responses, as residents value neighborhood stability over the constant turnover of newcomers.

The Syracuse Tenants Union is advocating for a Good Cause Eviction policy to ensure landlords provide valid reasons for rent hikes and evictions. The Syracuse Common Council has delayed a vote on the policy. meghan hendricks senior staff photographer

“It’s frustrating. There seems to be a lack of urgency (from the council), which we’ve honestly interpreted to be because they must not view themselves as representing the people,” Richards said.

Alex Lawson, Housing Policy Manager at CNY Fair Housing, said GCE is fundamental to building fair housing regulations in the city.

People are often evicted for asserting fair house rights, which happens frequently, he said.

Lawson added that evictions disproportionately affect minorities, highlighting people of color and individuals with limited English language proficiency as common victims of the crisis.

“Good Cause Eviction will give the tenants the stability that we currently associate with homeownership,” Lawson said. “You can’t just be thrown out.”

The housing crisis is just one part of a broader series of overlapping crises, Lawson said, also emphasizing addiction. Onondaga County reports a higher rate of opioid overdoses than New York state overall, with 50.4 per 100,000 residents compared to the state’s 40.6.

In addition to urging the council to pass the policy, the petition also calls for the adoption of STU’s Rental Registry Proposal. The proposal aims to help end lead poisoning in homes, hold slumlords accountable to needed repairs and fund relocation programs for tenants who were evicted from “unfit properties,” which includes structural damage and safety hazards.

Richards said the proposals are comparable to the American legal standard: “innocent until proven guilty.” GCE simply requires landlords to provide a valid reason for eviction, shifting the burden of proof to the landlord, she said.

“To me, the housing and the tenants are cycling down a drain to become homeless, discarded,” Richards said. “Good Cause is like a plug, to keep everyone here housed, and then be able to simultaneously rebuild.” mmgoodhe@syr.edu

4 january 23, 2025

“There are times I’m surrounded by straight people and the queer,” Sullivan said. “They’re not going to disparage you for

‘Safe and welcomed’ Past the offices and cubicles in the Intercultural Collective, a welcome sign greets students on their way into the lounge holding the LGBTQ+ Resource Center’s “What’s the Stitch?” event.

an,” “gay,” “transgender,” “sexual orientation” After Trump’s and “gender identity,” are no longer visible on the White House website. inauguration, aughter and the soft shuffling of With the history of legislative restrictions yarn weaving into crocheted pat- on the teaching of LGBTQ+ topics — such as terns fills the room. Colorful flags Gov. Ron DeSantis’ HB 1557: Parental Rights SU’s LGBTQ+ hang from each corner. in Education, also known as the “Don’t Say Friday, from 2:30 to Gay” law — and the Trump administration’s community 4:30 p.m., thisEvery scene welcomes LGBTQ+ stu- decision to erase LGBTQ+ content from feddents at Syracuse University to the LGBTQ+ eral websites, LGBTQ+ faculty and professors bands together Resource Center’s “What’s the Stitch?” event. worry whether they will be able continue Story and Photos by Ella Chan asst. photo editor

L

In a lounge toward the back of SU’s Intercultural Collective space, students gather to make crafts, chat and find safety.

“It’s a space where I don’t have to worry about myself or my friends, because I know they’re all okay in that moment,” said Ori Sullivan, a sophomore chemistry and computer science major at SU. “If they’re there, they’re safe and welcomed.”

On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring “only two immutable sexes,” male and female, would be recognized by the United States government. He also terminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, placing employees from the field on leave.

The Trump administration eliminated almost all LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS content and resources from the White House’s official website and key federal agency webpages.

Many LGBTQ+ identifying terms, like “lesbi-

teaching about these topics in the future.

As an associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies, Erin Rand feels the risk is compounded because she also identifies as queer and much of her teaching focuses on queer sexuality and women and gender studies.

“All of us are feeling pretty uneasy about what our jobs are going to look like, especially those of us whose work is centered in questions of gender, sexuality, race and ability,” Rand said. “If I’m not allowed to talk about that stuff, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Alongside education about LGBTQ+ topics, transgender identities have been a particularly visible and contentious subject in U.S. legislation recently. 175 anti-trans bills were considered at both a state and national level in 2022, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker. By the end of 2024, 672 bills had been considered.

january 23, 2025 5

“I feel like my body is rejecting my soul,” Bunnage said when describing their gender dysphoria. “Like how one of my friends described it, it’s almost like by being given the wrong sex assigned at birth, it feels like you’ve been mutilated or violated.”

ey don’t really want me there because I’m visibly who you are in an LGBTQ+ space.”

Access to gender-a f firming healthcare remains one of the topics most under threat. Lavie Bunnage, a freshman studying international relations, uses hormone replacement therapy and takes estradiol, an estrogen steroid hormone, to combat their gender dysphoria.

“This has made me just all around so much happier than I was before,” Bunnage said. “This stuff is life-saving, so it would be honestly tragic to have people’s access to this treatment just revoked or restricted.”

Many LGBTQ+ students are worried about not only anti-trans legislation, but also anti-trans rhetoric that will affect them under Trump’s second presidency. As anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continues to pass, the LGBTQ+ community only suffers from more stress. During Trump’s first presidency, extreme mental distress within the LGBTQ+ community increased.

The Trevor Project saw a 700% increase in use of its crisis hotlines the day after the election and a 33% increase the day after President Trump’s inauguration, in comparison to the weeks prior.

“It’s a constant misery,”​​Bunnage said. “So many of my friends are direct targets of what he’s doing.”

The LGBTQ+ community has always gathered together to weather the storm, from protesting during the Stonewall Uprising to surviving oppression during the AIDS crisis. In times of oppression, Bunnage said it’s important for people to stick together because marginalized communities still survive and persist by building strong connections.

This semester, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center is establishing more events and support systems for the LGBTQ+ community. Along with “What’s the Stitch?,” the center is holding Gaymer Night in the Schine Student Center once a month for students to relax and find community through gaming. It also plans on hosting several workshops, like an inclusive sex education workshop and a Drag 101 makeup workshop hosted by local drag artists.

“Letting students know they have a home here, spreading awareness and education and

resources, all of those pillars are super important,” Emily Stewart, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center’s director, said.

The center hopes to establish more connections between the SU LGBTQ+ community and local community. It also plans to partner with other departments to expand programming.

“This doesn’t have to be only about destruction,” Rand said. “It can also be about building things.” egchan@syr.edu

6 january 23, 2025

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

ON CAMPUS

USen discusses 2025 fiscal budget, Trump’s executive orders

By Laura Lemgruber contributing writer

Syracuse University’s Senate discussed potential challenges in balancing the 2025 fiscal year budget and the impact of President Donald Trump’s executive orders at its first meeting of the year Wednesday.

Chancellor Kent Syverud said while the university maintained a balanced budget over the first six months of the 2025 fiscal year, he had concerns over whether SU could continue its performance until the start of the 2026 fiscal year on July 1.

“It’s going to be difficult because of the significant headwinds, including healthcare costs, labor costs, the changing landscape in athletics from page 1

valerie “I’ve always said that I’m one degree separated from everybody on Earth because I knew her, because she was just involved in so many different things,” Cooper said. “And she genuinely wasn’t the type of person that was just really social. She genuinely cared very deeply for just an absurdly impressive amount of people.”

Valerie had a passion for “all things nerdy,” Baker said. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Hamilton, The Hobbit and musical theater were some of her favorites. She even shared a matching Lord of the Rings tattoo with her father, Matthew Goldstein.

Matthew Goldstein, an eighth-grade math teacher at the Edith C. Baker School in Brookline, Massachusetts, shared a special bond with Valerie, his oldest daughter. Baker described the two as “especially close,” noting that Valerie often wrote poetry about him on her poetry-dedicated Instagram account. In one post, she fondly recalled the mornings when he would style her hair into pigtails before leaving for school.

Valerie also shared a close bond with her younger sister, Violet, and her mother, Lyla, Baker said. Violet Goldstein was a freshman at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she had just finished her first semester studying art when she died. Baker said she was a talented artist with paintings displayed at multiple galleries. She and Valerie also shared matching tattoos based on one of her drawings.

Lyla Goldstein was a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and loved to bake. She was an active member of her community, leading a Girl Scout Troop as well as coaching girls’ basketball and soccer. Lyla often hosted events for her family and friends, a trait that Valerie picked up and carried on throughout her time at SU, Baker said.

