September 14, 2023

N • COVID-19 cautions

Gov. Kathy Hochul urged state residents to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine due to the spread of new variants and a spike in cases.

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the independent student newspaper of syracuse, new york | dailyorange.com

C • Finding his path

Growing up, Sammy Curcuru watched Youtubers produce their own music. Now, he has found his passion for performing at SU house-show venues.

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S • Lasting legacy

LeQuint Allen Jr.’s tight bond with his late father inspired the making of his summer camp, designed to show kids ‘there’s always a way out.’

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By Kendall Luther asst. copy editor

Annie Blair Eisner began writing her memoir when she was 18 years old. Her chapter titles included “A redhead named Annie”; “A bris for my finger”; “The time I failed my driver’s test”; and “When life hands you leukemia.”

But this was not Annie’s final chapter of the memoir. Her fifth chapter was entitled “Trendsetter.”

“Being sick was just a chapter of her life — a part of it — but it wasn’t what defined her,” Jodi Eisner, Annie’s mother, said.

Annie, a rising junior studying public relations in Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, died on Aug. 25 at age 20 after a three-and-a-halfyear-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

Annie was born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey with her parents, Jodi and Andrew Eisner, and her older sister, Lainie Eisner, a PhD student in biomedical engineering at Cornell University. She attended Temple Beth Shalom Preschool and Mount Pleasant Elementary School, and graduated from Livingston High School in 2021.

“Everyone always says she was like sparkles and rainbows and that’s like the perfect description of who she was,” said Gabriella Sara Izversky, a junior studying business and communications at SU.

Izversky and Annie were friends from kindergarten through college at SU. Izversky described Annie as extremely positive and always smiling, even during her battle with cancer.

“She was always happy,” Andrew Eisner, Annie’s father, said. “Nothing ever bothered her.”

Annie danced at Michele’s Dance Studio in Livingston for 14 years, participated as a cast member in AM Wired – a selective student-produced morning television daily broadcast show at her high school– and worked at a local boutique.

Jodi Eisner described Annie as a “pop-culture aficionado” with a great sense of humor and a love for reality television, celebrity gossip, podcasts, music and dancing.

Annie and Izversky used to host “The Bachelor” watch parties at the Eisner home. One of Izversky’s favorite memories of their friendship was Annie’s planning of a season finale event in her home, where the girls watched the show together with themed decorations and food.

Annie spent seven of her summers attending Camp Lokanda, a sleepaway camp located in Glen Spey, New York, where she met some of her closest friends.

“(She was) very upbeat, bubbly, happy, sparkly,” Olivia Dublin, one of Annie’s former bunkmates at the camp, said. “One of those people who just when they’re happy, you’re happy to be around them.”

SU, Leda Health partner for sexual assault evidence kits

By Katie McClellan senior staff writer

Content warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Leda Health has partnered with Syracuse University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute to create self-administered early evidence sexual assault kits, specifically for military service members in the field.

The kits provide access to those who may not be able to receive an exam at a hospital, such as service members stationed away from a hospital or military base, Leda Health Chief Operating Officer Sean Bogle said. The United States Department of Defense allocated the funding for the partnership, allowing Leda Health to seek work with the U.S. Air Force for the rollout of the Early Evidence Kits.

“We certainly want to make sure that (our troops) have the highest level of care,” Bogle said. “And at the same time, we want to make sure that (survivors) have an expanded right to self-agency and autonomy … so just providing them with a heightened level of options increases their ability to feel safe.”

Leda Health was launched in 2019 by co-founder and CEO Madison Campbell, a survivor of sexual assault herself, Bogle said. The company’s goal is to increase autonomy and a sense of self-agency for survivors. After an assault, the Early Evidence Kit gives survivors the ability to self-collect evidence.

In 2020, the U.S. military received 7,916 reports of sexual assault and 8,866 in 2021. In 2022, service members filed 8,942 reports of sexual assault.

“Having individuals deployed in active war zones, or areas where hospitals are not available, that when sexual assaults happen there’s very

little, if any, support for evidence collection, eventual justice for the victims, and it becomes a very critical matter in preventing and pursuing justice in sexual assaults that occurred in those types of areas,” Michael Marciano, SU’s FNSSI research director, said.

However, survivors could potentially run into issues with the Early Evidence Kit’s admissibility in court, something the FNSSI is working on addressing.

“At Leda Health, what we don’t want to do is give a survivor false hope,” Bogle said. “We don’t pretend that the early evidence kit is intended to be a silver bullet to conviction.”

Leda Health reached out to partner with the FNSSI because of the institute’s credibility, FNSSI Executive Director Kathleen Corrado and Marciano’s experience and the group’s commitment to the field, Bogle said.

This partnership provides Leda Health with a level of access and expertise to fine-tune the kit for survivors.

“What we’re focused on is gathering other investigators and people to work with us to look at the policies and protocols surrounding the kit to make sure that the kits can be used and would stand up in court and we are going to offer our suggestions on, you know, based on what our backgrounds are, the contents of the kit, how they should be used, et cetera,” Corrado said.

Corrado and Marciano both started as practicing forensic scientists and are members of many forensic committees. Their research focuses on the intersection of genetic identity, issues pertaining to national security and DNAbased forensic science.

‘With a smile’

Friends and family remember Annie Eisner for her hardworking, joyous nature

annie eisner advocated for cancer research and awareness with fundraisers. courtesy of jodi eisner

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INSIDE

The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.

NEWS

“We certainly want to make sure that (our troops) have the highest level of care.” - Sean Bogle, Leda Health Chief Operating O cer

Page 1

CULTURE

“I spent six years on the sideline, fi nger on the rainy window and then I get here and my music does better than it probably should.” - Sammy Curcuru, musician

Page 5

OPINION

“Not all professors can incorporate AI as extensively, but more need to teach students how to use AI tools properly while still upholding academic integrity.” - Emilie Newman, sta columnist

Page 8

SPORTS

“For him to wear his father’s name means the world to him.” - Dennis Thomas, LeQuint Allen’s high school coach

Page 12

COMING UP

Noteworthy events this week.

WHAT: Fall Involvement Fair

WHEN: Sept. 14, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Shaw Quadrangle

WHAT: Open Skate

WHEN: Sept. 14, 12:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.

WHERE: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilionl

WHAT: Peter B. Jones Artist Talk

WHEN: Sept. 15, 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

WHERE: Syracuse University Art Museum

SHA passes resolution for NYSDOT grant

By Roxanne Boychuk asst. news editor

The Syracuse Housing Authority passed a resolution during its meeting Wednesday to request a grant from the New York State Department of Transportation along with the Syracuse Common Council’s application. Of the $145 million grant, $20 to $30 million will be used to rebuild and add new infrastructure to the 15th Ward.

The historic 15th Ward — a predominantly-Black neighborhood bordering Interstate 81 — has dealt with inadequate healthcare resources and extreme poverty. By approving the resolution, SHA’s goal is to address these conditions and reunite the people of the community with the rest of the city.

William Simmons, SHA’s executive director, said that investing in the 15th ward would make the neighborhood more unified.

“That’s the main difference, adding in some streets to make them more safer and walkable neighborhoods … and providing this new vision for this community,” Simmons said.

The intersecting streets will also serve as a convenience for the residents, said Christopher Montgomery, chairperson of SHA’s board of commissions. Closed streets will be reopened and the once separated community will be able to come back together, he said.

“We’ll open up our blocks and connect our streets and make it more accessible to neighbors that currently live here when the new development is built,” Montgomery said.

The 15th ward, once an economically thriving Black neighborhood, was redlined and partially demolished by the construction of I-81 in the 1950s, according to the Onondaga Historical Association. The process displaced over 1,300 families since the city of Syracuse began construction in 1958.

In addition to mitigating safety and connectivity concerns, the transformation plan aims to address health and educational needs in the neighborhood.

Other changes to the neighborhood would include an early childhood center and a YMCA,

Simmons said, as well as a new football field for the Syracuse City School District in Roesler Park. Some of the money will also go toward new sewer lines and lighting on Townsend Street and East Adams Street, he said.

Simmons said these improvements would add to the sense of community by prioritiz -

state Hochul recommends COVID-19 booster

By Dominic Chiappone asst, news editor

New York state will roll out updated COVID-19 vaccines as soon as Friday in an effort to combat new variants of the virus, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday in a press conference.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized an updated mRNA vaccine to protect from spreading variants amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across New York since mid-July.

“We know how to treat it, we know how to lessen the impact, how to fight new strains and how to fight the new variants,” Hochul said. “That’s the fight we’re in right now, and that’s why this news is coming at a perfect time.”

Hochul said the state received its first shipment of the FDA-approved vaccine on Tuesday, which will soon be available at doctor’s offices, pharmacies and healthcare providers across the state, including at Syracuse University.

