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SYRACUSE VS. UVA
IN THE HUDDLE 117,000 Calls made by Brown’s interns before the primary election
Campaigning on community An active member of the Syracuse community, Mo Brown worked on various political campaigns while actively listening to the concerns of others, eventually leading him to his own career in politics. avery magee development editor
Mo Brown’s proximity to local voices drives unprecedented state assembly run
defeated 28-year incumbent Bill Magnarelli in a close primary race that took an extra six days to call – winning by a small margin. Whitted, who studies at Columbia University while working on Brown’s campaign, said there were “definitely a lot of nerves” leading up to election day. “It was all hours of the day, around the clock, trying to get every vote we can, doing whatever we can to get his message out, to reach as many voters as possible,” Whitted said. “Mo has a really strong message and strong vision for Syracuse and for the 129th assembly district.” The election was too close to call on election night, with results delayed until all absentee ballots could be counted. Despite this, Brown said he remained “very
By Mirren Grimason asst. news editor
M
aurice “Mo” Brown moved to Syracuse in 2015, but those close to him say his level of involvement in the community reflects that of a lifelong resident. “If there’s an important issue that’s being discussed that’s going to impact residents of the greater Syracuse community, Mo is there and he’s been a leader in these discussions,” Brown’s Campaign Manager, Ayden Whitted, said. Brown announced his run for state assembly in February, after serving as an Onondaga County Legislator representing the 15th district since Jan. 2024. He later
see mo brown page 7
on campus
Syracuse Hillel recounts Oct. 7 victims’ stories, honors legacies By Ryan Garipoli asst. news editor
Syracuse University’s Winnick Hillel Center honored Oct. 7 victims by recounting their stories and legacies and lighting candles at a Wednesday remembrance event. The event, held at Gifford Auditorium in Huntington Beard Crouse, featured student speakers who told the stories of victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack, as well as several prayers in honor of all affected. Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people in the attack and took 251 hostages.
Three years after the initial attack, Rabbi Natan Levy, campus rabbi for Syracuse Hillel and Jewish chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, said this year’s commemoration is an opportunity to focus on healing from the trauma of the tragedy. “This is the first time since (2023) that there haven’t been any hostages, so the vent has shifted a bit. It was much more about not just remembering, but actively engaging in the situation,” Levy said. “I think the major piece is ‘How do you take tragedy and trauma, and turn it into a place of healing and sharing?’”
After opening prayers led by Levy and Rabbi Mendy Rapoport, Chabad Lubavitch rabbi at SU, the event focused on a celebration of the lives lost. Student presenters shared the stories of six Israelis who lost their lives on or shortly after the Oct. 7 attack and lit a candle for each. The event honored six victims: • Etai Cohen, a 22-year-old officer in the Israeli military • Vivian Silver, former director of Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development
• • •
•
Adir Mesika, a member of the Yahalom Unit Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a U.S.Israeli citizen who was held hostage in the Gaza Strip Shirel Golan, a survivor of the Nova music festival attack who committed suicide on Oct. 20, 2024 Omer Neutra, a Long Island native who enlisted in the Israeli military, serving as a tank platoon commander
Silver’s story was presented by junior Gabi Josefson, who detailed his
experience walking through Silver’s neighborhood just five months after the Oct. 7 attack, saying the town was still “broken.” Josefson spoke about the scene on one of Silver’s neighbors’ porches, recalling seeing an empty stroller next to bins of toys. “A happy family had lived there, their lives all taken far too early,” Josefson said. Senior Emma Berkowitz presented Golan’s story, whom Hillel chose to honor to recognize those who did not die on Oct. 7 or at the direct hands of see remembrance page 7
2 october 8, 2026
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NEWS
october 8, 2026 3
on campus
Hillel Center opens ‘10/7: Human Stories’ memorializing victims By Owen Smith
asst. digital editor
In the halls of Syracuse University’s Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life, students and faculty walked along candlelit pathways to remember the lives taken during the October 7 attacks in 2023. The Wednesday exhibit, titled 10/7: Human Stories, displayed seven panels sharing the stories of those killed and kidnapped when terrorist group Hamas killed 1,200 civilians and abducted 251 hostages. The event was part of a daylong remembrance series featuring prayers and student speakers. The exhibit was intended to encourage reflection on the lasting impact of the attacks, while also trying to bring personal stories to campus, organizers said. For some involved with Hillel, college campuses are an important setting for memorial events because many current students were still in high school during the Oct. 7 attack. “I think it’s really important in college for people to make their own paths and to seek out knowledge, not just relying on their parents,” Hannah Berlin, a sophomore and human development major, said.
You can’t forget that something like this happened. Ben Steinberg su sophomore
Berlin said she and Hillel’s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, Maya Rojtenberg, brought the exhibit to SU after discovering it through the center’s broader organization, Hillel International. The exhibit is featured at 20 campuses nationwide, according to a release from Hillel International. The exhibit was adapted from the book “10/7: 100 Human Stories” by Lee Yaron — which covered the emotional impact of the day’s attacks.
SU’s Hillel Center opened its Oct. 7 exhibit which memorializes and honors the lives of those lost three years ago. owen smith asst. digital editor
The panels acknowledged the attacks as devastating to both Israelis living in Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip — where Hamas operated through tunnels under civilian infrastructure. One panel in the exhibit featured hundreds of names killed in the attack, along with pictures of citizens who had been killed. “I think it’s important that people know what happened, from a factual standpoint,” Berlin said. “The events today aren’t just for Jewish students. It’s something that happened three years ago, but it’s something we can never forget.” Rabbi Natan Levy said the exhibit provides an opportunity to remember the victims and hear their stories while supporting those who continue to live with the aftermath.
“Emotionally, I felt like crying the whole time. Everyone in Israel and many Jews around the world have a personal connection with at least someone who’s affected,” Levy said. “Someone who was either injured, kidnapped, tortured or killed.” A number of stories focused on casualties during the Nova music festival, where over 350 people were killed and dozens taken hostage into Gaza. One story focused on two girls taken in by an Israeli family after their parents were killed by militants shooting at them in the streets. Levy emphasized the importance of telling the stories to future generations to make sure the event isn’t forgotten. “There’s a tendency otherwise to drift into despair in the face of evil,” Levy said. “To know that
there is real hope, real light, I think you have to tell those stories and find ways of healing from them.” After the event, students planned to place symbolic red poppy flowers on the steps of Hendricks Chapel, Berlin said. The connection with Hendricks allows healing across faith communities, Levy said. It helped ensure events of remembrance were open to all students, regardless of faith or organization, he added. “It’s an opportunity to come together and support one another across faith communities,” Levy said. “Hopefully that will lead to bridges being built and to ways of real dialogue.” Multiple students at the event said they appreciated the commemoration of the third anniversary. Ben Steinberg, a sophomore political science major, said the exhibit was a reminder that past historical events “constantly” shape the present. “You can’t forget that something like this happened,” Steinberg said. “You have to remember that we’re living in the present and a lot of what is happening now globally is impacted by (Oct. 7).” Although the event was open to anyone, Steinberg feared responses to the exhibit. “I hope the exhibit is well received, but it’s probably not going to be because of our current society,” Steinberg said. “Anything that’s related to one of the ‘sides’ ensures a lot of heated debate.” Multiple officers from SU’s Department of Public Safety patrolled the building throughout the event. The Oct. 7 attack, which served as a catalyst for the Israel-Hamas war and broader crisis in the Middle East, has generated protests surrounding Israel and Palestine on college campuses ever since. However, the event wasn’t meant to pick sides or raise debates. Instead, organizers said the panels and memorial were set up “strictly” to remember the lives lost. “There’s such an impact from social media that stories get easily twisted,” Berlin said. “So coming to actually hear the true stories of people and see what happened, I think it has a really big impact on college students.” owensmith@dailyorange.com
student government association
SGA’s new MLC aims to amplify voices, extend DEI resources By Adler Neu design editor
In recent years, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have been cut across the country. At the same time, Syracuse University’s Student Government Association Vice President of DEI Nasya Bellard has worked fiercely to maintain and grow the efforts of her office by founding a new initiative housed within SGA’s DEI office: the Multicultural Leadership Council. MLC has assembled a diverse cohort of students from across campus who will work alongside faculty members to bring tangible change for SU students, Bellard said. MLC will hold its inaugural meeting on Oct. 23 from 2-3 p.m. at Maxwell Auditorium. Bellard, the initiative’s founder, said she received over 60 applications for MLC including students from the South Asian Student Association, La L.U.C.H.A. and the National Black Law School Association. She said the group was limited to approximately 30 students to “make sure it is a very tight-knit council.” SU sophomore and MLC member Kassidy Renosa said she admires Bellard’s efforts to make this initiative a reality. As the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs representative and DEI Committee chair for SGA, Renosa recognizes the “productivity” that can come from MLC operating under the resources of SGA, especially with the council’s smaller size. “I’m interested to hear things that are going on across different schools in Syracuse and also different years, like juniors, grad students or perspectives from professors,” Renosa said. “We can help make Syracuse more welcoming through different events, different initiatives, things that can foster belonging across campus.” As a first generation college student, Bellard’s experience finding community didn’t come naturally to her. It was through DEI initiatives across campus, with similar missions to MLC, where she was able to socialize and learn how to navigate campus.
“Creating this council, the goal of it is to bring different students in all different age ranges, all different backgrounds, all different identities from across campus, and form a cohort where we discuss the issues that are taking place on campus currently,” Bellard said. During SGA’s constitution and bylaw revisions last semester, Bellard shared her concerns about conversations relating to the DEI office having a new title and losing control over its programming and initiatives. Bellard objected to these changes and successfully retained the key features for the office she’s “very protective of.” The DEI office’s work being challenged allowed Bellard to gain a new perspective on the importance of programs like MLC not being “watered down” or “taken away” from the community. “I want to make sure that if there’s an individual that comes after me…who might not have as much of that advocating spirit, that the work the office has done or is doing now shows for itself,” Bellard said. Bellard outlined that she’d like to see more specific programming for DEI initiatives across campus, specifically when it comes to creating a welcoming environment for students to speak freely. “We would really like to work with the Office of People and Culture because they have a direct hand in staff and faculty training,” Bellard said. “So making sure that they hear from students how the classroom environment feels, and they’re taking that into consideration when they are training staff and faculty.” While outlining her goals and visions for MLC, Bellard had to balance her protectiveness over the cause with presenting a plan that would remain “palatable for administration,” which she said was backed with “a calming source” of support from SGA President Emily CastilloMelean and Chief of Staff Luis Gomez. In a statement to The Daily Orange, CastilloMelean and SGA Vice President Max Lachut shared their excitement for the new initiative, detailing parts of the finalization process that took place over the summer to ensure the council could begin its work during the fall semester.
nasya bellard has launched the Multicultural Leadership Council, an initiative designed to create more “tailored programming” for SU’s DEI initiatives. courtesy of nasya bellard
“We believe that this council will offer another resource to students to grow as leaders and also bring their concerns to one table so that we, a student government, can take those conversations to make change on campus,” the pair said in the statement. In alignment with the SGA’s broader goals for increasing student engagement, MLC is meant to bridge the gap between hearing student concerns and taking action. “SGA is a very powerful hub. We receive a lot of information that the general campus would not know about if they don’t come to the general assembly meetings,” Bellard said. “Having that centralized space … I think makes it easier for students as a push to kind of break into that advocacy field or just get more involved toward the needs on campus.”
