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N • Digital divide
Sen. Chuck Schumer and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced federal ARP funding for new broadband infrastructure.
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the independent student newspaper of syracuse, new york | dailyorange.com
C • Full circle
Syracuse native and “artisteducator” Joseph L. Edwards is coming home to perform his one man show “Fly” at the Community Folk Art Center.
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Lynn Farquhar took charge of SU’s field hockey program following a stint at St. Joe’s, where she made three NCAA Tournaments.
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IIn the midst of rain, snow and wind on the steps of Hendricks Chapel, a group of Syracuse University students and staff gathered to project their voices into the night. “What do we want?”
“Safe streets!” a cry responded. “We have the power, we have the right,” another call sounded.
SU hosted its yearly Take Back the Night rally at Hendricks Chapel on Wednesday night, which aims to provide a safe space for student survivors of sexual and relationship violence to speak out and find support, organizers said.
The mission of international non-profit organization Take Back the Night is to prevent sexual and relationship violence in all forms. Before the rally, a campuswide virtual Take Back the Night pledge committed signers to never perpetuate
violence and safely intervene in potentially dangerous situations to create a safe campus environment at SU.
The slogan of this year’s rally, “Not just for tonight, for a lifetime,” urges participants to continue their efforts standing up to sexual and relationship violence, said Daniela Puente, a graduate student at SU who helped organize the event.
“It needs to be every night after this that we continue to work towards a better community,” Puente said.
SU Chancellor Kent Syverud attended the event, along with Student Association President David Bruen, SA Speaker of the Assembly Will Treloar and SA Vice President of Student Affairs Yasmin Nayrouz. The rally opened with remarks from Dean of Hendricks Chapel Brian Konkol, Pamela Peter, assistant dean of fraternity and sorority affairs, and Sheila Johnson-Willis, SU’s
see rally page 4
editor
During the last two Syracuse University Student Association elections, voter turnout from SU and SUNY ESF students decreased by over 5.5%. Now, heading into SA’s election for the 2023-24 school year, SA members are looking to increase turnout.
Despite an increase in the number of eligible SU undergraduate voters due to over enrollment for the 2022-23 school year, just 4.4% of eligible student voters cast a vote in the fall 2022 election compared to the 9.9% voter turnout in the spring 2022 election.
SA Board of Elections Chair Otto Sutton said that though it’s hard to predict turnout, he’s seeing
4.38%
Only
worse voter turnout in this year’s election compared to spring 2022. Sutton said he wouldn’t be surprised if this year’s voter turnout rates matched or decreased compared to last year’s turnout.
“It’s important to remember that every year is going to be different. It brings a new set of candidates, a new set of issues,” Sutton said. “Those all are factors that play into students’
level of engagement.”
Other universities across New York state have also struggled with decreased voter turnout for undergraduate student government elections, SA Board of Elections Vice Chair Lauren Stover said. Cornell University reported that out of 14,805 eligible voters, only 1,564 individuals, or 10.5%, participated
S • ‘Perfect fit’ see election page 4
student association 4.38% of SU and SUNY ESF’s undergraduate student body voted in SA’s fall 2022 election.to provide a safe space and a platform for student survivors of sexual and relationshipNon-profit Take Back the Night, conceived in the 1970s amid the women’s rights movement, has a stated mission to prevent all forms of sexual violence. meghan hendricks photo editor
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The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.
NEWS
“Bring along your feeling of anger and hurt and shame and worthlessness. Harvest that energy into screams, into songs, into taps, into tears, into marches, into chants, into shouts.”Rachel Johnson, owner of Half Hood Half Holistic
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“It’s a labor of love, and the reward, of course, is the impact on the audience. I don’t take it for granted that I have the opportunity to get on stage and be in front of people.”Joseph Edwards, “Fly” creato
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“Part of me thought I would escape all of this when I came to SU. Maybe in a sense, I have. At least my current friends don’t say out-of-pocket stu about my disorder. But I still feel the stares from passersby.” - Grace “Gray” Reed, columnist
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SPORTS
“That program is just going to soar. (Farquhar’s) just going to take that program to new heights. She’s creating her own legacy there.” - Sara Hayes, former St. Joseph’s women’s lacrosse player
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Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Repair, Refuge and Resilience through Art
WHEN: March 30, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Nancy Cantor Warehouse
WHAT: 2023 Social Justice Awards
WHEN: March 30, 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: White Hall, Falk College
WHAT: 2023 Annual Chancellor’s Review
WHEN: March 31, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: JMA Wireless Dome
Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization Senate passed three legislative resolutions to recognize commemorative dates and addressed diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility considerations at its Wednesday night meeting.
The commemorations, which include Memorial Day; Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month; and LGBTNQIA+ History Month, passed with a strong majority. Daniel Kimmel, acting interim president and vice president of internal affairs, presented the three resolutions, which Gabriel Uy authored.
After the proposal of the first resolution to recognize Memorial Day, which supports the closing of university offices on May 29 and encourages students to commemorate veterans through appropriate ceremonies and programs, Senator At-Large Dominic Wilkins expressed concern about the holiday’s significance to marginalized communities within SU, especially Indigenous people.
The Senate passed the proposal to recognize Memorial Day with 19 votes in favor.
The senate unanimously passed the resolution to recognize Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month to honor the communities’ cultures.
With the passage of the LGBTNQIA+ recognition month legislation, Senator Ben Valen, a DEIA Committee member, said the body needs to address patterns of misgendering in order to pass the legislation.
After discussing the legislation and making amendments to its language, like expanding the LGBTNQIA+ acronym to better represent the community, the Senate passed the resolution.
GSO’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee and the 2022-23 Professional, Academic, and Creative Work Grant Committee also presented their Senate report. The DEIA committee addressed a range of concerns raised, including increasing the number of gender neutral bathrooms on campus and promoting resources for international students struggling with taxes.
Following their presentations, Kimmel announced that every GSO standing committee had reported at a GSO meeting at least once over the course of the current academic year, which means all the committees are active.
Other business:
Jamie Winders, SU’s associate provost of academic affairs, presented the initial draft of the Academic Strategic Plan – a long-term roadmap for the university outlining ten academic objectives SU hopes to reach by 2028. Winders addressed members’ concerns about various aspects of the plan including ChatGPT, the
New York state officials including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Wednesday announced new broadband initiatives statewide and in the city of Syracuse, including up to $100 million in federal funding to increase internet access across New York state.
Both the state and Syracuse’s initiatives will be funded through the American Rescue Plan, and aim to bridge the digital divide by establishing affordable and accessible broadband to serve households with no access or difficulty accessing the internet.
Walsh in a Wednesday press release announced the city of Syracuse would use ARP funds to move forward its new initiative, the Community Broadband Program, through which it plans to serve at least 2,500 households and improve city digital services.
extent of SUNY ESF administration involvement and training accountability in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
GSO passed a motion to extend the ESF Graduate Student Fee Inquiry to determine the Senate’s ability to reimburse the $15 semesterly fee for Senate members from ESF. GSO will deliver final consideration and approval of the motion at their next meeting on April 26.
GSO passed a special funding request for the Religion Graduate Organization to host Dr. Noreen Khawaja, a religion professor from Yale University, at its annual speaker event. kaluther@syr.edu @kendallaluther
Syracuse University announced Politico and Nashville WTVF-TV’s Phil Williams as the winners of the Newhouse School of Public Communications’ 2023 Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting on Wednesday.
The Toner Prizes, established in 2009, honor late Newhouse alum Robin Toner, the first woman to be a national political correspondent for The New York Times. Two categories of winners, local and national reporting, receive the awards each year for excellence in political reporting. Both winners receive a $5,000 prize.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney delivered the keynote speech for this year’s event – which was the first in-person ceremony for the Toner Prizes since 2019 – at the Washington, D.C. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Monday.
