February 5, 2026

thursday, february 5, 2026

celebrating 122 years

free

O • Conditional belonging

C • Mom Life

S • Chasing gold

Page 12

Page 9

Page 16

Discussions about ICE are personal for international students and reshape their future plans, our essayist writes.

Take a look inside the lives of Panhellenic sorority house moms at SU, from late nights and new pets to house maintenance and safety.

Syracuse ice hockey head coach Britini Smith hopes to help guide Canada to a gold medal at the 2026 Olympics.

national

Epstein funded alum’s tuition

By Samantha Olander enterprise editor

eli schwartz asst. photo editor | hannah mesa illustration editor

Student give thoughts on noise, road closures from campus construction

By Priya Schmit and Vivian Collins

T

the daily orange

hroughout the 2025-26 academic year, construction projects have made progress all around Syracuse University’s campus.

The construction of new buildings — and demolition of old ones — is part of SU’s broader “Campus Framework,” a 20-year plan introduced in 2018 to improve the campus’s physical environment.

SU is actively building two new residence halls and a dining center at Waverly and Comstock Avenue, as well as new dorms at 544 University Place. To make room for the new buildings, the university demolished Marion

and Kimmel Halls last spring, and began taking down the Comstock Avenue Garage in the fall.

“Over the years, we’ve made renovations to residence hall bathrooms, and expanded and improved community spaces,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a February 2024 release, announcing the first phase of SU’s strategic housing plan. “But many of the residence halls on campus have remained largely the same for too long.”

As a result, some SU students who live in dorms near the construction sites have expressed frustration over noise disruptions, while others face detours in their walks around campus. Others, however, said the construction doesn’t affect their daily routines. see noise page 7

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein paid at least $106,000 in tuition to Syracuse University on behalf of the daughter of his longtime pilot, according to bank records and emails unsealed by the Department of Justice.

Payments from Epstein covered multiple semesters for Lawrence Visoski’s daughter, Taylor Cusack, formerly Taylor Josephine Visoski.

Cusack graduated in 2013 from SU’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, according to the files.

The files show bank statements from Epstein’s JPMorgan Chase account with at least five checks made payable to Syracuse University between 2009 and 2012. These include tuition payments totaling $106,654.

While testifying in Manhattan federal court during the 2021 sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Visoski confirmed that Epstein paid for both of his daughters to attend college. A spokesperson for the university confirmed to The Daily Orange that Cusack attended Newhouse from 2009 to 2013.

Most of the checks list Cusack’s former name in the memo line, including a Dec. 11, 2012, payment of $22,310 labeled “Taylor Josephine Visoski.”

Additional checks, each ranging between $19,000 and $22,000, were similarly made payable to the university’s bursar office.

Epstein, a financier who was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in jail while awaiting trial. Investigators later ruled his death a suicide.

The D.O. reviewed references to SU in the batch of Justice Department files released Friday, many of which mention Cusack. The D.O. did not identify financial connections between Epstein and SU beyond the tuition payments and related correspondence.

The documents were part of a broader release of Epstein-related records by the Justice Department following a law enacted last year.

These records do not indicate that Lawrence Visoski or Taylor Cusack had involvement in Epstein’s crimes. The documents show financial support and professional assistance coordinated through her father.

Cusack did not respond to multiple requests from The D.O. for comment.

Visoski and Cusack’s lawyer had no immediate comment.

Visoski repeatedly sought Epstein’s help in paying for his daughters’ college tuition, see epstein files page 7

2 february 5, 2026

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SYRACUSE 77, NORTH CAROLINA 88 women’s thursday, february 5

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LACROSSE men’s

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NEWS

february 5, 2026 3

on campus

ECS Interim Dean Ross shares history in education, leadership

By Owen Smith

asst. digital editor

Although Syracuse University Interim Dean Jennifer Ross is leading a college that teaches mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering and computer science, she sees her background as an award-winning biophysicist as an advantage.

“Biophysics is very interdisciplinary. I’ve always worked with bio engineers. I’ve always worked with physicists, chemists, biologists, biochemists,” Ross said. “It’s just an incredibly interdisciplinary field, which kind of helps me to adapt, to learn about [engineering].”

Ross, the newly appointed interim dean of SU’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, took the position after serving as the College of Art and Sciences’ associate dean for creativity, scholarship and research. Now, she’s helping students build robots and simulate flying airplanes.

Announced in October 2025, Ross officially stepped into the interim dean role for ECS in November. Her appointment comes after former ECS Dean J. Cole Smith left SU to become Clemson University’s vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Previous to her role as interim and associate dean, Ross served as the chair of SU’s physics department, overseeing the addition of an astronomy major. In her role as associate dean, Ross oversaw applications for funding, prize and award nominations and research expenditures.

Ross earned her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College in 2000 before completing her Ph.D. in physics at the University of California four years later. Afterward, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine studying molecular biology.

When SU hired Ross at the BioInspired Institute, she arrived with something that she said would define her time at SU: a strive for leadership and helping others.

Ross’s progression at SU felt natural to Duncan Brown, Syracuse’s vice president for research, who has known Ross since before she arrived on campus.

Brown and Ross were both inducted into the Cottrell Scholar program in the same year.

Brown said the competitive national fellowship recognizes faculty who excel in research and undergraduate teaching.

“You have to show impact on undergraduate education and cutting-edge research,” Brown said. “That’s exactly the type of faculty we want at Syracuse University.”

Alison Patteson, an associate professor of biophysics and a fellow Cottrell Scholar, described Ross as energetic and committed to students.

“She cares a lot about teaching and uses active learning strategies in her classroom,” Patteson said. “She has one of the strongest work ethics I’ve ever seen.”

Ross regularly brings undergraduates, graduates and even high school students into her research lab. She said she encourages collaboration and communication by pairing younger

jennifer ross stepped into the role as interim dean for the school of Engineering and Computer Science this semester, sharing her experience and drive to help others. zobayer joti contributing photographer

students with graduate students and running weekly meetings.

It ’s a model she said is necessary for good teaching.

The interim dean has also developed innovative teaching methods, including her “Experiencing Physics” lab, an undergraduate research experience targeted at improving learning and student retention in the physics major.

Both Brown and Patteson emphasized Ross’ leadership skills, pointing out her ability to listen and understand perspectives. Patteson said the new dean is very “solution-orientated” and takes time to respond to student and faculty concerns.

“Engineering and physics aren’t a million miles apart,” Brown said. “A biomedical engineer might have more in common with a biophysicist than with a civil engineer.”

Ross said her leadership extends the same curiosity that drives her science. She holds open office hours twice a week, where students regularly visit with questions or issues.

Now, she believes the new interim dean title will allow her to help even more students.

As chair of SU’s physics department, Ross supported dozens of faculty and mentored over a hundred students in her lab. Now, at ECS, her reach is even broader than ever before.

She cares a lot about teaching and uses active learning strategies in her classroom.

She has one of the strongest work ethics I’ve ever seen.

Alison Patteson su associate professor of biophysics

“Even though there’s more people involved, I just see it as the same thing,” Ross said. “Helping people move things forward.”

Ross said she sees herself as a “bridge” — someone tasked with getting the college “into really tight shape” before the new dean is selected.

That includes navigating rapid changes in technology, particularly with artificial intelligence. As a researcher, Ross said she’s always worked with AI, and sees it as a tool that can save time in the future.

ECS has launched new AI-focused degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with tracks studying both hardware and software. Rather than avoiding AI, Ross wants the college to understand how it works, including learning about microchips and neural networks.

“We’re grabbing the bull by the horns, and we’re going to ride this bull out to see where it takes us,” Ross said.

Despite her new role, Ross always remembers what makes SU unique: its people. She said she’s struck by how driven students are — recounting about times where she’s found undergraduates working late Friday nights at the Allen Innovation Hub. “They were like, ‘Don’t worry, parties start at nine,’” Ross said. “And I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m old, I should be going to bed.’”

What makes ECS special to Ross is the unique “personality” of the school.

Whether it be engineers studying abroad or students racing their hand-built cars, those unexpected details aren’t distractions from engineering and computer science for Ross — it’s the point.

“People here do different things that you’d never expect, and that’s what makes it so great.”

Ross said. owensmith@dailyorange.com

on campus

Maxwell USA@250 marks anniversary, reviews U.S. history

By Mirren Grimason contributing writer

Since 1776, the interpretation and application of the Declaration of Independence has evolved, but the core of the document remains the same.

Celebrating the founding document’s 250th anniversary, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is teaching a new class this semester to focus on the document’s impact, history and changing influence.

The course, titled USA@250, is a one-credit course designed to take students through the history of the United States, including political and social issues such as Indigenous liberation, women’s rights and political polarization.

Meeting Monday afternoons, the course brings together 12 Maxwell professors to share their own expert insights with students.

Carol Faulkner, Maxwell’s senior associate dean for academic affairs, said she came up with the idea for the class after being inspired by a similar course at Yale University taught by three historians.

She said she wanted to create a similar class at Maxwell, expanding it to not just include history, but also politics and public policy.

“In the past, the Declaration of Independence was a much more tangible document to Americans, they really were familiar with it, and it inspired many Americans,” Faulkner said. “I want to sort of maintain that level of engagement with America’s past and present.”

Lily Sweeney, a sophomore studying political science, said the class has already taught her about the history of the Declaration of Independence and how it contributes to the U.S.’s political climate today.

“We’re doing only single lectures on these (topics), but we’re going so in depth on them as well,” Sweeney said. “On the first day we spent time just on the Declaration of Independence and I felt like I learned a lot about how people reacted to the Declaration of Independence, more than I had learned from really any history or American government class I had taken before.”

Sophomore Ian Lever said he took the class to learn more about the U.S.’s founding see max@250 page 7

Maxwell’s new course celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. while exploring various historical and social issues. ola rose ndubuise contributing photographer

four days until quarterfinals

Tuesday focused on music. Led by sophomore Music Director Sean Beatty, the group ran through the entire set to clean up any mistakes.

10 p.m. Otto Tunes

workout room to run through their set for their upcoming quarterfinal competition to iron out choreography issues.

9 p.m. Otto Tunes gathered in a Flanagan Gymnasium

five days until quarterfinals

Monday

photo editor

three days until quarterfinals

Wednesday

impromptu showcase in front of SU a cappella groups and other students to address any notes and critiques. For Micah Greenberg, a senior and the group’s co-public relations director, seeing the a cappella community show out for Otto Tunes gave the group the

10 p.m. Otto Tunes hosted an

the choreography for a game they call “spin the wheel.” Rowan Mastrangelo, the groups’ business manager, choreographed the set. While running through the dances, Otto Tunes used water bottles, umbrellas and phone cases as makeshift microphones.