Bellard said she’s confident MLC has the resources to create important change by highlighting a diverse array of student voices. She emphasized the importance of students bringing issues they care about to the table. With faculty members acting as partners, Bellard hopes their individual expertise will shape the conversations, priorities and future actions of MLC as an initiative that promotes transparency through communication. “We’re not going to be sitting around, huddling around, eating food and just venting about the issues on campus,” Bellard said. “We’re very proud of the office, but also of campus and the students and how much they want to get involved, which is what we really need right now.” aneu03@syr.edu
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4 october 8, 2026
years of SU M
‘Nothing finer in the land’: SU’s Marching Band has beco
By Caroline Erskine asst. copy editor
W
hen Sean Palmer arrived at college in 1994, joining the Syracuse University Marching Band wasn’t part of his plan. In fact, Palmer had never marched before — he was only an amateur trombone player. But when he attended the New Student convocation ceremony his freshman year, Palmer immediately knew he had to join. Two days later, he attended his first practice. Palmer, who finished his undergraduate studies in 1998 at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, marched for five years. He even stayed as a graduate assistant for two more during his law school studies. Over 26 years later, Palmer’s still active in group chats with almost 100 former bandmates. “Nowhere in the entire university do you get 250 friends on Day One,” Palmer said. “I was able to do that through the marching band.” That bond has remained central to the marching band since its inception 125 years ago, when 23 students gathered at Crouse College for its inaugural rehearsal in 1901. Since then, the marching band has grown into one of the university’s largest student organizations. Currently, the marching band has about 200 members from more than 80 majors. Band directors, marching patterns and traditions have changed over the past 125 years, but members and alumni say the sense of community hasn’t. The marching band earned its nickname “The Pride of the Orange” from an announcer at the 1970 World Music Contest in the Netherlands, where it won three awards. Since the marching band’s first season, the band has performed at
football games and established a tradition of playing on the Shaw Quadrangle before every home game. Like Palmer, many members arrive at SU without a focus on music — Palmer estimated that only 30-40% of his bandmates were studying music. Marc Harwitz, a 1997 political science alum who played snare drum, said the range of musical experience levels makes the group so special.
Nowhere in the entire university do you get 250 friends on Day One. I was able to do that through the marching band. Sean Palmer su 1998 alum
“Most people who are in the band there are not music majors, and that’s great,” Harwitz said. Regardless of major, the commitment is time-consuming. When Palmer marched, the band rehearsed Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m. During the weeks with game days, it held an additional Friday night rehearsal and Saturday rehearsal at 8 a.m. Members also arrived on the Quad 90 minutes before kickoff. Josh Arndt, a 2023 chemical engineering alum, played tenor saxophone and followed a similar schedule. He
rehearsed Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7-9 p.m., with extra sessions during game weeks. “I felt like I was on a different schedule than a lot of my peers in engineering,” Arndt said. “I was kind of cramming stuff in between everything during the day.” Current members face the same crunch. Laurel Wozniak, an SU junior drummer for the marching band, said the practices are a big commitment, even more so when there’s a game. Wozniak schedules her practice time in a calendar and does homework next to friends after rehearsal. “I’m a big fan of my calendar,” Wozniak said. “I like to schedule time in my calendar, specific time for band, and it’s all labeled.” And the marching band’s workload changes every week. Timothy Diem, who served as director of athletic bands for nine years, said the marching band used to perform about three routines per season. Now the band learns a new routine for nearly every game, which Wozniak said means getting used to new music and drills — the movements each marcher makes on the field. “It’s like those coordinate planes from high school where you had to plot the points,” Wozniak said. “Every point on that is a person.” Distance hasn’t weakened those connections. Arndt now lives in Baltimore, but he drove more than five hours this season to watch the UConn football game with former bandmates. The community extends beyond SU. Members also come from SUNY ESF, Le Moyne College, SUNY Oswego and Onondaga Community College. Jess Strausser, an ESF senior and marching band trumpet player, said having a good marching band was a major factor in choosing to attend ESF. When she joined during her freshman year, few ESF or Le Moyne students marched for the band, she said, but that’s changed.
25
Marching Band
ome one of the university’s largest student organizations “Being in marching band and working together for the same goal, you really get to know these people from the different schools, too,” Strausser said. Diem, who joined in 2017, said building those bonds is the whole point of being a part of marching band. “You might think it’s about music and you might think it’s about marching, and that’s part of it, but it’s not really the ‘it,’” Diem said. The real “it,” Diem said, is the community that forms when students spend about 150 hours together each year. Diem still sees alums who graduated decades ago posting about weddings, children and reunions on Facebook. Many of the traditions that hold those bonds together have outlasted the people who started them. Tracy Leenman, a 1977 music education alum who played alto saxophone in the marching band, said the chant that members recite while marching to the stadium began with her class. Leenman spent two years in the band, one as assistant drum major. She credits then-director Norbert Buskey with writing the mantra. “Who’s that marching down the street? A huge machine that can’t be beat. There’s nothing finer in the land but the Syracuse marching band,” Leenman said, remembering the chant. For more than 40 years, marching band members have gathered at Varsity Pizza after home wins, where they stand on the tables and flip the opponent’s flag upside down, Wozniak said, as long as the restaurant lets them. Smaller traditions live inside each band section. After Quad shows, Arndt’s fellow tenor saxophones performed a “tenor toss,” where one member lies across six players’ arms and gets launched into the air. Arndt said those section rituals mattered as much to him as the team-wide ones.
“I really cherish the niche ones we would make within our sections,” Arndt said. Every game day, the trumpet section plays at a tailgate near the Quad hosted by the same family, a tradition that predates Strausser. At the last game of the season, she said, the family wraps and gives the section gloves and socks as gifts. “There’s like 30 of us, but the fact that they’re taking time to spend money and wrap gifts for us, it’s really sweet,” Strausser said. However, not all of the marching band’s history is positive. The band welcomed women for the first time in 1941, when many of its male members had left to fight in World War II. Majorettes — performers who combine dancing, gymnastics and baton twirling — and the band’s first baton twirler, Jessie Anne Harp, debuted in 1945. Women didn’t join as marching musicians until 1966, when 22 women signed up. By the time Leenman joined her junior year in 1975, women could march, but she said the culture around leadership hadn’t kept up. Leenman said Buskey ran the band like a “military unit” and refused to let members go indoors, even during sub-zero temperatures “He acted like he was a drill sergeant, and we were his privates, and it just didn’t go over well with anybody,” Leenman said. That attitude shaped the drum major auditions the following year, Leenman said. That year, Leenman scored first ahead of Ruth Gerster in second and Joe Dovi in third. Buskey then told the group he’d always meant for the highest-scoring man to get the job. Dovi became drum major, Leenman became his assistant, and Gerster quit. “(Sexism) was a lot more prevalent back then anyway,” Leenman said. “It’s how things were back then. It wasn’t totally unexpected.”
Today, women hold the band’s top leadership roles. Emma Holman, an SU senior and percussionist, is one of this season’s drum majors. In the decades that followed, the marching band has also changed in other ways. By the mid-1990s, high school marching bands had grown more competitive, and many students arrived with more drum corps experience than before. Harwitz and a few fellow percussionists wanted the SU drumline to match that level. Because of this, the snare section shrank from eight or nine players to four as some members dropped out rather than take on the extra work, Harwitz said. Then it grew again, he said, built “the right way,” with more discipline and drive. Harwitz’s drumline also wrote a new routine for running onto the field. Recently, he saw on YouTube that the marching band still uses it. “It’s amazing seeing what we implemented is still used,” Harwitz said. “It feels great.” The group also changed leaders. Longtime SU Marching Band director Bradley Ethington retired this summer. Diem is now the director of bands, and Natalie Smith joined as assistant director. For Palmer, none of that changes what the marching band gave him. Nearly three decades since joining, Palmer is still active in group chats with about 100 former bandmates. To this day, Palmer calls the decision to join the best of his college career. “I think that camaraderie, that experience, transcends age. It transcends time,” Palmer said. “And again, that’s the best decision I ever made.” cberskin@syr.edu
adelaide guan presentation director | kai pavola staff photographer | courtesy of tracy leenman | courtesy of josh arndt | courtesy of rachel edwards
october 8, 2026 5
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on campus
SU alum presents, shares AI strategy at speaker series By Cathryn Cagnazzi contributing writer
Even if they didn’t know it, many audience members may have already been familiar with Rebecca Coleman’s work before attending her event Wednesday. The Syracuse University alum is behind many well-known advertising campaigns, including McDonald’s celebrity meals, the #GentleMinions trend and Visa’s “Tap In” campaign with Jason Sudeikis. Coleman, CEO of advertising agency We Are Social, spoke as part of the Leaders in Communications speaker series, hosted by the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Adam Peruta, Newhouse’s director of advanced media management and interim chair of advertising, moderated the event. The pair discussed how to engage audiences and create social media momentum, as well as how artificial intelligence technology is reshaping the advertising industry, drawing on Coleman’s experience at We Are Social. Coleman began by presenting some of We Are Social’s most recognizable campaigns to give the audience context on the agency’s prior work. The agency focuses on using social-led thinking to create cultural momentum online, Peruta said. It has worked on many notable campaigns, with brands including YouTube, Adidas, Visa and McDonald’s. Coleman referenced We Are Social’s involvement in Adidas’s “You Got This” campaign, which launched during Super Bowl 2024. The campaign aimed to help Adidas leverage the Super Bowl’s audience to gain visibility for their new platform without a TV advertisement spot during the game. We Are Social combined an internet trend, where people throw a football over their house and run through the house to catch it on the other side, with an iconic venue, the Las Vegas Sphere. A video featuring Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing a game of catch with his younger self was played on the screen at the Sphere. According to a case study Coleman shared during the presentation, aerial footage of the Sphere received 97 million views on Instagram and 58.8 million views on TikTok. Peruta said the program chose to bring Coleman in because We Are Social has learned to “hijack” popular culture in order to create more engagement from audiences. “Their approach to advertising and building campaigns for brands and services is about being relevant and tapping into present-day culture and trends, and so they’ve had some really amazing success by taking that approach,” Peruta said.
PR agency ‘We Are Social’ CEO and SU Alum Rebecca Coleman gave students insights into her company’s strategic success at a Leaders in Communication event Wednesday. addy brooks contributing photographer
During a Q&A at the end of the event, one student asked Coleman if she has a specific memory or piece of advice from a professor that she still applies to her job today. Coleman, who graduated from SU in 1998, shared that Professor Robert Thompson told her a story about how Bruce Paltrow would put Easter eggs into various episodes of St. Elsewhere, a show he directed and produced. Coleman said this taught her to look for the little things in her work that can bring joy to both herself and the audience. In another campaign, We Are Social used artificial intelligence to create an interactive dining experience, actualizing the fictional restaurant WcDonald’s, that appears in anime and manga culture. Coleman said the team used AI to create the projection mapping that brought the WcDonald’s world to life for customers. “It’s one of those things that blew me away, and something that wouldn’t have been pos-
sible before we had this advanced technology,” Coleman said. Coleman said rather than taking over jobs, AI technology is actually encouraging an increase of human touch in advertising. Agencies are working to tell brand stories, incorporate human-made art and utilize episodic content. The challenge for agencies now is to determine how to incorporate AI to increase efficiency, Coleman said. Peruta said AI isn’t going to disappear, and therefore can not and should not be avoided. Students entering the workforce in the era of AI are at an advantage because they can leverage their knowledge and experience with AI, Coleman said. Sophomore Sophia Hasch said the event gave her tangible advice on how she can use artificial intelligence to think outside the box and stand out in internships. “(Coleman) talked a lot about how (AI’s) not taking our jobs, and it can be used to think
outside the box and stand out in internships,” Hasch said. It’s important to understand how to use AI as a tool, no matter what major you’re studying, Peruta said. He said it’s crucial for students to enter the workforce with an understanding of this technology. “As much as AI is bad at some of the creative things right now, if you’re studying advertising or PR and even journalism, unfortunately or fortunately, you’re going to be expected to hit the ground running and join that agency and be familiar with the AI tools and capabilities,” Peruta said. AI is changing advertising, not taking over, Coleman said. She said she has never done better work in her life than in the age of AI. “AI is pushing our clients into a creative renaissance,” Coleman said during the event. “They’re letting us do things they haven’t let us do for the past 10 years.” cacagnaz@syr.edu
on campus
2025 DPS campus safety report reveals increase in sexual offenses By Ben Butler
alumni engagement editor
Content warning: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual assault. Syracuse University reported increases in two sex offense categories in 2025 — rape and fondling, according to an Oct. 1 campus safety report from SU’s Department of Public Safety. In 2025, there were 10 rapes reported in SU’s campus residential facilities, four more than the year prior. There were no reports of rape at non-campus buildings or properties in the most recent report, which includes buildings controlled by student organizations recognized by SU, such as fraternity and sorority houses. This information comes from DPS’s annual campus safety report, which is required by the Jeanne Clery Act. The 1990 federal statute, named for a student who was raped and murdered at Lehigh University in 1986, requires all universities that receive federal funding to annually report crime statistics. The report details crime incidents on SU campus, adjacent and surrounding public property and residence halls. There were eight reports of fondling on SU’s campus in 2025 and one in a non-campus building or property. This was an increase from years prior, with three reports in 2023 and seven in 2024. The U.S. Department of Education described fondling in 2020 as touching genitalia sexually, forcibly and/or non-consensually. The word “fondling” has faced criticism because its connotation is too positive. In June, the FBI issued its annual update to the National Incident-Based Reporting System User Manual. The manual now requires institutions to track and report “criminal sexual contact” instead of fondling.
