N • Auditor advocates
City auditor Alexander Marion and local fair housing advocates condemn the Trump administration’s federal cuts.
3
C • Keeping it local
For the 24th annual Syracuse Poster Project series, local artists and poets represented Syracuse businesses through their work.
S • Lasting Legacy
Though Bishop Grimes High School is closing in June, it leaves behind a strong athletic legacy in Syracuse.
Page 16
Democratic mayoral candidates Hogan, Owens and Majok faced off in their first debate for a spot on the ballot
By Shivika Gupta and Arabella Klonowski the daily orange
Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, 2nd
District Councilor Patrick Hogan and Councilor At-Large Chol Majok faced off in their first Democratic debate Wednesday evening. The three are running to become the next mayor of Syracuse, succeeding sitting Mayor Ben Walsh.
The primary election is less than two months away, electing a Democrat to campaign against Republican mayoral candidate Thomas Babilon
for the final seat. During the debate, the candidates focused on what they believed were the city’s most significant issues, including crime rates, poverty, Interstate-81’s highway removal and Micron.
While each candidate had differing opinions, they all related to each other through what they each described as a deep “love” for the city. Hogan started the debate, hosted at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, with an opening statement.
Hogan said he aims to tackle issues unaddressed by the current administration, such as lead contamination, payroll modernization and
children and family programs, particularly within the Children Rising Center. He also expressed excitement for the ongoing Interstate 81 highway and Micron projects.
In her opening, Owens focused on her roots and said she chose to live in the “great city” following her graduation from SU. She emphasized her experience as executive leadership at City Hall, which she said puts her in a position to lead the city at “this critical time.”
Majok said if he were to become Syracuse’s next mayor, he would aim to address the current “mismanagement and leadership deficiencies” that have
on campus
By Chloe Fox Rinka asst. digital editor
Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization called on Chancellor Kent Syverud to establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact during its penultimate meeting Wednesday night.
The defense compact is a GSO resolution advising SU to take immediate action and encourage partnering institutions, including Cornell Uni-
versity, the University of Connecticut and Pennsylvania State University, to commit funding and resources to a shared defense fund.
Senator Samuel Prescott said the defense compact is in response to President Donald Trump’s attacks on the right to free speech, funding and the curriculum in higher education.
The defense compact will be submitted to the University Senate and presented to Syverurd, Prescott said.
“Every day the university sleeps on a measure like this, sleeps on the opportunity to form a defense compact, is another day that the federal government can hear to get word of any activity at a university that does not align with what they think is appropriate,” he said.
Following the Big Ten Academic Alliance, Prescott said he proposed the defense compact to ensure SU and partnering institutions share legal, financial and public affairs
resources in the face of potential legal or political attacks.
Prescott emphasized the urgency of the defense compact. He said the Trump administration will do whatever it can to cut funding, restrict resources and take away the legal status of international students.
“I’m hoping the chancellor will come out like other chancellors have and take a real stance against the incursions that are currently happening from the federal govern -
Syveruud did not include his name in the letter condemning Trump’s actions, signed by over 560 universities. GSO President Daniel Kimmel said they hope the defense compact encourages other campus organizations, such as the Student Government see debate page 6 see gso page 6
ment,” Prescott said. “Hopefully that will extend down through university leadership, even department leadership is eerily quiet on the whole matter.”
Editor@dailyorange.com
News@dailyorange.com
Opinion@dailyorange.com
Culture@dailyorange.com
Sports@dailyorange.com
Digital@dailyorange.com
Design@dailyorange.com
Photo@dailyorange.com
BUSINESS 315-443-2315
how to join us
The Daily Orange is an independent, nonprofit newspaper published in Syracuse, New York. The editorial content of the paper — which started in 1903 and went independent in 1971 — is entirely run by Syracuse University students.
The D.O., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is editorially and financially independent from SU, and the paper receives no funding from the university. Instead, The D.O. relies on advertising revenue and donations to sustain operations.
This fall, the paper will be published Thursday when SU classes are in session.
The D.O.’s online coverage is 24/7, including while SU is on break.
To show your support to The D.O.’s independent journalism, please visit dailyorange.com/donate. Donations are tax deductible.
If you are a Syracuse University or SUNY-ESF student interested in contributing to The D.O. on either its advertising or editorial teams, please email editor@dailyorange.com.
corrections policy
The D.O. strives to be as accurate in our reporting as possible. Please email editor@dailyorange.com to report a correction.
letter to the editor policy
The D.O. prides itself as an outlet for community discussion. To learn more about our submission guidelines, please email opinion@dailyorange. com with your full name and affiliation within the Syracuse community. Please note letters should not include any personal information pertaining to other people unless it is relevant to the topic at hand. All letters will be edited for style and grammar.
The forecast for this upcoming week, per The Weather Channel.
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Young Art/Arte Joven 2025 Exhibit Opening Event
WHEN: Friday, 4-6 p.m.
WHERE: La Casita Cultural Center
WHAT: Tony International Live Jazz Under Spoken Word
WHEN: Saturday, 7-9 p.m.
WHERE: Community Folk Art Center, Black Box Theatre
WHAT: Graduate Student Film Showcase
WHEN: Saturday, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Shaffer Art Building
By Sydney DePietto staff writer
Syracuse City Auditor Alexander Marion and local fair housing advocates condemned President Donald Trump’s administration’s federal funding cut at a Wednesday press conference. As Trump hits 100 days in office, Marion said his actions will negatively impact the city.
Wednesday marked the end of Fair Housing Month, meant to reaffirm a commitment to ending housing discrimination. Marion, alongside CNY Fair Housing Executive Director Sally Santangelo and Housing Policy Manager Alex Lawson, said the cuts will impact the organization. About 60% of its budget comes from federal funding.
“From day one, this administration has taken action after action to undermine the fundamental idea that people should have the right to choose where they want to live free from discrimination,” Santangelo said.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development currently faces proposed cuts that could reduce staff in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by 76%, Shriver Center on Poverty Law reported. HUD is the central enforcer of the Fair Housing Act, which protects against housing discrimination.
The Trump administration terminated 78 grants to support states and local agencies, including a CNY central education and outreach grant, which allowed the organization to provide training for landlords.
Santangelo said the cuts could make it difficult for the organization to continue its work as a federal contractor. The reduction would “paralyze” CNY Fair Housing staff due to a lack of guidance and a fear of federal retaliation, Santanlego said.
“Our work is essential, and it’s effective and it’s efficient. We’re in our communities. We’re here. We people have connections with
us,” Santangelo said. “They know us, and we’re able to use our local experience to make sure that people’s federal fair housing rights are being enforced.”
HUD also regulates the Equal Access Rule, mandating equal access to HUD-funded housing programs regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. Last month, HUD Secretary Scott Turner instructed the agency to cease all enforcement.
Marion called the decision an act of “pro-discrimination” and a “pro-increase in homelessness,” citing homelessness rates as transgender people experience being homeless at higher rates than their cisgender counterparts.
Since Trump’s first term, the number of transgender people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has increased by 57%, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“These bigots of the Trump administration trade in the currency of hate, are letting billionaire corporate landlords and their farright extremist friends have a free pass at our transgender friends and neighbors to throw them out of their home,” Marion said. “This needs to be stopped.”
The nonprofit’s services span across 14 counties, including Onondaga. CNY Fair Housing provides counseling, advocates for housing rights and investigates rental, sales, insurance and financing complaints. It also provides free legal representation to victims of illegal housing discrimination.
Marion said combatting the rollbacks will take resources, time, money and a determination to fight. He urged the community to help state and local governments, along with fair housing organizations, fight back against the administration.
He also emphasized the importance of passing tenant protections, including Good Cause Eviction, on the local level. Collaboration and
activism are necessary to stop local government from being “enablers” of the Trump administration’s cutbacks, Marion said.
Under the Good Cause eviction law, landlords cannot evict tenants without a valid reason. The New York state law went into effect in April 2024 and aims to provide more security and fairness to tenants.
“Let me be clear about this, anyone not supporting Good Cause Eviction on the local level is helping Donald Trump and Scott Turner dismantle fair housing, those folks are rooting for
Good Cause Eviction laws to fail, and we cannot let that happen,” Marion said.
Lawson stressed the importance of understanding residential rights and encouraged residents to continue to use CNY Fair Housing and other organizations as a resource.
“It isn’t abstract. It’s having an impact here locally, on our community, on our ability to protect ourselves, to be the community we want to be,” Lawson said. “We need to fight back in order to protect our rights to fair housing.”
sadepiet@syr.edu
By Brenne Sheehan staff writer
Sarah Appedu first learned about Syracuse’s new Look Before You Rent Tool from a post on LinkedIn. As a local renter and Ph.D. student at Syracuse University, she was curious to see what the city knew about her apartment and others in her neighborhood.
Launched in April, the tool was created to increase accountability for landlords and the upkeep of their properties, city of Syracuse Director of Digital Services Jason Scharf said. The interactive map shows rental property information statuses such as the rental registry, certificate of compliance and violations of the city’s property code.
“I think it’s useful to have context on where you live,” Appedu, an information science and technology major, said. “A tool like this is really helpful for the accessibility of this information.”
The tool aims to make public data on rental properties more accessible to community members, Scharf said. It consists of combined resi-
dential datasets, including data from the Department of Code Enforcement’s interactive map and the vacant properties map collected by Open Data Syracuse.
“The benefit of the tool is to make things more transparent, ideally pressuring landlords a bit to get those properties certified and inspected,” Scharf said.
Sharon Sherman, the Executive Director of the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network, said the tool is an easy way for potential renters to learn more about a landlord and their property beyond their own interactions.
“Renting from someone with a bad track record with the city is a disaster,” Sherman said. “But you can feel reassured using this tool, because you can see if a landlord isn’t keeping their property up, even if they sound good on the phone.”
Now, the city is focused on getting the tool to residents.
Over 3,000 users have visited the tool since its launch earlier this month, Scharf said. The city of Syracuse hopes to grow its outreach, distributing informational cards at housing events
this summer and encouraging the community to inform others about the tool.
“We’re going to really promote to people that this tool is available,” Scharf said. “Because it’s great if it’s on the website, but if people aren’t using it, we aren’t going to get the value out of it that we could be.”
Historically, this data has been kept in separate Excel spreadsheets and CSV files, making it inaccessible to the public. Bringing all of the information to one navigable system is necessary to better serve residents, Scharf said.
“Having public data is awesome,” Scharf said. “But in order to make it really accessible and useful to a broad range of residents, you have to be intentional.”
Every three years, landlords must register their properties with the city and maintain a certificate of compliance, ensuring their properties are inspected and up to safety and health codes. The tool displays any violations of these codes for each property, along with its issue date.
The map allows users to filter by neighborhood and Common Council district and give
them the ability to search specific properties by address. Each listing has a direct link to the address’s Google Street View and updates daily.
The concept behind the tool was inspired by Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens and Department of Neighborhood and Business Development Commissioner Michael Collins in December 2024, Scharf said. He credits the project’s four-month completion to the data repositories made available by Open Data Syracuse since 2017.
When developing the tool, Scharf said a key aspect of accessibility was its compatibility across user interfaces. The finished product adjusts to screen size, making it compatible with both mobile and desktop devices.
Appedu hopes the tool will make more people aware of the importance of residential code compliance and facilitate the system of “checks and balances” between tenants and their landlords.
“It’s sort of a literacy thing,” Appedu said. “Most people probably don’t know what a lot of this information means or where to look for it, so to just have it easily accessible I think is really helpful.”
bsheeh03@syr.edu
By Siya Angras staff writer
A draft travel ban created by President Donald Trump’s Administration would restrict or ban citizens of 43 new countries from entering the United States. The potential ban threatens student visa status, study abroad and exchange programs.
Nearly 20% of Syracuse University’s student body are international students, with many from the countries the ban would affect. In March, the New York Times obtained a draft of the ban, created by diplomatic and security officials under Trump’s Administration.