10 p.m. The group settled down to watch randomly selected groups of four run through

Story and photos by Avery Magee

Follow Otto Tunes’ devoted journey to ICCA quarterfinals

‘IT’S NEVER DONE’

4 february 5, 2026

Want more of the journey? Go to dailyorange. com to read about Ottotunes’ ICCAs experience.

and Otto Tunes placed third. not advancing to the ICCA semifinals.

But, their placement didn’t end the night; judges recognized Rowan Mastrangelo for his beatboxing, earning the award for “Outstanding Vocal Percussion.” The group embraced Mastrangelo in a hug on stage. Wagner later called him the MVP of the year.

Rather than allowing disappointment and sadness to consume them, Otto Tunes celebrated.

Car dance parties, a light saber and a hangout at the Otto Tunes house closed out their 2026 ICCA chapter.

9:30 p.m. Two hours later, the results came in,

ous rehearsals, the group gathered at the Otto Tunes house for one final meeting and rehearsal on Friday.

Otto Tunes watched their showcase video to spot any mistakes they might have made and clear up any lingering confusion.

7 p.m. After a week of rigor-

24 hours until quarterfinals

Friday

rehearsals, Otto Tunes geared up to take the stage. Otto Tunes randomly selected the second placement in the program, starting their day earlier than they had anticipated.

2 p.m. After months of

in applause. Their 10-minute-long set featured songs like “Mr. Roboto” by Styx and “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson.

7:20 p.m. When Otto Tunes took the stage for the quarterfinals, the audience erupted

five hours until performance

Saturday

boost of confidence they needed.

february 5, 2026 5

6 february 5, 2026

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

city

Common Council discusses Veo, considers contract renewal

By Arabella Klonowski asst. news editor

The Syracuse Common Council raised concerns with VeoRide Inc. at a Public Transportation Committee meeting Wednesday pending its contract renewal next week.

Veo has had a contract with Syracuse for almost five years. The Wednesday meeting, facilitated by Common Councilor and Chair of the Public Transportation Marino Nave, allowed councilors to talk to representatives at Veo about the company’s e-bikes in Syracuse.

Jeffrey Hoover, Veo’s director of government partnerships, addressed improvements in Syracuse’s partnership, including a $250,000 city-program investment, 33% bike inventory increase and a new mechanism to prevent bikes from tipping over.

Nave raised concerns about riders driving while intoxicated, which Hoover said will be addressed through stronger regulation available later this spring. He also asked about unregulated helmet use, where Hoover said Veo plans to introduce AI detection that rewards helmet use through rebates in the near future.

Councilor Donna Moore expressed concern for those under 18 years old who illegally use the bikes without completing age verification. An October law signed in California required age verification programs to be present in certain software, including Veo bikes. Hoover said a similar New York state

law change would be necessary for bikes to verify ages in Syracuse.

Syracuse has nearly doubled its bike racks to 44 across the city, Hoover said. The increase is to avoid disposal in areas that may elicit complaints or inconvenience residents. In 2026, the company plans to introduce the Veo Trike to the city, Hoover said. The newer e-bike assists with mobility and balance, and includes storage.

The Veo Apollo will also be launched in the city, which provides a second seat behind the rider.

He said the goals for these new bikes are to increase accessibility within the city and allow more riders to feel comfortable using them.

In the presentation, Hoover identified Syracuse’s South Side neighborhood as a food desert — an area lacking grocery stores, leaving residents without a car unable to access fresh food.

“We really want to focus (on) deploying in known areas of food deserts,” Hoover said. “It’s one thing to get to a grocery store on a scooter, it’s another thing to get home on a scooter when you have bags.”

Veo has introduced a new AI “virtual parking coach,” Hoover said. The tool requires customers to receive parking approval in the app through a photograph prior to leaving the bike and ending a ride.

Hoover said this program aims to prevent users from leaving bikes in the center of sidewalks or other areas that may hinder traffic, and holds riders accountable for correcting their parking.

state

Veo will credit users traveling to Centro bus stops $1 per trip through the app, Hoover said.

He also said the company will intentionally place bikes in areas where bus routes lack coverage.

Veo recorded a 34% increase in total rides for 2025, totalling over 570,000, Hoover said. He also explained that 2025 saw a 2% decrease in median fees per ride, totaling less than $2.75.

Though students do use the bikes, Hoover said the majority of users are not students, and

ridership does not “hinge” upon the Syracuse University academic calendar.

At Wednesday’s common council study session, Nave said the council’s vote on the contract’s renewal will be held until Monday.

If approved by the council on Monday, the contract will go into effect immediately and be voted upon again following its expiration Dec. 31. akklonow@syr.edu

Syracuse Common Council discussed concerns and improvements with the city’s bikes and updated technology. marley wong contributing photographer

on campus

Hochul-Adams becomes 1st SU updates 2026-27 women-led New York ticket calendar after feedback

By Vivian Collins asst. news editor

Syracuse University revised its fall 2026-27 academic calendar, according to the university’s website. The initial calendar ended classes later and shortened winter break compared to the 2025-26 academic year.

Next fall, the last day of classes will be Dec. 8, and the final day of the semester will be Dec. 15. Before the change, fall 2026 classes were scheduled to end Dec. 15 with finals running through Dec. 22, three days before Christmas, a federal holiday.

Winter break was scheduled to be one week shorter than the 2025-26 term, but now the break will be three-and-a-half weeks, a similar length to recent years.

The first day of fall classes also shifted, beginning Aug. 24, instead of its former date, Aug. 31.

SU Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew confirmed the changes were based on feedback from the campus community in an email to students Wednesday morning.

“We hope this change will help students manage summer and holiday commitments,” Agnew wrote.

“Thanks to those who shared their concerns.”

The change comes after an SU spokesperson told The Daily Orange the university would reassess the fall academic calendar in January.

Student feedback prompted the reevaluation, the spokesperson wrote.

The first day of the 2027 spring semester remains unchanged, and spring classes will still begin Jan. 11. viviancollins@dailyorange.com

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul selected Adrienne Adams as her lieutenant governor for the upcoming gubernatorial election. leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

By Remi Turner asst. copy editor

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her lieutenant governor Wednesday for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

This selection marks the first women-led ticket in New York state for a major party and only the fifth in U.S. history.

Hochul said Adams knows what it means to work hard and is grateful to build New York’s future with her.

“As Donald Trump attacks this state relentlessly and Bruce Blakeman bends the knee before him, I need a fighter in my corner who’ll stand strong for New York families,” Hochul said in a Wednesday press release. “Adrienne Adams is that fighter.”

Adams, a Queens native, formerly served as the New York City Council Speaker before entering the mayoral primary last year. During her four-year tenure as speaker, she focused on expanding affordable housing and investing in early childhood education.

The governor and Adams recently collaborated in 2022, where Adams unveiled a plan for building affordable housing units in New York City, complementary to Hochul’s plan to build 800,000 new units over the next decade.

Hochul’s previous running mate and current lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, announced his own campaign in June, establishing himself as Hochul’s Democratic challenger.

The governor’s selection comes days before the New York State Democratic Convention that will be held in Syracuse on Friday.

Adams said she is honored to stand with Hochul as she continues her fight for a safe, affordable and resilient New York.

“There’s too much on the line for us to let Donald Trump raise costs, rip away child care, and wage war on New York families – and Governor Hochul and I are ready for this fight,” Adams said in the release. “Let’s get to work.”

If elected, Adams would be the first Black woman to hold the position. remiturner@dailyorange.com

SU updated its fall 2026–27 academic calendar, extending winter break to three and a half weeks. leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

february 5, 2026 7

dailyorange.com news@dailyorange.com

from page 1

noise Sophomore Ruby Swyst, who lives in Booth Hall, said she often wakes up early to loud sounds of power tools and heavy machinery.

“It’s really annoying, specifically some clanging noises (and) repeated banging,” Swyst said. “I definitely think it affects our living situation, and our studying too.”

With the university continuing to build its new dorms at Comstock and Waverly Avenue, Swyst and her roommate, Ashley Brother, said they can hear noises every day from the construction site next door to their dorm.

Construction projects in Syracuse are not permitted to “cause unnecessary noise” between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday to Saturday, or any time on Sundays and holidays, per city code. Unnecessary noise refers to any excessive or unusually loud sound that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort of a person, according to the code.

Many students said they wake up early to the construction regularly — like Bailey Apter, a sophomore living in Booth Hall. Liam Talbot, a Watson Hall resident, said the sound of the construction is constant and often interrupts his sleep.

In addition to early morning wake-ups, some said the construction creates a distraction during the day.

“It’s annoying, sometimes it’s hard to focus on homework,” Andrew Brandt, a sophomore living in Booth Hall, said.

Some students, however, said the construction did not impact them, and they were able to sleep through the noise.

“I am a pretty heavy sleeper, so it doesn’t really get to me,” said Watson resident Sheza Qasim. “Honestly, it hasn’t been too big of an issue for me.”

Vice President and Chief Campus Facilities Officer Pete Sala said in a November campus-wide email that the goal of the construction is to “transform” campus while limiting disruption.

As of Wednesday night, SU had not responded to The Daily Orange’s request for comment regarding student complaints about construction disturbances.

SUNY ESF Associate Professor Jamie Mirowsky, who researches environmental noise and air pollutants, said being bothered by construction noise varies depending on the person, as people have different levels of noise sensitivity. Some people are able to study in very loud environments while others, she said, “can’t even read a sentence.”

“It is very common for noise measurements to influence people’s ability to sleep, and also ability to concentrate,” Mirowsky said.

“They’re all very legitimate complaints.”

Mirowsky said she was unfamiliar with SU’s campus and spoke about general construction noise and citizen disturbance.

A study conducted in April 2023 by Science Direct found significant effects of construction noise on physiological responses, concluding that people were left more stressed after being exposed to loud construction noises.

In order to complete the demolition and construction, SU closed down a portion of Comstock Avenue that runs from Waverly Avenue to Marshall Street. This resulted in pedestrian and vehicle detours through Ostrom Avenue and Marshall Street.

Brandt said the construction has made his commute to class more difficult due to several road and sidewalk closures.

“It makes me go longer than where I’m trying to go because I can’t use that street,” Brandt said.

SU posted about the construction in an October update and resulting detours in a December campus-wide email.

“The projects will involve some sidewalk closures and traffic detours, though every effort will be made to minimize disruption to campus

community members,” Sala wrote in the October campus-wide email.

Despite the email, many students still expressed frustration at the lack of a foreseen established schedule.

“They sent us an email saying it was going to be happening, but I don’t think they really told us when or for how long,” Ava Lopata, a Booth Hall sophomore, said.

Moon Soe, a resident of Watson Hall, claims she did not receive any notifications about the construction schedule — only noticing that it starts “really early” in the morning.