In 2025, there were 42 stalking incidents reported on SU’s campus, double the amount from 2024, and 11 reports of dating violence, one less than in 2024. The 2025 report marks the first year hazing incidents are included, following a 2024 “Stop Campus Hazing Act” amendment to the Clery Act. There were 24 hazing incidents reported in 2025, 21 of which occurred in non-campus buildings. Sex offenses are commonly underreported in crime statistics. An average of 63% of female rapes and sexual assaults aren’t reported, according to a 2016 U.S. Department of Justice analysis from 1992-2000. Academic studies suggest 90% of sexual assaults on campuses go unreported, due to shame, guilt, confidentiality concerns and worry reports won’t be believed. Campus sex offenses make up 44% of reported on-campus crimes, according to a National Center for Education Statistics study from 2021. An Association of American Universities study from 2019 revealed only 45% of students who reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force believed school officials would take reports of sexual assault seriously. After the alleged sexual assault of a woman at Cornell University by seven men affiliated with Cornell’s chapter of Chi Phi, several SU organizations posted responses condemning sexual assault and rape. Last week, SU outlined resources for those experiencing sexual violence in a campus-wide email. It also outlined SU’s Title IX investigations process and student rights involving reports and confidentiality. All reported sex offenses on SU’s campus are also referred to the Syracuse Police Department’s Abused Persons Unit, which investigates cases and makes arrests. bnbutler@syr.edu
Syracuse University reported increases in rape and fondling sex offense reports in 2025, according to an Oct. 1 DPS campus safety report. tara deluca photo editor
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from page 1
mo brown calm” and trusted what his data said — he was going to win. “We knew that it was going to be a close election, but I think the results did show that people are ready for a change in Albany and they are really passionate about the state moving in a different direction,” Whitted said. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Brown attended SUNY Brockport, playing football before he “failed out.” Brown then served in the U.S. military from 2012-2018, and enrolled at Onondaga Community College in 2015 while serving. Brown attended Syracuse University in 2017, graduating with a degree in communications and rhetorical studies in 2019. During his time attending OCC, Brown got involved in politics, where he began campaigning for Sen. Bernie Sanders during his run for president. While working for Sanders’ campaign, Brown first met many of the people he’s working with today. Brown got involved in the campaign by attending a debate watch party hosted in Solvay, New York. George Albro, co-chair of the New York Progressive Action Network, said Brown was one of the founders of the organization in 2016 and was a delegate for Sanders at the Democratic National Convention that year. “I actually never thought I would run. I always thought I would be behind the camera just because I’m not from Syracuse,” Brown said. “But over time, seeing different candidates and realizing it would be simpler if I just ran and we could be more impactful if we had me as a candidate.” Despite Brown’s initial beliefs that he would always be working on campaigns rather than running, Albro said he knew Brown would run for office in some capacity. “Mo is the type that he ran because he wanted to help people,” Albro said. “I could tell that from the beginning.” Since his first run for Onondaga County Legislator in 2023, housing and affordability have always been at the forefront of his policies. Endorsed by Sanders and organizations like the Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America, NYPAN and the New York Working Families Party, Brown is an outspoken democratic socialist, but Albro said it’s “broader” than that. Albro said Brown has endorsed and collaborated with candidates that encompass “the broad left,” rather than only democratic socialists. He said the DSA often doesn’t endorse candidates that NYPAN or Brown would, because Brown’s principles are more “progressive,” and not just socialist. In February, Brown launched the affordability slate campaign alongside Onondaga County Legislator candidates Jo Bennett and Tammy Honeywell. In the slate, the trio shared three key policies — safe and affordable housing, universal childcare and free transportation. But their work extended beyond collaboration in policy, as the team often attended community events together. “I think there’s some politicians who think they just know better, or when they hear a concern, they may downplay it or dismiss it,” Bennett said. “I’ve seen him do the complete opposite…when somebody’s telling him a concern, he really feels it and takes it in and reacts.” Both running for their respective positions in 2023, Syracuse City Auditor Alexander Marion said he also met Brown during the Sanders campaign in 2016, and appreciates having a “progressive partner” in county government. “(Brown) believes and he says this all the time: housing, healthcare, education and transfrom page 1
remembrance Hamas, but still carried the trauma. “We also remember the people who survived, the soldiers, the families who lost loved ones, the hostages and their families and the countless Israelis who continued to carry the psychological impacts of that day,” Berkowitz said. “Remembering means recognizing that Oct. 7 did not end on Oct. 7.” Sophomore Maya Brewer presented the story of Neutra, who she said was a friend of her older sister. After deferring admission to Binghamton University to take a gap year in Israel, Neutra moved to Israel and enlisted in the Israeli military. He was taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack and never returned home. A video played showing hostages returning home to their families after Brewer lit a candle in Neutra’s honor. “Omer didn’t come home like them, and that is a loss that doesn’t get smaller, but the way people respond to it gives us hope,” Brewer said. Before adjourning, Israeli military Master Sergeant and former SU student Eliyahu Yifrach spoke about his experience being in Jerusalem during the attacks. Yifrach said the public will only know a few of the stories that happened, but people look toward each other in dark times.
After defeating 28-year incumbent Bill Magnarelli in the primary election, Mo Brown will face Republican Shawn Fiato in the midterm election on Nov. 3. avery magee development editor
portation are all human rights,” Marion said. “I think that’s a wonderful and simple way to convey what I think a lot of people feel and a lot of people are worried about.” Onondaga County Legislator and Majority Leader Nodesia Hernandez said before the legislature flipped Democratic, she and Brown didn’t have much power. Despite this, the two stayed firm on their stances. “A lot of the work we did in the past was more about making sure that we just voiced our opinions and we didn’t back down for stuff when we felt like the vote wasn’t right to vote for,” Hernandez said. “We always voted no.” Hernandez compared Brown to the New York Knicks, something she said he often does himself. She referred to Brown as a “team player,” citing the team’s recent championship, despite many doubting their ability to win. “He doesn’t let anyone count him out,” Hernandez said. “Even if he knows that he can’t get it done because he’s the one voice, he makes sure he knows that his one voice is heard, that others know where he’s coming from.” Rather than long-term experience as an elected official, Whitted said it’s Brown’s extensive work on other campaigns that sets him apart from other candidates. “Mo working as an organizer and as a campaign manager has been bringing people together around issues and around candidates that people are passionate about,” Whitted said. “If you really want to get a bill passed in Albany or get something included in the budget, that’s exactly what you need to do.” “Jews in America and people in America, they only know a small fraction, an iota of what happened on Oct. 7,” Yifrach said. “With only knowing a fraction, a lot of people feel hopeless and not engaged.” Yifrach said he feels it’s his responsibility to educate people on the events of what happened and that being at Hillel’s event made him feel at home. “It felt almost like being at home at the end,” Yifrach said. “In Israel, today is very much a memorial day.” Berkowitz said recently studying abroad in Israel makes Oct. 7 still feel “very fresh.” She talked about how her conversations with Israeli residents gave her perspective on Jewish unity. Many of the Israelis she talked to felt the Jewish people not living in Israel had it worse than them, Berkowitz added. “They can’t even imagine being on campus and feeling like you can’t wear your Jewish star,” Berkowitz said. “I felt I can’t even imagine being the ones fighting for your country and losing people, so there’s some mutual understanding between us that we’re all united on the front of being Jewish.” Although the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, those involved in the remembrance, including sophomore Hannah Berlin, felt that it’s important to talk about the impact on individual lives while leaving out politics. “At this event we weren’t bringing politics into it at all, we were just talking about individual
If elected, Brown said he would work closely with Sen. Rachel May. The two have known each other and worked on various political projects since 2017, but this would be the first time they would formally work alongside one another. Despite not having solidified many policy ideas, May said the pair started talking after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came to speak in Syracuse about the threat of vote purging. They began brainstorming a bill that would prevent voters from being classified as inactive, as May said the current rule is “draconian.” May endorsed Brown’s campaign, citing his work at OCC as a success coach and time in the military as experiences in “public service.” She said these provide him with an important perspective compared to other candidates. “When he introduces himself, he’ll always say, ‘I’m Maurice Brown, and I believe in…’ and he’s got a list of things of what he believes in,” May said. “Healthcare for all. Everyone deserves housing…it’s almost like that’s his last name — ‘Brown-I-believe-in healthcare-for-all.’” Brown is known for being active in the Syracuse community. This is something Colin Crowley, one of Brown’s campaign volunteers, said makes him more relatable to others. “He comes to decisions based on his own experience and based on the experience of real people in the community,” Crowley said. “I think people are so turned off by politics right now because everything seems so fake or so disconnected from their actual lives and I think people find that really refreshing.”
Crowley said he first started working with Brown a few years ago through their involvement in NYWFP, which Brown is still involved in today. If Brown is elected, Crowley will serve as his Chief of Staff. SU senior Calla Kolar interned with the county legislator and later reached out to Brown asking if he needed help with his campaign, where he offered her an internship position. “I would just say he does a very good job of telling it how it is and showing his cards as soon as you meet him,” Kolar said. “I could tell he was genuine. I could tell he really cared about the people. He wears being a Democratic Socialist on his sleeve.” Before the primary election, Brown’s interns made over 117,000 calls over a six-week period, Kolar said. Now, she said, her job is more focused on helping at community events, and that the interns are less focused on phone banking for the general election. With less than a month until election day, Brown and his campaign team have transitioned to a more relaxed action plan, as they were “largely focused on the primary,” Kolar said. Brown has developed the relationships needed to beat a 28-year incumbent and win a race, Albro said, citing his character and respect for others as important parts of who he is as a politician. Brown will face Republican Shawn Fiato on Nov. 3 for the midterm election. “He’s one of the most unique and special people that I’ve ever met, actually, who has been involved in politics,” Albro said. “I don’t think he has a selfish bone in his body.” mirrengrimason@dailyorange.com
In its Oct. 7 remembrance event, Syracuse University’s Winnick Hillel Center lit candles to honor the lives lost. eden price contributing photographer
people who were affected and their stories,” Berlin said. “I think that those individual experiences and stories can have such an impact on people.” Levy said that although he thinks the “horrors” of Oct. 7 will be part of the psyche of Jewish people for “as long as our lifetimes,” it won’t stop anyone from searching for peace.