Politico won the national reporting award for its project “The Supreme Court and Abortion,” which began in May 2022 when the publication broke the Supreme Court’s draft opinion to overturn the 50-year-old super precedent set in Roe v. Wade. The project documents the sequence of events leading up to the overturn of Roe and follows the decision’s effects until the 2022 midterm elections.
“It was the political story of the year, and the extraordinary leak reverberated nationally and locally, galvanizing women and demonstrating the degree conservatives have shaped the judiciary,” said Maralee Schwartz, 2023 judge for the Toner Prizes and retired political editor of The Washington Post, in the release. “It opened the window into how the Supreme Court operates, especially highlighting silent conflicts of interests.”
A joint submission from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune for their project entitled “Church Politics,” which investigated churches’ activity in politics, received an honorable mention for national reporting.
Williams received his prize in recognition
of his reporting on the legislative process in the Tennessee General Assembly. His project “NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Revealed” examined the structure of the Tennessee state legislature and the power of its supermajority, which means Republicans can pass bills more easily.
In the release, Christina Bellantoni, a professor at the University of Southern California, praised the way in which Williams was able to clearly convey such an intricate legislative system to his audience.
“It is so hard to crack into the secretive world of campaign cash and lobbying in a state capital — and nearly impossible to do it on video,” Bellantoni wrote in the release. “But somehow Phil Williams managed to do just that in this brilliant series shining light on state lawmaker practices.”
Over 250 people attended the ceremony. Other than Romney, speakers included SU Chancellor Kent Syverud, Newhouse Dean Mark Lodato and Margaret Taley, director of the SU Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.
In his keynote speech, syracuse.com reported Romney addressed a loss of trust in the mainstream media and recognized how the declining number of news publications makes it more difficult for elected officials to engage with their constituency.
“If democracy dies in darkness, we’re counting on you, and those who are being honored tonight and have shown us the way, to help shed the light of truth on our public electorate,” Romney said in his speech, according to syracuse.com. charri39@syr.edu
@claireison99
More than 1/4 of households in the city of Syracuse lack any internet access.
The $100 million of federal funding for broadband infrastructure across New York state – which is projected to serve around 100,000 households – will target mainly rural and Indigenous as well as low and middle-income communities, according to Schumer’s release. Funding stems from the ASP’s Capital Projects Fund, which allocated $10 billion nationwide to address challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including internet access.
“Long before the pandemic, communities across Upstate New York, from rural communities to bustling city neighborhoods, have struggled to obtain affordable, high-speed internet service,” Schumer said in the release. “These federal dollars will go directly towards closing the digital divide, which means connecting communities to good-paying jobs, better healthcare, and higher-quality education in our schools.”
The new funding builds off prior efforts to expand broadband access for low-income households. New York state enrolled approximately one million qualified households through the Affordable Connectivity Program, according to the release.
The federal program provided funding through the Federal Communications Commission based on a set of criteria, including whether a person received a federal Pell Grant, uses the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program or lives on qualified Indigenous lands.
“These funds go to help these families get the internet access they need,” Schumer said at a Wednesday morning press conference. “High speed internet is critical infrastructure, just like electricity always has been.”
On Monday, the Syracuse Common Council approved $3.5 million in ARP funding for the Community Broadband Program, which Walsh first outlined in August to target lowincome households in the city of Syracuse that lack access to high-speed internet. Around 25% of households in Syracuse do not have any internet access, according to data from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
Syracuse identified and signed a three-year contract with Community Broad Networks to serve as the main provider. Network performance and satisfaction among customers will be measured throughout the pilot program.
Syracuse will develop a business plan by 2024 to determine whether the broadband program remains effective in providing highspeed internet to targeted households.
dcchiapp@syr.edu
@DominicChiappo2
associate vice president, chief equal opportunity officer and Title IX officer.
Two students on the event planning committee also delivered remarks on the importance of the rally and efforts to mitigate violence on campus. Alaina Brophy, a student at SU’s College of Law and an organizer, emphasized the role SU should play on a larger scale.
“Syracuse University prides itself on their advanced academic fields, empowering students to explore and expand the fields they pursue,” Brophy said. “We are now presented with the opportunity to be a leader among college campuses in the fight against interpersonal violence.”
and solidarity for students who have dealt with interpersonal violence. The rally’s intent was to encourage people to stand with survivors, she said, and to demonstrate that people are committed to making the campus community safer.
Leslie Skeffington, a member of the Barnes Center’s health promotion team who was also involved in the planning committee, said the rally also aims to show survivors there are resources to help them and people who will listen to and support them.
Skeffington said the group of people behind the rally identify interpersonal violence as an epidemic on college campuses across the country and world. She said the rally worked to provide a cathartic space where survivors had the ability to share, and she echoed Puente’s emphasis on the importance of being an active bystander. Skeffington said bystander intervention goes beyond initial confrontation, and means expanding support after an incident.
“Simply saying, ‘I believe you. Your experience was valid. How can I support you?’ actually goes a really huge way and is still a part of bystander intervention of calling out that culture and making sure that person knows that you’re here for them,” Skeffington said.
The Take Back the Night movement started in the 1970s during the women’s rights movement, Skefington said, but has evolved over the years.
“It’s now an incredibly inclusive event where it’s really anyone who identifies as maybe past victimization, currently in a situation, or friends of someone, or at least is committed to being a prosocial bystander, committed to really changing the culture,” Skeffington said.
The remarks preceded a time of protest with call-and-response slogans and signs on the Hendricks steps. The evening also platformed a closed speak-out segment for survivors to share their experiences with others.
Puente, who works in diversity, equity and inclusion for the Barnes Center at The Arch, said one of Take Back the Night’s main goals is to educate college students on how they can be active bystanders in potentially dangerous situations, both in campus settings and beyond.
Being an active bystander, Puente said, means remaining alert and prepared to step into situations or environments where another person may be in danger.
“There might be a situation that you might have to intervene, making sure that you can safely intervene and that you’re willing to stand up even if it might make people uncomfortable, even if it might hurt the relationship with friends, being there for your community and for the people that need you,” Puente said.
Puente said the rallying call to keep the campus community safe centers on support
from page 1 election
in its Spring 2022 Student Assembly election, a decrease from its spring 2021 turnout of 23.6%.
SUNY Binghamton’s Student Association, however, saw a 16.8% increase from 2021 in its March 2022 SA Executive Board and University Council representative election after implementing a ranked-choice voting system, which SU’s SA also implemented last spring.
Four total presidential candidates campaigned in Binghamton’s spring 2022 election, compared to just two presidential candidates for this year’s SA election.
Last year’s keynote speaker was Randi Bregman, the former co-director of Vera House, a nonprofit organization in Syracuse offering support to victims of abuse. Bregman resigned in August after she was found to have knowingly hired a registered level 2 sex offender as a Vera House employee. Skeffington said Vera House has been involved with Take Back the Night in the past, but working relationships between SU and the organization are now “paused.”
The keynote speaker for this year was Rachel Johnson, an SU alumna and adjunct professor who owns Half Hood Half Holistic, a holistic wellness business. Johnson, who also works as a therapist and doula, also spoke on being an active bystander.
In her speech, Johnson emphasized that being an active bystander can create discomfort. Johnson recalled the work she participated in as an undergraduate student at SU as part of the theater group E5M. The group’s name stands for “every five minutes” and is derived from a 1978 poem, though the statistic is outdated — according to the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, a person is raped every two minutes, as of 2007. Members in E5M acted out scenarios to encourage healthy relationship dynamics, which helped Johnson begin work in advocacy.
“This work is much more than supporting survivors and shaming perpetrators,” Johnson said. “The paradigm is way too black and white. I like to shine light on those who live comfortably in the gray.”
Johnson emphasized to the audience that survivors have the power to set boundaries and create healthy relationships. She welcomed the growth and strength that comes with feelings of discomfort.
