O • AI Art
Leaning into AI usage threatens authentic creativity. Sacrificing the essential human element of art to efficiency omits AI’s risks.
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C • Welcome in Syracuse University students share how they personalize their off-campus housing through decorations
Gary Bryant III’s childhood was rocky, but now he’s shining with Syracuse University leading in tackles.
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By Delia Sara Rangel and Kendall Luther the daily orange
Syracuse University paused admission to 20 majors in the College of Arts and Sciences without faculty input as part of its ongoing portfolio review.
Arts and Sciences Dean Behzad Mortazavi informed department chairs representing humanities, math and natural sciences of the enrollment pause in a Monday meeting, a department chair in attendance told The Daily Orange.
“The most important thing is the way they did it,” said the chair, who asked to remain anonymous due to potential retaliation. “It continues the culture of mistrust and worry, like people are really worried.”
Majors paused as a result of College of Arts and Sciences’ academic portfolio review
The 20 majors from Arts and Sciences are no longer listed on SU’s Common Application for first-year and transfer students.
Now-Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew had instructed each dean to begin an academic portfolio review within their school or college, she announced in an Aug. 20 campuswide email. The deans were provided with “detailed data” – including enrollment trends, course and faculty information – to examine their respective programs, degrees and majors.
“I have asked the deans to work closely with their faculty to determine which programs are stable, which could benefit from re-envisioning or re-branding and which, based on clear evidence and market demand, may need to be phased out,” Agnew wrote.
The chairs will deliver the recommendations to the Provost by the end of the semester, and she plans to report the next steps during January’s University Senate meeting, according to the August email.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Arts and Sciences faculty were instructed to prepare an update on their department evaluations. Before chairs presented, Mortazavi shared an image listing the college’s over 50
By Griffin Uribe Brown social media editor
Flock Safety, the company behind the eight license plate readers Syracuse University installed on campus last month, maintains that its technology does not infringe on the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
Because license plates are government-issued and used on public roads, Flock’s website says the readers comply with the Fourth Amendment. The website also says the technology doesn’t
“track people” like a GPS; rather, it only captures images in a set location.
Sidney Thaxter, a senior litigator at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Fourth Amendment Center, said Flock’s language is “deceptive.”
Case law has found that a oneoff instance of using cameras may not violate the Fourth Amendment, but multiple cameras across enough locations could.
“That statement, they’re basing it on a few decisions that didn’t actually explore Flock’s network in particular and the massive reach of their data set
that they can dip into,” Thaxter said.
The automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, use cameras to capture car information and run it against a wider surveillance database. The readers have been used to find stolen vehicles or aid in missing persons searches. On its website, Flock says its readers allow users to “tap into the nation’s largest crime-solving LPR network.” Flock is a $7.5 billion Atlantabased surveillance company founded in 2017. The company sells hardware and software to cities, schools, businesses and homeowners associations. It also offers other products, includ-
ing video cameras, drones and mobile security trailers for parking lots.
Using “Vehicle Fingerprint” technology, artificial intelligence-powered software included in all Flock LPR cameras, the devices also identify and store a car’s make, body, color, plate state, whether or not it’s a resident or non-resident plate and other identifiers like roof racks or bumper stickers.
In June, Flock announced the ALRPs could be updated to capture video with an optional no-cost software update, making them more akin to regular surveillance cameras. Flock consistently emphasizes its
“customers own their own data.” But in the past, by opting to access data from other institutions using Flock readers, some of its users — including the Syracuse Police Department — appeared to have made their collected data available to others.
“Law enforcement agencies do not have automatic access to our data,” an SU spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange. “Flock has suspended ICE’s access to its system and has also disabled auto-sharing rights to ensure that all clients, including Syracuse Uni
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By Griffin Uribe Brown social media editor
Chancellor Kent Syverud presented a “grim” financial outlook across higher education and detailed changes affecting Syracuse University at the University Senate’s first meeting of the 2025-26 academic year.
Syverud discussed challenges impacting higher education, including broad funding cuts and dropping enrollment trends. He also talked about SU’s finances and enrollment figures for the year ahead, his final one as chancellor.
He spoke for about 20 minutes, exceeding his scheduled 10-minute slot.
Wednesday’s address marks the first time Syverud has addressed the senate as a soon-to-be outgoing chancellor. On Aug. 26, he announced that he will leave his role as chancellor at the end of this school year.
“It has been a brutal year for shared governance at schools in the United States, and that warns us that leadership at Syracuse means that we need to make it visibly work this year here and show it can work,” he said.
With the chancellor search underway, Syverud said he would recuse himself from any senate discussions about his successor.
Over his 20-minute address, Syverud discussed ongoing shifts to university enrollment figures, SU’s finances and the broader state of play for higher education.
University enrollment
Syverud provided updates to the university’s enrollment figures. Most notably, he said the percentage of international enrollment in the “undergraduate entering class” decreased to 5%.
Two years ago, that figure was 12%, he said.
The decline in international students studying in the U.S. also impacted master’s enrollment numbers. The university is about 41 students below its goal for master’s students, he said. Both are mostly due to international students, “especially from China,” having trouble getting visas to study in the U.S.
He said that it is “unlikely to change” in the near future.
President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to limit the number of international students entering the U.S., particularly students from China. In April, the administration revoked the visas of three international students, which were later reinstated. Over the summer, SU’s Center for International Services lost just over a third of its key staff.
For the fifth consecutive year, SU has had a “record” undergraduate application, with 47,169 applicants, Syverud said. The university has around a 21,820-person student body, according to preliminary data he cited.
A fall census will be published later this month, Syverud said.
Traditionally measured enrollment fell by about 3.5% this year, “driven largely by declines in international enrollment and master’s numbers,” Syverud said.
Undergraduate enrollment exceeded goals, and doctoral numbers are also “on track.”
This year’s undergraduate freshman class includes 3,945 students, 195 over goal, Syverud said.
SU also added 68 new full-time faculty and 83 new part-time faculty this fall, which Syverud said is “pretty unique” compared to other universities today.
University finances
“I know a lot of you are following closely the financial news coming from across higher education, and it’s grim,” Syverud said.
He said many of SU’s peer institutions are running “very serious deficits,” and are experiencing mass layoffs or federal funding cuts. The Trump administration has targeted federal funding and grants for colleges across the U.S., including Harvard University and Columbia University.
“That’s not the story here, although it’s not a happy story entirely here, either,” Syverud said. “It would be hubris to say that we’re doing better than them because we’re smarter than them. What’s important to understand is we are, at the moment, so far, as a whole, weathering storms pretty well here.”
Syverud said some of SU’s schools and colleges are facing more challenges than others,
and more challenges than in previous years. He said the university’s current financial position will allow it to be “proactive” in enacting changes over the next year.
“I recognize that some of our deans are navigating difficult financial realities, and that just underscores why we have been making and are continuing to make tough choices to shore up our financial position,” Syverud said.
The chancellor said that SU’s finances are in a better position than many other R1 research institutions. The university closed fiscal year 2025 with a $2.9 million surplus in its operating budget, around 0.16% of the overall $1.9 billion budget. For fiscal year 2026, the university anticipates a $100,000 surplus, he said.
“It was extremely difficult to get to a balanced budget in fiscal year 25, and it will be more difficult to keep it balanced in fiscal year 26,” Syverud said. “Very, very few R1 universities are running a genuinely balanced operating budget this year.”
Syverud said the “volatility” in higher education is higher than in previous years, and the university needs to be “alert and nimble” in response. He used that to justify some of the university’s ongoing curricula changes and the dean-led review of every college’s portfolio, a matter that came up multiple times in the meeting.
As of July 1, the university’s endowment reached $2.266 billion, growing by over 9% over the previous year, he said. The Trump administration has targeted universities with large endowments like Harvard and the University of Notre Dame.
The endowment tax, a 1.4% tax on schools that spend more than $750,000 of the endowment per student, was included in the sweeping Republican bill passed on July 4.
“We worried a lot about federal laws, government endowments and particularly taxation endowments; we watched that closely,” Syverud said. “But the so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ does not apply to Syracuse, and it doesn’t in this area, because our endowment per student remains below the threshold.”
Given the financial pressures on higher education, Syverud said fundraising remains a goal. The chancellor said the university’s financial aid initiative has been “going well.”
The Syracuse Promise effort has already created 14 new scholarships and strengthened existing scholarship funds, he said.
“Since October of 2023, when the world really did change in dramatic ways, our approach at this university has been to try to meet three necessary conditions for Syracuse University to thrive,” Syverud said as he closed out his remarks.
He said the three conditions were upholding SU’s “longstanding values,” safety for all and compliance with the law — including Title VI, the First Amendment and due process. Last year, the university released the Syracuse Statement, which highlights several commitments related to student and faculty free speech.
“I recognize that it’s gotten harder each month since October 2023 to meet all three of these conditions, to walk that tightrope,” Syverud said. “Many of you have made sacrifices to determine the right individual steps to keep this place safe, lawful and consistent with our values.”
Syverud said he was asked about academic budgets, portfolio reviews, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and the Renée Crown University Honors Program at a recent Academic Affairs Committee meeting, and encouraged the committee to “keep focused on academic freedom and free speech issues.”
After two full five-year terms and an additional extension, Syverud said he felt the time was right to depart his role as chancellor. He said he will continue teaching courses at SU after his chancellorship.
“I love this university, I believe it is in reasonably good shape to select and recruit a new chancellor,” he said.
Syverud encouraged a focus on shared governance and participation in the search for his successor and ahead of what he called “a really important year for Syracuse University” that leaves “a lot to accomplish.”
gbrown19@syr.edu @GriffinUriBrown suny
By Chloe Fox Rinka asst. news editor
SUNY ESF’s Environmental Studies Student Organization hosted Syracuse City Auditor Alex Marion and other panelists to discuss current climate issues facing the federal government during a Wednesday evening town hall.
Chie Togami and Michael Mikulewicz, both assistant professors in ESF’s department of Environmental Studies, and environmental justice expert Saad Amer discussed the climate crisis, creating a space for open dialogue to share feelings on climate change and explore the work that can be done.
Marion emphasized that the intersection of the climate crisis and public policy forces the public to address the issue. Panelists talked about their fears regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s policy cuts and the work at the federal level, which Marion called“absolutely unacceptable.”
The panel stressed the importance of public engagement, specifically within local government. Marion said creating dialogue with local public officials makes public policy responsive to the community’s concerns.
“The advice I give everyone: make sure that you know your elected officials and make sure that they know you. The more that people like me see you and hear you,” Marion said. “Anytime I can get a room full of eager people willing to talk about how we approach climate change and climate policy.”
Natallie Cox, a sophomore at ESF majoring in forest ecosystem science, attended the panel as a student on behalf of New York Public Interest Research Group. Coming to the town hall, she wasn’t sure what would be shared, but the “wellrounded” conversations were useful in learning how essential unity is in fighting the climate crisis, she said.
“I wanted to be more involved and learn more about what actions are being taken to do stuff with the climate crisis,” Cox said. “I just want to be more informed on things that I can do more through my organization and as a student.”
Amer emphasized the importance of voting and public engagement, specifically after the federal government halted its support of the EPA in March.
Amer also criticized the agency’s ambassador, Lee Zeldin’s, choice to roll back 31 federal climate
change policies, specifically the endangerment finding. The finding was established in 2009, affirming that climate change is causing harm to human health through carbon, methane and other air pollutant emissions as outlined in the Clean Air Act.
Amer and other panelists said citizens should take advantage of the agency’s extended public open comment period, where community members can contact the EPA directly with their thoughts on its developments until Sept. 22.
Students and the broader community need to “stay very vigilant” about everything happening at the federal level, Amer said.
“It’s devastating to see all these rollbacks happening and starting to happen more frequently and with more fervor,” he said.
Originally from Poland, Mikulewicz, called the rollbacks an «assault on federal regulation.”
“My concern is that when the regime changes, all of this will not be undone, because everything that Trump is doing now can be undone,” Mikulewicz said.
Mikulewicz said Poland went through a similar conservative federal government, cutting climate change acts. With a change in leadership, the Supreme Court of Poland is
now attempting to “undo” these rollbacks. He believes the United States can see the same future in fighting climate change.
“So pressure on them to not be timid, to be bold after the regime changes, because it will change,” Mikulewicz said. “I don’t necessarily believe the cynical arguments that democracy is dead here and that there will not be another election.”
Togami, echoed Mikulewicz’s sentiments, saying she fears the “nihilism” people fall into when talking about the climate crisis.
“It can feel so dark right now,” Togami said. “Whenever I feel myself sinking into that place, I think we cannot give up if people were fighting for decades against the onslaught of toxic racism, and they kept fighting, we can’t give up.”