“Places like Hendricks are places where people can come together from different faith communities with different views and build bridges,” Levy said. “So by telling these stories, we’re starting that bridge building, starting the dialogue.” rcgaripo@syr.edu
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CULTURE
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october 8, 2026 9
Fidget fixations
A squishy baby, NeeDoh cube and other toys are nestled in Syracuse University junior Linnea Gerlach and her roommates’ bin. Their friends often play with the squishies when they come over. zoe xixis asst. photo editor
dumplings, NeeDohs, baby squishies and bound to have a squishy nearby — even if that Why SU students hoard glitter more. Wrapped in a silicone or rubber shell and place is the local bar. filled with various textures, squishies are the At The Banana Bar Crawl in September, Sandler squishy collections brought her banana squishy to Faegan’s Cafe & newest fidget toys on the block. With midterms around the corner, some SU Pub and Orange Crate Brewing Co. At the bar students are turning to fidgets for focus help. Bird crawl, people were amused to see the unexpected of all shapes, sizes Library even has a study room with pop-its that accessory and played with it themselves. Sandler’s collection began a year ago, after Gerlach is consistently drawn to. and textures They come in various shapes and sizes — some online advertisements influenced her to buy more. By Claire Zhang
social media editor
P
ost-going out rituals for some Syracuse University students may entail DoorDashing food, debriefing the night or conking out in bed. But SU senior Linnea Gerlach and her roommates opt for something different. “We all sat around our living room table and fidget traded for two hours,” Gerlach said. “We’re on that grind, hard at work.” A bin of over 50 fidgets and squishies sits in Gerlach’s apartment. It’s jam-packed with “everything under the sun”: butter squishies, rare
replicate giant bananas or pickles while others are simple cubes or gumdrops. Depending on the filling material, texture can be an enticing factor for buyers. Some squishies are filled with coconut oil, Vaseline, slime or clay, making them slow-rising. Others are filled with water, Orbeez or crunchy beads. While squishies are technically marketed as children’s toys, many SU students have taken a liking — or obsession — to playing with and collecting them. SU senior Dylan Sandler has over 30 squishy toys, and for her, the allure has no age limit. “I’m the worst,” Sandler said. “I’m literally 22, by the way.” Sandler’s collection is scattered everywhere: in her living room, in her and her roommates’ bedrooms and in various bags and purses. Sandler said no matter where she goes, she’s
Every few weeks, a new texture, pattern or object drops, and Sandler’s supply grows. “I found one, but then with the social media of it all, I didn’t realize there were so many options,” Sandler said. “Then it was like all hell broke loose.” Some squishies have skyrocketed to virality, like the famous glitter dumpling that leaves people lining up outside Five Below and sells out at stores. SU sophomore Katie Jamroga worked at a home and garden store this summer, where customers, typically children, often asked her if they carried certain squishies. After her manager supplied them, Jamroga used her employee discount to see what the squishy rave was all about. Flash forward a few months, Jamroga’s amassed her own assortment: two NeeDohs, a see fidget page 11
beyond the hill
Real-life incident sparked American High’s ‘Rolling Loud’ film By Joel Pelachik
asst. culture editor
When Travis Scott headlined the second day of Miami’s Rolling Loud festival on Dec. 14, 2024, he pumped up the crowd by playing his 2023 hit “FE!N” over and over. During the “FE!N” marathon, Scott brought out an unexpected guest, captivating the tens of thousands in attendance. But Hailey Tredo, American High’s head of visual development and artificial intelligence, had a different view of the moment. Below the stage, she watched the crowd while helping
a camera crew capture footage for American High’s comedy “Rolling Loud: The Movie.” Suddenly, the film’s star appeared on stage. “Is that Owen Wilson? Is that Lightning McQueen?” Tredo remembers festivalgoers shouting. “I’m hearing this erupt 360 (degrees) around me in the crowd, and I see everyone’s cameras come up,” Tredo said. “And I hear (Wilson yell), ‘I’m feining for more.’” While many projects from the Liverpool-based production company go straight to Hulu, its latest film, “Rolling Loud: The Movie,” received the
full popcorn-and-candy treatment with a nationwide theatrical release Friday. The film follows a concerned father, Hank (Wilson), and his 13-year-old son, Zion (Christian Convery). When Zion gets lost at Rolling Loud, Hank must navigate the festival to find him. The project features performances and cameos from celebrities like Matt Rife, Sexyy Red, Ski Mask The Slump God, The Rizzler and more.W Director Jeremy Garelick’s vision for the project was sparked by the director’s real-life experience. A few years ago, Garelick took his then 13-year-old son to Rolling Loud near SoFi Stadium in
Inglewood, California, against his wife’s wishes. After sneaking his son into the festival — Garelick didn’t originally know 16 was the minimum age — the two got separated. “It’s not a great place to lose a 13-year-old kid. So for a long time I was panicking, and I was like, ‘This is the worst moment of my life,’” Garelick said. “And then I found him and gave him a big hug, and I was like, ‘Oh, this will make a fun movie.’” Garelick, who founded American High in 2017, said he traversed the hectic environment to look for his son while people walked around half-
naked, wore ski masks and smoked weed. Even before his son got lost, the pair entered a tent to take a break from the chaotic atmosphere, and two girls started flirting with them. Garelick described the experience as “weird,” but he wrote the girls into the script. For the most part, Garelick said the movie is fairly accurate to his reallife experience, but he added some dramatized scenes, like Wilson jumping around on stage with Scott. The project reminds Garelick of Todd Phillips’ early-2000s comedies like “Road Trip” and see rolling loud page 11
10 october 8, 2026
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EVENTS
beyond the hill
SU’s foodies find new eats, hidden gems on Beli THIS WEEKEND By April Stelle staff writer
On Saturday evening, Dylan Germain was deciding where to eat with a friend around the area. Germain pulled out his phone, but instead of going to Yelp or Google, he opened another app: Beli Unlike other food review apps, Beli has provided a different way to find niche places for a night out off campus. “I like trying new places, especially in Syracuse, trying to find more hole-in-the-wall kind of places that helped me get away a little bit from the university specifically,” Germain, a Syracuse University junior, said. Founded by Judith Thelen and Eliot Frost in 2021, the Beli app allows users to review restaurants, find curated lists of new places to try based on previous reviews and compare eatery ratings with friends and family. The app also allows users to unlock additional features by inviting friends to download the app.
A self-proclaimed foodie, Germain found Beli through social media two years ago and consistently uses the app, even in Syracuse. Before his Beli discovery, Germain used his memory to keep track of his culinary adventures. Now, Germain has reviewed 158 restaurants throughout Syracuse, his hometown of Plainview and other places he’s traveled to, like Prague and Budapest. Beyond dining reviews and recommendations, Germain enjoys Beli’s social aspect. Akin to Instagram, Beli has features like followers, tags, likes and comments. Germain has 31 followers, which he said are mostly friends and family from Syracuse and Long Island. If Germain eats out with friends who also use the app, there’s a feature that allows him to tag people to create a group review. This creates a group score of the meal on top of each person’s individual review. “It’s definitely made it a more enjoyable experience of eating out together with people, kind of something to look forward to at the end of the meal,” Germain said.
Although Germain favors Asian and Japanese cuisine, his top-ranked Syracuse restaurant on Beli is currently Apizza Regionale on Genesee Street. Germain gave the Italian restaurant a 9.7 out of 10. Another Syracuse standout, which Germain found on Saturday through Beli, is Peruvian fusion restaurant Inka’s located on South Salina Street. This is also a favorite of SU junior Keely Peck, who has been using Beli since March after hearing about it on TikTok and seeing her friends use it during a spring break trip. Peck rated it a 9.4 while Germain gave it an 8.9. Growing up in Los Angeles in a family of adventurous eaters, Peck has always tried new foods. Living apart from her mom in L.A. and her sister in Dublin, Ireland, has its challenges, but Beli has made the distance feel easier for Peck. By trading food reviews and documenting their eating habits on the app, Peck said having her mom and sister on Beli keeps them connected. Peck enjoys her mom’s detailed reviews of places like Courage Bagels in L.A. and laughed at her sis ter’s
see beli page 11
arts
SU symphony presents ‘Together We Are Stronger’ By Harrison McClements contributing writer
Days before an audience fills the Setnor Auditorium, Diego Barbosa-Vásquez and his orchestra are prepared. The sound of a dress rehearsal is nearly identical to the performance itself with hours of practice before a show coming to fruition. Behind the doors of Crouse College, the Setnor School of Music and the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra launched a new era, performing its inaugural concert under the direction of Barbosa-Vásquez on Tuesday. “All of the work that has to be done, not only by me, but by the amazing team here, is really impressive,” Barbosa-Vásquez said. “This is an orchestra with professional standards.” Those standards were shown during BarbosaVásquez’s first concert as the director of orchestral activities Tuesday night. The hour-long show, titled “Together We Are Stronger,” included four arrangements — each with their own style and distinctive characteristics. Barbosa-Vásquez described his approach to his leadership with the “The Orchestra of Everyone” identity, not only for his students, but the audience and community. Compared to other SU shows prior, Barbosa-Vásquez aimed to not only impress an audience, but involve them as part of the show.
The concert that the orchestra has to offer is not one that I as music director am going to define. I won’t define it. We all are going to define it. Diego Barbosa-Vásquez director of orchestral activities
Various categories of instruments such as brass, strings, woodwind and percussion took part, with details and analysis provided in a preshow talk by Music and Performing Arts Librarian Amanda DuBose. After opening with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Egmont, Op. 84: Overture,” a piece with a striking introduction, the show continued with Jean Sibelius’ “Valse Triste,” Antonín Dvořák’s “From the New World” and concluded with Lucho Bermúdez’s “Colombia Tierra Querida.” Some, like “Valse Triste,” were soft and contrasted with louder sounds like the sharp crescendo in “From the New World.”