“Bring along your feeling of anger and hurt and shame and worthlessness. Harvest that energy into screams, into songs, into taps, into tears, into marches, into chants, into shouts,” Johnson said. “You have the power to grow. You have the power to heal. You have the power to take back the night.”
spwright@syr.edu @Stephaniwri
In spring 2021, when Bruen ran unopposed in his bid for SA president, the organization experienced delays in meeting the necessary student votership threshold of 10%. The low turnout forced SA to amend its constitution to extend voting by a day in order to meet the threshold and avoid holding another election.
With SA’s current executives graduating, no candidate is running for re-election to the positions of president, vice president or comptroller. Following this semester, an entirely new set of executive members will take on the responsibility of representing the student body to SU’s Board of Trustees. Stover emphasized the importance of students having a hand in who fills that role.
“If students want to have a voice in determining who is their voice to the administration, to the Board of Trustees, who is representing them at the university, this is the time to really get involved,” Stover said.
To try and increase turnout for this spring’s election, SA is sending voting forms directly to ESF students, Sutton said. Other efforts include signage in the Schine Student Center and on the quad, as well as campus-wide emails that highlight SA’s initiatives. Sutton added that SA tries
to avoid spending money on advertising, and that most of its advertising is completely free.
“Student Association does have a tangible impact on students’ lives, and so I think it’s about making sure that we are, as an organization, helping students to realize that impact,” Sutton said.
After voting closes on Friday at 11:59 p.m., SA will release an update on to-date voter turnout levels later in the week, Stover said.
“If students want to have a voice in deter -
mining who is their voice to the administration, to the Board of Trustees, who is representing them at the university, this is the time to really get involved,” Stover said.
“If students want to have a voice in determining who is their voice to the administration, to the Board of Trustees, who is representing them at the university, this is the time to really get involved,” Stover said.
kaluther@syr.edu
@kendallaluther
This work is much more than supporting survivors and shaming perpetrators. The paradigm is way too black and white. I like to shine light on those who live comfortably in the gray.
It’s important to remember that every year is going to be different. It brings a new set of candidates, a new set of issues.
Otto Sutton
sa board of elections chair
Growing up in Syracuse, Joseph L. Edwards used to walk from the Salt Springs neighborhood to Nottingham High School to watch productions put on by the high school’s performing arts department. Even though he was unable to fully grasp it, Edwards said he felt compelled to find his calling in the art he witnessed on stage.
“I sat there and something struck me and said this is what I’m supposed to do,” Edwards said.
“That’s what saved my life, because now, I had a sense of purpose and direction.”
In his adult life, Edwards has pursued this calling and more, having worked with actors like Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in various Broadway and off-Broadway productions. He has found ways to combine his interest in performing with his love of education, identifying as an “artist-educator.” Now based in Arizona, Edwards is returning to his hometown of Syracuse for a three-night run of his one-man show “FLY” at the Community Folk Art Center.
The award-winning dramatic comedy tells
see theater page 6
slice of life
To Lily Wong, plants are more than decor – they are interconnected with architecture and humans, and could even be seen as pets.
“When you think about pets, for example, dogs, right? You don’t think of them as things that produce utility, you don’t just keep pets… you build relationships with them,” Wong said. “Is there a way that we can think about plants, either flowers, shrubs, herbaceous
plants or trees in a similar way?”
Wong, the Harry Der Boghosian fellow in the School of Architecture this year, has spent the last eight months pursuing her research about how plants can hold significance across many disciplines. Her research is focused on the production of semitropical and tropical species of plants that are displayed inside buildings. This Wednesday, she organized a symposium entitled “Pet Plants” that focused on looking at plants through a new lens.
Wong said the title “Pet Plants”
is meant to denote a relationship between humans and plants that is based on care, rather than utility. She wanted to emphasize the idea of a relationship that is not based on extracting something from plants.
Wong completed her undergraduate studies at the Parsons School of Design in NYC and studied architectural design. She then went to Columbia to study architecture and ended up spending seven years working at a firm named Weiss/Manfredi, where she worked on a project in Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania that sparked her
interest in the intersection of plants and architecture.
“I focus on different horticulture farms that produce tropical and semi-tropical species, the socio-political and environmental dimensions of those spaces,” Wong said. “I also look at how people invent new plants through breeding and mutation.”
A book by Christopher Stone entitled “Should Trees Have Standing? Towards Legal Rights for Natural Objects” inspired Wong because it asks whether plants have rights like humans do in a legal sense. The
symposium is meant to raise questions about how plants, and the environment overall, are part of culture, Wong said.
Wong said she wanted to use the resources granted to her by her fellowship to break the mold of traditional symposiums. By changing the format and focusing on performance, she hopes to engage with students in different ways.
Though not every group presenting at the symposium, like Nocturnal Medicine or Cooking Sections,
Joseph L. Edwards returns to his hometown to perform his oneman show, ‘FLY’JOSEPH L. EDWARDS is returning to his hometown of Syracuse to perform his one-man show, ‘FLY’ at the Community Folk Art Center from March 30 to April 1. meghan hendricks photo editor ‘FLY’ tells the stor y of a black man who believes he’ll be able to get the power to fly Meghan Hendricks photo editor
Funk ‘n Waffles
Start your weekend with an “experimental project” — jazz EDM music — from Snakes and Stars, made up of experienced drummers Aaron Johnston and Michael Travis. Johnston has played for the awardwinning band Brazilian Girls, and Travis plays with the group The String Cheese Incident. Tickets can be bought at the door or online.
WHEN: Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m.
PRICE: $20.54
The Garden
The Garden is back with live music, featuring Pop Culture and Luna and The Carpets. Both bands are made up of student musicians. Tickets can be bought by direct messaging the Garden on Instagram or at the door.
WHEN: Friday, March 31 at 9:30 p.m.
PRICE: $5
The Harrington
By Nate Lechner Asst. Culture EditorSyracuse local Alison Altafi was going through the journey of new motherhood in 2018, leaving her feeling alone and lost during that intense experience. Her outlet, she said, became fiber art.
“Weaving in the round is so cathartic and meditative for me and has helped me through some dark times in my own life,” Altafi said. “It has been a great form of escape for me.”
Altafi is the second of six artists highlighted this year for the Everson Museum of Art’s 2023 CNY Artists Initiative, which supports local artists in their community. Altafi’s work will be on display at the Everson until April 30.
Altafi was first captivated by art at a very young age. She experimented with many different types of art forms before falling in love with fiber art in her twenties.
Altafi uses both hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn to create unique, abstract and colorful looms. A self-taught artist, Altafi said her tech-
nique is a departure from traditional tapestry weaving, where the fibers can be removed from a frame. In her work, the fibers hold the tension of the warp strings, so she can add bold textures to the weaving without compromising its structure.
Altafi loves being able to use different materials and colors and finding inspiration from the fibers she works with, she said, often using a particular blend of yarn as the starting point for her weaves.
Garth Johnson, curator of ceramics at the Everson, said that Altafi’s proficiency in her work and the uniqueness of her designs made her a really fascinating artist to display. He described her as a true testament to the art community in Syracuse.
“As a professional artist, Alison draws on a vast network of hobbyists, enthusiasts and small businesses that make and experiment with ‘art yarn,’ spinning wool and other materials into richly textured yarns in a wide range of colors,” Johnson said.
Some of the designs that Altafi said she enjoys designing are “color melts,” which she described
as a way to introduce relevant performing arts productions to the community.
as abstract rainbows. She finds herself returning to those designs when she is feeling calm and needs to sit down, relax and weave. Altafi said that picking up her yarn and beginning to work is a soft place for her mind to go and gives her a “cozy reprieve from the rest of the world.”
One of the special aspects of Altafi’s work is the way that different people can find different meanings in each one of her weavings. As different people come and see her exhibition, she said that whatever they interpret from her designs, she hopes it makes them feel wonderful.
“The vibrant, textured surfaces of (Altafi’s) weavings invite contemplation,” said Steffi Chappell, curator & exhibition manager at the Everson. “It’s easy to get lost in the way Alison pairs colors together, and in all the hills and valleys she creates with yarn.”
