the independent student newspaper of syracuse, new york | dailyorange.com
Chancellor Kent Syverud spoke to the University Senate Wednesday night, addressing the assault near Marshall Street on Friday for the first time.
N • University Senate Page 3
C • Runway return
The executive board members of the African Student Union are excited to return to an in-person “Rip the Runway,” which will include music from DJ Buka. Page 7
S • Tender greens
Syracuse groundskeepers work year-round, tending to the SU Soccer Stadium for both Syracuse soccer teams. The Daily Orange dives into a day in their lives. Page 12
‘The strength to be that flower’
Two Remembrance Scholars explain how the people they represent inspire them to be more active on and off campus
By Hannah Ferrera asst. digital editor
Matthew Sala and Lindy Melegari have more in common than being neighbors freshman year in Sadler Hall and currently living in the same house. They are both first responders and 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars.
This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack, which killed 270 people. Every year, Syracuse University selects 35 students to represent the 35 students who were killed on this flight while returning home from a study abroad program. These students, known as Remembrance Scholars, hold one of the highest honors that an undergraduate can receive.
Sala, who is from Old Bethpage, New York, is a senior psychology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is also a field supervisor for SU Ambulance and president of Phi Delta Epsilon international medical fraternity.
Sala knew he wanted to apply to be a Remembrance Scholar when he performed at the rose-laying ceremony his freshman year with Otto Tunes, an all-male a cappella group. Sala put his “heart and soul” into his application and was eventually given the title of Remembrance Scholar.
“I felt so deeply honored,” Sala said. “I’ve always had such admiration for the people who have been Remembrance Scholars.”
Sala represents Turhan Michael Ergin, a victim of the Pan Am attack. Ergin was a member of the drama
By Kyle Chouinard asst. news editor
connect
The Star Knight stands heroically, axe raised above its head, on the front page of a hand-drawn comic book stored inside a box. In the bottom left corner of the penciled drawing is a bright yellow sticker that reads “PLAINTIFF’S EXHIBIT 119.”
In the same box is a photo of the plane crash that killed the comic’s author, Kenneth Bissett. This comic and photo are two
LINDY MELEGARI (LEFT) AND MATTHEW SALA are both first responders and two of the 35 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars. wendy wang asst. photo editor
program and the lacrosse team and wrote for the sports section of a newspaper.
“One of my favorite things about getting to know (Ergin) is learning his voice,” said Sala. “He communicated his emotions so well and captured the thrill of athletics in his sports writing.”
While Ergin was abroad, he wrote a poem titled “An Ode to Thanksgiving” to express his appreciation for those he cared about. Ergin and his friends had planned to have a coming-home party after their flight had landed.
of many pictures, papers and personal belongings located in Syracuse University’s Pan Am Flight 103 Archives on the sixth floor of Bird Library. There are over 400 linear feet of material and more than 115 collections in the archives, said Vanessa St.Oegger-Menn, the Pan Am Flight 103 archivist and assistant university archivist. Besides the personal items of those killed in the tragedy, the archive holds items relating to the disaster itself, the follow -
ing investigation and the trial, St.Oegger-Menn said.
St.Oegger-Menn has worked with the Pan Am archives for over six years now. She described her experience with the collection as deeply personal.
“It’s an honor to get to be part of taking care of the legacy of those that were lost — of making sure that our current students in particular know how significant this is to SU,” she said.
Sala says that he sees a lot of connections between being a Remembrance Scholar and working with SUA.
“Students, through their own hard work and dedication, can make a real impact on the lives and experiences of other members of the community,” Sala said.
Sala said the Remembrance Scholar motto, “Look Back, Act Forward,” could be connected with his role.
“Acting inward and acting outward are really similar, in that we act for others,” said Sala. “The deep tragedy of Pan see first responders page 4
association
By Karoline Leonard asst. news editor
Around 40 members of the Syracuse University community gathered on Wednesday night to discuss their concerns surrounding safety on campus and in surrounding areas.
On Friday, a group of SU students observed and recorded three people dragging and hitting
another person on the grass outside Huntington Hall. The video circulated on Instagram, along with other videos of students’ interactions with officers from the Syracuse Police Department. SU’s Student Association decided in their meeting on Monday to hold a town hall with students and faculty, allowing them to openly
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INSIDE
The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.
NEWS
“(Frederick “Sandy” Phillips) taught me to really slow down and enjoy those things in life that you do enjoy while also pursuing your goals.” - Lindy Melegari, Remembrance Scholar Page 3
OPINION
When society hears or reads about what is going on inside or behind the lights in the prison system, some wonder what can be done to change things.” - Cliff Graham, columnist Page 5
CULTURE
“The best part of the Met Gala is that dressing nice can mean different things to different cultures.” - Aidaruus Shirwa the African Student Unions’ programming chair Page 7
SPORTS
“Our goal is to make it look like they weren’t out there. We’re invisible.” - Ryan Crawford, SU groundskeeper Page 12
COMING UP
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Erin Pineda: Seeing Like an Activist
WHEN: Thursday, 4:45-6:15 p.m.
WHERE: Virtual
WHAT: Noli Me Tangere
WHEN: Thursday, 6-8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Nancy Cantor Warehouse
WHAT: Matters that Matter with Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu
WHEN: Thursday, 7-8 p.m.
WHERE: Virtual
the independent student newspaper of syracuse, new york
The D.O. is published weekdays during
Syracuse University hosts mayoral debate
By Jordan Greene staff writer
Incumbent Mayor Ben Walsh took the stage with Democratic candidate Khalid Bey and Republican candidate Janet Burman Wednesday night for a mayoral debate.
Throughout the hour-long event hosted by Syracuse University, the candidates discussed a range of issues from policing to affordable housing.
In her opening statement, Burman discussed her experience in government, industry and charitable organizations and touched upon how her family moved to Syracuse after her husband became dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management 31 years ago.
Burman spent the first part of her career as an economist working in information technology. After coming to Syracuse, she worked as district administrator of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board.
“The reason I’m running for mayor is because I believe I have the experience and know-how to effectively lead our city as we face some of the most challenges that it has ever faced,” she said.
Bey is a Syracuse local raised in public housing and a single-parent household. In 2011, he was elected to the Syracuse Common Council.
In this role, Bey said, he’s worked on legislation for employment opportunities, public safety and warrants for inspection to hold absentee landlords accountable for poor living spaces.
“What’s interesting is that for all of those pieces of legislation I’ve mentioned, they are the prime issues we’re talking about here today right now,” he said. “I think it demonstrates my understanding of what our needs are.”
Walsh discussed the promise he made four years ago to set aside partisanship and divisiveness. He expressed his plan to continue helping the city grow if reelected.
In response to a report from syracuse.com that showed two Syracuse police investigators lied during an interrogation to get a false confession out of a drunk man, both Walsh and Bey agreed that the police need to be held to the same standard as the rest of the community.
Walsh said that people often talk about either doing police reform or focusing on public safety, but he
believes the city must do both.
“As elected officials, I always say that if we breathe wrong there may be a headline in the newspaper,” Bey said. “If we can’t breathe wrong, nobody can breathe wrong. We’re all held accountable for the same rules and the same penalties.”
Burman said she hasn’t ever been comfortable with police lying, but she said she recognizes that there are times when those tactics are necessary. She said she wouldn’t discipline the officer as they were working to fight crimes.
The candidates then discussed a recent policing profile report that showed that the Syracuse Police Department stopped Black people approximately seven times more than white people but were more likely to pull over someone if they were white.
Bey believes the current policy isn’t working. He said that there needs to be more accountability and training so that innocent people stop getting put in bad positions.
Burman agreed the city needs to adopt new policies for police. She added that patrol officers need to be assigned on a consistent basis in
specific neighborhoods.
“We need to change the culture so that people feel comfortable providing tips and leads, and we can rely less on these stops,” Burman said.
Walsh said ending police profiling starts with being transparent and sharing information. He also believes that having residency in the police contract is important, while Burman disagreed.
All three candidates have said that public safety would be a top concern in their administration. But during the debate, each candidate included one other issue the next mayor needs to do to help people feel safer in Syracuse.
Walsh wants to work with the county to address mental health conditions that are often underlying criminal cases, but Bey said reconfiguring resources for the police department and putting more officers in the field is the solution.
In reference to a question about SPD’s budget, Walsh said Syracuse needs to pay officers a competitive wage. In addition to negotiating police salary, the city is negotiating police residency requirements, incentives
see mayor page 4
Syverud addresses Marshall Street assault
By Richard Perrins asst. news editor
None of those involved in the attack on Marshall Street Friday have been confirmed as Syracuse University students, Chancellor Kent Syverud said at a University Senate meeting Wednesday.