Cox said she was especially moved by the speaker’s ideas on finding allyship to fight the climate crisis.
“We are weak unless we band together. You can have all the belief in yourself and wanting to do things yourself. It doesn’t really mean anything unless you’re working with other people to do it,” Cox said.
With gifts from family, quirky trinkets and music posters, students make their off-campus housing feel like home
By
Gabe Perrin and his four roommates weren’t sure what to expect when they got a vague text from Perrin’s dad a day after they moved into their house in Syracuse this semester. “Something funny” was coming in the mail, he said.
It arrived on their doorstep a few days later: a blowup doll.
The friends threw it on the bed of their roommates, Angus Kupinas. He decided to hang it from his ceiling and put his scarves around its neck. His room had lacked decoration the past two years, he said, so the inflatable worked great in his space.
“This year I was like, ‘I need to go all out now because I actually had a lot of fun decorating,” Kupinas, a computer science major, said. “I try to be different with it; I try to do something weird.”
As upperclassmen begin signing leases for next year, The Daily Orange posted on social media asking Syracuse University students to share how they decorate their off-campus housing. Mementos from partners, home and yes, the blow-up-doll scarf-hanger, are just a few of the things that fill students’ homes.
The five roommates said they “got lucky” with their ivy-covered house. Cozied next to professors’ homes in the quiet Eastside neighborhood, they found the lease around Halloween last year through an old friend. The house is better than other options because it has some vintage charm, Perrin said, like old windows and wooden furniture.
In the living room, a collection of items, like hand warmers and a cat pillow, is strewn across the floor. On the shelves, LEGO minifigures and toy cars line up like they’re ready for action.
This year I was like, ‘I need to go all out now because I actually had a lot of fun decorating.’ I try to be different with it; I try to do something weird.
“We just like having little trinkets around,” said Ant Millan, a senior television, radio and film major. “I just don’t know whose LEGO stuff this is, I like it though.”
Millan said physical media is important to the group because it’s a literal display of their interests and what they like to do, watch and listen to.
Speaking of trinkets, a green bong hasn’t left its spot on the kitchen table since the five friends moved in. A vase of flowers to the right complements it, while a slew of newspapers, mail and packs of Chinese cigarettes line the table.
Back in Kupinas’ room, music posters cover the wall above his bed. A big Arsenal Football Club fan, Kupinas sports an Arsenal scarf above his bed, along with basketball and soccer jerseys. $1 CDs line the built-in shelves on the wall. When Kupinas lived in a South Campus apartment last year, his room was a completely different story.
“Last year, I was on South and I was talking with this girl, and she said it looked like an insane asylum in my room because I just had the white walls,” Kupinas said.
He enjoys his time in his room more now that he’s incorporated more elements to make it feel more like his own.
Abbey Fitzpatrick, a senior studying political science and history, is also a lover of physical media.
In her apartment near Walnut Park, Fitzpatrick’s desk and nightstand are stacked with books for school and for fun, like an illustrated version of “Little Women” and other reads from book swaps at Kelsey’s Coffee and Friends.
As a history major, Fitzpatrick has always loved anything with an older feel.
Worn gold frames above her kitchen sink and thrifted plates on the bar cart show her love for antiquing with her mom. Fitzpatrick enjoys finding the cool stories behind the things she thrifts.
“I try to make it vintage and inspired by where we’re from, is the vibe I go for,” Fitzpatrick said.
Her fridge is covered with magnets she collected while abroad in Florence, depicting places like Italy and London. Ever since she studied abroad, Fitzpatrick has been collecting more magnets from places she visits to add to the decor.
Cat magnets hold up a card her roommate, Brie Iaia, received from her mom, where the corner of the paper was chewed off by Iaia’s cat. For Fitzpatrick, a calendar her mom creates every year with pictures of their dog helps her feel close to home, she said.
Fitzpatrick said she enjoys showing her personality in her space by incorporating vivid colors, with yellow being a recent favorite. With a string of autumn leaf lights, her room is already decorated for fall, something she doesn’t get to experience in her hometown of Monterey, California.
Iaia and Fitzpatrick have been living together since freshman year. They’re both West Coast natives; Fitzpatrick is from California, and Iaia is from Washington. Fitzpatrick likes to include reminders of their home states, such as pictures and maps, so they don’t feel so far away.
“I love having little bits of home everywhere, even if it’s just magnets,” Fitzpatrick said
Fitzpatrick said their space is a “work in progress” — she’s moving things around and playing with what she likes best. But, items from home are always present, like an otter print from Monterey Bay Aquarium.
A framed, brightly colored map of landmarks in California sits on the wall above the two’s bar cart, while a map of Washington state hangs on another wall in their living room.
“It’s been really cool to see how our spaces have changed over the years, how things have evolved,” Fitzpatrick said. “Some things have stayed the whole time, like random things that have been since the freshman dorm still here.”
It’s Zachary Perrier’s first time living outside of Ohio. The first-year graduate student said coming to SU for grad school felt like a jump, so personalizing his off-campus apartment to make it feel like home was a must.
Perrier’s mom bought a plant at Kmart 30 years ago, which she propagated and repotted so Perrier could bring his own version to school. His family keeps a garden at home, and he wanted to bring that piece of home with him to his new space to make it feel more lived in.
Before Perrier was born, his aunt started to crossstitch a map of the U.S. with symbolic icons representing each state. She gifted it to him when he left for grad school this year. Perrier said this past summer was most likely his last time living with his family, a bittersweet way to leave for his next chapter.
room above his bed.
“You feel like you need those but also of the people at the makes it the home,” Perrier A poster from “Band On living room, an album he and keeps a Guinness magnet from Ireland on his fridge as a reminder have been together for almost rently doing long distance while Similarly, Millan has a “girlfriend wall where he keeps Polaroid with some of him and his friends. Growing up, Millan said room, but in Syracuse he more like himself. He’s included Soundgarden, a Spiderman home, where he plays video always used to do with his younger “Moving to a different space, want it to feel like mine,’” spot where I could feel comfortable.” Perrin has the “big room” he’s always changing what he above all else, he’s a collector. records since he was in high is still growing today on his On the other side of Perrin’s sports memorabilia. The broadcast nalism major keeps all his media games he’s covered, hanging his door. Sports are something Perrin with friends and family, so home, just north of Indianapolis. these things to hold onto the ber what he’s done so far in his
peaks out of her room in the apartment she shares with A group of students’ kitchen table is full of trinkets: a green bong, deck of cards and fresh flowers.
room is a reflection of his interests, covered in music posters, sports jerseys and a scarf
those reminders of home, home because that’s what said.
On The Run” hangs in his and his partner love. Perrier from his partner’s trip to reminder of her. The pair almost four years and are curwhile in grad school.
“girlfriend corner” on his Polaroid photos of them, along friends.
said he didn’t decorate his decided to make it feel included music posters from poster and his TV from video games, something he younger brother.
space, I was like, ‘I really Millan said. “I wanted a comfortable.”
room” in the house, and he said he chooses to display. But collector. He’s been compiling school, and the collection shelves.
Perrin’s room is plenty of broadcast and digital jourmedia passes from sports hanging them on the wall inside
Perrin has always shared it connects him to back Indianapolis. He likes to keep the memories and rememhis college career, he said.
A Japanese good luck dog and an old mug of his dad’s from the 1980s sit on his desk. Looking at Perrin’s bulletin board, it’s filled with reminders of the people he keeps close and the things he loves, like notes from his girlfriend and photos of his dog. Some stickers have stayed on for years now.
“It’s a combination of stuff I love, and funny sh*t really,” Perrin said.
Some decorating methods are simply yearly traditions for students. Since their sophomore year, Perrin and Millan have gone to Goodwill regularly to find framed photos to hang on their walls. Over time, a theme of animals emerged. Their favorites include a kitten in a teapot, a painting of a dog wearing glasses, a colorfully striped scarf and an owl — named “Marty” by the roommates — admiring a glass of wine.
“Sophomore, junior year we’d go at least once a week, it was almost an addiction,” Perrin said.
Perrin and Millan have lived together since freshman year — a “rare case,” Millan said. Since then, the two have gradually roped in their friends to become roommates also, and now the group of five get to share this mesh of animal photos with each other.
Fitzpatrick and Iaia share matching Brie cheese Jellycats on their beds from freshman year, mimicking Iaia’s first name. Whether it’s with a stuffed animal or a map hanging on the wall, a touch of decoration says something about the person living in the home.
“It’s a reflection of who you are, not just of other people,” Perrier said.
DISCLAIMER: Abbey Fitzpatrick is a staff photographer for The Daily Orange. She did not influence the content of this story. mjones58@syr.edu
Abbey Fitzpatrick uses bright colors to bring her bubbly personality into her room. It’s still a “work in progress,” she said.
majors, color-coded in orange and blue based on their current status.
“Importantly, your input will help shape what happens next—whether programs are redesigned, merged, or ultimately closed,” Mortazavi wrote in a Wednesday email, obtained by The Daily Orange, to the college’s chairs and program directors. “Faculty engagement remains central to this process, even though the pause decision required immediate action to meet admissions deadlines.”
The Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences and Bachelor of Arts and B.S. in Ethics — highlighted in blue — were said to be “cut,” the chair said the dean explained. The B.A. in Earth Sciences is still enrolling students.
The following eighteen majors were put on “pause”: African American Studies; Applied Mathematics B.A.; Chemistry B.A.; Classical Civilization; Classics (Greek and Latin); Digital Humanities; Fine Arts; French and Francophone Studies; German Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.; History of Architecture; Italian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.; Latino-Latin American Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; Modern Jewish Studies; Music History and Cultures; Religion; Russian Language, Literature, and Culture B.A.; Statistics B.A.
The pause in enrollment surprised the chairs in the meeting, James Haywood Rolling Jr. – interim chair of the Department of African American Studies and professor in the School of Education –said in a Wednesday statement to The D.O.
versity, retain approval rights for any ICE data requests.”
By default, Flock systems store data in a cloud server for 30 days before it’s permanently deleted. Both Flock and SU spokespeople emphasized that SU’s data is not immediately available to other entities unless the university decides to make it so.
“As with all of our customers, if the University chooses to share its data with Syracuse Police Department or another law enforcement agency for public safety purposes, that decision rests entirely with the University,” Paris Lewbel, a public relations manager at Flock, wrote in a statement to The D.O.
National scrutiny
Flock’s system also keeps audit records, which document when users perform a search or access recorded video. Those audits, which require those who access the data to input reasons for their searches, are saved permanently unless local laws require otherwise.
“Only authorized investigators within DPS have access to the system and data,” the SU spokesperson said. “DPS manages oversight, compliance, and any necessary coordination with law enforcement partners.”
The SU spokesperson added that DPS can retain footage for investigations for longer periods of time, “consistent with DPS investigative policies.”
Thaxter said it is difficult to track large-scale instances of law enforcement circumventing official policy to share data with their peers. The reliability of the audit trail requires the person who did the audit to provide an honest reason.
Investigative reporting across the United States, including from 404 Media, found Flock informally allowed the federal government, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, access to its audits.
“These are, at this point, incredibly powerful mass surveillance tools that track the movement of every citizen around the country, whether or not you’re suspected of a crime,” Thaxter said.
Flock audit records from the Danville, Illinois, police department found multiple searches labeled “immigration.” Out-of-state law enforcement, including the Florida Highway Patrol and “Houston TX PD,” had also searched the records, the audit showed.
Flock’s legality is case-specific, but a Fourth Amendment concern arises if data from users, like SU, can be added to a network “blanketing” the country, a point made by Thaxter and other legal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Many police departments neither understand nor endorse Flock’s nationwide, mass surveillance-driven approach to ALPR use, but are adopting the company’s cameras simply because other police departments in their region are doing so,” according to the ACLU.
Thaxter said this data is “incredibly easy to share without anybody ever knowing,” but even institution-specific limitations could still be overcome by a judicial order, like a search warrant.
“As with any government agency, ICE could issue a judicial subpoena to Flock or the University, but that is a standard legal process that
“Speaking for myself, I felt entirely blindsided. I was clearly not alone,” Rolling wrote. “Based on conversation with other chairs, we all were.”
Following Mortazavi’s Monday announcement, the chairs presented their portfolio reviews.
“What should I present that might help this situation that I just learned about, you know? We were in shock,” the chair said.
In his Wednesday email, Mortazavi wrote that programs on pause won’t be removed from SU’s course catalog. The offerings will continue to be taught.
During Wednesday’s senate meeting, Agnew addressed faculty concerns surrounding the pauses.
“We have 462 degree-bearing programs. The average for institutions of our size is 235,” Agnew said at the meeting. “This means that we’ve tried to support more programs than we can afford, and have not adequately invested in programs that have high demand.”
