A declassified Syracuse February survival guide

By Aine Hunt humor columnist

February. It’s cold, it’s sad and let’s be honest, it’s hard to spell. That’s saying something because I was born in Febaruary. Februhary 21st, mark your calendars! February combines my two least favorite things: Valentine’s Day and hard nipple-inducing cold weather (nothing against hard nipples, everything against cold weather). However, with this being my fourth February in Syracuse, I know a thing or two about getting through these difficult times.

The first step to getting through the next 27 horrible days is preparing yourself for Syracuse’s infamous weather. At risk of sounding like your mother, wear an effing hat. I don’t care if your friends make fun of you!

Did you know you lose most of your body heat through your head? Actually, that’s not true. But my mom told me that fact so many times it sounds real to me. To be honest, you should probably start wearing a hat everyday anyway. Your hairline is starting to kiss the back of your neck.

Another awesome way to avoid the winter weather is to never leave the comfort of your overpriced Syracuse apartment. No food? No problem. That’s why incels invented UberEats, dumbie. Life hack: you can’t slip on ice from your living room. You know what you can do?

Watch other people fall from your window. Whoops, down goes your DoorDash driver! That fall is worth at least a $3 tip.

Let’s talk about the heart-covered pink ele- phant in the room. The real reason most people hate February: Valentine’s Day. Not only does the day itself suck, but the lead up to Valentine’s can really have you feeling #single. Who is Valentine’s Day’s most significant victim? We can all agree that title goes to CVS.

All I want to do is go to CVS for my weekly Plan B, but the aisles are littered in stuffed pink teddy bears that fart Hershey kisses when you squeeze them in the right place. Poor CVS—and poor me for that matter.

So, we’ve established that Valentine’s Day sucks. But what’s the best way to get through it? The day of, I try my best to stay off all social media. There is nothing that will have you saying “maybe I should text my ex” quite like seeing a happy couple on Instagram. Prove the boomers wrong, and delete the app for a day. That way you won’t wake up alone in your bed with an empty box of chocolates and 12 missed calls from Jacob (Tinder). ahunt04@syr.edu

February’s tough on all of us, but it helps to remember what comes after winter. Spring!

And with a Syracuse spring comes blue skies, green grass and a quad full of men in shortshorts. I don’t know about you, but to me, that sounds worth it.

The downtown venue Funk ‘n Waffles will host a Phish tribute band, The Lizards, as they go on tour around the country. The Lizards hope to recreate the “Phish Experience” for people who miss the psychedelic rock, which became more of an experience than a concert that took over the ‘90s and early 2000s. Tickets are for sale on Funk ‘n Waffles’ website. Attendees must be 18 or over.

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m.

PRICE: $18.22

Funk ‘n Waffles

The chicken and waffles restaurant will also be hosting a Notorious B.I.G. tribute band, The Frank White Experience. The band hopes to give people the experience of not only Biggie but the entirety of the ‘90s hip-hop scene. Tickets are for sale on Funk ‘n Waffles’ website. Attendees must be 18 or older.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 4 at 9 p.m., with doors opening at 8 p.m.

PRICE: $18.22

Crouse College

Steven Hayman, an associate professor of piano, will be performing at the Setnor School of Music. The event will be free to all and will also be live streamed.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.

PRICE: Free

Millan believed there had to be a third option — a place where she could still have a rich social life yet still feel her boundaries were respected. Then, a few months into her freshman year, she discovered Orange After Dark and University Union, two social organizations that hosted events on campus, free from the shroud of alcohol or substances.

“There hasn’t been a moment in one of the events where I felt like I’m not fitting in,” Millan said. “I feel like I can let loose and just be myself, without having to explain or justify my choices.”

To try and be sober on a college campus, Johnson said, is not an easy undertaking. In an environment filled with triggers and pressure, the word ‘no’ can feel nearly impossible to say.

Johnson emphasized the importance of support networks, like living on a sober floor and attending a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, which, given its high success rate, Johnson believes should be an on-campus resource and is nothing to be ashamed of.

“If you don’t have denial, you know that a substantial minority of people who drink alcohol have alcoholism. And it kills 4% of Americans,” Johnson said. “So, if someone is not drinking, they do not owe you a reason why. It’s noble and brave, not somehow inferior.”