“She made everything an occasion, especially birthdays, but she would just have parties at her house all the time,” Alethea Shirilan-Howlett,

and Masters and International enrollment,” Syverud said.

Syverud also announced that SU received a record number of first-year undergraduate applications for the fifth straight year, with more than 46,000 applying to the class of 2029. He said undergraduate transfer applications were up from last year for next semester as well.

In response to President Trump’s dayone executive orders, Sy verud said university administration would communicate with students if the school is affected by national policy.

“One of our long-held values is being a place that’s welcoming to all,” Syverud said. “The executive orders will affect different parts

of our community differently, but we are all Orange, and that’s the important thing.”

The chancellor then commemorated the end of the Forever Orange program, which he deemed one of SU’s most successful fundraising campaigns. Since it began in Nov. 2019, the program has raised $1.59 billion surpassing its original goal by $90 million. The program also helped increase alumni engagement, which has swelled to 20.5% since its start.

“I think the campaign has changed the university significantly, not just in state of the art, new facilities that advance our academic goals, but also in real improvements to the student experience, lots of initiatives to support the faculty, including new chairs and research funds,” Syverud said.

Other business:

another friend from SU, said. “She had a Twix party once, a Shrek party, a Hobbit party. She was just someone who loved celebrating other people.”

Shirilan-Howlett, who graduated with Valerie, said Valerie’s parties represented the love she had for her friends. The two met through The Kumquat, a satirical news group at SU. She said Valerie loved to write and was an active voice at the publication.

Valerie’s love for musical theater influenced her to perform herself, which she did while supporting Shirilan-Howlett’s senior thesis, “Pitsl: A Miracle Play,” where she played ShirilanHowlett’s love interest.

“We had a kissing scene and when we did the kiss we would get closer and closer and then hold our scripts up,” Shirilan-Howlett said. “And it looked like we were kissing behind the scripts but we just both did a little head dance and just laughed at each other.”

Valerie often wrote letters to Shirilan-Howlett and the rest of her friends, complete with matching stationary and stickers, sprayed with her perfume and sealed with wax. Shirilan-Howlett had a letter for Valerie waiting to be mailed when she found out about her and her family’s deaths.

Valerie was a member of multiple clubs and organizations at SU, playing intramural volleyball and soccer, writing for The Kumquat and serving as chief operating officer of Skills Win!, an organization that helps local middle and high school students learn often-overlooked skills, such as typing and researching.

“She constantly inspired me to be a better person. She was really superhuman. I feel like she kind of moved two times faster than everybody else,” Shirilan-Howlett said.

Bill Coplin, a professor of policy studies at SU, said that as a freshman, Valerie spent time in his PST416: Community Problem Solving class even though she wasn’t officially enrolled in the course.

“She sat in the class for no grade or anything, and then the next semester she took it, and then the next semester she ran it. And she ran it for three semesters… she just was unstoppable,” Coplin said.

With a 4.0 GPA throughout her time at SU, Valerie also worked as a research assistant for

Coplin while he wrote his book, “The Path to Equity: Inclusion in the Kingdom of Liberal Arts.” Coplin said with her aid, it was the fastest book-writing process he ever had.

After speaking with the Baskerville Elementary principal, Coplin learned that Valerie was the only teacher in the school to meet her class’s academic benchmarks, a level of improvement the school hopes to see across its classrooms.

“One of the (Baskerville) teachers said she was always with the students. She always cared about the students, and she would even go out on the playground and play volleyball with them,” Coplin said. “You know, these are fifth graders. How many teachers go out and play with fifth graders?”

Coplin said the first time he met Valerie, she stood out as the first of only three students to take him up on a lunch event offered to his entire Introduction to Policy Studies class.

Valerie wanted to create change in education policy with her degree, Coplin said, but knew the first step was to become a teacher herself.

In pursuit of this dream, Valerie enrolled in Teach for America, where she met Paris Coughlin, a first-grade teacher at Martin Millennium Academy in Tarboro, North Carolina. As participants of the same program living in the same state, the two agreed to live together.

“I met Valerie initially over Zoom. She comes across, at least over Zoom, as someone who is intensely shy, and that is a complete lie,” Coughlin said. “I knew she was kind of nerdy and geeky from the jump, but the depth and breadth of both her nerdy geekiness as well as her personality is astounding.”

Coughlin said even though they didn’t think they would connect with her at first, Valerie offered Coughlin a room in her apartment because she knew they were having trouble finding housing. After moving in, Coughlin said the two instantly became friends.

Living with Valerie, Coughlin said, was like living in their childhood home. Valerie would often cook meals, buy Coughlin their favorite snacks and “pamper” them daily.

“It’s just romantic. She was just so romantic.

I think it’s difficult in some ways to describe and understand a friendship as romantic,” Coughlin said. “But I think that she was someone who you could really actualize intimate, platonic love with, because she was just the best. ” Coughlin and Valerie spent most of their free time together. One of their favorite activities was watching Dancing with The Stars, a reality television dance competition. The two rewatched every rerun available online and tuned in every Tuesday during its latest season, rooting for American rugby player Ilona Maher and The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei.

They also remembered dressing up to see the musical “Wicked” in theaters together; Coughlin as Glinda and Valerie as Elphaba, who Coughlin said she really resonated with.

Valerie’s love and care for the environment also stood out to Coughlin. They recalled their friend searching high and low for a recycling bin after realizing their home didn’t provide recycling services. Reluctantly, Coughlin drove Valerie two blocks down to the nearest bin every week, just so Valerie could throw her recycling away into the proper receptacle.

“I feel like so many of those small good things made up her life, these small efforts that, like, are seemingly meaningless but actually amount to so much in the grand scheme of things,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin compared living with Valerie to tubing down a river, saying that as long as you trusted the path, you would always be safe and taken care of.

After the Goldstein family’s memorial, Coughlin, Baker and other friends of Valerie all met up. Though some of the group were complete strangers to each other, they all felt connected through Valerie.

“My goal now, and all I really can hope for, I guess, is to one day be someone else’s Valerie,” Coughlin said. “Be home to somebody else, and kind of take what I’ve gained and what I’ve learned from Valerie, and offer it to someone else.”

•

•

•

The Senate approved the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction’s December report, which introduced 61 new courses and revised 172 courses.

Syverud also discussed the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, noting that many students and faculty on campus have been affected. He thanked the team at SU’s campus in LA before ensuring that all students and faculty were safe.

Senator Brice Nordquist encouraged increased participation in USen meetings and said it would raise productivity if the greater Senate could direct specific issues to certain schools, colleges and administrative units. lalemgru@syr.edu

dsrangel@syr.edu

from page 1

ceasefire Syracuse University has not commented on the ceasefire. In May 2024, the university announced it would no longer make institutional statements or pronouncements on current controversies.

Chuck Schumer, New York Senator and Senate Majority Leader, said the agreement has been long warranted, not only for the Israeli hostages and civilians in Gaza, but also for others throughout the world.

“This ceasefire marks a hopeful turning point for Israel, for the Palestinian people and particularly for the families of the hostages who have waited so long in agony,” Schumer said at a speech to the Senate on Friday. “We will not rest until every hostage comes home. Today, I promise them this: we will keep working to make sure every hostage comes home.”

Despite the war’s distance from central New York, some Syracuse community members said they have felt the ceasefire’s effect locally.

“The first scenes that I saw were people in Gaza, civilians in Gaza, who were celebrating and feeling like a great threat had been lifted from them … It’s another sign of Israel’s intent to continue heavy duty bombardment after the ceasefire was agreed to,” said Andy Mager, coordinator and social movements liaison for Syracuse Cultural Workers.

On Monday, Al Jazeera reported the Israeli government may break the ceasefire, citing previous instances when Israel did not honor similar agreements. In his nearly 45-year career, Mager said the past year-and-a-half has been one of the more dangerous periods he could remember.

Jonathan Brenneman, a member of Syracuse Peace Council Justice for Palestine, said the cease-

The Jan. 15 Israel-Hamas ceasefire sparked reactions from the Syracuse community, with both hope and criticism. Local city groups continue calling for peace and accountability. brycen pace asst. photo editor

fire is an important step toward a lasting peace and expressed his hope that both sides uphold the agreement. He also said he and other Palestinians in Syracuse would continue to push for an arms embargo to prevent the U.S. and the city from providing weapons and funding to Israel in the future.