Here’s what the draft ban could mean for SU students.
What countries would be affected by the proposed ban?
The ban sorts the countries into three categories: red, orange and yellow. The categories determine the degree of travel that will be banned.
The red category includes 11 countries that would be completely banned from entering the
U.S. This category includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Citizens from these countries who wish to study in the U.S. or who currently have visas will be barred from entering the country, according to the current proposal.
The orange category includes 10 countries that would be banned from traveling on immigrant and tourist visas, but might not affect those traveling for business. The orange category includes Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan. Citizens from these countries may be subject to mandatory in-person interviews to obtain a visa.
The yellow category identifies 22 countries that would be on probation for around 60 days. In that case, if they fail to update their border security policies, they risk being moved to the orange or red category.
This includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Maurita-
nia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe. The draft travel ban identified these countries to have perceived deficiencies, the New York Times reported.
The draft does not address what would happen to citizens from the targeted countries who currently hold residential status. However, the Trump administration started revoking visas from international students without prior notice, including SU. The Trump administration reversed until a new system to assess student legal status was created. The next steps with this new system remain unclear.
Why is the ban proposed?
The draft ban corresponds with Trump’s executive order aimed at protecting the nation from foreign terrorists and public safety threats, passed on Jan. 20.
The draft order outlines the Trump administration’s desire to protect citizens by enhancing screening procedures for immigrants, refugees and visa applicants, particularly from “high-risk countries.” The ban
seeks to add these provisions to the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Trump also ordered travel bans during his first term, enacting a Muslim travel ban in January 2017, citing a national security threat. The Supreme Court initially blocked Trump’s orders, but were eventually upheld.
Why is the potential ban important?
Travel bans can impact the U.S. travel industry and may change U.S. citizens’ ability to travel to countries in these categories.
Though Canada is not listed, the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services issued an interim final rule requiring Canadians who wish to stay in the U.S past 30 days to register with U.S. authorities. The ban caused European countries and Canada to issue advisories for citizens traveling to the U.S.
The ban is still in its initial phases and the list of impacted countries may change, the NYT reported.
sangras@syr.edu
The Syracuse Poster Project allows local artists to connect with their community through their work
By Eliana Rosen asst. digital editor
by Ave Magee asst. photo editor
Sanjana Sharma passes Boom Babies, a vintage thrift store, everyday on her way to class. The store’s bold, vibrant colors speak to her. When she read a poem about the shop, she felt drawn to illustrate it.
“Boom Babies was one of those businesses that I could see through the window of the bus, and it always made me smile,” Sharma, a Syracuse University illustration graduate student, said. “The (poem’s) happy tone really resonated with me, so I decided to go with it.”
Sharma’s illustration is a part of the 2025 Syracuse Poster Project collection, an annual competition for local artists and poets. Poets submit their haikus, which are then distributed to the artists, who select their favorite to illustrate. Then, a panel of independent judges select the 14 winning posters which fill the downtown poster panels along South Salina Street and Warren Street and the poster boxes outside the downtown Syracuse Post Office.
Boom Babies was one of those businesses that I could see through the window of the bus, and it always made me smile.
Sanjana Sharma su illustration graduate student
For its 24th series, the committee chose local businesses as their theme. They looked for independent shops that are fun, happy and have a special place in the city and its history. The choice to highlight local businesses was obvious, Scott Herrmann, the sales manager of the project, said.
“These places have become parts of people’s lives,” he said. “Businesses, especially when they’re small and independent, make up the fabric of a community.”
The Poster Project initiative began in 2001, after Jim Emmons, the project’s founder, noticed the city’s poster kiosks weren’t being used. They were originally added in an attempt to renovate the downtown streetscape.
Syracuse is a city of clouds and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the music and the people that really brighten this place for me.
James Cunningham SU international relations graduate student
After a discussion with Emmons, SU professor Roger De Muth assigned his students to select and illustrate haikus into posters as a class assignment. For nearly the next two decades, the College of Visual and Performing Arts students almost exclusively illustrated the posters.
In 2018, when De Muth retired, the project expanded to include central New York artists. Herrmann said widening the reach has given the project a deeper connection to the city, since local artists and Syracuse natives often have a stronger relationship with the area.
The union of poetry and illustration is a key part of the Poster Project, Herrmann said. Along with its ability to showcase multiple artforms and give a
platform to more local artists, the union also deepens the project’s impact.
“There’s a certain art to blending text and image,” Herrmann said. “You end up with a final result that says something neither could have alone. We are celebrating the spirit of poetry, the spirit of art and the magic that happens when you combine the two.”
James Cunningham, an SU international relations graduate student, wrote his poem on a whim during class after his professor encouraged him to submit one. Cunningham helps organize music events at Funk ‘n Waffles. Inspired by his appreciation for Syracuse’s music scene, Cunningham chose The Sound Garden as the subject for his haiku.
The first line comes from the nickname Cunningham gave the city when he moved here five years ago: the city of clouds. The phrase is the title of a song Cunningham began but never finished for a television, radio and film project. After he realized it perfectly fit a haiku’s necessary five syllables, he knew it would be the catalyst for his submission.
“Syracuse is a city of clouds and that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Cunningham said. “It’s the music and the people that really brighten this place for me.”
The project highlights the beauty of Syracuse and its community. He wishes SU students better appreciated the culture of their city.
The poets didn’t see their corresponding posters until they were unveiled at Art in the Atrium on April 25, where the poets and artists first met. Cunningham said he was blown away by how well the poster “fit his vibe,” calling it psychedelic and trippy. It was special to him to see someone else’s interpretation of his work.
“Words are one thing: they let people imagine what they see in their own mind,” Cunningham said. “But to see what someone else saw through my words and was able to portray, it’s a really beautiful thing.”
Cameron Valvano illustrated a poem about Columbus Bakery, inspired by their bread that Valvano’s girlfriend uses to make sandwiches — what they call “the best thing you’ve ever had.” They stared at the posters for at least an hour at the unveiling, soaking in the talent and skill in the room, Valvano said. Each poster expressed the poet’s and artist’s style; no two looked alike.
Peter Allen has submitted a poem every year since the project opened to the public — chosen once in 2019 and 2020. This year, his The Art Store and Gannon’s
Ice Cream poems were chosen for illustration. A Syracuse local since childhood, Allen felt a deep connection to this year’s theme. His experiences buying art supplies and childhood memories ordering at the ice cream counter for the first time inspired his poems.
“Children don’t have too many opportunities to direct their life at an early age, but at the ice cream counter, someone asks them, ‘What do you want?’
And then they’re presented with choices for the first time,” Allen said. “I wanted to convey the kind of excitement of that power that you have as a child ordering your ice cream.”
As people are walking, hopefully whatever’s on their mind is suddenly paused for a moment and they’re able to take in this image and words.
Peter Allen syracuse local
Allen hopes the posters cause people to stop in their tracks and take time to look around, stimulating their brain and taking them out of the mundane with something beautiful to look at.
“This is a pedestrian-based project,” Allen said. “As people are walking, hopefully whatever’s on their mind is suddenly paused for a moment and they’re able to take in this image and words.”
A core part of the project is the poster’s downtown location, Herrmann said. Rather than hanging in a museum exhibit, the posters are intentionally a public, community art display and an urban beautification project, reflecting the original purpose of the poster panels.
The project celebrates Syracuse as a vibrant, diverse community of artists, writers and business owners.
“We all have a love-hate relationship with Syracuse,” Herrmann said. “Syracuse gets knocked a little more than other places, but I think it’s a special place and I think it’s worth celebrating in this way.”
ehrosen@syr.edu
continued to impact the city’s generational poverty. He said he would focus on addressing child poverty, homelessness and police-community relations, along with skill gaps preventing high school graduates from entering the workforce.
“It is clear Syracuse needs a system reset, a new regime with a strong executive that will have a strong political will to do things,” Majok said. “I will lead Syracuse into a future where families thrive, neighborhoods flourish and opportunities are accessible.”
Baker asked all three candidates to describe Walsh, touching on his administration’s rights and wrongs.
Owens, who works directly with Walsh as deputy mayor, said Walsh’s collaboration with the community is key, but disagreed with what she called his philosophy of giving officials “chance after chance.” She said the city needs an administration that incorporates new ideas when it comes to government leadership.
“He worked extremely well with the county executive (and) with New York State to put us on a trajectory for the growth that we’re seeing right now,” Owens said. “And this is where my good friend and boss Ben Walsh and I part ways, his ability to get along with people.”
During a discussion of the growing crime rates in Syracuse, Owens said addressing crime requires deeply rooted systemic change, starting with law enforcement. She said it’s a “community effort,” finding where crime begins and working to find solutions.
“We have our responsibility,” Owens said. “Our law enforcement officers are tracking down these young people, and we need to work with our family court system, our juvenile court system, to find solutions for these children.”
Hogan agreed, claiming Syracuse’s crime rate “sucks the life out of neighborhoods.” He said crime can only be reduced with preventative measures, including community investments in educational programming like youth outreach programs and neighborhood patrol groups.
Hogan suggested bringing back the Community Schools Program, which he said was implemented in the city in the 1970s, offering tutoring and safe after-school programs for children. Majok said the city’s current stance on crime isn’t enough, emphasizing a need for accountability efforts from government officials and the Syracuse Police Department.
In April, Walsh’s administration introduced a proposed 2% increase in property taxes and water rates in its 2026 budget, which the candidates discussed at length.
Hogan, opposing the budget change, argued the community can’t handle another tax increase and, as mayor, he would adjust the budget accordingly. As a common councilor, he said he’s received messages from constituents expressing discontent with Medicaid and Social Security increases due to the current administration.
“We’re in trouble,” Hogan said. “People can’t afford where they’re living right now. For a stable way of life, we have to think back about how we’re going to accomplish this.”
Majok echoed Hogan, who argued that “now is not the time” for an increase in a highly impoverished city. Owens said she supports the tax increase, countering that it would introduce a system reliant on equity and distribute the increase among different income levels in the community. She also urged for an increase in home re-evaluations to distribute taxes evenly among residents.
During a short-answer question segment, Baker asked each candidate if they would take down the city’s over 90-year-old Columbus Circle monument, which has sparked debate regarding its controversial portrayal of Christopher Columbus.
While Majok and Hogan said they wouldn’t take the statue down, Owens disagreed and said it would come down if she took office in January.
During a discussion of city poverty, Baker said Syracuse has the highest child poverty rate in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Owens said income isn’t the only factor, as the standard of a household defines poverty.
She emphasized the need for new training and apprenticeship programs, preparing the city’s students for real-world jobs.
Majok described the poverty rate as “heartbreaking,” adding that Syracuse residents going into adulthood unprepared is one of the main topics that keep him, along with Hogan and Owens, motivated to create citywide change.
“That worries you, that prevents you from going to sleep,” Majok said. “Because, you know, that’s the reality you’re dealing with.”
While the city’s average high-school graduation rate is 72%, Majok said the percentage of students who can get “real jobs” is closer to 30-40%, citing a lack of practical hard skills taught in schools. He said these skills are needed to get the jobs Micron’s arrival will bring.
Hogan said education is the key solution to reducing child poverty. He emphasized the
importance of creating practical programs for students beyond college degrees, highlighting a welding program at Onondaga Community College. He said the program allows students to get jobs with Micron and emphasized the need for such programs city-wide.
“We have to make sure that those benefits from those jobs are spread across all our neighborhoods,” Hogan said, “No neighborhoods left out of the benefits.”
Candidates discussed how addressing lead poisoning is a major priority.
Owens attributed the crisis to previous administrations, saying addressing the errors made regarding inaccurate testing is important to her. She emphasized the need to bring in outside experts to the city. Majok disagreed, arguing the current administration “especially” negatively impacted the crisis.
“There is no accountability,” Majok said. “There is no ownership, and that is where the problem starts.”
When discussing the city’s Micron Project, Majok said the city isn’t prepared for its presence. Hogan emphasized the need for Micron and the upward mobility it provides, but said the government must ensure its benefits are spread across all city neighborhoods.