The camaraderie and acceptance at both OAD and UU events, Millan said, was palpable, and inspired her to join the executive boards of both organizations to give other students that same

Muench said. “And for the rest of their time together made art that dealt with all those issues we just spoke about.” feeling. A fellow OAD board member, Courtney Conte, also applied to the executive board to give back to the student community. Unlike Millan, though, Conte isn’t sober.

To help tell a story that takes place across many eras, Muench sought the help of experienced composer and Rochester native Todd Hobin, who he had been a fan of for years. Hobin has been a composer for over 50 years and Muench said he brought a lot of creativity to the documentary’s score.

Conte explained that instead of viewing drinking as something black and white, she strives to embrace life in shades of gray with moderation. This philosophy is what led her to OAD, Conte said, because even though the events are sober, they don’t just cater to the sober community.

“It takes away that stigma of ‘oh, you’re going to an Orange After Dark event? Are you going because it’s a sober space?’” Conte said. “We don’t advertise it like that, and that creates an environment where everyone is included.”

Even though she isn’t sober, Conte recalled experiencing similar social situations as Millan did, where drinking felt like a requisite in order to have a social life.

Conte refused to accept that if she declined an invitation to a party her only other option was to stay in her room at night. For her, OAD became a middle ground.

“There’s always a huge pressure, especially on underclassmen, that you should be going to the frats or house parties. Why wasn’t Orange After Dark on that docket?” Conte said. “I can still go out on a Saturday night. Or, I do grocery bingo with OAD … There is room for both.”

Both Millan and Conte emphasized the power of walking into an OAD event and feeling accepted. Whether a student is attending an OAD event because they are embracing a life of sobriety or because they wandered in from a flier they saw

The film has three different music drops and features 11 original songs composed by Hobin. He said creating music that resembles a specific place and time was easy for him, as he lived through many of the events that Muench features in the documentary.

“Somebody says, hey, guess what — this riot happened to take place on the Cornell campus in 1968. See, I know where I was in ‘68, I know the music I was playing.,” Hobin said. “I know it was on the radio and I played all that music. So for me, it was an instant.” outside, Conte said there is a place for them at OAD. very personal decision. Why should I have to?”

Millan echoed similar sentiments, and added how the inclusive nature of OAD alleviates the self-consciousness she often feels when people are questioning her sobriety.

Johnson, who was the head of Addiction Medicine at Upstate for 13 years, explained that culturally, there is a tendency to deny the prevalence of drug addiction and an even stronger urge to deny the lives it claims.

“Twenty-two percent of Americans die from drug addiction, according to 2021 mortality rates. And alcohol consumed in large quantities is a drug,” Johnson said. “That denial makes people startled to hear that because we don’t think about it. But people are being killed all around us.”

Because this collective denial is so rampant, Johnson said, the urge to question a person’s decision to be sober is natural, since both the risk of alcoholism and a desire to be sober seems unfathomable.

Setting boundaries to affirm personal needs was also something Johnson suggested for sober students, from having conversations with friends about any problematic comments to creating distance from individuals who don’t respect those needs.

For Millan, setting boundaries to protect her sobriety has given her the power to reclaim her narrative and allowed her to inspire others to do the same with her work at OAD and UU.

“There have been people in my life where drinking is a requirement to hang out with them.

“It’s very easy for me to see someone offering alcohol and say ‘no.’ But then I think of the exhausting questions that will come up afterward.” Millan said. “I don’t want to explain my

Hobin said he played at the JamesvilleDewitt high school prom in 1980 when Muench was a senior. At the time, Muench could not have imagined that the two would ever work together. For both Muench and Hobin, coming back to the central New York area to present their film is something they do not take for granted.

Hobin said that he spends a lot of time performing on the road and doesn’t get many opportunities to come back to the New York area. Being able to perform for people who have been

I just let go of those people,” Millan said. “But then new people come into my life, who may or may not drink, and they don’t expect me to. We just come as we are, and it’s a gift.” sophieszydlik@dailyorange.com

@sophszyd with him since the beginning of his career is a welcome feeling after years of traveling.

Muench said many people he grew up with will attend the screening, as well as family friends and relatives. He hasn’t seen many of these people in a long time, and is overwhelmed that he can present his passion project to them.