The city of Syracuse has not commented on the war’s conclusion, which Brenneman said disappointed him. With the ceasefire, he hopes New York officials will now divest from Israel’s military spending.

“We have had to struggle, with the support of many in the Syracuse community, to uphold our dig-

nity and humanity in the midst of elected officials’ silence about, and even support for, the attempted extermination of (the Palestinian) people,” Brenneman said. “People in Syracuse are tired of seeing our tax dollars and energy going to genocide.” hdaley@syr.edu

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january 23, 2025 7

8 january 23, 2025

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CULTURE

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january 23, 2025 9

beyond the hill

LIVING IN A DAYDREAM

BY BEN BUTLER CULTURE EDITOR

OnaJava caffeinates Syracuse’s Southside

By Sydney Brockington asst. copy editor

Framed photos of jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, along with Syracuse University all-time greats Carmelo Anthony and Ernie Davis, line the walls of OnaJava Soul Cafe.

Patrons sip on Costa Rican coffee as hums of chatter and banter radiate through the neo soul-style coffee shop.

“A place where somebody can come through and relax, listen to some jazz, listen to some music no matter what it is and feel safe and comfortable,” Reginald Pickard, owner of OnaJava, said.

OnaJava opened last October and is a family-owned and operated coffee shop on South Salina Street in Syracuse. The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and, of course, coffee. The shop specializes in different flavored Costa Rican coffee, lattes and smoothies. Its menu features many Pickard family recipes, like their honey bun cake.

Syracuse-native Pickard opened the coffee shop to honor his mother who died. His mother also owned a coffee shop in the ‘80s called Nellie and Jean’s on South Salina Street. After she died, Pickard returned to Syracuse and set his sights on a new business venture: OnaJava.

I try to create a peace zone, somewhere where they come to, somewhere they can enjoy and identify the peace zones here in Syracuse and let this be one of them.

Reginald Pickard owner of onajava

‘YOUR WEIRD, NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR FROM THE MIDWEST:’ DAVID LYNCH’S CONTRASTING STYLE AND UNIQUE PERSONALITY

T

he world-wide community of paperboys lost its most creative member last week.

David Lynch, acclaimed auteur director known for his surrealist style and affable personality, died at 78 on Jan. 16, his family announced. In 2024, Lynch said on X that he had been diagnosed with emphysema from a lifetime of smoking.

Lynch’s legacy stretched nearly 50 years, starting with his 1977 debut feature, “Eraserhead,” which he partly financed by delivering Wall Street Journal issues. Through the 1980s, he established a cult following with films

like “The Elephant Man,” “Dune” and “Blue Velvet.”

In the early ‘90s, Lynch revolutionized television with the detective drama “Twin Peaks,” harkening the era of prestige TV later defined by “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.” In the 2000s, his surrealist movie “Mulholland Drive” earned him the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival. His final feature, “Inland Empire,” came out in 2006, but Lynch remained active with shorts, paintings and other work, most notably 2017’s “Twin Peaks: The Return.”

Coffee, donuts, suave sunglasses, spiffy suits, lounge singers, social outcasts,

amnesiacs and nightmares — these are just a few of Lynch’s favorite things. And Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in five of Lynch’s projects and paid tribute to him Sunday in a guest essay to The New York Times.

“I was willing to follow him anywhere because joining him on the journey of discovery, searching and finding together, was the whole point,” MacLachlan wrote. “I stepped out into the unknown because I knew (Lynch) was floating out there with me.”

Recurring cast members like MacLachlan and crew — like Angelo Badalamenti, who scored many of his films — were one of see lynch page 11

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“I had a second opportunity to restart and reboot something that was created and I loved for my mom,” Pickard said.

Pickard cites his brother’s mental health condition as another source of inspiration for creating a safe and accepting cafe. During this process, Pickard also unlocked a space for fellow community members, he said.

Along with serving food and drinks, OnaJava holds open mic poetry and live performances throughout the week. Pickard hopes community members feel safe and welcome to share parts of themselves on the OnaJava stage, he said.

The small nine-by-nine stage features open space and black drapery for performers to come in and perform for OnaJava patrons. Bands like Everett Jones Sr. and Crew have performed there.

“I wanted to try to create a platform for people to come in and perform and let out expressions through songs and poetry,” Pickard said.

Jennifer Wagner-Pickard, Pickard’s wife and OnaJava manager, described the cafe as more of an arts cafe than anything else. The grand baby piano and microphones encourage people to come in and play music, she said.

“It’s always a nice vibe and everyone that comes in here loves the place,” Wagner-Pickard said.

In December, OnaJava was honored with the New York State Senate Empire Award. The award is given to small businesses who have made a significant impact in their respective communities, Sen. Rachel May said. see onajava page 11

10 january 23, 2025

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

from the stage

Tina Turner Musical honors the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s legacy

By Eliana Rosen

asst. digital editor

As the rest of her castmates braced for another city’s cold temperatures while on tour, actress Morgan Lewis formed her to-do list: eat a chicken parmesan at Apizza Regionale, enjoy Pastabilities’ wine selection, go thrifting at 3fifteen and give her Syracuse University Drama “littles” a huge hug.

The 2024 College of Visual and Performing Arts alumna is returning to Syracuse for the first time since graduating in May as an Ikette in “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.”

“Syracuse (University) shaped me into the performer that I am today,” Lewis said. “Honestly, I’m a little nervous. It’s really surreal and I’m super grateful.”

Broadway’s “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” is playing at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 as a part of the show’s second North American National Tour. The musical follows the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” from her early life in Tennessee through her career’s struggles and triumphs.

The show includes details of Turner’s strained relationship with her mother, and Turner’s turbulent marriage to fellow musical partner Ike Turner. Turner was deeply involved in the original script and Broadway production.

Lewis said she feels a deep responsibility to tell an authentic story on stage to help preserve Turner’s legacy.

“We did a lot of work to make sure that we’re not tarnishing Tina’s name, but rather uplifting it,” Lewis said. “We are telling a story of resilience and empowerment, rather than just highlighting all the hard parts of her life.”

Elaina Walton, who plays Turner’s mother, Zelma Bullock, said this tour is the first time she’s played a real, historical figure. To make sure she “got it right,” Walton extensively researched Bullock to understand her motivations as both a person and a mother.

“Tina Turner left behind her legacy, her joy, all of her triumph,” Walton said. “We are each playing a small part in allowing her legacy to live on. None of us take that for granted.”

Actors connect to the people they portray each night by taking on new personas. The relationship is mutually beneficial, Lewis said. As Lewis tells the story of one of the Ikettes on stage, the character teaches her, too.

It’s hard work to play her character, but the lessons from the experience are invaluable and have made her stronger in the process, Lewis said.

“TINA” is meant for both life-long fans and new generations of viewers with little knowledge of Turner’s influence. That’s part of the show’s charm, Walton said. Fans and fans-in-the-making can get a newfound appreciation for Turner’s legacy.

The strong relationships fostered between cast members has made traveling across the country and being away from family that much easier, Walton said.

“It’s never quiet,” Walton said. “Someone is always talking, laughing, singing, someone is having a random dance break and someone else is telling a joke. It really is a blessing.”

“TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” will be playing at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1. This will be the show’s second North American National Tour. courtesy of julieta cervantes

The performances feel different in every city, Lewis said. Based on the experiences of audience members and the culture of the place they perform, viewers respond differently to jokes and tender moments. Audiences in Tennessee and Alabama, close to Turner’s hometown, were especially reactive. Lewis said they felt connected to Turner’s experiences of misogynoir, having lived in areas similar to the show’s setting.

But some themes of the show were received universally, no matter where they toured. As she traveled the country, Lewis said she’s heard personal stories from audience members, especially women, who were deeply impacted after viewing Turner’s story of struggles, triumphs and strength.

“We are telling a story about how incredibly resilient women are,” Lewis said. “There’s so much more to them than the eye can see and that society sees. I hope that women are impacted to carry their heads high.”

Unlike other Broadway shows, which might expect theatre audiences to be polite and refined, the “TINA” cast wants its viewers to react to what they see on stage, Walton said.

For longtime fans and newcomers to Turner’s story, the show is bound to make a splash.

“Be prepared to move. Be prepared to feel,” Walton said. ehrosen@syr.edu

julia english cartoonist

Dream

andrew berkman cartoonist

january 23, 2025 11

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

CONCERTS

from page 9

lynch Lynch’s stylistic hallmarks. Subconsciousness was a favorite theme, as well as what David Tarleton, chair of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Media Studies Department, called “the decay underneath the veneer of perfection.” “(Lynch) was interested in the intersection between the subconscious and the conscious,” Tarleton said. “Letting his mind wander, and sort of living in a daydream, and then pulling the work out of that.”

