N • Robotic resumes
SU’s College of Arts and Sciences is allowing students to use VMock, an AI tool, for resume reviews over meetings with advisors.
Page 3
As the leaves begin to change to red and orange, grab a friend and make these delicious apple cinnamon muffins.
Page 4
es. So American High started finding a cast, using a “block system” to finalize the roster. They invited a handful of comedians from around the country every other month, spending four or five days each time filming sketches.
The Micho brothers came onto American High’s radar from their account Krab Videos. They helped DiCesare get involved. Burke had stayed in touch with Garelick since working alongside him during a “Writer’s Room” class at SU. And Phelps got word of Reiter from one of his talent agent friends in Los Angeles.
The starting five of the Micho brothers, DiCesare, Burke and Reiter worked because of their ability to be a “triple threat,” Phelps said. They can all write, act and edit.
“We identified these guys as our favorite because they had really good chemistry together,” Phelps said. “They all had their own style.”
Each cast member’s style is influenced by their experiences before joining the team. The Micho brothers and Reiter had a lot of knowledge creating characters on social media from their previous accounts, while DiCesare and Burke had more experience with stand-up.
DiCesare said their di ering abilities have meshed together well. She’ll often catch herself doing “Lukeisms,” imitating Burke’s 1940s radio announcer voice.
“I’m just absorbing my castmates’ skills,” DiCesare said. “When I started, I was like ‘OK, I can do X, Y, Z,’ and then you find yourself being able to do so much more than you were able to do.”
By Anish Vasudevan editor-in-chief
American High has worked out of an abandoned high school in Liverpool since 2017. The company completely reconstructed the space, which was most recently a church, to mimic an actual school, with the typical multi-colored floor tiling and lockers they bought from a yard sale.
The group fi lms most of their sketches in room 217, just a few doors down from room 223A, where they hold all the props from previous productions. The third floor holds the “costume room,” with hundreds of articles of archived clothing.
It’s where Grace Reiter discovered the perfect outfit for JeanPaulJoan Black, the fictional son of Jack Black, who also attends Syracuse University. On Tuesday, she found inspiration for a potential future sketch, featuring a character who prefers diapers over tampons.
“I’ll write that down, we’ll think about it,” Reiter said to her castmate Julia DiCesare before typing in her Notes app.
Reiter, DiCesare and the rest of their crew have used the building as a full-time playground to create witty, quirky, sometimes vulgar, sketches for American High Shorts and College Life, two TikTok accounts with over 1 million combined followers. The skits focus on relatable humor, turning high school and college scenar-
ios completely on top of it’s head. They started this past July, giving the company consistent content during the Hollywood strikes.
They didn’t go far from their Liverpool base to fi ll out the team either. DiCesare and Aidan Micho are students at SU. Ryan Micho and Luke Burke graduated from the university in 2022. Reiter, who has a following of over 2 million on her personal TikTok, is the only one with no connection to Syracuse.
Aidan said a lot of the comments on American High Shorts’ videos are about the space itself, asking questions like “Do they live at the school? Did they buy school?”
“Well, kind of,” DiCesare said.
In August 2017, filmmaker Jeremy Garelick bought the space for $1 million, naming it “Syracuse Studios.” With its past ownership, they had to change rooms like the “Pastor’s Lounge” into the “O ce,” said Will Phelps, the head of production. (One wing of the school is still operational and owned by OCM Boces, an organization which provides career and technical education.)
The last six years have been extremely successful for the company, creating various projects like “Plan B,” “It’s A Wonderful Binge” and “Sid is Dead.” But in October 2022, Phelps realized their social media presence was lacking. Their Instagram had been used to showcase behind the scenes videos or photos from various productions, but it wasn’t helping their brand grow.
The only thing that Phelps felt would make people want to follow the account was sketch-
Burke added that the platform itself is more freeing than longer projects. If he’s writing a film, he’ll try his hardest to force a joke into the finished product but end up cutting it because it doesn’t add to the plot. With the shorts, the entire video can be a bit.
“It doesn’t have to be a f*cking Christopher Nolan movie,” Burke said.
The production process mimics “Saturday Night Live.” Mondays are spent coming up with the ideas before a pitch meeting at around 3 p.m., where the cast presents their sketches for the week to Phelps and Axelle Azoulay, the Director for American High Digital. Tuesdays are spent writing the scripts and fi lming them if there’s time at the end of the day. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the crew will fi lm almost 10 sketches a day. Friday is spent fi nalizing more fi lming before editing.
Another similarity to the New York City sketch show is their addition of “guest stars” every week. They fi nd popular TikTokers or influencers like Charles Brockman III (c.b.3), who was last week’s guest, and Jericho Mencke (jercho1), who will be their next one.
Phelps said they have the budget now to fly out the guest stars to the studio. Once American High starts filming movies again, they want those actors to also make cameos in the shorts.
At the end of the summer, Mondays were the most productive day for the bunch, with all of them sitting in a room and ri ng ideas o each other. But after school started see comedy page 7
S • O -field assist on campus
Liesel Odden spent a portion of the summer volunteering to educate and build infrastructure in Guatemala for a family-run nonprofit.
Page 12
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse — a data gathering, research and distribution organization based at Syracuse University — found that the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention numbers in September returned to pre-pandemic levels with over 35,000 detainees.
TRAC, which was founded in 1989 through a joint sponsorship by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, uses the Freedom of Information Act to obtain and analyze federal data. Through its work, TRAC makes key government data accessible and comprehensible to the general public, according to its website.
“We do this because we care about government transparency, accountability and making this data available for the public but also for academic researchers as well,” said Austin Kocher, a research assistant professor at TRAC.
194,632
ICE is currently monitoring 194,632 families and individuals through alternatives to detention programs as of September, according to TRAC’s Immigration Quick Facts.
TRAC publishes reports and tools for free to the public on the internet, allowing users to closely examine what particular government agencies — like ICE, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration — are doing, according to Susan Long, TRAC co-founder, co-director and associate professor of managerial statistics in Whitman.
Long said one of TRAC’s most used analyses is its project on immigration enforcement, as many people who access its research are interested in the border and asylum seekers in the United States.
ICE is also currently monitoring 194,632 families and individuals through alternatives to detention programs as of September, according to TRAC’s Immigration Quick Facts website. Long said these alternative detention methods include smartphone apps or ankle monitors. TRAC also found that Texas held over 10,000 individuals in its detention facilities during the 2023 fiscal year.
TRAC’s findings coincide with a growing immigrant population in the United States. New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau have shown that the number of people in the U.S. who were born in a di erent country reached a record high of over 46 million in 2022.
Demographers from the Pew Research Center have claimed that the return to growth in immigration coincides with
We identified these guys as our favorite because they had really good chemistry together, they all had their own style.
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The best quotes from sources in today’s paper.
“Advisors and VMock both have the ability to help students put their resume into e ective templates to increase their success.” - Steven Scha ing, assistant dean of student success of Arts and Sciences
Page 3
CULTURE
“It doesn’t have to be a f*cking Christopher Nolan movie.”Luke Burke, American High Shorts cast member
“Opening more dispensaries for consumers to buy marijuana from reliable sources would help curb the illicit market and make smoking safer.” - Brian Joseph Cohen, columnist
Page 8
Page SPORTS
“He’s the type of guy, could have been a lawyer or a doctor, but wanted to be a football coach and made a hell of a career out of it.” - Nick Campanile, brother of SU’s tight end coach
Page 12
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion: Open Skate
WHEN: Oct. 6, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion
WHAT: CNY Regional Farmers Market
WHEN: Oct. 7, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: College Place
WHAT: Orange After Dark: Super Mario Tournament
WHEN: Oct. 7, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
WHERE: Schine Student Center, Atrium
By Roxanne Boychuk asst. news editor
Democratic Onondaga County Legislator Bill Kinne is running against incumbent Ryan McMahon to fulfi ll the county executive position in the upcoming November election.
Kinne’s campaign messaging centers around bringing integrity and honesty to the Onondaga County government while advocating for transparency with the community. McMahon, who has held the position since being elected in 2018, is ensuring citizens that he’s a focused, innovative and committed county executive in his campaign.
Both candidates are lifelong Syracuse residents who are coming into the election with years of experience serving in local government roles. The candidates debated on Sept. 5, where McMahon expressed his support of collaborating with Micron, and Kinne took a fi rmer stance on issues like mental health and the lead crisis in Syracuse.
Kinne grew up on Ostrander Ave. on the south side of Syracuse and graduated from Corcoran High School in 1974. He then earned an associate of arts and sciences and administration of justice degrees at Onondaga Community College, and a Criminal Justice degree at Arizona State University.
Kinne served as Onondaga County Legislator for the 15th District from 1992 to 2011, and again from 2020 to 2023. Part of the 15th District encompasses the surrounding areas of SU’s campus including the Westcott, University Hill and South Campus neighborhoods. Inbetween his two terms, Kinne experienced a brain bleed, leading him to serve as a Legislative Aide for the County Legislature from 2012 to 2018.