She said the pause will last one year. Then, the administration will make a final decision about each program.
“That could be to revise. It could be to close. It could be to merge with other programs. There are a lot of different directions we could take,” Agnew said.
If the university was not “absolutely sure” about the long-term vitality of a program, it closed its enrollment on Common App, Agnew said. This was to prevent a “difficult situation” where an incoming student declares a major with very low enrollment.
“If the program continues to be offered the next year, we will have a stronger message about its viability, and we hope we’ll be able to ensure that we have a major that’s not only two or three
students who are making their way through the major together,” Agnew said.
In his email, Mortazavi wrote that each program has 10 or fewer students enrolled, accounting for less than 2.5% of Arts and Sciences students.
The review has been based on nine years of data that shows “very low” and declining enrollments, Agnew said Wednesday. Mortazavi said in his Wednesday email that five years of course enrollment information was also considered.
“For the well-being of the programs and the students in the programs, it’s important to find a way forward so that students have the best academic experience and we are able to show students, as best we can, what should encourage them and motivate them to come to Syracuse,” Agnew said. “And the answer to that is always distinctive and excellent programs.”
Mortazavi asked each department to come to the meeting with categorizations based on the nine years of compiled data, but did not include “narrative” data, Rolling wrote. As a researcher, the lack of narrative data “renders the numerical data incomplete,” he wrote.
“There’s a disproportionate targeting of humanities programs, and so of course humanities programs are going to have fewer students,” another department chair who was in the meeting told The D.O.
A faculty member, who was not at the meeting, claims the dean made this decision in August, only a few days after Agnew announced the academic portfolio reviews.
“It seems that already, at that point, decisions were made, and it’s very, very problematic that the faculty, the Senate, the committees that you know
exists independently of this system,” the SU spokesperson said.
In June, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said he would “crack down on unlawful use” of license plate reader records and ordered Flock to stop access to out-of-state law enforcement. This came after Texas police used the technology to track a woman for an abortionrelated matter.
Flock said the abortion story was misreported, given that the woman was being searched for as a missing person and faced no charges. Since then, Flock said it adjusted the agencies that had access to Illinois data to comply with state law, and pledged to be a partner in shaping legislation to create a “national model for ethical, transparent public safety technology.”
According to Flock’s website, information for 49 states is available in the national database. Over 5,000 law enforcement entities and 6,000 communities use Flock, the company says.
Introduced in May, New York State Senate Bill S7713, which would restrict the use of automatic license plate reader information, is currently in assembly committee. If passed, it would prevent ALPR users from selling or sharing data with other entities investigating “reproductive health care services or any lawful health care services.”
Over the summer, the Syracuse Police Department realized it had “inadvertently” shared its Flock data with other law enforcement agencies, exposing its data trove of 4.4 million searches. Nearly 2,100 of the searches were labeled immigration related, Central Current reported.
Because the department was able to see other institutions’ records, it opted to share its data in the National LPR Network and made its own information similarly available.
“SPD retains full ownership and control of its data,” Lewbel said. “If SPD chooses to share information with outside agencies, including state or federal partners, that decision is made solely by SPD, and all such access is permanently logged in detailed audit trails.”
are involved in the curriculum have been totally bypassed so far,” the faculty member told The D.O. It is unclear if department chairs will have the opportunity to appeal the decisions once finalized.
The second chair, who also asked to remain anonymous due to potential retaliation, said diminishing humanities programs limits the “all-around education” of students.
Although these courses will still be offered, taking away the major is just the “first step” in removing them entirely, the second chair said. Students currently studying the paused majors and minors will continue their studies, Rolling wrote.
He wrote that the chairs were also told that there would be no discussion of master’s or PhD programs “at this time.”
In the coming weeks, Mortazavi will collaborate with faculty “on reimagining programs to better align with student interests and institutional strengths,” he wrote in the email.
Rolling added that the pause could be a “critical opportunity” to rebuild, pointing to the School of Education’s overhaul as proof that departments can re-envision themselves to stay vital. He also warned that AAS and other programs will not be saved by “focusing ire on any individual dean.”
“How we apply our energies going forward is critical. The struggle at hand is much, much larger than this university alone,” Rolling wrote.
Managing Editor Rosina Boehm and Social Media Editor Griffin Uribe Brown contributed reporting to this article.
news@dailyorange.com
Legally, there are ways to remove vehicles from these sorts of databases, a process sometimes referred to as “whitelisting,” Thaxter said. But when Flock doesn’t have an easy way to remove entries without directly contacting the data manager, it becomes difficult to do en masse.
Beyond city government, Destiny USA has used the program since August 2023, and said the technology was a “powerful tool in preventing and solving crime” six months later. Flock readers at Destiny scan over 400,000 vehicles per month, according to the report.
Lewbel said other universities around the U.S. have installed Flock’s technology on their campuses, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Purdue University, the University of California at Berkeley and Temple University.
“The University evaluated a range of options and determined Flock Safety was the best fit given its established use at peer institutions, its presence in more than 4,000 cities including Syracuse, and its ability to meet both safety and privacy requirements,” the SU spokesperson said.
City of Syracuse
The city of Syracuse began using Flock surveillance technology in 2023, Lewbel said.
In 2020, before Flock’s contract with the city, Mayor Ben Walsh signed the Surveillance Technology Executive Order, which established new regulations for city offices before installing new surveillance devices.
A working group formed by the order considered license plate scanning technology from March 2022 through March 2023, and found roughly 35% of surveyed Syracuse residents were in favor, while 40% were opposed.
In May 2023, the working group issued a recommendation for qualified approval of SPD’s 26 cameras throughout the city, but it named multiple revisions, including data sharing and retention limits.
“While the intended use of the technology is not to threaten privacy of citizens or use data beyond the scope of the proposed purpose, there are some legitimate concerns and risks, which should be alleviated by the implementation of sound policies, proper training, regular audits, and transparency,” the majority decision read.
Of the 15 members of the working group, 12 — including Sharon Owens, the deputy mayor and current Democratic mayoral candidate — voted yes with stipulation, while two voted against and one abstained.
“First, there is the currently unresolved legal question of whether a broad network of ALPRs violates protections guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment … surveillance by a broad network over time could potentially infringe upon constitutionally guaranteed rights to privacy,” Mark King, a member of the working group, wrote in the dissent.
On May 27, the Common Council approved SU’s installation of two Flock LPRs on city-owned street light poles on the “right-of-way on Waverly Avenue, between Crouse and Walnut Avenues.” The other six LPRs are on university property and were selected with city approvals based on “safety priorities,” the SU spokesperson confirmed.
In 2017, the Supreme Court found that the warrantless use of cell-site records violated the Fourth Amendment in United States v. Carpenter, adding precedent to a largely unestablished sector of digital privacy law.
“If you read the pre-existing cases on other technologies like cell site location information and or GPS trackers and you analogize to those, this is a clear violation of the law,” Thaxter said.
Since then, cases in Virginia have found the depth and breadth of Flock’s national network violate the Carpenter precedent. Last year, a Norfolk Circuit Court granted a motion to suppress evidence obtained by a Flock plate reader without a search warrant.
At the time, the city had installed over 170 Flock devices in its jurisdiction.
In United States v. Yang, a circuit court declined to rule on the Fourth Amendment implications of ALRP technology. In Commonwealth v. McCarthy, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the limited use of automatic license plate readers was not unreasonable.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County supervisors approved a motion to increase oversight for ALPR data gathered by law enforcement. The motion cited ICE activity and concern that residents “fear that their movements are being tracked, stored, and shared in ways that violate their privacy.”
Flock’s other databases can be used in its Flock Nova product, which consolidates data from ALPRs and other cameras into a single record management system. Beyond Flock, other foreign and American ALPR providers are on the multi-billion-dollar ALPR market. SU does not appear to be using this technology or any of Flock’s other offerings.
“(Flock) is exploiting an area of law that has yet to be fully fleshed out and decided,” Thaxter said. “They’re exploiting the fact that there haven’t been that many decisions directly saying that what they’re doing is illegal.”
Fans across Syracuse University came together Wednesday night to enjoy the finale of “The Summer I Turned Pretty”
By Claire Zhang, Irene Lekakis and Samantha Olander the daily orange
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for season three of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
Syracuse University students turned “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” the teen drama, into a ritual. Some tuned in solo, others gathered in groups as gasps and laughter echoed across campus. Either way, fans have been following the show since its first season aired in 2022, and after a long run, SU students had plenty to say on Wednesday.
“The reactions of everybody … it’s so much more fun to watch with a group of people, because you scream or react to a scene, and you all get to do it together,” SU sophomore Ava Brown said.
The television show is based on Jenny Han’s book series of the same name. Its main character, Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung), is caught in a love triangle
with brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney).
Many of the scenes unfold at Cousins Beach, while the brothers’ mother, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), battles cancer and eventually dies.
Brown attended a watch party on Watson Hall’s fourth floor, organized by sophomore Ally Price. She watched with classmates Lucy Savarie and Eliza Ginivisian, part of a six-person group that has only met twice but already feels closer because of the show, Brown said.
Much of the show’s popularity comes from fans debating which brother Belly should end up with. Throw a new love interest, Benito (Fernando Cattori), into the mix, and students had conflicting feelings about who they wanted to see her with: Conrad, Jeremiah or Benito? Some argued she shouldn’t end up with anyone at all.
“Belly has chemistry with absolutely nobody and I could care less about her ravaging this family apart,” said SU sophomore Katelyn Pletting.
This season, Belly nearly marries Jeremiah but calls it off after realizing her lingering feelings for Conrad. She flees to Paris, where she briefly connects with Benito. When Conrad flies to Paris for Belly’s birthday, she finally confesses her love, and the two end up together, to the delight of many viewers.
Junior Jennalyn Williamson organized a watch party at her sorority house, Kappa Alpha Theta. She had spent the summer keeping up with every episode and noticed constant chatter about the show in her Theta’s group chat, which inspired her to host.
At Williamson’s watch party, viewers clung to each other during scenes with Belly and Conrad, squealing at the TV. When the two slept together, the room erupted in screams and claps.
Moments later, when Belly encouraged Conrad to leave because she wasn’t sure of her feelings, the mood shifted as viewers watched
By Mia Jones culture editor
University Union announced changes to event programming due
and Lachlan Sartison, in anticipation of Juice Jam this weekend.
Q: When did UU find out about the recent budget cuts and how they would be impacting your programming this year?
McKenna: I first found out about the budget reductions being a tentative possibility back in April. It was right after I was elected. We found out a little bit as the process was going on with submitting our budget for the following year, because we get funded for a full year at a time. We got finalized numbers right around last school year ending.
Q: What was UU’s reaction to those budget cuts and how did that alter the way you guys planned for student programming this year, like Juice Jam?
McKenna: I was definitely a bit shocked. There’s been times in the past where we haven’t been fully funded to 100% of what we ask for, but we were reduced by nearly half of what we’re typically funded for this year, and some of our initiatives were not funded at all. For certain things, such as our performing arts shows, the noted cause was for attendance purposes. However, our performing arts shows are some of our most highly attended events in relation to capacity of venue. There are some things that we still just don’t understand. We
did get a little money back from what we had originally been told our budget was for the year, and we still have a good working relationship with Student Government. At first we didn’t know if it was going to be possible to even do certain things, and we’ve had to work through a lot of things, both internally with the organization, coming up with ideas, and also speaking with our advisor and other people in Student Engagement to find out what we can afford with the budget that we have and how we can work through putting on
programming events and affording certain things. It’s not just an artist that we pay for. For Juice Jam, we’re paying for venues, stage production and all those sorts of things. It reduced what we could do in all different types of capacities.
Q: Why did you decide to make Juice Jam free entry this year, and do you anticipate trying to keep future events free for students? Is this a one-time thing?
McKenna: It really does come down to the venue. So the Quad is not
see watch parties page 11 see budget cuts page 11
By Kelly Matlock senior staff writer
Seventeen-year-old Madison Macomber said “Hamilton” is the reason she wants to pursue a career in theater. The show hit close to home as she watched an actor from her hometown of Syracuse take the stage at Landmark Theatre.
“(Broadway) is something that so many people dream of, that so many people aspire to, so seeing a show that connects it to your hometown makes it feel so much more achievable,” Macomber said. “It’s like, ‘I could do that.’”
This year, the smash-hit musical “Hamilton” celebrates 10 years since its Broadway debut. The musical with a modern, hip-hop sound and diverse casting tells the somewhat true story of founding father Alexander Hamilton. The national tour is in Syracuse until Sunday, marking the homecoming of Syracuse native Deon’te Goodman and the beginning of a new student program.