Tarleton is “one of the six people who likes (Lynch’s) ‘Dune.’” “Blue Velvet” is another of his personal favorites.

“Blue Velvet” was the turning point in Lynch’s career, Tarleton said. If you compare “Eraserhead,” with its grotesque infant, or the adaptations of “The Elephant Man” and “Dune,” to Lynch’s later films, you’ll notice a pivot. Tarleton said after “Blue Velvet,” Lynch’s creative visions came to fruition.

Lynch pushed back against studios later in his career. Tarleton said that in “Twin Peaks” the mystery of Laura Palmer’s killer was revealed against Lynch’s wishes. Similarly, in “Mulholland Drive,” Justin Theroux’s character is a film director forced by mobsters to cast an actress that he expressly doesn’t want. Early on, with “Dune” and “Twin Peaks,” Lynch was bogged down by those kinds of conflicts.

“The older he got, the less willing he was to compromise,” Tarleton said. “But he was always busy. He was just less interested in feature filmmaking and all the compromises that entails.”

There are few artists whose names have become synonymous with their style. Like George Orwell and his stories of dystopia and oppressive governments, which can only be called “Orwellian.”

Franz Kafka’s absurd, anxious modern stories are called “Kafkaesque.”

And Lynch is no exception. His ‘50s retronostalgia, with menace and decay lurking beneath the surface, dives into what Tarleton calls a “contrast of light and dark,” grotesque and beautiful. And he did it with a uniquely absurd sense of humor — all of that’s what defines “Lynchian.”

But his legacy isn’t defined solely by his filmmaking.

Lynch was a multi-facted artist. He painted and sculpted in addition to directing. He began practicing transcendental meditation in 1973 and continued throughout his life. He set up the David Lynch Foundation in 2005 with the goal of ensuring “that every child anywhere in the world who wanted to learn to meditate could do so.”

Steven Chanin, an SU alumnus and executive chairman of the David Lynch Foundation board, described transcendental meditation with a simple metaphor: your mind settles down to a quiet place, like the depths of the ocean. Silence. Waves die down. When you’re there, you experience yourself and your own nature.

To borrow a sports term, it’s like “being in the zone.” That’s the draw for people who practice

THIS WEEKEND Aspen at the Cage Dress for snowy slopes at the Cage’s first show of the spring semester.

Ser8io and Jaden Vann will be performing. Bundle up — it’s going to be below 20 degrees by the time the show starts. Fashionable ski gear is a must.

WHEN: Thursday at 10 p.m.

WHERE: DM @cage_collective for address PRICE: $7 presale, $10 at the door

Masquerade

steven chanin (left), a Syracuse University alumnus and executive chairman of the David Lynch Foundation board, first met David Lynch in 2012. courtesy of steven chanin

it, like Lynch, who found his creativity through transcendental meditation, Chanin said.

The goals of the David Lynch Foundation kept expanding. The foundation monitored groups suffering from extreme stress and set up programs to help teach transcendental meditation to them.

The foundation worked with inner-city school students initially, but expanded to survivors of domestic violence and first responders, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chanin’s practiced transcendental meditation since 1978. He first met Lynch in 2012, but got to know him personally on trips for the David Lynch Foundation, where he opened offices, screened Lynch’s films and spoke about transcendental meditation. The Lynch you might expect from the at-times grotesque nature of his films, Chanin says, was entirely different in real life — “quite stable,” he said.

“The films were an outlet. They were an expression of his creativity,” Chanin said. “There were the movies, and then there was David.”

Lynch was a celebrity with fame and acclaim.

But Chanin knew him as a humble, down-to-earth person. Lynch didn’t demand special treatment.

But of course, being David Lynch, people gave him that treatment anyway.

When they visited Ukraine and Georgia in 2017 for two weeks, the presidential limo picked them up from the airport. Chanin noticed that people flocked to Lynch with questions during their trip.

“How could you be so successful? How did you make all these movies? How did you become such a great director? What’s the edge?” Chanin recounted.

Lynch’s answer was consistent: his mental stability and stillness, which he credited to transcendental meditation. It was a gospel he preached often.

And he’d preach that gospel to large groups of 1,500 to 2,000 people, Chanin said, even though Lynch wasn’t necessarily fond of public speaking. But when Lynch stepped on stage, he was as comfortable talking to the crowd about transcendental meditation as he might have been directing a film or painting.

It was another part of his indelible, memorable personality.

“You felt the presence of David Lynch when you were with him,” Chanin said. “The thing I remember most is being with him.”

Lynch’s films aren’t easy to hold in your hand. Watching and understanding them isn’t a given. But Chanin pointed out that while Lynch has died, his films will live on. David Lynch’s influence will be felt as long as people watch them, he said.

Lynch would love that sentiment. His words, from one of his weather reports in 2020, reflect his sentimentality and optimism.

“I’m wearing dark glasses today. Because the future is looking very bright.” bnbutler@syr.edu

from page 9

onajava

OnaJava soul cafe is located on South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse. Owner Reginald Pickard opened the shop after his mother’s death to honor her. solange jain photo editor

The cafe has invigorated the Southside in only a few months following its opening, and has brought energy to a once bleak area, May added.

Pickard said receiving the award was a heartwarming moment for him, and it spoke volumes to the legacy the cafe is creating for itself.

Other community members have conversed about opening other businesses around South Salina Street because of OnaJava, May said, May said, adding that this catalyzation is crucial for business to continue prospering in the city.

“Part of me hopes that everybody recognizes that Black-owned businesses are vital places where everyone can feel welcome and also create their own little world and is so needed by (the Southside) community,” May said.

OnaJava has participated in a local toy drive and food bank over the holiday season. Those in need searching for a meal are met with open arms at the cafe, Wagner-Pickard said.

The cafe also serves as a safe space for Syracuse youth. Pickard was inspired by his own family and children to create an environment where people can feel at peace.

“I try to create a peace zone, somewhere where they come to, somewhere they can enjoy and identify the peace zones here in Syracuse and let this be one of them,” Pickard said.

Wagner-Pickard hopes to continue to grow the business in the future, she said. When the weather breaks in the spring and summer seasons, she’s hoping to conduct more outdoor business with the cafe such as a deck or food truck. She also wants to bring in local vendors and support other businesses.

OnaJava is in the works of creating and patenting its own coffee brand, Pickard said. The cafe aims to continue to be a staple in the community and grow as a brand.

“We try to create just a couple of inspirations in flavor over here,” Pickard said. sabrocki@syr.edu

“Life’s a masquerade, so let’s have a ball,” shares student-run music venue Dazed on its Instagram page. Join Dazed for a masquerade-themed DJ night. The show will feature Sam Tonks, Baybee and Latex Digital.

Reach out to the venue on Instagram for address details.

WHEN: Friday at 10 p.m.

WHERE: DM @dazedcuse for address PRICE: $7 presale, $10 at the door

Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift Enjoy a night of your “Wildest Dreams.” The Listeso String Quartet will perform acoustic, instrumental renditions of hit songs from Swift’s discography. Sounds will serenade the audience among hundreds of candles. The setlist includes tunes like “Love Story” and “All Too Well,” along with newer favorites like “Lavender Haze” and “But Daddy I Love Him.” WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m.

WHERE: The Palace Theatre PRICE: $41

TAUK Winter Tour Progressive rock-fusion band TAUK will perform at the Westcott Theater Saturday night. The New Yorkbased quartet describes its music as “painting with sound,” creating its own genre rather than adhering to an established one. Joining them on stage is Annie in the Water, an Americana indie rock band that calls each of their performances “an adventure.”

WHEN: Saturday at 7 p.m.

WHERE: The Westcott Theater PRICE: $37.81

Open Mic Night Sing your heart out and share your musical talents with an eager audience at Funk ‘n Waffles’ Open Mic Night. The show will be hosted by Syracuse-based singer Pat Tato. You must be 18 years or older to attend.