New York remains prepared for an uptick in COVID-19 cases, Hochul said, as the fall season continues. The state experienced spikes in the fall and winter seasons to varying degrees between 2020-22, according to data from the New York State Department of Health.

From July 1 to Sept. 10, cases increased from 1.8 to 10.0 per 100,000 residents in the state, according to the NYSDOH COVID-19 dashboard.

ing and supporting children who live there.

“Any opportunity for young people to get a head start academically is going to be a good thing … and YMCA, which talks about health and wellness and family activities, will be a good service in this community,” Simmons said. rmboychu@syr.edu

Vaccinations available at Barnes Center this Fall

By Samantha Olander asst. digital editor

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended all Americans six months of age and older receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine shot as cases continue to rise nationwide. The new shots are expected to be available starting Friday in some areas of New York, while Syracuse University awaits a shipment of the new vaccine.

SU confirmed in a news release that it plans to share a schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics with the campus community once they know when the updated vaccines will arrive on campus.

On May 15, 2023, SU terminated its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for students, faculty and staff. SU said in the release that it recommends getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and influenza.

SU confirmed at least 124 self-reported COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff on Sunday.

To find local COVID-19 vaccine clinics off-campus, the university recommends looking at the U.S. Vaccine Finder website.

SU is hosting a series of HPV Vaccine Clinics for the 2023-24 academic year that all students will have access to at the Barnes Center at The Arch. HPV, human papillomavirus, is a viral sexually transmitted infection with multiple strains that can cause health complications like genital warts and cancer.

Students can register for the clinic through the Barnes Center’s patient portal. The university does not mandate the vaccine.

On-campus flu clinics for students are also hosted annually during the fall semester and will be made available. The dates for this have not been released as of Wednesday. The schedule will be made available on the university’s flu clinic website.

SU is also offering free flu vaccination clinics for faculty and staff through a continued partnership with Wegmans Pharmacy.

SU will hold two of these flu vaccination clinics for faculty and staff on Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kimmel Hall and on Sept.

29 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at SkyBarn. Appointments are required, and faculty and staff are expected to bring a valid SU I.D. card.

Until student vaccination clinics are made available for COVID-19 and the flu, other immunizations are accessible through the Barnes Center, including Hepatitis A and B, HPV (Gardasil), MeaslesMumps-Rubella, Meningitis A and B, Tetanus/Pertussis and Varicella, according to the Barnes Center website. saolande@syr.edu

The active COVID-19 case count across New York “fails to tell the whole story,” Hochul said, as mandatory testing policies become less common statewide.

On Sunday, SU confirmed at least 124 active self-reported COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff. The university ended mandatory testing for COVID-19 as of the fall 2022 semester and stopped updating its COVID-19 dashboard on May 20, 2022.

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will both offer the updated vaccine. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people who are six months and older to get the updated vaccine shot.

“This is a new vaccine built specifically to match the circulating strains, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve already been vaccinated. Take no comfort in that … thank you for getting vaccinated in the past, but that is not protecting you today,” Hochul said.

The FDA released updated guidelines Monday based on age and prior vaccination status. People 5-years-old or older, regardless of past vaccinations, are eligible for a single dose of the updated vaccine if they’re at least two months removed from the last dose of a previous vaccine shot.

While COVID-19 numbers remain lower compared to previous years, Hochul said her main concern lies in the recent increase in hospitalizations across the state due to COVID-19.

SU confirmed it will offer clinics for the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot, according to a Tuesday SU news release. SU has yet to receive a supply of the new vaccine shot but will begin scheduling clinic appointments at the Barnes Center at The Arch upon arrival.

COVID-19 cases across New York remain at lower levels now compared to the height of the pandemic, Hochul said. Amid the spread of new variants, however, Hochul urged state residents to take precautions by getting the updated vaccine.

“There’s no need to be careless. We have the tools we need — treatment, tests, masks. But the best, most effective way to deal with this is getting the vaccine. It’s going to be available, so let’s use it,” Hochul said.

dcchiapp@syr.edu @DominicChiappo2

SHA is trying to undergo a transformation for the 15th ward, aiming for a more tight-knit, safer and more accommodating neighborhood. maxine brackbill photo editor

SU plans to share a schedule of clinics for the new COVID-19 vaccine once the university knows when the updated vaccines will arrive. daily orange file photo SU confirmed a total 124 active self-reported COVID-19 cases on Sunday.

This is a new vaccine built specifically to match the circulating strains, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve already been vaccinated.

Kathy Hochul ny governor

Dublin, a junior studying advertising at SU, met Annie when they began attending Camp Lokanda together in 2012. Annie and Dublin continued their friendship at SU, where they were both active members of SU’s Sigma Delta Tau sorority chapter.

“My mom always tells us the story of us on our first visiting day (of camp),” Dublin said. “All the parents are going to leave and Annie was sitting on her bed, hysterically crying because her parents are about to walk out the door. And when her parents walked out the door, she opened up a container of cookies and started shoveling them down her throat while she was still crying.”

Dublin said her mother always tells this story because it makes her laugh, as Annie was so sad but also so happy to have the cookies after her parents left the camp.

Her love of cookies translated to her charity work, as Annie hosted annual cookie sales to raise thousands of dollars for Cycle for Survival. The organization is the o cial fundraising campaign for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a cancer treatment and research institution in New York City for rare blood cancers.

The Eisner family became very involved in the organization, which was founded in the family’s hometown. At age 11, Annie held her first cookie sale. She raised about $10,000 for the organization throughout her years of sales, Jodi Eisner said.

Both Dublin and Eisner emphasized that Annie’s cookie drives began before she received her diagnosis in January 2020 of acute myeloid leukemia, a rare type of blood cancer.

“It was something that she was very connected to and our whole family has been involved in, and I think the irony that she got one of these cancers doesn’t escape us,” Jodi Eisner said.

After she was diagnosed, friends of the Eisners, a ectionately referred to as their “cookie angels,” took over the cookie sale for Annie, raising another $10,000 for the organization in 2020, Jodi Eisner said.

Though Annie was accepted into all 12 of the colleges she applied to, Jodi Eisner said, she chose SU because it o ered her everything she wanted — Greek life, sports, a respected public relations program and plenty of opportunities for involvement.

Izverksy and Annie maintained their friendship throughout their time together at SU, despite being in di erent sororities. Izversky said that accepting Annie’s invitation to one of Sigma Delta Tau’s date nights last spring was a memory she’ll cherish forever.

“It was one of the last times I had an individual three hours with her, and we gossiped and we had so much fun,” Izversky said.

During Annie’s time at college living with cancer, Jodi Eisner said SU accommodated Annie when times were more di cult for her health, allowing her to have the best college experience she could academically.

Karen McGee, assistant dean of student success in Newhouse, said that she was fi rst acquainted with Annie during the spring semester of her freshman year to discuss necessary health accommodations.

“She was very, very determined to not let her illness get in the way of her learning and her college goals,” McGee said.

McGee worked with professors to ensure Annie would be able to participate in her Newhouse classes via Zoom when she was home or in the hospital. McGee called Annie a “tenacious student” who saw her diagnosis as a challenge rather than a setback.

Anthony D’Angelo, a professor of practice and interim department chair in Public Relations, taught Annie in an introductory public relations course in the spring of 2022. He said Annie was “unbelievably engaged and productive,” despite attending class virtually from the hospital for the first half of the semester.

“Annie then returned to campus and, still bat-

tling for her health, came to class in person and fulfilled every single commitment on individual and team assignments,” D’Angelo wrote in an email to the Daily Orange. “I’ll never forget Annie, and, like me, our students and faculty are grateful to have known such an inspiring person.”

McGee said she checked in with Annie every semester and was always impressed by her determination.

“The PR world lost a real potential there,” McGee said.

Annie was also involved in Syracuse Hillel, Women in Communications, Public Relations Student Society of America, Newhouse Ambassadors and Fetch Collective Magazine at SU.

“As a new organization, we had to build from the ground up, and it was a grind trying to get Fetch up and running, but it was people like Annie who made it happen,” Founder and previous Editor-inChief of Fetch Collective Sophie Lynch said.

Lynch worked with Annie, who served as the platform’s PR Director, from the start of Fetch Collective to the end of her senior year this spring. Lynch said she remembers seeing Annie’s application — one of the first to come in — and was inspired by Annie’s love of the industry and determination to make it more inclusive.

“Annie was just ready to get in there and start working and really broke ground on it,” said Allison Shust, Fetch Collective’s PR manager. “I really don’t think that the magazine would’ve been promoted as much, or honestly done so well, without Annie’s hard work.”

Annie was responsible for planning graphics and social media content, as well as promoting the magazine through various people and platforms while overseeing the team’s individual tasks, said Shust, a junior studying public relations. The social team would meet every Friday at Bird Library where they would be met by Annie.