Tim’s Pumpkin Patch Looking to enjoy a classic pumpkinpicking experience? Head to Tim’s Pumpkin Patch in Marietta for Pumpkin Fest Weekend. Activities include hay rides, a corn maze, photo ops, seasonal treats and more. WHERE: Tim’s Pumpkin Patch WHEN: Open every day of October, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PRICE: $9.30 to $10.34
Syracuse City Ballet: “Dracula” Experience a haunting art performance as the Syracuse Ballet tells the dramatic and timeless story of “Dracula.” With elaborate costumes and storytelling, it’s a night of dance you won’t want to miss. WHERE: The Oncenter Carrier Theater WHEN: Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. PRICE: $41.70 to $65.40
LaFayette Apple Festival Soak up the fall weather 20 minutes from campus at the LaFayette Apple Festival. Over 400 vendors, crafters,artisans and apple treats will celebrate the 53rd annual event. WHERE: 2444 Tully Farms Road WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PRICE: $8
AJJ – Dirty Old Power Tour
diego barbosa-vásquez raises his arm while conducting the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra. The Tuesday show was Barbosa-Vásquez’s SU debut. tara deluca photo editor
Despite the differences, each piece had the audience engaged in the same way, leading to an emphatic finale. But during “Colombia Tierra Querida,” the crowd was involved on another level. The Latin-inspired groove had performers and audience members on their feet, especially when Barbosa-Vásquez urged spectators to clap along. The piece also featured several improvisations by students. “One of the things that I really appreciate working with (Barbosa-Vásquez) as a conductor is his attention to detail,” violinist and SU freshman Rachel Kierzkowski said. “(Improvisation) is not something you’d really think to bring into an orchestra concert, especially in a symphony setting.” Audience involvement, such as clapping along with the music, was central to the show. For much of the recital, Barbosa-Vásquez would sit down, especially during student solos — an unconventional yet intentional decision by the conductor. This lets the music take control and allows the audience to interpret the performance for themselves. Barbosa-Vásquez described himself as more of a curator than director. This style appeals to many student performers, like SU junior and violinist Maxie Murphy. For Murphy, the show displayed the progress the orchestra has already made. She said
the ensemble felt more unified and focused in a way they hadn’t before. “The attention to detail in the lead up to rehearsals as well as the performance itself was incredible, not just for building the orchestra’s sound, but also for teaching how a professional orchestra should run and sound,” Murphy said. Throughout the evening, Barbosa-Vásquez revisited the recurring motif of human and collective identity, with questions like “Who are we?” and “What can we become together?” He sees music as the main way to bring people together and approach that conversation. Students of Barbosa-Vásquez, like Kierzkowski, appreciate the attention he gives to classical music that may be overlooked by some. “Noticing this music is underrepresented and bringing it into this space, it’s been really cool to get such a new unique perspective on music in general under his direction,” Kierzkowski said. Tuesday’s performance was the first of many events planned to implement Barbosa-Vásquez’s aim to hear the community’s input. It even included a QR code on the program to give the audience an outlet to share their thoughts directly. “The concert that the orchestra has to offer is not one that I as music director am going to define,” Barbosa-Vásquez. “I won’t define it. We all are going to define it.” hsmcclem@syr.edu
After Dark presents a night with AJJ, an American folk-punk band from Arizona, as it stops in Syracuse during its Dirty Old Power Tour. The performance is bound to be energetic, with songs like “Brave as a Noun” and “Bad Bad Things” featuring bass guitar and experimental sounds. WHERE: The Song & Dance WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m. PRICE: $34.17
Syracuse Men’s Ice Hockey Game Show up to support the Syracuse University Men’s Ice Hockey club team in its game against Stony Brook University at the Tennity Ice Pavilion. The club team’s season opened less than two weeks ago in its game against the Ohio University Bobcats. WHERE: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. PRICE: Free entry for SUNY ESF and SU students
Central New York Regional Market Flea Market On Saturdays, the Central New York Regional Market hosts a weekly farmers market. To follow, there’s a flea market on Sundays, hosting a range of antiques to shop, handmade items to sift through and specialty foods like apple cider fry cakes and giant cinnamon rolls to try. WHERE: 2100 Park St. WHEN: Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. PRICE: Free
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from page 9
fidget duck squishy, fidget spinners and more that sit safely in a clear container atop her desk. Jamroga remembers yearning for a fidget spinner when they gained notoriety years ago. Her parents refused to buy one until finally caving in. Now, in college, the appeal remains. “I guess this is just what I do with my own money now,” Jamroga said. “I’ll just buy them myself.” When playing with her ombre, holographic fidget spinners, Jamroga often feels a sense of nostalgia. She likes to show them off to her friends, bringing them to Food.com in the Newhouse School of Public Communications and even to a fraternity party. Jamroga said people are always excited to see a toy that reminds them of their childhood. She remembers when fidget spinners were popular at her middle school, so much so that teachers banned them in classrooms. Her collection now is almost like a “rebellion.” It’s baffling how many variants of fidget toys have popped up over the years, Jamroga said. Scrolling on TikTok or walking through Five Below, there’s a squishy for everything — from fake animals to marshmallows. While she’s indulged in new styles, she’s loyal to her “special interest”: fidget spinners. “Kids are picky now,” Jamroga said. “Back then all I needed was my metal spinny thing.” While many students bring squishies around to boast or trade, some use them to improve their focus. Sandler said having one with her at all times gives her something to do with her hands, soothing her ADHD. Gerlach grabs a couple squishies from her bin to bring to Bird Library whenever she needs to lock in on an assignment. SU students are using squishies for a multitude of reasons. And with every rotating trend, it’s only a matter of time
Syracuse University sophomore Katie Jamroga plays with a fidget spinner. Jamroga yearned for a fidget spinner 10 years ago, and even in college, her interest in them remains. zoe xixis asst. photo editor
before corporations hop on. Gerlach and her roommates found themselves in line for 7 Brew Coffee on Labor Day morning, hoping to get a special edition — but off-brand — “7 Brew Doh”. Driving there, waiting in the “crazy line” and driving back took three hours. But they came out of it with three squishies filled with coffee mugshaped confetti. Gerlach and her roommates have invested a large amount of time and money into their collection, so they’re adamant about sustaining the squishies’ lifespans. When they start to dull or get dirty, they’ll revive the toys by washing or lotioning them.
“When they break, we save them with the glue you use for bedazzling,” Gerlach said. “We’re not wasting.” Whether squishies sit in bins on apartment floors or are nestled at the bottom of school bags, they’re a topic of conversation at SU. Gerlach and her roommates bond over their personalized favorites, creating a fun game of trading back and forth. When Gerlach has visitors, the fidgets are a hot commodity. “Our friends will come over and the bin just sits in our living room,” Gerlach said. “They’re like, ‘Oh my god, can we play with the squishies?’ Obviously.”
from page 9
rolling loud “Old School,” as well as some of his own projects like “The Wedding Ringer” and “The Hangover.” Before Andie Schlenker knew who Garelick was, she saw “The Wedding Ringer” in theaters during high school. Now, Schlenker’s an administrative director and producer for American High. “It’s just really cool to have seen that movie, not knowing anything about the world of film, not knowing anything about Jeremy personally,” Schlenker said. “And now seeing a film created by the same person that I got to play a role in is very, very special.” Garelick didn’t set out to just make another comedy, though. Garelick aimed to write him and his son into the “crazy world” of Rolling Loud, he said. Even during the writing process, Schlenker said it was clear how passiondriven this story was. “As soon as he had the idea, it became a sole focus,” Schlenker said. “He just had to get it out on the paper, which I think is always a good sign of true heart going into a project.” Besides Miami in 2024, “Rolling Loud: The Movie” was also shot at a Rolling Loud in the Los Angeles area and on a backlot
Owen Wilson (left) and Christian Convery ride an attraction for “Rolling Loud: The Movie.” The film was directed by Jeremy Garelick. courtesy of live nation and american high
soundstage at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia. In total, the team filmed for about a month, Tredo said. Tredo helped recreate the festival environment in Georgia through a volume wall, a giant screen that displays digital
environments. While watching clips from the movie, Schlenker couldn’t tell the difference between the real crowd and the crowd on the volume wall, she said. “The energy, not only at the festival, carried onto our set when we went to Georgia,” Tredo
from page 10
beli
choice of getting birria tacos in Ireland, which was probably a “poor order choice,” Peck said. “I love food. Like honestly, God, I really do, and I love trying new things. So I think it’s just fun,” Peck said. “I just love seeing what my friends are eating, and I mean there probably is a little bit of showing off like ‘Oh I’m going to this place’ with everything on social media.” Since returning to school, Peck has been less active on the app. Peck doesn’t have a car on campus and when she does eat out, she finds herself gravitating toward fast food for a more financially feasible meal. One of Peck’s favorite features on Beli is the top 10 rankings of specific restaurants based on the area the user is in, which are only made for bigger cities like L.A. and New York City, where Peck lived over the summer. As a smaller city, Syracuse doesn’t have the top 10 ranking, another reason Peck has been inactive on Beli, she said. However, Beli has infiltrated college campuses. On the app, users can now rank dining halls on campus, something Germain has participated in at SU. Germain ranked Sadler Dining Center at 2.3, Ernie Davis Dining Center at 5.7 and Graham Dining Center at 6.5 out of 10. These were low compared to Germain’s other rankings, but he said it was a cool feature.
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flynn ledoux contributing illustrator
Peck also mentioned a competition where students can link their IDs to join a schoolwide leaderboard with other SU students based on how many restaurants a user reviews — something Peck is reluctant to enter. “That could become a competition of who can spend as much money as possible,” Peck
said. “That’s my biggest thing. It’s like ‘set a goal of how many restaurants you can go to.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t set a goal’ because I want to achieve a goal. I cannot financially afford that.” This has also been the experience of SU junior Adriana Leone, who has been a Beli user
Trends are ever-evolving, with the newest toy most likely just around the corner, Jamroga said. But for now, squishies will continue to be “fun and harmless for everyone but the bank account,” helping people focus, stirring heated trading sessions and bringing friends together. “Honestly, we could have a lot worse things we could be doing than spending our money on squishies,” Gerlach said. DISCLAIMER: Katie Jamroga is a contributing writer for The Daily Orange. Jamroga did not influence the editorial content of this article.
cmzhang@syr.edu
said. “It was like Rolling Loud was with us the whole time.” Filming at the actual in-person festivals — what Tredo called “guerilla-style” filming — made the project more authentic, Tredo said. Before shooting the “FE!N” scene, Garelick met with Scott, and they went over the script. Around 50 cameras were set up from various angles to capture the sequence. Garelick said Scott did lots of improvisation and was “so pumped.” At the end of the day, Garelick described it as “guesswork” and “indie filmmaking.” “It was chaos, and it was so loud. And we couldn’t hear each other, so there was no communication,” Garelick said. “We just had to put our fate in the movie gods, and they took care of us.” When Tredo saw the movie in theaters this weekend, she said its immersiveness made her feel like she was back at the festival — and that was exactly what Garelick wanted to achieve. Garelick said this generation rarely experiences laughing in the theater with hundreds of people, which he deemed as one of the “greatest experiences ever.” “Laugh in a theater and really understand what it means to enjoy a comedy with your friends and with so many people,” Garelick said. “It’s like going to a concert or a festival itself.” jdpelach@syr.edu
since May. Leone has only rated 10 restaurants on the app, mostly because she often doesn’t eat out in Syracuse. Leone was introduced to Beli by a friend during a trip to L.A. and, as an “avid foodie” from New York City, she was hooked. The app keeps her connected with friends from SU when everyone leaves campus in a less formal way than other social media platforms, she said. Through Beli, Leone’s learned the foods her friends gravitate to, something that doesn’t come up in everyday conversations. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever said to one of my friends like ‘This is my favorite food’ not casually in conversation,” Leone said. “I feel like just scrolling through that and you kind of get a sense of what you can do with a person.” Although Leone isn’t active on the app, she recommended it to SU students to teach them more about the central New York food scene. Having friends on Beli isn’t a necessary part of this process, Leone said. There are also Beli influencers that allow users to find popular places with high reviews from the people with the highest following in Syracuse. For Germain, Beli has given him a reason to try new places around Syracuse and made dining out with friends more enjoyable. “Great app. Definitely recommend,” Germain said. ajstelle@syr.edu
12 october 8, 2026
OPINION
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The D.O. urges proactive institutional efforts against sexual violence By The Daily Orange Editorial Board
Content warning: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual assault. On Sept. 16, a former Cornell University student filed a lawsuit alleging she was gang raped in 2024 by seven men at Cornell’s Chi Phi Fraternity house. The national outrage spurred by the lawsuit shed light on injustices at other institutions around the country entrusted with responding to sexual violence. The Daily Orange calls for stronger institutional efforts to proactively end rape culture. We acknowledge our responsibility as an independent student newspaper to hold those in power accountable and provide a platform for those impacted by injustice. Students devote their time and resources to universities, so universities have a responsibility to protect their students. When sexual violence allegations are brought forward, that responsibility can’t end out of fear of rebuttal. Institutions must ensure students know where to seek help, that allegations are taken seriously and that the processes built to protect don’t become a source of harm, struggle or embarrassment. Cornell failed to adequately follow up after the initial 2024 allegations. Ithaca police weren’t informed despite the severity of the allegations. The offenders received minimal punishment, like writing essays, yet Cornell stated such consequences complied with university policies.