Videos that circulated on social media on Saturday and Sunday showed three people dragging and hitting a person outside Huntington Hall, but Bobby Maldonado, the chief of SU’s Department of Public Safety, did not send a campus-wide email addressing the incident until Sunday. The university is working with the Syracuse Police Department to analyze security footage and evidence circulating on social media,
Syverud said, but the investigation is still ongoing.
Syverud encouraged anyone with information to inform the DPS. He also said that any SU students found to be involved in the attack will face immediate repercussions.
Addressing concerns about sexual assault on campus, which have sparked protests in recent months, Syverud said the university’s student experience team has been working with leadership in the Office of Community Standards — formerly the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities — to review the reporting process. The two groups are still awaiting guidance on Title IX from the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, Syverud announced that the Forever Orange campaign has
How to vote in the mayoral election
By Nick Robertson senior staff writer
Election Day is Nov. 2. But a week of early voting starts this Saturday, Oct. 23 for New York. Six polling places will be open throughout Onondaga County from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31. This year’s ballot is headlined by the race for Syracuse mayor, where incumbent Ben Walsh will face Democrat Khalid Bey and Republican Janet Burman. All 17 seats of the Onondaga County Legislature are also up for election, with a contested race in every seat, as well as a number of Syracuse Common Council seats and a variety of suburban municipal offices.
In the Common Council, Councilor-at-Large Bey gave up his council seat to run for Mayor, and Joe Carni, councilor for the 1st district, will leave the council to pursue a county legislature seat in East Syracuse. Councilor-at-Large Ronnie White Jr. lost his primary election. Any voter eligible for the Nov. 2 election can vote early at any polling place, no excuse required. The voting process is the same as on Election Day. Check your voter registration here.
Where and when to vote
Six locations are open at varying times between Saturday, Oct. 23 and Oct. 31.
• Camillus Town Hall Gym, 4600 W. Genesee St., Syracuse
• Clay Town Hall Courtroom, 4401 Route 31, Clay
• DeWitt Town Hall Courtroom, 5400 Butternut Dr., East Syracuse
• LaFayette Fire Station #1 (Rear Entrance), 2444 Route 11 South, LaFayette
• Armond Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park, 2300 Grant Blvd, Syracuse
• Syracuse Community Connection (Southwest Community Center), 401-425 South Ave, Syracuse Locations are open at different times depending on the day.
• Saturday, Oct. 23: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 24: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 25: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 26: noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 27: noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 28: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 29: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 30: 10
Syracuse Mayor • Khalid Bey (D)
• Janet Burman (R) • Ben Walsh (Independent)*
City Court Judge
• Erica T. Clarke (D) • Jason B. Zeigler (R)
President of Syracuse Common Council • Woodruff Carroll (R)
Helen Hudson (D)*
Syracuse Common Council, At-Large (select
BEN WALSH, JANET BURMAN AND KHALID BEY attended the three-hour debate held by Syracuse University. The three fielded questions relating to policing, New York State’s upcoming gubernatorial election and affordable housing. jordan greene staff writer KENT SYVERUD said
Am Flight 103 taught us the power of community and the things that people can achieve … just how profound of an effect our actions can have on others, in both the positive and negative lessons.”
Melegari, a bioengineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science on a pre-med track, is a senior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to being a Remembrance Scholar, she wears hats in many organizations, including the studentrun theatre organization First Year Players, a cappella group The Mandarins and Ottothon. Along with her other responsibilities, Melegari is an EMT for the Manlius Fire Department.
Elizabeth Acquaah-Harrison, a 2021-22 Remembrance Scholar, represents Bissett.
Before entering the archives, Remembrance Scholars attend a training on how to properly engage with all the materials, Acquaah-Harrison said. She was prepared for the archives to be an emotional experience, she said, but she did not truly grasp how emotional it would be until her first day in the archive’s reading room.
The room only contains some tables, a front desk and a bookshelf along with a few other scattered items. Guests cannot bring writing materials from outside the room. Viewers
discuss their questions, concerns and ideas in order to address safety on and around campus.
SA’s town hall was attended by members of the Office of Student Living, SU’s administration, SA members and SU students, in addition to Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado.
Many students in attendance agreed having Maldonado and members of the administration at the town hall was “huge.” But many wished SPD was in attendance since the department is handling the case as well as the complaints regarding the officers who responded.
Students expressed frustration over a lack of accountability with SPD, since the department does not communicate directly with students. SA Vice President Darnelle Stinfort later said they will work on holding a future town hall with SPD.
“We are going to see if we can partner with Syracuse Police to have them come to speak so we can see their side,” Stinfort said. “That would give a lot of clarification on their jurisdiction and just their whole approach to students on campus.”
Maldonado detailed what officers cur -
for speaking multiple languages and educational opportunities.
While Walsh and Bey said they would support Gov. Kathy Hochul in the governor’s election next year, Burman said she would support Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican who is currently representing New York’s 1st congressional district.
The candidates talked about doing a city-run realignment of properties to create more affordable housing, but Walsh said that’s not the most
Like Sala, she believes that her involvement as an EMT and her role as a Remembrance Scholar go hand-in-hand. She said that many people don’t realize how often acts of terrorism are included in the EMT training course. She believes that as both an EMT and a Remembrance Scholar, she is able to help one person at a time.
Melegari knew that she wanted to be a Remembrance Scholar but was nervous to apply. But if she did not apply, she knew she would always wonder what would have happened if she was given the honor.
“I put that fear aside and I was like, you know what, you’ve got to show them you,” said Melegari.
Melegari said her mom, who constantly reminds her of her self-worth, motivated her
of the archive use white cloth gloves when viewing delicate items such as photos. It’s a controlled, quiet environment.
“I gave myself about an hour and a half, thinking I’d be able to get through two boxes in that time,” she said. “I probably got through like half of one box just because you have to take a moment to reflect and connect.”
On Friday, Oct. 22, the archive will hold a pop-up exhibition on the sixth floor of Bird Library from 10 a.m. to noon.
“We’ll bring out some materials that speak to the types of reference questions that we get most frequently,” St.Oegger-Menn said.
Samantha Armetta is another 2021-22 Remembrance Scholar, who represents
rently know of the event based on evidence from nearby cameras.
Maldonado said the cameras showed three young people who DPS believes to be teenagers and “not of college-age yet,” meeting two other people, who appeared to be in their twenties, outside of Varsity Pizza. After what seemed to be an altercation, the three teenagers ran and were chased by the two others and their friends. One of the teenagers was separated, slowed down and was eventually jumped by the four others, Maldonado said. The group eventually started hitting him while he was pinned on the ground. SPD was called and then reported to the scene. Maldonado said the incident that occurred is considered a fight at this time, not an assault. All of those involved, including the person on the ground in the video, scattered once the police arrived, Maldonado said.
Maldonado also said that DPS cannot determine the race of the individual on the ground in the video. He said the person could be white with a darker complexion, Latino or Black. Neither DPS nor SPD could determine the man’s race for certain, Maldonado said.
Students said there were claims an officer was nearby who witnessed the event and chose
effective strategy. Bey said understanding the consequences that may end up putting people in tighter financial situations is most important. Burman said that the realignment would be expensive and quickly be out of date.
All three candidates said they believe that improving affordable housing comes from improving current housing.
Bey said that neighborhood revitalization — including improving walkability in the city — is the key. He said many people from Syracuse’s Southside neighborhood often choose to drive to run errands when local options are
to apply. When she received the email that she was given the scholarship, she was overjoyed.
Melegari represents Frederick “Sandy” Phillips, who had a playful personality and was known for pulling pranks on one of his professors. Melegari relates to Phillips through their silly personalities and love for the guitar.
Melegari felt so connected to Phillips that she decided to get a tattoo on her arm of Phillips’ name, seat number on the flight and a poem he wrote. The poem reads:
“Flowers that bloom know their beauty Will be short lived and that soon they Must return to the earth to nourish Other living things.
Alexander Lowenstein. For Armetta, the archives solidified the emotional impact of the Pan Am Flight 103.
“The first thing that I opened was one of the journals that (Lowenstein) had with him on the plane. And I sat there for good, probably five minutes without even touching the journal and just teared up,” she said. “He was a person that was just like me, 21 years old on this campus, and it just hit me there that everything was so real.”
Armetta said she has a special connection to Lowenstein, as her father worked with Lowenstein for the two summers before he died.
“If I go to the archives, (I tell my dad) ‘I learned about Alex today. … This was his favorite song,’ or ‘This is what he did that summer,’” Armetta said.
to do nothing. Maldonado said that, according to the video footage they have of the event, they could not see any police cars or officers in the area. He did say, however, three or four minutes after the initial event was called in, four cars were in the area responding to the event.