After 31 years working for the county, Kinne emphasized his commitment to the community and his willingness to be present for Syracuse residents’ needs.
“I want voters to know that I will listen to
them,” Kinne said. “(I) can’t always agree with them, but I will listen to them and I will do the best I possibly can.”
McMahon grew up in Syracuse’s Strathmore neighborhood and has participated within the community over the years through coaching sports teams and volunteering for nonprofits. He went to Bishop Ludden JuniorSenior High School and earned his degree in political science and business administration from LeMoyne College. McMahon served six years as a Common Councilor for the City of Syracuse representing the third council district and spent seven years as Chair of the Onondaga County Legislature.
McMahon said that while he’s faced many challenges in his term, like responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels this has made him grow into a stronger candidate. If reelected, he anticipates working with Micron on its new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Clay.
“We put together a post-COVID recovery strategy and implemented that strategy and because of that, we’re seeing some of the greatest economic successes in the history of the United States with the White Pine Business park and with Micron technology coming so, you know, this race is about performance,” McMahon said.
If elected, Kinne said he hopes to open up the wall between himself and the people, being able to talk about what is happening freely and ethically. He said he hopes that this will bring light to the present issues in the city that need fi xing, such as fi nancial hardships.
“My biggest goals are to be a more transparent county government, more honest county government and to deal with poverty and infrastructure,” Kinne said.
Kinne said that though McMahon already has a large following from his previous term in o ce, he remains optimistic about his chances. Kinne said his strong campaign sta is helping him gain publicity in the community.
“I’m going all over the county, going wherever I’m invited,” Kinne said. “With all that free publicity that the current executive has and the money he has, I’m very positive because I’ve been talking to the voters and all sections of this county, and they are not happy with the present county executive, so I think my chances are good.”
One of Kinne’s main goals if elected is to stop the construction of the $85 million aquarium in Syracuse’s inner harbor, a project he said is a waste to put money toward.
Since McMahon’s term began in 2018, he has executed investments, programs and policies, including an initiative called the “PIE Plan,” which works to address poverty, infrastructure and economic development in the county. His campaign for this year’s election revolves around being focused, innovative and committed.
In February 2022, McMahon sent a letter to New York state requesting them to alter COVID-19 protocols in schools, such as lifting the mask mandate, stating that they were “no longer in a state of emergency.”
As McMahon reflected on his term, he said he wants to continue focusing on economic development and bringing more green spaces to the county. He also emphasized the importance of being fi scally responsible as a county government, something he has aimed for in the past and will continue to do.
“I’ve put forward six balanced budgets, and we’ve delivered surpluses, fi ve straight years, and because of those areas, we’ve been able to cut property tax rates to the lowest in the county’s history,” McMahon said. “That’s certainly something that we will continue to do while we make key investments.”
Beginning this academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences O ce of Undergraduate
Academic and Career Advising at Syracuse University debuted an initiative using the artificial intelligence software VMock, an online resume review software.
Though VMock has been available to all SU undergraduate students since 2020, this new initiative allows sophomores to choose between using VMock or meeting one-onone with a career counselor to develop their resume. This initiative only extends to secondyear undergraduate students with declared majors in Arts and Sciences or the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public A airs, though VMock is a tool available to students in other SU schools and colleges.
SU is not alone in its implementation of VMock as a step in the career advising process. Over 250 higher education institutions in more than 130 countries use VMock’s services, according to its website.
“VMock is intended as a potential, nonrequired, avenue and tool for all undergraduates as a fi rst pass at their resume,” Steven Scha ing, assistant dean of student success of Arts and Sciences, told The Daily Orange in an email statement.
Sophomore students who have not already met with a career advisor are required to either schedule a 30-minute meeting or upload their resumes to VMock to lift a hold on their MySlice account, which stops students from registering for classes next semester.
If students choose a one-on-one conference, they are still instructed to upload their resumes to VMock prior to the meeting, according to an email sent to Arts and Sciences sophomore students with account holds. The email states that the VMock option takes five minutes.
Sophomores were selected to ensure that students have some version of a resume early on in their academic career, Scha ing wrote. He wrote that the Arts and Science advising o ce believes starting sophomore year assures that students won’t fall behind in searching for internships or other experiential education opportunities.
“In a post-pandemic age we want to be dynamic and responsive to student needs … allowing fall semester sophomores multiple avenues is the college being responsive to student needs and experience,” Scha ing wrote.
Using VMock, students can receive rapidlygenerated, specifi c feedback, ranging from spell-check to structural issues, by uploading their resume to the VMock website or app.
Hamid Ekbia, a university professor in Maxwell and the director of SU’s Autonomous Systems Policy Institute, said it’s important to keep up human discretion with AI processes like VMock.
“That’s very encouraging to know that the entities, they try to help students, but these are statistical machines and ultimately they find patterns, and patterns are aggregate patterns, they are not individual,” Ekbia said. “As best as we might try to craft a resume that is unique to us, a lot of that might get lost in the process.”
Ekbia is teaching SU’s fi rst AI and Humanity course this fall, listed between the School of Information Studies and Maxwell.
Though VMock’s feedback is unlimited on each resume submission, students can only upload their resumes 10 times per year, according to the SU career services website. VMock also offers community insights about resumes previously uploaded by Syracuse students, from the average number of words to the typical layout.
VMock also includes an option to start a resume from scratch by using community templates from SU’s career services. With formatting pre-determined in the templates, students only have to input their information and experience.
Resumes submitted through VMock are scored based on three categories — impact, presentation and competencies — and receive a score out of 100 points. Impact is worth up to 40 points, while presentation and competencies are both worth up to 30.
Ekbia said filtering software used in hiring practices is designed to find candidates that have similar traits and experiences to what the company is searching for, not what distinguishes candidates. Softwares like VMock can amplify this, which students need to be careful of, he said.
“What matters most when you apply for a job is what makes you different and unique, not what makes you similar to other people,” Ekbia said. “That is the biggest concern that I have with the use of these systems, because they essentially pigeonhole you.”
SU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has also implemented VMock as part of its career advising process.
ECS Career Services regularly connects with employers to ensure the resume templates used in VMock match up with the industry standards for what a student is pursuing, Sarah Mack, the director of student success and career services for the ECS, wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange.
Dan Pacheco, a professor of practice of magazine, news and digital journalism and the Peter A. Horvitz Endowed Chair in Journalism Innovation at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said students’ exposure to and familiarity with programs like VMock is a great way to prepare them to be successful in their job and interview searches.
Although he said services like VMock can be “foresightful,” Pacheco said it’s still important to be aware of artificial intelligence’s inherent fl aws. Because artificial intelligence is created by humans — who all have their own biases — and is trained on human data, all AI software also has biases, Pacheco said.
“In the United States, that means that cis, white, heterosexual males have an even big-
ger advantage when applying for the best jobs because they are already in the majority in the white-collar workforce,” Pacheco wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange.
Both Scha ing and Mack shared the view that VMock is capable of addressing the di erent resume formats dependent upon a student’s post-graduation goals.
“Advisors and VMock both have the ability to help students put their resume into e ective templates to increase their success,” Scha ing wrote.
Mack also wrote that students in the beginning stages of resume creation can use VMock so their individual meetings with advisors are more productive. If VMock has already reviewed the resume, students can focus on discussing how to gain additional experience and receive coaching on their job search when they meet with advisors, she told The D.O.
Even though AI usage can present concerns, Pacheco remains optimistic that when used correctly, the opportunities software like VMock can benefit students.
“As long as humans are using the tools in conjunction with keeping themselves in the equation, and they’re using the tools as a way to enhance what they’re able to do or make themselves more e cient, then we all need to be doing more of that,” Pacheco said.
Art direction by Bridget Overby and Lucía Santoro-Vélez the daily orange
With the changing of the seasons comes the flavors of fall. Pumpkin pie, squash soup and even maple oatmeal come to mind when you think of fall foods, but apples and cinnamon are the cream of the crop. Put on your chunky-knit sweater and get ready to bake these apple cinnamon muffins.
Start this fall recipe by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as either adding baking cups to a pan or applying butter or shortening to the sides of a muffin tin. Choosing butter is an especially delicious option because it can soak into the sides of the muffin.
Then, sift the flour into a medium-sized bowl and add in the other dry ingredients: baking powder, salt and two teaspoons of cinnamon for that spicy fall flavor.
For the most dedicated fall baker, go ahead and pick your own apples, any kind will be delicious in these muffins. Though, Golden Delicious and Gala apples, due to their crisp sweetness, work best. But, if you prefer a more tart apple, go right ahead and get one for your muffins.
To prep the apples, take two teaspoons of flour and half a teaspoon of cinnamon and mix them together. Then finely
chop a cup and a half of the apples into small chunks and mix them in with the flour and cinnamon.
Apples are a classic seasonal flavor. As the air becomes crisp, so do the apples and by adding the cinnamon the muffins allow those amazing flavors to show.
For the wet ingredients, mix together butter and sugar for about three minutes to create a cream.