“Annie would just be sitting there with a smile ready to go,” Shust said. “Whatever Sophie

vors to seek out medical care if possible in addition to the kits’ usage.

needed done, Annie was getting ready to or had already done it.”

Shust said she didn’t know Annie was sick at the time, and that she would never have known because of her involvement on campus.

Lynch said that she could always rely on Annie for support, new ideas and ways to improve the organization.

“She was a huge support system for me and the rest of the executive team. Annie lit up any room that she walked in with her beautiful smile and gracious spirit,” Lynch said. “I’m honored to have worked with her.”

Andrew Eisner said that he made a discovery about a connection between SU’s most famous football player, Ernie Davis, and his daughter: the number 44.

“You cannot walk around Syracuse and not bump into somebody wearing a 44 jersey. It’s impossible, and Annie was in this battle for 44 months,” Andrew Eisner said.

Davis died in 1963 at age 23 after a 13-month battle with acute monocytic leukemia, another form of blood cancer. Andrew Eisner also pointed to Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington, a legendary SU basketball player from the mid-1980s, who died in 2016 from brain cancer.

“It’s not like there haven’t been major losses up in Syracuse,” Andrew Eisner said. “It’s just uncanny how those two numbers match up.”

Following the memorial service in Hendrick’s Chapel on Sept. 5, Gift of Life ambassadors swabbed 91 people to obtain tissue samples. The samples were used to determine individuals’ human leukocyte antigens to find matches through the registry.

To help the family meet the goal of 4,400 swabs, many organizations on campus, including Syracuse Hillel and Sigma Delta Tau, plan to hold Gift of Life swab drives for members of the SU community.

Campus Rabbi Ethan Bair announced at the service that Syracuse Hillel has already begun planning a Pink Shabbat, sponsored by Alpha Epsilon Phi and Sigma Delta Tau, to raise awareness and funds for cancer research during Annie’s birthday month, October, or “Annietober.”

Annietober, Andrew Eisner said, began when Annie was very little and decided to turn her October birthday into a month-long celebration.

“Everybody knows about ‘Annietober,’ down to the fact that it became the theme of her bat mitzvah,” Jodi Eisner said.

Annie would find creative ways to celebrate her birthday for the full month, planning various elaborate themed parties, Jodi Eisner said.

Dublin said that Annietober demonstrated Annie’s happy, bubbly personality. She was a person who just wanted to keep celebrating.

Izversky said the impact of Annie’s passions a ected those around her. Izversky also was involved with advocating for Cycle for Survival in high school for Annie and continues to advocate for it and Gift of Life at SU.

“I’m inspired to continue her mission and help kids and others who were in her situation because it is horrible. No one should have to end their life so early,” Izversky said. “I just want to do what Annie would have continued doing had she still been here.”

As of Wednesday evening, the Eisner family has raised over $132,000 for Cycle for Survival through a fundraiser in Annie’s memory.

“I think she wanted to be remembered as a person, not as being sick, you know, as a caring kind person who was a good friend who liked to have fun,” Jodi Eisner said.

Shust said she was constantly inspired by her and her positive attitude, despite not having much interaction outside of Fetch Collective.

Along with her involvement in campus organizations, Annie held two swab drives for Gift of Life — a national blood stem cell and bone marrow registry that facilitates transplants for people with life-threatening blood cancer — at the Schine Student Center.

Annie received two bone marrow transplants during her treatment, Jodi Eisner said, which she received from her sister and an anonymous umbilical cord stem cell donor. Before coming to SU, Annie was trained as a Gift of Life ambassador and was very proud of her work, Jodi Eisner said.

The Eisner family hopes to continue Annie’s Gift of Life mission as an ongoing project in Syracuse, with a goal of swabbing at least 4,400 people in the city.

avoid sample contamination, Bogle wrote in an email to The Daily Orange.

“I think she would just want us all to love each other a little harder the way she did. She brought such amazing light and energy,” Shust said. “Even though we weren’t that close, I was touched by her, she touched everyone around her no matter what she was going through or what she was doing.”

Izversky said that throughout their friendship, Annie remained consistently compassionate, kind and open-hearted even through the transition from childhood to college. She said the transition can strain relationships, but Annie was always loyal and kind.

“She would want me to probably say that she wants to be rich and famous,” Izversky said. “But she was just an amazing person and I think she would want to be remembered as someone who was strong and kind.”

kaluther@syr.edu @kendallaluther

“We look at issues that are now current, and five years out, and tried to develop solutions, collaborate with commercial entities, collaborate with other academic institutions or private institutions to try to develop solutions to help now…” Marciano said. “We’re using our positions here in the institute to help those (field) practitioners figure out ways to implement new solutions that can help the community at the micro level and macro level.”

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, the length of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners exam — which hospitals provide for survivors of sexual assault directly after the assault occurred to collect materials — may take several hours. Bogle also said it can take anywhere from two to six hours. The SANE exam is a vulnerable experience, as survivors are alone with a stranger who needs to touch them in order to complete the exam, which can be traumatizing, Bogle said.

Bogle said the kits are not necessarily meant to be used in lieu of a SANE exam — he urges survi-

The Early Evidence Kit consists of a manual booklet, a small garment bag and three small boxes with q-tips swabs within the kit for the user to swab areas that came into contact with the assault perpetrator. A small container of sterile water is included for DNA collection with the swabs to

Tape will be provided to seal up the swab boxes, the garment bag and then a larger bag where survivors can put those items, Bogle said. There is a FedEx package with a prepaid label on it that can be dropped o at any FedEx location or drop box. Bogle said the kit will go directly to the Leda Health lab and results can be expected within eight weeks.

Survivors can also scan a QR code on the manual to connect with Leda Health’s 24/7 care team and can receive help going through the steps of the kit. Leda Health also has an app where survivors can speak to a trained team of personnel who can guide them through the steps. All of their services are also available through Leda Health’s website.

According to a video from Leda Health, the DNA collection process takes approximately 30 minutes.

“(Survivors) have 24/7 access so they can actually be talking with someone to talk them through the steps, which is helpful to make sure they’re collecting evidence properly, but also just for emotional support or health-related support that they might need,” Corrado said.

Bogle said Leda Health’s Early Evidence kits are meant to be an additional avenue for care, not in place of the care provided by the military. Leda Health hopes the military can endorse the use of kits, acknowledging that some survivors may not want or have access to an extensive SANE exam, Bogle said.

“We want to be able to close that gap (in access) so that survivors have another viable option that is endorsed by the military,” Bogle said.

The next step for Leda Health is identifying an entity within the Air Force to provide the Early Evidence Kits to, with the FNSSI following up to examine the legal feasibility of used kits. Currently, the FNSSI is vetting the process by looking into potential issues with evidence collection processes, chain of custody, documentation and other legal considerations.

Along with FNSSI, Leda Health is currently working with Small Business Innovation Research Advisors to identify an Air Force base or entity to use the kits.

“I think that military personnel will further appreciate and trust the military, the government itself, the organization itself, knowing that this option is available,” Bogle said.

ksmcclel@syr.edu

While battling cancer, Eisner was involved with Sigma Delta Tau sorority, Syracuse Hillel and Fetch Collective, along with keeping up her public relations studies. courtesy of jodi eisner

(She was) one of those people who just when they’re happy, you’re happy to be around them.

Olivia Dublin ANNIE S CHILDHOOD FRIEND

We want to be able to close that gap (in access) so that survivors have another viable option that is endorsed by the military.

Sean Bogle LEDA HEALTH CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

313 to 315

By Sophie Cohen senior staff writer

Sammy Curcuru trudged up to Haven Hall’s study area in a Detroit Lions jersey, gym shorts and some recreation of Yeezy slides. While the majority of the campus hit REM sleep, Curcuru was up and ready to talk.

Over the summer, Curcuru played at Lager House in Detroit, his first live performance outside SU. Instead of fellow Bandier students at his show, he saw hometown faces and high school friends.

“Thatshow in Michigan was such a surreal thing because my music had only been real in Syracuse,” said Curcuru. “But it was real, and it was such a full circle moment.”

Exposed to early 2000s pop and pop punk between his sisters’ and mother’s obsession with Pink, it’s no surprise that Curcuru’s sound as an artist plays upon the energy and production of his childhood anthems. Curcuru reminisced on his elementary school band days

when he learned the piano and drums. He found his musical obsession in eighth grade: messing around with and creating beats on GarageBand.

to understand the anatomy of songs on his iPhone.

When he got his fi rst laptop before high school, Curcuru dove head-fi rst into the production space. At a time when SoundCloud rappers were all over the internet, Curcuru and his friend released his fi rst song “All That’s Left” which has since been wiped from all platforms.

Despite all the time that Curcuru spent tinkering with beats and learning instruments, when he came to Syracuse as a freshman in Bandier, he had no music out.