Some students were especially concerned with their safety, and they questioned Maldonado, asking him specifically about the jurisdictions of DPS and SPD. The students said they cannot be expected to feel safe when DPS will not respond to calls if students are attacked on Marshall Street or other areas outside DPS’ jurisdiction. Maldonado said that even if DPS is not in its jurisdiction, if they see something, they will do something.
“We are going to intervene — there’s no doubt about that,” Maldonado said. “We will call the Syracuse Police Department, but we will still take action.”
Rob Hradsky, the vice president of student experience and dean of students, responded to students’ concerns regarding how the people in the video will be reprimanded if they are caught and found to be SU students.
“(Violence) has absolutely no place here, and we will handle that in a very severe way,” he said.
available within walking distance.
“I agree with Councilor Bey’s point that if we were doing our job with neighborhood development that there would be a lot more opportunity for employment, as well as day-to-day activities such as shopping,” Burman said. “But we also have to look at new ways of transportation.”
Walsh said that a quarter of the Syracuse population doesn’t have access to a private vehicle, and he wants to continue pushing Centro to establish a bus-rapid transportation system, which would make public transportation more efficient.
Burman said the city needs to provide alter-
Alive with the color and warmth of the Sun, they ask only that we stop for a moment to draw in their fragrance and beauty. Have the strength to be that Flower.”
This poem is a reminder in Melegari’s everyday life to not stress about the future and enjoy the present moment.
“He’s taught me to really slow down and enjoy those things in life that you do enjoy while also pursuing your goals,” said Melegari. “He really taught me … live in the moment … let your color and beauty out, and be able to do other things than having just one goal — don’t let that goal define you.”
hcferrer@syr.edu
“It’s been really really special … sharing this with my father as well and my entire family.”
When she was a freshman, Armetta visited the Place of Remembrance with her father.
“He’s normally very stoic, and we both just looked at his name. I could tell we were both just thinking about Alex,” she said. “It was a moment where I saw my dad show some emotion … for the first time.”
Armetta said the archives served as a bridge to understanding Lowenstein.
“Without the archives, I don’t think I would have had as much of an emotional connection as I would have with Alex,” Armetta said. kschouin@syr.edu @kyle_chouinard
Students offered suggestions to DPS about campus safety. Some suggested increased patrolling in off-campus neighborhoods and areas of the city students commonly congregate. Maldonado said increased patrolling already exists on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, not a result of the recent events.
Others said that policing is not the answer and instead suggested SU create a task force with professionals who specialize in crisis management, mental health and talking down potentially hostile situations. Cerri Banks, the vice president of student success, reminded students that SU is not a “utopia.”
Banks said the university cannot make any changes to SPD, but she, Hradsky and Maldonado are making note of all of the students’ suggestions and will take them back for review.
“Sometimes we think ‘Well, the university should be a place where there is no racism’ … and it should be, but evidently, it’s not,” Banks said. “There are challenges. We can work together though to address the challenges, and what is really helpful is the information you provide (and) the suggestions you give.” kaleonar@syr.edu @karolineleo_
native housing for people that might be affected by Interstate 81 construction. Walsh said he wants to make sure local people are working on this project through the Syracuse Build Initiative, which is helping marginalized local residents to go into trades of their choice.
“We don’t know what the disturbance will be like,” Bey said. “And I think communicating that with the people what that could look like when that viaduct starts to come down — what that disturbance may be — is very key so they can at least get acclimated.”
jgreen31@syr.edu
raised over $1 billion toward its goal of $1.5 billion, surpassing the previous campaign’s total.
Diane Murphy, the dean of Falk College, encouraged faculty and student representatives to provide input on the drafted plan for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, which was released on Monday.
Murphy said the plan has been in prog-
• Amir Gethers (D)
• Kayla Johnson (Working Families)
• Randy Potter (R)
• Norm Snyder (R)
ress since Aug. 19, when Syverud announced the task force that would work on the draft. The final reports will be issued in early December after the campus engages with the draft plan and provides input.
Gretchen Ritter — SU’s vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer — addressed the senate, explaining her values and commitments she wants to follow in her tenure at SU.
Two of Ritter’s values were the centrality of the academic enterprise and academic excellence.
“It’s through our faculty and stu -
Syracuse Common Council, 1st District
• Jennifer Schultz (D)
• Josh Davis (R)
Syracuse Common Council, 2nd District
• Pat Hogan (D)*
• Jose Marrero (Community Unity Movement)
dents that we make a real difference in the world,” Ritter said. “It’s through the research and creative work of our faculty that we expand the frontiers of knowledge and discovery and further human understanding. It’s through the educational opportunities that we provide to our students that we help to prepare them as future leaders.”
Ritter also committed to being transparent and developing trust with the senate.
She announced that a review of SU’s Cluster
Syracuse Commissioner of Education (select three)
• Twiggy Billue (D)
• Nyatwa Bullock (D)
• Karen Cordano (D)
• Michael Hunter (R)
• Susan McCormick (R)
• Gia Palermo (R)
Hires Initiative will be led by Cole Smith, the dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Jamie Winders, a professor in the geography department of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
The senate also approved Jorge Castillo as co-chair of the LGTBQA Justice and Advocacy Committee and Yousr Dhaouadi, president of the Graduate Student Organization, as a student voice on the Agenda Committee. rcperrin@syr.edu @richardperrins2
State Supreme Court Justice, 5th District
• Anthony Brindisi (D)
• Danielle Fogel (R)
njrobert@syr.edu
@NickRobertsonSU
OPINION
If you feel trapped by injustices, you should never lose hope
By Cliff Graham columnist
Absence of Light is a project created in collaboration with incarcerated people at Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. This is an account from Absence of Light Columnist Clifford Graham, who recently transferred to Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York. In this miniseries within Absence of Light, Graham describes the paradoxes he sees within the prison system.
When society hears or reads about what is going on inside or behind the lights in the prison system, some wonder what can be done to change things. Others turn a blind eye, accompanied by those who feel nothing should be done. For us in prison, we hear and see from the media the efforts being taken to expose and correct the injustices that have been occurring. But there is something missing.
In the world of geometry, we are taught about measurements of solids,
surfaces, lines, points and angles. The mazes that have been set before us by those who oppose reform efforts have taken on different points and angles. Instead, let us turn away from the horizontal way of navigating and turn our attention to the vertical mazes that they have been formulating.
In my address to the prison population, to those who have found themselves entrapped in a never ending maze, floors made of treadmills, walls made of black mirrors. To those who don’t know what questions to ask and shake the foundations of those who would dare to answer them.
To those who don’t know what questions to ask, thereby missing the answer that stands before them. To those who have eyes that see injustices occur, but their voices are clamped down by fear of making their circumstances far worse.
To those who have had to endure the overwhelming restrictions that prison officials imposed during the pandemic, so much so that some felt death was a better place to exist.
To those who feel they would
never see society ever again because of the length of the sentence given by the courts from immature decisions made in their youth. To those who have lost countless loved ones to the violence in the streets, wishing they were there to forewarn them of the consequences. To those whose thoughts are so heavy that they have caused imbalances so out of sync that no expert can explain the cause or long-term effect. To those who have never felt the warmth that love has had to offer and became accustomed to the cold seasons of pain. To those who have kept hope alive and are near their return to a world that has evolved and transformed into a blueprint for those seeking a straighter path.
I would tell you what Paulo Coelho explained in Manual of the Warrior of the Light: “The warrior of the light is a believer. Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain he can find love, love appears. Now and then, he is disappointed. Sometimes
he gets hurt, then he hears people say: he is so ingenious. But the warrior knows that it is worth it. For every defeat he has two victories in his favor. All believers know this.”
Cliff Graham, # 15-B-2973
Syracuse, New York. Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York. I can be reached at JPay-Inmate Tablet Program via email for any opinions, comments or wise counsel.
Marshall Street incident exposed flaws of Syracuse police
By Julia Kahen columnist
Three words can say a lot.
On Saturday, a video was posted on Instagram of a group of three people violently attacking another person outside Syracuse University’s Huntington Hall. The victim desperately wailed, “Check my pockets!” as the three people seemingly accused the victim of stealing their wallets.
The distress in the victim’s voice is painfully apparent in the video. The video recorded the person saying these three words, which is more than enough to show the disturbing reality of the incident. As the group of people continued to beat the victim, dragging and hitting them, they didn’t stop to address the victim’s words. In the video, the perpetrators do not even check the pockets of the individual for their wallets. Instead, they continue to brutally attack them.