Next, mix in one egg at a time, waiting until it’s fully incorporated before adding the next egg. Finally, mix in the vanilla.
Fold the dry ingredients into this cream, switching between adding the dry ingredients and milk until everything is combined. Lastly, fold in the apple mixture, and pour the muffin batter into the muffin tray or baking cups. Fill each cup until it is about ¾ full and cook for half an hour.
While adding the milk to the recipe makes for an airier treat, an alternative but equally delicious option would be to leave out the milk completely for a denser muffin.
While the muffins are baking, prepare the topping. Take ¼ a cup of granulated sugar and half a tablespoon of ground cinnamon to make the sugar topping. Then, take half a cup of butter and melt it in a bowl.
Makes 18 muffins
MUFFINS
Relax until the muffins are completely baked. Maybe carve a pumpkin, go see some fall foliage or watch a cozy movie to get you in an autumnal mindset.
Once the muffins are ready, take a butter knife and stick it into one muffin. If it comes out with no batter, the muffins are ready! If they’re good to go, you can make a tiny hole with the knife in each muffin to be filled up with butter and sugar later.
Allow your sweet and spicy treats to cool down for 10 minutes. While you’re waiting, go ahead and do something fall themed, like watch Gilmore Girls or crack open a mystery novel.
If the muffins are in cups, take them out for this next step. Take your bowls of butter and cinnamon sugar and dip the top of each muffin first into the butter.
Take the time to pour a little melted butter into the opening at the top of the muffin, which allows for the inside to be extra moist and buttery.
After dipping the muffins in the butter, dip the tops into the cinnamon to create a sweet and crunchy finish. Feel free to repeat these steps until the preferred topping consistency.
Last but definitely not least, enjoy your delicious, apple-filled muffins. Eat these perfectly themed muffins alongside a warm fire and enjoy the season.
oliviaboyer@dailyorange.com
2 cups all-purpose flour, + 2 teaspoons for coating apples
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, + 1/2 teaspoon for coating apples
1 1/2 cups finely chopped apples
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
TOPPINGS
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
contributing writer
CenterState CEO hosted its sixth annual Innovation Night on Wednesday featuring the finalists for the Genius New York Pitch, with technology startup blueflite winning the first place investment of $1 million.
The event, held at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, included presentations from each of the five tech startups that made it to the final round. Genius NY, a business accelerator dedicated to unmanned aerial flight systems, invests $3 million into tech startups in New York state each year. The program is funded by Empire State Development and held with CenterState CEO.
The companies competing included Aloft, blueflite, greenjets, Voltela and Votix, which all focus on drone production. Each company had five minutes to pitch their product to the audience, followed by a Q&A session from a panel of judges.
Frank Noppel, CEO and cofounder of blueflite, presented a sample of the group’s prototype drone to the audience. Noppel said the drone manufacturing design company is building drones that will transport medical devices, like EpiPens and medicines, anywhere, with a goal of saving people experiencing heart attacks and allergic reactions.
“Twenty-five million people have food allergies. We thought we needed a better solution than medicines stuck in the car,” Noppel said.
Voltela, another competing drone startup, presented work on software to control drones from cell phones. Kim Mahler, Voltela’s CEO and founder, discussed issues of drone reliability and connectivity in his presentation. With a strong network in Ithaca, Voltela now wants to expand to Syracuse, Mahler said.
“Mobile networks were not designed for drones, they are not reliable … Voltela is the only company solving the fundamental problem with drone connectivity,” Mahler said. “Central New York is the best place to grow Voltela.”
Anmol Manohar, greenjets’ CEO and founder, said his company is focused on creating quieter drones. During the pitch, Manohar showed videos of drones operating with high noise levels, sparking laughter from the audience.
“Today’s drones are too loud and annoying,” he said. “Greenjets motto is to make drones quiet and safe.”
Eduardo Boucas, CEO and founder of Votix, also expressed passion in choosing Syracuse as a place for his startup’s headquarters. His company’s goal is to improve drone safety through remote control command centers, while also collecting data to develop predictions about future drone operations.
“The government here supporting drone development is something we want to be a part of, and our family loves it here,” Boucas said, pointing to his Syracuse University T-shirt.
Votix won the fan favorite award of the night,
with 69% of attendees voting for their pitch. Fifteen percent of audience members voted for blueflite, 7% voted for Aloft and greenjets’ and 1% voted for Voltela.
Spectators came from across the central New York area, with some seeking inspiration for their own tech companies. Christiane Roslyn, the CEO of Teleki – a tech startup focused on air purification – came for insight on how to pitch her company’s ideas.
“It’s always good to hear other people give their pitches and see how they’re doing it, because we’re going after investment on (our products),” Roslyn said.
While blueflite took first place, Aloft, greenjets, Voltela, and Votix will each receive $500,000 investments from Genius NY as runner-ups.
ajsachs@syr.edu
By Samantha Olander asst. digital editor
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration announced Wednesday that an additional $9 billion in student debt relief has been approved for 125,000 Americans as repayments began again this month following a three-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new relief brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans.
“Today’s announcement builds on everything our administration has already done to protect students from unaffordable debt, make repayment more affordable and ensure that investments in higher education pay off for students and working families,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a Department of Education press release.
Of the $9 billion, $5.2 billion will go to 53,000 borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, $2.8 billion will go to 51,000 borrowers through income-driven repayment plans and $1.2 billion will go to 22,000 borrowers with permanent disabilities.
from page 1
return of legal immigration, which includes visa processing and refugee approval, after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immigration also began to grow after former President Donald Trump left office. On May 11, President Joe Biden’s administration ended Title 42 — a law from 2020 which denies people from seeking asylum in the U.S. to “stop the introduction of communicable diseases.” Both the Trump and Biden administrations justified the policy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kocher said the first step in the data analysis process invokes research to understand what kind of data the government collects and keeps in order to properly submit a public records request. He became involved with TRAC after using its data for years in his previous immigration research work before coming to SU.
Once TRAC receives data, researchers evaluate how it’s organized and related in order to properly turn the data into stories through statistical analytical methods, Kocher said.
“Then, we publish that in research reports, as well as online interactive tools so that people can go in and see the data for themselves in a more interactive and dynamic way,” Kocher said.
from page 3 county exec
McMahon’s vision for the future of Onondaga County is planted mainly in economic growth, which he believes is not only possible, but could also have an immense impact on the development of the community.
“Certainly, we are going to be the hub for
The additional funds are part of an alternate path for debt relief after a June Supreme Court decision blocked Biden’s original plan to cancel $430 billion of student debt. The three-part plan would have benefitted up to 43 million American borrowers, according to a White House release.
Biden, who is trying to fulfill his campaign promises on debt relief as he runs for reelection in 2024, has been addressing the rising debt under the Higher Education Act through various approaches. He has utilized the new Saving on a Valuable Education plan announced in August, the amount of Pell Grants have increased under his administration and Biden also introduced new rules to protect borrowers from career programs that result in unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings, according to the press release.
Approximately 49% of graduating students at SU have taken out some kind of loan, according to U.S. News & World Report’s profile of the university. At SU, the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed their undergraduate degree is $26,000.
The $9 billion of added relief only assists a small percentage of student loan borrow -
Sometimes federal government agencies don’t easily comply with TRAC’s requests, Long said. She said it has been difficult to obtain certain information from ICE, such as data ICE tracks or detailed case-by-case immigration data.
TRAC consistently tracks ICE’s biweekly release of data on immigrants in detention, but Kocher said that the government website removes the last previous data set when new data is updated.
“Most of the public is not going to be able to go back and look at the data over time, but, because we collect it, we’re able to look at the time series data so we’re able to see every two weeks pretty detailed data on immigrants and detention,” Kocher said.
Kocher said TRAC’s data provides a sense of “authoritative insight” because the group has been tracking government data for long periods of time and is able to put the numbers in proper context for users.
Long said TRAC has three ongoing lawsuits to the federal government regarding FOIA requests, asking for more government records for its various projects. In addition to its immigration enforcement data projects, TRAC is continuing its work on long-term projects regarding the Internal Revenue Service, individual federal judges and changes in drug enforcement, Long said.
memory semiconductor manufacturing in North America, if not the world, and there’s going to be economic opportunities like we’ve never seen before,” McMahon said.
With the election approaching, McMahon said that Kinne opposed and “worked against” his vision, creating a stark difference between the two candidates and their voters. He said he feels confident running against Kinne due to
ers, as approximately 43 million Americans still have over a combined $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.
SU announced in May a roughly 5% tuition
Since TRAC’s inception, Long said the center has expanded its faculty and staff in Syracuse and around the country. It now has offices in Washington D.C. and a branch on the West Coast. Kocher, who also works in the D.C. branch, said the office benefited from an inperson presence when discussing federal data, especially after the pandemic.
In D.C., Kocher is able to meet with organizations that have questions about TRAC’s data or findings, as well as discuss concerns faceto-face.He added that this “two-way street” relationship also helps faculty and staff learn more about data that may be useful to share with the public.