“I kind of panicked and was really selfconscious about all these other kids who had way more s--- going for them,” said Curcuru.

Curcuru grew up watching dozens of YouTubers like Aries, Ramzoid and Nick Mira who were making original music on beat-making software like GarageBand. He would spend hours trying to recreate pre-existing beats

It wasn’t until late October of his fi rst year that Curcuru decided he needed to release something, anything, to get his name out there. He turned to a song he’d worked on the summer before freshman year with an internet friend, David Bryant, also known by his producer name easeupkid. see curcuru page 6

High School students interpret Constitution through artwork

By Kelly Matlock asst. culture editor

After being asked to draw his future during a creative workshop at Syracuse Stage, Bashir was stuck. He said when he thinks of the future, he sees a blank slate. Joann Yarrow, the director of community engagement and education for Syracuse Stage, replied by telling him to produce a blank slate as his piece of art.

“The way I thought about it is, we don’t know the future,” said Bashir, a high school senior. “The Constitution is not all in black and white and in the future laws can be changed. The future generation can change the Constitution.”

The workshop, which included high school students from La Casita Cultural Center and North Side Learning Center, was meant to inspire further engagement with Syracuse Stage’s latest play, “What the Constitution Means to Me.” Wednesday was the play’s fi rst

preview night and the culmination of the workshop as student artwork was displayed before the show.

“One of the really cool things is how we use art to better understand very dry subjects,” Yarrow said. “We use theater in order to bring things to life.”

Melissa Crespo, associate artistic director for Syracuse Stage, said the workshop began with a speech from Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks, a United States magistrate judge for the Northern District of New York.

The students and the judge discussed environmental concerns, healthcare and other rights and privileges, Yarrow said. After the judge’s talk, La Casita’s Bennie Guzman led the group in creating artwork based on their discussions.

Yarrow said the workshop focused on taking the Constitution, a “dry and informative” text, and asking students what it was missing. Their interest and enthusiastic participation made the event a success.

For the art portion of the event, the students were instructed to choose between themes of healthcare, immigration and climate change, but some took the prompts in a di erent direction. Crespo said she is very proud of the artists and their work, and that the experience was a lot of fun.

Some created cut-and-paste collages of images of the Earth and public figures, while others painted picturesque sunsets or skylines with colored pencils. The exhibit overall displayed many types of mixed media and demonstrated the variety of interpretations the students took on their prompts.

Bashir said that the workshop made him so interested in the Constitution that he went home and read the whole document, front to back. They handed out miniature Constitutions at the event, and Bashir brought his copy to the exhibit on Wednesday.

Although at fi rst glance his piece appears entirely empty, when you get close to the can-

vas you see the words “The Future ‘’ written in small print in the bottom right-hand corner. He hopes that his piece makes audiences think about the future of the country and the laws they want to put in place.

Mark Cass, director of the North Side Learning Center, said it was nice to see the reflections of what his students created and the themes they got out of the workshop. He thinks the exhibit has had an impact on his students.

“Our hope is that a story doesn’t die when you sit in a dark room, they turn o the lights, and we put up a stage play,” Yarrow said. “The idea is that it’s an exchange. I received the story and it a ects the way I see another human being because I’ve lived in their experience for an hour and a half.”

After the workshop, the North Side Learning Center created its own constitution. They started thinking about what the rules should be, such as who can visit the center and who runs it, Cass said.

from the studio

Detroit native Sammy Curcuru has used SU’s resources to propel his career to new heights

It was the fi rst and only time where I sat down and fi nished something in one sitting that I never edited again.

Sammy Curcuru BANDIER SOPHOMORE

Curcuru has been making music since he was just 4 years old, with influences from pop and pop punk. First releasing music in 2022 while in the Bandier program in Newhouse, Curcuru has come a long way. courtesy of attila hardy

slice of life

Celebrate Latine culture with these 7 events

By Teddy Hudson asst. copy editor

Latine Heritage Month will be observed on SU’s campus from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. This event celebrates Latine people and culture on campus, and around the world. Here are eight events to check out throughout the next month:

Latine Heritage Month Opening Ceremony

2023’s Latine Heritage Month celebration kicks off with a ceremony in Schine Student Center. Open to students from SU and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as members of the greater Syracuse community, Latine Heritage Month offers a wide range of activities designed to teach about and reflect on Latine culture. The event will be hosted by Multicultural Affairs.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE : Schine Student Center, Atrium

“Futurismo Latino” Exhibit Opening Event

A new art exhibit designed to showcase the work of Chicano artists opens at La Casita Cultural Center on Friday. “Futurismo Latino” showcases two artists in particular, Cayetano Valenzuela and Zeke Peña, in addition to artists who participated in art programs at La Casita this summer. The event includes Mexican/Tejano music and food.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE : La Casita Cultural Center

Torneo de Fútbol

The fifth annual Torneo de Fútbol, a soccer tournament held jointly by Multicultural Affairs and the Barnes Center at the Arch, will be held on Saturday on the field adjacent to the Women’s Building. While the deadline to register a team has passed, all are welcome to spectate and cheer on their fellow students.

WHEN:: Saturday, Sept. 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE : Women’s Building, Field

Latine Game Night

The Center for International Services will host Latine Game Night on Monday, Sept. 28, at 7

Latine Heritage Month celebrates Latine history, culture and people. The Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting several events to commemorate the month. wendy wang daily orange file photo

p.m. There will be Latine games such as dominoes, lotería and juego de la oca. Desserts with also be provided.

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 28 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE : Center for International Services

Point of Contact Exhibit and Artist

Talk: “The Border is a Weapon”

“The Border is a Weapon” is an art exhibition that studies life on the border between the U.S. and Mexico through the work of artists from Laredo, Texas. Held at the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, this multimedia art show sheds light on the realities of life on and around the border. The exhibit was curated by Laredo-based artist Gil Rocha.

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE : Nancy Cantor Warehouse

Fiesta Latina

Raíces Dance Troupe and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations will perform at this year’s Fiesta Latina in Goldstein

CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND

443 Social Club

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault will perform at 443 Social Club on Thursday night. Foucault has been bringing his unique combination of blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll and folk music on the road for two decades. His latest album “Blood Brothers” is a continuation of Foucault’s ability to write and perform simple, yet emotionally reverent songs. Tickets for the show can be purchased online.

WHEN: Sept. 14 at 7 p.m..

PRICE: Starting at $23.31

The Song and Dance

Auditorium at Schine Student Center. The event will include Latine food and a live performance from Trio Los Claveles, a Rochester-based musical group. Entry is free with a valid student ID.

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 6 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

WHERE: Schine Student Center, Goldstein Auditorium

Latine Heritage Month and Fifth

Annual LGBTQ+ History Month Potash

Collaborative Keynote: Salina EsTitties

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Salina EsTitties will deliver a keynote speech next month to commemorate the overlapping celebrations of Latine Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) and LGBTQ+ History Month (Oct. 1 to Oct. 31). The event is free to all attendees. EsTitties, who is a queer Latinx drag performer, will speak about her experiences across the entertainment industry.

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE : Schine Underground ted-hudson@outlook.com

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus will take the stage at The Song and Dance on Friday night. The event was supposed to be at The Lost Horizon on April 6 before it was rescheduled. The group will be joined by alternative rock bands Bad Luck, 3REE and Undefeated, as well as Fleetwood Mac cover band Landslide. All tickets purchased for the original event will be honored at Friday’s show. Tickets can be purchased online.

WHEN: Sept. 15 at 6 p.m.

PRICE: $26.44

Funk ‘n Waffles

Bryant discovered Curcuru on TikTok where he posted minute-long clips of unreleased music. Bryant fell in love with Curcuru’s sound and immediately wanted to collaborate.

“When I came across Sammy I was like holy s--- his voice is so good,” said Bryant. “I remember I even showed my mom and was like, I’m going to work with this guy.”

The song the two worked on remained unfinished for months until one day, sitting at his desk in Day Hall, Curcuru felt it was time to finish and release his first single, “Im Down If Ur Down.”

“I just decided, I was going to finish the song, name this song and release it,” said Curcuru. “It was the first and only time where I sat down and finished something in one sitting that I never edited again.”

The song was released on Spotify on Nov. 15 of last year. When Curcuru woke up it had a thousand streams before he went to the dining hall for breakfast.

“To this day I still don’t understand why or where those people came from,” said Curcuru.

Two weeks later, Buddy Murphy, one of the founders of the Mudpit, booked Curcuru to play on the Dec. 3 bill along with 33col3 and 2% Reese. Murphy had been hearing a lot of buzz about Curcuru being a Bandier freshman who was a very animated character that made, “legit pop music.”

“When I first met Sammy he was this scrawny white kid with baggy clothes on. I had no clue how he would do at the show,” said Murphy.