Two SU freshmen, Nina Tran and Brian Cohen, filmed the attack. After the attack occurred, they spoke to police officers from the Syracuse Police Department, filming their interaction with them. Tran and Cohen expressed frustration with SPD’s lack of action in trying to catch the attackers. In response, Syracuse police officer Connor Kniffin apathetically said, “What are we supposed to do if he does not want to talk to us?”
The SPD officers on scene should have done much more in this situation. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that they have failed to properly address injustice. Kniffin,
who was on scene for this incident, received a written reprimand for lack of action in another instance on Sept. 14, 2020, when SPD Officer Michael Birklin shoved a civilian in the face and received a 15 day suspension for violating four separate rules. Kniffin failed to include a use of force report when filing reports related to the incident.
Another SPD officer sarcastically responded to Tran and Cohen by asking, “Am I just supposed to start tracking everyone down all of a sudden?”
As Tran and Cohen continued to communicate their anger at the lack of justice that occurred, as an SPD officer can be seen scoffing at them in the video.
SPD’s blatant lack of respect for the concerns of community members is unacceptable. As students and residents of Syracuse, we should feel protected and respected by SPD. If our own police department shows minimal concern for the safety of Syracuse residents, incidents like these will unfortunately continue to occur.
Shayan Bachani, a freshman at SU, commented on how hearing about the attack affected his perception of safety on campus. “It’s very concerning and this should not happen. I feel scared. the Syracuse Police Department has to wake the f*ck up,” he said.
SPD’s mission statement is to “ prevent crime, enforce the laws, and understand the needs of the community, while providing professional service with ethical treatment for everyone.” The actions of the SPD offi-
cers present at the incident on Friday have undermined every aspect of this.
To “prevent crime” moving forward, SPD should step in when there is an ongoing assault, even if the victim does not want to press charges against the perpetrators. It is against the law to assault someone, but SPD did not take appropriate action following the attack near Marshall Street. If SPD truly understood the needs of the community, the officers would have known that
Emily Steinberger EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
action would need to have been taken. It is a basic need of residents of SU and Syracuse to feel safe in their community. Moreover, SPD surely did not provide “professional service,” as an officer scoffed at Tran and Cohen’s concerns.
SPD needs to do better. Its actions on Saturday were unacceptable, and the officers involved need to be held accountable. When students choose to attend SU, they should not have to consider the lack of safety and
protection on and around campus as a reason for not coming to SU. Students should be able to expect a safe place where they can learn and live their normal lives, not a place where attackers are allowed to roam free without any consequences.
Julia Kahen is a freshman news, magazine and digital journalism and political science dual major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at jskahen@syr.edu.
Those who oppose reform have made life difficult for incarcerated people. courtesy of cliff graham
The Syracuse Police Department must do better. Its actions on Oct. 15 were unacceptable, and the officers involved need to be held accountable, meghan hendricks asst. photo editor
CULTURE
Return to runway
The African Student Union’s “Rip the Runway” will showcase a diverse array of clothing, participants and music on Sunday evening
By Amer Mousa contributing writer
Aidaruus Shirwa, the African Student Union’s programming chair, is excited for his organization to host the annual “Rip the Runway” fashion show in person this year. ASU hosted last year’s installment of the show on Zoom due to the pandemic.
“The diversity we have with performers, models and designers
By Dakota Chambers asst. copy editor
A harmony of laughter, crying and cheers. Bothersome buzzing from an audience member who didn’t silence their phone. Applause when the credits roll. These types of shared experiences were lost when the pandemic began, and movie theaters and film festivals around the world shut down in-person screenings.
“There’s something about being in person and that visceral experience of watching a film together and laughing together and crying together and just sharing together, that you just don’t have (when you’re) sitting on your couch watching on your phone,” said John Ginty, president of the Syracuse International
Film Festival.
is going to make the show really entertaining,” Shirwa said. Models, designers and performers will be at ASU’s “Rip the Runway” fashion show this Sunday. This year’s theme is “The Met” and ASU will be providing “the ultimate Met Gala experience” in Goldstein Auditorium at 6:30 p.m., according to an ASU Instagram post. Tickets are available for $5 on Syracuse University’s online box office or through the link on ASU’s Instagram page.
The Syracuse International Film Festival, established in 2003, brings filmmakers, film experts and creators from around the world to the Syracuse community. Its mission is to captivate, entertain and educate the community by putting together events related to or involving films. In 2020, the festival shifted to be entirely virtual because of the pandemic. But this year’s film festival is being held in person from Oct. 22-24. The theme is “Intermission Is Now Over. You May Now Return to Your Love of Film.”
In-person film screenings begin Friday at 5 p.m. and continue until Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Redhouse Theater on South Salina Street. Syracuse University and SUNY-
Whitney Sossou, the president of ASU and a senior at SU, said the organization’s members like to pay attention to trends in pop culture, which is how they were inspired to do a Met Gala theme.
“The Met Gala has been a theme that ASU has wanted to do in the past, but we didn’t have the funding to create it,” Sossou said. “Thankfully, this year we were able to have the funding to create the experience.”
The Met Gala is an annual
ESF students can attend Sunday’s showings, which will be held on campus at the Shemin Auditorium in Shaffer Hall, for free, SIFF board member Jeff Meyer said.
Ginty thinks the theme encapsulates the general public’s feelings on watching films in person now that more theaters are re-opening. He remembered watching a YouTube clip of an audience reaction to the film “Avengers: Endgame” and realizing how much those experiences were lacking in the age of streaming and virtual film screenings.
“We all just kind of took a break from what (we considered to be) the norm,” Ginty said. “But once those things were gone, we all missed them immensely.”
SIFF’s programming for the 2021 festival will bring those
Salt City Market hosts poet
By Kasey O’Rourke staff writer
Though Kofi Antwi is wary of it sounding cliche, he believes poetry has always been within him. When Antwi recounts his childhood, he remembers creating storylines for his toys.
“As a writer, I started to realize it’s great to write abstract and colorful images, but you also have to write in concrete and discuss reality,” Antwi said.
Last night at a Small Press Reading Series at Salt City Market, Antwi — who has been published in various literary magazines including great weather for MEDIA and Rigorous — delivered a selection of his poems to college students, poetry lovers, friends and family. Colgate University and Syracuse University Libraries hosted the event in partnership with Write Out Syracuse.
With a low vibrato and presence that commanded the room, Antwi delivered moving excerpts from his poems, which are inspired by his Ghanaian heritage, Brooklyn and Staten Island upbringing, Black identity and hope for change. He’s candid with the fact that it might not always be a light listen for all.
“Some of my poetry is uncomfortable; it addresses things that make people uncomfortable. But that’s poetry. That’s poetry at its core,” Antwi said.
His delivery stayed strong, despite spurts of a whining toddler in the back of the room who would later be revealed as his son.
“Now that my son has departed I can actually hear myself … A rookie mistake I now know not to do,” he joked mid-poem.
While Antwi exudes confidence and success nowadays, that was not always the case for the 33-year-old poet. His entry years into poetry were filled with hesitation and uncertainty. It wasn’t until Antwi joined Open Moments, Utica College’s poetry club, that he was inspired by the courageousness and fearlessness of fellow poets to translate his voice into this medium.
feelings and experiences back for film audiences, Ginty said. The schedule is packed with films of many different genres made by a diverse group of filmmakers.
Meyer, who is considered the SIFF’s resident genre film expert, said there is one film horror fans can be excited for at this year’s screenings: “Willy’s Wonderland.” Genre films are commonly horror, fantasy, Western and other genres that don’t get mainstream award or film festival recognition.
“Willy’s Wonderland” features Nicolas Cage in his first non-speaking lead role. The SIFF program describes Cage’s character as a disgruntled janitor at an abandoned amusement park who fights against “demonic
Growing up in a West African household also didn’t provide the warmest welcome into careers outside of being a doctor, lawyer or engineer, Antwi said. It was a trip back to Ghana two Christmases ago, however, when Antwi came to terms with his identity and its role in his poetry.
“I love traveling back to Ghana,” Antwi said. “Every time I go back to Ghana, I feel rejuvenated. It gives me the sense of knowledge of myself.”
It also wasn’t until this trip in 2019 that Antwi felt his debut book of poems “Tidal Wave” was ready to be published, a book Jacob Gedetsis — who helped plan the reading at the market — praised in his introduction of Antwi on Tuesday evening.
Gedetsis serves as the co-founder and director of Write Out, the community writing collective that planned the event. Write Out
There will be more diversity within the models’ age range and garments’ styles at the “Rip the Runway” fashion show on Sunday than in previous years, ASU president Whitney Sossou said.