In response to receiving numerous requests for data access from researchers at other universities, TRAC formed the TRAC Fellows Program, which allows researchers to submit proposals to obtain data access for their projects, according to the program’s website.
2023 TRAC Fellows include researchers from various esteemed universities around the world, including Stanford University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. TRAC also offers internships for SU students.
Hailey Salmonsen, a 2023 TRAC Fellow, worked with the center for her honors undergradu-
his previous accomplishments in office and the future he has in mind for the county.
“I have respect for (Kinne) and his family. But I think overall, you know, this isn’t about (Kinne). This is about our performance, our leadership, our vision for the community,” McMahon said. “And if you like the direction this community is going in, then you stick with the team that got you there.”
increase for the 2023-24 academic year. The tuition is now $61,310 a year for full-time undergraduate students.
saolande@syr.edu
ate thesis on remote adjudication and its impact on detained immigrants. Salmonsen graduated from SU in May with a degree in political science, government and geography.
Salmonsen said she discovered TRAC through Kocher, who was her professor for the GEO 450: Geographies of Migration and Mobility course.
With the support of her advisor Emily Thorson, an assistant professor of political science in SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Salmonsen used the data to determine that detained immigrants who had their hearings conducted remotely via video teleconference had higher odds of removal compared to those with in-person hearings.
“I was able to take all the data that they gave me and run regression models on it and just the general statistics on it,” Salmonsen said.
Kocher said TRAC also brings media attention and visibility to SU, as well as academic connections to various universities. Because of TRAC’s work over the years, Kocher said that it’s used its depth and breadth of data to create valuable conclusions that he hasn’t seen at other centers beyond SU. kaluther@syr.edu @kendallaluther
Kinne expressed his disapproval of how McMahon has performed as county executive.
“The present county executive, in my mind, represents everything that’s wrong with politics, and he needs to be out of office,” Kinne said.
Election day is on Nov. 7, and early voting will take place between Oct. 28 and Nov. 6. rmboychu@syr.edu
For 10 years, Joe Gatto was a staple of comedic television. Alongside three of his childhood friends, he starred in “Impractical Jokers,” an improvisational, hidden-camera reality show that has aired on TBS since 2011. At the beginning of 2022, Gatto left the show for personal reasons and to further his career as a stand-up comedian.
“I have come to enjoy the process of writing, thinking of material, trying out stuff that works to develop an hour of comedy and being able to grow my personal standup comedy,” Gatto said. “It’s been really great to get out here and keep making the world laugh while I was going through what I was going through.”
On Oct. 5, Gatto is bringing his “Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy” tour to Syracuse for a show at Crouse-Hinds Theatre at the Oncenter. Gatto said he loves to perform in college towns and to college students as it is gratifying to connect with people who grew up watching him on TV.
“It really is just cool to get to meet them, interact and talk to those kids and give my little bit of life advice,” Gatto said. “Things to stay away from, any pitfalls and things to try and a little bit different and to show a different audience.”
Gatto finds it fun to hear peoples’ stories of watching the show, and hopefully, how it got them through some tough times. He said being able to make people laugh and cheer them up is one of the great joys in life and the best part of his job.
slice of life
A lot of his material for the show comes from his experience growing up in Staten Island. He described himself as a storyteller and said he likes to open up to his audience about the people and places that shaped him.
“I also tell stories about my father, about my crazy mother and how that molded me growing up,” Gatto said. “I like telling stories and giving my perspectives on those.”
Since leaving the show, Gatto said he has gone on a journey of discovering himself as a solo performer. Knowing that an audience is coming out to a show to see him alone is very humbling, but challenging.
Gatto understands his set needs to be fun and engaging enough to hold an audience for the entire hour. He tries to be as honest as possible, both with himself and with the people he is speaking to.
“The rewards are bigger, but the work is harder,” Gatto said. “I really took it to heart that I was going to take this on and be a solo act and to make sure that people get what they want.”
Being from New York, Gatto said he is excited to return to the East Coast and perform in Syracuse. He has traveled a lot for his tour and is always relieved when he can reconnect with people that he can relate to or who can relate to him.
“I talk a lot about my experiences being on the road and comparing Syracuse to Appleton, Wisconsin, is a lot of fun for me,” Gatto said. “I feel like New York East Coast is how I grew up, and you’re talking to your people.”
Millions of people got to see the relationship that he had with Sal Vulcano, Brian Quinn and
James Murray, but there are 30 years of friendship and hilarity behind the scenes. He’s happy the show gives the audience an opportunity to get to know him a little better and understand his life a bit more.
Gatto has grown a lot as a comedian and performer in the last 20 months, and he hopes to give the audience a night full of laughs and happiness.
“Let’s just have some fun, listen to some stories, have some laughs, get more of the guy you already know,” Gatto said. “People get to hear more about my story and my journey and understand me a little bit more and more about the show that they’ve come to love.”
natelechner@dailyorange.com
When Syracuse University librarian Patty Giles was 11, her mother discovered that she was reading the controversial novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” by Judy Blume and burned Giles’ copy in their woodstove.
Last year, Giles had the opportunity to read passages from that same book aloud at Bird Library’s first Banned Book Read-Out. This year, she helped organize the event.
“As people that work in an educational institution, we have an educational obligation … to make (the SU community) aware of these efforts to ban books and challenge books,” Giles said. “To provide support for the libraries in their towns and cities and their public schools.”
In honor of Banned Books Week, a national event organized by the American Library Association, Bird Library hosted its second annual Banned Book Read-Out this Wednesday. The event provides books that have been challenged or banned in certain parts of the United States for visitors to read.
The readings took place near Bird Library’s main entrance, drawing students’ attention midway through the event. Some joined the audience seated in front of the main podium.
Attached to the event was a book display, with statistics and information about the books and book bans. It directed viewers to a QR code for a LibGuide where guests can find resources for educators and history about book bans.
The event was put on in collaboration with the Department of English and various on-campus sponsors, said Abby KasowitzScheer, the head of the department of Learning and Academic Engagement. After a higher turnout than last year, they’ve extended the
period of time where visitors can read passages for this event.
“It’s a celebration of the freedom to read,” Kasowitz-Scheer said. “Having access to different kinds of books about all different kinds of people and experiences.”
Professor Roy Gutterman helped organize the event through his position at the center for free speech in Newhouse. Censorship is a key issue for free speech, so he encourages events such as these on campus because they raise awareness for the community.
He said that the location of the event, in the center of Bird, gives students the opportunity to interact with the body of knowledge the library
contains. He enjoys hearing the work that is chosen and watching students participate along with English professors and librarians.
“(The event) lets people know that just because we’re in a nice comfortable campus in upstate New York, it doesn’t mean that we’re not immune or isolated from these types of censorship issues,” Gutterman said.
Using a recent incident with a student’s speech in Tully, N.Y., Gutterman mentioned in his speech that censorship issues are becoming more prevalent. The student wrote a “senior spotlight” for his school newspaper about his experience coming out, and the principal vetoed it.
Kasowitz-Scheer said that although the Syracuse community is not facing many bans and challenges, the event aims to support those that are experiencing challenges more directly.
“Part of the danger of book banning is people are trying to take away access to information about people’s real, lived experiences,” Kasowitz-Scheer said. “That’s part of what we’re trying to do here is just show how important it is to provide access to all kinds of books.
Giles said that over the last few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of book bans and restrictions. In 2021, the number of challenged books jumped from 223 to 1,858, then to 2,571 the next year, she said.
One theory for why this may be taking place is there has been an increase in the number of books being published about gender, sexuality, race and religion, Giles said. These books are the ones facing consistent bans in certain communities.
Anastasia Powell, a creative writing senior, said books are a way to experience what others have lived through. She stopped by the event to show support for the creative writing program and read a passage from “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin.
Events like these garner a sense of community between the programs organizing the event, such as the creative writing department and the English department, she said. Besides encouraging community, the event brings awareness to an issue that uniquely affects writers and those in similar fields.
“(Books) are not only a form of entertainment, but they’re also pathways to what the past is like, what other time periods are like,” Powell said. “They offer a lot of insight to different perspectives … making somebody more aware of the world that we live in.”
kellyamatlock@icloud.com
in August, DiCesare and Aidan only work parttime, forcing them to be more creative when they come up with their ideas.
DiCesare spent her Monday morning coming up with College Life pitches, like one about how difficult it is to get work done outside on the quad when you can’t see your laptop or desperately need an outlet, while doing her laundry at Goldstein.
Aidan routinely adds to a note on his Notes app “QUICK ONES,” recently adding a bullet point about someone trying to hit someone else with their car thinking it will get them free tuition.
Sometimes, the pair will just hit record on voice memos and improv for 10 minutes to see what comes up. Or they take their ideas from other people.
“We like to steal them from people who have done it,” Aidan joked.
While it’s still impossible to accurately know if all shorts will go viral, Burke said they can sometimes tell beforehand. If people like the idea during the pitching process, after reading the initial script and while filming, they know it will work.