Swyst said she wished the university had put more effort into communicating with those impacted by the construction noise.

“You have to be communicative to the students,” Swyst said. “You’re affecting students who need to wake up early in the morning and need to get sleep.”

Mirowsky said students affected by the noise should find quiet spaces available on campus, and suggested noise cancelling headphones, white noise machines or apps.

“Even a really loud fan can usually be enough to overcome some of the noise that would be really disruptive,” Mirowsky said. “So there are things that students can do.”

Construction-related comments, questions and concerns can be directed to cpdc@syr.edu. news@dailyorange.com

from page 1

epstein files according to several emails included in the files. The former pilot received a mix of checks payable to the university, loans and commission advances from Epstein.

These payments included a $21,000 personal loan request to cover Cusack’s fall 2010 tuition at SU and a subsequent $22,000 loan for her spring 2011 tuition, according to the correspondence.

The files also contain an email and a check showing Epstein assisted with tuition for Visoski’s younger daughter, who attended Millsaps College in Mississippi.

In a July 2012 exchange, Visoski proposed applying a remaining commission balance toward both daughters’ tuition and requested approval for an additional loan to cover the outstanding balance. Epstein replied “yes.”

In addition to accepting direct financial aid, Visoski also sought Epstein’s influence to advance Cusack’s academic and professional opportunities, the files show.

In 2011, Visoski asked Epstein to intervene after Cusack, a public relations major at the time, was denied an interview for an NBC internship covering the 2012 London Olympics, according to the files. In the email, Visoski described his daughter as “heartbroken.”

“My believe is the background check they did on me, to eliminate her from being giving this interview,” he wrote in an email to Epstein on April 7, 2011. “Is there any person or friend of a friend that you may know at NBC or affiliate that may look into the possibility of opening this door for her?”

Subsequent emails show Visoski forwarding his daughter’s resume and Harvard Business School application essays to Epstein for review.

In one exchange, Epstein told Visoski to have his daughter complete the application and give it to him.

The files also contain a thank-you note from Cusack to Epstein.

“Dear Jeffrey, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to critique my essays for Harvard.

I know your time is valuable and I sincerely appreciate all the feedback you gave me,” Cusack wrote in an email dated Jan. 7, 2013.

Epstein also allowed Cusack to stay in his Manhattan townhouse multiple times between 2011 and 2013 while she pursued internships and job interviews. An additional email confirms that Cusack stayed at the residence in September 2017. from page 3

max@250 principles in a format different from traditional history courses.

“It has opened my eyes to a perspective of the U.S. I had not previously seen and I believe classes like this can do the same for the wider community,” Lever said.

In addition to being offered to all Syracuse students, each course lecture is also livestreamed and recorded for the public.

As someone who does a lot of talks in the

jeffrey epstein paid a total of $106,654 of Syracuse University tuition for his longtime pilot’s daughter, according to files released by the Department of Justice. snapshots via department of justice | design by ilana zahavy presentation director

The stays were coordinated by Epstein’s former executive assistant, Lesley Groff, according to the files. Groff appears several times in the files arranging access to Epstein’s properties.

Files show the financial relationship continued between Epstein and the Visoski family — including Cusack’s husband, Brendan Cusack — after her graduation in 2013. Brendan Cusack did not respond to The D.O.’s requests for comment.

Visoski, the first witness in Maxwell’s 2021 trial, testified that he had f lown Epstein’s aircrafts, which carried highprofile passengers, from 1991 to 2019. In his testimony, Visoski said Epstein kept the cockpit door closed during f lights, so he never witnessed any wrongdoing.

Other news organizations and student newspapers have reported similar tuition payments tied to Epstein in the newlyreleased records, including payments made

to Seton Hall University, Wake Forest University and Elon University.

Multiple survivors and members of the House Judiciary Committee have separately said Epstein used promises of admission and tuition assistance as a way to exert control.

community, SU political science professor Thomas Keck said he wanted to be a lecturer for the course.

“If there’s something in the news that is relevant to my expertise and people are eager for help in understanding what’s going on, it’s a valuable kind of contribution that faculty can make,” Keck said.

Keck’s lecture on Jan. 26 focused on the history and implications of the constitution.

“It’s important for everybody to be able to understand that original Constitution and also its subsequent development over time

so that they can make informed judgments about whether they think their current government officials are acting consistently with it or not,” Keck said.

While the course was created to help students and the community make sense of the U.S. at its 250th anniversary, it was also designed to pay homage to the objectives of the Maxwell School.

Students in the classroom also said they are gaining new information and insight to a topic they hadn’t previously experienced in other courses.The lectures taught by several

professors is something Faulkner said allows the course to cover a wider range of material than a typical Maxwell course.

“It’s really inspired by the mission of the Maxwell School, that the Maxwell School was founded to teach citizenship to Syracuse University undergrads,” Faulkner said. “And I think this is a way of keeping that mission going.”

The full list of lectures for the remainder of the course can be found on the Maxwell School website.

Enterprise Editor Julia Boehning and Digital Managing Editor Griffin Uribe Brown contributed reporting for this article. saolande@syr.edu

msgirimas@syr.edu

CORRECTION: There were errors in an article that appeared in last week’s print edition on Jan. 29, titled “Nutrition science, food studies navigate closures due to declining enrollment.” This article said Erdman claimed nutrition science faculty were informed of the program’s closing before an October University Senate meeting. Erdman was referring to the Aug. 27, 2025, meeting with Falk Senior Associate Dean Scott Tainsky. The article also previously stated that Erdman claimed the program saw declining enrollment. Erdman did not say the program saw declining enrollment explicitly, she later clarified. The Daily Orange regrets these errors. An updated version of the story is available at dailyorange.com.

8 february 5, 2026

dailyorange.com

dailyorange.com culture@dailyorange.com

CULTURE

february 5, 2026 9

house moms SU sorority house moms don’t just maintain the site, they provide advice and keep residents safe

By Lily Zuckerman asst. culture editor

F

rom 1994 to 1997, Michele LaRocque served as the “house mom” for Syracuse University’s chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta. Years later, she would be the bridesmaid of one the thensorority members.

LaRocque returned to SU’s AGD in 2024 and is now the house mom at SU’s Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter. Living in a house with “career-minded women” and hearing about their goals, aspirations and beliefs is most important to LaRocque.

It’s 24/7, you have to be ready for anything, any hour, any day.

Michele LaRocque su’s alpha epsilon phi house mom

Everyday is a different adventure for Syracuse University sorority house moms, from fixing homes to making sure residents are safe. All 13 of SU’s Panhellenic sororities have their own house mom. courtesy of michele larocque | madison cox staff photographer

“I would live vicariously through their Friday and Saturday nights, hearing about all their escapades and what they did,” LaRocque, who is 63 years old, said. “I think the women are the most fun part of this job.”

All 13 sorority houses of SU’s Panhellenic Conference are independently owned and operated — and thus, run by a house mom. House moms are responsible for upkeeping the building, making sure residents abide by the rules, ensuring that the house is cleaned and more.

For some, it’s their second career or a fulltime job while others work a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift during the day.

Despite being employed by different sorority chapters, all of the SU house moms communicate with each other in a group chat — some planning walks around Walnut Park or coffee chats.

While some sorority house moms, like LaRocque, have been doing it for years, others are practically the same age as their residents. Brenna Krivoruk, SU’s Delta Delta Delta house mom, is only 23. see house moms page 11

campus life

Latino students find unity, pride in Bad Bunny Super Bowl show

By Evan Edmiston

contributing writer

This Sunday, millions of viewers across the globe are expected to watch Super Bowl LX. Watch parties around the country are being planned, not only for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, but also for Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.

At Syracuse University, students are planning their own watch party: Watch Party Benito Bowl.

“We’ve had our moments on this stage before, but I think this one is going to be nothing like before just because he

is going to be singing in our language, in our accent, and that’s like the biggest thing to have,” said Sarah Torres, vice president of the Puerto Rican Student Association and SU senior.

In October, Bad Bunny, who won several Grammys Sunday, was announced as this year’s Super Bowl halftime performer, which prompted backlash from the President Donald Trump administration and other right-wing organizations. Many Latino students at SU said Bad Bunny’s halftime show offers heightened visibility to the Latino community.

Some SU students, like Jesús Tiburcio Zane, SU junior and La

L.U.C.H.A. president, and Torres have been fans of Bad Bunny since his breakout in 2017, while others became fans during the pandemic.

Cesar Barrera, SU junior and Mexican Student Association treasurer, got involved with MEXSA and La L.U.C.H.A. his freshman year; it made him feel like part of a community after some difficulty adjusting in his first year, he said.

Having shared spaces where community is embraced has been essential for Latinos at SU, Barrera and Valeria Martinez-Gutierrez, co-founder of Latine Honors Society, said. It’s a large part of why

Martinez-Gutierrez created the Latine Honors Society during her freshman year.

“These were all places of belonging that I felt like didn’t exist before because they really didn’t,” MartinezGutierrez said.

Martinez-Gutierrez and SU junior Sofía Peralta, both said it isn’t just Bad Bunny’s musical talent that they admire, it’s how politically vocal he is.

“Bad Bunny really highlights the issues systemically and politically,” said Tiburcio Zane. “Specifically with gentrification, capitalism, classism, colorism… there’s a lot of

intersectionality of what Bad Bunny is referring to.”

Since Trump’s inauguration in 2025, Torres said it has “been consistently worse” to be a Latina in the United States. Going back to his first term in 2016, it has been difficult to see Latino people treated differently because of their immigration status or Spanish language, Torres said.

But Jasmine Padilla, SU junior and co-events coordinator of La L.U.C.H.A., doesn’t feel any sense of diminished pride, she said. Rather, it has only triggered her to be louder about her pride in Latino culture. see bad bunny page 11

10 february 5, 2026

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beyond the hill

Recess Coffee promotes local art, activism

CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND

By Claire Zhang

asst. digital editor

Hanging on the walls of Recess Coffee are displays of art, from hand-painted bags to clay food earrings.

On a busy day, the line can snake out the door, but the art on the walls gives customers something to ponder while they wait.

“Once I was waiting in line, and there was a couple in front of me where one would go look at the art display and then come back, and then the other person would go,” Joe Flower, the shop’s location manager, said. “They ended up buying something.”

Currently, the Westcott location is one of two Recess coffee shops that showcase local artists by selling their work. By reaching out to Flower, who’s also the shop’s art coordinator, artists enter a contract to give their art a space for three months.

Artists’ displays reflect their work; some use a cork board with stickers pinned to them and others drape drawing clippings down yarn strands. With their contact and payment information nearby, customers can connect with the artists on social media or buy a piece.

Flower said her inbox always has at least a few artist inquiries, which is why they try to cycle through a variety of artists. However, some have standing contracts, like Margot Elizabeth, whose art has been at Recess for over four years.