The Everson is proud to present Altafi’s work, Chappell said, because of the museum’s history of displaying fiber art. From early exhibitions in the 1970s to the 2021 display, “AbStranded: Fiber and
see exhibitpage 7
the story of a Black man who “believes he will receive the power to fly on the night of a special celestial event that will send transforming energy to planet Earth,” according to the show’s press release. Edwards honors the storytelling tradition of magical realism, while utilizing the show to spark discussion on social justice issues in the United States. The main message of “FLY,” Edwards said, is a commentary on “what it means to be Black and conscious in America.”
“The thing that I’ve been trying to do is connect with the students here at the university, particularly students of color, because what I have to say in this play is important to their sense of self and the ongoing struggle for social justice and equity in all phases of American life,” Edwards said. “I would be remiss to come back and not try to connect with the students there because I was so active when I was there on campus.”
But even more than a discussion starter, “FLY” is the signifier of Edwards’ homecoming — to the city of Syracuse, but also to his alma mater and his original theater. As a student at SU, Edwards worked with and helped to found the Paul Robeson Performing Arts company, focusing primarily on Black theater for community members and students at the university, he said.
The theater at the CFAC was originally built for this performing arts company, Edwards said, though he never got to perform on the stage when it was originally built. So, having the opportunity to perform at the CFAC now is full circle, he said.
Dr. Tanisha Jackson, the executive director of the CFAC, was originally notified of Edwards’ work after hearing this story. Jackson said she and Edwards discussed how the space has grown and evolved since its founding days in the 1980s, and how the CFAC is looking to invite more thespians to its stage
“Because Joseph’s play is one that talks about reparations — and also Afrofuturism, meaning that there is a space for Black people in the future — this is something that we don’t often talk about in critical ways, enough,” Jackson said. “To do so through the vehicle of arts, and particularly theater, it makes it more accessible, and it aligns with who we are as an organization.”
“FLY” was selected as the show for Edwards to perform at CFAC because of the content it discusses, Jackson said. The show, however, has also had an extensive run prior to coming to Syracuse, one which included time off-Broadway and on tour. Edwards brought this particular show back to Syracuse before, as well, to perform at the centennial anniversary of his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi.
Michael Blackshear — Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer and Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Ryan Specialty, also a Syracuse University trustee — is one of Edwards’ fraternity brothers and someone who Edwards said was instrumental to getting “FLY” to run at the CFAC. Blackshear connected Edwards with the CFAC and pushed him to run “FLY” specifically because of how impactful of a show it is, Edwards said.
Blackshear, who has known Edwards for over 30 years, said he views “FLY” as a show that is educational for audiences of all kinds, and something that should provoke emotion.
“What I’m hoping that (audiences) see is looking at a person’s life, and the challenges that they have. I want them to smile, I want them to cry, I want them to laugh. I’m hoping for disappointment,” Blackshear said. “I’m looking for them to question why things are the way they are, and I want them to take away and ask themselves, after they see this play, what will they do differently in their lives?”
Edwards’ ability to combine education with the arts is a skill he has harnessed through dif-
ferent avenues in his life. Before leaving Syracuse to pick up acting gigs in New York City, Edwards spent time teaching at Liberty Middle School and honing his practice as an educator. He said even now, some of his former students that he’s run into have remembered songs and dances he taught them.
Doctor Horace H. Smith, former associate vice president for undergraduate studies at SU, said Edwards’ commitment to the professional fields he’s worked in is commendable. Smith, who met Edwards first as a student and then supported his acting endeavors, said Edwards gives the entirety of himself and his passion for knowledge to everything he does.
“That was so impressionable to me — his commitment to education and wanting to be a part of any kind of movement in the state that was making sense to him and to learn from those kinds of experiences,” Smith said. “Humble people are always willing to learn — Joe is a very humble guy, and he is always willing to learn.”
Edwards’ homecoming and production of “FLY” are significant symbolic and professional achievements in both his artistry and education work, he said. The show will run three nights, March 30 through April 1, with each performance starting at 7:30 p.m.
As he’s been rehearsing and practicing the show, Edwards said he’s been reflecting on how best to capture the attention of his audiences. He’s been working with a local production team to stage the show for the CFAC’s stage, and he said he is pouring the best of his acting and vocal talent into putting on the 75-minute production.
“It’s not labor. It’s a labor of love, and the reward, of course, is the impact on the audience. I don’t take it for granted that I have the opportunity to get on stage and be in front of people,” Edwards said. “I want them to walk away, saying, ‘wow, wow, wow: that was a journey.’”
somoore@syr.edu
As it gets ready to close its doors, the Harrington will be ending its time as a house venue with a Going Out of Business concert. Rhodes Corduroy, Pop Culture, DmToni and the Hippochrist and Dogs Playing Poker will all be performing Saturday night to help send out the iconic house show.
WHEN: Saturday, April 1 at 9 p.m.
PRICE: $10, presale $7
Funk ‘n Waffles
The downtown waffle joint will also be hosting The National Reserve this weekend. The band, based out of Brooklyn, has become known for their intense sets and showmanship, and will be joined by singer Ryan Holweger. Tickets can be bought online or at the door.
WHEN: Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
PRICE: $13.07
Scan
from page 5 plants
focuses on plants in specific, Wong said, they all look at transforming cultural engagement with the environment, especially climate change. She said that the main question being asked by the symposium is how plants can be viewed as more than “green stuff in the background.”
For some presenters, screens projected videos on opposite sides of the room so that the audience was placed in the center of the presentation. For others, like artist and teacher Tim Simonds’ bleached parsley exhibit, the audience’s bodies themselves became the presentation.
Aiden Ackerman, a presenter and assistant professor at SUNY ESF, said that the Marble Room is itself a character in the presentation. He said that the location of the audience members directly in the center of the room blurs the lines between presenter and audience.
He added that holding the symposium in the architecture building makes sense, because plants can be elements of design. The presentations were conceptual and full of academic jargon, so the academic setting of the marble room helped facilitate their discussions. For Ackerman, the challenge was to figure out how to inhabit a room with work that typically sits on a screen.
Artist and presenter at the symposium, Michael Wang said that traditional symposiums could learn from the unconventional nature of “Pet Plants.” Engaging with the audience in new ways can make presentations have a deeper impact, he said.
“A regular conference is also a performance,” Wang said. “This one is more of an open invitation to decide how best to engage an audience.”
Simonds, whose bleached parsley performance was titled “We Make Temporary Vases,” said he’s taken part in other experimental symposia including one at Yale called “What Is Graphic Design Made of?”, and appreciated the different style of Wednesday’s symposium.
In Simonds’ performance, he and his fellow
shapes with their bodies, later being covered in plastic wrap and filled with water and parsley to highlight the bleached vegetables and how they are held in water.
“The intriguing part of it is that it’s a series of performances, rather than a series of lectures or a panel discussion based off of presenting each other’s work,” Simonds said.
Simonds intended his performance to present the conflict between caretaking and self interest. By putting themselves and their bodies in the position of taking care of something else, the performers’ movement becomes compromised, he added.
Wong said the symposium overall is also about climate change advocacy, which she said is a concept that’s larger than life and hard to grapple with. Inspired by philosopher Bruno Latour, who said empathy is a major problem in climate change discourse, she decided bringing plants down to a personal level could help people enter that conversation.
Michelle Shofet represents Nocturnal Medicine, a nonprofit design studio that aims to build spiritual resiliency in the face of an ecological crisis. Shofet performed a piece entitled “Chaos Blossoms,” that began with a soundscape and a
guided journey with a physical installation.
“We do this by creating live events and experiences and media that help people process and metabolize different aspects of climate change … in ways that are sensory,” Shofet said.
Shofet’s presentation focused on broader ecological relationships across species and how those have been scrambled by climate change. She hopes to create the opportunity for people to connect with phenomena in the natural world.