“If the filming takes a long time because you keep f*cking up then you know it’s going to be good,” Burke said.
Most of the time, the “breaking” happens when they’re not in the studio or other people are involved in filming. One example was a few weeks ago, when 9WSYR shadowed the group as they filmed a sketch with Reiter portraying a teacher aggressively licking their fingers as they flipped through students’ pages. In February, Reiter played a Chris-Farley-type mom talking about their “weird kid,” one of Burke’s favorites sketches.
“There’s so many times when we can’t keep it together,” DiCesare said.
There are still a handful of videos that haven’t been released yet, but Phelps and the American High Shorts cast have larger projects to pursue.
Phelps said they’re planning on adding another account about life right after graduating from college. The hope is to add to the cast and have members “graduate” to the next channel once they’re that age.
“Ideally, you’re in one of the accounts for a year and then you can follow people on their path,” Phelps said.
They also started a YouTube channel which already has over 400,000 subscribers. DiCesare and Aidan are excited about adding to the new platform, but they’re also looking forward to shooting in more locations. The first one that came to mind? A waterpark.
“Youtube content and indoor waterpark,” Aidan said. “That’s been our mantra from the start.” anish.sujeet@gmail.comm @anish_vasu
The shutdown of fi ve stores illicitly selling marijuana in Syracuse highlights how the poor rollout of the legal industry has led to the sale of potentially contaminated, highly-accessible and unregulated weed.
The shutdowns came during New York state’s crackdown on the widespread sale of unlicensed cannabis products, seizing $42 million worth of product, some of which wasn’t safe for consumption. The illicit market’s dominating presence comes from the lack of policy preparation ahead of legalization. The laws regarding who can and can’t sell marijana are so gray the state can hardly control its sale.
Perpetually missed deadlines have delayed the industry’s expansion and empowered the illicit market. The sale of cannabis from unlicensed shops boomed because of convenience for consumers. Patrons are rarely asked for ID and don’t have the high taxes of dispensaries. You can buy 3.5g of weed for $25 compared to upwards of $55 at a dispensary.
Opening more dispensaries for consumers to buy marijuana from reliable sources would help curb the illicit market and make smoking safer. Applications for those interested in legally growing and selling cannabis were open to the general public for the next two months starting on Wednesday.
About 40 percent of tested products from 20 unlicensed stores contained pesticides, E. coli, heavy metals and/or salmonella. But even weed from dispensaries have come up positive for mold, bacteria, and/or yeast at rates exceeding what state law allows. It’s an issue that can be traced by policy makers’ disastrous roll out of the legal industry.
New York initially prioritized distributing
By Allen Huang contributing columnistEight members of his own party, led by far-right Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, voted with all 208 present House Democrats, passing the threshold for the motion to vacate. McCarthy is the only speaker of the House in American history to be ousted against their own wish.
Amid the political turbulence in the House, college students might wonder why this matters to them. The answer lies in the legislative repercussions and the broader implications for governance.
The unprecedented recall vote was triggered by a short-term funding bill that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, with Democratic cooperation, passed on Sept. 30 to avert a government shutdown. The funding bill did not include the deep cuts in federal spending and tighter border controls that many House Republicans have demanded.
McCarthy’s short reign as speaker was defined by chaos. He struggled to be elected, enduring 15 rounds of voting, and made humiliating concessions, including the possibility for a motion by a single member of the House to initiate removal proceedings.
After his election as speaker, he embraced all far-right political positions, including an impeachment inquiry against President Biden with scant evidence. McCarthy refused to cooperate with the Democrats on any subject of broad political consensus, including aid to Ukraine and investment in infrastructure, prompting an unprecedented dislike of him from the Democratic Party for being less lenient than previous Republican speakers.
Per the rules of the House, North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry was named speak-
cannabis licenses to people with prior cannabis-related charges and their families, a positive step to allow those a ected by the war on drugs to profit from cannabis’ legalization. But the requirement led to a group of disabled veterans to fi le a lawsuit claiming the New York state O ce of Cannabis Management should have allowed a broader group of people to apply for the initial round of applications.
The judge decided to halt the distribution of licenses, setting back the expansion of the legal market, and the O ce of Cannabis Management has failed to distribute more licenses since. The judge justified the fi nancial implications of his ruling by claiming state legislators should have foreseen the legal problems.
John Vavalo, owner of High Peaks and a cannabis grower and processor for the past 12 years, said his legal business has had to compete with the gray market.
“New York state told all the growers to get up and grow and they told the processors and manufacturers you need to have enough product available for a market that is going to be established by the fi rst of the year,” Vavalo said. “The reality is there are 23 stores and it’s October so there is still no market.”
Some growers have turned to the illegal market to make back millions in losses. Legally mass-produced cannabis that initially passed inspection sat with nowhere to be sold. Depending on how it was stored, the cannabis may have developed contaminants by the time it entered the market.
“There is some enforcement that needs to happen within the legal system … but I would bet a lot of that out-of-compliance product is a result of letting things slide and being a little lenient,” Vavalo said.
Dr. Ross Sullivan, assistant professor of emergency medicine and toxicology at Upstate Hospi-
tal and medical director of Helio Health, agreed the illicit market can be dangerous because of its unreliability. Although Sullivan said it’s too early in the research to fully understand the negative e ects of the increase of marijana usage, the illicit market highlights potential harm of marajana in a culture that views it as harmless.
“If you are going to use marijana, try to get it from as reliable a source as possible,” said Sullivan. “There are a lot of benefits, less people are going to jail, people can use it and still function. But there are those who are going to have a problem with it. Just know that it’s okay to have that problem, just seek help.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in May to give additional power to departments enforcing new civil and tax penalties for the
unlicensed sale of cannabis. Syracuse’s Division of Code Enforcement issued unfit declarations under the New York State Property Maintenance Code to shut down the stores and seize their products.
One of the rationales for the legalization of marijana was to ensure safe, reliably sourced marijuana consumption but the potential danger of the illicit market shows the importance of buying from a reliable source and testing your weed. New York state needs to ramp up the pace rolling out the legal cannabis industry to support the opening of more dispensaries.
Brian Joseph Cohen is a junior Magazine, News and Digital Journalism major with a Sociology minor. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at bcohen10@syr.edu.
er pro tempore. McHenry, a staunch McCarthy ally, expressed no joy as he announced his own appointment and the formal vacancy of the speaker position; he heavily slammed the gavel with visible anger and frustration.
In an interview on “Face the Nation” McCarthy gave after he had worked with Democrats to pass the short-term funding bill, he said “I wasn’t sure it was going to pass.” He claimed that it was Democrats’ refusal to cooperate that brought the government to the brink of a shutdown.
The statement elicited laughter from the moderator, Margaret Brennan, who told McCarthy that 90 Republicans had voted against it. For the Democratic House leadership, their sentiment can be summarized in the words of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “It is now the responsibility of the Republican members to end the House Republican Civil War.”
It’s important for college students to observe such chaos and use it to inform how they move forward politically.
“College students today are much more engaged and motivated toward political activity than any time I can remember,” said Mark Brockway, a faculty fellow of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public A airs. “These events highlight the need for informed and reasonable elected o cials to represent the public interest.”
“Students today are uniquely positioned to participate in governance and even run for o ce themselves as they have unique and informed perspectives on how the country ought to be,” he added.
Brockway was shocked by the unparalleled and unpredictable nature of the current situation, noting that there has never been “such intense intraparty conflict.” If this leads to defeat for the Republican party in the 2024 election, then Brockway predicts that it could result in “a significant pull back from Trump-style politics” in the potential future.
McCarthy’s unprecedented ousting will not only result in short-term disorder on Capitol Hill, but potential long-term impacts on a variety of issues that could influence student life, including education, student loans and job prospects. According to Brockway, these issues “depend on a functioning federal government,” which currently does not exist due to McCarthy’s removal.
Given this is unchartered territory, there are no immediate answers to who might be the next speaker of the House. Despite his earlier defiance, McCarthy has already announced that he won’t re-run for the seat. One popular proposal will be the current House Majority Leader, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, who is both ideologically more extreme than McCarthy and approved by Gaetz.
Awareness for such events and the current state of dysfunction in American politics underscores
the importance of political engagement. For many students, this should be a wake up call for them to register to vote, join political clubs on campus or even campaign for causes or politicians they believe in to protect their political rights and elect more competent politicians to o ce.
College students are not just passive recipients of policy outcomes; they are active participants in the democratic process. The upheavals in Congress underscore the importance of staying informed and voting. Today’s college students are tomorrow’s leaders, and understanding the nuances of current events will prepare them to navigate future political landscapes.
Allen Huang is a second year Media Studies masters student. He can be reached at xhuang49@syr.edu.
Multiple Syracuse players said the Orange “beat themselves” last week against Clemson. Racking up 92 penalty yards and three turnovers, SU set the Tigers up to succeed and backed its own defense into corners throughout.