Elizabeth started her art journey in 2017, custom painting shoes and jackets for family members around the holidays. That creativity returned when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so she started making clay cookie earrings. Soon enough, people requested other foods.

“I guess sometime between then and now, it just kind of stuck,” Elizabeth said. “A lot of people recognize my handle as the girl that makes food earrings, which is pretty cool.”

Now, Recess is a constant spot where her art’s sold, but she also participates in many markets and festivals.

Elizabeth’s polymer clay earrings and stickers have always been popular; customers often come in to buy them when her restocks are posted on Instagram. Though she’s always looking for other shops to sell at, she’s comfortable with the fact that her audience is “niche.”

“I love when people see my work and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, that brings a smile to my face,’” Elizabeth said.

Recess can be a platform for artists with all kinds of journeys and missions. Marion Rodriguez,

Caviar & Grits With Chloe Danes Enjoy Caviar & Grits, a Binghamtonbased soul and funk group, alongside Syracuse singer-songwriter Chloe Danes. Danes is a multiinstrumentalist and singer with selfdescribed Lana Del Rey influences.

You must be 18 or older to attend.

WHEN: Thursday, 8 to 11 p.m.

PRICE: $13.07 WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles

Happy Birthday Bob Marley

Hanging on the walls at Recess Coffee in Westcott are art installations by local artists. Customers can connect with the artists or purchase art pieces. steven wright contributing photographer

founder of MUVSU, her own art brand, has been an artist and activist for over 20 years.

Rodriguez is grateful for the spot she’s had in Recess for a year now; a former art coordinator reached out to her last year during Black History Month to highlight her art, and she’s kept the spot since.

Her hand-painted bags are gifted to women recently home from incarceration. As a formerly incarcerated woman herself, it helps her lift her voice and give back, she said.

Since 2020, she has sold over 4,000 bags. When a bag is finished, it’s given away with two personal notes: one from Rodriguez and one from members of the organization distributing the bags.

“It really is a tear-jerk moment for them to know that me, a random person, cares, and that I’m building a community of people who really do care about what they’re gonna do now in their future,” Rodriguez said.

Flower said that as an art consumer, she loves to see the pieces people submit to her, and being a resource for artists to gain a platform.

For Jon Matthews, a junior at SUNY ESF, art allows him to have a creative outlet outside of his work and studies. He started seriously pursuing art in 2023, when he was unhappy at his job. He

drew so much on receipt paper that his boss would reassign him to other tasks.

Matthews reached out to Flower last August to see if he could sell stickers of his drawings, and he has done so ever since. Selling at Recess has strengthened his community ties, he said, but the payoff is not necessarily always monetary.

“It’s more just like, ‘Who else that I know is doing that? Let me do that,’” Matthews said. “It’s like getting an achievement in a video game, like my stickers are at a coffee shop.”

At ESF, Matthews studies wildlife science, and most of his stickers depict creatures or monsters he draws up. In class, he doodles on the side of his notes, then afterward, he takes a photo of his notes and uploads it to Procreate to make stickers.

In a small art community, it’s vital for artists to have one another’s backs, and hopefully, others will do the same, Matthews said. That’s what Recess aims to accomplish by highlighting local art.

“It can be really difficult for people to want to continue to do art if there’s not any sort of support from the community,” Flower said. “Even though that’s not always the point of doing art.” cmzhang@syr.edu

arts

‘Relentless’ amplifies untold voices, boxing story

By Albert Alvarado Amparo contributing writer

Three years ago, Melissa Crespo met playwright Rae Binstock through a mutual friend. Immediately, she knew they’d be a “good fit” and that her script, “Relentless,” was an important work she wanted to direct. For Robert Hupp, the play amplifies the Black voices it represents.

“It’s really important for (Syracuse Stage) to reflect and refract our community,” Hupp, Syracuse Stage’s Artistic Director, said. “This play really helps tell a story that hasn’t been told. The voices that we meet, the characters we meet are characters important enough for us to put on stage.”

“Relentless” premiered worldwide at the Syracuse Stage on Feb. 4 and will run through Feb. 22. The play follows Monique “the Miracle” Jefferies, a former professional boxer destined for greatness, as she navigates her return to the tangled relationships of her childhood boxing gym, Bailey’s. Monique and her old coach, Johnny, challenge each other as new club members pres-

ent opportunities to either maintain or reinvent Bailey’s identity.

“Both protagonists are right and wrong,” Crespo, Syracuse Stage associate artistic director, said.

“It’s complicated — like we are all complicated. It’s really beautiful and tragic at the same time.”

Hupp said this is an “important” story for Syracuse and theatres nationwide to spotlight. He credits Crespo for her strong direction and development of the show from the ground up.

Though playwright Rae Binstock was an athlete in high school, she knew nothing about boxing. But, when Binstock needed a day job, her sudden interest in the sport prompted her to look for an opening at a boxing gym. Binstock decided that the best way to learn the sport was to immerse herself in it, so she applied for a front desk job at boxing gyms all over the country.

Binstock was promptly rejected by almost every gym she wrote to, except for Gleason’s Gym — the oldest boxing gym in the nation — which gave her a chance she never looked back on. At Gleason’s, she met Darryl Pierre, a trainer and a

rae binstock’s fictional boxing play “Relentless” premiered worldwide at Syracuse Stage on Feb. 4 and will run through Feb 22. courtesy of joanna penalva

formative mentor, to whom they partially dedicate the play.

Binstock said she was blown away by the amount of diversity Gleason’s offered. No matter the age, race, religion or gender identity, there were members from every background. Boxing worked as a connector of people and a way for people to provide “something for their soul,” Binstock said.

In the play, Bailey’s, which is similarly set in Brooklyn, is designed to capture the magic of Gleason’s. Binstock loosely derives the story from real people and experiences she has encountered to create the fictional community space. While rehearsing for the show, the cast trained at Gleason’s with Binstock, Crespo and Teniece Divya Johnson, a fight choreographer.

Monique’s return to Bailey’s boxing gym creates challenges of race, gentrification and confronting the past, especially when Monique prepares her trainee, “Wookie,” to enter an amateur tournament.

“The play is not (only) about boxing but a world where people are passionately committed to that sport,” Hupp said. “The clash of their convictions, their loyalty versus the past and our disregard for the past and future.”

The play taps into its sports genre, including intense, choreographed fight scenes. To engage audiences, Binstock said the play would have to “approach it in a way that is proactive.” For people who don’t know a lot about boxing, it becomes a spectacle people don’t always see in the theater, Binstock said.

Binstock, Crespo and Hupp shared the goal of wanting to introduce unaware audiences to a new perspective of boxing. Hupp emphasized the novelty of experiencing “Relentless” at Syracuse Stage.

The play will continue to be revised, and Binstock will add and change elements from her observations, but at Syracuse Stage, it’s “really special” to host the show at its initial, rawest moment.

For audiences new to boxing, Binstock hopes drawing on a “classic American” sport will get people interested in boxing history.

“It’s a show about being open to new things, in a way that is empowering rather than scary or resentful,” Binstock said. aalvar38@syr.edu

Join Skunk City, a local Syracuse tribute band, in celebrating Bob Marley’s birthday. The tribute will feature classic reggae rhythms and positive energy. You must be 18 or older to attend.

WHEN: Friday, 8 to 11 p.m.

PRICE: $18.22 WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles

Dark Hollow: Winter Warmer 2026 Enjoy a night with Dark Hollow, a central New York-based Grateful Dead tribute band. Entering their 30th year as a band, Dark Hollow boasts a creative show experience with songs from the iconic band. You must be 18 or older to attend.

WHEN: Friday, doors open at 7 p.m.

PRICE: $26.70 WHERE: The Song & Dance

Escher String Quartet Escher String Quartet is performing in Syracuse with Grammy-winning flutist Brandon Patrick George. The group will deliver a night of elegant sounds.

WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

PRICE: $30 WHERE: Grant Middle School

The Standard Après Hours Experience a live music set from &friends, a world-renowned DJ, hosted by The Standard, a luxury offcampus apartment building. The event is exclusively for current Syracuse University students. Enjoy the DJ set, local talents, a photo booth and free merch. You must bring your student ID and be 18 or older to attend.

WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m.

PRICE: Free WHERE: Westcott Theater

february 5, 2026 11

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from page 9

house moms When Krivoruk has conversations with her residents about current events or their weekend plans, she always has to maintain a professional boundary, she said.

“I can’t go out with them. I can’t party with them. I can’t get dinner with them,” Krivoruk said. “It’s a little upsetting because we’re the same age and we talk like we’re friends, it’s so isolating.”

Some of SU’s sorority chapters, like Alpha Chi Omega and Tri Delta, have houses that are more than a century old. The older the house, the more issues the house mom has to resolve, Clara Berg, A Chi O’s house mom, said.

Since Thanksgiving break, Berg said she has tracked more than six different leaks in the house — including the roof, pipes and radiator.

“There’s always something kind of breaking or something going awry,” Berg said. “But it’s nothing so chaotic that I’m like, ‘Oh, no, this is too stressful, I can’t handle it.’”

Berg’s primary role is to maintain the sorority house and keep everyone safe. Berg officially moved into A Chi O this school year — her first year ever being a house mom. Delta Gamma’s house mom, 64-year-old Carol Forrest-Gookool, though, has been doing this for eight years.

“I’m like a neighbor looking after the young ladies, versus someone who is going to be more like a prison guard than a neighbor,” ForrestGookool said. “This is the best job, I love all the energy, it’s great living in a house of happy, healthy young women.”

Forrest-Gookool has been house director for the University of North Dakota’s chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and University of Michigan’s Alpha Omicron Pi sorority . She said SU and DG are her favorite places to live and work.

When people hear that Forrest-Gookool is a house mom, she said they always say “that must be crazy living in a house full of sororfrom page 9

bad bunny Barrera said he not only bought into Bad Bunny’s politics, but he believes that’s part of what fuels his popularity.

There’s nothing more American than being an immigrant.

Sofía Peralta su junior

“I think Bad Bunny is the most popular Spanish-speaking artist in the world right now because he’s not afraid to voice his opinion,” Barrera said.

Bad Bunny has spoken out about the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before. One of the reasons he omitted any U.S. stops on his “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” World Tour was due to the concern of potential ICE raids at his concerts.

On Sunday, when Bad Bunny received a Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” he began his acceptance speech with “ICE out.”

“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans,” Bad Bunny said in the speech.

He went on to win the most coveted award of the night — Album of the Year — which he accepted almost entirely in Spanish.