The Daily Orange calls for stronger institutional efforts to proactively end rape culture. We acknowledge our responsibility as an independent student newspaper to hold those in power accountable and provide a platform for those impacted by injustice. Cornell’s handling of the case raises questions about whether institutional processes were properly equipped to respond to an allegation of this magnitude. Universities must recognize when a situation extends beyond what they’re prepared to handle. Campus resources can provide crucial support, but allegations of serious criminal conduct can’t be treated as a university matter. Students must have streamlined access to authorities capable of conducting an independent criminal investigation. Syracuse University must learn from Cornell’s shortcomings. Rather than being reactive to filed Title IX cases, SU must vocalize a zero-tolerance policy, preventing acts of sexual violence before they occur. Students deserve clear communication about how allegations of sexual violence are handled. They deserve accessible information about Title IX processes, confidential campus resources and law enforcement involvement. They should be aware of their options, under-
standing what happens after they report and where they can turn if they’re dissatisfied with the response. Student journalists shouldn’t be the ones responsible for speaking up and pursuing justice for victims. This is the institution’s job. When institutions do fail, however, responsibilities fall onto us. The Cornell Daily Sun took significant risks in pursuing accountability amid Cornell’s failure, naming the alleged perpetrators and asking crucial questions about how Cornell handled the case. Its work demanded and continues to demand answers in a time they’re needed most. Students are the voice of the institutions they attend. As an independent, student-run newspaper, The D.O. recognizes the unique position we occupy, able to hold our institutions accountable. We know students often feel nervous about coming forward during their most vulnerable experiences, especially when it involves the institution where they live and learn. College is
the first place many people may be exposed to sexual violence, especially with its desensitization within party culture. That’s why The D.O. is establishing a tip line. The tip line will provide students with an avenue to securely share their experiences with our publication. It isn’t a replacement for Title IX processes or proper support from institutions, but rather a place for students to confidentially voice their experiences. Our staff will listen to our community, protect student privacy and push SU to answer difficult questions. Cornell’s case is an unfortunate reminder of the power student journalists must possess when institutions fail to speak. Sexual violence isn’t an issue isolated to a single fraternity or university — it’s a national problem that requires institutions to hold perpetrators accountable, enact broader cultural change and a willingness to believe survivors. The D.O. is committed to uplifting our community’s stories and persistently demanding the answers students deserve. The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.
tara deluca photo editor
october 8, 2026 13
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from page 16
howard Nobody scolded Ali from ages 1-3 in England as Tim starred for Everton. Maybe some of the English Premier League’s physicality rubbed off on her. Ali said sports were far from her priority in the next stage of her childhood, in Collierville, Tennessee, where four fields span a five-minute drive. She spent most of her time matching headbands and sharing squishmallows with teammates on Midsouth Futbol, a local club team. Before she was 10, Ali joined Lobos. Defense was her penchant. But one of her scariest moments occurred when a coach asked her to play goalie. “No, don’t put me in there,” she recalls saying. “And I started crying on the field.” Who would’ve thought that reaction stemmed from Tim’s bloodline? Nonetheless, Ali became a hard-nosed defender for Lobos and the U.S. Olympic Development Team. With her experience and stature, most opponents chose to avoid Ali so they wouldn’t be bulldozed. “I was scared to go against her in practice,” said Ellett Smith, Ali’s former Lobos teammate who Bradshaw called a Twinkle Toes-esque player. “I would always choose to go get someone else because I was so scared.” Smith, who attended Houston High School (Tennessee), chuckled as she recalled the first time she faced Ali at nearby Briarcrest Christian School. She remembered the crowd going mute after Ali slide-tackled Smith’s teammate. Once you take on Ali Howard one-on-one, you’ll remember it forever. “She definitely flattened a few girls,” said Allie Broadway, Ali’s former Lobos teammate and best friend. “They’ve gone home with bruises, been crying off the field. I’m glad she’s on my team. I never had to play against her.” As Briarcrest’s lone eighth grader in 2020, Ali’s physicality was an issue for girls four years older. But because she’d taken a step forward with the Saints, she missed significant time with Lobos. Bradshaw still played her, though. from page 15
legette-jack New additions create depth
By the end of last season, Izoje was getting double- and triple-teamed, and she still increased her scoring average to 20 points per game in the postseason. But LegetteJack believes Izoje can reach another level in 2026-27. “You play Uche one-on-one, there’s a difference than playing her two-on-one,” Legette-Jack said. In the 2024-25 campaign, Syracuse finished under .500 for the second time since 2007. The goal then was to restore SU’s past consistency. But with Izoje whose 303 rebounds last season were the third most in a season in program history and 514 points led SU — at the forefront now, Legette-Jack has built a roster around her, primarily consisting of technical players who can maneuver in the paint and attack the basket from multiple dimensions. from page 14
volleyball Ganesharatnam said. “We need to create more pressure situations with our serve.” The offense regressed against the Mustangs, hitting 0% and registering the same amount of errors as kills (26). Still, outside hitter Stamey rebounded from five- and nine-kill performances with 12 against SMU. Against Pitt, the Orange hit .200, their best mark in ACC play so far. They cut back on errors with 15, registering 34 kills as Burge returned to form with 27 assists. Stamey kept producing, turning in 14 kills. Emma Williams also stepped up with eight kills, her most in four conference games. With the hardest part of its schedule complete, more offensive progression is bound to come.
Kiernan Stamey’s emergence
When Ganesharatnam’s squad opened the season against Cincinnati on Aug. 29, the offense’s No. 1 option was unclear. Stamey quickly put those discussions to rest, opening with five consecutive double-digit kill outings. After two error-filled matches, she rebounded with a career-high 19 kills against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sept. 18. While Stamey registered a season-low five kills against Louisville and only had nine against Notre Dame, she rebounded with 12 against SMU and 14 against Pitt. “We want to get her to a level where she can be an All-American type of player, and
ali howard dribbles forward in SU’s loss to Niagara on Aug. 27. Since switching to striker, Howard’s physicality has made her a scoring threat. cole christopher staff photographer
“She’s a brute. She’s the bull in a china cabinet type of player,” he said. That’s more like it. But bulls in china cabinets accidentally knock things over. Ali isn’t, so subtract those aspects of the label. She moves with purpose, without malicious intent through contact. “You might need to tell me to calm down sometimes,” Ali said of the contact. “Ali Howard’s biggest challenge is Ali Howard,” Bradshaw said. “Ali Howard does not know how to go anything but 100 miles an hour.” Some challenges Ali faced were out of her reflexive control, like her breathing. Broadway said Ali was diagnosed with a vocal cord dysfunction, which blocks airways. As Ali received treatment in New Jersey and Massachusetts during high school, Smith and
Broadway texted and sent Snapchats to their friend, who strategized her return. “At practice, she’d come up to me after she had to go on a big trip for a doctor’s appointment, and she would be like, ‘Look what I learned. Look at my new breathing technique.’ We would do conditioning that day, and I could see her doing it,” Broadway recalled. Injuries don’t faze bulls in china cabinets, no matter how much they go through. At a national event in Orlando with Lobos, Ali broke her leg. The bone was fully visible, but Ali played the next 20 minutes. She’s broken 12 bones, and Bradshaw said she’s been concussed five times, one of which set her back at Syracuse. “The goofy girl tripped at the beach and fell and hit her head, and she was out for like five or six weeks,” he said.
“I like our size. I like our speed,” LegetteJack said. “I like our IQ. I think our IQ is higher than it has ever been on a whole.” Keira Scott, at 6-foot-1, has shifted more toward the wing, leaving Oregon transfer Sarah Rambus and Izoje to dominate the paint. Rambus played all 36 games for the Ducks, averaging 6.3 points. At point guard, Olivia Schmitt and Angelica Velez are expected to play larger roles. Schmitt notably made five 3s in the NCA A First Round, when Darius was sidelined with a left-hand injury. SMU transfer Tyi Skinner, now in her seventh collegiate season, averaged 13.6 points per game with the Mustangs last year. Beyond the returners, Legette-Jack has recruited a class of markswomen from the field. Madison Howard scored over 2,000 points for Monsignor Scanlan (New York), while Elif Çayir shot 40% across four seasons for Nesibe Aydin in Turkey’s Women’s Basketball Super League.
“We can go nine or 10 deep this year,” Legette-Jack said. “We’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to tell our story in a very impressive way. We’re going to punch first.”
Nonconference schedule made to test SU
It’s well-known how focused Legette-Jack is on her team only. She has maintained the motto, “our family versus their team.” Schmitt said Legette-Jack taught her that “it’s never about them, it’s about us.” Scott said that if players feel they didn’t perform well during practice, they’ll sit in the locker room for an hour talking about basketball. It’s all part of the culture LegetteJack has molded like “clay” at SU. “I’ll take an L before I take a kid that don’t bring to the culture of this place,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s too important to me.” When asked about Syracuse’s exhibition versus UConn on Oct. 12, Legette-Jack echoed her motto.
Nonetheless, Ali recovered, and it led to major changes. She departed Lobos for Alabama FC, commuting four-plus hours to occasionally appear as a “designated player.” Briarcrest Christian went 51-14-8 across her five seasons, including a 2023 Division II-AA quarterfinals appearance. Ali made ODT’s national stage in high school and traveled to Costa Rica to face its under-20 national team. But the biggest domino in Ali’s career was Bradshaw leaving Lobos, meaning he could finally train her. Ali asked him to train from 6:30-8 a.m. “Ask Ali Howard how many times we went an hour and a half,” Bradshaw said. “My clock doesn’t work when I’m around players like Ali Howard.” It was closer to two and a half hours, he said, filled with stretching, defending, finishing and body control to prepare for recruitment, where Ali garnered Southeastern Conference attention. Tennessee was Ali’s “dream school,” Smith said, so she pledged to the Volunteers on April 24, 2024. But she never played, redshirting her freshman season. She couldn’t show that she was that bull in a china cabinet. But maybe she wasn’t meant to. Ali hesitated to travel far to explore other programs, but she described Syracuse as “homey.” After transferring to SU, she’s assisted two goals in her first four games. She shoved a defender and crossed to Abby Incorvaia for a game-sealing header against Princeton. Then, she weaved a lefty cross for Moo Galbus’ first SU score against Niagara. “Ali and all of our offense work together,” SU striker Farrah Stephens-Martin said. “Ali brings that aggression on the field. She’s such a good hold-up player. It’s good, especially for us to work off her running in behind.” Bradshaw’s clock still doesn’t function around Ali when she returns to Collierville to train. Her alarm’s close to sounding. Ali stands up, and her presence has an aura taller than 5-foot-7. There’s the bull in a china cabinet with twinkle toes. “I’ve always been the girl that was uberaggressive,” she said. jaglick@syr.edu @jason_glick
“It’s not about UConn,” Legette-Jack said. “I want to play the best team that wants to play us in an exhibition, so that we can be better moving forward.” The tough slate only begins in Connecticut. Legette-Jack watched as UNC brought in Kate Harpring, Clemson signed Trinity Jones and Notre Dame recruited Jacy Abii, knowing the Atlantic Coast Conference would improve from last year. She curated a nonconference schedule she hopes will force her players to “think and play under duress.” Syracuse faces Wisconsin, Auburn and Oklahoma in a weeklong stretch from late November to early December. Those games will narrow down who best fits the team Legette-Jack envisions hitting the court when ACC play begins on Dec. 6. “It’s about who we are trying to be,” LegetteJack said. “We’re trying to be a team that you will not press us this year. That’s our goal. You press us, you’ll pay; you’ll pay fast.” peterhradosh@gmail.com @PeterRadosh
that takes buying in and taking the time to put yourself in uncomfortable situations,” Ganesharatnam said. Syracuse’s offense needs Stamey to compete in the ACC. The Orange are 0-3 when she records under 10 kills and 2-2 when she notches over 14. However, in a conference full of hitting talent, Syracuse needs its other hitters like Keila Gabriel, Marie Laurio and Williams to step into supporting roles. Ganesharatnam stressed offensive diversity last season, and it’s important Syracuse finds balance this year.