“It’s not coming in for a victory lap or to take a bow,” Muench said. “It’s absolutely humbling, the support we’re getting from the Syracuse community.” natelechner@dailyorange.com

By Emilie (Lily) Newman columnist

Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of sexual assault and rape.

It’s difficult to be the only person in the room to stand up and say that a joke isn’t funny or that a professor needs to be held accountable. Some may tell you “you’re taking it too seriously” or “it’s just a joke,” but you’re not and it isn’t.

What may just be harmless humor to one person can be one of a thousand pinpricks for another, which altogether creates a pain much greater. This is even harder in college because of the prevalence of peer pressure, felt especially by women.

“The Feminist Killjoy Handbook” was created by British-Australian writer and scholar Sara Ahmed, with the intent of describing how it feels to kill the mood or ruin the fun when we find ourselves in the presence of sexist jokes or at the hands of patriarchal constructs.

Ahmed wrote in Feminist Killjoys (And Other Willful Subjects), “Does the feminist kill other people’s joy by pointing out moments of sexism? Or does she expose the bad feelings that get hidden, displaced or negated under public signs of joy?” Women are often blamed for being too dramatic or too serious when they react to what offends them but why is “joy” coming from the pain of others in the first place?

On a college campus, fraternities often put the well-being of women at risk and we feel like we’re killing their fun by pointing it out. When a fraternity denies certain girls because of their race, looks, body type or other superficial reasons, it isn’t easy to take a stand. These men put women into difficult positions instead of making the right choice themselves to be more inclusive.

Not only are women experiencing the burden of this discrimination but now they have to choose between having fun or supporting one another. Being a feminist can be exhausting when it feels like you are constantly involved in situations where others need to be educated.

These conversations are difficult and emotionally burdening. Going out with friends should be an escape from the stress of work, classes and professional life. Instead of forcing women to choose between having a social life and being a “good” feminist, we should all be in support of education and change.

It’s not an understatement to say that Greek life is a large part of our campus life — at Syracuse University, there are 54 fraternities and sororities on campus, a total of 3,535 people in these houses.

SU has a history of fraternities and sororities being suspended for various incidents that have prompted the Feminist Killjoy in many. Infamously known is Phi Kappa Psi, which SU placed on disciplinary and social probation until May 2024 after SU students protested allegations of sexual assault by the fraternity’s members.

These feelings of being a killjoy do not just apply to women but all marginalized groups. Two years ago, SU suspended Alpha Chi Rho, also known as Crow, after members allegedly yelled racist slurs at a Black woman from the fraternity house. While it is easy to criticize these fraternities, it is harder to abstain from the culture altogether.

As a result, in November 2021, hundreds of students protested outside Interfraternity Council chapter houses, including Phi Kappa Psi, to protest rape culture in Greek life. This type of action helps to relieve a single woman from being the killjoy who stands up to an entire fraternity of toxic men. This support needs to be seen more often.

This is not unique to SU. In November of the same year, Cornell University suspended all fraternity events amidst multiple allegations of sexual assault and drugged drinks. Such allegations should make everyone run, but are instead ingrained in college culture.

As women, we want to support each other, along with all marginalized groups on campus but it can be difficult to be the one who tells your friends not to go out or to avoid certain groups because of their actions.

While women feel guilt for participating in college life, men are often getting a slap on the wrist — as small as social probation — for sexual assault, drugging drinks and pinning women against one other for a “Bootcamp.” It should not be women’s job to avoid the sexist situations that surround us every day. It feels like we have to miss out on certain experiences if we want to be considered real feminists.

And larger systemic action also needs to be implemented, not mere social suspension. There should be more than a 25-minute online sexual assault prevention training for students, especially with 10% of students at SU reporting to have “experienced some form of nonconsensual sexual assault,” with “6% indicated they had experienced relationship abuse during their time as a student at SU.”

The responsibility to combat rape and party culture should no longer be placed on teenage girls. Being a Feminist Killjoy should never bring a sense of shame or guilt, and 20-year-old girls should not be at the forefront of systemically uprooting SU.

Emilie (Lily) Newman is a sophomore political science and magazine, news and digital journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at jsweintr@syr.edu.