The Landmark’s new “Broadway’s Stars of the Future” Program selected five high school seniors from central New York who plan on pursuing performing arts after graduation — whether in tech, sound design, acting, stage management or anywhere in between. The participants get to see this season’s shows at the Landmark for free, attend workshops and meet cast members.
“Hamilton” is the first show in the program. The students were given the opportunity to speak to Goodman, who plays Aaron Burr, before the show.
Macomber is an East Syracuse Minoa Central High School senior and part of the program. She’s seen the show twice before: once at the Landmark in 2022 and once on Broadway in New York City. She’d seen musicals before, but “Hamilton” “turned the world upside down” – she joked it was a reference to “Yorktown.”
“This was my big introduction to live theater. I had seen shows before. I had grown up around recordings and such. But this was my first big memory of connecting to a show,” Macomber said. “And it was the push that I needed to really get into performing.”
Macomber said it was “full circle” to hear from a Syracuse native pursuing a theater career — especially as she prepares her college theater program auditions. On the other side of the stage, Goodman also said it felt like a “full circle”
moment to show the students that a future career like his is possible.
“When I was growing up here, I didn’t have something like that. I didn’t have someone who walked the same streets as me when they were young and who may have not come from the best of resources, like me, who was doing what I wanted to do,” Goodman said. “It was really beautiful to be in a position where I, hopefully, was that person for them.”
Goodman grew up the youngest of six in a family of athletes and academics, not artists, so it was up to his music teachers to foster his creativity, he said. Goodman attended Huntington Pre-K-8 School until eighth grade, and said he “would not be anywhere” without the music teachers there and at Henninger High School. They’ve stayed in touch throughout his career, and several of them attended his performances this week at the Landmark.
Goodman went to the University of North Carolina Greensboro for his degree in classical voice, and began auditioning for professional shows his senior year. While completing a post-grad internship in Sacramento – and going through a breakup – a friend introduced him to “Burn” from the “Hamilton” soundtrack, and it “ripped his heart out of his chest.”
After falling in love with “Burn,” he wanted to know where it came from. He picked a random song off of the soundtrack, which happened to be one of the most popular from the musical: “The Schuyler Sisters.”
“I lived my best Destiny’s Child life in that moment,” Goodman said. “It just so happened… that’s when they were having open call auditions in LA for the national tour of ‘Hamilton,’ the first national tour.”
He played Aaron Burr in the 2023 tour, and is now playing the role again for this tour, known as the “Angelica Company.” Associate choreographer Stephanie Klemons said that this group is special because they’re the only “Hamilton” tour right now, as opposed to 2023 when there were five simultaneous tours.
“Right now it’s really special because the only two companies in the U.S. are Broadway and Angelica,” Klemons said. “So it’s really top-rate talent in every role in the show.”
In 2016, Andy Blankenbuehler, the show’s head choreographer, won a Tony Award for “Best Choreography.” Klemons has worked with him since the
beginning and helped choreograph “Hamilton” and “In The Heights.”
Much of the show’s choreography isn’t taught through eight counts and specific instructions, but rather through intention, Klemons said. For example, after “Your Obedient Servant,” Klemons and Blankenbuehler instruct dancers to “ooze” onstage to get to the “dirty information” the characters are discussing, rather than tell them exactly how to move. No two casts perform the show exactly the same.
“My favorite part of any show is those inbetween moments,” Macomber said. “Especially with a show like ‘Hamilton’ where everybody is so involved and so much on stage the entire time, those little background moments are what really bring the story to life.”
Besides its pioneering choreography and style, “Hamilton” has set itself apart with its ability to speak to the current moment, Klemons said. Its focus on American ideals and continued representation of people of color make it a groundbreaking production.
“Hamilton” is Arjaye Johnson’s first professional role after graduating from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater. She said “Hamilton” has set the bar for the type of work she wants to do as a performer and the messages she wants to send to an audience.
Johnson said she’s grateful “Hamilton” is still going on because it sparks important conversations. Musical theater in general has the ability to open hearts and minds, and “Hamilton” in particular rings true to American life in 2025, she said.
For audience members, too, the show holds extra significance right now. Macomber said many moments of the show, focused on the nation’s founding, hit harder than they did before.
As someone who’s been casting shows for more than 20 years, Klemons said “Hamilton” transformed the diversity of musical theater audition rooms. It created space for people of color in the industry and inspired younger generations to see themselves in roles previously reserved for white people. Johnson considers the show’s diverse casting an important milestone.
“It’s incredible to see 12 year olds and 13 year olds and 16 year olds and 17 year olds going like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can pursue this. There is a place for me and there is space for me to share my voice, share my story as it is,’” Klemons said. “From a casting perspective, Hamilton transformed the face of Broadway in the best way possible.”
Goodman said every member of the cast, especially Black performers, grapple with the fact they’re portraying white founding fathers who were pro-slavery. “Hamilton” provides a “beautiful” opportunity for them to watch people of color “rewrite history” every night and be inspired anew.
This show allowed him to create a life for himself doing what he loves, he said. He said Broadway is still imperfect and more progress needs to be made, but “Hamilton” enabled him and many other people of color to play roles that were previously unattainable.
“The thing that we’ve all been waiting for was created 10 years ago, and now 10 years later has made space for so many of us to be received in rooms where we haven’t always felt welcome,” Goodman said. “It truly is revolutionary.” kamatloc@syr.edu
ACRAZE
Globally recognized DJ ACRAZE is stopping by on Night School’s third stop in Syracuse. Accompanied by a string of CAGE DJs – such as LAUR, Josh Chun and Troy Conner – catch the party this Thursday.
WHEN : Thursday at 8 p.m.
PRICE: $49.80
WHERE: Westcott Theater
By
Inside Link Hall, a room at the end of the hallway bursts with noise. Machines whirring with energy line the interior, while sparks fly in every direction from welding metal. Students surround a racecar painted orange in the center of the room.
“We’re a student racing team, we always say, there are no requirements at all, you just have to show up,” Riehen Walsh, president of Cuse Baja, said.
Syracuse University’s Cuse Baja is a registered student organization that designs and builds offroad vehicles to compete against other schools. Most recently, the team competed in Holly, Michigan last fall.
Though the original club started decades ago, Walsh said it was brought back to campus in 2017. Shortly after, the small crew started working on building a CBO3 car for competition.
The vehicle, similar to a dune buggy, had to be ready to compete in hill climbs and maneuverability and suspension courses, as well as a four-hour wheelto-wheel endurance race.
The chassis team focused on the frame, while other subgroups handled features like ergonomics and weight. After building the car for nearly five years, Cuse Baja won their first competition in 2024.
The original Cuse Baja cars in the ’80s and ‘90s last finished a race in 2004. CBO3 was the first car Cuse Baja used to complete a competition in 20 years. Now, the team has competed in four total events since back on campus: Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The team hopes to complete their new car, CBO4, by 2027, the current juniors’ graduation year, so they can watch it compete.
Walsh joined the club as a freshman in 2023. There were only four or five members at the time, he said. Since then, Cuse Baja has grown to 36 members, with a focus on improving retention and recruitment
When the club returned, most of the meetings were organized based on what the car needed at that moment, Walsh said, which made scheduling a challenge. Now, they’re starting to have meetings every week when most people can attend.
The design process begins with deciding desired speed, suspension system and driver size, Walsh said. Once specifications are set, Peter Derro, SU junior and chief engineer, and the rest of Cuse Baja creates other parts, like a drive train and frame. Adjustments are made along the way. Then, the group tests the car to prepare for competition.
During events, members, along with repairing and organizing the car, are also in the driver’s seat. Both the vehicle and crew are decked out in Syra-
cuse’s shade of orange, with mud and dirt layered on their arms after hours of work.
Walsh said around half of what they know about the process comes directly from engineering classes at SU. They apply what they’ve learned in class about design and simulation when working on the car. The rest of their knowledge comes from hands-on experience and learning from other members. Walsh said the club has provided him with an opportunity to learn past the homework phase and actually build a car.
“I might be stressing over my classes, but I get to step back and be like, ‘Oh I’m not doing homework, I’m actually working on the car and doing something fun,’” Walsh said. “It’s very fulfilling but it also makes you better overall in classes and as an engineer.”
To gain more members, Walsh said they had to acknowledge the lack of experience in building cars. He wanted to make it a space where new members don’t have to wait to get involved in the club.
“One issue that we’ve seen is new members don’t get to even touch the car until their junior or senior year,” Walsh said. “We’re going to work on something and if you guys are interested in learning how to make a frame or something, come with me and I’ll actually teach you guys.”
Laney Price, the club’s vice president, said the team emphasizes inclusivity just as much as engi
P(x3) ft Gabe Marin of Consider the Source
Step into the future of the dance floor as P(x3) performs at Funk ‘n Waffles for a night of futuristic synth dance music. Hailing from Connecticut, drummer Rob Madore and keyboardist/saxophonist Isaac Young are partnering with Gabe Marin of Consider the Source at Funk ‘n Waffles for a genre-bending night.
WHEN : Friday, doors at 7 p.m., shows at 8 p.m.
PRICE: $13.07
WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles
Grab your most pristine dress and your suit and tie for CAGE Formal Night. LAUR and DJ Amplitude are playing tunes for Cage Collective’s classic event.
WHEN : Friday at 10 p.m.
PRICE: $5 early sale, $10 maximum WHERE: DM @cage_collective for address CAGE Formal Night
Juice Jam
Enjoy some soulful tunes at University Union’s Juice Jam this weekend with indie-pop singer ASHE and R&B musician Jordan Ward. ASHE is best known for her hits “Till Forever Falls Apart” and “Moral of the Story,” which was featured in the popular 2019 Netflix film “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.”
WHEN : Saturday at 1 p.m.
PRICE: Free WHERE: Shaw Quadrangle
The Shipyard
For a laid-back night, immerse in some acoustic tunes with offcampus music venue The Shipyard. Performances feature Anthony Martinelli and Isabella Allon for a relaxing night.
WHEN : Saturday, doors at 8:15 p.m., music at 8:30 p.m.
PRICE: $6 presale, $8 at the door
WHERE: DM @the_shipyard_music for address
him board a train to Brussels without her.
“Belly is annoying, I don’t even know what I want with her, but I just want Conrad to be happy, because I feel like he’s just been sad every episode since day one,” Savarie said.
Other viewers echoed similar sentiments — a deep fondness for Conrad paired with a strong dislike of Belly. In this season, Belly seems to have lost some fans because of her poor treatment of Conrad.
The penultimate episode also fueled debate. It ended with Belly in a salon chair about to cut her hair into a French bob, and after the episode dropped last week, fans took to social media to speculate about her new look.
“When you get a haircut in a transitional growth period, it’s either gonna be amazing or
a space that we have ever charged for events. So we went into it and the second we found out that we were going to be doing Juice Jam on the Quad, we knew it was going to be free. In the past, our other events that we do, besides Juice Jam and Block Party, are typically free, except for our performing arts shows. I do anticipate that there will be ticket sales for Block Party in the spring.
Q: Do you think that something like Block Party in the spring might be on the Quad again?
McKenna: I can’t say for certain what Block Party is going to look like, just because we’re still going step by step through each event and how we can program them, but I do anticipate Block Party being a much bigger event than Juice Jam.
or senior year,” Walsh said. “We’re going to work on something and if you guys are interested in learning how to make a frame or something, come with me and I’ll actually teach you guys.”
Laney Price, the club’s vice president, said the team emphasizes inclusivity just as much as engineering. They want the club to feel open to anyone who wants to join.
“We’re trying to build a community rather than just a club,” Price said.
The club’s executive board bonded early as engineering students living in Shaw Hall. After competing with CBO3 during their freshman year, they were motivated to start working on their own.
Walsh said Cuse Baja has opened doors professionally, leading to club sponsorships, industry connections and internships at Syracuse-based companies. Even being a non-board member in the club greatly improves leadership skills and boosts your resume, he said.
For Derro, becoming chief engineer has been an unexpected transition. He joined
it’s gonna be awful, and she’s going into a bob era and those are never good,” Pletting said.
Senior Lindsay Carroll has been watching the show since its first season, even reading the book series. Watching with friends and family has led to both fun and argumentative debriefs, she said. Many viewers also share thoughts on social media after each episode airs, which has only amplified the show’s success.
“Social media has upped the popularity of the show, which has now allowed for there to be more group consensus about stuff,” Carroll said. “I like to see people on TikTok making jokes about the show.”
Hannah Schenk, an SU senior, said her favorite couple is Taylor and Steven, who reunite after a toxic on-and-off relationship. She usually watches the show with her roommates and often grows frustrated during Belly’s scenes, calling TSITP a “rage bait show.”
Q: Has Syracuse University offered you guys any additional financial support during this time, or have you guys looked into trying to find funding from other sources?