WHEN: Sunday at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles PRICE: $7.17

12 january 23, 2025

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

OPINION

flynn ledoux illustration editor

column

Banning TikTok risks free speech, doesn’t solve security threats

By Grace Johnson columnist

Friday saw the culmination of a nine-month legal battle over TikTok as the United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold a federal ban of the app. This decision presents profound consequences for free speech, national security and our shifting landscape of technology. TikTok, Inc. v. Garland saw the Supreme Court side with the U.S. government, arguing that TikTok’s data collection posed a national security threat.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act of 2024, signed by then-President Joe Biden, forced parent company ByteDance to either sell TikTok’s U.S. assets or cease operations in the country entirely by Sunday.

Less than 24 hours after the initial ban went into effect on Saturday night, opening TikTok prompted a message confirming President Donald Trump allowed the reinstatement of the app in the U.S., extending the timeline for ByteDance.

The proposed TikTok ban stems from fears that the app poses a national security risk due to concerns about the Chinese government accessing vast amounts of personal data about U.S. users. China’s National Intelligence Law grants authorities broad powers to request data, and some speculate that this content will be used for surveillance or disinformation campaigns that could influence American public opinion.

TikTok collects detailed personal data like location, browsing history and device informa-

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tion. Combined with the potential for algorithmic manipulation by Chinese entities, people aim to impede the app’s role in shaping user behaviors and spreading targeted messaging. But there is no credible evidence to suggest that Tiktok has been systematically used in this way, making these claims largely speculative and unfounded.

“The United States could ban TikTok, but banning this one platform would not make Americans any safer,” the Atlantic Council said.

With everyone’s attention on Tiktok, politicians are ignoring similar risks already present in domestic media outlets.

This level of data gathering isn’t unique to TikTok, as companies like Facebook and X gather similar data. Furthermore, the Chinese government’s main source of sensitive American data has come from the nation’s illegal hacking and history of direct relationships with U.S. data brokers. TikTok, while scrutinized for its partChinese ownership, is not even a leading contributor to the American data China can access.

Banning TikTok alone won’t solve the broader data privacy issue. Users can easily bypass restrictions and switch to similar platforms, continuing data exploitation.

Instead of targeting one app, the government must implement comprehensive privacy reforms and better oversight of all social media platforms. This alteration requires systemic and ground-up policy reform, not just reactive measures focused on individual companies.

The push to ban TikTok also triggers alarm about infringement on free speech. Christopher Jon Sprigman, a law professor at New

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York University, criticized the ban for its lack of concrete evidence of the claimed security risks. Sprigman argues that targeting speech, particularly by attempting to suppress content related to China, inflicts First Amendment concerns as it restricts speech based on content and viewpoint.

Suppression like this is problematic and sets a chilling precedent for limiting free American expression. Sharing Sprigman’s notion, Patrick Toomey of the American Civil Liberties Union found the Supreme Court’s refusal to block this ban “deeply troubling,” reiterating that the government had not presented adequate evidence of an imminent national security threat to warrant such an extensive measure.

A federal judge struck down Montana’s attempt to ban TikTok in 2023 as unconstitutional, signaling that this issue does indeed pose broader implications for free speech.

The debate over banning TikTok has become a flashpoint for wider discussions about national security, data privacy and free expression. On one hand, proponents of the ban fixate on Tiktok’s data collection practices, claiming that the Chinese government could one day exploit this information. Given China’s broad legal frameworks for data collection, these concerns, while not yet fully substantiated, remain difficult to dismiss entirely.

But the proposal to outright ban TikTok isn’t the correct solution.

It risks infringing upon the First Amendment rights of 170 million U.S. users who rely

on the platform to express themselves and build their businesses. Silencing these users not only curtails their ability to share ideas, stories and creativity, but also disrupts countless livelihoods and small enterprises that depend on the platform’s reach.

Banning TikTok is a heavy-handed response that doesn’t fully consider the long-term consequences for free expression in America. In fact, such a ban sets a dangerous framework for government overreach.

Ironically, the ban also falls short of addressing the very national security concerns it claims to mitigate. If we are genuinely concerned about the risks posed by data collection and foreign influence, we might focus on tackling the broader systemic issues like data privacy reforms and algorithmic transparency. This dilemma applies to all social media platforms, not just one.

What’s urgently needed now is a comprehensive, long-term strategy to establish robust privacy safeguards and regulate data practices effectively. Without these measures, we risk falling into a cycle of reactionary policy; one that doesn’t solve the underlying problems, but weakens and stifles fundamental freedoms in the process.

Grace Johnson is a junior majoring in e\ English and textual studies. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at gjohns18@syr.edu.

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SPORTS

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

january 23, 2025 13

jyáre davis starred in his home state at the University of Delaware before transferring to Syracuse for his final year of eligibility. In 2022, the forward led the Blue Hens to their first NCAA Tournament since 2014 while winning Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors. leonardo eriman asst. video editor

‘MR. DELAWARE’ Jyáre Davis starred for his home state before arriving at Syracuse

By Aiden Stepansky

digital managing editor

W

hen Jyáre Davis entered the transfer portal on April 16, 2021, he immediately knew his next destination. As the state of Delaware’s No. 1 2020 recruit, University of Delaware head coach Martin Ingelsby understood recruiting Davis would be an uphill battle.

To pique Davis’ interest, Ingelsby and assistant coach Corey McCrae pitched him the idea of being the Elena Delle Donne of the men’s side. The Wilmington native starred for UD before becoming a top women’s player in the world.

Davis, however, decided to start his college career at Providence in the Big East. In 2008, Delle Donne originally committed to UConn but returned to Delaware to play for her home team. Following a rough go with the Friars, Davis kept the original pitch in mind. Again, he followed Delle Donne’s path. “(Delle Donne) ended up coming back to Delaware and carrying her state on her shoulders,” McCrae said. “I thought (Davis) could do the same.”

After a year away, Davis returned to his home state and became its star. The Newark, Delaware, native notched Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors in the 2021-22 season and helped the Blue

Hens to their first CAA Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament since 2014. He followed that up by making the All-CAA Second Team as a junior and senior.

Now, Davis is using his final year of eligibility at Syracuse, where he’s helped fortify SU’s inside presence with 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The decision to leave gave him a final crack at Power Five basketball.

But his initial decision to return home was rooted in his pride for The First State.

“Going back to Delaware, I knew I wanted to make it cool for kids from Delaware to play in Delaware and want to play in their hometown state,” Davis said.

Davis was once that kid. With a population of just over one million, Delaware’s biggest professional team is the Blue Coats — the Philadelphia 76ers G-League affiliate. As a result, UD’s athletic programs often act as its main event.

Davis grew up attending UD football games weekly as Newark Charter — his school from kindergarten through seventh grade — was just minutes from campus.

Additionally, his grandfather worked at the university.

Davis’ relationship with the basketball program began when Ingelsby’s staff allowed him to attend practices as a recruit and watched him play at the Sanford School in Delaware in.

When Davis first came back after his short stint at Providence, his family rejoiced. Ingelsby said he thought

Davis’ return gave him extra motivation due to people inside and outside the program pouring life into him.

As Davis needed an abundance of tickets to allow local friends and family to watch him play, he used pregame meals as currency. Former teammates Ebby Asamoah and Kevin Anderson recall Davis trading Chick-fil-A nuggets and sandwiches for extra tickets.

Anderson estimated Davis needed an average of 10 tickets per game, while Asamoah said it was more like 12 to 20.

“That’s Mr. Delaware himself,” Asamoah said of Davis. “It’s almost like the whole neighborhood watched him grow up. He went to a different school, transferred back home and he was doing his thing.”

The hometown feel is what created a safe haven for Davis. But it’s also what made leaving the school so difficult. Midway through his third season with the Blue Hens, Davis was thriving and Power Five opportunities quickly opened up.

Ingelsby described Davis’ decision to stay or leave Delaware as the “elephant in the room,” but Davis said it never crossed his mind until after the season. When the season ended, the two got breakfast, discussing Davis’ options. He decided to test himself again. see davis page 15

men’s basketball

Syracuse outmatched on the road vs. Clemson in 86-72 defeat

By Zak Wolf

senior staff writer

Adrian Autry bore a perplexed look following Syracuse’s second shot clock violation in as many possessions. He held his hand on his chin, accompanying a blank stare at the court. The secondyear head coach held the pose for about five seconds without speaking to anyone. Nobody can read Autry’s mind, but his feelings were written all over his face. He had the look of someone thinking: Did that just happen?

Autry was reacting to Syracuse’s last two possessions of the first half as it trailed Clemson by 19 points.