When Bad Bunny was first announced as the halftime performer, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had announced that ICE would be present at the Super Bowl. Padilla said she believes ICE’s potential presence at the big game is unnecessary and politically motivated.

rené vetter cartoonist

brenna krivoruk recently adopted a stray cat, who she named Arthur, to keep her company, since her house mom duties can feel isolating. madison cox staff photographer

ity sisters.” In reality, she said her residents at DG mainly study and don’t play loud music — unlike the fraternities that she was a house mom to for four years.

For other house moms, like Krivoruk — who graduated in May from Roger Williams University — the transition from college student to full-time home owner and manager has been challenging.

“I feel like I’m always ‘House Director Brenna,’ I’m always on call,” Krivoruk said. “It is a rule that I have to sleep in this house every night, I cannot leave this house.”

Three weeks ago, Krivoruk found a stray cat outside of Recess Coffee; now, he lives with her

in a suite on the second floor of Tri Delta’s house.

She named him Arthur, deciding to adopt him to combat her loneliness.

Berg said the hardest part of being a house mom isn’t the everyday responsibilities like locking the doors and making sure the radiator works. She finds the nostalgia of living in a sorority house makes her miss her college years, despite going to a community college without any Greek life.

“Sometimes they will be playing music at a nearby frat house and a part of me really wants to go out and dance with them,” Berg said. “Then I realize I’m 35 years old and that would be kind of weird.”

House moms are a “watchdog” for her residents, Forrest-Gookool said. To ensure the safety of her

“I think it’s a form of intimidation which is really frustrating because any stadium already has high profile security… it’s 100% intimidation,” Padilla said.

Given that the cheapest Super Bowl ticket is over $6,600, Martinez-Gutierrez doesn’t think it makes sense that ICE would be there, given the fact the three most common industries for undocumented migrants consist of lower-wage manual labor.

Though ICE now has no plans to conduct immigration enforcement at the Super Bowl, both Tiburcio Zane and Martinez-Gutierrez specifically believe Bad Bunny’s performance will be political regardless, similar to Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year.

“Everyone in the world is gonna hear from a person from this community at this level kinda call out the system and everything going on right now,” Tiburcio Zane said.

DHS is not the only government entity to touch on the upcoming performance. President Trump has strongly disapproved of the NFL’s choice to headline the performance.

“All it does is sow hatred,” Trump told the New York Post on Jan. 24, calling it a “terrible choice.”

The students unanimously disagreed with the President’s comments, with many noting how “typical” this behavior is from Trump. Turning Point USA, the political organization founded by the late Charlie

maria masek contributing illustrator

residents, LaRocque can be up until 4 a.m. some weekends, keeping track of her residents and making sure they return home after going out.

No matter the hour or day, a house mom has to be ready for any pipe to burst, carbon monoxide alarm to go off or get medicine to a quarantined resident.

“It’s 24/7, you have to be ready for anything, any hour, any day,” LaRocque said.

“There’s really not a job description. It’s property management and so much more. No day is scripted.”

Every day is different as a house mom, Forrest-Gookool said. In her free time, she reads one of her estimated 100 books or plays her guitar. Outside of her bedroom door is a sign that shares her contact info, offering anyone to “stop and say hi.” She also has a sign that reads, “Need sewing? Happy to oblige!”

Forrest-Gookool enjoys when her sorority girls take advantage of her sewing skills. One of her favorite memories in her house mom career was this year, when one of her residents bought a dress for a date night that was “made for someone that was 6 feet 2 inches” — which she was not. Forrest-Gookool tailored the dress and the resident was able to wear the dress.

Moments like the dress or going to see her sorority residents’ play make the job worthwhile, Forrest-Gookool said. For her, it’s about helping residents and contributing to their happiness.

To determine the success of a house mom, a strong sign is a weekend without any hospital visits for your residents, LaRocque said. Despite sleepless weekends, she said that her priority is to act like a parent and care for the house.

“The best part about it is just the women and every day is different,” LaRocque said. “I’m really lucky.”

Disclaimer: Lily Zuckerman is a member of Syracuse University’s chapter of Sigma Delta Tau. Her affiliation did not impact the content of this story. lvzucker@syr.edu

Kirk, announced an alternative halftime show headlined by Kid Rock. Senior Mateo Lopez-Castro called the alternative halftime show “ridiculous.”

“It’s going to get under 100,000 views,” said Martinez-Gutierrez when referring to how many viewers Turning Point’s show will draw.

Last year’s halftime show drew in over 130 million viewers worldwide. The last three halftime performances have drawn in at least 120 million viewers, a potential nine-figure viewership number for Bad Bunny ahead.

While some students are grateful that Bad Bunny’s using his platform to speak out against forms of oppression inflicted on Latino peoples, Lopez-Castro is adamant about being cautious around how this event could be framed.

“I think reducing the struggle of immigration to this moment for the Super Bowl is really counterproductive,” Lopez-Castro said.

Lopez-Castro is still thankful for Bad Bunny using his platform, but he said he doesn’t think the performance will be a catalyst for change on its own; Bad Bunny is a helper in this movement, not the driver.

Some students will attend the watch party hosted by La L.U.C.H.A., Puerto Rican Student Association and Latine Honor Society, while others who are abroad will watch it in the early morning hours at their local pub. Wherever the students are watching, millions will tune in to an American citizen from Puerto Rico performing in Spanish on one of the nation’s biggest stages.

“There’s nothing more American than being an immigrant,” Peralta said.

Disclaimer: Valeria Martinez-Guitterez and Mateo Lopez Castro are columnists for The Daily Orange. Their affiliations did not impact the editorial content of this story. ekedmist@syr.edu

julia english cartoonist

12 february 5, 2026

OPINION

dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com

personal essay

As an international student, my life is built on conditional ground

By Danita Barigye essayist

I arrived in the United States carrying two suitcases and a carefully folded dream. For years, this place had existed in my imagination as a future home not only built on opportunity and education, but also the quiet promise that if I worked hard enough, I would belong. I didn’t expect that one of the hardest parts of arriving would be learning how to hold gratitude and fear at the same time.

Growing up in Uganda and later living in multiple countries across continents, I came to understand that international students often live in a continual state of transition. Home is no longer just one place; it’s a memory, a time zone, a voice note from my mother that arrives while I’m walking to class. I miss home in ways that are small but relentless: the smell of familiar food, the ease of speaking without explaining myself, the comfort of knowing the rules without having to read them twice. Missing home is something I expected, but feeling unwanted wasn’t.

In recent months, conversations around immigration enforcement and the role of agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have grown louder, more public and more emotionally charged. For many, these discussions are political or abstract. For international students, they’re personal, even when we try not to make them so. We know that policies debated on screens and podiums have the power to quietly reshape our sense of safety, our plans, our physical presence here and ultimately our future.

What makes this fear particularly difficult is its invisibility. I go to class, turn in assignments and make weekend plans like any other student. On the surface, nothing looks wrong, yet beneath that normalcy is a constant awareness that my presence here is conditional. My life is documented, time-bound and dependent on compliance with rules that can change without warning. That awareness doesn’t disappear just because I am studying, contributing or doing everything “right.”

I’m careful with my words now more than ever – not because I have something to hide, but because I understand the weight they can carry. International students learn early that

courtesy of danita barigye

perception matters. We’re taught, implicitly and explicitly, to be grateful guests. To not take up too much space. To avoid being misunderstood.

Gratitude, though, doesn’t erase fear, and silence doesn’t mean the absence of feeling.

What hurts most is the contrast between expectation and reality. This was the place I imagined building a future, not just earning a degree. I pictured belonging as something that would come naturally with time, through friendships, routines and shared experiences.

Instead, there are moments when I feel suspended between worlds — no longer fully at home where I came from, but not entirely secure where I am now.

This fear doesn’t come from any single event but from accumulation: from headlines, from overheard conversations, from the knowledge that systems are often indifferent to individual stories. It comes from realizing that even as I begin to feel rooted here, my status remains temporary. Even though I love this place deeply, I still know that it may never fully claim me.

And yet, I stay hopeful. Not because fear has disappeared, but because hope feels like an act of quiet resistance. I continue to show up, to learn, to contribute, to dream, because I believe that presence itself has meaning and that being here, even with uncertainty, matters.

This isn’t a rejection of the country I came to study in, nor is it a political statement. It’s simply the truth of what it feels like to live between permission and belonging: to miss home while trying to make a new one, to love a place that you are still unsure loves you back.

For now, I carry both fear and hope in the same way I carried those two suitcases when I arrived: carefully, deliberately and with the understanding that neither tells the whole story on its own.

Danita Barigye is a freshman majoring in advertising. She can be reached at dnbarigy@syr.edu.

column

Micron megafab will strain Syracuse communities, local impact

By Helena Sauriat columnist

On Jan. 16, a local advocacy group in Syracuse filed a state lawsuit against Micron Technology to address concerns of potential environmental and local impacts of the company’s planned “megafab” – an $100 billion investment in a semiconductor fabrication plant meant to supply growing demand for artificial intelligence and memory chips.

Many New York officials have hailed the investment as revolutionary, with Micron promising to deliver over 50,000 jobs to New York through the investment. This fabrication plant will consist of four facilities, with the first set to be finished by 2030 and the remaining three by 2040.

But, this huge development will place a major strain on the surrounding area’s resources, especially through electrical grids.

Research found the water wasted by Micron will be monumental, totaling up to 48 million gallons daily. Tech companies seem to have no problem exploiting natural resources despite major concerns raised by local environmental groups.

Micron would be another example of a multibillion-dollar technology company sacrificing our planet and quality of life for the sake of profit.

In the past few years, companies like Meta and Google have completely stripped American residents of potable water. Syracuse residents are attempting to hold Micron accountable through lawsuits, but the campaign has not yet seen significant results.

While the project promises economic benefits, many residents and environmental groups remain skeptical of the plan, and rightfully so. The rise of AI is culpable in environmental damage and water waste, with towns located near AI data servers losing access to clean drinking water.

As a country, we have prioritized profit and competition over our daily quality of life.

leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

There is no reason U.S. citizens, one of the richest nations in the world, should lack access to clean water. Time and time again, we choose to sacrifice natural resources in the name of ease and innovation.

People are quick to overlook the environmental damage caused by AI. For example, large data centers can consume millions of gallons of water a day, using the same amount as a small town. Most people are well aware of these consequences, they just don’t care. The exploitative process of mining raw minerals has also yet to be a deterrent in the increasing demands for the chips that Micron and other companies produce.

The construction of such a huge plant will not be a cure-all for central New Yorkers. Micron and Gov. Kathy Hochul have emphasized the project’s potential to spur economic prosperity in central New York, a region that has long struggled with high poverty rates and population decline.

Yet the reality is a new multibillion-dollar complex will not resolve central New York’s economic challenges. Unemployment in the region isn’t driven by a job shortage – research shows there are more open positions than unemployed workers in the area.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Micron’s assurances that this facility will bring prosperity and popu-

lation growth seem empty when they have consistently failed to deliver on improvements to CNY’s quality of life.