McKenna: The way that we’re funded, we just get the money that comes to us through the budget process, through the school. We don’t have any initiatives for fundraising; we don’t plan to. So that’s kind of the only way that we can source our money, is what we have through the school.
Wall: We do have plans to collaborate on different kinds of events for the student body, like with other organizations such as SGA (Student Government Association) or Greek Council.
Q: How do you plan to keep students updated on how budget cuts might be affecting programming, or if things are going to look different than what they usually anticipate every year?
the club out of a love for cars, and started learning how parts worked through presentations upperclassmen organized. His leadership role has forced him to change his approach in the race room, he said. He can no longer rely on others for information; now, he’s the one members are looking to for advice.
While making a competition-proof car may seem daunting, no one is an expert, Derro said. It’s not just about working together but also learning from others, he said. When walking into the race room, everyone is trying to gain as much knowledge as possible to make the car the best it can be, he said.
Now in his third year at Baja, Walsh has his eyes set on more competition. He hopes the original crew and new members can come together for a victory.
“We’ll run and we’ll show up, pass everything we need to pass and then compete against all the schools,” Walsh said. “And we will go there and we will have a car that we know will be competitive and all the other schools will be scared of us.”
crmcgraw@syr.edu
Schenk and other newer fans appreciated how easy it was to follow the series. She missed a few episodes but still understood everything going on. Before watching the finale, Schenk predicted Belly would end up with Conrad and that “she’ll have an ugly haircut.”
Heading into the last episode, students thought the show’s ending would result in a cliffhanger to set the scene for the recently announced film. Brown said she wasn’t sure what the movie would cover, since producers have already exhausted the book material.
Most students, as die-hard members of Team Conrad, were satisfied with the finale’s ending, but many were also disappointed they didn’t see more moments of the couple happy together. Much of their screen time focused on conflict and struggle rather than romance, they said.
Students are hopeful the movie will deliver more of the Belly-and-Conrad content they felt was missing this season.
Sartison: The transparency is huge, especially with a student organization like this, really valuing that student experience. Students at Syracuse are very understanding in the sense of how we can allocate our funds efficiently and reasonably.
Wall: As an organization, we’re very committed to the student body and doing what the student body wants from us and expects from us. As we’re going through all these different events and programs that we have already planned, they might look a little different, but we’re still just as committed to making them a great experience for students.
McKenna: We’re really hoping to be able to build back up, hopefully within the span of a couple years, because it is a process to get back to where we were. That would not be possible without the way that our team has been working together, even just these past few months, and will continue to do until April.
mjones58@syr.edu
Emotional closing scenes set to Phoebe Bridgers’ “Scott Street” were tear-jerkers for some viewers, like Schenk, who said she was ecstatic at the episode’s amount of Belly and Conrad content. At Price’s watch party, girls let out a collective “aww” as the song played and Belly and Conrad walked into the Cousins house for the last time.
“It’s just more fun watching shows like this with a group, because when you watch by yourself, you’re like, ‘Oh, whatever.’ But when we’re with each other, we’re screaming and we like, have like, a crash out one episode,” Ginivisian said. “It’s just more fun.”
Disclaimer: Ally Price is a contributing opinion columnist for The Daily Orange. Price did not influence the editorial content of this article.
culture@dailyorange.com
By Christy Joshy columnist
As students try to navigate the rapidly changing workforce, the prevalence of artificial intelligence poses a unifying question for almost every field: “How long before AI takes away my job?”
For those in creative industries, this unsettling question is no longer a mystery – it’s a pervasive reality. Syracuse University is no exception to the dwindling value of human-made art.
The emergence and almost instant acceptance of AI in art is startling and impossible to avoid in our digital world. Instagram Reels and TikTok For You Pages are flooded with AI-generated content, sometimes including realistic and outlandish prompts.
Users must recognize that AI itself isn’t inherently intelligent or artistic, though. It relies on an implausible amount of data to train itself past any emotional input, omitting the imperative human spirit altogether. In fact, many image-generating companies train their models by stealing artworks from the internet without any consent from the original artists at all.
By removing the human experience from our work, we move toward a world that neglects talent, perseverance and skill – the essence of our work. AI has quickly evolved as our demand for efficiency and speed has taken over every aspect of our lives.
We must start in our own spaces to combat the threat of AI in our creative industries,
pushing organizations, especially those with the resources, to employ artists and designers instead of opting for cheap “AI slop.”
If the university wants to prove its confidence in its students and art programs, it’s essential to create opportunities for students and listen to them. At SU, we must pressure our marketing departments to utilize student illustrators and animators instead of machines. And if the university does use AI, it should admit to and credit it.
Though on a smaller scale, demanding authenticity in our own communities aids us in addressing it universally. Even minor moments of accountability can equip us with the tools necessary to combat AI where it has larger, more influential and controversial implications for our art students.
Vogue’s August print issue, for instance, advertised a Guess campaign featuring an AIgenerated model created by the AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora, the first of its kind for the magazine.
When asked about the lack of diversity on their Instagram page, which mainly features slim, white women, the founders responded that their posts with women of color don’t get as much traction and their “technology is not advanced enough” to include plus-sized women.
For Teja Nara, a senior at SU and the Director of Hair and Makeup at the Fashion and Design Society, this decision by Vogue was extremely disappointing.
“To claim the technology is not advanced enough is lazy. They should be adapting it before pushing out content. There are already so many instances of algorithmic biases in AI,” Nara said.
Sasha Degtiareva, a junior international student from Russia in the School of Design, voiced concerns that these biases extend far beyond creativity in the classroom. They’ve led her to further distrust Russian media and fear falling victim to the state-backed propaganda that continues to fuel the Russia-Ukraine war.
With our current administration in the U.S., we’re no strangers to government-sponsored AI art. The White House, in a new collaboration with conservative children’s network PragerU, has created the Founders’ Museum, a project that seeks to fight “woke” media and distort the voices of historical American figures with propaganda using generative AI.
As many states start to repeal art requirements in schools, it’s crucial to emphasize the benefits that arts education provides beyond aesthetics and profitability.
Many entertainment writers acknowledge that AI is a helpful tool, but disagree with it being used as source material or in place of a human writer. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America protested against labor concerns, including the attempt to replace writers and actors with generative AI. WGA’s 148-day strike led to a deal stating “writers can use AI if the company con-
sents. But a company cannot require a writer to use AI software.”
There’s no denying that AI has genuine practical value, like for addressing global healthcare concerns and disaster prevention. But the issue lies in how we use it: as a mere instrument or as a ubiquitous catch-all and crutch.
In a world of instant gratification, the ability to concentrate on tedious tasks and longer-form content has become a special skill. Creating art of any kind is a form of protest against the technologies that seek to make us slaves to our screens.
We’re indoctrinated to believe that our work should hold economic or functional value to be truly worthwhile. Our everyday usage of AI only adds validity to this notion, as we’ve emphasized efficiency and perfection over the things that make us human: imperfection, discipline and heterogeneity — all qualities that art creation forces us to practice.
Ultimately, collective action may be the most effective way to protect artists from being replaced by AI. SU students must remember the process of creating is just as important as the final product, and continue pursuing authenticity over convenience in their creative disciplines. Otherwise, they too will fall to AI’s forceful omnipresence.
Joshy is a junior majoring in international relations and supply chain management. She
be reached at cjoshy@syr.edu.
By Valeria Martinez-Gutierrez columnist
Latine Heritage Month, my favorite time of year, has returned. But this year’s demoralizing times have demonstrated the ease of seeking ignorant bliss, outweighing this month’s engaging on-campus Latine student-led cultural events.
Modern celebration of Latine Heritage Month has become a wretched offense to the communities I love and come from. I’m forced to ask whether events like Mexican Independence and other cultural holidays will be clouded by ICE raid threats as communities are forced to leverage cultural pride for safety.
As the Mexican Student Association president, a first-generation immigrant, the daughter of parents who now have an institutionally-conditioned target on their backs and simply a human, it’s deeply personal to me that we collectively regain empathy and natural solidarity.
Basking in the privilege of whiteness and ignorance alike is a fruitless holy grace. Once the constitutional rights of one group have been infringed upon, the rights of others have historically proven to dwindle. Rights shifting from what we’re conditioned to trust destabilizes people’s sense of security, which is a perilous line to erasure and enhanced assimilation.
Numerous times, we’ve seen immigration enforcement officers detain people based on working a low-wage job or their physical and verbal traits.
As of Sept. 8, our Supreme Court leaders paused a ruling by a federal judge in Los Angeles that imposed restrictions on federal agents’ capacity to racially profile “criminals” that might be in the United States illegally.
In her dissent of the stay in appeal, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, “We should not have to live in a country, where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job. Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost.”
According to DHS estimations, there’ve been around 332,000 people deported to the border since the beginning of the Trump administration, most of which being Mexican, followed by Guatemalans, Venezuelans and Hondurans. Some government officials have called this the “largest mass deportation operation” in U.S. history.
In upstate New York, ICE raids are devastating workplaces. On Sept. 7, a food manufacturer in Cato was spontaneously raided by over 50 federal agents and Cayuga County and Oswego County sheriff’s deputies. Seventy people were detained and deported, with many workers alleging that agents were detaining “anyone who was Hispanic working in the factory.”
Some of the workers were legally in the country and wrongfully detained without being allowed to procure their government documents – which were in their cars – before being taken away, according to syracuse.com.
And it’s vital for me to emphasize that the ongoing mass deportations undermine a wider late-stage capitalistic paradigm, which increasingly exploits cheap labor for exponential profit margins that exacerbate the polarization of the wealth gap.
Prison labor has become increasingly entrenched with American food system production, causing a push to detain immigrants in state-operated facilities. Notorious maximumsecurity prisons, extensions of former plantations like Angola, keep prisoners picking fields beneath armed horseback guards for cents.
Most immigrants arrested by ICE in recent months have had no criminal convictions or charges against them, according to the Cato Institute. In fact, undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug-related crimes, and a quarter of the rate for property crimes.
So if criminality hasn’t been a constant basis of detention and deportation, then the crime seems to be the color of their skin –evidenced by citizens all over the country being wrongfully beaten-down, kidnapped and then released by masked-officers.
And with the Supreme Court essentially ruling racism as lawful, it’s hard to think my ethnicity isn’t being policed, politicized and suppressed.
Being told to celebrate the same identity that is simultaneously being preyed upon is a constantly looming paradox. It’s exhausting having to pretend like everything’s okay when the fabric of your reality is distorted day-by-day, so community is key and solidarity is vital.
It’s imperative for allies to show up for Latine Heritage Month’s culturally enriching events – and moving forward – to diffuse the target on our communities and lessen the gap in intercultural understanding.
The weight of collective racial targeting is heavy, but sharing that burden within ourselves and allies helps alleviate necessary support networks in face of selective empathy’s deafening silence.
Consumption without solidarity is adjacent to appropriation. This Latine Heritage Month, especially, we must challenge structural racism and replace mindless doomscrolling with thoughtful involvement.
Come to the Latine Heritage Month opening on Sept. 15 at noon at the Schine Student Center
Atrium. There’s near-daily scheduling of authentic programming, starting with MEXSA’s Independence Day Tortilla-Making event on Sept. 16 and concluding with the vibrant Calenton Music Festival on Oct. 26.
Some forms of resistance come as easily as placing Mexican or Latin American flag decals on allies’ cars to broaden authorities’ target.
Support street vendors, volunteer with the Immigrant Justice Campaign as a translator, panel or platform local immigration justice organizations such as Syracuse Immigrant & Refugee Defense Network to support those under siege.
The backbone of our delicious food and beautiful traditions is our people. I’m not asking for an in-depth understanding of class or racial disparities. Rather, I’m calling for thoughtful engagement that encourages community, culturally competent discourse and solidarity.
Valeria Martinez-Gutierrez is a junior majoring in Geography, Sociology and Environment, Sustainability and Policy. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at vmarti10@syr.edu.
Luther EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
was able to use that to make himself better.”
Spending time at Wood’s home helped Bryant build his relationship with Avery, Wood’s son. The former four-star recruit and now Maryland edge rusher is just one grade level below Bryant, but he viewed his cousin as an “older brother figure.”
While growing up together, Bryant and Avery rarely played on the same team due to the age gap. Bryant attended North County High School (Maryland) as a freshman and didn’t play football due to a torn ACL. Then the duo attended a football camp in the summer of 2019 at Our Lady of Counsel High School. There, they’d have their shot to play together.
Falcons head coach Andy Stefanelli quickly circled Bryant and Avery as two of the top players among the 180 kids at the camp. But he didn’t realize the two came together. It was already July, and the school’s admission deadline had long passed. At the end of the camp, Stefanelli met with Bryant and Avery and found out Wood worked at a hospital nearby. The solution? Bryant would permanently move in with Wood and Avery.