“The idea behind the project is that spring in a time of climate crisis is not just a season where new life blossoms and rebirth but it’s also a time of dysregulation and misalignment,” Shofet said.
Wang said he didn’t know what to expect when he walked into the symposium. He said it was fascinating to learn about how people are thinking about their own practices and how the vegetal world interacts with them.
He said that the overall message of his presentation revolves around the idea of the “Manifesto of Photosynthesism,” which he said was a call to action for artists and beyond to think about new ways to work with photosynthetic beings.
As an artist, Wang said the symposium relates to his work because it looks at the ways in which plants intersect with culture. It’s a way to focus on one aspect of the field and see what role plants can play in the art world, he said.
With her varied selection of presenters, Wong wanted to spark conversation in different fields about how to conceptualize plants, she said. Combining various speakers with an unconventional type of symposium helped her to achieve her goal.
“I can’t do this research without talking to a botanist, or anthropologist, or art history, or geography,” Wong said. “I wanted to try a new way to present information.” kellymatlock@dailyorange.com
The intriguing part of it is that it’s a series of performances, rather than a series of lectures or a panel discussion based off of presenting Tim Simonds artist and teacherBy Grace “Gray” Reed columnist
Afriend of mine once said, “If I had Tourette’s, I would use it as an excuse to swear all the time.” We were fifteen at the time, on a trip for someone’s birthday. I remember not properly comprehending what had been said at first.
No one actually says those things in real life, right? Statements like these only air on mediocre sitcoms. There was no way someone would actually say that to me. But there we were, sitting in a circle on a king-sized bed, listening to this girl go on a rant about how she wished she had my disorder because it would be “so funny.”
Everyone there that day has probably forgotten that conversation — another exchange lost to the passage of time. But I remember, and I am still angry.
Part of me wants to cut her some slack — we were young, and proper education on the subject was not really something you would have found in my town’s high school. However, I struggle to comprehend how a person could say such a thing, especially when their friend with said disorder is on the verge of tears every time the subject comes up.
Tourette’s continues to be the punchline in various forms of media, ranging from blockbuster films to homemade YouTube videos. I’ve personally even seen videos on TikTok of people faking the disorder.
My disorder isn’t funny. It isn’t cute. In fact, it’s annoying and can be embarrassing. Sometimes it’s physically painful.
I developed massive bruises on my wrists at age sixteen from slamming them together repeatedly. Once, I puked simply because my
brain decided it was time to develop a gag reflex tic, and my throat clearing tic returned during a global pandemic.
My disorder is not something to be laughed at, yet our society’s view of Tourette’s makes everyone think otherwise. At times, I even feel as if I need to go along with the jokes. It feels like no one wants to talk about my experience unless it’s presented as such — a joke.
I think part of me thought I would escape all of this when I came to SU. Maybe in a sense, I have — at least my current friends don’t say out-of-pocket stuff about my disorder. But I still feel the stares from passersby. I notice when people struggle to keep a straight face. I try to be understanding, I really do, because not everyone has been exposed to my experience. But at some point, I had to sit back and really ask why that is.
The first answer I came up with is that there is a lack of proper representation, but I’ve discussed that before. I then consider if it’s a lack of education, but the resources exist. It’s not as if the reality of Tourette’s is being kept from the general public. A simple Google search will reveal only 10% of individuals with the disorder suffer from coprolalia — a form of Tourette’s that results in the uncontrollable, obscene language often associated with the disorder in the public eye.
So I am left to consider a pessimistic point of view that only continues to feel more realistic as time goes on: maybe people don’t want to learn.
I don’t want to be that person — I am naturally inclined to give people the benefit of the doubt. But as I get older, it becomes more difficult to hold onto this hope. It’s now so much easier to fall down the rabbit hole of “people don’t really care” and “I’m just a living joke.”
But for the sake of others who I know are going through the same experience as me, I won’t let myself spiral (again). I don’t want to let myself fall into another puddle of self-pity, because I want to hope that maybe things can get better. I want to keep holding on to the belief that if I keep writing, then maybe at least a few people will begin to see the other side of the story.
To put it simply, my disorder isn’t a joke. Any attempt to educate yourself on the matter will only further my point. If we want to change how the world views Tourette’s and other disorders like it, we need to open our minds to learning the reality of those who live with it.
Grace “Gray” Reed is a sophomore magazine, news and digital journalism major. Their column appears bi-weekly. They can be reached at greed04@syr.edu
Syracuse forward Benny Williams will return to Syracuse for his junior season, his dad, Ben, told syracuse.com. Williams, who averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in a turbulent sophomore year, was recruited by head coach Adrian Autry from St. Andrew’s Episcopal High School in Bowie, Maryland, as a five-star recruit.
Williams started at small forward in each game of the season until a Jan. 28 road matchup with Virginia Tech. A victim of former head coach Jim Boeheim’s quick hook, Williams had played 20 minutes in the loss against North Carolina the previous game, turning in just four points and two rebounds while committing three fouls. He took a personal day for Syracuse’s game against then-No. 6 Virginia after getting benched against the Hokies, returning the following day to practice.
He, along with the rest of the forwards on the Orange, drew ire from Boeheim for their lack of willingness to get inside the paint and rebound, though Williams ended up grabbing 29 rebounds throughout the Orange’s final four games. Williams came off the bench
for Syracuse for the next five games before returning to the starting lineup for the final three regular season games and one Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament matchup against Wake Forest. He had 18 points, 11 rebounds and five steals in the final game of the year.
Williams improved his 3-point shooting from his freshman year, finishing the season going 19-for-48 from beyond the arc. He struggled at times with turnovers (29) and defending the edges of the 2-3 zone, spurring conversations of whether or not he would return for the 2023-24 season. He said after the final game that the decision was going to be up to him and his dad.
With Judah Mintz and Joe Girard III entering the NBA draft process, and Girard also entering the transfer portal, Williams will likely return as one of Syracuse’s veteran players with the most experience. Symir Torrence has also entered the transfer portal, and Jesse Edwards has yet to give a decision on whether or not he’ll return for next year. anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com @anthonyalandt
Following a dominant performance at the IvyBig Ten Double Dual, Syracuse women’s rowing earned a No. 10 national ranking in the first Pocock/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association
in 2005. She earned All-South Region first team and All-Colonial Athletic Association second team honors, enjoying a successful career at one of D-I field hockey’s premier programs at the time despite working up from the bottom.
“That’s just something that I’ve respected about (Farquhar),” Hayes said.
“That’s pushed me through my time at St. Joe’s, just grinding it out and putting in the work. Lynn did it and I knew I could get there.”
Irish was a midfielder in her freshman and sophomore years, which were the two years prior to Farquhar’s arrival at Syracuse. When Bradley and Farquhar took over, they thought that Irish was better suited to playing as a back and helped her switch positions.
“I didn’t really have a spot until Ange and Lynn came in,” Irish said. “Lynn literally transformed my fundamentals and knowledge of the backfield, and that’s where I ended up playing the rest of my college career. I remember my vision completely opening up and seeing the field in a very different way back there.”
Irish found significantly more playing time
poll of the 2023 Season. It’s the first time the Orange have opened the season in the top 10 in program history.
At the Ivy-Big Ten Double Dual, Syracuse defeated Harvard-Radcliffe and Rutgers in the morning race and Iowa in the afternoon. The Orange won all 10 of their races at the regatta. In the
and success from switching out of the midfield, playing in 37 games in her last two years compared to 20 in her first two. In September of her senior year, Syracuse defeated then-No. 1 Maryland 2-1. She made a key save on a shot on goal, preventing the Terrapins from evening the score. It was one of the signature regular season wins of the Orange’s 2008 Final Four run.
Sell said Farquhar used to play with the Syracuse squad during practice. Sell thought having Farquhar practice was beneficial to the team because all the players watched her take command of the field.