The new dramedy anthology film from writer and director Wes Anderson, “The French Dispatch,” premieres on Friday. Two weekends ago, though, it showed at the New York Film Festival. “The French Dispatch” presents three different storylines from a fictional magazine under the same name. All of the stories shown throughout the film are based around the magazine’s supposedly final issue.
Each account brings us into the world of Ennui-sur-Blasé, an imaginary city based in France that’s undergoing extreme social, political and environmental change. As we see very little of Ennui-sur-Blasé and the contemporary adjustments mentioned above, the audience is rapidly transported into a world of journalistic stimulation.
Through the lens of cinematographer Robert Yeoman and the dazzling production design by Adam Stockhausen, “The French Dispatch’s” visual approach is carried out in ways only Wes Anderson and his team of
fundraising gala for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City, and it is considered one of the most exclusive and sought-after events to attend.
Shirwa likes that this year’s theme will allow for designers and models to showcase elements of various cultures from around the world.
“The best part of the Met Gala is that dressing nice can mean different things to different cultures. We want people to dress how they see fit,” he said.
Attendees are encouraged to dress to fit “The Met” inspired theme, which Shirwa
creatives can successfully execute. While artistically stunning — perhaps the most beautiful-looking Wes Anderson film to date — “The French Dispatch” contains the same, traditional formulas that make his pictures distinct, but it creates a more frustrating and exhausting viewing experience than usual.
The stories told in “The French Dispatch” are the filmmaker’s love letters to journalism, along with a breathable commentary on journalists’ attempts to present the world through typed expression.
Its premises and characters are based on various prominent figures in the origin of The New Yorker magazine. The main editor of the French Dispatch publication is Arthur Howitzer Jr., played by Bill Murray, and based on none other than New Yorker co-founder and editor-in-chief Harold Ross. One story is based on the infamous May 1968 student occupation protests, another inspired by art dealer Lord Duveen, while Jeffrey Wright’s character, Roebuck Wright, is adapted from the writings and personal characteristics of A.J. Liebling and James Baldwin.
described as “dressing to impress the most important person — which is yourself, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
On Instagram, ASU teased four of the seven designers showing garments that will be in the show. In the post, designers described their work as “fresh” and “crafted to make you feel confident.”
“Students should expect a lot of diversity at ‘Rip the Runway,’ especially in terms of the garment they’ll be seeing and the music that’ll be playing,” Sossou said. “We were also diverse in the selection of our models. In years past, most of our models have been older, but this year we have a better representation of all classes.”
In preparation for this year’s return to the live show, the e-board selected models,
Each anecdote in the film delivers the usual quirkiness that thrives in Anderson’s pictures, and the technical bliss that comes off as incredibly ambitious and wonderfully dizzy: varying aspect ratio change, abrupt animated sequences and glorious set pieces at an Anderson-y peak. There’s a scene in which you have to look at one half of the screen, while you listen to a narration describe what’s on the other half of the screen, while having to read subtitles from another scene occurring in a little tiny corner of the screen — as if Anderson is forcing you to come back to this movie multiple times for this scene alone.
But the film is so Wes Anderson that it feels like the ultimate parody of his entire filmography, and not in all the positive lights that shone on his earlier body of work.
Most of Anderson’s previously-told criticisms were on the artificiality of his characters, in terms of a lack of true attachment, emotion or relatability. The emotional identities of Anderson’s new characters — played by a conglomerate of an ensemble cast including Bill Murray, Tilda
designers and performers that they thought would make for an exciting evening, said Nana Ofori, a senior and ASU’s fiscal agent.
DJ Buka will be providing a playlist custom-made for the occasion. He considers himself “the product of music and traditional African culture fused together,” according to his website. Buka, an Afrobeats DJ, has worked with the likes of Burna Boy and Fetty Wap.
“There’s a lot more anticipation and excitement this year, but we’ve been planning this event for a while, so we know we’ll surpass students’ expectations,” Ofori said.
Dylan Antigua, a senior, said that being a model in “The Met” has been a “fulfilling” experience because he gets to be involved on
film fest
animatronics” to make it out of the park alive.
The film will be screened on Friday at 9 p.m. in Theater 1, followed by a live Q&A with the film’s director, Kevin Lewis. Meyer connected with Lewis this spring after screening his film at the Finger Lakes Drive-In.
“I got some movie posters from the studio, and actually, I sold one on eBay, and the person who bought that poster was the director of the movie,” Meyer said.
Festival passes are sold on the SIFF website for single-day, single-event or singlescreening increments. One “block” ticket, valid for any 2-hour block during the weekend, is $15. A pass for full access to every film shown is $50.
In addition to film screenings, SIFF holds workshops for aspiring writers, directors, producers and anyone else looking to break into the film and TV industries. One highlight of this year’s workshops is a writers workshop with Nick Bernardone on Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. at the Redhouse Theater.
Bernardone is a Syracuse native and Emmy-nominated writer who has worked on shows like “30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt” and “Fear the Walking Dead.” He also taught dramatic writing at New York
Swinton, Benicio del Toro and many more — contain the exact same forms of criticisms, artificiality in its prime.
This inevitable phrase, “style over substance,” that critique of “The French Dispatch’’ invokes hasn’t been an issue over his last nine features, films that exceptionally mix the two, such as “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore” or “The Royal Tenenbaums.” As the director gradually discovered his new production methods, as well as the addition of co-writer Roman Coppola instead of frequent collaborator Owen Wilson, the whimsical energies of his last few pictures have never been so obvious and singular.
Compared to 2014’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” — a masterclass of bringing together both visual and thematic elements that make the film as incredible as it is — “The French Dispatch” is an overflow of Wes Anderson tropes that’s ultimately deemed disappointing and woozy. It goes to show the filmmaker’s technical brilliance but is a dissatisfying section of the filmmaker’s routine.
michaelreedlieberman@gmail.com
campus while doing something that sparks his interests.
“ASU’s fashion show has always been great during my time here at SU, and I thought senior year would be the perfect time to audition and try to walk in it,” Antigua said.
Ofori said he’s excited the event is just around the corner. The event allows attendees to engage with African culture and with other students.
“This is an event you don’t want to miss,” Ofori said. “It’s not just displaying African culture. It’s an event for all students to come together and engage in a culture fashion show. If celebrities can engage in these events, why can’t students?” aamousa@syr.edu
University’s Tisch School of the Arts during the 2018-19 academic year.
The workshop will conclude with a screening of one of Bernardone’s episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead.” Admission to the seminar is $50, and attendees also receive a signed original limited poster designed by artist James P. McCampbell.
Any aspiring film students attending this weekend’s workshops or screenings should talk to as many people as they can when attending these events, Meyer said.
“You will find people that you could potentially partner up with down the road, either making a movie here, making a music video or whatever,” he said.
Ginty believes hosting an expansive film festival is a special opportunity for a smaller city like Syracuse. He said it’s important for members of the community to take advantage of the wide range of worldwide talent that’s about to arrive on their doorstep.
“(SIFF showcases) the talent of artists to people that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to see that,” Ginty said. “Ultimately, the goal of every filmmaker is to share this story, this experience, these moments that they’ve created, with the world.”
dakota@dailyorange.com
@thekotacola
engages university students in community outreach within the Syracuse area school systems as well as on SU’s campus. He found the location within downtown’s Salt City Market to be out of the box of the typical campus venues.
“We felt lucky to have Kofi Antwi joining us today, and he’s new to the area so it was a great and warm welcome for a new poet who’s calling Syracuse home,” Gedetsis said.
Event attendee Lauren Cooper is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English Literature at SU and is also involved in Write Out, which she described as a “community-based writing collective” that started with after school writing programs.
“We would go to specific community center sites once a week after school and work with students, like young kids, and just write poetry and tell stories, draw pictures,” Cooper said. After the reading, as he reflected on his journey as a man to lead him to this point of being a celebrated and published poet, Antwi reminded himself that “it takes some time before we as writers realize, we are where we want to be.”
Antwi is distinct in the separation of life and writing, though he acknowledged there is overlap, and his work is a representation of who he is.
“What I believe should be spoken about and articulated even through creative mediums like poetry. And, I think that’s the beauty of it, right?” Antwi said.
kaseyor@gmail.com
Syracuse women’s ice hockey CHA competition preview
By Adam McCaffery asst. digital editor
On Saturday Syracuse fell to No. 3 Colgate by multiple goals for the second time that week. The Orange lost by six and three goals respectively, but they showed improvement and flashes of potential in their second loss to one of the best teams in the country.
Freshman Madison Primeau scored two of her three goals this season in the Colgate series, and in the second game the team showed defensive improvement, winning the faceoff battle and holding the Red Raiders to two fewer goals. To prepare for conference play, Syracuse played a tough nonconference schedule.