The first came when center Eddie Lampkin Jr. gave the ball to guard J.J. Starling at the top of the key. Starling was hounded by Jaeden Zackery, then Clemson big man Viktor Lakhin, who provided help defense. The two forced Starling into a fadeaway jumper at the baseline that missed everything.

SU’s ensuing possession entailed the Orange dribbling on the perimeter for 25 seconds. No paint touches. No

backdoor cuts. Nothing. Lucas Taylor had the ball poked away with time winding down on the shot clock. All he could do was heave another prayer.

This one was from 40 feet away. Same result. Another violation.

“I give credit to Clemson.

(They’re) a good defensive team, but a lot of it in that first half was us,” Autry said postgame.

“Not being aggressive, not cutting backdoor, not flashing, not moving at the pace that we talked about in practice all week.”

The shot clock violations were a minor chapter in a dark tale for Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 Atlantic Coast), as it fell to Clemson (16-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast) 86-72. Starling led the way with a game-high 25 points, but Lampkin (14 points) was the only other SU player in double figures.

The Orange had their best shooting game in an ACC matchup this season, hitting 53.8% of their shots from the field while hitting a season-high 11 3-pointers. However, it turned the ball over 14 times. Clemson only had seven

and shot 56.4% from the field. The loss brings Syracuse’s record against Quad 1 teams to 0-7.

Wednesday night’s final score might read like a semi-competitive contest, yet it was far from that.

Syracuse never cut into its near 48-29 halftime deficit with any conviction.

There were no sustained runs to help the Orange even get a sniff. The closest they got after the break was when Jyáre Davis hit a 3 to make it 85-72 with one minute left. It was the only see clemson page 15

14 january 23, 2025

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

women’s basketball

Alumkal: Syracuse failed to capitalize on last year’s success NICHOLAS ALUMKAL AIN’T NO PITY IN THE ROSE CITY

Falling to UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament closed SU’s storybook season and the career of Dyaisha Fair, who became the third-highest scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history. To prevent the campaign from being a flash in the pan, Syracuse needed to capitalize on its success by replenishing its roster in the transfer portal, particularly to fill Fair’s void.

Following last season, Syracuse should’ve been a top landing spot for transfers. Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack built a reputation for developing players with Fair, Georgia Woolley and Alaina Rice. She went from winning 18 games in her first regular season coaching SU to winning 23 last season. Syracuse looked primed to continue its ascent in her third campaign.

Instead, Legette-Jack failed to build off SU’s momentum from last year. The Orange have a 7-11 record and are 1-6 in ACC play — already more losses in conference play than last season — with 11 games remaining. The latest sign of their steep fall was a 92-51 drubbing at Boston College Sunday, Legette-Jack’s worst loss of her tenure.

“This is a rebuild situation. I hate that word, but I think that’s where we are,” Legette-Jack said postgame Sunday. “We’ve never been in this situation, so we got to figure it all out.”

In the postgame press conference following Syracuse’s season-ending loss to UConn last March, Legette-Jack said Woolley was “ready” to pick up Fair’s mantle. But it’s not that simple.

Fair and Woolley play different positions.

Woolley is a 3-and-D specialist, not a point guard who can dictate offense. Plus, who would fill Woolley’s role as a consistent secondary scorer and defensive scrapper?

Legette-Jack stressed that even after a remarkable season last year, she “wanted more.”

The Syracuse native said the city deserved it, and she would deliver it. Fast forward to this year, SU is tied for 15th in the ACC with a conference tournament berth in flux.

Syracuse entered this season with a weaker roster. On top of losing Fair, its third-leading scorer Rice graduated and freshman Alyssa Latham, who led the team in rebounds, transferred to Tennessee.

Struggles have followed. After going 10-1 in nonconference play last season, Syracuse went 6-5. Of SU’s five conference losses thus far, four have been by double-digits. Woolley didn’t play in Chestnut Hill Sunday due to an illness, fully exposing how threadbare the Orange are.

The core needs for SU in the transfer portal were a 3-point threat, a point guard and a proven post player. Syracuse didn’t check any of those boxes. It added LSU’s Angelica Velez (3.1 points per game on 27.9% shooting), who averaged just over a point in limited minutes last season, and Arizona State’s Journey Thompson (4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game), a frontcourt starter but an inconsistent presence.

Additionally, Dominique Camp, though not a transfer, returned from a knee injury. She’s been the primary starting point guard, recording a team-high 4.1 assists but only 4.2 points per game.

They’re all vital role players. But, for Syracuse to maintain last year’s success, it needed star power. Someone who could take over a game offensively. Someone it could reliably go to if it needed a bucket.

Returning players have progressed but haven’t filled the holes left last season or elevated the Orange — their preseason goal. Woolley has only upped her points per game by 1.3 points to a team-leading 15.1. Kyra Wood increased her total by 4.9 and became a starting forward.

Sophomore Sophie Burrows added 5.6 points to her scoring average and showed signs of being see alumkal page 15

Syracuse had a storybook 2023-24 season. However, third-year head coach Felisha LegetteJack failed to capitalize on last year’s success. angelina grevi staff photographer

men’s basketball

Orange get crushed by 14 turnovers in road loss to Clemson

By Timmy Wilcox

senior staff writer

One game after winning the turnover battle in its comeback win over Notre Dame, Syracuse reverted back to playing sloppily.

Four minutes in, SU committed its first turnover and it led to a quick deuce for Clemson.

With an 8-7 lead, J.J. Starling drove into the corner and drew a double team before attempting a jump pass. Jaeden Zackery swallowed it up and ran the break before dishing to Ian Schieffelin for a slam.

“We were sped up, myself included,” Starling, who finished with a game-high 25 points, said.

“I looked to force some things, and it led to transition points for (Clemson).”

Clemson continued to capitalize on its takeaways, outscoring SU 14-0 in points off turnovers in the first half.

Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) trailed by 19 going into halftime due to nine first-half turnovers. Despite trying to limit its turnovers in the second half, it wasn’t enough as it fell 86-72 to Clemson (16-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast). SU’s lead midway through the first was derailed by errant passes and stagnant offense. The Tigers feasted

on 14 Orange giveaways, outscoring them 19-4 in points off turnovers in the contest.

Starling’s misguided pass was the first sign of Syracuse starting to lose its offensive rhythm in the first half.

A few minutes later with Syracuse ahead 12-11, Kyle Cuffe Jr. had a chance to add to its lead with a dunk, though it was easier said than done. Despite the lane being wide open, Cuffe skated to the rim but slammed the ball off the back iron. In a way, the missed dunk acted as a turnover, as Clemson gobbled up the loose ball.

SU head coach Adrian Autry added the Orange’s offensive inefficiency was impacting their performance on the other end of the floor.

“Our turnovers affected our defense,” Autry said.

Following Cuffe’s missed chance, Clemson went on a 9-5 run to take a 20-16 lead. The Tigers capitalized on turnovers by Lucas Taylor and Petar Majstorovic, and from there, they didn’t look back.

After Cuffe hit a 3 to pull Syracuse within one, Clemson scored the next seven points.

At the 7:40 mark of the first half, Syracuse repeated an earlier mistake by forcing the ball

into the corner. Jyáre Davis drew multiple defenders and threw it into the middle of the lane for an easy scoop and score for Jake Heidbreder, giving the Tigers a 32-21 lead.

“We could take care of the ball a little better,” Cuffe said. “We were trying to make stuff happen because we were down, and (turnovers are) what happens when you try to make stuff happen.”

Starling was SU’s main source of scoring, with 17 points in the first half, but a costly error

by Majstorovic slowed him down. Starling beat his defender for a left-side layup, but Majstorovic touched the ball above the rim for an offensive goaltending call to give Clemson the ball and wipe the points off the board.

Then, late in the first half, Syracuse got caught running sideways instead of hugging its corners on handoffs. The Orange’s lack of movement on offense led to two shot clock violations, Autry said.

“A couple of those turnovers, that kind of separated it in the first half,” Autry said.

Clemson stretched its lead to 21 after more SU turnovers in the second half. Two minutes into the second frame, Chase Hunter intercepted a pass by Starling which led to a 3 by Chauncey Wiggins.

Syracuse cut down its turnovers in the second half, but it couldn’t chip away at its double-digit deficit.

The Orange failed to capitalize off Clemson’s miscues, too. Around the 10-minute mark of the second half, Davis ripped the ball away from Hunter, but gave it right back to Wiggins for a score inside.