Population issues could be addressed just as effectively and more sustainably. If more attention was given to improving schooling and social services, both of which are facing budget cuts this year, we might actually see people move back. New York state has $100 million to give to Micron but no money for the residents who have been in Syracuse for decades.

Another major concern is that there seems to be nothing binding Micron to its commitments.

Multiple labor unions have expressed a desire for the government to create legal contracts so that Micron delivers on its promises.

Micron has presented sustainability as one of its most important priorities and delivered a detailed report on how it plans to address environmental concerns, but it left many groups unsatisfied with its answers. The company has significantly downplayed the effects the plant will have on surrounding wetlands, as well as how much greenhouse gas will be emitted, according to environmental groups.

Building this megafab will only exacerbate the issues families are already facing, such as environmental racism and economic inequalities. Micron could address these issues and improve the conditions for locals but we need to hold them accountable.

We need to seriously start questioning if this technological revolution is worth it. We don’t need more facilities like the one Micron aims to build. We need to refocus on the residents who have been neglected for so long.

We each have a decision to make as consumers and as citizens. We can continue to exploit our planet and communities for the sake of profit, or we can start to make more mindful choices and consider the real cost of our actions.

Helena Sauriat is a sophomore majoring in journalism and history. She can be reached at hrsauria@syr.edu.

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Growing up, Britini Smith watched the Olympics to see female athletes “pour their hearts out for their country.”

ago. She was confirmed as the assistant coach in July 2025. It was “fantastic” to get the news, she said.

After the initial excitement, she pivoted to logistics. Coaching the Olympic team meant traveling to Canada for four one-to-two-week training blocks during Syracuse’s season.

Smith’s four-year tenure at SU has been “substantial” in her preparation to be on Canada’s staff. She coaches the Olympians the same way she coaches her SU athletes, valuing culture and player development, she said.

While Smith heads to Italy, Heather Farrell is acting as the Orange’s head coach, which has been a “seamless transition,” Smith said.

“We’re very excited for her to have that experience and to be a part of coaching the best players in the world,” Farrell said. “It’s a lifetime of work to get to this spot. She didn’t

do it as a player, but to be able to be a coach and coach on this world stage at this level, that’s something you’ve worked (for) your whole life, so pretty exceptional.”

Matt Desrosiers, Clarkson’s women’s ice hockey head coach, hired Smith as an assistant in 2014. Desrosiers said Smith has an “extremely high hockey IQ” and has confidence in her abilities as an Olympic coach.

Whether she’s coaching at Clarkson or at the Olympics, she’ll provide the same guidance and support, Smith said.

“She’s very detailed with what she does, on and off the ice,” Desrosiers said. “She’s going to put the word in. She’s going to do everything she can to help them get better and bring that team together to accomplish that goal.”

Smith previously represented Canada on the global stage when she played for the under-22 Canada National Team from 2006 to 2010, winning the MLP Nations Cup in her last season.

While it’s always an honor to represent her

from page 16

Who will step up on the draw?

from page 16

smith

5 qs

They won’t have that luxury in 2026. Syracuse’s first four games of the season are against ranked teams, three of which are in Inside Lacrosse’s top seven. Frankly, it doesn’t get much easier from there. The Orange face 10 ranked teams in their 16 games.

First, it’ll host No. 7 Maryland at home Friday and take on No. 1 North Carolina a week later.

Then, the Orange head to California to play No. 5 Stanford before a home bout with No. 18 Loyola.

Getting out of that stretch with two wins could be seen as a success for Syracuse. But if it escapes with three or even four, SU might be recognized as a top-5 team in the country. Get out with zero? The Orange will fall out of the rankings entirely.

While SU’s record through four games certainly won’t define its season, it’ll be a good indicator of just how well this team is adapting to change. And come May, when the Orange are gearing up for the postseason, expect this stretch to make a major impact on their standing.

Will a new coaching staff come with growing pains?

Part of what will make that early-season stretch so difficult is Syracuse’s lack of familiarity. Ward and Adamson are the obvious losses, and there’s major uncertainty around how SU’s new coaching staff will settle in as well.

New additions Thorpe and assistant coach Nicole Levy make up half of Syracuse’s coaching staff this year. While both played at Syracuse — and Thorpe was an assistant for the Orange for nearly a decade — it’ll be their first year in their respective roles at SU. The two know each other well, though.

Thorpe coached Levy at Syracuse from 2016-19, and they spent the last two years together at Florida. While Thorpe helped guide the Gators’ defense, Levy led the offense, which ranked as the nation’s best scoring unit in 2024. She’ll continue to ignite the attack as Thorpe handles the whole operation.

They’ll join two familiar faces on SU’s coaching staff in Caitlin Defliese Watkins and Maggie Koch, who coached with Thorpe in his years as an assistant with the Orange.

The staff has made it clear the expectation is still for Syracuse to be playing on Championship Weekend. But to get there, SU’s new staff can’t afford a honeymoon period. It’s immediately being thrown into the deep end — a great opportunity for the new faces to show they can handle the heat.

country, doing so on the Olympic stage is a different level of excitement and emotion, she said, calling it “once-in-a-lifetime.”

Still, Smith said she didn’t think the weight of participating in the Olympic Games would truly sink in until she arrived in Italy and coached Canada’s first game. It can become overwhelming if she thinks too far ahead, she said.

Smith’s SU players plan to have watch parties for Canada’s games, said Syracuse forward and assistant captain Heidi Knoll, who is also Canadian.

“We have a good amount of Canadians, so there’ll be a lot of people cheering for Canada, but we’ll all be cheering for her,” Knoll said.

When Smith was first introduced to the sport, there was no professional league for women. The Professional Women’s Hockey League was founded in 2023 and expanded from six to eight teams in 2025. Now, coach-

courtesy of su athletics

ing players who compete in the PWHL, she can serve as an inspiration for others.

“To hopefully be someone that people are looking up to, whether it be a younger player or a coach earlier in their career, that is not something I take lightly,” Smith said.

Smith told her SU athletes she’d be going to the Olympics on a Zoom call over the summer, before it was officially announced in late July.

“I’ve felt nothing but support from our athletes,” Smith said. “They’ve been fantastic with wishing me well when I’m gone and then welcoming me right back in when I arrive back in Syracuse.”

Knoll’s excited for Smith to bring back what she learns while coaching the “best of the best,” she said. That might not be limited to who Smith coaches, but also what she wins.

“Definitely excited to see her bring that gold medal home,” Knoll said. “I’m happy for her that she gets to live that Olympic dream.” ehrosen@syr.edu

One of Syracuse’s more understated losses this offseason was draw control specialist Meghan Rode, who led the Orange with 75 controls last year. As Rode gears up for her junior season at Richmond, there’s a question about who steps into that role at SU. Much like Thorpe’s offensive philosophy, it’ll likely be a group effort. And Syracuse has plenty of options.

Aside from Rode, 15 Syracuse players won at least one draw last season. Only three others won more than 20: Joely Caramelli (39), Alexa Vogelman (31) and Cotter (24). The Orange also added options this offseason in Maclay — who won 16 draws at Stony Brook last year — and freshman Mackenzie Borbi, who won 555 total draws in four seasons at Shawnee High School (New Jersey).

So either way, Syracuse will have its pick of the litter. It’s just a matter of finding consistency, especially against top opponents early on.

Look for Caramelli, Vogelman, Cotter, Guzik and Maclay to take most of the burden.

Can the defense stay consistent?

Syracuse’s defense allowed 11.63 goals per game last season, the most it’s given up per game since 2022. The Orange allowed fewer than 10 goals in only six games. It was a step back after giving up just 9.68 per contest the year prior.

Part of that could have been due to growing pains across the backline. Aside from Kaci Benoit (22 prior starts) and Coco Vandiver (43 prior starts), most of Syracuse’s defensive options hadn’t seen much consistent playing time before last year.

That includes goalie Daniella Guyette, who made just three career starts before being launched into the lead role last season. The netminder made 162 saves last year while allowing 212 goals. Now, with a year of experience under her belt, Guyette and the rest of the backline looks to find some more consistency.

Benoit and Vandiver started nearly every game for the Orange last year and return to lead the crew this season. They’ll likely get help from Lexi Reber, who made eight starts last season, and transfer Mackenzie Salentre, the 2024 America East Defensive Player of the Year. The only major loss is Superia Clark, who transferred to Florida State this offseason.

But, as is the case with just about everything Syracuse does this season, there won’t be much room for error. The Orange need this group to be consistent from game one, especially with three top-7 teams coming to town early. If SU finds that consistency, it’ll have a shot at beating anyone. hypember@syr.edu @HarrisPemb6

Syracuse women’s lacrosse lost two star attacks and its head coach after its NCAA Tournament exit in 2025. aaron hammer staff photographer | leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

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men’s lacrosse

Previewing Syracuse men’s lacrosse’s matchup vs. St. Joe’s

By Mauricio Palmar asst. sports editor

The most anticipated season of Gary Gait’s five-year tenure couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Sure, Gait carries a perfect record in season openers. But those victories came over lesser foes who couldn’t pose a threat to the Orange on their worst day.

Boston University — with its aggressive 10-man ride and No. 17 ranking — was certainly no pushover. Yet, Syracuse treated BU as if it were one, christening 2026 with a dominant defensive display to secure a 13-6 win.

During pregame warmups, SU wore shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Burn the Boats,” a reference to its scorched-earth mentality in its quest for a national championship. The next step in that journey is defeating Saint Joseph’s, which travels to the JMA Wireless Dome for its season-opener after its previous matchup against NJIT was canceled due to weather.

Here’s everything to know about the Hawks (0-0, Atlantic-10) before they square off with Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast) Saturday:

All-time series

This is the two programs’ first matchup.

The Hawks report

If SU thought its clearing game wasn’t going to be tested after defeating the Terriers, it was sorely mistaken.

Just like BU head coach Ryan Polley, St. Joe’s head coach Scott Meehan is a big fan of the 10-man ride. For the uninitiated, it’s a defensive strategy where all 10 of a team’s players — including the goalie — press opponents to hinder their clearing ability within the first 30 seconds of the shot clock, thereby taking possession.

It was a significant concern for Gait entering the Orange’s matchup against the Terriers, and one SU sometimes struggled to adapt to. While the Hawks might not be as talented as BU, it’ll be important for Syracuse to adjust to the strategy in Game 2.

On the offensive end, SJU is led by Ben Dutton, a Denver native who is coming off a meteoric 47-goal freshman campaign. As the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, he’ll be

Syracuse lacrosse looks to carry its momentum from its season-opening 13-6 win over Boston University against Saint Joseph’s on Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome.

jacon halsema staff photographer

the second star sophomore attack SU is forced to grapple with in its first two games.