Farquhar made sure to stop and coach at every teachable moment during practices. Anything that the Orange could improve upon, she tried to fix it on the spot.
“As soon as she noticed something little she would stop, and she would break it down for us on the board or just by speaking verbally,” Sell said. “(She did) that to the point where we understood it, and she would keep at it until we perfected it.”
Farquhar’s immersive coaching style impacted her athletes even past their playing careers. Irish said she helps coach local youth field hockey in her area and adopted the strategy of playing with the athletes to help
Pocock/CRCA National Poll, Harvard-Radcliffe sits at No. 15, Rutgers sits at No. 20 and Iowa is currently unranked. Last season, Syracuse’s highest ranking in the poll was No. 11, finishing the year No. 17.
On Tuesday, Syracuse’s second varsity 8 earned Atlantic Coast Conference Crew of the Week honors.
The Orange return to action on Cooper River in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Saturday when they compete in the Doc Hosea Invitational. At last year’s Invitational, the Orange had all boats advance to the Grand Final. But the final was canceled due to inclement weather conditions. amstepan@syr.edu
potential collegiate career. Although it took Baxter a couple of weeks to settle in, her tenacity on the field gained respect from her teammates.
After her sophomore year, Baxter transferred to The Hill Academy in Vaughan, Ontario. The school had recruited Baxter because of her play with the Lady Blue Knights.
“She was someone that was always on our radar,” said Hill Academy assistant coach, Tory Merrill.
For the first time, Baxter faced off against ivision-I talent every day during practice. Training began at 8 a.m., and classes followed. Then, more training. Head coach Carly Quinn said none of her players could ever afford to take days off, simply because their teammates were too good.
In the Ontario lacrosse scene, private schools like The Hill were independent and
not a part of any local league or conference. Therefore, Quinn and Merrill constructed their own regular season, hand-picking tournaments and games in the United States to create a competitive schedule. Every March, The Hill went on a week-long tour around the U.S., playing against as many schools as possible. But, in one of the teams’ final training sessions before the trip her senior year, Baxter tore her ACL.
Every morning, the family drove an hour away for physical therapy before school.
Right before the injury, Baxter attended one of two tryouts for the U19 Team Canada squad. She had been promised a spot, but now couldn’t compete. Up until that point, it was her life’s goal to make the roster, Damon and Roberta said.
Quinn and Merrill remembered Baxter’s first practice after the injury. She had been cleared to run and pivot, but couldn’t participate in scrimmages. The coaches had lined everyone up for the yo-yo test — a modern version of the traditional beep test,
their development in a hands-on way. The 16-year run that Bradley had with the Orange established them as a well-respected program. Now, Farquhar will attempt to walk the road that Bradley paved. Hayes said that Syracuse’s hire was the “perfect fit.”
Merrill said — where players have to run between two points, 20 meters apart. As the test goes on, the speed increases and the last one standing wins. Baxter finished first. Everyone was stunned.
“It was a pretty emotional moment,” Merrill said.
She took a postgraduate year, which was almost immediately scrapped because of COVID-19. But Baxter didn’t stop practicing. She and her teammates trained together, through their phones, providing proof to each other that they were playing wall-ball or navigating cone drills.
A couple of years removed from finishing her final two high school seasons without a single on-field appearance, Baxter was finally called up for Team Canada. This time, it was the 2022 Women’s World Lacrosse Championships.
In the gold medal game, Nicole Perroni drew a foul just beyond midfield near the halfway mark of the second quarter. Canada trailed the United States 6-2 as Baxter was
“That program is just going to soar,” Hayes said. “(Farquhar’s) just going to take that program to new heights. She’s creating her own legacy there, which is going to be so cool to see.”
ccandrew@syr.edu
@cooper_andrews
positioned at the left side of the crease, unmarked. Perroni ran towards the 12-meter and sent a pass a cross her body to Baxter. She received the ball high before converting a point-blank opportunity.
Roberta remembers watching. At one point, she saw Baxter suddenly run off toward the sideline to throw up in a nearby trash can. Immediately afterward, Baxter bounded back onto the field and returned to her position near the 12-meter, waving off the Canadian coaching staff who were equally as puzzled as Roberta.
For Baxter, it could’ve been the pressure of the moment. Or, she just needed a quick break before continuing to cover every blade of grass. But regardless, playing for Team Canada, Baxter had achieved a lifelong dream that had once been taken away.
“It was an experience I won’t forget,” Baxter said.
trschiff@syr.edu
@theTylerSchiff
left wondering how it could’ve pulled out a needed top-20 win.
Anthony Alandt (7-3)
Kavanaghs are the real lax bros
Notre Dame 17, Syracuse 15
Syracuse easily handled its last three unranked opponents, honing whatever skills it could — namely at the faceoff X and on ground balls — before heading into the final stretch of ACC and ranked play. But a Notre Dame team waltzing in off a five-goal loss to No. 1 Virginia isn’t the matchup the Orange would have liked as their first test in the
final portion of the season. Not only are the Fighting Irish one of the top scoring offenses in the country, they flash Pat and Chris Kavanagh, who have combined for 35 goals and 69 points this season.
Notre Dame also has a high conversion rate on man-up opportunities. Coupled with Syracuse’s 65 man-downs this season, it’s likely that ND is going to have plenty of
opportunities to overcome its 44% faceoff win rate and pile on enough goals to stave off Syracuse. I do expect the Orange to fare much better than in both of last year’s games, and even eclipse 10 goals this time, but I don’t see their defense holding up for four quarters against a much better, more versatile ND offense.
sports@dailyorange.com
Syracuse rattled off three straight nonconference wins, all by double-digit points. After the most recent 18-7 win over Hobart, goalie Will Mark said the Orange are prepared to “shake up the room a little bit” and enter the final stretch of Atlantic Coast Conference play with a better outlook than last season. The faceoff unit of Johnny Richiusa and Jack Fine have fixed their early-season woes, and Syracuse has done a much better job picking up ground balls and mitigating mistakes, entering Saturday’s game with a 6-4 record.
But its first test of the final part of the schedule comes against the No. 3 team in the nation. Notre Dame, a team Syracuse hasn’t beaten since 2018, is coming off a 15-10 loss to No. 1 Virginia at home, the first blemish on a 6-1 record, which includes wins against Maryland, Georgetown and Ohio State. It’s scored at least 13 goals in all but one game and has the second best scoring margin in the country, winning on average by 6.71 goals per game.
Before Syracuse (6-4, 0-2 ACC) takes on Notre Dame at the JMA Wireless Dome, here is everything you need to know about the Fighting Irish (6-1, 0-1 ACC).
All time series
Syracuse leads 10-9.
Last time they played
After losing 22-6 at South Bend in what proved to be the worst loss of Syracuse’s historically bad 2022 season, the Orange welcomed Notre Dame to the Dome on May 1
in hopes of avenging the loss and snapping a five-game losing streak. Instead, ND ended the Orange’s abysmal season with an 18-11 loss. Seniors Brendan Curry, Owen Seebold, Tucker Dordevic, Lucas Quinn and Jacob Buttermore comprised eight of the nine goal scorers in the senior day game, though redshirt freshman Jackson Birtwistle led the team with three goals.
Notre Dame, though, got off to scoring early and piled on five goals in each of the first two quarters, entering halftime with a 10-3 lead. To finish off an up-and-down final season, Jakob Phaup won 56% of his faceoffs and picked up six ground balls. The Orange also outshot Notre Dame 33-29 and picked up five more ground balls than the Fighting Irish, but saved just 11 shots and went 0-for-5 on extra man opportunities. The loss capped off the Orange’s first-ever 10 loss season.
“Going forward, working on that consistency,” Brett Kennedy said after the loss. “Obviously, a lot of things to work on and they’ll address that in the offseason.”