Owens echoed Hogan and said when instituting a program like Micron, which city residents may not be familiar with, it’s important to “demystify” the company and ensure everyone is aware of the job skills required.
In response to SPD Police Chief Joseph Cecil’s April 15 retirement announcement for the end of this year, candidates discussed their plans to choose his successor while understanding the significance of the city’s police presence. Hogan, Majok and Owens all agreed on Cecil’s positive impact, saying he did good work to improve Syracuse.
Owens added that her ideal new chief would understand “21st-century policing.” Majok echoed Owens, but said the new chief would need to understand “cultural changes” and adapt to future policies. He noted his hope for a police department that would “embrace all people.”
The debate remained peaceful with the candidates reflecting on their love of Syracuse, experiences working together and what they said is their combined desire to create meaningful change for the city.
The Democratic primary election will take place on June 24, with early voting beginning June 14. news@dailyorange.com
Assembly, to pass similar resolutions and help build a collective understanding.
“I do hope that it does make it to upper administration and that they begin the work to form both regional alliances with other institutions around here, but also our institutional peers,” Kimmel said.
Alongside the resolution, GSO passed a Declaration of Independence separating itself from SU. The declaration makes GSO a separate entity, operating outside university regulations for registered student organizations.
Declaring independence grants GSO the right to remove elected SU faculty advisors by majority vote, select graduate student representatives to the Board of Trustees and authority to set and allocate graduate student activity fees.
“I think it’s very important to recognize the need for a space in which graduate students can come together, discuss their own affairs, govern their own affairs with little to know interference from any other constituency,” Kimmel said.
GSO has operated under SU since 1968, aiming to represent the graduate student body and to promote its best interests. Under SU’s governance, GSO has been restricted by certain policies and initiatives, according to the resolution.
Agathe Baggieri, a senator representing the French department, said GSO distancing itself from SU will benefit language departments in particular by distancing itself from the “threat” of the current administration.
“For languages in general, because we are a field of study that is very threatened by the current administration, so knowing that organizations like the GSO can reaffirm their position and their independence brings hope,” Baggieri said.
Over the past decade, a series of administrative policies and developments have subjected GSO to increased oversight, Internal Vice President Roger Rosena said. Graduate students were denied the right to elect representatives and a board of trustees — a process GSO has practiced since the 1970s, Rosena said.
GSO will hold its final meeting of the spring 2025 semester on May 7.
cfrinka@syr.edu
SU alum Dylan Antigua founded his brand Pour Les Gens Worldwide to pay homage to New York City.
By Tara Binte Sharil asst. copy editor
Zip-up hoodies with a collage of New York City memorabilia. Statement black leather jackets with vivid red and white lettering on the back. Camouflage hats with the Pour Les Gens Worldwide logo mirroring the classic New York Yankees hat.
slice of life
These designs pay homage to the city’s influence on streetwear fashion, and are staples of the PLG brand.
“New York City is a place where you’re trying to find a way to not differentiate yourself, but trying to understand certain aspects that make up your identity,” founder Dylan Antigua said. “Fashion was the first way I discovered that.”
Antigua, a Syracuse University alum, founded his fashion brand
Pour Les Gens to honor all things NYC, his hometown, in the summer of 2020. A rising junior at the time, Antigua started his brand as a way to fill his time by pursuing his love for street fashion.
Antigua had no expectations for his first drop and started small, selling only graphic T-shirts. His only goal was to get his brand out in the Syracuse community and let the pieces fall into place.
“ I had a lot of faith in (the first drop),” Antigua said. “It was just a project that I knew I really cared about and regardless of the outcome, I was gonna be happy that I even tried.”
Now, the brand has expanded to leather jackets, hoodies and different
headwear — a huge step up from when he first started.
NYC is a cauldron of new and innovative streetwear trends, Antigua said. After the success of his first collection, Antigua didn’t have to look far for creative inspiration.
A Queens native, Antigua combines the city’s fashion trends and iconic memorabilia with his favorite childhood sports teams and brands. From the New York Knicks to the subway MetroCard, Pour Les Gens is an ode to The Melting Pot, Antigua said.
Antigua graduated from SU with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, and he later came back to pursue a master’s degree in advertising due to his brand’s
streetwear page 8
By Ava Cohen staff writer
Corrine Soo grew up in Brooklyn, constantly surrounded by towering buildings that drew her in. She was captivated by their scale and intrigued by the way people interacted with the structural environment. Mostly, she was fascinated by the fact that humans brought them to life. “This event needs the community to come to make it an event,”
Soo said. “We can have our installations out, but the whole point of our project and of architecture in general is to activate space.”
Over the past five years, she has explored her fascination at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture. Soo and other fifth-year students celebrated the culmination of their education by participating in LA F[i]ESTA, a collaborative design-build project featured
on the Shaw Quadrangle from Tuesday to Wednesday. The event included a procession through three installations on the Quad. Each installation represents the work of a team of four students who researched, designed and built the project under the guidance of architecture professors Rosita Palladino and Magdalena Valdevenito. Students worked on LA F[i]ESTA throughout the semester as the cul-
minating project in their final studio course, ARC 498: Directed Research. To plan the event, students were split into three teams, which they referred to as “fiesta teams” Soo said. The site team was in charge of reaching out to SU to request permission for the installations to be on the Quad, ensuring they followed safety regulations. The materials team was tasked with keeping an archive of all the resources they collected to ensure nothing went
to waste. Finally, the public relations team reached out to people to spread the word about the event, Soo said.
“We are architecture students,” Soo said. “This is not our area of expertise, but we just had to figure it out along the way.”
At each installation, students explained the significance of their work and the inspiration behind their designs. Other architecture
By Genae Horst staff writer
The Met Gala name itself oozes pretentiousness and exclusivity. This year’s gala, however, is different. Fashion’s biggest night is making history. And this time, it’s for all the right reasons.
Taking inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 bestseller “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” The theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” combines expressions of Black dandyism and tailored menswear. Miller said dandyism is “a tool to rethink one’s identity, reimagining the self in a different context.” It pushes the limits on who and what is human.
Essentially, it’s a style or attitude that emphasizes personal appearance, especially clothing and manners, with a focus on elegance and refinement. This marks the first time in Met Gala history that a theme has been purposely and exclusively dedicated to a certain demographic: the Black man, and thus, Black menswear.
Miller and Andrew Bolton, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s museum curator, curated the costume exhibit behind the famous MET steps this year. It features works designed by this year’s Met Gala host Pharrell Williams and late fashion designer Virgil Abloh. The exhibit is organized by the 12 characteristics of dandy style: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool and Cosmopolitanism.
The dress code, “Tailored for You,” gives designers the creative freedom to tailor their outfits while also paying respect to the theme’s focus and cultural identity of Black menswear. Designers were told to tailor their creations acutely and in a way that represents their personal style with the theme.
To host this prestigious event (or rather co-chair it with Anna Wintour herself) stars must align with the theme of the gala. Understandably, this year’s hosts are all men — Black men who represent the theme in its entirety. This year, the co-chairs include Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Williams. LeBron James has been given an honorary host position, since he can’t attend due to the potential Los Angeles Lakers playoff game on Monday.
James has long since bridged the gap between sports and fashion, showcasing his interpretation of “dandyism” in everything he does. His suits are impeccable and flawlessly tailored at each premiere event he attends. He tests the waters with his fashion choices, making strides in the way that Black men are represented.
success. When he was in between school, designing clothes and packing orders, Antigua looked toward his friends for help wherever he could.
Duane Tilghman met Antigua as a freshman through SU’s Men of Color Initiative. Their love of street fashion turned the friendship into a partnership when Tilghman began doing photoshoots for the brand’s collections. Tilghman, who also runs the Instagram page @sufits, has been an integral part of Pour Les Gens. He’s promoted the brand on the page’s Instagram stories.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m working under a lot of pressure,” Tilghman said. “Having to discuss or change something is very easy when working with (Antigua). I’m working with a person that can trust my vision.”
Antigua’s ultimate mission with Pour Les Gens is to make affordable street style clothing for all. Since fashion is now a symbol of social status rather than self-expression, Antigua wants his customers to own timeless street style pieces without falling for “cash grabs,” something Antigua said it’s a prevalent issue in the fashion world.
To ensure accessible and consistent prices, Antigua enlisted Jonathan Caple. Though the two had been friends since their sophomore year, Caple, who graduated from SUNY-ESF last year, didn’t become involved with the brand until the two graduated and returned to NYC.
Caple owns a vintage store in SoHo. Antigua often seeks advice on his pricing for his clothes to keep it affordable, Caple said.
“(Antigua) is always trying to keep it that way for as long as he possibly can and he’s very adamant about that. It’s very easy for me to jump in and help,” Caple said.
When customers consistently wear his logo, Antigua envisions them wearing his brand as their uniform. He wanted simplicity in his latest drop. He used a black and gray color scheme with a camouflage design — like a soldier. Once again partnering with Tilghman, Antigua returned to his alma mater to shoot the collection.
Artists like Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Usher, Sabrina Carpenter, Rihanna, Doechii and more are expected to be in attendance. Other talent and athletes, like Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Naomi Campbell, Cynthia Erivo, Simone Biles, Demi Moore and Serena Williams are rumored to make an appearance as well.
Viewers can expect past standouts Rihanna, Zendaya, Lady Gaga and Jared Leto to stun. Rumors have also spread about other potential stars. A$AP Rocky, Domingo and Sha’Carri Richardson are all anticipated to make memorable entrances on Monday.
However, one certain celebrity is calling to boycott the event, saying “it’s not time for a party like that.” Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson and a former Vogue political correspondent, is behind the movement. Regardless, he wasn’t invited to the gala this year.
Schlossberg’s goal is to focus on the ongoing global and national social and political issues, which deems this year’s event unnecessary. While boycotting may have been a good idea in past years, this year most definitely is not. The Met Gala and Vogue are taking monumental steps to celebrate Black culture and minority representation in fashion.
And a moment of silence for those who love watching Blake Lively transform on the stairs. Unfortunately, both her and her husband Ryan
PLG
is really rooted in the experience of growing up and not being able to afford all of the best stuff.
While Antigua noticed his brand has been gaining traction for several years, he admits he didn’t realize the scale of his success until he graduated from graduate school at SU in 2023.
Reynolds will be missing out this year, likely due to Lively’s legal battles. Her extravagance on the carpet will most definitely be missed this year.
Gala outfits from designers who’ve taken the art of menswear to heart — Abloh, Williams, Grace Wales Bonner, Foday Dumbuya and Law Roach — will be featured.
While Roach won’t be designing for the main event, he’s said to be collaborating with Burberry on their “creative expression” for the gala. Basically, he’ll be keeping them in check and ensuring they don’t toe the line of microaggressive discrimination.
While the gala comes at a time of global hardship and national uncertainty, it’s definitely defying the odds. It proves fashion isn’t just the clothes people wear, but when applied in its true form, can be a powerful display of unity, acceptance and equality. This year’s theme challenges the norm, highlighting the constant need for inclusivity and the transformation that comes from reclaiming minority identities and livelihoods.
The 2025 Met Gala, despite the celebrities, wealth and genuine beauty it celebrates, has managed to do something practically unheard of at events like this one — it’s become a place for activism and representation, creating true elegance.
gghorst@syr.edu
When Antigua returned to Queens, he was surprised to see his brand continuing to gain traction among SU students.
“ The fact that I was able to leave a legacy, it told me that my brand is definitely a lot bigger than I actually realized,” Antigua said.
Affordability was always the biggest priority for Antigua because he didn’t want to create a brand for the sake of selling clothes — he wanted his brand to mean something.
Thus, his mission is right in the brand’s name.