How Syracuse beats St. Joe’s

Clear the ball. Simple.

On paper, the Orange successfully cleared the ball on 22 out of their 25 attempts last Sunday.

But in actuality, their clearances often looked sloppy and labored. A lot of times, their defenders simply chucked the ball up ahead, desperately hoping a teammate would be the closest one to it when the ball skipped out of bounds.

That was due to the much-maligned 10-man ride BU offered, which initially made it difficult for Syracuse’s offense to get going. The defense isn’t an issue — last week’s showing proved that — and the attack can be just as strong when it has the ball. All Syracuse needs to do is bridge those two gaps effectively.

Stat to know: 73.7%

Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned NJIT game cancellation, St. Joe’s has no stats to remark on. But the Orange, on the other hand, certainly do.

John Mullen was doing John Mullen things on Sunday. Syracuse’s faceoff specialist was utterly dominant against BU, winning 14 out of his 19 faceoff attempts for a sterling 73.7% win rate. The effort earned him Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Saint Joseph’s primarily relied on Conor Trant at the X last season, but he ended 2025 with an unremarkable 45.4% win percentage.

Realistically, the graduate student won’t be able to do much of anything to stop Mullen, meaning the Orange will likely take way more possessions than the Hawks in this one.

Player to Watch: attack, No. 20

Ben

Dutton,

Keep your eyes on Dutton. If the Hawks want any chance at winning this one, they’ll likely have to funnel all their possessions through him.

As mentioned previously, he led SJU with 47 goals as a freshman in 2025. No other Hawk even had 30 scores. He was the A-10 Rookie of the Year, an All-Atlantic 10 FirstTeam attack and a five-time A-10 Rookie of the Week. He ran roughshod over the conference, and there was no way to stop him.

Fortunately for Gait, the Orange probably have the means to. Whether it’s Riley Figueiras or Billy Dwan III, SU has the defensive anchors necessary to neutralize the sophomore. mjpalmar@syr.edu @mpalmarDO

women’s basketball

Previewing Syracuse women’s basketball’s matchup vs. BC

By Mauricio Palmar asst. sports editor

Sometimes, you just have to win ugly. Syracuse is well acquainted with that concept.

Some of its 18 wins have certainly looked pretty. There were dominant nonconference performances early — such as the Orange’s 78-29 win over Wagner or 106-40 victory against Mercyhurst — and some wire-to-wire Atlantic Coast Conference wins over teams such as Stanford and Georgia Tech.

On the other hand, some of SU’s wins have looked like someone at a party you’d rather not talk to. Syracuse’s last performance — a 65-60 win over Miami, where it shot 30% from the field — falls in the latter category.

But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and after defeating the Hurricanes, the Orange have stacked up eight in ACC play. It’s tough to call anything a guarantee in such a competitive conference, but with a Boston College squad that’s yet to win an ACC game on deck, SU has a golden opportunity to secure a ninth.

Here’s everything to know about the Eagles (4-20, 0-11 ACC) before they square off against Syracuse (18-3, 8-3 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 40-28.

Last time they played

It was the kind of game that forced Felisha Legette-Jack to take a deep reflection and reevaluate her program. After closing its regular season with an 82-57 shellacking over the Eagles on Mar. 2, 2025, SU entered the ACC Tournament with plenty of momentum.

Three days later, BC completely erased it when they met again. The Orange carried a 45-28 lead into halftime and watched it dwindle in the dying seconds of the second half, as Boston College roared back to secure a 76-73 win. It was a disappointing way to end the season, but it wasn’t a surprise. Unlike this season, SU simply wasn’t built to win.

The Eagles report

These two programs were in very similar spots when they last faced off. That couldn’t be further from the truth right now.

Unlike Syracuse, which reloaded in the offseason by adding three double-digit scorers, BC lost all five of its starters from a year ago and didn’t do nearly as good a job at replacing them. The Eagles only have one double-digit scorer this year — Lily Carmody, a Butler transfer who’s averaging 11.8 points per game.

Beyond Carmody, the cupboard is empty for BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee.

Four of the Eagles’ five primary starters this year are scoring fewer than 8.0 points per game, and three of them are shooting below 38% from the field. Their paint presence is absolutely nonexistent as well — Boston College has no players averaging more than five rebounds or 0.3 blocks per game.

There are 18 teams in the ACC. Two of them have Simple Rating System scores in the negatives. BC is one of them, and if there’s any saving grace for the Eagles, it’s that their SRS of negative 4.5 just barely edges out Pitt’s negative 7.9 mark thus far this season.

How Syracuse beats Boston College

Is it fair to say that just showing up is enough?

There’s really no conceivable way for Syracuse to lose to BC. The Eagles haven’t yet beaten a team with an SRS above negative 9.00 — SU currently sits at 20.95. These programs are on two different planes of existence right now, and it seems unfair to even consider them conference foes.

Do the Orange want Uche Izoje to do the heavy lifting? Sure, why not? BC’s average of 1.1 blocks per game ranks 361st out of 363 Division I teams. Not much the Eagles can do there.

Does SU want to fire from deep, letting Sophie Burrows and Laila Phelia test their marksmanship? Again, it’s not like the Eagles can stop it. They allow their opponents to make triples at a 33.9% clip, a mark which ranks 336th in the nation.

It’s a matchup reminiscent of Chris Webber on NBA TV in 2013, previewing a contest between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks.

On the chyron to his left, there are three “keys to victory” he has selected for the Heat.

Replace LeBron with Syracuse, and the message is otherwise unchanged.

With eight conference wins under its belt, Syracuse has a chance to avenge last year’s ACC Tournament loss to BC.

leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

47.8

Boston College’s opponent field-goal percentage, thirdworst in Division I.

Stat to know: 47.8%

As previously mentioned in this article, there are 363 D-I women’s basketball teams. Boston College ranks 361st in opponents’ fieldgoal percentage.

Only Mercyhurst — which Syracuse defeated by 60 in December — and an 0-22 Niagara squad rank below the Eagles in that category. There’s plenty of revealing sta-

tistics when it comes to BC, but if that’s any indication, SU could be in for a recordbreaking offensive performance.

Player to watch: Uche Izoje, center, No. 44

There is no one who really garners much attention in BC, so fans would be better advised to spend their time fixating on Izoje.

The freshman phenom is coming off one of her worst performances of the season against Miami’s Ra Shaya Kyle, shooting 3-for-12 and fouling out after scoring six points.

It’ll be intriguing to see how Izoje responds.

Entering the matchup averaging 14.2 points and 9.5 boards a game, against an Eagles squad that has no real paint presence, it’s a mismatch that she’s well-equipped to exploit. mjpalmar@syr.edu @mpalmarDO

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softball

Rundown on SU softball’s 2026 season, Doepking’s 8th year

By Peter Radosh asst. copy editor

In the last five years, Syracuse softball always seemed to be on the cusp of success. It hasn’t had a losing season since 2023 but is still chasing its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2012.

The Orange’s 2022 and 2023 seasons both ended in Atlantic Coast Conference Quarterfinal exits. Their 2024 campaign — which featured the most wins under Shannon Doepking (28) — concluded in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Last year initially seemed to be different; Syracuse began Doepking’s seventh campaign 11-0, the best start in program history. The Orange entered ACC play 16-3 but lost 19 of their next 30 contests, missing the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Here’s everything to know as Doepking and Co. embark on their eighth campaign:

After missing the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2015 last year, Syracuse softball lines up again on Feb. 6.

Angelina Grevi | daily orange file photo

Tough early schedule

Newcomers to watch

SU’s ACC collapse last season wasn’t without precedent. It followed the same win pattern as nearly every other Doepking-led team: earlyseason success before stumbling in the ACC. Since 2019, the Orange have gone 105-52 in nonconference play. Their record flips in conference play, where SU is 51-100.

Last season, SU faced only one ranked team, then-No. 9 Georgia, before ACC games began.

During Doepking’s tenure, back-loaded schedules have been the primary reason SU consistently succeeds early yet fails in ACC play.

Syracuse won’t have that privilege this season. It’ll be tested from the outset. Eight games on the Orange’s pre-ACC slate are against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year, including five against preseason top-25 teams: No. 23 Liberty, No. 14 South Carolina and reigning national champions, No. 1 Texas.

If the Orange keep up with the stiff competition, they’ll be more than ready for ACC play. If they don’t, their season could be over before it truly starts.

Six seniors graduated over the offseason. Tessa Galipeau, Laila Morales-Alves, Kelly Breen and Taylor Posner were all regulars at the plate, accounting for 512 of SU’s total 1,311 at-bats. Angie Ramos is SU’s only major defensive loss. Ramos started all but one of her 47 appearances and regularly slotted in at second base and outfield.

With them gone, Doepking brought in six freshmen and one transfer.

Kendall Gaunt tops the bill. The Smithfield, North Carolina, native is expected to fill in at shortstop, and she showed promise in the box throughout high school. In her senior season at Cleveland High School, Gaunt hit .507 with 25 RBIs across 73 at-bats.

The freshman was also the only member of Syracuse’s 2025 class named to D1Softball’s 2026 D100 Freshman Watch List.

Madison Knight’s younger sister, Mackenzie Knight, joins the crew as well. While Knight stars as a two-way player, Mackenzie’s a threat on the basepath as a slap-hitting specialist. She is quick and hits for consistency, not power.

Milija Seaton — the lone transfer addition — could be a wildcard in her junior season.

She’s consistent on defense, posting a .923 fielding percentage across her freshman and sophomore years at Wichita State.

Offense is a slightly different story — Seaton had 14 hits, nine RBIs and one home run across 70 at-bats with the Shockers. Her .200 average last year ranked 12th among 16 Shockers, and her .350 slugging percentage placed 10th. However, the Tonganoxie, Kansas, native homered in SU’s fall game against Herkimer Community College, a potential sign of what’s to come.

Slugging development

Doepking’s teams have historically struggled offensively, and 2025 was no different. Extrabase hits were rare for Syracuse last season, as the Orange notched the fewest home runs and triples in the ACC. Their isolated power number — which measures a hitter’s ability to log extra-base hits by subtracting batting average from slugging

percentage — of 0.093 placed among the bottom 19% of Division I teams.

Though Galipeau is gone, SU returns four of its best hitters from last year. Madelyn Lopez, Kaimi Tulua, Vanessa Flores and Knight all had slugging percentages of .400 or above.

Tulua’s freshman year on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .836 placed in the 72nd percentile of D-I hitters. With another year under her belt, the sophomore should be a force at the plate.

Three of SU’s four returning sluggers are in their senior seasons. Lopez headlines the group, with her 2025 .430 batting average placing fifth in the ACC, along with 10 doubles and three home runs. Her OPS, wOBA, wRC and wRAA — which quantify a player’s offensive production, offensive value, run-producing value and runs created — put her above the 91st percentile among D-I players.