Now, Syracuse starts a three-game road trip against its first ranked opponent of the season, No. 14 North Carolina. UNC head coach Mack Brown is the seventh-winningest head coach in college football history and he’s designed an offense that’s tailor-made for star quarterback Drake Maye. The 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year is one of the highest-rated prospects in college football and has led the Tar Heels to a 4-0 record for the first time since 1997.
Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse (4-1, 0-1 ACC) goes into Chapel Hill, NC, to play North Carolina (4-0, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday:
Anthony Alandt (4-1)
The guy’s a stud North Carolina 45, Syracuse 17
Bruised and battered. That’s how Syracuse left its matchup with Clemson for the second straight year. If you think it was bad when Cade Klubnik tore the Orange’s defense — specifically its secondary — apart, just wait for Saturday when a projected top three pick takes the field. Maye is connecting at a 73% rate through four games this season with five touchdowns and looks as polished in the pocket as anyone in the country. Head coach Dino Babers said Maye is the best quarterback SU is going to face this season and he might be the best quarterback Babers has ever faced.
Syracuse has not shown me that it has fixed
from page 12
coach for the Raiders, first noticed Lowery in the school’s weight room, asking the head coach where he would play. Nick’s twin brother and head coach of North Brunswick, Michael Cipot, said Lowery should play at safety. Nick had other ideas.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know, man. I might be able to use him as a d-end,’” Nick said.
Michael said as lanky as Lowery looked in high school, he was explosive off the line. He added that Lowery had gained speed and was proficient at running “sideline to sideline” by running track and field and participating in North Brunswick’s offseason speed training program. Lowery did this program with teammate and future Central Michigan running back Myles Bailey. The two constantly competed during the program, pushing each other to get faster, Michael said.
Under Michael, who also served as the team’s defensive coordinator, Lowery played in various 3- or 4-man defensive fronts, but especially in the base 3-4 defense. While Lowery was considered a defensive lineman, Michael said the position, “a
from page 11
Then, in 2019, Rutgers decided to fire Ash and offensive coordinator John McNulty after Rutgers’ 52-0 loss to Michigan in Week 4, which marked its 14th-straight conference loss. Campanile, who had moved to coaching the tight ends, was named interim head coach.
The program liked what Campanile did with a tight end room, which Cassidy called “the island of misfit toys.” The group had a walk-on long snapper, two walk-on fullback/tight ends and a converted
from page 11
he told Gleason he considered leaving Bethesda despite the program playing a crucial role in his development. The academy had helped him get recruited by Princeton. But, when his college situation was locked up, he contacted Gleason.
“Being able to play with your buddies and win a championship there’s really nothing better than that,” Diaz-Bonilla said.
Before entering the WCAC, Gleason said that The Heights competed against local powerhouses like Gonzaga and DeMatha but never beat them. Diaz-Bonilla changed that.
“We started beating teams that we had never beaten ever before,” Gleason said.
Early in the 2018 season, The Cavaliers defeated DeMatha 2-0. The next month, they blew out Gonzaga 5-1. That year, DiazBonilla averaged over two goal contributions per game while playing along the attack.
“He was instrumental. Every game we played and he was just far and away the
the mistakes that permeated through the first four wins. The penalties, turnovers and slow starts were masked by what looked like a dynamic offense and one of the best defenses in the country. But Clemson wiped off the Orange’s makeup and revealed all the warts that persisted. North Carolina is undoubtedly going to do the same. The Orange faced a tough atmosphere against Purdue and escaped with a win, but the top players couldn’t show up when the stage was brightest.
Once again, I don’t have confidence that the players who didn’t show out last week can turn it around against one of Brown’s best teams.
Wyatt Miller (5-0)
Maye-be next time
North Carolina 34, Syracuse 21
Maye is primed to explode against Syracuse. The projected top-10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has picturesque form and consistent precision in and out of the pocket. Klubnik doesn’t compare to Maye as a pure passer or winner.
Last week, the Orange were dismantled by Klubnik, as he completed at least 50% of his passes to every area of the field. The Orange pass rush couldn’t create consistent pressure on Klubnik, allowing him to extend plays and beat them downfield. If they give Maye that kind of time and space, it’ll be a similar story. That said, after last week’s second-half failures, expect defensive coordinator Rocky Long to have more pointed adjustments against this top ACC squad.
In its injury-riddled state, I don’t think the SU offense will finish enough drives to keep pace with the Tar Heels. Maye’s elite accuracy and SU’s allaround struggles against Klubnik both give me doubts about whether SU can be competitive at all. Maye’s a dangerous passer that’s due for a big
rush, outside backer,” that he now plays at SU is similar to the one he played at North Brunswick. Nick said Lowery “definitely” felt comfortable transitioning to SU’s 3-3-5 defense because of his experience with the 3-man front.
Lowery’s defensive end background has created a bond between him and Okechukwu at Syracuse. The two played on that same weak side, constantly discussing how to rush the quarterback. When Lowery has two offensive blockers assigned to him, then Okechukwu would only get one, and vice versa, Okechukwu said.
“Me and him watch stuff together,” Okechukwu said. “So we talked about how we can attack o-linemen.”
Nick said that Lowery’s pass rushing skills made his life as a position coach easy. Along with making Nick look good, he also wanted to surpass his coaches’ records. When Nick played at North Brunswick, he finished among the program’s top 10 sack leaders.
When Lowery found out, he made it known to his position coach that he would pass him.
“I was jokingly like, ‘No, you’re not. Like, you’re not gonna beat me,’” Nick said. “And he goes, ‘Yes I am. Watch.’”
basketball player. Campanile leveled them into a productive group that played to their strengths.
In 2019, Campanile finished 1-6 in seven games and 2-10 overall. Vito said Campanile was sleeping at the office six nights a week because he wanted to prepare the team so much.
“His investment in the program showed he didn’t want to be there for a one-off season,” Cassidy said. “He was there for the long haul. He did a great job of laying out the goal long term.”
In January, Campanile went down to the National Coaches Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, to make connections. Nick said
player that attracted all defensive attention from the opposing coach,” Gleason said. “He was pretty close to scoring at will.”
Once the WCAC playoffs started, DiazBonilla continued to be the focal point.
In a rematch with Gonzaga in the WCAC semifinals, the Eagles man-marked Diaz-Bonilla from start to finish. Gleason remembered Diaz-Bonilla “screaming” at his squad to fire them up after a sluggish start.
The game ended in a scoreless draw but The Heights advanced on penalties. Diaz-Bonilla set the tone after scoring on the first kick.
In the final, Diaz-Bonilla finished off a memorable season, recording a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Paul VI High School.
“It’s a dream experience to be able to play with your best friends your senior year of high school,” Diaz-Bonilla said. “Not only did we play but we ended up winning…we went undefeated. So it was a special moment and a special season.
zakwolf784254@gmail.com
@zakwolf22
scoring game, and this could be it. Expect No. 10 in baby blue to ball out this weekend.
Henry O’Brien (4-1)
Carolina blues
North Carolina 38, Syracuse 20
Perhaps I gave this offense, though banged-up, too much credit. After SU’s first drive against Clemson, where Garrett Shrader took a massive hit to relinquish possession back to the Tigers, the passing game never looked right aside from some Dan Villari heroics. The Tigers’ defense exposed Syracuse’s lack of a true passing attack. The Orange insisted on going deep, and it never worked once. I don’t expect its offense to do any better against one of the
That moment came in September 2019 against South Brunswick. Lowery told Nick, who stayed in the booth during games, that once he passed him, he would point to him. The opposing quarterback was still on his knees when Lowery turned back to his sidelines and pointed both of his hands toward Nick.
“(The sack) was just something we always talked about in practice,” Lowery said. “...So that was a pretty cool moment.”
In that same game, Lowery scored a 98-yard catch-and-run touchdown to cement a 26-0 victory over South Brunswick. Lowery finished with 26 career sacks in two seasons with the Raiders.
Lowery made a competition out of anything. While Lowery was in the weight room, where players can easily get distracted, Nick said that Lowery was always someone who stayed focused. Nick said when the future SU linebacker saw someone lifting 225 lbs. on the bench, Lowery would try to do it twice. It’s translated to Syracuse as well, with Okechukwu noting Lowery’s improvement over his three years with the program.
“I love his progression,” Okechukwu said. “He’s been, ever since he first came in, getting extra work in the reps and I’m just proud to see how far he’s come.”
Campanile wasn’t sold on Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano’s offense after the hire of new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca.
Syracuse had always intrigued Campanile.
The Orange had just seen the departure of offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Robert Anae. Campanile liked head coach Dino Babers’ “Ohana” approach and now-offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s emphasis on a collaborative offense, Vito said.
Having Campanile on staff gave SU the ability to have a Northern Jersey presence in the locker room. Vito said it’s rare for
better defenses in the ACC.
On top of that, Maye will take down “The Mob” just like Kevin Costner did in “The Untouchables.” With how Klubnik threw it deep, particularly in the second half, corners Jeremiah Wilson and Isaiah Johnson will need to have career days against Maye and his receivers.