“If you translate the name from French, it means ‘for the people.’ PLG is really rooted in the experience of growing up and not being able to afford all of the best stuff,” Antigua said. “ Not having the name in English gives me a really good opportunity to tell this story to people.”
tabintes@syr.edu
Michigan Rattlers
The Michigan Rattlers will make an appearance in Syracuse this Friday at Funk ‘n Waffles. The folk-rock band hails from Petoskey, Michigan. They’ll be performing their new album, “Waving From a Sea.” Tickets can be purchased here.
WHEN : Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles PRICE: $26
Anne Spink
Listen to Anne Spink’s organ recital at Crouse College this Saturday. Violinist Silvester Shoshi will join Spink. Along with being held at Crouse College, the event will also be livestreamed. All are welcome to attend.
WHEN : Saturday, from 2 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Crouse College Setnor Auditorium PRICE: Free
The Warped Band
Don’t miss The Warped Band this Saturday playing famous songs from the original Warped Tour. The band covers music from Blink-182, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore and many more. Tickets can be purchased here.
WHEN : Saturday, doors at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Westcott Theater PRICE: $25
Nate Glyn
The Song & Dance is hosting Nate Glyn this Saturday with support from special guests $pookyboi, comedwn and Tove Way. Ages 16 and over will be admitted with a valid form of ID, and under 16 can go with parent or legal guardian. Tickets can be purchased here.
WHEN : Saturday, doors at 7 p.m. and show at 8 p.m.
WHERE: The Song & Dance PRICE: $20.55
students, critics and professors discussed the installations as a group and congratulated the students on their hard work.
The first stop was a Thanksgiving Address by Diane Schenandoah of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, delivered in front of Soo’s group’s installation on the Quad. Soo’s group’s design was called “STOP, GATHER, PLAY.” The installation played with the theme of elements in nature.
“STOP, GATHER, PLAY” featured modules representing each of the five elements: fire, earth, water, space and air. It included dirt, sand, plants and other natural components which visitors were encouraged to touch, inviting them to reconnect with the Earth through their interaction.
“A lot of the time we are all drawn into our internal world and we forget that we’re existing in space as well,” Soo said. “We want people to be able to just stop, gather around and experience it.”
Soo’s role on the PR team helped her step out of her comfort zone and learn how to initiate conversations with new people, she said.
The next stop in the procession was Isabella Klug and her group members’ installation in the Orange Grove in front of Carnegie Library, which they titled “F[R]AMED.” Klug grew up loving arts and crafts, often doing projects with her grandma to stimulate her creative mind. When she reached high school, she fell in love with math and science and knew she wanted a career combining her passions. She said she found this balance in architecture.
Klug’s installation was a ribbon-tying ceremony led by the class and student marshals. The group hoped to bring a tradition back to campus that took place 20 years ago.
We want people to be able to just stop, gather around and experience it.
Corrine Soo su architecture student
Graduating seniors would make a wish, then tie a ribbon on the Orange Grove. The wish would supposedly come true a week after commencement. Klug’s group wanted to create something that was meaningful to the campus community and revolved around Orange Grove.
The Orange Grove is the only alumni landmark on campus for architecture. The group invited local alumni who didn’t have a chance to take part in the tradition when they graduated so they could visit the installation and tie a ribbon there. Klug said she hopes to inspire SU to keep the tradition going.
Finally, everyone was led by the marching band to Sofia Izer’s group’s installation called “FLE[X],” installed in front of Hendrick’s Chapel. As a child, Izer was equally drawn to the creativity of art and the logic of math. When someone once suggested she explore architecture, it stuck with her, ultimately shaping her path as she entered college.
The name “FLE[X]” comes from the idea that the installation itself is flexible. Not only does the form create an X shape, but it can be folded up and reconfigured in multiple ways for many different uses, like hosting a celebration. They planned to use their structure as a table for a Jenga game night on the second day of the event.
Izer said she was happy to be able to share her group’s project with the community.
“Sometimes in the school of architecture we’re holed up and we only talk to each other and no one really knows what we’re doing, so it’s really great to be out in the Quad where anyone can interact with it and be curious about it,” Izer said.
In the discussion following the last installation, one critic emphasized that, because architecture students essentially speak in their own language, it’s important to explain their work in a way that makes sense to others. Phrases like “ephemeral architecture” and “activate space” are part of their everyday vernacular, but they require further explanation for those unfamiliar with the terminology.
Ephemeral architecture refers to something brief, like many celebrations are, such as the Italian Easter celebrations that the students studied in class. Most buildings are meant to last, but like a celebration, the students’ designs in this installation are only up for 48 hours, requiring them to think about architecture in a new way.
“It’s impactful because it doesn’t last forever,” Izer said.
acohen52@syr.edu
By The Daily Orange Editorial Board
On April 21, Harvard University sued President Donald Trump’s administration for his threats to cut funding if it did not conform to his demands for educational oversight.
The following day, the American Association of Colleges and Universities published a letter condemning Trump for “unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” immediately joined by more than 150 academic institutions.
Since the original list of signatures was released, the number has more than doubled, totaling 568 as of noon Wednesday. And while Chancellor Kent Syverud’s predecessor — Nancy Cantor — signed on behalf of Hunter College CUNY, Syracuse University remains absent from the list.
When those trying to pursue an education feel threatened, neutrality isn’t an option. The issue at hand isn’t political or, as Trump claims, of a “woke” student body — we are grappling with an attack on the First Amendment.
Students, faculty and alumni alike bear the weight of SU’s silence as they navigate a political climate that jeopardizes their validity on campus. Amid the flurry of executive orders from the president’s desk, transparency is crucial to alleviating these fears and uncertainties.
SU is understandably concerned about its funding and the backlash calling out the Trump administration would entail. The letter itself isn’t yet wielding tangible change, but the university’s current plan of passivity is far more dangerous than any public denunciation.
The symbolic value of the AAC&U letter could be easily discounted, but SU needs to understand its importance. The Trump administration is putting our nation’s trajectory in a tailspin. SU’s lack of response establishes an unsettling precedent for how the university will approach future encroachments on academic freedom.
“The University recognizes that recent developments have created uncertainty for some members of our community,” a university spokesperson wrote in a Wednesday statement to The Daily Orange. “The University is constantly monitoring new federal actions and assessing their impact on our students, faculty and staff. This includes developments related to research funding, visa status for international students, and regulatory changes affecting university operations.”
Since Jan. 20., Trump has waged a war on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies in higher education. He’s also dismantled the Department of Education, a backbone to many people’s academic pursuits. Now, he’s targeting universities’ funding regardless of their stance on his policies.
Trump justified some of the attacks with claims of antisemitism, citing campus protests. As a university with a history of protests — including a pro-Palestine encampment — and a home to many international students, SU’s lack of initiative is staggering.
When The D.O. inquired about the university’s absence from the letter’s signatories on April 16, the university responded that it was “carefully reviewing the substance of the letter and actively consulting with key stakeholders.”
For a university that markets itself as a welcoming and diverse environment, choosing to protect or communicate shouldn’t be an afterthought.
“We continue to engage with individuals who are directly impacted by these changes to ensure that support and guidance are tailored to their
specific situations and remains relevant and timely. We remain committed to being a university welcoming to all while complying with federal law,” the spokesperson wrote in Wednesday’s statement.
While other schools under attack work to form legal alliances and condemn the administration’s overreach on their campuses, SU’s lack of solidarity with other universities demonstrates the beginning of submission to Trump’s demands.
And this isn’t the first time we’ve seen SU choose indifference and withhold information from the student body. During COVID-19, more than half the student body viewed the university’s response as “inconsistent,” failing to effectively take action and maintain communication.
SU’s also complied with Trump’s DEIA censors in website changes. Yet, no formal announcement was made to the student body.
Most pressing of all, though, has been SU’s response to the revocation of three student visas. SU declined to comment on whether it had communicated with the Trump administration or the State Department, syracuse.com reported. Students are expressing concerns about the revocations and are looking to see what’s next.
And it isn’t just students who feel betrayed.
Alumni are more than a source of pride and
funding — they’re a major marketing factor for SU. The D.O. has received multiple emails expressing concern and dismay for the university’s shortcomings, illustrating the situation’s severity in the eyes of the “Forever Orange.”
On March 27, over 130 SU faculty and staff members cosigned a letter sent to SU administrators, urging the university to “stand firm” and resist the Trump administration’s demands. Faculty also expressed their frustration by helping organize the Hands Off! protest on April 25.
The university’s longstanding mission of diversity is unfolding into an afterthought and the institution is staying silent about the administration’s direct attacks on student freedoms.
We question what the university believes to be the benefits of this submission and complacency in what is a slight to the student body.
In SU’s attempt to avoid attention from the Trump administration, it’s left its students and staff without anywhere to turn. This will ultimately rebrand SU as an unwelcoming institution to its diverse student body.
Many of Trump’s attempts at disbanding these academic institutions are proving unconstitutional when they reach a judge, but what SU chooses to do at this moment is ultimately pivotal for the long-term direction of its students’
futures. This sense of abandonment will be felt far longer than any short-lived effort to chip away at academic integrity.
We fear for the futures of our peers — whether they be protesters, international students or members of communities served by diminishing DEIA initiatives.
Both students and officials can recognize what’s at stake. While we’re confident student security is the top priority, proving this will take more than continuous empty statements — or none at all.
The SU community needs concrete proof of the university’s attempts to protect not only our futures, but also our democracy. Many of our students don’t have the option to wait for the next statement.
We need to know the university is with us.
By Ally Price comumnist
Right now, high school seniors across the country are making one of the most important decisions of their lives to date. But considering the large increase in applications and strike down of affirmative action, inequalities in the college admissions process are becoming more evident.
Wealth has a large influence in the consideration of the top three criteria — essays, extracurriculars and SAT scores — for admission.
This privilege doesn’t exist for lowerearning districts. They don’t have the same access to tutors, exclusive extracurriculars or private college counseling as their wealthier counterparts do, fueling a far more corrupt college admissions process than initially meets the eye.
My high school, for instance, had one guidance counselor for a school of over 500 students. While other students were touring colleges, working on essays and researching, we were stuck fighting for an appointment. This left many students worthy of acceptance without the opportunity to adequately present themselves in their applications.
Even though more students than admitted fit the necessary criteria to advance into higher education nationwide, they won’t stand a chance without the counseling imperative to market themselves. The college process is meant to be a gateway for students of all backgrounds. When access to that process is stuck behind a paywall, though, many students fall victim to a corrupt and discriminatory process.
But technological advancements like artificial intelligence curb some of the inequality students face. If used correctly, AI could provide several opportunities to students worldwide that would otherwise be inaccessible.
There’s already been a large increase in the amount of AI-powered college support offered in the last year. Websites like CollegeVine, Athena and AdmitYogi can assist students with creating AI-generated college lists based on their interests and academic background, along with
editing papers, preparing for interviews and comparing applicants.
For high schools without such secure financial standing, these programs might be the only gateway into application preparation.
When building an admitted class, colleges strive to select a student body that’s diverse and can intellectually stimulate the campus. But if all the applicants are judged on the same criteria, the admissions committees will inevitably favor more privileged demographics simply based on accessible resources.
With the correct use of AI, the college admissions process could become far more versatile by allowing students to show off their strengths in whatever medium suits them best.
For instance, alumni interviews are largely unrealistic because of the extreme amount of time it would take to interview all the applicants. By utilizing AI to simulate face-to-face interviews instead of alumni, the process would be streamlined and more accessible to all applicants due to eliminating the time constraint. This would also give applicants a chance to showcase other skills not transferable on a paper application or within a tightlylimited essay, which are areas weakened by a lack of resources.
AI can also mitigate the personal biases among admissions officers that many are cautious of and take into consideration the resources available to that student in conjunction with their personal challenges.
There’s also a debate as to whether AI would perpetuate biases, considering it gets trained using human data. If the data used to train the AI model is carefully selected and is constantly reiterated and monitored with human oversight, there shouldn’t be major issues.
AI could also only evaluate certain portions of the application for traits such as resilience and curiosity, not taking into consideration the emotion behind the writing. This could help mitigate bias as it isn’t coming into contact with personal details about identity.