Blocking blunders
While Syracuse’s offense and service unit have improved through conference play, its block hasn’t. Through its first four ACC games, Syracuse has allowed opponents to hit .350, significantly higher than the conference average of .217. Syracuse has also been outblocked across the same stretch, with the second-most glaring disparity in the SMU loss. SU allowed 12 blocks to the Mustangs’ three, and although defensive specialist Yuka Urano has succeeded in digging opposing shots, the fact remains: Syracuse needs blocking improvements. The trend isn’t limited to conference play. Across the season, Syracuse is dead last in the ACC in blocks per set (1.49) and second-to-last in opposing hit percentage (.253). But Syracuse’s defense improved against Pitt, notching five blocks, its most in ACC play, and surrendering just six to the Panthers. Furthermore, Syracuse dug at its highest rate through conference play, notching 37.
charis burge sets the ball in Syracuse’s loss to ND. Burge has become one of SU’s top playmakers early in ACC play. carter williams contributing photographer
But with upcoming matches at NC State and Wake Forest, two teams with bottom-half ACC offenses, Syracuse’s block will have chances to improve. NC State sits 11th in the conference in hitting percentage with a .226 clip, and Wake Forest sits two spots below with a .206 mark.
“Our block has been improving throughout the last month or so. Today we got more touches, so it’s a good sign, but we got to stay on it,” Ganesharatnam said after the Pitt loss. “It’s an ongoing process.” bglofy@syr.edu @benlofy
14 october 8, 2026
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volleyball
SU volleyball is 0-4 in ACC play. What’s defined the Orange so far? reception, two areas Ganesharatnam’s harped on early in conference play. “Our quality of service was really good and put a lot of pressure on (SMU) and took (it) out of system, which allowed us to set our block and get some good touches there,” Ganesharatnam said. Despite a three-set loss to Pitt, Syracuse had a hot second set with an early four-point lead. The Orange lost by just five points in each set, a marked improvement against the nation’s second-best team.
By Ben Lofy staff writer
The last three weeks have felt like eons for Syracuse volleyball. It’s gone five matches without winning a set and hasn’t remedied an Atlantic Coast Conference losing streak dating back to last season’s 11-match drought. Since being swept by Buffalo on Sept. 20, Syracuse has fallen to three top-five opponents: then-No. 4 Louisville, then-No. 5 SMU and No. 2 Pittsburgh. “We are competing in an elite volleyball conference, one of the top conferences in the country. We will be challenged no matter who we play,” Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said after a straight-sets loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 27. “We need to focus on our side.” Syracuse’s margins of loss are narrowing, and its offense competed against Pitt and SMU. Kiernan Stamey has become the Orange’s top offensive option, but blocking deficiencies and a lack of consistency remain areas for improvement. Here are four takeaways from Syracuse’s (5-8, 0-4 ACC) winless start to ACC play:
Shrinking margins of defeat
The Orange started ACC play against one of the conference’s most potent offenses, Louisville,
Offensive progression
kiernan stamey readies for a serve in SU’s loss to ND on Sept. 27. In her first season at Syracuse, Stamey is its top offensive option. carter williams contributing photographer
losing 25-9, 25-13 and 25-18. Despite the three losses since, the margin of defeat has shrunk each time, even against opponents of Louisville’s caliber. Against the Cardinals, the Orange lost by an average of 11.7 points. Two days later,
against Notre Dame, that dropped to 8.7. The next weekend, against SMU, their margin was 7.3, and the Orange didn’t lose a set by double digits. The clash with the Mustangs also showcased improved serves and serve-
Consistent offense is the key to victory in volleyball. Teams can’t rely solely on opponents to hand them points with errors. As evidenced by wide margins of defeat against Louisville, Syracuse’s offense struggled to start ACC play. The Orange were outhit .368 to .010 against the Cardinals and had nearly as many errors (22) as kills (23). Setter Charis Burge, one of Syracuse’s top assets, recorded a season-low 14 assists as her hitters struggled. Against Notre Dame, Syracuse marginally improved, recording 19 errors with 27 kills. But SU was outhit again, .355 to .089, letting Notre Dame notch 17 more kills on just three more attacks. “We need to work on consistency. We need to keep working on eliminating unforced errors,” see volleyball page 13
from page 16
irinimbabazi and cook for kids in need. But the foremost answer? His family. Irinimbabazi hasn’t been home since he arrived in Syracuse in August 2025. Calls with his mom, Mukamatare Jovia, are a must. They remind him why he plays. “My family is my responsibilit y,” Irinimbabazi said. “If I’m doing well, probably they’re going to live well.” ••• Elite soccer programs were sparse in Makerere, the neighborhood where Irinimbabazi spent his formative years. Quality fields weren’t always easy to access. As a teenager, he often traveled about three miles north to Kawempe to train with professional players who frequented the area. There, Irinimbabazi met Angello Ssempijja, a 15-year-old academy player for NEC FC. Ssempijja respected Irinimbabazi, who’d just won the U-17 CECAFA Championship with Uganda, and was on track to sign with the Soltilo Bright Stars FC senior team at 17. Given Irinimbabazi’s success, Ssempijja thought Irinimbabazi wouldn’t offer advice. Instead, Irinimbabazi entertained Ssempijja’s questions. They bought tea and stayed in contact. Irinimbabazi often gave Ssempijja tips, asked how athletics were going and whether he needed cleats or clothes. NEC FC and Soltilo Bright Stars were opposing teams, so they’d meet at night to play futsal. “Talking to Ivan is basically like talking to your future, because he has so many wise things he can tell you,” Ssempijja said. “The wisdom, the way he handles stuff.” When Irinimbabazi left Kampala for Katerini in 2024 to sign for third-tier side Pierikos, he continued to call Ssempijja, advising him through his first year as a professional in the Uganda Premier League. In Greece, Irinimbabazi began giving money to a friend in Uganda to buy clothes, pay school fees and cook food for children in need, all while supporting his own family. “If he performs well, everything is going to be greener with his family,” Ssempijja said. “His mom, his sisters, the brother and friends as well. Ivan’s situation is like this: there are so many people who feed behind his back.” “Sometimes it’s a lot of pressure,” Ssempijja added. “But sometimes it’s like a stepping stone of where you want to be, so he uses it in a positive way.” When Irinimbabazi injured his knee before his second season at Pierikos, the seven-week recovery drained him. He was away from his family. The food was different. And now he couldn’t play. He’d never been sidelined like that before. So Irinimbabazi picked up the phone. He called his mom, his brother and his friends from home, including Ssempijja, then a freshman center back at UNLV. This time Ssempijja gave Irinimbabazi advice, reminding him how far he’d come and of the bravery it took to reach the professional level. “You’re injured; those moments are different for everyone,” Irinimbabazi said. “The only difference is how you deal with it. If you allow it
ivan irinimbabazi embraces fans after Syracuse’s 2-0 win over Le Moyne on Sept. 19. In the future, Irinimbabazi wants to start his own foundation to give back to his community. tara deluca photo editor
to stick in your head, you can feel like you want to quit. I can never quit because my family keeps me going.” ••• Irinimbabazi was already in tears. Ssempijja also felt like crying when Irinimbabazi picked him up at the airport in Louisiana before their 2026 summer season at Red River FC. “We were just like, ‘Wow, I’m with him again,’” Ssempijja said. “It’s just unexplainable. It was too much joy.” Their lives have changed since they left Uganda. Irinimbabazi has found his footing at Syracuse. He started six games in the 2025 season. Ssempijja now runs his own foundation, Angello’s Mission for Ugandan kids, which provides Ugandan children with food, education, school supplies, medical care and more. Ssempijja’s work has inspired Irinimbabazi to start his own foundation. Since January, Irinimbabazi has grown close with freshman forward Badr Laghjibi. The first-year found a “big brother” in Irinimbabazi after arriving in Syracuse for the spring. As a defensive player, Irinimbabazi is often in Laghjibi’s ear, reminding him to stay on his mark and switch directions. When a gap opens in the midfield, Irinimbabazi won’t hesitate to slip a pass to the freshman. Like Irinimbabazi, Laghjibi’s ultimate goal is to provide for his family. The two bonded over Islam, getting coffee after prayer during Ramadan. Laghjibi said he spent 16 hours a day with Irinimbabazi. “We’d just have deep talks about life,” Laghjibi said. “It’s those moments you’d remember for
the rest of your life, even though you’re doing nothing.” During this year’s Ramadan, Irinimbabazi and Laghjibi gathered money to donate to Irinimbabazi’s local mosque in Kampala. To him, when people have been fasting all day, the greatest charity he can give is helping them break their fast. “I used to be one of the kids,” Irinimbabazi said. “I used to go to the mosque and get food after, when people were breaking their fast. So I know how it feels.” Just over two months after Ramadan’s end, after spending years as opponents in Uganda, Irinimbabazi and Ssempijja are united in Louisiana. Irinimbabazi tells Ssempijja he tried center back during the spring; he doesn’t mind the new perspective, but he’ll stay in midfield over the summer. ••• There’s a composure to Irinimbabazi pregame. He’s serious, often joining McIntyre’s huddle next to Laghjibi. He kneels in prayer before each half. And just before kickoff, he points to the sky. It’s hard to tell he officially moved to center back a month ago. “I’ve tried to move him a couple of times back into midfield, and he’s been telling me I can’t do that now,” McIntyre said. Before Syracuse faced then-No. 10 Notre Dame on Sept. 25, McIntyre joined a conversation between Irinimbabazi and Laghjibi. Irinimbabazi recalls McIntyre saying it’s easy to make him happy, just “score a goal and keep a clean sheet.”
It’d be a tall task that night; not only were the Fighting Irish on the heels of a 3-1 win over thenNo. 1 Stanford, but Syracuse hadn’t left South Bend, Indiana, with a win since 2015. Perhaps McIntyre’s words were a forecast. His moment began unassumingly, a 71st-minute corner from Sachiel Ming on the left side. It was the wide midfielder’s sixth offering of the night. Ming’s inswinging cross found Chimere Omeze’s head on the edge of the six-yard box. Omeze tapped it down to Irinimbabazi, who controlled it with his right foot and turned 180 degrees before bagging his first NCAA goal. Ssempijja said Irinimbabazi is “too silent.” He feels people won’t notice Irinimbabazi’s bravery or kindness, since he prefers actions to words. But Irinimbabazi can’t stay silent here. He ran to Syracuse’s bench, arms outstretched. I did what you said. McIntyre flashed a thumbs-up as Irinimbabazi’s teammates swarmed him. Once they dispersed, Irinimbabazi knelt and bowed to the ground in prayer, before pointing two index fingers to the sky. Prayer has been his constant since Kampala — whether sidelined in Greece or searching for community in Syracuse. It’s gratitude for where he’s from, how his soccer success has helped his family and how he arrived at the ground he kneels on. He rose and was greeted by Laghjibi with a hug. For the moment, Irinimbabazi broke into a smile. peterhradosh@gmail.com @PeterRadosh
october 8, 2026 15
dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com
football
4 takeaways from SU’s 2-2 start ahead of Virginia matchup “I got a lot of faith in Shay. Shay’s a tough kid,” Fran said. “He’s gonna bounce back. He may go kick the game-winner this week.” Syracuse is tied for 122nd in the country with a 50% field goal percentage, and it’s the only team with at least 10 attempts that sits under 60%. The miscues have influenced the Orange’s offensive tactics. In the third quarter versus UConn, SU faced a fourth-and-23 at the Huskies’ 34-yard line. Syracuse could’ve tried a 51-yard field goal. It hasn’t attempted one past 50 yards, and that wasn’t about to be the first. Instead, the Orange went for it — an unfathomable decision but one that felt necessary with Barker’s misses. Odom tossed a touchdown to Daunte Bacheyie on the play, but that doesn’t excuse how SU’s hand was forced.