After Murphy and Curcuru set up the lighting, stage and layout of the crowd, Murphy got the vibe that Curcuru really knew what he was doing. He watched him go back and forth with Brandon Ferrante, the sound guy, perfecting what they wanted the crowd to hear.

Curcuru played a couple of original unreleased songs, a Role Model cover and a Jack Harlow cover before ending with “Im Down If Ur Down.” With his single being out for less than three weeks, both Curcuru and Murphy were shocked to see the crowd scream back every word.

“There were probably 30 to 50 girls in the crowd that knew every word to his one song that was released and then one song that was unreleased. I was like, how the fuck is this happening?” said Murphy.

Curcuru insists this show was the pivotal moment when he decided he was going to pursue music with the intention of making it his career. Coining his sound as pop music that is refreshing enough for rap fans to consume, Curcuru dove head first into releasing his next single, “Look @ U” which was released on March 8.

With two songs out, a write-up in Lyrical Lemonade, and the consistent flow of live shows on campus, Curcuru finished his freshman year in a completely different place than where he started.

“I always loved Sammy’s voice but his early TikToks were kinda this cringe pop punk, Machine Gun Kelly-inspired sound,” said Bryant. “The way Sammy has curated himself and presented his music is incredible to watch.”

artwork on the wall, Crespo said, the community should feel welcome to Syracuse Stage and involved with all performances it puts on.

Things slowed down when Curcuru returned home to Michigan for the summer. He went back to recording music in his bedroom just like he did throughout high school. Feeling disconnected from the buzz of performing live most weekends at SU, Curcuru put his head down and tried to focus on his next release and booking a show in Detroit.

Whenever Curcuru has a moment of panic, everything seems to fall into place. Mid-summer he booked the show at Lager House and planned to release his first music video to his then-unreleased single “Messy Room” a few days prior to the show.

On July 19, Curcuru dropped the song and video that was filmed entirely on SU’s campus between Thornden Park, Shaffer Hall and the Barnes Center. “Doing this DIY video with my best friends that turned out a lot more professional than any of us imagined was like, the biggest blessing ever,” said Curcuru.

Currently, “Messy Room” has over 1,600 views on YouTube and 8,000 streams on Spotify. It’s hard to compare freshman year Curcuru who had no music to show for himself, to the person who played in Detroit this summer and just announced a September 30 show at Mercury Lounge in New York City.

“I spent six years on the sideline, finger on the rainy window and then I get here and my music does better than it probably should,” said Curcuru. “It’s giving me this hunger for wanting to do more.”

Shcohen@syr.edu

to include everyone, similar to what the Funny showcase events or open mic nights. There, students of all ages are often invited to perform.

Central New York native The Bones of J.R. Jones (Jonathon Linaberry) will perform at Funk ‘n Waffles on Friday night with special guest Benjamin Dakota Rogers. Jones’ music is a combination of blues, folk and country sounds. His new single “The Good Life” is streaming everywhere and his new album “Slow Lightning” releases on Oct. 13. Tickets can be purchased online.

WHEN: Sept. 15, doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $18.22

Redgate

Popular house venue Redgate will host a ‘70s-themed show. Student band Subject to Change will headline with Luna and The Carpets and Misty Mountain Midnight also making appearances. DM Redgate on Instagram for more information about the venue address and to purchase tickets.

WHEN: Sept. 15 at 10 p.m.

PRICE: $7 presale and $10 at door

The Mudpit

For the second show under new leadership, house venue Mudpit will feature Kuzi, Sofia Violet and new music from student band Rhodes Corduroy. DM Mudpit on Instagram for more information on the address and to purchase tickets.

WHEN: Sept. 16, doors open at 9 p.m. and music starts at 9:30 p.m.

“(We are so) engaged with humanities programs from (Syracuse University), we’re all in,” Cass said. “The students now are really open to exploring things.”

The center has worked with SU engagement programs in the past, and some students from the center have gone on to attend SU. Cass said that seeing those students creates a pathway for students to follow.

“If you give (the students) something creative, they completely open up,” Yarrow said. “We really want to create that space, because artwork is just a metaphor for what you’re passionate about, period.”

The event aimed to combine the art of stage performance with other types of art and make community members feel welcome. With their

Yarrow said the experience of working with these high school students was inspiring. She views the incredible young people who created the artwork as potential leaders and was struck by how much they care about the planet and one other.

“There’s the passing of the baton — for the previous generation to pass the baton to the next generation who will pass the baton to the next generation,” Yarrow said. “I really hope that (with this exhibit) people see that there is a lot of hope.

Students like Jesse Roth, a junior drama major who helped start an improvisation troupe on campus last year, understand what the Funny Bone tries to accomplish as a form of entertainment. She said the goal of the improv troupe is

“A lot of the time, students are the people who are familiar with the Comedy Central acts and all those people, so we do try to get them in when we can allow it,” Borth said.

Students like Jesse Roth, a junior drama major who helped start an improvisation troupe on campus last year, understand what the Funny Bone tries to accomplish as a form of entertainment. She said the goal of the improv troupe is to include everyone, similar to what the Funny.

Students like Jesse Roth, a junior drama major who helped start an improvisation troupe on campus last year, understand what the Funny Bone tries to accomplish as a form of entertainment. She said the goal of the improv troupe is to include everyone, similar to what the Funny showcase events.

kellyamatlock@icloud.com

PRICE: $7 presale and $10 at door

By Lily Newman columnist

This past spring, most of our syllabi and course expectations featured a new component: a warning against the use of Artificial Intelligence to complete assignments or classwork. Faculty and sta have had to address the use of AI in classrooms, and many have different approaches.

AI, while still very unfamiliar, is a part of our new reality. There needs to be more discussion on how to use it properly without considering it an interference to academic integrity. Ignoring or completely banning its use is an unrealistic expectation since many college students already use AI regularly.

Shelby Smith, a pre-med junior studying Neuroscience and Psychology, uses AI to help her understand complex topics in her classes.

“I’ve used it to help me study di cult class content such as asking AI to explain di cult material so that it is easier to understand,” Smith said.

Evan Krukin, a junior double majoring in Television, Radio and Film and Information Management

Embraci n g A I

and Technology uses AI to help create citations. He uses it the same way people use online citation tools but with faster results.

In my WRT 209: Critical Research and Writing class I took last spring, we explored using ChatGPT to help us find scholarly sources. With varying degrees of success, we were able to find articles and narrow our search quickly. We still had to assess the credibility of the sources, read them and then see if they could be of use. The actual work was the same, but it saved us time in our preliminary searches.

Just as we’ve used the internet for years, AI can be that extra step to make new, complex material more digestible. These types of uses uphold academic integrity but still assist students in their work.

The School of Information Studies is going so far as to make AI a permanent fi xture in its curriculum, including an entire course built around the new technology.

Use of AI is encouraged, rather than warned against. Maddy de Vera, a junior in the iSchool, said her professor has created a tool called Pybot using ChatGPT. It helps students write lines of code when they’re struggling.

“My professors usually let me use AI as long as I explain how I used it,” de Vera said.

In the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, some professors prohibit the use of AI entirely, especially when the class is centered on students producing their own writing. While it’s understandable that ChatGPT shouldn’t do the writing for us, AI can be beneficial to students in majors and classes outside of Newhouse.

Not all professors can incorporate AI as extensively, but more need to teach students how to use AI tools properly while still upholding academic integrity. Students should be producing their own work, but just as colleges had to adjust to using the internet, adapting to AI is necessary.

SU needs to recognize that if we don’t learn to use every tool at our disposal, we’ll be left behind in the workplace. Mandated training about AI for sta and students would help to make policies more consistent throughout the university, preventing the advantage of one school’s students over another’s.

It’s important that students also understand the ethical issues that come with it. Before asking ChatGPT for assignment answers, consider the importance of owning what you create, and crediting that of others. In college and in the professional world, relying on work produced by tools like ChatGPT can undermine your value as a student and employee.

We don’t know the full extent of AI’s capabilities yet and we should still be cautious for ethical reasons. It’s unknown territory, but we can start exploring it in ways that don’t compromise the integrity of our work.

Emilie (Lily) Newman is a junior Political Science and Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at emnewman@syr.edu.

flynn fedoux contributing illustrator

Rather than ignore AI’s growing influence, classroom policies should shift to embrace its potential to help students

SU needs to recognize that if we don’t learn to use every tool at our disposal, we’ll be left behind in the workplace.

Lily Newman COLUMNIST

Beat writers split on whether SU will beat Purdue in Week 3

By Daily Orange Sports Staff

Bo Madden carried her twin sister Hattie Madden through rain and mud to complete the 10-mile Wilson Run in 2023. Hattie hurt her calf a couple of kilometers in but Bo refused to let her stop. The pair were going to finish.

“Watching them come in at the finish line, how Hattie was almost hysterical, and Bo carrying her across the finish line was just incredible,” said Beth Cosgrove, one of the twins’ closest friends.