AI use may further allow colleges to patternize how they’ve discriminated against certain groups in the past by evaluating and compiling the data of admitted students from past admission cycles.
This knowledge would help universities in course-correcting to maintain the diverse student body they’re hoping to achieve, especially after affirmative action’s 2023 dismantling. In addition, this knowledge would help universities in recognizing what groups require more outreach.
Some schools are already using AI for automated screenings and to filter out those who don’t meet a certain set of requirements, such as GPA or standardized test scores. I would argue this doesn’t solve, but rather perpetuates, the inequalities within the college admissions process.
If AI is used in a way that evaluates students beyond their paper applications, it can grant a more equitable process to under -
privileged students. Universities can truly diversify its student body and provide higher education to students regardless of socioeconomic class.
The bottom line is the current college admissions process is riddled with red tape and insurmountable obstacles that only seem to fall away if the price is right.
Implementing AI can alleviate some of these barriers for disadvantaged students, transcending the influence of wealth and evening the playing field as they journey into their futures.
Ally Price is a freshman political science major. She can be reached at aprice09@syr.edu.
By Ivonne Ortega guest comumnist
The harmful narrative portraying Latino immigrants as resource-drainers with nothing to contribute fails to recognize the vital role they play in our everyday lives nationwide. Their contributions are essential in countless ways to a country like the United States.
I’m proud to be Mexican American and come from two Mexican immigrant parents. I’m also proud to be from East Los Angeles, California, a community of immigrants, their descendants and advocates.
My parents crossed the border in the late 1990s with my two oldest siblings, who were then three and eight. To increase their chances of making it, they split up; my mom and brother took one route, my dad and sister another.
My mom and brother had it the roughest, sleeping in the cold desert, walking in the brutal heat and eventually running out of food and water. That’s all my mom has ever shared with me from their experience. Even 30 years later, the trauma is too painful to fully revisit, which I understand. The bits she’s offered reveal a story layered with pain, both physical and emotional.
My parents left Mexico in search of better opportunities. They grew up in poverty and unstable homes. Their education was cut off at a young age and they joined the workforce prematurely to help their families. They didn’t want that for their children.
Instead, they came to achieve the so-called “American Dream.” I say so-called because the concept promises success through hard work, but it ignores race, class and privilege. Still, my parents pursued the closest version of that dream they could.
Once in California, they worked endlessly — from owning a produce truck to taking underpaid garment jobs — doing any and every side hustle. Rent was high, so they moved often. They don’t talk much about those early years, so I’ve had to piece together their story from the fragments they’ve shared.
In many ways, they succeeded. Their kids didn’t grow up in poverty, and we had access to opportunities they never did. Three of my sib-
lings earned bachelor’s degrees and some went on to earn master’s degrees, and I’m in the midst of earning my bachelor’s too.
While all of these efforts demonstrate the very grit this country praises, there’s a certain narrative in the U.S. that often paints Latino immigrants as “criminals” or “invaders,” reducing them to harmful stereotypes. This narrative erases their stories and struggles.
Saying immigrants are “taking jobs” fails to recognize the kind of jobs they’re taking: the grueling, low-paid and often undesirable ones. This ignorance is rooted in a lack of information, education and compassion. It’s also rooted in purposeful hate.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics analyzed the economic benefits
of Latino immigration to the U.S. As of 2019, Latinos remain one of the youngest and largest minorities in the country, and still significantly drive economic growth through labor and entrepreneurship.
Census data and reports show Latino immigrants have high rates of opportunitydriven entrepreneurship, starting businesses at a higher rate than the general U.S. population. Also, Latino educational attainment is rising, approaching national averages, which will lead to higher wages and increased economic productivity.
The National Agricultural Workers Survey said about 68% of farmworkers are Latino immigrants, most from Mexico. On a hot day, we grab fruit from the grocery store without a second
thought of where it came from.
Behind that mindless luxury, though, are the workers who pick produce under extreme conditions. Many of my relatives are those workers. They labor in unbearable heat and freezing cold, suffering from respiratory problems and body aches caused by the physical toll.
This is the reality for immigrant workers. I’m not asking you to feel guilty about enjoying produce, I’m just asking you to be conscious of the hands that picked it.
These workers are essential to our economy. A report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that undocumented immigrants contribute $96.74 billion in state and local taxes annually. California alone receives $8.5 billion. So the idea that they don’t contribute is simply false.
But Latino immigrants offer more than just economic value. They enrich culture, evident in the 2022 opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino. From food and music to film and innovative ideas, Latinos add vibrancy to this country. Without them, the U.S. wouldn’t be the melting pot it claims to be.
Sometimes, people use their lack of personal connection to immigration as a reason not to engage. But you don’t need to personally know someone with an immigration story to care. Just understanding their lived experiences can help build empathy.
Misconceptions block progress. We forget that we’re all human beings with shared struggles and dreams.
I’m not asking you to go out and change everyone’s opinion on immigration. I’m asking you to change your perspective and stop seeing immigrants as “illegal” bodies or statistics. Start seeing them as people.
I can’t bypass xenophobic rhetoric when lives are on the line. Latino immigrants are human beings crucial to this country, whether through labor, culture or community. To ignore the people behind our privileges is to ignore the truth. It’s time we see them, respect them and fight against the narratives that try to erase them.
Linda LeMura, Theresa Quilty, Joanne Lesnau and Ditota.
Then, not many women played D-I basketball. In 1974, Ann Meyers received the first-ever D-I women’s basketball scholarship.
The Cobras followed in her footsteps. Lesnau and LeMura — now Le Moyne’s President — signed with Niagara, Quilty starred at Syracuse and Ditota emerged as a standout center for St. Bonaventure. When Ditota graduated, she’d become the Bonnies’ all-time blocks leader.
“I just happened to be friends on my high school team with girls who were really interested in getting better,” Ditota said. “We played together all summer, so it helped (influence) my college career in that I was always somebody who was playing.”
Each summer, LeMura and Ditota biked to Henninger High School, meeting their teammates at Sunnycrest Park. There, head coach Barb Pfefferle made the Cobras repeatedly run up hills, oftentimes carrying basketballs to practice ball handling. After they finished, they played pickup games until they could barely stand.
Members of the team still tell tales of Pfefferle’s notorious toughness. If Bishop Grimes won, but it wasn’t by a satisfactory margin, she would make them scale flights of stairs in their uniforms as their parents waited outside. But they still grew to love her, Ditota said.
By LeMura’s senior year, she wasn’t ready to leave. Her last game with the Cobras was a playoff contest against Marcellus High School, where she fouled out in a narrow loss.
Afterward, Ditota consoled LeMura as she cried into her uniform. They sat together in a shared locker room while Liverpool High School was amid a playoff contest. When Liverpool entered the room hours later at halftime, the pair was still there. It was the final time they ever played together.
“I just felt sick,” LeMura said. “I knew how much I was going to miss that team.”
In 2015, the Bishop Grimes boys’ basketball team needed rejuvenation. After back-to-back losing seasons, the Cobras turned to someone who’d similarly endured difficulties.
After spending 19 years at Jamesville-DeWitt, accumulating over 500 wins and five state titles, unsubstantiated allegations of player mistreatment forced McKenney out in March 2015.
McKenney wasn’t sure if he’d reached his last stop in a storied 30-plus-year coaching career. But Grimes, where he already worked as a physical education teacher, gave him a new opportunity.
The season before his arrival, Grimes finished 9-11. In McKenney’s first campaign with the Cobras, he led them to a state Final Four appearance and their first sectional title in nearly a decade. Grimes finished below .500 in just one of McKenney’s 10 seasons at the helm.
Former players say his competitiveness is infectious, helping Grimes compete with larger schools on any given night. In 2022, though, he faced an opponent nobody could prepare for.
While walking through the halls, McKenney bumped his elbow. He was holding his computer, which knocked into his chest, uncovering an unusual bump in his breast. McKenney set up a mammogram in October, which revealed he had breast cancer.
The diagnosis was season-altering. But McKenney didn’t let it stop him. He missed just one day of class and coached every game.
“He could have easily said, ‘I’m not going to coach for the rest of the year, I’m battling cancer,’ and nobody would blame him for that,” former Grimes and current Le Moyne guard Deng Garang said. “But he saw it through because he wanted to be there for us.”
Though he’d occasionally forget instructions and sometimes tire easily, McKenney wasn’t deterred. His players were determined to reciprocate the effort.
“It made our problems on the court less worrisome,” Garang said. “Like, ‘I’m tired, but my coach is going through cancer, so I can fight through this.’”
McKenney, who’s served as Grimes’ athletic director since 2020, has instilled that resilience in every athlete. While his 600-plus career wins speak for themself, his love for his players stems far beyond the court.
That’s why the now-66-year-old coach who’s battled cancer twice won’t give up. Until he feels he has nothing left to give, he’ll offer his all. That’s just the McKenney way.
“You could sit around and pout and be miserable, or you pick yourself up,” McKenney said. “Hopefully that’s something those kids will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
When Jamie Cangemi entered Bishop Grimes in 1979, he did everything. He pitched. He played center field. He starred at shortstop. But he said he was never a “school guy.” Cangemi grew up loving baseball — that was about it.
Bishop Grimes changed that. He said he felt connected to his teachers, classmates and the nuns, but his goal to play D-I baseball remained. His coach, John King, emphasized how disci-
pline translated to excellence in all aspects of life. Daily practices started as early as January.
The structure was initially challenging for Cangemi. But, by the time he graduated, he succeeded in the classroom while throwing seven no-hitters and notching a .450 batting average on the field.
Cangemi couldn’t have been the player he was without his team, especially his best friend Jeff Nesci. A year younger than Cangemi, Nesci held similar aspirations. While Nesci excelled in basketball along with baseball at Grimes, he and Cangemi starred on the diamond.
In Nesci’s three years on varsity, Bishop Grimes won two league titles. His senior year, the Cobras made a run in the state tournament before falling short of a title.
I got light blue and white in my heart. I’m always gonna be a Cobra, no matter what.
Byan Mugushu former bishop grimes soccer player
For Cangemi, each win was expected. When people doubted him, it motivated him even more, he said. In 1982, Bishop Grimes played rival Christian Brothers Academy in the first round of the playoffs. Cangemi’s friends at CBA claimed they’d rip him apart.
He instead tossed a no-hitter to push the Cobras onward. Those performances were only possible due to King’s standard of excellence.
“Work hard for what you want. That’s what our coaches always said. If you don’t work hard, you’ll never go anywhere,” Cangemi said.
As Cangemi attended Ithaca College, Nesci continued his legacy. He hit .594 with 15 home runs as a senior, putting a final touch on the two’s triumphant Grimes careers.
Decades later, Cangemi and Nesci were inducted into the Bishop Grimes Athletic Hall of Fame. Cangemi was eventually drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 1986 MLB Draft. Meanwhile, Nesci went on to play baseball at Le Moyne.
“That legacy is gonna be strong. It will definitely be something that’ll be in the history books for Onondaga County and Upstate New York forever,” Nesci said.
Bouncing around three different countries before his 12th birthday, Byan Mugushu never felt at home until he arrived at Bishop Grimes.
As a 1-year-old, Mugushu was forced to flee from his home country of Congo to Malawi due to the Second Congo War. He remained there until he was 11, when his family relocated to Syracuse after being granted refugee status.
Upon arriving in New York, he cycled through three schools, attending Grant Middle School, Lincoln Middle School and Henninger. But none of them were the right fit.
Soccer was the only constant in his life. So, upon choosing to transfer from Henninger to Grimes as a sophomore, he hoped to join its soccer team.
Since Mugushu switched schools without a coinciding change in residence, he sat out his sophomore year at Grimes due to a transfer rule. But he thrived as a junior, leading the team with 26 goals and 13 assists, propelling Grimes to the 2018 sectional semifinal against Beaver River.
Admittedly, it wasn’t Mugushu’s best game. He notched just one goal and no assists in a 4-2 loss to the Beavers, his lowest point total of the season. He promised his teammates he’d make up for it.