By Noah Nussbaum managing editor
Syracuse is a third of the way through its 2026 season. The Orange are .500, but both of their wins are over non-Power Four teams — New Hampshire and UConn. SU’s Atlantic Coast Conference losing streak is up to nine games, dating back to last year after sloppy defeats to Cal and Pitt. There are things to be happy about, like depth in the receiver and running back rooms, despite both being major questions entering the year. Amari Odom successfully took over after Steve Angeli threw five interceptions in two games. But kicking issues, Angeli’s miscues and constant penalties have marred those positives. Now, the Orange approach their biggest tests thus far against Virginia and Louisville, which could determine the direction of their season. Though Syracuse is 2-2 and just stole a win in overtime from the Huskies, it appears on the verge of missing a bowl game for the second straight year. Here are four takeaways from SU’s first four games of the 2026 season:
Quarterback situation still brings questions
In the first three games of 2026, Angeli looked completely different from his short 2025 stint. Fran Brown made a timely move, benching Angeli for Odom against Pitt after Angeli’s fifth interception in two games. Odom went 8-for-8 passing on his lone drive against the Panthers. Fran was convinced and stuck with him versus the Huskies. Though Odom was brilliant at times Saturday, and his legs almost single-handedly pulled the Orange away from disaster in overtime, his performance still left questions. Odom’s first half was near-perfect. He went 14-for-16 passing with four total touchdowns. He finished with six touchdowns, tying Angeli, Eric Dungey and Jim Brown for the secondhighest single-game total in program history. But Odom succumbed to the pressure amid UConn’s second-half comeback, throwing two picks and not scoring from halfway through the third quarter until overtime. Although Odom remedied Syracuse’s issue under center, there’s still a twinge of doubt after the nervy ending. “You have him being mentioned amongst Jim Brown and guys of that nature,” Fran said. “So it’s important that he continues to work and it not be a one-hit wonder.” Fran named Odom his starter versus UVA after the UConn game. That matchup will show which version of the signal-caller will appear against tougher teams.
4 games, 3 different leading rushers
amari odom takes a snap in SU’s overtime win over UConn on Oct. 3. Odom totaled six touchdowns in his first start with the Orange. avery magee development editor
Hatcher takes control of WR room
Before the year, Syracuse’s wide receiver room was littered with unproven transfers, sophomores and a few veterans. It was unclear who, if anyone, would become a viable No. 1 option. So far, that’s been Umari Hatcher. Hatcher’s college career has been turbulent. He tore his MCL and PCL in 2024, then entered the transfer portal in December 2025 and withdrew in January. Through three games, Hatcher has 29 receptions, 434 yards and five touchdowns. His two monster games came against New Hampshire, when he had 147 yards and two touchdowns, and UConn, which featured 152 yards and three scores. “I try to tell a lot of the players because there’s a lot of stuff that’s gonna go on, just make the reps count,” Fran said Monday. “And I think he’s making the most of the reps.” However, nobody has stepped up alongside him. The next highest yard total is Justus RossSimmons’ 161, and Darius Johnson is second in receptions with 12. Transfers like Elijah Moore, Matt Outten and Cole Weaver and second-years Johnson and Darien Williams have largely been non-factors. In Hatcher’s career day against the Huskies, he had 15 targets, 11 more than anyone else. Fran said that was both part of his plan and something that developed during the game.
Five-star freshman Calvin Russell III can lessen Hatcher’s load. Russell made his college debut Saturday after a spring Achilles tear, catching two passes for 14 yards. Fran added he wants to get Russell more targets each week now that he’s healthy. “We want him to catch passes every game, and we want him to score touchdowns every game,” Fran said. “I think he got 30-some reps for his first game. I wish I could have got him 100. I wish he could have scored five times.”
Barker, Woody’s struggles impact offense
The Orange’s kicking has become a real problem. Tripp Woody missed 31- and 46-yard field goals against Cal, the latter dying well short on a late chance to tie the score. Woody started again versus Pitt, but he shanked a 29-yarder into a different stratosphere. Fran pulled him for Barker, who drilled his only two attempts against the Panthers. As a result, Barker started at UConn. But Barker was even worse. His first extra point barely got off the ground, prompting Fran to switch holders from quarterback Rich Belin to punter Jimmy Gregg. The change worked briefly on ensuing PATs, but Barker missed both of his field goals. The last and most consequential came as regulation ended, when his gamewinning 44-yard try missed slightly right. Against Virginia, Fran said it’s still Barker’s job.
Syracuse’s running back room has been a revolving door. The Orange have four backs that can earn the lion’s share of touches each week, depending on who’s healthy or hot. In Week 1, Tylik Hill and Shavane Anderson Jr. combined for 193 yards, while Anderson led the group with 102 yards and three touchdowns. Hill finished as the Orange’s leading rusher against Cal, but he only played two snaps after cramping at the end of a firstquarter 55-yard run. Ju’Juan Johnson got the majority of carries against Cal yet only squeezed 46 yards out of 15 handoffs. Versus Pitt, Ahmad Miller broke out with 78 rushing yards, then Hill exploded for 140 on 28 carries against UConn. The quartet has 587 of the team’s 666 rushing yards this season. “All our guys in the running back room go out there and make a play at any time,” Ju’Juan said after the Cal loss. “Coach (Dennis) Thomas believes in us, and he puts the ball in our hands a lot, and we just got to go make plays.” It’s nice to know Syracuse has replacements at the position, since all four have missed games with injuries. Other players like Outten and Davion Kerr have filled in, but at least one of the top four backs has stepped up whenever needed. The last three years, LeQuint Allen and Yasin Willis took most snaps, with Will Nixon and others relieving them sparingly. Ju’Juan and Anderson missed Saturday’s matchup with UConn, and Miller spent time in the medical tent. On Monday, Fran deemed them and “half the whole team” questionable against Virginia. Having three backs injured would usually be a problem, but Syracuse’s depth makes it permissible. njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
women’s basketball
Legette-Jack talks new additions, ‘punch 1st’ at preseason media By Peter Hua Radosh asst. digital editor
Felisha Legette-Jack has seen this tale before. Twice, in 2024 and 2026. In both seasons, Syracuse notched 24 wins and at least two Quad 1 victories before exiting the NCAA Tournament in the second round to UConn. Last year was the most devastating. The Orange lost 98-45 to the Huskies, giving up a season-high 65 points in the first half. LegetteJack is determined not to repeat. “We’ve got to have a moxie about ourselves and know our story matters; that team in front of us is trying to deny our story to be told,” SU’s head coach said Wednesday. “You wait two minutes in our conference this year, you could be down by 50. We’ve been there already. We don’t want that story to be told again.” Most of the 2025-26 roster that put Syracuse in the national spotlight is gone. Three of SU’s top five scorers have departed. Sophie Burrows, who led the team in 3s, transferred to UNC. Laila Phelia and Dominique Darius, who broke out with the Orange in their final year of eligibility, graduated. Of its five returners, SU’s top two are Uche Izoje and Shy Hawkins. Hawkins spent the bulk of last season trading minutes with Journey Thompson. Izoje, whose 14 doubledoubles defined her transcendent rookie season, is the only returner to have started over 20 games. So Legette-Jack hit the recruiting trail and added eight new players over the offseason. Here are some takeaways from Syracuse’s Wednesday press conference ahead of LegetteJack’s fifth campaign: see legette-jack page 13
felisha legette-jack addresses the media for the first time before the 2026-27 season. SU’s head coach talked about its offseason additions and upcoming opponents. tara deluca photo editor
SPORTS
16 october 8, 2026
dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com
OPEN ARMS Ivan Irinimbabazi left Uganda for soccer. He uses the sport to give back. By Peter Hua Radosh asst. digital editor
T
here’s a void in the stands of Umuganda Stadium. Recent COVID-19 concerns mean families can’t watch in person, and non-player personnel must wear masks. The afternoon in Gisenyi, Rwanda, is calm. But one thought swirls in 16-year-old Ivan Irinimbabazi’s mind. I can’t believe it. He’s bolting toward the corner flag, grinning with his arms outstretched. His header just broke Uganda’s deadlock with Tanzania in the Under-17 Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations Championship. Irinimbabazi’s teammates celebrate behind him at the corner, and after posing with two thumbs up, he leaves them and runs to RwandaTV’s goal line camera. As he breaks into a smile, he blows a kiss into the lens, complete with a heart gesture. “That was the best day of my life,” Irinimbabazi said. “I never imagined how you feel after scoring for the national team.”
He’s been our most consistent player for this whole calendar year. Ian McIntyre syracuse head coach
ivan irinimbabazi looks for a pass in SU’s win over Colgate on Sept. 15. Irinimbabazi left Uganda in the pursuit of supporting his family through soccer. cole christopher staff photographer
Irinimbabazi still beams when asked about that 3-1 win on Dec. 22, 2020. That goal was early in his journey to support his family financially through soccer. It’s a pursuit that’s brought him from Kampala to S.F.K. Pierikos in Katerini, Greece, and now to the lobby of Syracuse’s Ensley Athletic Center on this September day. He’s composed here, his extended right arm resting atop the couch. Irinimbabazi’s the same on the field. He’s calm, a tempo-setter, a constant in defense and midfield. He played his freshman season as a central defensive midfielder but switched to center back due to teammates’ injuries. Irinimbabazi’s 1,045 minutes are the most of any Syracuse player, and he’s the only center back with a goal and assist this year. “He’s been our most consistent player for this whole calendar year,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “From the spring, he was our most dominant player, and he’s continued that in the fall as well.” Even sitting over 7,100 miles away, Kampala is everpresent in Irinimbabazi’s mind. He was asked what kept him going through his tryouts in England and Scotland, the tournaments in Sudan and Egypt, the move to Greece and eventually the United States. One of his dreams is to start his own foundation. He regularly sends money to a friend in Kampala to buy food see irinimbabazi page 14
women’s soccer
Ali Howard’s ‘bull-in-a-china-cabinet’ edge aids move to striker By Jason Glick
asst. sports editor
Steve Bradshaw was recently told there were too many pictures in his camera roll. A copious amount of the prodigy he was barred from training. Bradshaw coached at Lobos Rush, the same club an eighth-grade Ali Howard played for. He direly wanted to train Ali outside of their normal practice schedule, but he couldn’t because the club prohibited coaches from giving outside lessons. The first athlete Bradshaw, the self-proclaimed “genesis of soccer in West Tennessee,” trained was current
United States Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone. To Bradshaw, Ali was just as important. Lobos played nine-on-nine scrimmages, with the naive but equally intimidating Ali anchoring the backline. Bradshaw never asked her to score, yet she always did. One day, Bradshaw decided to say something. “You’re not a defender,” Ali recalls him saying. “You’re a striker. You need to get up top.” While Ali’s 5-foot-7 frame suits defense, Bradshaw found those details advantageous on the other side of the pitch. So, Ali combined her defensive
physicality with offensive production, paving the way for her Tennessee commitment before she transferred to Syracuse in 2026. Twelve games into her Orange career, she’s appeared in every match and places second on the team with two assists. Ali’s nature juxtaposes her pedigree. Her father, Tim Howard, is considered the greatest goalkeeper in United States Men’s National Team history. But it’s clear his career doesn’t define her. That’s not what her story’s about. Bradshaw initially didn’t like Ali at striker, claiming she “wasn’t unbelievably successful,” especially
with ball control, but he saw the scoring potential. “Golly, you got to score goals to win games,” he said. “And if I’ve got somebody on this team that can score goals, and I’ve got others that can play defense, let’s start transitioning her to that forward position.” He paused, oscillating between traits he wanted Ali to emulate. “I don’t want to use the word dainty because that’s kind of a wussy word. More ballerina-ish,” Bradshaw began. “What’s the word they were using with Gio Reyna?” he asked, referring to the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder’s moniker. “Twinkle toes.”
That’s not Ali. She angrily stampedes down the field. She said she constantly jostled opponents with shoulder bumps and joked her physicality often led her to foul out in basketball. So, “twinkle toes” would be false. But Bradshaw encouraged her to mix it in. “He expects a lot of us,” Ali said. “Sometimes, people take coaches being hard as them just being rude or not liking you. But he had a way of doing it where I knew he wanted the best out of me, and he was going to do that. If it took him yelling at me, then that’s what it was going to take.” see howard page 13