But none of that may happen because Syracuse could hurt itself more than the Tar Heels could. Against Clemson, SU tallied nine penalties, each more back-breaking than the last. Babers keeps mentioning how it’s a problem. Players keep saying how they have to improve. But they haven’t. And if it doesn’t happen against UNC, then when?
sports@dailyorange.com
The extra work made its presence even after Lowery took the lead in his bet with Okechukwu against Clemson. As the Orange attempted an ill-fated comeback, Lowery made multiple stops in the fourth quarter.
Tigers running back Will Shipley took a run to the left side with just over 12 minutes left, but Lowery anticipated the play and tackled him for a one-yard loss. One play later, Lowery slammed Klubnik to the ground again. Unlike his first sack, Lowery got a full grasp on Klubnik.
But Lowery’s sack didn’t affect the final score. Babers was obviously unhappy as he left the JMA Wireless Dome. After finishing his postgame press conference, SU’s head coach was about to drive away. But Lowery’s mother, standing with her son, saw Babers and yelled out “Coach,” Babers said. He rolled down his window.
“I said ‘He’s doing really good. Don’t you worry about it,’” Babers said. “She got the biggest smile on her face. It’s all true. He’s doing extremely well.”
henrywobrien1123@syr.edu @realhenryobrien
a school in New York City or Northern and Central New Jersey where Campanile doesn’t have a relationship with someone. He’s already begun reestablishing the fourhour circle.
After all, Campanile knows the “hardnosed” area, Knief said, the Cape Cod houses and Sunday sauce.
“He left a profound effect on my life. He’s someone I trust unequivocally,” Knief said. “Syracuse hit a home run with this one.” anthonyalandt29@yahoo.com @anthonyalandt
Fair Lawn, New Jersey, is a small, middle-class town 12 minutes from the George Washington bridge. The majority of houses in the area are Cape Cods, lined in rows. It’s where Nunzio Campanile and his four siblings grew up.
Campanile’s father, Mike, is the godfather of the family dubbed “The First Family of New Jersey Football.” He coached nearly everyone Campanile grew up with. There were struggles, but each member of their neighborhood helped foster an “extended family environment” his brother Vito, said.
There wasn’t a day where Campanile wasn’t playing outside. But he always made it home to sit at the dinner table with his entire family. Vito, though biased, said you couldn’t find a better upbringing than the Campaniles’.
“We had so many people try and help direct us that he was kind of destined to go the direction he went,” Vito said.
Campanile’s humble beginnings molded him into a rising star in college football coaching. He started coaching in his home state at 20-yearsold. He joined Syracuse as its tight ends coach in January, tasked to boost an under-utilized position group and solidify recruiting in New Jersey and New York. One of four heirs to Mike’s throne for “Jersey’s First Family of Football” is well on his way.
Mike never taught, despite coaching for the majority of his adult life at Bergen Catholic (N.J.). He was a mortgage salesman, taking an entrepreneurial path that afforded him family time. Campanile’s mother, Maura, was a legal secretary for 20 years before working in the dialysis unit of Hackensack University Medical
Center for 30 years. She lived two miles down the street and helped raise all five children when the parents worked.
Maura’s specialty was her Sunday macaroni sauce. Campanile’s brother, Nick, remembered the dinners took 4-5 hours to prepare and were “to die for.” Growing up in a tight-knit environment taught Campanile how to approach work, family and — eventually — recruiting.
Nick said Campanile played “as many sports as possible” growing up. During a state semifinal wrestling match in middle school, Campanile was hit in the eye. It swelled up so much that the skin underneath it split open. Coaches let him finish and Campanile won with four seconds left in overtime.
Campanile was the quarterback and a safety for his father at Paramus Catholic High School (N.J.). He played two years at Division-III Amherst College after graduating. There, he intended on becoming a lawyer. But following his sophomore year, his interest in law ended and he transferred to Montclair State to pursue a coaching career. Two years later, former Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) head coach Greg Toal offered Campanile the varsity offensive coordinator position.
“He’s the type of guy, could have been a lawyer or a doctor, but wanted to be a football coach and made a hell of a career out of it,” Nick said.
Brett Knief knew he wasn’t close to being Don Bosco’s starting quarterback. Knief topped out as an “average high school football player.” Campanile didn’t care. After class, Knief always went straight to the film room with Campanile to watch film. Campanile quizzed his players on each play. If someone couldn’t draw them out, they didn’t play.
Campanile was an “elite-level communicator” and related to his players better than any coach
Nunzio Campanile grew up in New Jersey to a family-first, football-crazed household. His modest beginnings made him a relatable and diligent coach. courtesy of vito campanile
Knief had seen before. He took from Mike’s parenting style to be a rigorous yet caring coach. Being at Don Bosco, then eventually as the head coach of Bergen Catholic for eight years, just like his father, gave Campanile the experiences of coaching a wide range of players.
Campanile worked his way up from being a history and physical education teacher at Don Bosco to being the school’s Athletic Director. During his tenure as offensive coordinator, the team won six state championships and a national title in 2009. He finished with a 112-6 record across 10 seasons with the Ironmen.
In 2018, the running back’s coaching job at Rutgers opened up. Bergen Catholic didn’t renew Campanile’s contract. Under then-head coach Chris Ash, the Scarlet Knights wanted
to be “Jersey-bred,” former tight end Ryan Cassidy said. Hiring Campanile gave Rutgers strong connections with one of the best high school programs in the country. Campanile had produced more Football Bowl Subdivision players than any other coach in New Jersey.
“Coach Nunz is bred to coach football players because he has a big heart,” Cassidy said. “He was trusted as someone who knew our locker room.”
Over the next year and a half, Campanile instituted three non-negotiables in the running back room. He demanded his unit give 100% effort to themselves, family and team. He ordered them to be tough and never make the same mistake twice.
Daniel Diaz-Bonilla had never played with The Heights School despite attending since 10th grade. Playing for Bethesda Soccer Club — a local academy in Gaithersburg, Maryland — DiazBonilla couldn’t play high school soccer because of time constraints.
But heading into his senior year, Diaz-Bonilla wanted a change. Since he was already committed to Princeton, he decided to spend his final season of high school eligibility with The Heights in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC)
— the DMV area’s premier athletic league.
“It’s one of those things where I went to the school… and I felt like the way that I could contribute to the school’s culture and the school’s history was to play soccer for them and hopefully deliver the first championship in school history,” Diaz-Bonilla said.
In his lone season with The Heights, DiazBonilla spearheaded a historic 17-0-1 record.
The Cavaliers captured the WCAC title, becoming the first team other than Gonzaga College High School or DeMatha Catholic to win in 20 years. Diaz-Bonilla’s 27 goals and 16 assists earned him WCAC Conference
Player of the Year honors. He was named the 2018-19 Maryland Gatorade Boys Player of the Year.
After three seasons at Princeton and an Ivy League title in 2021, Diaz-Bonilla is a rotational piece at Syracuse, providing it with a spark off the bench as a wing back.
Diaz-Bonilla remembered some of his friends at The Heights jokingly asked if he was actually good at soccer. He had been friends with players on the team for a couple years but never played with them. Occasionally, The Heights’ head soccer coach, Colin Gleason, invited Diaz-Bonilla to practice with the team,
which he happily accepted.
When Diaz-Bonilla started practicing with The Heights as a sophomore, his dribbling ability made him a natural attacker, Gleason said. Gleason recalled Diaz-Bonilla would “smoke guys” 1-on-1.
“I’ve never seen a player at the high school level with the ability he had to run with the ball,” Gleason said. “So being able to sprint at full pace while keeping the ball so tight to his feet… the defense didn’t know what to make of him.”
Diaz-Bonilla wanted one last chance to play with his friends. In the spring of his junior year, see diaz-bonilla page 3
Coming off its first loss of the season to Clemson, Syracuse kicks off a three-game road trip with No. 14 North Carolina on Saturday.
The Tar Heels are undefeated behind dualthreat quarterback Drake Maye, who has remained at the top of NFL draft boards. Maye threw for 38 touchdowns and 4,321 yards last season to establish himself as one of the top college quarterbacks in the nation.
After SU’s first Atlantic Coast Conference matchup went awry, it is looking to improve against a team that’s managed to stay perfect through five weeks. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of SU’s battle with UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina:
All-time series
Tied 3-3.
Last time they played
When the Orange walked into Kenan Memorial Stadium for the 2020 season-opener, it was the start of their worst season during Dino Babers’ head coaching era. It marked the beginning of a 1-10 season.
The Orange lost 31-6 to a Sam Howell-led team that entered at No. 18 in the nation. Howell threw for 295 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Meanwhile, then-quarterback Tommy DeVito was pulled in favor of Rex Culpepper after going 13-of31 and taking seven sacks.
Future NFL running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams combined for 135 yards on the ground and three touchdowns for UNC. The Tar Heels held SU to 1.9 yards per carry.