It didn’t look like Mugushu could follow through initially. After their 4-1 loss to Geneva High School, the Cobras started 2019 at 2-3. But led by Mugushu’s 39-goal season, Bishop Grimes won 15 straight games before its sectional final against Westmoreland-Oriskany High School.
Mugushu describes that day as a nightmare. After 90 minutes of play, the teams were deadlocked at 1-1. He’d been kept off the scoresheet, and the pressure weighed on him.
Off the field, Bishop Grimes gave Mugushu a renewed sense of faith. As he waited for the suddendeath overtime period, he knew exactly where to search for answers. Before he stepped back onto the field, he said a brief prayer to himself.
It was answered. Mugushu’s final shot snuck into the back of the net, sealing Grimes’ first-ever soccer sectional title. The medal hangs in his bedroom to this day.
“I got light blue and white in my heart,” Mugushu said. “I’m always gonna be a Cobra, no matter what.”
The first person to put a basketball into Byron Perry’s hands was Tony Smarrelli. Perry was a child at H.W. Smith Elementary, where Smarrelli worked as a physical education teacher when he wasn’t coaching Bishop Grimes basketball.
Over the summer, Smarrelli ran a basketball camp through Grimes called Cobra Camp. He
noticed Perry’s potential and convinced him to register in fourth grade. Perry obliged and utterly dominated.
Smarrelli quickly recognized the caliber of player he had. As he watched Perry score easily at all three levels, he looked to the other campers and told them they were witnessing Bishop Grimes’ next 1,000-point scorer.
Three years later, Perry had to stop going to Cobra Camp. None of the other kids wanted to guard him anymore.
As a freshman, Perry stayed on the bench while Smarrelli led Bishop Grimes to its second sectional title. He was ruled academically ineligible, so all he could do was watch as Smarrelli put in Chris Ignacio, his best friend.
It motivated Perry to take things more seriously, both on and off the court. His grades improved, and he got in the best shape of his life.
His work paid off. In his senior season, Perry validated Smarrelli’s claims, becoming Grimes’ second all-time 1,000-point scorer. While leading the Cobras to their third sectional title in a 68-52 win over Hamilton High School, everyone on the team knew their role.
“They knew, ‘OK, if (Byron) gets the ball, we’re gonna win or he’s gonna take a shot,’” Perry said. “And they accepted it.”
After becoming a JUCO All-American at SUNY Cobleskill, he moved to Atlanta, where he became a music producer. He’s since worked with legends like Eminem, Dr. Dre and Natalie Cole. But as he navigates an entirely different world from the one he grew up in, it’s impossible to forget where he came from.
“You have to be open-minded in this music business, and I think I got (99%) of that from Grimes,” Perry said. “I don’t think I would be where I’m at right now if it wasn’t because of Grimes.”
In Bishop Grimes’ hallways, the Falgiatano last name has spanned decades. Starting with Charlie, his brother John, and eventually, his son Anthony, the Falgiatanos’ success now features five alumni and two current students.
When Anthony entered seventh grade in 2014, he was coached by Charlie on Grimes’ junior varsity boys’ basketball team. However, he often played a minimal bench role, averaging 12-13 minutes per game, he said.
After an injury playing basketball sidelined Anthony, Grimes introduced him to competitive golf, which he played at the D-I, II and III levels. Bishop Grimes basketball often made the sectionals during Anthony’s career, but the Cobras couldn’t compete against Class A-sized schools with their Class C size.
That didn’t matter on the golf course. Bishop Grimes proved it could hang with central New York’s best schools — some with 900 students — despite having just 40 to 50 students per class, Anthony said. Other schools fielded more talent, but the Cobras’ triumph stemmed from team chemistry.
Forty-minute bus rides to Port Byron and Weedsport allowed coach Pete Capponi and his team to fine-tune their game plan. It paid off, with Anthony setting program records while becoming a five-time allleague selection. In 2019, Bishop Grimes won the sectional title. Anthony remembers anxiously watching his final teammate finish the last hole at Pompey Club, unsure if Grimes had won.
It will definitely be something that’ll be in the history books for Onondaga County and Upstate New York forever.
Jeff Nesci former bishop grimes baseball player
“All of a sudden the last score (came) in and we’re like, ‘Holy sh*t, we’re gonna win,’” Anthony recalled. “There’s no better feeling, and you’re doing it with some of your best friends.”
Practice at the Links at Erie Village turned into launching golf balls in the inflatable dome at Turning Stone in Verona when it snowed. Hardfought victories led to team dinners at Trapper’s Pizza Pub with coaches, teachers and friends.
Now, Anthony finds himself on the other side, substitute teaching and walking the same halls where his family’s legacy lives and where his journey began.
“I think the culture at Grimes really shows that by being good athletes, we became better people,” Anthony said. “Your paths go away, but you can always come back to Grimes.”
Jason Smorol graduated from Bishop Grimes nearly 40 years ago. Now, as the general manager of the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, he’s surrounded by Cobra alumni daily.
Smorol attended Grimes in the mid-1980s, where he wrestled, played golf, ran track and played football. When Grimes’ varsity football team won its first and only sectional title in 1984, Smorol was on its junior-varsity squad.
But Smorol grew the most off the field. Grimes was a smaller school where everybody could be involved in everything. So, Smorol sang in the chorus and acted in school plays like The Wizard of Oz and Godspell. He still remembers enjoying Mr. Daly’s physics class and coming up with ridiculous cheers in Grimes’ student section, “The Cobra Pit,” during basketball games.
“The jocks were the nerds and the nerds were the jocks,” Smorol said. “We were all in choir, we were all in the plays, we all did sports and we all went to the dances. It really shaped who I am today.”
After Smorol graduated, he delved into sport management after receiving advice from a professor at SUNY Fredonia. That decision led to stints across Minor League Baseball before he returned to Syracuse in 2013 as the general manager of the then-Chiefs.
After 10 seasons back in Syracuse, he runs into familiar faces at NBT Bank Stadium on game days. He works with fellow Grimes alumnus. He sees his old principals in the stands. Former coaches are season ticket holders.
The Mets’ community involvement has helped Smorol reconnect with the community that shaped him. Smorol has returned to speak in Grimes’ sports management classes to show students and athletes the big leagues are achievable — even in their backyard of Syracuse.
We’ll be part of that group that gets to say that we went to Bishop Grimes.
Jason Smorol syracuse mets general manager
Grimes will always be a cornerstone of Smorol’s development, he said. Even 38 years removed from graduation, he’s surrounded by reminders of high school daily at the ballpark. When Bishop Grimes is gone, he’ll still be engulfed in its memories.
“The Grimes lore will continue,” Smorol said. “We’ll look back and remember it, and we’ll be part of that group that gets to say that we went to Bishop Grimes.”
Students, alumni and staff weren’t prepared for the news on Feb. 27. When the diocese confirmed the decision, it sent shockwaves through Syracuse.
“I felt like I got stabbed in the heart,” Anthony said.
“To this day, I still don’t believe it. It still doesn’t feel real,” Mugushu added.
After the initial shock settled, the real consequences began to sink in. With Bishop Ludden holding its own staff, teachers and coaches will have to fight to keep their jobs, students will scatter across new schools and alumni will mourn the erasure of their alma mater.
“There’s not a new direction for the two schools to merge together,” Smorol said. “I don’t know what the opportunities are for the staff. It’s not going to be an easy transition.”
“All our dreams and our good times, that’s gonna vanish into thin air,” Perry added.
But the community wasn’t ready to give up on Grimes. On the evening of Feb. 27, the girls’ basketball team took the court for its firstround sectional matchup in a packed house. It defeated Clinton 57-32 before eventually snagging a sectional championship. In what was otherwise the darkest period in Grimes history, the girls’ basketball team represented a necessary bright spot.
As the closure loomed in March, McKenney was similarly determined to help lift spirits. So, when asked to act in the student body’s musical rendition of “Mamma Mia,” he obliged. While performing on stage, several teachers and students collided. McKenney felt something was wrong with his foot and hobbled off the stage.
He visited the paramedic’s office soon after. As he laid on the table, nurses revealed he’d torn his Achilles tendon. All McKenney could do was laugh. He’d come too far to worry.
“Your life’s gonna have bad breaks,” McKenney said. “You have two choices when there’s a bad break, you go get depressed and be down and miserable, or you bounce back.”
A similar mantra has kept McKenney going through Grimes’ final days. As a child, his mom often told him, “‘God closes one door, but he always opens another.’” In his time at Grimes, he refined the saying to, “As long as you’re not looking behind you, you have to look forward.” With two months until the school officially closes, McKenney still struggles to digest the news he heard on his way to practice. But in times of hardship, all he can do is keep looking forward — even with teary eyes.
“Sometimes crying is how you heal,” McKenney said. “There are gonna be a lot of tears before the year ends. And that’s okay. It’s part of moving forward.”
men’s lacrosse
By The Daily Orange Sports Staff
As Syracuse heads into the postseason, its year is becoming nearly unsalvageable. The Orange finished the regular season with three straight losses, falling to No. 1 Cornell, then-No. 12 Duke and then-No. 8 North Carolina. In all three contests, Syracuse got outclassed, including its most recent defeat to the Tar Heels.
COOPER ANDREWS (10-4)
A LOST SEASON SYRACUSE 11, NOTRE DAME 14
I went back and forth on this one for a while. And, man, it’s tough to put your finger on one specific thing that’s gone right for Syracuse in the last three weeks. An awful string of losses to Cornell, Duke and North Carolina — games in which the Orange were getting demolished at various points — showed this team’s true colors at this point in the year. Nothing is clicking offensively, and there’s been limited help defensively.
ZAK WOLF (9-5)
THE SPIRAL CONTINUES SYRACUSE 10, NOTRE DAME 13
Syracuse simply doesn’t know how to win lacrosse games right now. Until they get their act together, there’s no point in picking the Orange. I drank the Kool-Aid last week, thinking a bounce back was on the horizon. I was sorely mistaken. Now, SU has to take down Notre Dame in what could be seen as a must-win game, and I don’t think they’ll get it done.
NICHOLAS ALUMKAL (8-6)
THE SPIRAL CONTINUES SYRACUSE 8, NOTRE DAME 14
After leading 4-2 in the second quarter, SU allowed four straight goals to end the half. From there, it never gained a lead, as UNC extended its advantage to as large as six with three minutes remaining. All hope looked lost, but the Orange reeled off four goals in less than two minutes. They nearly made it a one-score game, but Finn Thomson’s goal was ruled out after video review, ending their hopes of a comeback.
In need of a win, SU heads to Charlotte for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, where it’ll face Notre Dame for the second time this season. The Fighting Irish earned the No. 1 seed, with their lone ACC loss coming to Syracuse earlier this month.
Here’s how our beat writers think No. 4-seed Syracuse (9-5, 2-2 ACC) will fare against No. 1-seed Notre Dame (8-3, 3-1 ACC) in the ACC Tournament Semifinals: sports@dailyorange.com @DOsports
making the game digestible for everyone. So, he breaks his audience into three tiers — the person who never watches lacrosse, the average viewer and avid fan. Throughout a broadcast, he aims to speak to all three.
To accompany his analysis, Shroff said Carcaterra always incorporates untold anecdotes about players or coaches. It stems from his ability to connect with people on a personal level.
“Those are the things that add flavor,” Shroff said. “That’s mixing the cocktail together, adding a little spice, a little splash, and he does that as well as anybody.”
Through his 20 years of experience, Carcaterra developed his connections in the industry. CSTV asked him to audition for an analyst job for the 2005 lacrosse season, following his standalone call the year prior. He earned the role and called games alongside Joe Beninati.
A few years later, John Vassallo, then a Senior Coordinating Producer with ESPN, received a call from Patrick Donaher, who worked in ESPN’s talent office. Donaher told him Carcaterra had expressed interest in making the jump to ESPN. Carcaterra wanted to be part of the growing network as it was broadcasting more games, Vassallo said.