Nick Davey, Hattie and Bo’s field hockey coach at Sedbergh School, was a race marshal for the Wilson run, a school tradition set in Sedbergh, England, since 1881. He sensed something was wrong with Hattie but said “there was no question they were going to make it.”

Bo and Hattie trekked the rest of the seven miles and completed the race together in front of many members of the school community.

“She was dragging me, it was through hills, and mud and I was crying the whole time,” Hattie said. “She was like ‘if you’re not doing it, I’m not doing it’ and I felt bad.”

Bo and Hattie, now freshmen on Syracuse’s field hockey team, describe each other as “comfort blankets.” Hattie said she wouldn’t have reached the Division I level without Bo. The twins from Lancashire, England, are inseparable, playing on almost every team together growing up.

When they were 11, Bo and Hattie played up on the Lancashire County U-14 team. Coached by Davey, he remembered the two were always competitive and confident despite being smaller.

The one time they did not play on the same team together was when Bo was selected to the England Under-16 Team. Though Hattie wasn’t, Bo said her sister was equally deserving.

“That was so hard for both of them,” Cosgrove said. “Bo supported Hattie so much despite her getting in. Hattie wasn’t jealous of Bo. You could tell how much she supported and encouraged her. She praised her.”

Bo and Hattie’s competitiveness with one another drove them to high levels of field hockey. If one of them scored when they were younger, the other had to as well. Bo said keeping an eye on the goal tally was never spoken about but both kept count in their heads. Over time, Bo and Hattie have understood that it wasn’t always about out-performing each other, but rather providing feedback to each other about enhancing their games.

“They would drive each other on the pitch and give each other quite brutal feedback,” Davey said. “They would still be very supportive and drive

Last time they played

Last year’s matchup was the wackiest game the Orange were a part of. The first three quarters were a sloppy defensive affair where the score was 10-9 heading into the fourth quarter. But the final 15 minutes saw Syracuse and Purdue combine for 42 points featuring a pick-six and an iconic last second touchdown from Shrader to Gadsden.

With the game-winning pass, Shrader threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns. SU’s signal-caller also rushed for a team-high 83 yards, making up for Sean Tucker’s measly 42. Dino Babers said the game also got the whole world to notice Gadsden’s talent.

“We already knew Oronde was good,” Babers said. The Boilermakers report

For the second straight week, Syracuse faces an opponent with a first-year head coach. After Jeff Brohm resigned last December to take a job at Louisville, Purdue hired Ryan Walters, who is a head college football coach for the first time in his career. At the time of his hiring, Walters was the fourth-youngest head coach in college football.

from page 12

reed

“I just felt undersized for the guard. I was like ‘oh shit, the guard’s getting beat up,’” Reed said. “When I got to sit there at center, I was giving orders.”

Once Reed got to Hutchinson, he improved at center under then-offensive line coach Phil Serchia. Reed said Serchia helped him to learn how to play on angles. Before, Reed played vertically until he learned how to turn. While it was an adjustment, Reed said he loved the position the moment he got under center.

Reed and Serchia, who’s now an assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers, spent day after day in his small office at Hutchinson going over film. Even though Reed sat out a year to redshirt,

each other in a very nurturing way. They were closer to being best friends instead of rivals.”

During their five years at Sedbergh, Bo and Hattie reached the national finals twice, finishing as England Hockey Tier 1 runner-ups when they were 16 years old. The same year, Bo and Hattie won a U-16 National Championship with Thirsk Hockey Club.

Bo and Hattie were named captains in their final year at Sedbergh. The twins regularly asked Davey to set up extra training sessions for the team, even during lunchtime. Bo and Hattie even washed their teammates’ uniforms, making sure everyone was prepared for the next game.

Outside of playing, Bo, Hattie and Cosgrove trained kids aged 7-11 years old every Thursday,

So far in 2023, Walters’ team has been a mixed bag. In the home opener against Fresno State, Purdue lost 39-35, allowing nearly 500 yards. But the next week, the Boilermakers picked up a road win over ACC foe Virginia Tech.

“I’m sure that was just a wake-up call for Purdue,” Babers said. “We’re getting an angry Purdue.”

Along with a newcomer at head coach, the Boilermakers brought in former Texas quarterback Hudson Card from the transfer portal. With Quinn Ewers comfortably in the starting position, Card transferred to a program that has produced quarterbacking legends like Drew Brees and Len Dawson. Card started three games last year and had a completion percentage of 69.4 with 928 yards and six touchdowns. Through two games, he has thrown for 502 yards and two touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception.

Card is surrounded by skill players like wide receivers Deion Burks and Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen as well as running back Devin Mockobee, who only rushed for 22 yards against the Orange last season. Last week against Virginia Tech, Mockobee scored a touchdown and tallied 95 rushing yards in the win.

How Syracuse beats Purdue

Outside of Gadsden, Syracuse’s passing attack

Serchia said he prepared like he was the starter.

“He was almost like another coach,” Serchia said. “Not necessarily taking over the meeting by any stretch, but he would want to watch a practice as soon as it was done before we even met as offensive staff.”

Along with Serchia, Drew Dallas, Hutchinson’s head coach, noticed Reed’s mobility. He said that Reed’s presence showed during running plays. As the backs ran upfield, so would Reed. Dallas also noted that Reed could handle a bull rush from a nose tackle, so he felt the “Big General” nickname was perfect.

“It fits for a center because a lot of times he’s the one that’s making a bunch of calls and putting guys in the right positions,” Dallas said.

When Reed got to Syracuse, he told his new teammates about his nickname even though

coaching them through different drills.

“They would be on the pitch all the time,” Davey said. “They carried their hockey sticks around all the time. If there was ever an opportunity to get on the pitch they would take it. Other girls generally followed them.”

Though Bo and Hattie’s love for the sport is clear, field hockey was something they dreaded when they were younger.

“We didn’t even want to go, we didn’t like the sport,” Hattie said. “We really didn’t want to play but (our mom) just wanted us out of the house, so she made us go every Sunday for three hours. We grew from there and we loved it eventually.”

The two grew up playing similar positions but

was flimsy last year against the Boilermakers. Among the receivers and tight ends, Courtney Jackson had the second-most receiving yards on that day with 23.

Through two 2023 games against weak opponents, Syracuse’s wide receiver depth has been a strength. Donovan Brown, Umari Hatcher and Isaiah Jones all recorded over 80 receiving yards last week.

“You already know the depth,” Brown said postgame on Saturday.

And now with Gadsden’s status uncertain after suffering an injury against Western Michigan, the wide receivers room will have to back up their talk as a deep unit by burning the Purdue secondary. Along with receivers like Brown, Hatcher and Jones, Damien Alford also needs to make more of an impact after Babers named him the No. 2 receiver behind Gadsden. If Gadsden isn’t playing, then Alford will need to make catches in the red zone instead of dropping the ball.

Stat to know: 138.9

For the past two seasons, defense has been a point of concern for the Boilermakers. In 2022, they only trailed Indiana for the most touchdowns allowed in the Big Ten with 50. In Purdue’s first two games this season, it has

he wasn’t the biggest offensive lineman on the roster. Head coach Dino Babers said in August that he only called Reed “BG” because Reed had to “play a whole bunch of games and do a whole bunch of good” before earning the full nickname. Eventually, other lineman like tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. called him “Big General” or “General.”

First, though, Reed had to stand out. During training camp, Shrader noted that Reed’s 6-foot3, 315 lbs. frame was a “different body type than the other centers that we’ve had here.”

Reed had to get used to the quarterback’s cadence, which Shrader said is the same with all centers, and a new way to snap the football. Before Syracuse, Reed was a spiral snapper. Now the center is a “dead ball snapper.” Instead of holding the ball at the laces to create a spiral, Reed holds it in the back point of his palm, cauing no real spin on

now Bo is a midfielder, known for her distribution and defense, while Hattie is a forward. Playing different positions doesn’t diminish their connection.

“They’re really close. You notice that when they’re close to each other on the pitch, you get more than just two players,” Davey said.

At Syracuse, Bo and Hattie are starters on the currently undefeated SU side. In the Orange’s 9-1 trouncing over Vermont on Aug. 27, both Madden twins netted their first collegiate goals. Hattie scored nine minutes ahead of Bo.

“I was just really happy for (Bo),” Hattie said. “To (score) on the same day as well, it made my parents day because they were watching from home.”

sports@dailyorange.com

conceded a defensive efficiency of 138.9, which stands as the second-worst mark in the conference. The Orange were efficient through the air last season against the Boilermakers as Gadsden tallied 112 yards and two touchdowns.

In the fourth quarter, Syracuse relied on deep passing plays to tear apart Purdue. Both of Shrader’s touchdown throws to Gadsden in the final frame were from way outside of the redzone. The Orange have the ability to put together big plays, as shown by Shrader’s 86-yard touchdown connection to Brown.