“It’s amazing he could be that mature and responsible at such a young age, given some of the things you know he was going through,” Stefanelli said.
Avery said that after that camp, he and Bryant realized they’d chase their National Football League dreams together. But it didn’t come easy. They lived about an hour from Good Counsel and woke up at 5 a.m. daily so Wood could get to work on time. Bryant and Avery then arrived at school at 6 a.m. and worked out together before going to class. After a long day of classes and practice, Avery said they’d get home at 9 p.m. Rinse and repeat.
But it was just how Bryant wanted it. He was given his shot to escape.
“Football was my outlet,” Bryant said. “It was my way to get away from all the bad things I was seeing as a kid from Baltimore City. I use football as a way to just take out my anger the right way.”
It wasn’t about the money for Bryant. But he knew he needed to take a shot.
Bryant evolved into an FCS All-American in 2024. His 103 tackles garnered interest
and team meals, the season eventually arrived. Everything initially fell into place. Then, all at once, Rauch was back to square one.
During her time on the sideline, Rauch recalled the quiet composure she displayed as an 8-year-old with the Southwestern Youth Association. Her approach was identical to that of her first season with the Orange.
A new environment. New teammates. A new normal. One thing had changed, though. At age 8, Rauch hadn’t discovered her love for soccer. By the time she arrived in Syracuse, she had.
When Rauch’s soccer career began, she was observant, always taking in more than she said. Despite displaying an undersized frame, she played like she was twice her age, SYA and FC Virginia coach Christian Cziommer said.
Starring for Centreville-based SYA — a 20-minute drive from her home in Reston, Virginia — Rauch darted into spaces her opponents couldn’t comprehend. The ball was glued to her feet, Rauch’s father, Stewart Rauch, said. Her eyes constantly scanned the field for openings, her mind moving three steps ahead of her counterparts.
She hadn’t even reached 11-on-11 soccer. Instead, Rauch showcased her talent in 7-on7 matches. Despite her youth, Cziommer said she’d already become one of Northern Virginia’s emerging standouts.
It served as a wake-up call for opposing travel teams. One time, just as the defense thought it had her boxed, Rauch slipped through a seam, turned and rifled a shot. She modeled Cziommer’s German-inspired coaching style that encouraged “moving the ball forward and controlling the game’s pace.” She created value when there was none.
Yells often erupted from the sidelines; players frantically raced across the field to close her out.
“You guys can tell there’s one girl you have to stop, right?” Stewart recalled an opposing coach shouting about Rauch.
But as Rauch’s career advanced, her play style changed. After years of scoring on pug nets, Rauch was initially intimidated by goals that spanned 24 feet wide and eight feet tall, almost double her height. So, she’d pass up open lanes to set up her teammates instead.
“Sometimes it just felt like, ‘Hey, just take a chance yourself. You did all this work, and you don’t have to pass it off sideways. You can put it in as well,’” Cziommer said.
“She had the technical ability and skill to create something out of nothing and (encour-
from other schools, but Bryant stayed at South Dakota throughout the spring. However, once the spring transfer portal opened, he entered.
He knew he was taking a risk. Bryant visited schools like USC, Cal and West Virginia but quickly realized he was looking for a “family feel.” Some schools pressured him to commit before making other visits, but he told each school he would at least visit; he was a man of his word.
The Orange entered the picture late in the process. Stefanelli received a call from SU assistant running backs coach — and Baltimore native — Devin Redd. Bryant seemed close to committing elsewhere, per Stefanelli, but still agreed to connect with Redd and Syracuse’s staff. After his visit, Bryant felt the sense of family he yearned for.
“My original plan was to go back home, sit on it for a day or two and then make my decision,” Bryant said. “But after going back to the hotel, it was just a gut feeling that I was supposed to be here.”
Bryant made the calls to confirm his decision, including one to Wood. She trusted his choice, knowing only he’d know what was best for himself.
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown described the idea to bring in Bryant simply: he had over 100 tackles, and the Orange had no returners with numbers anywhere close to that.
Bryant didn’t know anyone on the roster before he entered the program. Fellow linebacker Derek McDonald said Bryant’s more reserved, but the work speaks for itself. True freshman Antoine Deslauriers added that Bryant is his go-to guy if he has schematic questions.
At SU, Bryant uses his instincts to disrupt opposing offenses. He said he’s playing more freely with the Orange, differing from simply filling gaps at South Dakota.
He feels at home at Syracuse. And for all the right reasons.
“He loves football. He loves to compete,” Brown said. “He’s a man’s man.”
Bryant and Avery had one barbell set and a dream. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the cousins needed to find a way to get a pump. With gyms closed across the country, they’d bring chairs from their kitchen onto the outdoor balcony.
Then, two 45-pound plates helped them produce any workout they could.
While growing stronger during quarantine, the pandemic altered Bryant’s recruitment. Good Counsel didn’t have a fall schedule and played a limited one in the spring. The transfer portal grew wild. Athletes gained extra eligibility. And as a result, players like Bryant flew under the radar.
Bryant didn’t receive much interest until his senior season, when his first offer came from Bryant University in July 2021. Other FCS schools trickled in throughout the season. One of those was Missouri Valley Conference powerhouse South Dakota.
giving Bryant “raw” feedback, Elijah said Bryant made direct eye contact and took accountability, convincing Elijah to keep him in the game. On the next drive, Bryant intercepted a pass in the end zone to seal the victory.
“He’s resilient and he’s gritty,” Elijah said. “You can come to him very direct and transparent with any type of feedback, and he’s going to accept it like the man that he is.”
Resilience and grit aren’t built in a day. The traits are molded over time. When tragedy strikes. When resources grow thin. When a burden is carried.
At 22, Bryant is rarely home in Baltimore. Wood estimates he’s been back about two or three times a year since enrolling at South Dakota. He stays connected with his family largely over FaceTime, but he’s become a parental figure for his 18-year-old sister, Niyah. Wood said Bryant brought her with him to South Dakota and now Syracuse, helping her find work and build her future.
“(Bryant) was molded to be who he is from experiencing things that he did not want to be around,” Wood said. “He spends a lot of time making sure he’s never any of that.”
The Coyotes rarely recruit out of the DMV. Though then-defensive backs coach Miles Taylor was from nearby Silver Springs, Maryland and sought out Bryant alongside outside linebackers coach Abdul Hodge. Both said they were shocked Bryant was still available when they watched his tape. Abdul wondered how local schools like the University of Virginia weren’t involved.
“Once he got (to South Dakota), we pretty much got a steal,” Abdul said.
Bryant admittedly didn’t think he was supposed to be playing at the FCS level. But he recognized that’s how “his cards were played” and he accepted his fate.
Abdul departed for Iowa before Bryant enrolled with the Coyotes. Though when his brother, Elijah Hodge, took over the position, he knew he’d mesh with Bryant. A former Wisconsin linebacker, Elijah became a strong male figure for Bryant, teaching him how to move beyond immature behavior.
In South Dakota’s FCS quarterfinal matchup with UC Davis last season, Elijah nearly benched his star linebacker following a mental error. While
Bryant’s “why” has changed over the years. In the past, it was his family. He said it’s recently shifted to himself. Not in a selfish way. But he knows he’ll eventually raise kids of his own. He wants to be the best version of himself when that day arrives, using football as a vehicle to build generational wealth unfound in his family’s history.
Like football, life has its pivotal plays. Turnovers. Fourth downs. No challenge on the gridiron matches what Bryant’s already overcome.
Just look at his right arm.
Along his wrist reads “Mamba Mentality.” Above that, a snake wraps around the logo for Dream Chasers Records. He’s living part of his dream at Syracuse. The next step is changing his life for good.
“I’m trying to break my cycle of bad stuff that’s been happening in my family. All the positive things would come out of the game, I took advantage of at a young age. I’m continuing to keep that going,” Bryant said.
amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
age) a really top-class finish,” Bobby Puppione, another FC Virginia coach, said.
Rauch began to earn accolades for her vision and ability to orchestrate play from the midfield. She led her FC Virginia team in assists, receiving a spot to compete in the United States Soccer Development Academy.
Adams found four main characteristics in Rauch: a coachable player, someone who knows how to win, someone to keep standards high and a player who’s always at her best. Rauch checked all the boxes.
Those traits were magnified after her injury. Rauch stepped in as a de facto coach, which helped her gain a different perspective on the style and speed of play. When she returned the following year, she helped the Orange to their first winning season since 2012 with an 8-7-3 record.
But something was wrong. With injuries to Klein and fellow defenders Kendyl Lauher, Aleena Ulke and Kate Murphy, Rauch was asked to fill their void on the back end. Her offensive production plummeted. It took six games for Rauch to score her first goal, just one of two on the year.
Her motivation never wavered, though, and as she always had, Rauch upheld her commitment. Adams said she didn’t need to ask Rauch twice about giving maximum effort.
The following season, Rauch again found herself in a primarily defensive role. Once an
architect of assists, Rauch’s game was rebuilt around her willingness to steer Syracuse to success. In 18 starts, she recorded just one goal and no assists.
“There were moments where I was questioning what happened,” Rauch said. “I had to take that role on and do that to the best I could.”
Leading up to her senior campaign, Rauch did everything necessary to return to the offensiveminded player she once was. She spent hours alone practicing shots from different angles and watching film from professional games to acclimate herself to unfamiliar situations.
Barring injuries, she was poised to play a more offensive role. At last, it came — the culmination of four years and 35 games in unfamiliar spots.
Rauch’s first true test came against then-No. 2 Florida State on Sept. 19, 2024. The Orange trailed 4-0 with less than seven minutes to play. SU had been held to 10 shots, while the Seminoles pelted Syracuse goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch with over tries.
The shutout seemed inevitable. Then Rauch made her move. With the ball spinning freely around the 18-yard box, FSU midfielder Lara Dantas closed in — but Rauch beat her to it. One touch was all it took. She fired the ball into the upper right corner, past the outstretched dive of Seminoles goalkeeper Addie Todd. Rauch called it one of the highlights of her career.
Rauch ended the 2024 season tied for the team lead with five goals. After years of jug-
gling different roles, she was finally where she wanted to be.
“I was very excited to go back to the position I was recruited to play,” Rauch said. “That’s where I feel the most confident and calm.”
As SU’s three 2025 captains, Rauch, Klein and Vanderbosch traded ideas all summer on how to turn Syracuse’s fading program around. Rauch was focused on reclaiming her lethal attacking edge. And she has. Through the Orange’s first 10 games, the graduate student has scored four goals, also becoming the first Syracuse player since 2016 to have multiple two-goal performances in one season.
Against Holy Cross on Aug. 24, the Orange led 1-0 toward the end of the first half. Rauch dribbled forward from midfield, cutting past Crusaders defender Megan Menard before rifling a left-footed shot into the back of the net from the fringe of the 18-yard box.
“It’ll go down as one of the best goals in history for Syracuse soccer,” Adams said.
“It made it feel like everything was worth it,” Rauch added.
Every touch, every run, every shot displays glimpses of the threat Syracuse envisioned when it first recruited Rauch. Her goals aren’t just a statistic — they’re proof she’s back.
“She’s our commander. She’s our general on the field,” Adams said. “It’s what Ash does.”
jordankimball28@gmail.com
By Noah Nussbaum sports editor
Syracuse has struggled through its season-opening stretch. The Orange have pounded shot after shot at opposing goalkeepers, but only five have reached the back of the net. After a 3-2 loss to then-No. 8 Stanford on Saturday, SU has outshot opponents 113-49 through seven games.
With its limited scoring output, you’d think Syracuse would be struggling to find wins. But SU has only dropped three games thus far, pulling out narrow 1-0 wins over Loyola and Yale.
Why? Its defense has been phenomenal.
Despite allowing three goals to the Cardinal — two of which came in the final 11 minutes — Syracuse’s (2-3-2, 0-1-0 Atlantic Coast) backline has kept it in every game thus far. Its collapse against Stanford is the lone time SU has allowed multiple goals in a contest, and its six goals allowed rank tied for seventh out of 15 ACC teams. The Orange also haven’t trailed by multiple goals at any point this campaign.
That’s come via a restructured unit. Goalie Tomas Hut has manned the net for the second straight year, but newcomers Ernest Mensah Jr. (Xavier) and Tim Brdaric (Germany) have starred in front of him. Returners Chimere Omeze and Garrett Holman have been solid as well, keeping the Orange’s season afloat amid their offensive shortcomings.
“We’re gonna throw punches at them, and they’re gonna throw punches at us, but it’s just about how we can react and how we can put one into the back of the net,” Hut said after SU’s 1-1 tie with Penn State. “I’m not worried. I think we’ve done really well defensively.”