When Vassallo watched his tape, he was impressed with Carcaterra’s energy and ability. There was one problem: Carcaterra sounded like a top analyst. ESPN already had one in Kessenich, who’d been at the company since 1993. During an eventual phone call with Carcaterra, Vassallo made that clear to him.
“I mentioned to him, ‘Hey Paul, we would love to have you, but just understand right now that Quint is the number one guy,’” Vassallo said. “That didn’t mean a thing to him. He was like, ‘John, I just want to help out.’”
During that initial call, Vassallo said he tried convincing Carcaterra not to join. He also knew it was easy for anybody to sell themselves over the phone. But in person, Carcaterra greeted him with the same vigor he expressed over the phone, and Vassallo hired him soon after.
Despite planning to keep Carcaterra and Kessenich separate, Vassallo decided to pair them together. During the 2010 postseason, he pitched using Carcaterra as a “field analyst,” where he could chime in during the broadcast as well as interview
One thing’s clear: SU isn’t ready for the postseason. And it will suffer a conference semifinals exit to Notre Dame Friday.
The loss likely won’t put the Orange out of the NCAA Tournament, but it’ll signify Syracuse’s 2025 campaign has become a lost season. Instead of a team worthy of hoisting an NCAA title, SU will be a team remembered for an inability to come up with proper adjustments when matched up against the country’s top talent. Yet Friday will prove its championship aspirations were never attainable. At least, not for this year’s SU squad.
Amid a stretch where top attacks have continuously shredded the Orange, I envision ACC Offensive Player of the Year Chris Kavanagh to tally four-to-five goals against Syracuse. SU’s backline couldn’t keep up with the opposition down the stretch of the regular season, and there are no signs that’ll get better in the ACC Tournament. Expect Syracuse to fall behind by a lot early and never get back into it.
players and coaches at halftime and postgame.
The idea stuck. Fifteen years later, Shroff and Kessenich are in the booth with Carcaterra on the sideline for every Final Four.
Carcaterra has made the role his own, aided by a decision soon after starting at ESPN. In 2011, Carcaterra was still teaching while broadcasting part-time from February to May. That’s when he decided to go all in and take a leave from teaching.
It was a risky choice. Carcaterra was married, had two young kids and didn’t have a full-time job guaranteed. His father, Lawrence — a former teacher — thought Carcaterra was nuts for giving up a potential pension. But Carcaterra wanted to pursue his passion.
In 2012, ESPN had an opening for a college football sideline reporting job. Carcaterra applied and got an offer for the full-time role.
“He’s a great businessman,” Shroff said of Carcaterra’s decision. “(Carcaterra’s) a guy who is so good with people. He was going to be successful in whatever he put his mind to.”
Once Carcaterra became a full time analyst, he wanted to improve his lacrosse coverage.
While he was on a ski lift in Utah during the offseason, he realized he could tell more stories, a passion which derived from former Syracuse head coach Roy Simmons Jr., who he said was always curious about people. Carcaterra bought a GoPro and brought players and coaches on rides in his car, where they’d have discussions for halftime pieces.
That evolved into segments where Carcaterra cut players’ hair, something he’d been doing since fifth grade. It let him have heart-to-hearts with players, expanding his coverage.
Carcaterra’s creativity has led to projects like “Through X,” a YouTube series on The Lacrosse Network, which started in 2018. During 10-15 minute episodes, Carcaterra breaks down onthe-field tactics with players.
Currently, Carcaterra works with former Boston College women’s lacrosse star and current Boston Guard attacker Charlotte North on “The Crosse.” They tell a mix of stories between the men’s and women’s game, which is shown at halftime of certain games.
Carcaterra’s storytelling success stems from his authenticity, Shroff said. Shroff said Carcaterra is among the best analysts, like Jay Bilas and Kirk Herbstreit, who can marry X’s and O’s along with storytelling, which Carcaterra does effectively.
SU has been way too inconsistent across its losing streak. Prolonged droughts have led to its streaky offense which hasn’t been good enough. The Orange scored a flurry of goals at the end of the North Carolina game, but that was a byproduct of the Tar Heels falling asleep rather than Syracuse figuring things out. It’ll only give SU false hope against a stout Notre Dame defense, which has only allowed 10 or more goals three times this season.
The Fighting Irish have won three straight games and have only allowed seven goals per game. They’ve suffocated teams in the second half, outscoring them by a combined 20 goals, which doesn’t bode well for Syracuse. I don’t think Syracuse will get blown out because of the stakes, though in a tight game, I trust Notre Dame. It has the championship experience after the past two seasons, and Syracuse doesn’t. The Orange will be left wondering whether this will be their last game for eight months.
Since Syracuse and Notre Dame met on April 5, the two teams’ seasons have veered in opposite directions. The Fighting Irish are charging ahead like a bullet train strapped to a lightning bolt, outscoring their final two ACC foes by a combined 24-13. They’ve built momentum with the force of a tidal wave toward a potential third straight national championship. The Orange’s campaign, though, has gone pear-shaped. On Friday in Charlotte, ND and SU will continue their momentum. The result will be a comfortable Fighting Irish win. Syracuse’s offense has been maddeningly capricious down the stretch — on one minute, off the next. Defensively, the Orange have struggled to contain the sport’s brightest stars. Cornell’s CJ Kirst poured in five goals. Duke’s Eric Malever matched that mark. And North Carolina’s Dominic Pietramala went one better with six. Syracuse did manage to limit Notre Dame’s Matt Jeffery to one goal and Chris Kavanagh to two in their last meeting — but good luck bottling up that duo a second time. Maybe the high stakes — where a loss could slam the door on SU’s season and flush its NCAA Tournament hopes — will spark a fiercer fight from the Orange. But if recent form is any guide, Syracuse is sputtering when it most needs to be roaring. The offense misfires like a jammed musket, and the defense springs leaks faster than a screen door on a submarine. Unless the Orange summon a miracle in Charlotte, they’ll find themselves slipping not just on their own peel — but straight out of the postseason picture.
“(Carcaterra) is the soul of the sport,” Shroff said. “His ability to really capture the heart of what the sport is and what the players bring to the table (is what) I saw as his unique ability.”
Carcaterra’s personality attracts plenty of attention. Carcaterra forms relationships with nearly everybody, Cotter said. Whenever Cotter and Carcaterra are calling a game in South Bend, Indiana, they fly from Chicago. It’s crucial they get on the road quickly, so Cotter always warns his partner to not stop to talk with anyone. But when walking around the stadium postgame, every few steps, there’s a “Hey Paul,” from someone in the crowd. Carcaterra always stops for a quick chat, leaving Cotter smacking his forehead in frustration.
“You have to drag him away,” Cotter said. Memories and connections like those have accumulated over two decades. Carcaterra is thankful he picked up that call from Zucker out of the blue. If not, his life would be drastically different.
Other professions often subdue big personalities. But in broadcasting, Carcaterra can build a career around being unapologetically himself.
“Honestly I couldn’t see a different profession for me right now,” Carcaterra said. “I love how it allows me to continue to push myself and be creative and be around athletics, where people are so goal oriented, no one’s lazy. I love it.”
zakwolf784254@gmail.com
@ZakWolf22
By Noah Nussbaum asst. sports editor
Four words reverberated in Caroline Trinkaus’ head on a summer day in 2022: “Eat or be eaten.”
While at an American Select showcase with her club, the CT Grizzlies, co-founder Lisa Lindley pulled her aside. As a rising junior in high school, Trinkaus’ recruitment window was set to open in a few months, so she needed to stand out. But Lindley thought Trinkaus wasn’t playing aggressively on offense.
Lindley told Trinkaus she was just as good as everyone else. While Trinkaus’ eyes were “coming out of her head,” she realized Lindley was right.
“It sort of snapped her out of the little funk she was in,” Lindley said. “She just started believing in herself and really turned the corner.”
That same summer, Trinkaus moved from midfield to attack with the Grizzlies. Lindley’s words and the position change allowed the Ridgefield, Connecticut native to shine, eventually leading to her commitment to Syracuse. Although she started as a midfielder with the Orange in her freshman season, Trinkaus moved back to attack, a seamless transition due to her previous experience.
Trinkaus has played a key role in SU’s offense, totaling 29 goals — which ranks second on the team — and being named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Third Team. Her breakout has bolstered a unit that lost star attack Olivia Adamson in February and is trying to salvage its season in the NCAA Tournament.
“It was amazing to see her flourish. That confidence just came out,” Grizzlies coach Steph Calabrese said about Trinkaus’ switch to attack. “It was nice to see her get out of her head.”
Despite playing attack with the Grizzlies, Trinkaus was primarily a midfielder at Ridgefield High School (Connecticut). Ridgefield head coach Johnathan Zalucki said Trinkaus — who also had strong defense and clearing — could be used everywhere with the Tigers. She excelled, even scoring five goals against now-Boston College goalie Shea Dolce and national powerhouse Darien High School.
But with the Grizzlies, Trinkaus’ offensive play was too passive, and she wasn’t overly impressive defensively, Calabrese said. She’d “bust her butt” across the field, so when the Grizzlies returned to offense, she often settled into a secondary role. Her father, Mike, said she didn’t want to be the team’s superstar.
Though as recruitment lingered, other players began to put themselves first. Trinkaus would be left behind if she didn’t change her perspective.
men’s lacrosse
“She’s very much about the team,” Mike said. “And that doesn’t always happen in club. Kids are trying to get recruited, and sometimes you can get a little bit selfish. She just wanted to make the right play.”
Becoming a full-time attack with the Grizzlies was pretty easy, Trinkaus said. Calabrese and Lindley told Trinkaus to be selfish sometimes: take a shot on goal where she’d typically pass.
Through her coaches’ advice, Trinkaus dazzled. Just a game after Lindley’s talk, Trinkaus notched three goals and an assist, per Mike. She eventually became the 39th-best player in Inside Lacrosse’s class of 2024 rankings.
Though she was recruited as a midfielder, Trinkaus fielded offers from numerous ACC and Big Ten schools. But SU was always her No. 1 choice. Much of Trinkaus’ extended family lived near Syracuse, and she’d grown up attending the Orange’s basketball, football and lacrosse games. So, Trinkaus committed to the Orange on Sept. 18, 2022, just two weeks after receiving her offer.
Trinkaus practiced at midfield with SU in the preseason and fall. But after she tallied three points in SU’s season-opener against UAlbany, she was moved to attack for Syracuse’s next game at then-No. 7 Maryland to focus on offense.
Mike was surprised when Trinkaus revealed the news over the phone, but he told her to take advantage of the chance. She did, scoring three goals — her second of nine games this season with three-plus points — to propel the Orange to a comfortable 15-9 win.
“It is a lot of (one-on-ones), which I worked on a lot, so I felt pretty confident in dealing with that,” Trinkaus said about the quick change. “And I just had to be confident because I’m playing with so many great players around me.”
But before her switch, the foundation for her offensive success was already set. Prior workouts with personal trainer Dan Moriarty, who played Division II lacrosse at Adelphi College from 2013-14, gave her the necessary skills. Mike realized Trinkaus’ coaches weren’t helping develop her shot, so h Miller’s spin-move touchdown against Virginia Tech in 2015 and NBA legend James Harden’s use of hesitation to mess with defenders.
Trinkaus was initially skeptical of his methods, but she soaked it in. The training improved her 8-meter shooting and one-on-one dodging, skills she needs every game as an attack.
“It just puts another tool in the toolbox,” Trinkaus said. “Being able to have that is just another kind of way to be scouted, something else that teams have to watch out for.”
But Trinkaus was lacking one tool needed to be an effective attack — explosiveness. That was generated in the weight room.
When Trinkaus was in middle school, Mike attended a talk by a former USA Lacrosse trainer about running for adults. However, they instead discussed how to prevent young girls’ injuries, leading Mike to get Trinkaus involved in the weight room.