Against Notre Dame, Syracuse’s nine steals were pivotal to its comeback effort. Though against Clemson, its top players didn’t have strong defensive games. Lampkin and Starling each collected season-highs in takeaways in SU’s last game, with three and two, respectively.

The pair didn’t combine for a single steal against the Tigers.

The turnover battle was one sided versus Clemson, as Syracuse had 14 and Clemson finished with seven. The Orange’s offensive hiccups have been repeated, and the Tigers took advantage.

“Some of the turnovers that we’re having, they’re consistent,” Autry said. “We have to do a better job of trying to get that message across, our guys got to do a better job of receiving it.” tswilcox@syr.edu @TimmyWilcox32

football

Jordan Gibbs’ athleticism set to strengthen Syracuse’s DB core

By Jordan Kimball asst. copy editor

When Jordan Gibbs was 8, the towering yellow goalpost at the end of Longwood High School’s (New York) football field looked larger than ever.

With his eyes set on the bottom of the post, Gibbs sprinted toward it, grabbing onto the base before using his legs to lift himself onto the inside bar.

Once up top, Gibbs looked at the opposite side of the field, dreaming of representing Longwood in a playoff game. Then, he saw his friends and family beside his longtime mentor and eventual Longwood football coach, Sean Kluber. Kluber, a former offensive lineman at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges, spent his life around athletes. Yet, Gibbs stood out.

“He was so athletic at that young age. As a kid, I knew he was a stellar athlete,” Kluber said. “He was always putting his (athleticism) on display.”

Gibbs’ athleticism and now-6-foot-2 frame propelled him to stardom on the gridiron,

becoming a three-star cornerback and the No. 7 recruit in New York’s 2025 class, per 247Sports.

This culminated in his commitment to Syracuse, where he’ll join a defensive backs room that lost Marcellus Barnes Jr., Clarence Lewis and Alijah Clark. Gibbs perfectly fits the mold SU head coach Fran Brown looks for in recruits, possessing elite size and speed — which Gibbs crafted while running track.

“It’s very rare to have someone that tall and lean to run as fast as he does. We’re talking about a legitimate 6-foot-2 player with the stride,” Kluber said. “He’s extremely athletic, and with coach Brown coaching him, the sky’s the limit.”

While Gibbs grew into his body, he starred on both sides of the ball. As a junior in high school, he had his fingerprints all over Longwood’s win over No. 5 seed Commack in the 2023 Long Island Division I playoffs. Gibbs tallied 35 rushing yards on six carries. Defensively, he had three tackles alongside an interception to propel the No. 4 seed Lions’ victory.

However, it was the final time Gibbs guided Longwood to a win.

One week later, the Lions were eliminated

by No. 1 William Floyd — which placed second in the tournament — 49-13. A year later, Gibbs missed his entire senior season with a meniscus tear.

Despite initially only dreaming of representing Longwood playing football, Gibbs started running track and field to maintain his speed for football season when he was 11.

The possibility of playing for a top college program motivated Gibbs to keep running, even when it felt secondary to football. At age 14, he started taking track more seriously, eventually qualifying for the National Championships in Florida.

“Since I did start from a young age, it definitely helped me get the knowledge of just being out there,” Gibbs said. “I was a very energetic kid growing up, so playing sports helped me get that energy out.”

Growing up, Gibbs played for the Longwood Youth Football Team. Though, due to his whimsical manner, Gibbs missed an entire season when he was 12 from falling out of a tree — a further explanation of his endless energy.

The injury let Gibbs explore 495 Long Island Elite Football, a more competitive squad known for increasing skill and gaining national attention.

In one season with the team, Gibbs was exposed to recruiting sponsors — 247Sports, Rivals and On3 — bolstering his opportunities. Following his time with 495 LI Elite Football, he returned to the track to prepare for his high school career.

“Football helped me with track powerwise. With sprinting, you don’t just want to stride, you need power,” Gibbs said. “The speed boost I get, having a good top speed so nobody’s catching me, it’s helped me keep my speed in football.” see gibbs page 15

january 23, 2025 15

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from page 13

His first assignment was far from easy. In 2020, Davis wrestled with the obstacles of being a college freshman during COVID-19. His challenges increased in late October after falling backward and hitting his head on the hardwood during a preseason practice. A diagnosed concussion sidelined him for the preseason, and he later redshirted.

The lost season with the Friars brought mixed emotions. On one hand, Davis was frustrated that things didn’t work out. On the other, he grew confident in playing against top talent through practice.

A change of scenery was needed, and Davis had schools like Georgia and St. Joseph’s expressing interest. But returning home made the most sense.

“Life is about getting back on your horse. He got back on his horse, and he rode. He rode it out to the sunset,” McCrae said.

Davis was initially far from the No. 1 option with the Blue Hens. In the 2021-22 season, UD returned its five leading scorers from the season prior — Ryan Allen, Dylan Painter, Anderson, Asamoah and Andrew Carr. Along with snagging Davis through the transfer portal, the Blue Hens also corralled Jameer Nelson Jr. from George Washington.

Davis played sparingly throughout the early going, scoring in double digits just once through

the first 17 games. Even with limited playing time, Davis said he continued to work daily with assistant coach Torrian Jones as if he was already the star player.

After Painter suffered an ankle injury in late January, Davis was thrust into a larger role.

In his first game with increased minutes, Davis scored a then-career-high 22 points to lead Delaware past James Madison.

“It was almost like the breakout game he needed,” Ingelsby said. “You just see a guy that just got uber-confident and I think from that point on, he was the best player in the league.”

As Painter remained sidelined, Davis averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game across the final 10 games of the regular season.

He closed the year as the conference’s Rookie of the Week five consecutive times, forcing the staff’s hand to keep playing him.

Despite Davis’ success, the Blue Hens dropped their final three games of the season, limping into the CAA Tournament. With a week to prepare, Delaware was up at 7 a.m. each day, practicing twice daily for a chance at the NCAA Tournament.

UD took down Drexel in the quarterfinal, as Davis led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

A 13-point win over Towson followed the next day, where Davis notched 14 and eight rebounds.

With a trip to March Madness on the line, the Blue Hens were in a down-to-the-wire affair with UNC Wilmington.

Trailing by one with just over a minute to play, Davis maneuvered inside and converted a floater to put UD in front. Delaware never relinquished its lead, winning by four. Davis’ 18 led the way, clinching CAA Tournament MVP honors.

“He just locked in and became a different type of animal toward the end,” Anderson said.

“He was making everything.”

As the Blue Hens reached the pinnacle of their conference, Davis continued to feel the support pouring in. At Delaware’s Selection Sunday party, groups of local kids came in to cheer on the squad’s announcement.

It was a full-circle moment, as Davis instantly remembered when he was 12 years old and the Blue Hens made the NCAA Tournament in 2014. He was experiencing the same excitement he felt at a younger age. However, the 2014 team’s season fell short in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and Davis’s squad suffered the same fate.

Delaware ran into a buzz saw in the first round, taking on eventual South Region champion Villanova. The Wildcats pulled away near the end of the first half, never looking back. Davis, though, made his mark, totaling a team-high 17 points and building some self-assurance.

“It propelled my confidence for the next two seasons,” Davis said. “After that game, I was extremely confident I could play against anybody.”

As most of the Blue Hens’ core graduated, Davis became a focal point. The forward grew into a three-level scorer, continuously building on his frame to be a bully inside. He officially became the go-to guy on nearly every possession, according to co-captain Christian Ray. A 17.1-point-per-game senior season propelled Davis’ interest from the outside. And while he didn’t think about it during the year, schools came calling. Arkansas, Xavier and Syracuse showed their interest before the Orange won the prize.

Davis’ versatility and rebounding stood out to SU head coach Adrian Autry the most. He’s used both attributes to round out Syracuse’s lineup, producing again at the Power Five level like he always knew he could.

Even with recent success, Delaware is still home. Ingelsby now uses Davis’ story in recruiting pitches in hopes of landing the next hometown star. McCrae saw Davis as a “big fish in a small pond.” While he didn’t initially choose to stay home, it’s where he ended up making his mark in college basketball, just as McCrae and Ingelsby set out from the beginning.

“We sold him on the success and the opportunity to come in and really be the face of our program as an in-state kid. This place will be forever indebted to a kid like that as one of their own,” Ingelsby said.

from page 13

from page 14

time Syracuse got within that margin since the 4:08 mark in the first half.