Pitching additions

Last season, Knight and Julianna Verni entered ACC play with ERAs of 1.28 and 0.61, respectively. Knight finished the season with a 3.45 ERA, and Verni with 3.78.

The cause of this disparity?

A lack of depth in the bullpen. Knight and Verni opened 39 of 49 games last season, and their 250 total innings pitched accounted for 77% of the Orange’s defensive frames. In the ACC, the two started every game. Knight and Verni’s overworked arms led to a 6.16 overall ERA in conference play.

With Jackie Pengel two years removed from a season-ending injury, which limited her in 2025, the Orange should have a better look on the hill.

Pengel posted a team-low 2.07 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched and even struck out five in a shutout against UAlbany. It was her last outing in 2025.

Doepking added freshman Kennedy Woodruff to the bullpen this year. She shone at Oxon Hill High School (Maryland), with a career 0.43 ERA and 351 career strikeouts.

If the Orange get their pitching right, the mound could define their season. phradosh@syr.edu

men’s basketball

Andrews: Loss to UNC another reminder of how far SU has fallen COOPER ANDREWS COOPED UP

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Syracuse’s “Orange Standard” used to be about winning.

Nowadays, showing “fight” and “battling back” means you’re playing up to the standard.

Those are the tenets of the extremely low bar SU has set for itself in recent years. And Adrian Autry brought them up in his press conference following its loss to North Carolina. The Orange trailed by as much as 32 points in the second half, and to their credit, miraculously made it a six-point game in the final moments. However, to most who watched, the horrifying stench that arose when Syracuse was getting outclassed by UNC is what will be remembered from this one.

Not a comeback that fell 10 points short.

“At the end, I thought we just showed some heart and we kept fighting, because we were down big,” Autry said. “So we have to be able to learn from this and move forward to get better.”

Monday night in Chapel Hill served as another painful reminder of how far the Orange’s program has fallen from their glory days under Jim Boeheim.

In Syracuse’s (13-10, 4-6 Atlantic Coast) 87-77 defeat at the hands of No. 14 UNC (18-4, 6-3 Atlantic Coast) — Autry’s 22nd Quad 1 loss in 26 tries since taking over in 2023 — it did not resemble Hubert Davis’ UNC squad in the slightest. The Orange were unorganized, inconsistent and didn’t stand a realistic chance after halftime. Against one of the ACC’s elite, Autry’s team looked nothing like a top-tier program.

More like a feisty mid-major who gave big, bad UNC a late scare.

Is that seriously all Syracuse can offer at this point?

“This is part of the journey,” Autry reasoned after the loss.

“I like this group. We just have to, you know, be more consistent. Be more consistent in what we’re trying to do. Be more consistent in what we’re trying to do,” Autry added.

He sounds like a man in disbelief. Of course, he pointed to elements of the game that Syracuse can improve at in the short-term, such as its lagging ball movement and lack of early physicality on defense.

But, my goodness, being down by 32 points against anybody means that your roster is nowhere near comparable to your opponent’s.

This loss isn’t about one bad night; rather a series of low points during Autry’s tenure that are now coalescing into what’s likely to be another season without ACC Tournament success, nor a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Even Carmelo Anthony voiced his displeasure with how Syracuse performed against North Carolina, per an IG comment he posted during the game that read “SMFH.” In other words, he was pissed.

Being in March Madness was merely a fraction of the “Orange Standard” during Boeheim’s 47 years at the helm.

Now, returning to the Big Dance would be exceeding the Autry standard.

And as we sit here at the start of February, the Orange’s current problems are the same issues good teams typically fix by December.

They’re playing as individuals, not as a team.

“We just haven’t been executing and really getting to where we need to go,” freshman guard Kiyan Anthony said postgame. “I don’t think it’s like five or six people that need the ball in their hands (all the time), definitely like two or three.”

The ball-dominant tendencies of most of SU’s roster was the largest talking point after its loss to North Carolina. Anthony, Donnie Freeman, J.J. Starling, Naithan George, Nate Kingz and Tyler Betsey are all guys who need the ball in their hands to be successful. But the Orange have displayed stagnant ball movement all season, and rank 15th in the ACC with a 49.7% assist rate.

Anthony kept it simple, though, feeling that Syracuse needed to run its offense through Freeman for the entire game, not just the first half.

He initially said the Orange should have called more plays for Freeman to get the ball after his incredible 18-point first half. Though Anthony backtracked and said it comes down to the players executing to free up Freeman for open looks, his frustration that SU’s star wasn’t a point of emphasis down the stretch was palpable.

“I can’t really answer that,” Anthony said, bearing a slight smirk, in response to a question about Freeman’s decreased second half touches. “If he has 18 (points) in the first half, I think he should finish with 35, 40.”

Freeman finished with 23 points on 8-for14 shooting. Nine shots in the first half, five in the second.

SU showed fight in its loss to No. 14 UNC. But our beat writer argues merely giving an effort should not be the bar for SU’s program. leonardo eriman senior staff photographer

If you’re Autry and his coaching staff, and you’re watching Freeman single-handedly keep Monday’s game competitive by halftime, how do you not draw up play after play for this guy on offense? Especially with SU’s supporting cast not making a peep from behind the 3-point arc until the very end (when Kingz hit a couple) and its big man, William Kyle III, playing his worst game of the season — two points, six rebounds, five fouls.

Not to forget, one game after Autry inexplicably benched Freeman in an eventual win over Notre Dame, Freeman was the one player who prevented Syracuse from being blown to bits.

This is a team that struggles to recognize its own personnel, and in turn, continues to perform a league below the top squads in the nation.

SU is now 2-7 versus Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents this year. It sits 72nd in the NCAA’s NET Rankings, behind six different Mountain West programs and three Atlantic 10 schools.

To be fair, the Orange probably aren’t talented enough yet to compete with the best of the best, anyways. Autry said that UNC’s defenders switching on every ball screen caused trouble for his players and got Syracuse’s offense out of whack.

You read that right: Defensive switches stymied the Orange.

Since joining the ACC in 2013, Syracuse is now 120-114 in conference play. Across its final 12 seasons in the Big East, it went 136-68.

Under Autry, SU is 22-28 in ACC games. The Orange have become an afterthought in their own conference, an entire stratosphere behind blue bloods like North Carolina and Duke and even programs like Louisville and Miami.

Awkward roster-building, lack of cohesion among the players and constant flailing in big-game situations are all causing the Orange to behave like a shell of how they once did.

They’re a team who loses games, yet can’t seem to figure out why.

But, hey, at least they fought to the very end.

Isn’t that what counts?

Cooper Andrews is a Senior Staff Writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at ccandrew@syr.edu or on X @cooper_andrews. ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews

SPORTS

16 february 5, 2026

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

olympic bound

courtesy of su athletics | hannah mesa illustration editor

Syracuse’s Britni Smith sets sights on Olympic gold coaching Canada hockey

By Eliana Rosen culture editor

B

ritni Smith grew up playing hockey on the frozen-over pond on her family’s farm in Port Perry, Ontario. Her favorite team was the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs. But to see female hockey athletes “pour their hearts out for their country,” she watched the Olympics.

Now, she’s heading there herself, coaching what she called the “pinnacle” of women’s hockey.

Smith, Syracuse’s women’s head ice hockey coach, will be an assistant for Canada’s women’s national

team at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Canada won the gold medal in five of the seven women’s Olympic ice hockey tournaments — including the 2022 Beijing Games. Smith and Canada open their gold medal defense against Finland Thursday, ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.

“Our goals are definitely to win the gold,” Smith said.

Smith began coaching with Hockey Canada in 2014, the same year she became assistant coach of Clarkson University’s women’s team, and has been working with the team since.

“Pretty early in my career, I was lucky to get that opportunity,” Smith said. “There was still a lot in my

career I had to learn and make my way through, but to have the opportunity to work both players and staff at that level set the bar right for my young career. It was a huge step for me in terms of understanding what it takes to be at that level.”

In 2025, she helped Hockey Canada to a win over the United States at the 2024-25 Rivalry Series and to a silver medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in April. The U.S. — who Canada has faced in the last four gold medal games, winning three times — is in Canada’s group in Milan.

Conversations about Smith coaching the Canadian Olympic team began two summers see smith page 13

women’s lacrosse

5 questions that will define Syracuse women’s lacrosse in 2026

By Harris Pemberton asst. sports editor

From the loss of two star attacks to a head coaching switch, Syracuse women’s lacrosse is in a season of change.

On the heels of a 10-9 campaign, SU’s most losses in a season since 2018, Syracuse lost its top scorer, top passer and head coach. But the Orange — and new head coach Regy Thorpe — insist the championship mindset remains the same.

To make those expectations a reality, SU must address these five major questions as it enters the 2026 season:

Who can replace Ward and Adamson in attack?

Probably the most pressing question surrounding this Syracuse squad is how to fill two major attacking voids.

Over the offseason, the Orange lost star scorer Olivia Adamson to the transfer portal and assist leader Emma Ward to graduation.

Although Adamson sat out almost all of last season with a lower-body injury, she was dynamite in her prior three seasons with the Orange. Adamson scored a whopping 119 goals across her freshman, sophomore and junior campaigns, including 58 in 2024. She

even recorded 10 goals in three games before her injury last season.

Ward, meanwhile, evolved into one of SU’s greatest ever passers in five years with the Orange. She tallied 155 goals and 169 assists in her Syracuse career and contributed 30 goals and 46 assists last season.

So, replacing the pair isn’t easy.

And the answer won’t be simply plugand-play; On Jan. 29, Thorpe said the Orange will need to address both passing and scoring “by committee.”

“Everyone’s gotta pitch in,” Thorpe said. “I think our offense is predicated around all seven players

out there having an opportunity to dodge (and) defeat.”

The immediate answer to replace part of Adamson’s production looks to be Caroline Trinkaus, who scored 32 goals on 72 shots as a freshman last year. Fellow sophomores Mileena Cotter (21 goals last season), Molly Guzik (14 goals) and senior Gracie Britton (20 goals) could also bear some of the attacking load. Emma Muchnick (34 goals) and transfer Courtney Maclay (30 goals at Stony Brook) will likely be in the mix from midfield as well.

The bigger question is where the assists will come from. Ward’s 46 last

year were 35 more than SU’s secondbest distributor. There’s no clear-cut replacement who’s going to bring anywhere close to that volume. Still, look for Trinkaus, Britton, Maclay and junior Ashlee Volpe, among others, to pick up the slack.

Can the Orange escape the early-season gauntlet?

Last season, Syracuse had time to settle into its system with a relatively easy start to the year. The Orange played two unranked teams in their first three games and started 3-0. see 5 qs page 13