The Orange also lost and tied St. Lawrence — which is currently 2-2-2 overall — in a season opening home and away series. The Saints’ only lost to Clarkson, which Syracuse lost to in overtime twice. Clarkson also received 21 votes to be in the top 10 as of Oct. 18.
The Orange have less than one week to
football
regroup before beginning playing Lindenwood in the 20th anniversary season of Conference Hockey America. Looking ahead at the overall record of its CHA opponents, Syracuse is at the middle of the pack and will have a tough task ahead to rise to the top. The Orange have gone 1-4-2 in nonconference play so far this season and will play Lindenwood and RIT, both of which are undefeated, followed by series against Penn State and Mercyhurst, which both finished top two in the conference last season.
Syracuse hasn’t had a losing conference record since the 2011-12 season when the Orange finished 1-8-3. Since then, Syracuse has posted a 98-57-20 record in the past nine seasons under head coach Paul Flanagan.
Last year Syracuse compiled eight conference wins and one tie against conference foes, finishing fourth in the conference behind Mercyhurst, Robert Morris and Penn State. This season before conference play begins, Syracuse sits in a similar position, with the third-best overall record in the conference
behind Penn State and Mercyhurst.
But the conference looks different this season, as Robert Morris’ hockey program was cut due to lack of funding as well as a number of other factors, according to TribLive. Syracuse starting goaltender Arielle DeSmet transferred from Robert Morris and has provided a major lift, as Syracuse has recorded 183 saves so far this season.
With Robert Morris no longer being in the conference, Syracuse will only play 16 regular season conference games instead of its usual 20.
Syracuse’s first two conference series look to be advantageous to get its second win of the year, as Lindenwood and RIT haven’t won any games this season. Both teams have given up a combined 87 goals. Syracuse, Penn State and Mercyhurst have only given up 48.
The Orange’s next conference series is against last year’s regular season CHA champion Penn State, who finished with 16 conference wins and has the lowest goals scored against them this season.
Last season, Syracuse lost to the Nittany Lions in overtime during the first game and won the second one of the series. Syracuse also beat Penn State in the conference tournament at the end of the season.
After a break for a nonconference away series against Vermont, Syracuse plays its toughest test of the season in a series against Mercyhurst from Dec. 3-4. Mercyhurst currently posts the best record in the CHA, and it leads the conferences with 31 goals, Penn State and Syracuse following behind it at 15.
Excluding the potential matchup against Penn State in the Battle in the Burgh tournament, Syracuse doesn’t play a conference game again until Jan. 21 after the Mercyhurst series concludes. To end the regular season, the Orange finish with eight straight conference games, a rematch series of two games against each conference opponent.
“We’ve got teams waiting for us,” Flanagan said. “We’ve got to be mentally prepared.” adamj40302@gmail.com @adammccaffery9
Opponent Preview: Everything to know about Virginia Tech
By Connor Smith asst. sports editor
Coming off three consecutive three-point losses against Florida State, Wake Forest and Clemson, Syracuse travels to face Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon. VT is coming off a blowout 28-7 home loss to Pittsburgh last week, but it only narrowly lost 32-29 to No. 13 Notre Dame the week before.
The Hokies are 3-3 with wins over Richmond, Middle Tennessee and North Carolina. Now five years removed from playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game and finishing the season in the AP Top 25, Virginia Tech — under head coach Justin Fuente — is one of the more average teams in the conference. VT was briefly in the Top 25 after beating UNC, but it has lost three of its five games since and struggled against the Panthers last week.
Here’s everything to know about the Hokies before they host SU on Saturday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 10-8.
Last time they played
The Orange hosted Virginia Tech in October 2016 and came away with the first big win of the Dino Babers’ era. Quarterback Eric Dungey recorded over 400 yards of offense and two touchdowns while wide receiver Ervin Philips caught 11 passes for 139 yards and a score.
The Hokies were 4-1 entering the game and ranked No. 17 at the time. But after the 31-17 loss, Syracuse students rushed the field, celebrating SU’s third win of the season. Postgame, Babers’ passionate “Who’s house?” locker room speech went viral and earned him
football
a spot on SportsCenter. But the Orange went on to win just one more game that season and finished 4-8 for the third straight year.
SU got out to an early 7-0 lead behind a touchdown pass from Dungey to Philips, and it took a 17-3 lead into halftime after running back Dontae Strickland threw an 84-yard pass to Brisly Estime. VT responded with touchdown receptions from Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges, but Dungey and Strickland ran in fourth-quarter touchdowns to lift the Orange to the win.
Syracuse finished 561 total yards of offense and 405 yards passing. Hokies quarterback Jerod Evans threw for 307 yards and ran for 61 more in the loss. Virginia Tech lost just two more games the rest of the season, finishing 10-4 after losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship game and beating Arkansas in the Belk Bowl.
The Virginia Tech report
Like Clemson, VT has struggled offensively this year. The Hokies rank second-to-last — only ahead of the Tigers — in points per game in the ACC. Virginia Tech is also last in the conference in yards per game and has the second-worst rushing attack in the conference, making it lean heavily on its passing attack instead.
Quarterback Braxton Burmeister runs the offense. He has thrown for 1,064 yards — eighth in the ACC — this season, and he has a 54% completion percentage. Burmeister also leads VT in rushing with just 212 yards (compared to Sean Tucker, who has 948 yards), showing the Hokies’ inability to run the ball this season.
Junior wide receiver Tre Turner has been Burmeister’s top target this season with 25 catches for 403 yards and a touchdown. Four different Virginia Tech receivers have at least 13 catches this season. But the overall offen-
sive stats this season have been disappointing for VT. The Hokies rank 120th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total offense and have the 111th-ranked scoring offense in the country.
Against Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech had 12 offensive possessions, and six of them ended after three plays and a punt while three others finished with no positive yardage. In the three losses this season, the Hokies have scored 21, 29, and seven points.
“We’ll have to look at everything,” head coach Justin Fuente said after the Pitt game. “As I sit here before you, I don’t have an answer. I know it’s my job to try and find it so we can play as well as we possibly can — whatever level that is.”
VT has one of the top five defenses in the ACC, giving up only 20.2 points per game. Its passing defense is No. 2 in the conference, allowing only 197.5 yards per game, a serious hurdle Syracuse will have to overcome on Saturday as quarterback Garrett Shrader has struggled throwing the ball this season.
How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech
Now that Tommy DeVito has entered the transfer portal and Shrader will be the starter for the rest of the season, Syracuse’s offense will become even more one-dimensional. VT has one of the top passing defenses in the league, and Shrader won’t be able to find much success throwing the ball. Instead, SU will run its offense through Shrader and Tucker and hope to outscore a Hokies team that struggles to put points on the board.
The Orange can beat VT if they contain Burmeister and limit big plays through the air that it has been allowing with more consistency during the Wake Forest and Clemson games. Assuming Tucker can produce the
same stats he has been putting up and Shrader doesn’t turn the ball over, Syracuse should keep it close against Virginia Tech. SU will also need Babers to have a strong game from the sidelines. In a game that could come down to the wire again, Babers will have to make decisions that give Syracuse a chance to win. Instead of kicking from 47 yards out to tie the game against Clemson, Babers could’ve given the ball to Tucker — the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards — for a first down. The more close losses the Orange suffer, the more Babers’ late-game coaching will be scrutinized, and his decisions on Saturday could play a key role in whether Syracuse picks up its first win in Blacksburg since 2001.
Stat to know: 4.8
Virginia Tech’s fourth quarter points per game is ranked 98th out of 130 FBS teams. The Hokies have only scored three fourth quarter touchdowns this season, and they haven’t played well offensively late in games. For a Syracuse team that has lost three straight close games in the final 15 minutes, this number should give SU a good opportunity to come out of Lane Stadium with a victory.
Player to watch: Jermaine Waller, cornerback Waller anchors VT’s secondary and was named Pro Football Focus’s Cornerback of the Week on Oct. 11. He is tied for the FBS lead in interceptions and is one of Virginia Tech’s top tacklers. The Orange will have a tough time testing Waller in coverage, and they may avoid throwing to whoever he is covering altogether based on his numbers this season.
csmith49@syr.edu
@csmith17_
Beat writers split on Syracuse’s outcome against Virginia Tech
By The Daily Orange Sports Staff
Syracuse’s last four games have been decided by three points, the first time this has happened in a single season for the Orange since 1981. Dino Babers and SU desperately need to end the three-game losing streak where they’ve flashed potential and performed well at times but failed to close out games.
Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when SU travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Roshan Fernandez (4-3) Coming up short
Virginia Tech 20, Syracuse 17
This game will hinge on one major factor: if Virginia Tech can successfully stop the run, the Hokies can end their losing streak that’s seen them lose three of their last four games.
If VT can’t, the Orange will come out of Blacksburg having ended their losing streak that’s seen them lose three of their last four games too. The Hokies rank second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing defense and ninth in rushing defense, allowing 156.7 yards per game for the latter category.
SU will have trouble throwing against this secondary and turn solely to the run, but by now, opponents have an idea of what to expect out of this Syracuse offense, as evidenced by Clemson last week. VT is going to sell out to stop the run — and it will have a solid shot at succeeding. Lane Stadium is a difficult place to win on the road because of VT’s intimidating fans, and even though SU desperately needs to end its pattern of losing close games, it’ll once again come up short here.
Connor Smith (3-4) Turkey gets its worm
Virginia Tech 24, Syracuse 17
After three straight three-point losses, Syracuse is in need of a win. But that isn’t going to come at Lane Stadium — a stadium SU hasn’t won a game in since 2001 — against Virginia Tech. The Hokies, just like the Orange, are an average football team, but they kept it close two weeks ago against No. 14 Notre Dame.
Syracuse’s offense looked bad against Clemson, and I don’t expect a big rebound against VT. The more defenses realize Garrett Shrader is not an accurate passer and that SU’s offense relies almost solely on Sean Tucker, the more they will blitz and pressure the Orange’s beat-up offensive line. Expect the Hokies’ offense to put up just enough points to escape with a win, and expect Babers’ lategame decisions to again be scrutinized after yet another close loss.
Anish Vasudevan (4-3)
Keep it close
Syracuse 24, Virginia Tech 21
Syracuse’s last three games have been decided by three points, so there’s no reason why its fifth one shouldn’t end that way as well. Virginia Tech is ranked 80th nationally with rushing defense, allowing 4.23 yards per attempt. This is a statistic that the Orange’s defense can take advantage of with their Tucker-Shrader read option. If SU milks the rushing attack it can also take time off the clock, allowing its defense to rest — an issue that has led to splash plays from opposing teams at the end of the last few games. As long as Babers isn’t forced to make any questionable decisions that could lose Syracuse the ball in crunch time, the Orange should come out of Blacksburg with a .500 record.
Karakasi’s path back to Greece passes through SU
By Matt Hassan staff writer
At just 15 years old, Syracuse setter Elena Karakasi got her first taste of international competition. She was playing for Greece’s U15 Junior National Team in the Balkan Volleyball Association Championship in 2016. It was the first year Greece had an under 15 team, and Karakasi was the starting setter. Even though the other participating countries had operated U15 teams for years, Karakasi led Greece to a third-place finish, earning a medal in her first international competition.
Playing on the junior team opened up doors in Karakasi’s volleyball career. She was noticed by the Greek women’s national team through playing juniors and has practiced with them since she was 17. But once she graduated from the junior level, she went to play in college at Syracuse, and the NCAA schedule directly conflicts with national team competition, which has prohibited her play in
work under their cleats. It’s why they have “job security,” Gass said — why they have a job in the first place. As Syracuse University groundskeepers, Crawford, Gass, Sava Vadekas and field technician David Buffum maintain 25 acres of university athletic property across South Campus. This fall, the group’s main “desk” for 22 men’s and women’s soccer home games has been a 225-by-360-foot grass field — SU Soccer Stadium.
Buffum works year-round, nurturing a pitch that goes through Syracuse winters and Division I athletes destroying it for at least 90 minutes a week during the fall. The days are unpredictable and guided by the weather, with safety and playability being the two main priorities, Buffum said. And, if time permits, enhancing the field’s aesthetics is key, too.
“Our goal is to make it look like they weren’t out there,” Crawford said. “We’re invisible.”
Days usually start at 6 a.m for the group. On Oct. 10, with a noon kickoff, Gass and Crawford clocked in for their shift at the SU Physical Plant at 6:24 a.m. The two walked through
and Shrader were both incredibly successful at running in recent weeks.
And there was the decision to call timeout against Clemson, with 45 seconds remaining, only to go for a field goal instead of the touchdown and leave time on the clock.
For SU, the solution isn’t black and white. Maybe Babers needs a better staffer, in his headset or next to him on the sidelines, to advise on those kinds of decisions. Maybe, more frequently, he needs to adhere to what the analytics suggest. Babers says he has a staff member to do some of those tasks on gameday, but maybe he needs a full-time staff member designated to that role (though that’s unlikely because SU doesn’t even have a special teams coordinator right now).
The bottom line is something needs to change. The results need to be better.
When Babers sent out Szmyt against Clemson for a field goal attempt over 45 yards instead of going for a fourth-and-1 conversion, star running back Sean Tucker was averaging 7.1 yards per carry. A week prior against No. 19 Wake Forest, Tucker was averaging 5.9 per carry, and Garrett Shrader averaging 6.1, but Babers sent out Szmyt on fourth-and-2. Both Shrader and Tucker said play-calling decisions like those are solely made by Babers and the coaching staff — the players don’t get a say in that moment. Babers has said sometimes he consults his players, and sometimes their responses filter into his decisions.
To Szmyt’s credit, the laces were facing outward for his 48-yard attempt against Clemson that failed to send the game into overtime. He said later that he still thinks he should’ve made the kick, despite the holding error. But maybe more of the blame should fall on Babers than Szmyt.
international tournaments — something that holds importance to Karakasi.
“Every time I step on the court wearing the jersey of my national team is very special. I always get the chills listening to the national anthem,” Karakasi said. “Knowing that I’m representing my country is so important.”
Karakasi has kept in contact with the Greek national team coaches and sent her Syracuse game tape to them. She practiced with the team last summer and attended a two-week camp that mixed the current national team players with college players who were invited to practice. Karakasi said being around a variety of different players — most of whom have professional and international experience — has helped her at the college level.
“It was great to be able to see the different styles from different countries,” Karakasi said. “As a setter, setting hitters who are different is always a great experience of how to adjust.”
While playing for Greece, Karakasi had
the stadium’s entrance gate, stood side by side in the dark and peered out at the field ahead of them. Then they went to work.
Gass emptied trash cans — filled with remnants left from the men’s soccer game two days before — and Crawford planted 15 orange and blue flags. After, they stepped into their “mobile office” — a white Ford pick-up truck — and traveled across a parking lot to J.S. Coyne Stadium to complete the same task.
The job may be “boring” at times, Crawford said. But there’s creativity involved when troubleshooting problems and maneuvering a Toro lawn mower to design the field and cut the grass to one inch.
Crawford became a groundskeeper after working in the restaurant industry and looking for a career switch. Gass joined after graduating high school. Buffum came to SU in 2003, worked in food services, switched into groundskeeping and hasn’t left since.
Pat Carroll, their boss and the manager of grounds at Syracuse, has devoted nearly 40 years to the craft, spending the vast majority of it on golf courses before coming to SU in 2018.
The SU Soccer Stadium is 25 years old, leading Carroll to replace the field with one
Babers has said he always believes his players can get the job done, and it’s easy to second-guess decisions after the fact. Babers later said that when he asked Szmyt about his range before the final drive, the kicker told his head coach he could convert from as far as 60 yards. Babers cited Szmyt’s 54-yarder and 51-yarder from three years ago, and his 2018 Lou Groza Award as reasons he trusted the kicker even though he hasn’t matched that level of success this season.
So for the second straight week, the head coach placed his faith in Szmyt — who’s now 1-of-5 on field goals longer than 40 yards — instead of Tucker and Shrader’s rushing abilities.
Even if Babers was fully adamant that the Orange should kick the field goal, he used SU’s final timeout instead of burning an additional 35 seconds off the clock. Had Szmyt successfully converted the field goal attempt, Babers would’ve left Clemson about 40 seconds — and one timeout — to march downfield for the game-winning field goal. The logical decision would’ve been to let the clock run all the way down and kick in the final seconds to force overtime. Or, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney would’ve used his final timeout to stop the clock from winding down.
Babers explained postgame that the decision to kick was because the Orange wanted to play for overtime, but calling a timeout contradicts that. Babers did say that SU used the timeout to discuss what to do, and Shrader corroborated that — there were conversations about both going for it or kicking.
The problem is that the decision should’ve been made sooner. In this instance, Babers couldn’t afford to stop the clock and then decide what to do. On the previous third-and-2 play, he should’ve planned ahead.