Keeping games close with elite teams is an ever-present problem with Syracuse this season. The defeat against Clemson was the fifth time the Orange have lost by at least 14 points this season. It also occurred nine times last season. Very far from the “Orange Standard” Autry often alludes to.

“We had an opportunity to keep this game close going to halftime, and we just didn’t cash in on those opportunities,” Autry said.

It wasn’t a disaster all night for Syracuse at Littlejohn Coliseum, where it hasn’t won since 2017. Starling was a spark plug early on.

He hit his first five shots from the field. The point guard was decisive and didn’t think twice about pulling the trigger each time down the floor. He scored 11 of Syracuse’s first 16 points, and the Orange led by one with 12:22 left in the first half. It was the last time the Orange led.

Eventually, Starling needed help, which he didn’t receive. The Orange shot 12-for24 in the first half, suffering as a result.

Syracuse went the final 4:54 of the first half without scoring, and Clemson finished on a 10-0 run. The spurt all but put the game away inside of 20 minutes.

“We know what J.J. can do, but we need five guys,” Autry said. “He made some shots but then other guys, everybody knows we got to pull our weight. We just didn’t do that.”

Chase Hunter, Clemson’s leading scorer (17.6 points per game) and the top 3-point shooter in the ACC (45.5%), knocked down four of his five triples in the first half. He was equally as good as Starling, finishing with a team-high 23 points while shooting 7-of-13 from the field.

He also got help from Lakhin, who finished with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) as well as Zackery with 14 points.

SU’s role players floundered. Kyle Cuffe Jr. had nine points, Jaquan Carlos added seven and Davis had six.

For Syracuse, it marks another chance gone-beckoning against one of the better teams in the ACC. SU has shown an ability to beat mediocre teams in the conference, with wins over Georgia Tech, Boston College and Notre Dame. That trio has a combined record in the ACC of 6-18. SU has yet to pull off a marquee win this season, a common theme throughout the past few seasons in central New York.

A win tonight wouldn’t have boosted Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament resume.

That’s because it doesn’t have one. At this point, SU is playing for pride, trying to preserve the dignity of a once-great program.

Right now, the Orange are battling for a spot to even make the ACC tournament — three teams don’t make it due to the conference’s expansion. But Wednesday, the Orange didn’t play like they wanted to preserve anything.

“You gotta play for 40 minutes,” Autry said. “You can’t come down here and play against Clemson and not play for 40 minutes.

We knew that, we talked about that and we didn’t do that.”

a 3-point threat. SU’s four freshmen have also shown signs of promise.

But to reach or surpass the last campaign’s heights, SU needed firepower. Legette-Jack understood the portal’s value when she joined Syracuse from Buffalo in 2022, bringing five players with her and adding three more transfers. But she hasn’t built off it since.

“I can honestly say to you, every kid on our team that I’ve coached since I’ve been at Syracuse, we were able to get without offering a penny,” Legette-Jack said Monday on her weekly radio show.

That isn’t feasible if you want to compete.

Money in college sports and Name, Image and Likeness deals are here to stay. Syracuse needs to adapt.

Many major transfers last season often chose new schools based on lucrative NIL opportunities. Hailey Van Lith left LSU to join TCU and has NIL deals with Apple Cash, The Flying T Club and JLab, per On3. Guard Deja Kelly transferred from North Carolina to Oregon and has NIL deals with Raising Cane’s, Bazooka and Keurig.

Both players are in the top 10 for NIL valuations in women’s college basketball, according to On3, and joined teams — TCU and Oregon — that had much less success than the Orange last year, likely drawn by superior NIL packages. Other top teams, including USC, Notre Dame and UCLA, followed suit.

dora’s box that’s opened” in college sports with NIL. She stressed Syracuse is “as yolked” as the rest of the ACC and is ready to show it.

“We’re going to have to change our standards a little bit, but don’t lower them to the point that you lose your own scruples,” Legette-Jack said Monday. “... At the end of the day, that’s what I want to win.”

This offseason, if SU wants to replicate its 2023-24 success and move closer to LegetteJack’s vision of contending for a national championship, strengthening its roster through the transfer portal will be critical.

Legette-Jack agrees.

“We’re going to hit the transfer portal hard (this offseason),” she said Wednesday.

Failing to capitalize on last year’s momentum is a lesson Legette-Jack must learn from this season’s steep regression.

She needs to rebuild the team’s reputation as a top-tier destination, leveraging her track record and vision for the program. If not, Syracuse risks fading back into mediocrity, with its 2023-24 season remembered as an unfulfilled promise rather than an indication of its true identity.

davis

clemson

zakwolf784254@gmail.com @ZakWolf22

alumkal

38.9%

After winning 75.0% of its games last season, SU has won just 38.9% thus far into 2024-25.

SU could’ve made a good case for many of the top transfers. There were copious high-caliber options. And the Orange got none of them.

Legette-Jack has emphasized she prioritizes character, academics and then basketball when assessing players to add, admitting it may be at the expense of wins.

Legette-Jack’s approach to assessing the person first is admirable, but she admitted Wednesday that SU has to take part in the “Pan-

amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky

njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal

from page 14

gibbs

Heading into high school football, Gibbs didn’t immediately star for the Lions. After two years on junior varsity, he was elevated to varsity. Gibbs recorded 39 carries for 346 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, he hauled in three receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he tallied 20 tackles and two interceptions. “(Playing both) sides of the ball gave him that competitive edge. He was able to see football for both lights,” Kluber said. “He believed in himself more because we asked him to do more.”

Gibbs’ greatest showing came in his varsity debut and season opener on Sept.

8, 2023, against football powerhouse Lindenhurst. Helping the Lions to a 28-18 win, Gibbs recorded 200 all-purpose yards, rushing for an 81-yard touchdown while catching a 76-yard score.

When his football season ended, Gibbs immediately started track. His determination to improve in football was the motivation behind each race.

During his season, Gibbs placed fifth in the 55-meter dash with a 6.77 second time at the Section XI Boys Crossover B meet. He then improved his time to 6.71 seconds just 13 days later. On Feb. 3, 2024, Gibbs notched a personal record of 6.45 seconds — 55 days after his first meet.

“On the track, his constant growth from ninth grade to now proves his results,” Andrew Ferriolo, Gibbs’ track and field head coach and assistant defensive coordinator, said.

Gibbs also set a season record in the long jump at 19 feet, one inch, alongside personal records in the 100-meter dash (10.82 seconds) and 200-meter dash (22.01 seconds).

As a result, Gibbs was ranked No. 8 in the top 10 New York high school football players

by BVMSports. Gibbs also made Newsday’s top 100 high school football players entering 2024 due to his speed and sturdy frame.

With a packed offseason before his senior campaign, Gibbs was set to build off his versatile

jordan gibbs’ athleticism propelled him to become a three-star class of 2025 cornerback.

Now, he looks to strengthen SU’s defensive backs group. courtesy of jordan gibbs

junior year. This time, following his commitment to SU on March 24, 2024, Gibbs planned to focus on his explosiveness on offense and specializing in strong safety and cornerback.

“It was always very simplistic. ‘Hey, let’s throw him a bubble (screen). Let’s throw him a (playoption pass). Let’s get him a screen pass,’” Kluber said. “Just to try and get him one-on-one with other athletes on the field because you knew his speed would win out.”

Despite Gibbs’ and Kluber’s plans, Gibbs underwent surgery before the season and didn’t play.

With Gibbs on the sideline, the Lions advanced past the first round in the D-I bracket before falling in the next.

Despite what felt like a “never-ending” season for Gibbs, he prepared himself for college, officially signing with Syracuse on Dec. 4, 2024.

With months away from sports, Gibbs returned

to the track, placing first in the 55-meter dash at the Molloy Stanner Games on Jan. 12.

“I saw him mature, realizing he’s so gifted but that gift could be gone at any moment. I saw him take that into account and start to cherish the gifts that he has,” Ferriolo said. “He realized his physical talent isn’t the only talent he has.”

As Gibbs’ high school football career concluded, he’s now primed to follow Omari Palmer (2013-16) — Longwood’s most recent football player sent to Syracuse — with hopes of boosting the Orange’s defensive backs room. “(Learning) everything (coach Brown) knows will be the greatest step of my football career. I want to bring a lot of positivity and hard work to the team,” Gibbs said. “Hopefully, everybody has the same mindset as me and we can get a championship win.” jordankimball28@gmail.com @JordanKimball_

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