Player to watch: Deion Burks, No. 4, wide receiver

Last season, Payne Durham and Charlie Jones were the focal points of the Boilermaker passing attack. So far in 2023, Burks has taken up the mantle as the top receiving option for Purdue. In the first quarter against Fresno State, Burks took a screen pass from Card all the way for an 84-yard touchdown. Burks has shown off his ability to run routes proficiently as he has the highest yards per route mark (2.46, 13th in Big Ten) on the team.

henrywobrien1123@gmail.com @realhenryobrien

the football once it hits Shrader’s hands.

Serchia said the different snapping styles come down to the quarterback’s preference, and it’s the center’s job to adjust. Serchia said Reed needs to consistently meet his quarterback’s expectations.

Per PFF, Reed has faced 80 allowed pressure opportunities from opposing defenders. So far, he’s allowed two pass rushes and two quarterback hurries. With Reed’s nickname, the man he’s supposed to protect knows his physical presence is a benefit, but there’s more to come for the “Big General.”

“He’s learning. He’s good. He’s a physical player,” Shrader said. “He’s got a long way to go, but I’m glad we have him.”

henrywobrien1123@gmail.com

@realhenryobrien

Though Syracuse picked up a thrilling 32-27 win over Purdue last season, our beat writers are split on if the Orange can overcome the Boilermakers hunter runk contributing photographer

Madden twins friendly competition push them to excel

By Timmy Wilcox asst. copy editor

Bo Madden carried her twin sister Hattie Madden through rain and mud to complete the 10-mile Wilson Run in 2023. Hattie hurt her calf a couple of kilometers in but Bo refused to let her stop. The pair were going to finish.

“Watching them come in at the finish line, how Hattie was almost hysterical, and Bo carrying her across the finish line was just incredible,” said Beth Cosgrove, one of the twins’ closest friends.

Nick Davey, Hattie and Bo’s field hockey coach at Sedbergh School, was a race marshal for the Wilson run, a school tradition set in Sedbergh, England, since 1881. He sensed something was wrong with Hattie but said “there was no question they were going to make it.”

Bo and Hattie trekked the rest of the seven miles and completed the race together in front of many members of the school community.

field hockey team, describe each other as “comfort blankets.” Hattie said she wouldn’t have reached the Division I level without Bo. The twins from Lancashire, England, are inseparable, playing on almost every team together growing up.

When they were 11, Bo and Hattie played up on the Lancashire County U-14 team. Coached by Davey, he remembered the two were always competitive and confident despite being smaller.

The one time they did not play on the same team together was when Bo was selected to the England Under-16 Team. Though Hattie wasn’t, Bo said her sister was equally deserving.

“That was so hard for both of them,” Cosgrove said. “Bo supported Hattie so much despite her getting in. Hattie wasn’t jealous of Bo. You could tell how much she supported and encouraged her. She praised her.”

performing each other, but rather providing feedback to each other about enhancing their games.

“They would drive each other on the pitch and give each other quite brutal feedback,” Davey said. “They would still be very supportive and drive each other in a very nurturing way. They were closer to being best friends instead of rivals.”

During their five years at Sedbergh, Bo and Hattie reached the national finals twice, finishing as England Hockey Tier 1 runner-ups when they were 16 years old. The same year, Bo and Hattie won a U-16 National Championship with Thirsk Hockey Club.

Bo and Hattie were named captains in their final year at Sedbergh. The twins regularly asked Davey to set up extra training sessions for the team, even during lunchtime. Bo and Hattie even washed their teammates’ uniforms, making sure everyone was prepared for the next game.

girls generally followed them.”

Though Bo and Hattie’s love for the sport is clear, field hockey was something they dreaded when they were younger.

“We didn’t even want to go, we didn’t like the sport,” Hattie said. “We really didn’t want to play but (our mom) just wanted us out of the house, so she made us go every Sunday for three hours. We grew from there and we loved it eventually.”

The two grew up playing similar positions but now Bo is a midfielder, known for her distribution and defense, while Hattie is a forward. Playing different positions doesn’t diminish their connection.

“They’re really close. You notice that when they’re close to each other on the pitch, you get more than just two players,” Davey said.

“She was dragging me, it was through hills, and mud and I was crying the whole time,” Hattie said. “She was like ‘if you’re not doing it, I’m not doing it’ and I felt bad.”

Bo and Hattie, now freshmen on Syracuse’s

Bo and Hattie’s competitiveness with one another drove them to high levels of field hockey. If one of them scored when they were younger, the other had to as well. Bo said keeping an eye on the goal tally was never spoken about but both kept count in their heads. Over time, Bo and Hattie have understood that it wasn’t always about out-

Outside of playing, Bo, Hattie and Cosgrove trained kids aged 7-11 years old every Thursday, coaching them through different drills.

At Syracuse, Bo and Hattie are starters on the currently undefeated SU side. In the Orange’s 9-1 trouncing over Vermont on Aug. 27, both Madden twins netted their first collegiate goals. Hattie scored nine minutes ahead of Bo.

“I was just really happy for (Bo),” Hattie said. “To (score) on the same day as well, it made my parents day because they were watching from home.” tswilcox@syr.edu @timmywilcox32 football

“They would be on the pitch all the time,” Davey said. “They carried their hockey sticks around all the time. If there was ever an opportunity to get on the pitch they would take it. Other

Devin Mockobee went from walk-on to Purdue’s main rusher

By Tarohn Finley contributing writer

Devin Mockobee was sold on attending Navy. He loved its constant focus on family and discipline. Plus, on the field, he knew Navy’s offense relied heavily on the backfield which would give him ample playing time. Then, he received a call from an Indiana number.

Mockobee picked up the phone. He was with his mother and sister, Hollie, on vacation two weeks before he was scheduled to leave for Navy.

“When he comes back he says it was from Purdue,” Hollie said.

Purdue offered Mockobee a chance to walk on and he took it. He had always wanted to be a Boilermaker as West Lafayette was only about three hours and 40 minutes away from his hometown of Boonville, Indiana. After seeing no action with Purdue his freshman season, Mockobee emerged as the squad’s lead back in 2022, tallying a team-best 968 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Two years removed from opting out of a full scholarship with Navy, Mockobee is living out his childhood dream.

When Mockobee entered high school, his father, Conrad, developed “the plan.” It centered around building up his frame for football but also touched on elevating Mockobee’s speed in basketball and track. Mockobee was put on a strict diet and workout routine.

As Mockobee continued to increase his strength and weight, he did anything to see playing time. In high school, he served as the second-string running back but also played special teams, secondary and slot receiver. During his

sophomore year, Mockobee became the starting corner. The following season, when the starting running back left for college, Mockobee took over as the team’s leading rusher.

Despite growing from 141 to 200 pounds by his senior season, the COVID-19 pandemic limited Mockobee’s options at the collegiate level. A lack of exposure translated to less recognition from Power Five schools.

“If he played at one of the big megaschools in

Indianapolis, he would have had many Power Five offers,” said Darin Ward, Mockobee’s high school coach. “He was the best running back in Indianapolis that year.”

On the track, Mockobee enjoyed a record setting season. In the Indiana state championships, he won the long jump and finished as runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles. “Devin carved a piece of history out at track state and people noticed,” said Sam Schnur, Mockobee’s

track coach at Boonville.

Mockobee arrived at Purdue knowing it couldn’t offer him a scholarship like Navy did. Similar to the start of his high school career, he had to earn every repetition at running back, which eventually led to a redshirt freshman season. The following year, he opened as fourth option on the Boilermakers’ depth chart.

During Purdue’s Week 5 matchup against Minnesota, Mockobee experienced his big break. With under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Mockobee exploded for a 68-yard run that ended just short of the goal line. The Boilermakers gave it back to him on the ensuing play for a game-winning touchdown.

“That was probably the best moment being a parent,” Conrad said.

In 2022, Mockobee went on to break multiple freshmen records, finishing the season with four 100-yard games.

Though Mockobee excelled when given the opportunity, his future quickly grew uncertain that offseason. Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm left for Louisville and took running back coach Chris Barclay with him.

On Dec. 13, 2022, a week after Brohm’s departure, Purdue hired former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as its head coach. Walters’ first order of business was to award Mockobee with a full-ride.

“(Mockobee) may be one of the greatest stories in college football the last few years of how he became the starting running back at Purdue,” Walters said. “He bet on himself and won.”

tafinley@syr.edu

By Henry O’Brien senior staff writer

When Syracuse and Purdue faced off at the JMA Wireless Dome last season, it became the game of the year for a program that hadn’t made a bowl game since 2018. In the waning moments of what seemingly looked like a “same old Syracuse” defeat, Garrett Shrader hurled a 25-yard touchdown to tight end Oronde Gadsden II to move the Orange to 3-0 for the first time since their last postseason appearance.