After Syracuse’s defensive struggles last campaign, it’s shown early mastery in 2025. The Orange allowed 27 goals across 18 games in 2024, the fourth-worst mark in the ACC. As they once again failed to score consistently, that amounted to the worst scoring margin in the conference at -0.06.
With SU struggling on both sides of the ball, it turned in a mediocre 7-7-3 season and a subsequent first-round loss in the ACC Tournament.
When everyday starter Andre Cutler-DeJesus graduated, the unit grew even thinner. Omeze was the only returning defender who started more than five games. SU head coach Ian McIntyre needed reinforcements.
He found them this offseason. His biggest catch was Mensah. The Naperville, Illinois, native spent his first two college seasons at Xavier, where he helped the Musketeers to the 2023 Big East Championship over Georgetown and snagged AllBig East Third Team honors in 2024.
After transferring to the Orange in December, Mensah refined his skills this past summer with Asheville City FC, where he primarily served as its right wingback. He’s excelled at one-on-one defending in his first season at SU, driving opposing attackers to the goal line and making effective slide tackles.
McIntyre also added Brdaric, who had international playing experience in his home country of Germany, most recently competing for the KFC Uerdingen in the Regionalliga West.
The two, paired with Holman and Omeze, have formed an airtight backline.
Omeze, after making the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2024, hasn’t skipped a beat.
But Holman has been a welcome surprise after starting none of his six appearances as a freshman. He’s used his lean, 6-foot-3, 160-pound frame to outrun and outjump players, especially shining in Syracuse’s season opener against UConn.
Their dominance has made Hut’s job easy in goal. Though he’s made just 11 saves through seven games, the second-lowest in the conference, he hasn’t needed to make many more. Hut has faced seven shots per game.
After a 52-save 2024 campaign in his debut season for SU, he’s shown up when necessary, posting four saves to limit Penn State to one goal on 13 shots. McIntyre praised Hut postgame, calling it his best showing with the Orange.
“I’d agree with (McIntyre),” Hut said postgame. “I think compared to last year, I have the confidence and momentum behind me as a starter, so I was happy with my performance.”
But it took a few games for the new unit to fully settle in. SU allowed 29 shots in its first three matchups, including a combined 24 to Loyola and PSU. Despite the high volume, the Orange conceded just two goals in that span, helping them come away with a 1-1-1 record.
Against UConn, Holman stole the show, effortlessly cutting down opposing attackers. Versus PSU, it was Hut, who made three of his four saves in the second half to preserve a draw amid Penn State’s endless pressure.
“We got better in the second half. We needed Tomas Hut to pull off some big saves. By hanging
in there, we had a chance to win it in the last 30 seconds,” McIntyre said of SU’s defense against the Nittany Lions.
The Orange have been much cleaner since. Before their battle with Stanford, they allowed just seven total shots across three games against Yale, Duquesne and New Haven. Despite one second-half goal from the Dukes, the lack of quality chances allowed SU to post clean sheets against Yale and New Haven, allowing zero shots on goal to the Chargers.
Thanks to its subpar offense, Syracuse’s effort just hasn’t been reflected in its results. Sixtyseven shots across that stretch led to a 1-0 loss to the Dukes and a 0-0 tie with New Haven. Just one small mistake — a misplaced back-pass from Holman — doomed SU against Duquesne, where one Syracuse goal would’ve salvaged a point.
But that doesn’t mean SU has nothing to hang its hat on.
With a mostly new cast of characters, its defense has impressed. Hut has become a bystander in nearly every game because of it. Aside from one penalty goal, the Orange even played 80 minutes of clean defense against Stanford before capitulating late.
And with Syracuse’s offense waking up with its first multi-goal effort versus the Cardinal, its backline must stay secure to steer its season back on track.
“It started from the energy our front guys brought, and our midfield worked really hard,” McIntyre said after facing Duquesne. “We’ll get there. Games like these will prepare us (for what’s coming).”
njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
By Zak Wolf senior staff writer
Three weeks ago, Syracuse’s road trip to Death Valley looked much more daunting. Clemson started the season as the No. 4 team in the country. Three games later, the Tigers are in free fall. After close losses to No. 3 LSU and No. 18 Georgia Tech, Clemson is unranked for the first time since 2023.
Still, SU’s first true road game of the season remains an intimidating task. Fran Brown said this week the Tigers are a “couple plays away” from being 3-0, while praising Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s program.
The Orange have never won a game at Memorial Stadium, while Clemson has lost just three games at home in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2014. They came close in 2018 and 2022 but never got over the hump.
the game with Clemson’s lone touchdown in the second half. Klubnik finished with 263 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Garrett Shrader recorded 176.
The Tigers Report
Clemson ended its four-year College Football Playoff drought last season. The Tigers did so with the help of the Orange after they took down then-No. 8 Miami in the regular-season finale. SU’s win clinched an ACC Championship Game berth for Clemson, where it defeated SMU. But Texas took care of business against the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs.
Angeli has a tall task ahead of him since this is his first-ever true road start in his career. About 80,000 Clemson fans will make it tough for Syracuse’s offense to operate smoothly.
The Orange will also have to find some way to get to Klubnik. They’ve only recorded three sacks this season and have failed to pressure quarterbacks much. Despite his shortcomings this season, if Syracuse can’t get to Klubnik, he’ll pick it apart.
Stat to know: 12
Syracuse hasn’t looked very convincing across its first three games. It was blown out by then-No. 24 Tennessee before coming back against UConn. SU cruised past Colgate last week in its final tune-up game before starting conference play.
Here’s everything to know before Syracuse (2-1, 0-0 ACC) takes on Clemson (1-2, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday:
All-time series Clemson leads 10-2.
Last time they played
For the second-straight season, Syracuse was undefeated heading into its matchup with Clemson. The previous year, SU was 6-0 before losing a close game on the road. This time, the 4-0 Orange got a chance to continue their hot start. However, the Tigers spoiled it and dominated with a 31-14 win.
Clemson jumped out to a 14-0 lead within the first 10 minutes via touchdowns from Cade Klubnik and Will Shipley. Dan Villari made it a one-score game soon after, but the Orange went scoreless until the fourth quarter. LeQuint Allen Jr. cut SU’s deficit to 24-14 with 12 minutes remaining, but Phil Mafah closed
This season, Clemson is led by its ferocious defensive front. Brown called its front seven “one of the best in the country.” T.J. Parker and Peter Woods helm the group, both of whom are topfive prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, per ESPN. Though Parker only has one sack so far this season, he finished with 11 in 2024, the thirdbest mark in the ACC. Woods is a game-wrecking defensive tackle that can also use his speed to rush from the edge.
Syracuse’s special teams were a mess last season. So far, the Orange have cleaned up that phase, highlighted by Tripp Woody’s perfect 12-for-12 effort on extra points. Woody’s only kicked four field goals — missing one 48-yard attempt versus UConn — but his consistency is a welcome sign for the Orange.
Woody doesn’t do kickoffs, with Jadyn Oh assuming those responsibilities. Oh’s had
a strong year in that department, creating 10 touchbacks against Colgate, which, per Brown, earned him special teams player of the week.
Player to watch: Adam Randall, running back, No. 8
During his first three seasons, Adam Randall was stuck deep on Clemson’s depth chart as a receiver. He totaled 533 receiving yards before Swinney decided to switch him to running back in the offseason. Randall has become a dynamic playmaker for Clemson’s offense. After only five rushes for 16 yards in the Tigers’ loss to LSU, the running back has totalled 192 yards in their past two contests.
At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Randall can be a physical back, while also having the breakaway speed and elusiveness to be a big-time playmaker. With Syracuse’s tackling issues, it’ll need to bring Randall down on first contact or it might be a long day.
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The Tigers’ defense has done its job so far, only allowing 19 points per game, though Klubnik has struggled. The senior came into the season as a Heisman Trophy hopeful with some making the argument he could be the No. 1 pick in April. Instead, he’s thrown an interception each game and hasn’t totalled more than 230 passing yards. Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley has kept its offense balanced with 88 passes and 86 rushes. It’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues against SU.
How Syracuse beats Clemson Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon needs to design plays to get the ball out of Steve Angeli’s hands quickly. The Orange must keep Angeli upright, which will be difficult considering their below-average offensive line and Clemson’s stout defensive line. The Notre Dame transfer currently leads the country with 1,072 passing yards, yet 798 were against Colgate and UConn, two subpar opponents.
By Harris Pemberton asst. sports editor
Cade Klubnik sat across from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, unsure of his next step.
On this mid-January day in 2024, Swinney is perched in his office on the second floor of the Reeves Football Complex in Clemson, South Carolina. Decades worth of memorabilia, awards and pictures lie on the shelves surrounding Swinney.
Klubnik, the Tigers’ sophomore quarterback, had been under a microscope all year. He faced significant scrutiny after his 2023 campaign, where he threw just 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Many Tigers fans wanted Swinney to browse the transfer portal that winter to find Klubnik’s replacement.
“Everybody kind of told me I sucked and wasn’t very good,” Klubnik said at Atlantic Coast Conference Media Day in July. “A lot of people wanted me out of Clemson.”
Swinney wasn’t one of them. His words to his starter were simple: “Cade, I believe in you. Let’s go to work.”
So far, sticking with Klubnik has proved to be the right decision. He repaid Swinney’s faith with a monster junior season, throwing for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a College Football Playoff berth. Klubnik entered his senior season as a Heisman favorite and projected first-round NFL draft pick. With major award buzz and championship expectations surrounding the Tigers, which were ranked No. 4 to start the season, the spotlight on Clemson’s quarterback is brighter than ever.
After losing in Week 1 to then-No. 9 LSU and being upset by Georgia Tech in Week 3, Klubnik can’t afford to slip-up. The Tigers’ matchup with Syracuse Saturday will be an opportunity to turn their season around.
But the pressure is nothing new for Klubnik. Coming from Texas football powerhouse Westlake High School, which boasts a legendary lineage of quarterbacks, Klubnik’s had eyes on him for years.
Westlake’s prestige dates back to 1996, when future NFL Hall of Famer Drew Brees won the Chaparrals their first state title. Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles led Westlake to the state title game in 2007, but ultimately couldn’t win it all. Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger also came up short in 2015 as the Chaps’ starter.
When Klubnik committed to Clemson in 2021, he became Westlake’s 15th Division I quarterback in the last 35 years. Rees Wise — the Chaps’ senior starter — will be number 18 when he heads to Ole Miss next fall.
“It’s not for everybody to be the quarterback at Westlake,” current Chaparrals head coach Tony Salazar said. “It takes a special kid,
a mature kid. When we win, the quarterbacks probably get patted on the back more than they should. When we lose, they’re going to be blamed more than they should.”
Like most football-crazed kids in west Austin, Klubnik dreamed of becoming the Chaps’ next star signal-caller. So, he started familiarizing himself with Westlake’s staff when he was in elementary school.
Klubnik’s older brother, Reed, who eventually became Yale’s all-time leading receiver, played at Westlake from 2013-2016. When Todd Dodge took over as Westlake’s head coach in 2014, Reed was initially battling for the starting quarterback position.
Salazar — then Westlake’s defensive coordinator — and offensive coordinator Kirk Rogers remember Reed’s little brother standing on the sidelines at every game, practice and 7-on-7 tournament. At each stoppage in play, Klubnik would be tossing a football on the field.
His name became hard to ignore once he began “lighting up” Pop Warner, Salazar said. Klubnik was a youth football All-American before he arrived on Westlake’s campus. But he still had to wait his turn for two seasons, as Illinois commit Kirkland Michaux led the Chaps to their first state title in 23 years.
When he did get his chance, though, he excelled.
Klubnik threw for 6,710 yards and 78 touchdowns across two full seasons as Westlake’s starter. He led the Chaps to a UIL 6A Division I State Championship win over current Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers’ Southlake Carroll squad, despite spending the entire week sidelined in practice due to a shoulder injury. He followed it up with another title the next year, this time defeating current Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold’s Denton Guyer team.
Facing a plethora of future Division I defenders, Klubnik didn’t lose a game as the Chaps’ starter.
“There’s no doubt that he’s the best quarterback that’s ever come through (Westlake) when it comes to high school production,” Salazar said.
Klubnik was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 class, per 247Sports composite. He arrived at Clemson with the expectation that he could lead the Tigers back to a national championship.
He showed early flashes, as he led Clemson to an ACC Championship win as a freshman. But his sophomore year was bumpy. Many questioned how Swinney would address the quarterback position.
In this age of college football, where top teams look to the transfer portal instead of developing in-house talent, the idea of the Tigers adding another signal-caller wasn’t out of the question.