“It was really something I was going to for me, but I walked away with ‘Okay, we need to get Caroline (involved),’ because at that point it was clear to us that she’s a very athletic kid,” Mike said.
Trinkaus immediately started doing plyometrics to improve her knee and hip flexibility. She did explosivity and mobility exercises three times per week alongside Ridgefield strength and conditioning coach Pete McLean, which included Bulgarian split squats and single-leg Romanian Deadlifts.
The training kept Trinkaus healthy and improved her ability to take a strong first step outside the draw circle and 8-meter. When Trinkaus moved to attack, she had another leg up.
Trinkaus has continued to work in the gym with SU’s strength and conditioning coach
Mike Sullivan to maintain muscle during the season. She and Ridgefield teammate Caroline Gerosa — who now plays at Loyola — agreed their high school training made it easier to compete with players four to five years older than them in college.
“Coming to school at such a high level, in the weight room you can really see the difference between the people that had strength coaches that prepared them versus people that just didn’t have that experience,” Gerosa said.
Trinkaus’ sessions in the weight room with Moriarty made her transition to attack from the Grizzlies and now the Orange seamless.
Still, Lindley’s words have stuck with her. Trinkaus can either let the game come to her, or take the reins. She’s now made her choice. She’s decided to eat. And she’s feasted with Syracuse this season, chewing through defenders left and right.
“She has the hunger for goals, and I feel like as soon as she lets herself go, there’s no limit to her success,” Calabrese said.
njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
By Nicholas Alumkal asst. sports editor
On April 5, Syracuse was riding high. It just defeated then-No. 5 Notre Dame 14-9 and was firing on all cylinders. Attack Joey Spallina carved up the Fighting Irish defense up like it was corned beef, totaling five points. SU’s faceoff man John Mullen went 16-for-23. And the Orange’s defense stonewalled Notre Dame, holding it scoreless for 40 minutes, while goalie Jimmy McCool notched 10 saves.
The win was Syracuse’s sixth straight — the longest stretch under fourth-year head coach Gary Gait. It was playing its best lacrosse entering the home stretch of the regular season. Since, it’s been all downhill for the Orange. They’ve lost their last three games and their last two Atlantic Coast Conference matchups.
First, SU couldn’t slow down No. 1 Cornell and Tewaaraton frontrunner CJ Kirst, falling 17-12 on April 2. Next, at then-No. 12 Duke, Syracuse tied the fewest goals scored in Gait’s tenure, dropping its second straight 11-7. Syracuse returned to the JMA Wireless Dome for its regular-season finale versus then-No. 8 North Carolina on Saturday. The stakes were clear. Win, and it’s the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. Lose, and it’d drop to the No. 3 or No. 4 seed. For the third consecutive outing, the Orange lost — 14-12. The Tar Heels pulled away early in the fourth quarter, while a late SU explosion was solely cosmetic to the scoreline. Now, the Orange limp into the ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, which would’ve seemed unthinkable less than a month ago. Plus, SU’s NCAA Tournament chances have dwindled, though most projections have it still in the field.
Here’s No. 12 Syracuse’s (9-5, 2-2 ACC) path to its first ACC Tournament championship since 2016:
Semifinals: No. 1 Seed Notre Dame
Syracuse’s first opponent in Charlotte is the one it had its best performance against this season. SU meets ND again on Friday. Yet, since that five-goal win, SU hasn’t won since. The Fighting Irish, however, won their final two ACC contests against Virginia and North Carolina by a combined score of 24-13. Also, ND’s only two losses besides its defeat to the Orange were to Maryland and Ohio State by just one goal. Against SU, the Fighting Irish had an off day. Their faceoff unit, which posts the 17th-best winning percentage in Division I (56.4%), was outclassed by Mullen. ND’s usual watertight defense — which allows the sixth-fewest goals per game at just 8.55 — conceded a season-high 14 goals, one of just two games this season it’s surrendered more than 10. On offense, the twotime reigning national champion’s leading scorer Chris Kavanagh was held to two goals and three assists, while fellow star attack Jake Taylor only mustered one goal.
Another weak point SU exposed against Notre Dame was its man-down defense. The Fighting Irish are tied for the 23rd-worst mandown unit in the country, letting in a goal 60% of the time. The Orange went 2-for-2 on extra-man opportunities in the two teams’ first meeting. ND’s man-up offense doesn’t stand out either, slating at 48th among 71 D-I squads, while SU’s is the eighth-best nationally.
Both squads don’t commit many turnovers. Syracuse averages just 13.21 giveaways per game, second-best in the country, while Notre Dame’s 13.91 clip ranks seventh.
Two Fighting Irish players were listed on the 25-man shortlist for the Tewaaraton Award on April 17: Kavanagh, who averages the 10th-most points per game at 4.82, and defender Shawn Lyght, who’s considered one of the best lockdown defenders in the nation.
The Fighting Irish have won the last two ACC Tournaments before claiming their consecutive national championships. Syracuse, on the other hand, hasn’t won a game in the tournament since 2016. Friday’s matchup could continue Notre Dame’s dominance — or be a long-awaited turning point for the Orange.
Finals: No. 2 Seed North Carolina or No. 3 Seed Duke
If the Orange can beat Notre Dame twice this season and reach their first ACC Championship finals since 2016, they’ll seek to avenge their loss to a Tobacco Road squad on Sunday.
Both of the losses are recent. No. 3 seed Duke downed SU on April 19, when the Orange’s offense committed a season-high 18 turnovers and scored a measly seven goals. Syracuse’s defense also couldn’t stall the Blue Devils’ Eric Malever, who poured in a career-high five goals. Similarly, when SU met No. 2 seed UNC on Saturday, Tar Heels attack Dominic Pietramala ran rampant. The sophomore torched Syracuse for six goals on 20 shots, launching relentless attacks with ease.
The Blue Devils’ attacking trident of Brennan O’Neill, Josh Zawada and Dyson Williams all graduated — part of a combined 224 points and 148 goals Duke lost — which is 52.3% of their total production last season. It stumbled to begin ACC play, dropping its first two matchups 14-7 at Notre Dame and 8-7 to North Carolina. Yet, the Blue Devils closed conference play with two straight wins over the Orange and in a 10-9 overtime thriller at Virginia booked their ticket to the ACC Tournament.
Maryland graduate transfer Malever leads the Blue Devils’ offense, totaling 30 goals and 28 assists, part of a more diverse attack this campaign, with five players recording at least 20 points. Tewaaraton-
shortlisted midfielder Andrew McAdorey has pitched in 17 goals and 19 assists, while short stick midfielder Aidan Maguire and midfielder Benn Johnston join him.
A weak spot for Duke is clearing, where it sits 19th-worst in the country with a 83.1% clip. SU also has a clear advantage over the Blue Devils at the faceoff X. Duke’s Luke Engelke has the 29th-best winning percentage in the country, while Mullen has the eighth highest. Mullen beat Engelke 12-10 in the teams’ first matchup.
North Carolina is experiencing a resurgent season and is on track to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2021. The only blemishes on the Tar Heels’ record are a two-goal loss to No. 2 Princeton, a one-goal defeat at No. 4 Army and a 12-6 walloping versus Notre Dame.
UNC’s sophomore attacking duo of Pietramala and Owen Duffy pilot its defense, who’ve combined for 73 of its’ 175 goals. Defensively, North Carolina holds its own, ranking seventh best with 8.69 goals allowed per contest. Princeton transfer goalie Michael Gianforcaro has spearheaded the success as he boasts the 11thbest goals-against-average in D-I.
UNC’s faceoff man Brady Wambach is the nephew of former U.S. women’s soccer national team great Abby Wambach. He’s making a name for himself with a faceoff skillset that rivals his aunt’s legendary heading ability. Brady has won 64.8% of his faceoffs — fourthbest nationally.
The last time the Orange won an ACC Tournament, they beat North Carolina in the semifinals and Duke in the finals. If Syracuse wants to claim another conference championship, it’ll have to beat one of them in the final.
njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal
By Mauricio Palmar, Harris Pemberton and Jordan Kimball the daily orange
Bob McKenney was driving to practice when he heard Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School could close.
He was shocked. The Cobras’ athletic director parked his car and took a moment to collect himself. Once he gathered his emotions, McKenney walked onto Tony Smarrelli Court to begin drills with his varsity boys basketball team.
He hoped what he’d heard over the phone wasn’t true. But the thought of Bishop Grimes closing at the end of the school year lingered in his head through-
out practice. With the news not yet confirmed, McKenney struggled to process his emotions, stepping out of the gym multiple times to stop himself from breaking down.
“It was devastating,” McKenney said.
“I just don’t know how else to describe it.”
On Feb. 27, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse formally announced Bishop Grimes — a private Roman Catholic high school in East Syracuse — would close at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Over 59 years, the DeWitt-based high school’s class sizes dwindled from 200plus students to 50, while it dealt with fiscal mismanagement and saw its declining infrastructure occupy valuable land.
Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, the school will merge with rival
Bishop Ludden, which alum Donna Ditota compared to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox merging. The merger has left students, staff and alumni with more questions than answers.
But current and past athletes won’t remember Bishop Grimes as decaying. They’ll remember it as a tight-knit
community where they forged relationships beyond the playing field. Additionally, Grimes molded students into Division I athletes, professional draft picks and general managers, leaving a lasting athletic history despite its closing.
“At the end of the day, we’ll always still be a community,” former Grimes lacrosse and soccer player Rhonee Shea Pal said. “I fully believe that (Bishop Grimes) made boys and girls into men and women.”
An early bright spot at Bishop Grimes came in the 1970s, when its girls’ basketball team featured several future Division I players, including
see grimes page 13
By Zak Wolf senior staff writer
In 2004, Paul Carcaterra’s life was flipped on its head with one phone call.
Carcaterra was a fourth grade teacher and varsity lacrosse coach at Fox Lane High School in Yorktown, New York. Besides coaching and running camps, he never saw himself having a bigger impact on lacrosse after his playing career with Syracuse ended in 1997.
That’s before Adam Zucker — an acquaintance from Carcaterra’s time at Syracuse — called. Zucker was working at College Sports Television
and invited Carcaterra to do color commentary for the Army-Navy game that weekend. Despite lacking prior broadcast experience, Carcaterra accepted the offer.
He entered the game “blind.” Nobody taught him how to prepare for a broadcast, so when he arrived at Army’s Michie Stadium, he was clueless. While the details of the game remain fuzzy, Carcaterra remembers the adrenaline rush he experienced, closely mirroring the emotions he felt as a player.
“I remember leaving saying, ‘Wow, that was amazing. What a bummer
that’s it. Where do I go from here?’” Carcaterra said. Carcaterra left the broadcast booth thinking he’d never return. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Over two decades later, Carcaterra has been one of the lead lacrosse analysts for ESPN since 2010. He always thought he would spend his life teaching kids. Instead, he’s known for his high-energy analysis, passion for storytelling in the booth and his work as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s college football coverage.
What sets Carcaterra apart is his unbridled enthusiasm during calls. Carcaterra oftentimes can’t contain
his emotions, so he resorts to physical contact with his partner in the booth, which includes play-by-play guys
Anish Shroff, Chris Cotter or fellow analyst Quint Kessenich. Shroff doesn’t think Carcaterra can speak without his hands. Cotter always braces himself for a shoulder barge after a highlight-reel goal, while Kessenich usually receives a quick punch in the arm.
“He’s genuinely thrilled with what he sees sometimes and lets the viewer know that,” Kessenich said. “Any time you can spend with him is a good time because his energy is contagious.”
It’s an unorthodox style. One that might’ve never come to fruition if Carcaterra studied broadcasting at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, where he may have developed a more robotic cadence. Despite the pedigree of the program, broadcasting never crossed Carcaterra’s mind while at SU, where he won a national championship in 1995.
“The characteristics that I have are natural to who I am as a person,” Carcaterra said. “I’m the same person that is calling games that’s talking to you.” Carcaterra’s biggest challenge is see carcaterra page 14