SU now travels to West Lafayette with an identical record from last year when the Boilermakers came to the Dome. While the Orange already had a win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent by Week 3 in 2022, this year they played Colgate and Western Michigan, two teams they were expected to dominate.

Purdue serves as the first true test for this roster to see if Syracuse is going to be competitive against Power 5 opponents.

Here’s everything you need to know about Purdue before the Orange travel to West Lafayette:

All time series

The series is tied 1-1.

Devin Mockobee passed up a scholarship at Navy to live out his childhood dream playing for Purdue, which was three hours away from his hometown. courtesy of purdue atheltics

For the second straight season, Syracuse faces off against Purdue. The Boilermakers are 1-1 heading into their matchup with SU, dropping their opening matchup to Fresno State. hunter runk contributing photographer

PAYING TRIBUTE

By Wyatt Miller senior staff writer

The “LeQuint Allen Jr. Football and Cheer Camp” was launched just before Allen’s freshman year at Syracuse.

When his former Millville Midget Football League coach, JT Burks, introduced the idea, Allen was interested. He wanted to give back to Millville, New Jersey, from a young age. Succeeding in football was always synonymous with serving his community.

Burks sent Allen the design for the camp’s fliers, which read “LeQuint Allen.” Allen told him to add “Jr.” on the end to honor his father, who always preached giving back to the youth.

Less than a year later, LeQuint Allen Sr. was shot and killed at a home in Lawrence Township, NJ, on Feb. 14, 2023. According to syracuse.com, it happened just after Allen Jr. learned he was being investigated by SU’s O ce of Community Standards for an on-campus altercation that took place on Dec. 11, 2022. Now, Allen Jr. is back on the field, carrying the legacy of his father with “Allen Jr.” on his back.

“For him to wear his father’s name means the world to him,” said Dennis Thomas, Allen Jr.’s high school coach. “He wants to make a name not only for himself, but to show them what his father actually helped instill in him.”

His father attended every game and practice he could, and Allen Jr. said they’d try to talk before each one. Allen Sr. told his son to focus on his dreams and he’d “overcome everything,” Allen Jr. said.

Roughly six months after his father’s death, Allen Jr. was suspended by Syracuse University, likely barring him from playing in 2023. He sued the school to retain his eligibility. Burks wasn’t sure if the camp would happen.

On July 12, 2023, an SU spokesperson confirmed to Syracuse.com that the two sides had reached an agreement, reinstating Allen Jr. just two weeks before the camp began.

Allen Jr. was adamant about running it regardless of his situation. In fact, his hardships made it more important to have the camp, Burks said, to show kids that there’s always a way out.

“He really showed the importance of perseverance through everything going on in his life,” Burks said. “Just around our area there’s an uptick in guns and things like that. That’s another reason we wanted to persevere through having a camp, to kind of show solidarity amongst the youth here.”

Weeks prior to this year’s camp, 14-year-old Trah’Zir Bennett, who played in the same youth football league as Allen Jr., was shot and killed. Because of that, Allen Jr. wanted the whole community to come together on the football field.

Even when Allen Jr. didn’t have the platform, he sought out individuals to help in any way he could. In high school, Thomas said Allen Jr. chopped fi rewood at people’s farms to help them prepare for the winter. He painted people’s shutters and rain gutters. He raked yards and cut grass. Whatever they needed, he’d do it at no charge, just “out of the love of his heart,” Thomas said.

When Allen Jr. won a $1,000 prize with his New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year Award in 2023, he donated it back to the Millville Midget Football League.

“He loves to see the development of individuals, not just on the field, but o the field,” Thomas said. “He was one of those kids who had to change. He had to become a man. He loves seeing that and instilling that into the young kids to let them know that it’s not just about the football field.”

Allen Sr. served multiple sentences for crimes during Allen Jr.’s youth career, according to New Jersey court records. Allen Sr. missed some of his son’s games because of that, but their bond remained strong.

“Even if he wasn’t there, I’d talk to him before the games and have motivational talks,” Allen Jr. said. “So he was always there [for me], even if he wasn’t there in person.”

Last year, Allen Sr. went to Yankee Stadium to watch his son make his first SU start. Filling in for Sean Tucker, Allen Jr. racked up 154 total yards in the loss to Minnesota. He also set a Syracuse Bowl game record with 11 receptions, surpassing NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison’s record of seven.

Afterward, Allen Jr. shared a heartfelt moment with his dad. It seemed like everything was coming together for Allen Jr. But, less than three months later, he dealt with his father’s death and the suspension from SU.

Allen Jr. said he leaned on his faith through the tough time. Allen Sr. taught him to be strong, and “always made sure my head was right,” so that’s what he did. He continued committing himself to his community and striving for greatness, now carrying his father’s legacy.

“Everyone doesn’t have ‘LeQuint,’ so when you hear ‘LeQuint,’ it’s either me or him,” Allen Jr. said. “He’s not here no more, but with that ‘Jr.,’ I’m his seed. That’s my twin.”

In Allen Jr.’s community, a lot of kids didn’t have male role models. Although his father’s legal circumstance “wasn’t the best situation,” Allen Jr. said, his honesty and

mentorship never wavered. Neither does Allen’s. Even on 90-degree days in Millville, Allen Jr. was out there with the kids, guiding them through drills and giving pointers on reps, Burks said.

Last year, over 300 kids came to Allen Jr.’s camp for football and cheerleading drills. Adding in cheer was significant for Allen Jr., Burks said, to emphasize that everyone has a path to success through sports. This year’s camp was smaller because the planning was delayed, but they still hosted over 100 kids.

“Being in the position I am right now, I want to do that,” Allen Jr. said of giving back to the youth. “Growing up, that’s something I wanted to do. So, being able to do that and run it, it means a lot. To have that support, it means a lot.”

He’s a larger-than-life figure there, Thomas said. Whenever Allen Jr. comes back to Millville, people get excited. He attends high school and youth games, where he hardly gets a moment to himself. But if his presence is all that’s needed to make the kids excited to play sports, then he’ll be there, because “that’s just the type of person he is,” Thomas said.

“These kids are like, ‘man, we got a superstar on our sideline. He’s coming to see me,’” Thomas said. “That’s huge to have the starting running back for Syracuse University on the sideline to come watch you play football. He doesn’t have to do it, but he does.”

wbmiller@syr.edu

@wymill07

As its starting center, J’Onre Reed is SU’s ‘Big General’

By Henry O’Brien senior staff writer

In the beginning of fall camp, J’Onre Reed went up to Garrett Shrader and said he wanted to be his starting center. Reed said Shrader appreciated it and the two got on the right foot.

But he wouldn’t let Shrader forget it.

“He was liking it,” Reed said. “Because there used to be times where he was trying to leave practice. I was like, ‘Where the hell are you going?’”

The center’s comment caught Shrader o guard. Eventually, Shrader bought into it. When other o ensive linemen left practice, the two did 10 to 15 snaps. Some snaps went right

over Shrader’s head, others hit him right in the chest. By the end of fall camp, Reed was the one trying to leave practice and Shrader was the one holding him back.

Reed eventually emerged as Shrader’s starting center during fall camp. He has become a vital piece on an o ensive line which already lost its starting right tackle for an extended period of time. Being the No. 1 center for a Division-I quarterback meant Reed had to adjust his snapping style playing against high-quality defensive linemen. But Reed came to SU with a unique build, leading to the self-proclaimed nickname “Big General.”

The nickname started when Reed played football at Hutchinson Community College in

Hutchinson, Kansas in 2022. Reed said a wide receiver called him “Big General” during and after a rivalry game against Butler Community College (KS). The atmosphere was quiet, but everyone heard Reed communicating to teammates on the field.

“On that team, I knew my o ense,” Reed said. “I knew it from inside and out. I knew formations. I knew everything. So I kind of understood what we were looking for.”

But his coach at Eisenhower High School in Houston, Texas, Eric Jackson, said Reed wasn’t called the “Big General” in high school. Reed was never a vocal leader, but earned respect from his teammates through his play, Jackson said.

At Eisenhower, Reed only weighed in at 275

lbs. Despite his size, Jackson said Reed’s speed and footwork at center stood out. Since Eisenhower ran a spread o ense, Reed regularly combated with not just defensive linemen, but also linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks. Reed was a proficient zone blocker, Jackson said, key for the spread o ense.

“You’re sealing the side that you block to — A gap or B gap,” Jackson said. “And he was really good at that.”

Reed fell in love with the center position. He previously dabbled with playing guard and tackle, but as a tackle, Reed said he never liked being on an island. With guard, he realized that he had to be super aggressive. see reed page 10

After his father’s death and loom of a potential seasonlong suspension, LeQuint Allen Jr. launched a camp to help his community