The Tar Heels report North Carolina is coming off its bye week, meaning UNC has had two whole weeks to
prepare for Syracuse. The Tar Heels have won every game this season by at least six points, including three games by at least 14. Maye is the focal point of this entire UNC squad. This season, 63.95% of North Carolina’s yards have been through the air despite passing the ball less than half the time (46.84%). That makes the Tar Heels one of the most efficient passing attacks in the nation.
Head Coach Mack Brown has helmed some of the best offenses in the history of college football, including the Vince Young-led Texas squad that beat USC in the infamous 2006 Rose Bowl. In his second stint as UNC’s head coach, he revitalized the program, specifically the passing attack — Maye has been a beneficiary of his wisdom.
The UNC front isn’t quite as dominant as Clemson’s, but its coverage will present a similar challenge as the Tigers. The Tar Heels are the No. 18 defense in the nation in passing efficiency against, according to the NCAA, because their corners are physical and the scheme is complex. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has 27 years of collegiate coaching experience and it shows on UNC’s 4-0 record.
The only way for the Orange to stamp out North Carolina is to confuse Maye. Defensive coordinator Rocky Long is famous for his in-game adjustments and he’s showcased that routinely through four games. He’s created multiple new plays on the fly which have yielded consistent success.
Against Clemson, no such adjustment was evident. Quarterback Cade Klubnik continued to put on a clinic against SU in the second half, completing passes to every area of the field to finish with 263 yards and two touchdowns. Of the two, Maye is thought to be the more talented passer by the majority of scouts and the stats
back it up. In order to confound him, Long will need to concoct something better than he did last weekend.
The UNC defense hasn’t stood out through four games, ranking eighth in the ACC in total defense grade, per Pro Football Focus. If the Orange are going to win, they’ll have to produce some points along with containing the passing attack. Last week, Syracuse crumbled under Clemson’s sheer force up front,on both sides of the ball. SU can’t let that happen again on Saturday.
Stat to know: .579
UNC’s 3rd-down conversion rate (.579) ranks second in the country. This is a testament to Maye’s collected pocket presence and clutch performance. He exercises extreme patience and trust in his receivers, standing in the
pocket to deliver strikes, even under heavy pressure. And in short-yardage situations, Omarion Hampton has been a reliable bulldozer at 6-foot, 220 lbs. All that culminates in an elite 3rd-down offense.
Player to watch: QB Drake Maye Maye’s completion percentage (.727) ranks 15th in the nation and second in the ACC. PFF grades him as the ninth-best passer in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Maye’s 5-4 touchdowninterception ratio is incredibly misleading. He’s smart and accurate with the football. The SU scheme needs to confuse him in order to get ahead because he’s physically one of the best arm talents in the country.
wbmiller@syr.edu @wymill07
By Aiden Stepansky asst. digital editor
Liesel Odden sent a text message to the Syracuse women’s soccer team group chat near the end of the 2022-23 academic year. She asked if anyone was interested in joining her and her family on a weeklong mission trip to Guatemala in July.
Many of Odden’s teammates couldn’t because of summer plans. But, Aysia Cobb had serious interest. Cobb’s mother is from Guatemala and she had never visited before.
For one week in July, Cobb and the Odden family traveled to Aguacate, Guatemala to participate in Hogar’s Helping Hands — an organization that provides shelter to 80 orphan children and support for impoverished families in the greater Aguacate community.
Hogar’s Helping Hands is also a religious organization. During their trips to Guatemala the organization hosts a Bible school, according to its website.
In 2010, the Oddens heard about Hogar’s Helping Hands through an event at their church. After considering the trip for a few years, Odden convinced them to go in 2013.
“Liesel was very much the driving force of us going,” Odden’s mother, Carrie, said.
According to Carrie, Hogar’s Helping Hands houses children between the ages 2 to 10. She said many of the kids involved had been removed from their homes by the court systems of Guatemala due to abuse or losing their parents.
Carrie said the main directors of the home, Karen and Estuardo Rodas, aim to provide safety and education for the kids. She said the Guatemalan government doesn’t help fund the organization so Hogar’s Helping Hands relies on donations.
football
During their first three trips, the Oddens were participants. Then, in 2016, they became mission directors.
“We were told from the get-go that we will never fix the poverty in Guatemala and we know that,” Carrie said. “If we can help in any small way that’s what we are trying to do.”
When she was younger, Odden couldn’t contribute to every aspect of the trips. The physical demands were extremely labor intensive as the group was working on building a girls dormitory within Aguacate. Odden would help carry blocks, sift sand and paint while the construction went on.
Her largest role was building relationships with the kids in the village.
“She is drawn to them and they are drawn to her,” Carrie said. “She gives them lots of love when she’s there and lots of tears when she leaves.”
Odden’s Spanish-speaking ability has made her effective in communicating with the children. Odden has studied the language since she was young and can easily speak it, according to her father, Scott.
Speaking Spanish allowed Odden to help run the Bible school in Aguacate. Carrie said that the orphans, and around 150 local kids from the village, gather for a bible lesson every afternoon of the week while crafting, playing games and eating snacks.
As she grew older, Odden contributed more in the physical aspects while still bonding with the children. In this summer’s trip, she helped dig and build a new trade center, aimed to help the children acquire skills such as welding, heating and air conditioning, sewing, cosmetology and restaurant management.
Odden also used her soccer skills on the trips, often playing with the kids. Street soccer is extremely popular in the community and Odden has helped organize games while there. She
remembered the children’s touches on the ball were extremely advanced for their age.
This year’s trip was particularly important to Odden since they couldn’t travel to Guatemala from 2020-22 due to the pandemic. In her absence, Odden became concerned that the children there would forget about their relationship with her. As many of them don’t have technology to communicate, Odden sent letters to keep in touch. Going back in 2023 allowed Odden to see the physical and mental growth of the children.
The work with Hogar’s Helping Hands has given Odden an added appreciation for her life at Syracuse.
“I’ve gotten a lot better at looking forward to going to class rather than complaining about it, “ Odden said. “It’s made me super grateful for being at Syracuse and getting my education.”
When preparing to go on the trip, Odden knew the organization was searching for more young role models to the children of the village. She thought there was no better place to look than within her Syracuse community. She messaged athletes from other teams at SU to join. Men’s track and field runner Alex Segarra joined her and Cobb.
“As a student-athlete you have a little bit of a platform,” Odden said. “It’s cool to try and use that to help other people.”
Throughout the week, Cobb became closer with Odden. Cobb said the pair began each
morning with construction work on the future technical skills school before bible school started in the afternoon. Following bible school, Cobb, Odden and Segarra were given hours of time to spend with the children, playing soccer or running around the playground.
“I think doing any type of community service with someone inevitably makes you closer,” Cobb said. “You see things that you don’t get to see everyday.”
One part of the week that stood out to Cobb was when she led a group of children on a trip to a nearby amusement park. Due to funding running low, the Odden family paid for the excursion. The kids got to go on amusement park rides and eat ice cream as a reward for good behavior in school.
“There was a huge language barrier, but it didn’t matter because we had so much fun,” Cobb said. “The kids were so nice and helped me figure out what to say when needed.”
Cobb said she plans on returning to Guatemala with the Oddens in 2024. Next time, she hopes to have her mother, Marissa, with her. Odden said Cobb’s involvement and experiences generated interest from teammates for future trips.
“At first I thought this was a once in a lifetime thing,” Odden said. “But once you’re there you build such deep connections in a short time that makes you want to keep coming back and make it a yearly thing.”
amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
Leon Lowery and Caleb Okechukwu have a bet. They’re competing throughout the season to see who can get more sacks. They aren’t competing for any prize. The only thing they can earn is a “Good job. Do it again,” Okechukwu said.
Heading into last Saturday’s matchup with Clemson, Okechukwu was winning. But Lowery changed that.
On a 4th-and-2 with just over six minutes left in the first half, Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik dropped back to pass. Lowery lined up on the left edge, bursting off the line of scrimmage. Clemson’s offensive line misread its blocking assignments and gave Lowery an open shot at Klubnik. While Klubnik escaped at first, Lowery eventually knocked him to the turf.
Lowery finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and a game-high two sacks. But he had never been SU’s premier blitzer, staying behind pass rushers like Stefon Thompson.
In 2022, Lowery started at edge twice, filling in for Thompson, who was out with an ACL tear. But this year, Lowery beat out the moreexperienced Thompson in fall camp. While playing at North Brunswick Township High School in New Jersey, Lowery became one of the school’s most prolific pass rushers ever. The results are now paying off, with Lowery leading the Orange in sacks (2.5) and quarterback hits (four), per Pro Football Focus.
When SU released its first depth chart of the season, head coach Dino Babers made it clear that Lowery was starting over Thompson because the latter was recovering from his ACL injury.
“Right now, Leon is playing better. And that’s why he’s in front,” Babers said on Aug. 28.
“It felt rewarding knowing that the hard work I put in has paid off,” Lowery said of earning the starting position. “But I can’t get comfortable.”
Lowery has gone through this before. When Lowery began at North Brunswick, he didn’t start as a
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