If Syracuse was going for the fourth down conversion, then a timeout was logical because it wanted to call the perfect fourth-and-short play. But if it wanted to kick, the timeout didn’t make
an opportunity to learn from seasoned setters like Stella Christodoulou. Christodoulou plays for one of the biggest club teams in the country, and Karakasi looks up to her aggressive style of play.
Rules like not allowing the libero to serve and enforcing limited substitutions make European volleyball differ from the American game, Karakasi said. Europeans also tend to play a faster-paced game — the biggest adjustment for Karakasi when she practiced with the national team last summer.
Although it’s faster-paced, head coach Leonid Yelin said volleyball in the United States is more competitive, and playing in the NCAA helps prepare players for international competition. Players are under more pressure to win at a young age in the United States than in Europe, he said. Karakasi was surprised by the large emphasis on defensive effort — specifically when it came to diving for balls — after arriving in the U.S. in 2018.
Karakasi’s return to international play
that can grow purely on sand for better drainage and compaction. In 2019, Carroll helped choose the playing surface’s next turf: Kentucky bluegrass, a sod that’s featured in MLB and NFL stadiums across the country.
When the sun rose, Gass tucked himself under the bleachers, grabbed a bucket filled with sand and the picked-out grass seed along with a two-prong pitchfork. Gass and Crawford scattered across the field, puncturing, mixing and stomping on divots so balls skid normally and the field regrows correctly. They do the same task before, during and after every game.
“Got to be hundreds,” Gass said on how many divots he’s filled. “I don’t have (enough) fingers for that.”
After a lunch break at Marshall Street’s Dunkin’, Crawford revved up a driveable lawn mower, plugged in his earbuds to listen to Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” and rolled onto the pitch for a fresh trim. The groundskeepers normally keep the same turf pattern over the course of a week, and find design inspiration through LinkedIn, professional stadium fields and a Facebook sports turf management group where other groundskeepers discuss the craft.
should happen soon, said Nikos Boutsouris, her U18 coach and now Greek national team assistant. Karakasi is currently a senior at Syracuse and could return to Greece within the next year or two, Boutsouris said.
Boutsouris said the team hopes she can fill the role of Christodoulou, since the veteran setter is now 30 years old. He expects Christodoulou to play for a few more years and thinks Karakasi can take over that starting spot in the near future.
The Greek National Team hopes young players like Karakasi could compete in the European Silver League Championships in the spring. Boutsouris said the team wants to watch younger players in action so they can pick which players could be on the team for the 2023 European Championships, if they qualify.
“We have an eye on her ’cause she’s a young, talented setter,” Boutsouris said. “We expect to include her in the women’s national team.” mahassan@syr.edu
Once Crawford placed the corner flags, everything was completed. At 10:38 a.m., however, their work began to unfurl when Natalie Weidenbach’s tan Nike cleats pressed into the pitch. The rest of the team joined after, trailing out of Ensley Center for pregame warmups. Crawford and Gass stood at the stadium’s entrance right before game time, bantering about rapper J. Cole and gushing over past field designs. They will soon move snow in the winter, tend to Skytop Softball Stadium in the spring and may be on a completely different grounds crew next year. “A revolving door,” Buffum said. But for now, they’re just focused on finishing out the season.
While players wandered toward their benches for lineups and the National Anthem, Crawford glanced at his phone, saw the time and said goodbye to Gass. With his shift ending at noon, he hopped back into a Ford, leaving Gass behind to fill in any divots “The Crawford Special’’ endured throughout the game.
Alone, Gass sat in the bleachers, becoming invisible among the crowd until he was needed again.
cscargla@syr.edu @chrisscargs
sense because it left the door open for Clemson.
Of course, none of that mattered because Szmyt’s kick was way off. But to a certain degree, calling timeout before a game-tying kick was like icing his own kicker. It’s proof that even if Szmyt made the kick, Babers didn’t make a timely decision.
And beyond poor clock management, Babers justified his decision to kick the field goal because he said SU had “momentum.” He said he didn’t want the game to end on a failed fourth-and-1 conversion because “you
want to play more,” so instead, the game ended on a 48-yard miss from his kicker. He was kicking to play overtime, but if SU really had momentum like he said, the logical decision would’ve been to go for it and finish the game with a touchdown.
Roshan Fernandez is a senior staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at rferna04@ syr.edu or on Twitter @Roshan_f16. rferna04@syr.edu @roshan_f16
DINO BABERS has made multiple controversial coaching decisions throughout the Orange’s three straight losses. elizabeth billman senior staff photographer
BEHIND THE BLADES
A look into the jobs of SU Soccer Stadium groundskeepers
By Christopher Scarglato senior staff writer
Three hours before Syracuse faced Virginia on Oct. 10, groundskeeper Jordan Gass stationed himself on top of SU Soccer Stadium’s concrete wall, angled his iPhone and snapped a picture of his co-worker’s creation.
Yards away, Ryan Crawford rolled around on a lawnmower, drawing a ring of circles that stretched out from the field’s center point. With small breaks in between to sip iced coffee and remove corner flags, the design took Crawford 41 minutes to complete. It only needed a title.
“UFO landing,” Gass said while he and Crawford gazed at the field before kickoff. “I would say a center-circle pattern,” Crawford added.
Crawford then thought of one that suited him. “The Crawford Special,” he concluded.
Both chuckled while Syracuse women’s soccer took to the field, ripping up the duo’s
NYSPHSAA revises name, image, likeness rule
By Alex Cirino asst. copy editor
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association held its quarterly executive committee meeting on Wednesday and approved revisions to the organization’s amateur rule. High school athletes can now benefit from name, image and likeness in certain situations.
By receiving money, compensation, endorsements or money from
NIL, students forfeit amateur status and their ability to play on any team affiliated with NYSPHSAA. High school athletes can still play on teams unaffiliated with NYSPHSAA.
The revised amateur rule follows the NCAA’s ruling on NIL, which permitted college athletes to be compensated through any endorsement or business deal. The executive committee ruled that students can only benefit from NIL if they do not not participate in any NYSPHSAA events.
Endorsed students are also restricted from appearing in a school’s uniform or any NYSPHSAA marks or logos as a part of any endorsement.
The ruling affects each of the association’s 787 member schools and will go into effect next fall.
Proposals for changes to several sports were also approved. This included a boys and girls tennis NYSPHSAA championship tournament with at-large selections rather than byes and draws starting this
Head coach Dino Babers says he has a designated staff member whose full-time game day job is to advise him on clock management and game theory.
Babers says he values analytics, too. He knows he has “to look at the numbers” but also leaves space to make gut decisions, shaped by 35 years of coaching. “If not, you’re just a clone,” he said.
But he also declined to specify how often he sides with analytics, compared to his gut. He acknowledged that Falk College’s sport analytics program is among the country’s best but said SU has its own analytics staffers and doesn’t work directly with Falk.
Babers didn’t directly answer a question about whether kicking a field goal at the end of the Clemson game instead of going for the conversion was an example of siding with his gut over the numbers. And when asked specifically whether analytics drove the majority of his decisions, he said “I cannot tell you.”
Babers’ might’ve responded this way because he didn’t want to give opponents insight into his process. And he does deserve credit for the improvement that Syracuse has made from last year to this season.
But he — and the staff member who advises him in-game, who Babers declined to name — has been subject to a plethora of deserved scrutiny regarding clock management, game theory decision-making and failure to properly utilize analytics during recent weeks. Babers’ numerous questionable decisions have accumulated over the past few weeks, a span when SU lost three consecutive games by just three points.
There were the conservative calls against both Wake Forest and Clemson where Babers sent kicker Andre Szmyt onto the field instead of the offense on fourth-and-short. There was the delay of game penalty called on Syracuse against Wake Forest when Babers wanted to go for a two-point conversion and the win, but he’d burned all his timeouts. Celebrations ran long, the team didn’t know beforehand about the plan to go for two, and SU was forced to kick the extra point instead.
year. The girls’ team tennis regional rotation proposal was approved for 2021-26 and the boys team tennis regional rotation proposal was approved for 2022-27. Boys and girls volleyball were also granted regional rotations from 2022-24 and 202225, respectively.
The NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will meet next on Feb. 2 at its quarterly meeting in Saratoga Springs. cirinoalex19@gmail.com @alexcirino19
There was the decision to accept a holding call and replay third down against the Demon Deacons, making it third-and-23 instead of fourth-and-13, which eventually led to a Wake Forest touchdown. There was the decision to largely abandon the read option — the identity SU’s offense had settled into — and throw the ball a season-high 37 times against Clemson when Tucker
high school sports
Syracuse groundskeepers work year-round to maintain SU Soccer Stadium. This season, the stadium will host 21 combined games between the Orange’s men’s and women’s soccer teams. christopher scarglato senior staff writer