It’s a common dilemma for most Power Four quarterbacks. Klubnik saw it first hand, when
fans encouraged Clemson starter DJ Uiagalelei to transfer to Oregon State so he could start.
“It’s tough when you’re getting hyped up as much as you are, and all of a sudden, the same people that are hyping you up are saying you’re not as good as they thought you were going to be,” Rodgers said. “You’ve got to learn how to tune all that stuff out and just run your own race.”
It helped Klubnik that Swinney is notoriously stubborn when it comes to the portal. He brought Klubnik into his office the following January and pushed all his chips in on the rising junior.
“I told him, if it don’t work out, then I’m going down with you,” Swinney said to the Associated Press.
Lucky for them, it did.
In 2024, Klubnik finished third in passing touchdowns and guided the Tigers to an ACC Championship Game win over SMU. Clemson lost to Texas in the first round of the CFP, but Klubnik diced up the nation’s third-best defense with 336 passing yards and three touchdowns in his hometown of Austin. “His teammates never gave up on him, his head coach stood by his side through hell and high water, and the confidence that that gave (Klubnik) as a football player and as a leader on their team, I think it’s been invaluable,” Salazar said.
In March, Klubnik convinced Swinney to return to Austin with him to speak at a church near Westlake. The two drew a crowd of about 3,000 fathers and sons for “Warrior Night,” an event that reconnects men with their faith. For Salazar, it was the perfect example of what Klubnik brings to the locker room — exactly what Swinney’s staff couldn’t pick against.
“That’s what people don’t get. They just see a score on a scoreboard, stats on a damn stat sheet, but they don’t see the impact he has on the world he’s around,” Salazar said. “That’s why I think that nobody in that Clemson fieldhouse ever truly questioned whether or not he was the right guy for them.”
Swinney didn’t. Winning has followed his star quarterback everywhere he’s gone. His senior season hasn’t been off to the start he had hoped, as he has accounted for more turnovers than touchdowns while leading the Tigers to a disappointing 1-2 record. But Clemson and Swinney continue to show their belief in him.
Only now, the pressure is palpable. The Tigers can’t afford another ACC loss if they want to realize their championship dreams. For Klubnik, each week is like he’s back in the playoffs with Westlake — win or go home.
“Playing in the playoffs in high school, you really just got to take it one week at a time,” Klubnik said to The Daily Orange. “That’s what it is right now. This week is the only week that matters. It’s like a playoff game, because the rest of your season kind of relies on it.”
As long as Swinney has backed him, Klubnik’s turned pressure into production. With it, he’s hoping to turn Clemson into title contenders once again.
DISCLAIMER: Harris Pemberton attended Westlake High School. His experience did not affect the editorial content of this article.
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By Cooper Andrews senior staff writer
Three sacks in three games. Zero players with double-digit sacks. None by edge rushers. None against Power Four schools. One versus FBS programs.
This is the state of Syracuse’s pass rush as it heads into Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday against Clemson. After the Orange lost most of their sack production from last season, no one has stepped up in 2025. Three contests is a small sample size. The numbers, nonetheless, paint a concerning picture.
SU edge/defensive line coach Nick Williams still sees light at the end of the tunnel. He said transfer edge rusher David Reese, who’s in his eighth season of college football, is Syracuse’s key to consistently getting to the quarterback. Williams believes Reese’s proven experience — 11 sacks playing for California from 2023-24 — paired with his speed and balance off the edge, makes him SU’s No. 1 pass rushing threat.
Reese had three quarterback hits in Syracuse’s Week 2 win over UConn. But when will pressures turn into sacks?
“He’s got to. He’s got to,” Williams repeated, stressing his desire for Reese to take command of SU’s pass rush. “And if he does, it’s going to unlock a lot of things for us.”
Time will tell if Reese can fulfill his expectations. Though at this point, waiting is all the Orange can do when it comes to their pass rush, which hasn’t been the same since Fadil Diggs and Marlowe Wax went to the NFL. Their No. 1 reinforcement option on defense? Gone. Interior lineman Maraad Watson transferred to Texas in April. That left Syracuse little time to pick up the pieces.
And it’s showing; the Orange are tied for 115th in the country in total sacks.
While a couple of names like Reese — SU’s Jack linebacker — and defensive lineman Kevin Jobity Jr. are eliciting promise thus far, the Orange (2-1, 0-0 ACC) are still figuring out their pass rush identity as conference play heats up.
“Sacks are good, and you know, we got a long season,” Reese said. “But just being disruptive, getting the QB off his game, I feel like that’s something we take pride in.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Syracuse’s 70.4 pass rush grade in 2024 ranked 81st among the then-134 teams in the FBS. Now, with 136 FBS schools, the Orange still rank in the bottom half at 72nd overall, but their pass rush grade is slightly lower at 68.5.
They didn’t sack Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar in the season opener, then only got to UConn signal-caller Joe Fagnano once before registering two sacks versus Colgate. On the opposite side, Syracuse’s offensive line has conceded eight sacks. It isn’t a sustainable ratio to win games.
“We do a lot of self-evaluating,” Williams said of his defensive line and edge rushers group. “We force the guys to look at themselves in the mirror and attack our weaknesses. We’re nowhere near where we need to be. But we just gotta continue to get better.”
Second-year defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson entered 2025 in a precarious spot. Led by Diggs’ 7.5 sacks, the Orange brought down the quarterback 27 times last year. But 18 of those were by players who departed over the offseason, including KingJoseph Edwards (3.0 sacks). Watson’s surprise transfer ruined SU’s plans to feature him on its interior defensive line. Robinson, head coach Fran Brown and Co. didn’t have sufficient time to replenish their group.
On one hand, it’s not like Syracuse’s 2024 pass rush was very dominant. It had its moments, such as Diggs’ two sacks against then-No. 25 UNLV to win National Defensive Player of the Week and the Orange swarming NC State quarterback CJ Bailey en route to a victory. But the numbers don’t lie: Their sack total ranked 12th among 17 ACC squads.
Thus far, elevating sophomore defensive lineman David Omopariola and senior edge rusher Denis Jaquez Jr. to larger roles has resulted in zero sacks from the two returners. Reese, who, according to Williams, was identified in the transfer portal specifically for his pass-rushing skills, has yet to prove himself. Besides a key sack against UConn from Jobity, only tight-end-turned-SAM linebacker Jamie Tremble and cornerback Braheem Long Jr. have sacks, both of which occurred versus FCS opponent Colgate.
Robinson also hasn’t featured many blitz packages in his defensive playcalling so far, a major difference from last year, when the Mike linebacker, Wax, totaled 4.5 sacks. Syracuse mostly relies on a three-or-four-man pass rush, unless the Orange are defending short-yardage and third-down scenarios.
This conservative scheme and lack of individual game wreckers are hindering Syracuse. SU currently ranks 126th among 136 FBS schools with a measly 1.37% sack percentage — a stat that quantifies how often defenses sack quarterbacks on dropbacks. In 2024, the Orange finished 56th (6.44%) in the same metric.
“We got to be better and there’s always room for improvement,” Williams said.
This offseason, Syracuse’s defensive staff worked to resolve its tackling problems of 2024, which it determined to be its Achilles’ heel. The
Orange reimagined their tackling philosophy by studying collegiate programs nationwide and seeking advice from prominent NFL alumni like Keith Bulluck. They even added Syracuse legend and NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney and former New York Jet Muhammad Wilkerson to the defensive staff.
Brown is outspoken about turning Syracuse into a Southeastern Conference-caliber program. He thinks one of the first steps to accomplishing that is to become much more physical.
“What we put on film last year wasn’t up to the standard,” SU linebackers coach Robert Wright said. “We want to win a National Championship, so our defense needs to reflect that.”
Yet SU is still struggling to tackle quarterbacks. Eight out of 12 College Football Playoff teams ranked within the top 17 of PFF’s pass rush grades. Simply put, you need to get sacks to compete for national titles.
Williams praised Reese and Jobity as two players who can spark a turnaround. He saw “great things” from Jobity when rewatching his film from Week 2’s win over UConn, where he tallied five tackles and a sack — all team-highs for defensive linemen. Williams says Jobity embodies the ideal tough guy in the middle of the defensive line, praising his ability to quickly jump off the snap and bull-rush the quarterback from the A and B gaps.
But for him, the answer to Syracuse’s pass rush establishing consistency resides in Reese. He doesn’t see any excuse for why he can’t make a major impact in the ACC like he did the last two years at Cal.
“He has to show that first,” Williams said of Reese. “But he will. He will.” ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews
Gary Bryant III’s tumultuous path drives underdog career
By Aiden Stepansky senior staff writer
Gary Bryant III’s tattoo sleeve across his right arm reveals his life story. Along his elbow, the initials GB3 pop out. Closer to his shoulder sits the Baltimore Orioles logo and an Interstate 95 sign, paying homage to his hometown. And just under his bicep are two street signs intersecting, with one labeled Chuck Street and the other Nancy Drive.
Nancy refers to Nancy Hanke, Bryant’s grandmother. Hanke became a “motherly figure” when Bryant’s mother and father weren’t consistently around. She pushed him to be better than his environment, offering tough love to bring out his best. Hanke died in February 2016 when Bryant was only 12 years old. From there, Bryant knew he needed to figure things out on his own.
“I remember seeing him immediately shift into survival mode,” said Jamie Wood, Bryant’s aunt.
Despite his personal obstacles, Bryant made a name for himself in football. He transferred from South Dakota to Syracuse in the spring transfer portal to fill a much-needed role in the Orange’s linebacker room. Through SU’s first three games, he’s done just that, leading the linebackers in tackles with 17. But for Bryant, it’s about more than the numbers.
He received zero Power Four offers out of high school despite winning MVP of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. His parents’ absence created insta-
By Jordan Kimball asst. sports editor
Ashley Rauch was finally hitting her stride. As a freshman, she scored in Syracuse’s first exhibition game against Army, then netted another in SU’s regular-season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson before notching an assist versus Niagara four days later.
The verdict was clear: Rauch had arrived. Heading into her Aug. 29, 2021, matchup against Eastern Michigan, Rauch started, just as she had in her last two games. She was one of
four freshmen to start each of SU’s first three contests.
But the Eagles put her early breakout on hold.
Twenty-four minutes in, Rauch was stepped on while shooting, falling to the ground in pain. The freshman hobbled off the pitch. An examination revealed she’d fractured her Lisfranc — a ligament complex in the midfoot — sidelining her for the remainder of the season.
Rauch was devastated.
“(We lost) an offensive weapon. We lost a part of our attack,” SU head
coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said. “Her standards are so high that not having her set the tone differently.”
After a lengthy recovery process, Rauch’s role still remained in question. Now, in her final season with the Orange, she’s found the answer. The fifth-year midfielder is blending the pass-first approach she possessed with her club team — FC Virginia — with the offensive production she briefly demonstrated as a freshman to anchor Syracuse’s offense one last time.
“She was willing to put her head down and find those opportunities to
bility throughout his youth. But he’s okay being the underdog. He’s been it his whole life.
“Growing up how I grew up, it made me feel like I didn’t have a choice but to do what I’m doing now,” Bryant told The Daily Orange. “Every day, I remind myself I don’t have anything to go home to. There’s nothing to go back to. So I don’t have a choice but to keep pushing.”
Before Hanke died, she told Bryant she wanted him to graduate from high school and go to college. Neeo Avery, Bryant’s younger cousin, said Hanke was the staple of the family, and Bryant was “her baby.”
Following her passing, Bryant moved in with Wood — his mother’s older sister — intermittently and also lived with his parents sparingly. While Wood said Bryant now has a relationship with his father, that wasn’t always the case.
“(Bryant) had a lot of examples of what not to be and who he didn’t want to be,” Wood said. “So he see bryant page 13
make sure this is the best year possible,” SU midfielder Emma Klein said.
“There was a mental flip, like, ‘OK, this is the last year. I’m a captain. I’m a grad student. I need to put the ball in the back of the net.’”
Two months before her injury, Rauch reported to Syracuse alongside Klein for their first day as college freshmen. Rauch was terrified at first. Everything felt entirely unknown, she said.
Though classes wouldn’t start for months, Rauch’s workload was at an all-time high. She worked daily with strength and conditioning coaches.
When seasoned veterans such as Jenna Tivnan, Meghan Root and Lysianne Proulx arrived, practices intensified following a lackluster 1-7 campaign. While the team spent the summer getting to know each other, Rauch remained reserved. Despite being part of an 11-player recruiting class, the nerves ate at her. On the field, Rauch’s quiet competition shone through. Off the field, she was consumed by the thought of being back on it. It took months for Rauch to adjust. After never-ending practices, lifts see rauch page 13