The Fighting Irish report
Notre Dame is led by the Kavanagh brothers. Pat and Chris have combined for 35 goals and 69 points thus far, picking up a total of 39 ground balls to lead the Fighting Irish to a 6-0 start. But for the first time since March 26, 2022, they lost a regular-season game, falling to the Cavaliers last week. They had trouble defending UVA’s offense, led by Xander Dickson (six goals and one assist) and Connor Shellenberger (two goals and five assists). When clicking, Notre Dame’s offense can build considerable leads early in the game.
ND averages the third-most goals per game
in the country, and through just seven games, have scored 111 total goals. Twelve of those goals have come on man-up opportunities, and the Fighting Irish are the second best team in the country at converting extra man attempts. It has also held four teams — thenNo. 15 Georgetown, then-No. 4 Maryland and then-No. 10 Ohio State — to eight goals or fewer. The only area that Notre Dame has consistently struggled in is the faceoff X, winning just 44% of its opportunities between Will Lynch and Colin Hagstrom.
If the Orange don’t get their scorers — namely Joey Spallina — going early, they are going to have a difficult time stopping the barrage of shots expected to come from Notre Dame. Syracuse has primed itself for three straight games for this chance. It positioned itself well with more equal performances at the faceoff X and stopping late-game runs that hindered it during its four-game losing streak earlier this season. But the Orange went into early deficits against each of the last three opponents, albeit by three goals or fewer.
Should the Fighting Irish crack open an early lead, it is likely that the Orange aren’t ever going to catch up, and their defense will break against ND’s four attacks with at least 11 goals. The clear advantage is at the faceoff X, with Richiusa and Fine in a better position after a retooled approach to the X prior to SU’s loss against Johns Hopkins.
The Orange can capitalize on Notre Dame’s subpar ground ball and faceoff talent in order to gain more time of possession and possibly stifle the Fighting Irish’s scoring chances. If they can’t stop them
from controlling the game and give up the ball, the Orange will have a difficult time keeping pace with one of the best offenses in the league.
Stat to know: 63.2%
Notre Dame ranks second in the country in converting man-up opportunities. Through seven games this season, it has scored 12 goals off of 19 attempts. In last season’s loss, the Orange allowed the Fighting Irish to convert on both of their man-up opportunities and have continued to struggle on the man-down throughout this season.
They’ve faced the most man-up opportunities in the country with 46, allowing 12 goals off of those chances. Syracuse can’t afford to further hinder its chances against the No. 3 team in the country and give the Fighting Irish a man up, likely leading to more unnecessary goals and a larger deficit.
Player to watch: Chris Kavanagh, attack, No. 50
The heir-apparent to Pat Kavanagh, Chris — a sophomore following up a relatively solid freshman season — has overtaken his brother as the focal point of the Fighting Irish’s offense. He already has 23 goals, one shy of twice the number of goals he finished last year with. Chris has also added eight assists on 49 shots and has scored five goals on man-up opportunities. He’s a dynamic attack alongside Pat, Eric Dobson and Quinn McCahon who’s going to give Syracuse’s defense fits throughout Saturday’s game. anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com @anthonyalandt
In another save clinic from Delaney Sweitzer, No. 1 Syracuse downed Cornell on Tuesday night in the JMA Wireless Dome. Sweitzer’s 13 saves through three quarters gave the Orange an 11-goal lead entering the final period.
But when head coach Kayla Treanor pulled Sweitzer and other starters in favor of Kimber Hower, things got ugly. The Big Red went on a 7-0 fourth-quarter run to put a late scare into SU, but the top team in the nation outlasted the in-state rival, winning 19-13. “I own that as a coach,” Treanor said about the poor performance from the second team.
Syracuse (11-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast) will look to achieve its longest win streak in program history against No. 11 Virginia (8-3, 4-1 ACC) on Saturday. Here’s everything to know about the Cavaliers before they enter the JMA Wireless Dome:
All-time series:
Syracuse leads, 15-13.
Last time they played
For the first time since the season opener, the Orange face a team that beat them last season. Then-No. 6 Virginia knocked off an injuryriddled No. 3-seeded Syracuse in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The Orange led for one minute or less in each half.
Olivia Adamson scored unassisted
on the opening possession, but Virginia responded with three straight scores in under six minutes. With Syracuse on its heels, Virginia responded to almost every goal with one of its own. By halftime, the Cavaliers led 9-8, and the game had been tied four different times.
The third started slow, but Emily Hawryschukconnected with Meaghan Tyrrell at 10:17 to tie the game once again. Then, a pair of unassisted scores from Meaghan and Megan Carney gave Syracuse its final lead of the game, 11-10. In the fourth, the Cavaliers went on a 5-0 run, featuring three goals from Ashlyn McGovern.
The Orange couldn’t claw their way back, as they fell 18-14 in an upset. Rachel Clark and Morgan Schwab led the team with seven points apiece, and McGovern finished with five.
The Cavaliers report
All of Virginia’s top-three scorers from last year’s conference tournament win have returned. Clark, McGovern and Schwab are also the three leading scorers on this year’s team through 11 games. So the Virginia offense, unlike SU’s, hasn’t changed much from last season.
Schwab is the primary facilitator, as her 27 assists are 10 more than the next closest Cavalier, while Clark and McGovern take an overwhelming majority of the shots.
Their combined 178 shots account for 46.6% of Virginia’s attempts this season. It has displayed high accuracy as a team, ranking 10th in the nation in shots on goal per game.
The defensive end has been Virginia’s downfall this season. Allowing 11.73 goals per game, the Cavaliers have averaged 14.3 in losses, which might prove difficult against Syracuse’s high-powered offense that scores 16.58 times a game.
How Syracuse beats Virginia
The answer depends on Carney’s availability. Against Cornell, the Syracuse scoring leader was seen spectating from the sideline in a practice shirt, and Treanor had no update during the postgame press conference. She went scoreless on three shots against Louisville in the game prior.
The Orange need to keep their foot on the gas in this game, and Carney is one of the best at that. Her ability to convert in transition and get to the crease will be significant if she plays. If not, Meaghan, Emma Ward and Emma Tyrrell will need to pick up the slack as the team’s next-leading scorers. Emma has four straight hat tricks, while Ward has scored 16 points over the last three games. Against a high-volume Cavalier attack, Syracuse will need to stay aggressive.
Defensively, Sweitzer will be the X-factor once again. Her stellar start against Cornell ended in 13 saves over three quarters of play,
allowing SU to sustain its lead despite a late comeback effort with Hower in goal. Currently ranking second in the nation in save percentage, Sweitzer will need to stay dominant in this conference showdown. But she will face a much stronger Virginia attack this weekend, one that shoots more often and accurately than the Big Red.
Stat to know: 34.73
Virginia shoots 34.73 shots per game, ranking sixth in the nation, which is more than Syracuse’s 31.67. Both Clark and McGovern rank top 10 nationally in shots per game, and Virginia is the only team to have as many. The Cavaliers boast one of the most aggressive offenses in all of Division I.
Player to watch: Rachel Clark, attack, No. 5
As a freshman, Clark’s six goals off of eight shots helped bury the Orange last April. Clark made the All-ACC first team as well as the ACC All-Tournament Team in a breakout campaign. This season, her 44 points are tied for the team high with McGovern, and her 36 goals rank second. Clark has shot 89 times this season, over 20 more than any Syracuse player. She and McGovern will lead a strong Cavalier attack attempting to spoil Syracuse’s perfect season.
wbmiller@syr.edu @wymill07
Syracuse took down Hobart 18-7 to keep the Kraus-Simmons Trophy and move to 6-4 last week. It rode a three-game winning streak during the middle of the season after taking care of each of its unranked nonconference opponents in dominant fashion. And for the first time since they fell out of the top 20 rankings, the Orange have received votes in the latest Inside Lacrosse poll.
On Saturday, SU welcomes No. 3 Notre Dame to the JMA Wireless Dome in hopes of taking down its first ranked opponent since 2021. The Fighting Irish got off to an impressive 6-0 start and settled in as the No. 1 team in the country before falling last week to then-No. 3 Virginia 15-10. ND has beaten three ranked teams and held four different opponents to eight goals or less.
Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse takes on Notre Dame (6-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) this weekend:
Anish Vasudevan (8-2)
Just short
Notre Dame 13, Syracuse 11
The end of the Orange’s easy stretch of the season is here. Syracuse faces ranked teams the rest of the way this season — the first stop is No. 3 Notre Dame. Head coach Gary Gait knows his team is in a good spot to clinch an NCAA Tournament spot. But SU is slated against its toughest opponent so far.
The Fighting Irish have dominated versus the Orange in recent years, winning the last four contests by a scoring differential of 80-36. Syracuse is a better team this year, but it’s still outmatched
against the Kavanaghs of Notre Dame.
Will Mark has provided more stability in goal, but Notre Dame’s offense is balanced perfectly around the Kavanaghs, leading to plenty of wide open shots.
Syracuse’s talented offense could make this closer than usual, but it’s still going to end in a loss. Better luck against Princeton next weekend.
Connor Smith (9-1)
Out of luck
Notre Dame 15, Syracuse 12
Notre Dame is coming off its first loss of the year, but this is still arguably the best team on Syracuse’s schedule this season.
The Fighting Irish possess wins over No. 2 Maryland and smacked No. 14 Ohio State earlier this year. They score the third-most goals per game in the country, and are sixth
in scoring defense. SU had the opportunity to get its act together with its three nonconference contests against Hofstra, St. Bonaventure and Hobart — and beat each convincingly — but it’s still hard to pick the Orange in this one, given how they’ve fared against ranked teams as of late, losing nine consecutive to this point.
In their first stretch against ranked competition — Maryland, North Carolina, Duke and Johns Hopkins — earlier this season, the Orange weren’t up to the test. They were competitive in each game, but couldn’t close the deal. I expect this game to go a similar way, with strong play from Will Mark and a few nifty goals from SU’s attack keeping the game close, but the Fighting Irish — led by Orange killer Pat Kavanagh — pulling away in the second half. And for the 10th straight time, Syracuse will be see predictions page
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Heather Sell was told she wouldn’t play against then-No. 9 UConn in 2008 unless she passed the “beep test,” which Syracuse field hockey did to measure endurance.
As Sell ran, the Syracuse penalty corner unit practiced. The group noticed Sell sprinting up and down the white lines, cheering her on. Then-assistant Lynn Farquhar swiftly put a stop to the cheering.
Farquhar told the group to let Sell focus on her task. Farquhar placed an emphasis on every player doing their part to prepare for the Big East rival Huskies, Sell recalled.
“She was supporting in a way, but she was tough on us at the same time,” Sell said. “I put myself in that situation. I’m handling it and then everyone else needs to do the same.”
Farquhar demands maximum effort from her players, a mentality that encouraged Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley to hire her as her first assistant. Farquhar was Bradley’s right-hand woman on the Syracuse coaching staff from 2007 to 2010, when the program made one Final Four, an Elite Eight and earned two Big East Tournament titles. Following Bradley’s retirement after 16 seasons, Syracuse named Farquhar the new head coach in February. Her former players say she’s ready to seize the opportunity.
“I know all of us alumni, when we saw the announcement that she had the job, everyone was just jumping up and down excited, because she truly is a phenomenal coach,” said Heather Irish,
a member of the 2008 Final Four team. “She’s definitely ready for that next level.”
Before coming to SU, Farquhar built Saint Joseph’s into a powerhouse in the Atlantic 10 from scratch. The Hawks had just finished under .500 for the fifth consecutive campaign in 2013, when Farquhar replaced then-head coach Michelle Finegan.
count us out, because we’re in it for the long haul.’”
Farquhar fulfilled her vision, leading the Hawks to their best era in team history. From 2017 to 2021, SJU won the A10 Tournament four times and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including its first-ever bid in 2018. Farquhar earned A10 Coach of the Year honors three seasons in a row from 2016 to 2018, becoming the first coach in 25 years to do so.
“We just had a tremendous upbringing, starting (ranked in the 60s) when I was a freshman and being a top 10 ranked program when I was a senior,” Hayes said. “All to Lynn’s tribute.”
After the 2021 season, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance and an A10 title, Farquhar stepped down as the Hawks’ head coach. She spent the next year as the athletic director and field hockey head coach at the George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
“(Farquhar) deserves that,” Hayes said. “She is one that puts in the hard work daily. And it’s awesome just to see her succeed.”
The new head coach finished 9-9 in each of her first two seasons. But in 2016, the Hawks went 15-6, winning the A10 regular-season title for the first time since 1995.
Farquhar struggled with low-ranked freshman classes each year. When Sara Hayes was recruited by Saint Joseph’s as part of the 2017 class, its Division-I rank was in the 60s. But Hayes was drawn to SJU because she bought into Farquhar’s plan.
“She was very up front saying, ‘Hey, this is our vision. It’s going to be a lot of work, but we’re going to get there,’” Hayes said. “I loved our small but mighty mentality of just, ‘Hey, we’re little St. Joe’s. But don’t
Farquhar’s philosophy stems from her experiences as a collegiate player at Old Dominion. She worked her way up, a value she often shares with her players.
“Lynn’s the first person to tell you that when she played at ODU, she was barely on the team,” Hayes said. “She was the water girl, she was picking up balls at the end of practice. She was just happy to have a spot on the squad.”
Old Dominion won the 2000 NCAA championship during Farquhar’s freshman year. From then on, she made it a mission to advance within the program and make a name for herself.
Farquhar graduated from ODU as a senior captain
Maddy Baxter finished with either an orange or green belt after two years of karate, her father Damon said.
Taking lessons on the weekends, Baxter would spend the rest of her week stationed in her room, furiously training for the next session. She practiced an arrangement of Katas — specific patterns of movements concentrated on perfecting form — among other techniques.
During Baxter’s first karate
tournament, she earned a gold medal. Damon doesn’t remember many times where she didn’t earn at least a silver.
“It taught her about focus, patience and determination,” Damon said. “It taught her to be disciplined in her training.”
The same discipline, determination and obsession for perfection at the dojo stuck with Baxter throughout her lacrosse career. It’s the same work ethic that helped her score 12 goals in her first year at Syracuse — a total she’s now surpassed just halfway into her junior
season. It’s the same mentality that earned her second place as a member of Team Canada at the 2022 Lacrosse World Championships. A two-way midfielder, Baxter’s unwavering dedication has helped put SU in prime position to continue its undefeated start.
Baxter played several sports before taking to the field. At the time, the school Baxter attended didn’t prioritize athletics, only holding practices before major meets, so Baxter found ways to improve on her own.
“She took it on herself,” said Baxter’s mother, Roberta.
In Baxter’s first-ever crosscountry race, she placed 26th. Damon said she refused to place that low again. Afterward, she either finished first or second. Back when she would compete in sprints or shorter distance competitions, Baxter pushed herself so hard that after just about every race she would puke.
“If someone was beating her, she’d give everything she had to stay with that girl until the very end,” Damon said.
At 12, Baxter first picked up field lacrosse. She held some prior knowledge about the structure of the game, having played box, but otherwise walked into the tryouts for the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights inexperienced. Baxter had the skills and physicality to compete a couple of grades above. But, they recommended she start at the U13 level.
Going into high school, Baxter enrolled at Everest Academy. There, she was pitted against better competition to help jumpstart a
see farquhar page 9 see baxter page 9
Lynn Farquhar is the fourth field hockey head coach in Syracuse history, taking over for Ange Bradley. Former players say Farquhar is ready for the challengeLynn Farquhar returns to Syracuse as the new field hockey head coach. She previously served as an assistant coach at SU from 2007-10 before stints at Richmond and St. Joseph’s. courtesy of saint joseph’s athletics
Everyone was just jumping up and down excited, because she truly is a phenomenal coach.
Heather Irish former su player