thursday, september 4, 2025
N • Interfaith focus
After years abroad, Rabbi Natan Levy begins his chaplaincy focused on supporting all SU students.
Page 3
C • Lasting legacy
While Dazed is no longer hosting music shows at the house venue, the organizers reminisce on the impact the space had.
By Justin Girshon senior staff writer
As he glanced at a shirtless Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick had doubts. Unlike current five-star recruits, who sometimes are bigger stars than NBA players before reaching college, Anthony’s teammates didn’t know much about him.
But based on Anthony’s status as a McDonald’s All-American and conversations with Syracuse assistant coach Troy Weaver, Warrick said he was expecting big things from his freshman teammate. That expectation briefly changed when Warrick eyed Anthony before their first practice.
“I was looking at him like, ‘Everyone’s so hype about this? This little chubby dude?’” Warrick said.
By the time the Orange finished practice that day at Archbold Gymnasium, any doubts were silenced — the 6-foot-8 forward possessed elite skill, strength and quickness. He wasn’t a normal freshman.
Yet Warrick’s wildest dreams couldn’t have envisioned the transcendent campaign Anthony was about to have.
In his first step toward becoming a firstballot Basketball Hall of Fame selection — where he’ll be inducted Saturday — Anthony led Syracuse to its lone national championship in 2003. Throughout the campaign, he starred as the first freshman in modern
It was unheard of. To put up numbers and win the way we did that, that’s just something that wasn’t done before.
Hakim Warrick former su forward
Johntay Cook is ready for a new beginning after previous college setbacks and wants to make up for lost time.
S • Cook’s chance Page 16
By Sydney DePietto, Chloe Fox Rinka the daily orange
The four candidates contending for the vote in the city of Syracuse’s mayoral debate deliberated key community issues, including policing and government spending, at their first debate of the election season. Democratic candidate and current Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, Republican candidate Tom Babilon and independents Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd spoke to around 60 attendees at St. John Baptist Parish Hall in the Northside.
The Washington Square Task Force, a Syracuse community group focusing on neighborhood safety, local events and community support, hosted the debate. Task Force facilitator Bonnke Sekarore mediated the event, aiming to create open dialogue between candidates. Sekarore referred to Tuesday night’s event as a “forum” intended to educate the public on each candidate’s goals as mayor.
“I did not want this to be barking at each other, calling each other names, or anything of that nature,” Sekarore said. “You’re here today because you want to make an informed decision on Nov. 4.”
Introduction
At the forum’s start, each candidate introduced themselves and had five minutes to speak about their backgrounds.
Davis said he’s running on a platform of integrity, accountability and collaboration. From Syracuse’s Southside neighborhood, he spoke of his “non-traditional” route after graduating from Buffalo State University, becoming a nurse’s aide and eventually going back to school for a degree in elementary education.
Davis ran for mayor in 2009, 2013 and 2017 but was removed from the ballot for invalid signatures.
Rudd, the other independent candidate, said his campaign is also focused on accountability, as well as transparency arguing that his roots in Syracuse give him a personal perspective and the professional experience necessary for mayor.
After graduating from Syracuse University in 2004, he eventually ran and won as Finance Chair on the Syracuse City Common Council.
“I was a team player. I think I really paid attention to the interests of the city,” Rudd said.
Rudd served as budget director for the city council, which Rudd said he “did with honor,” but was fired in February over comments made about fellow candidate Owens. Owens, also an SU alumna, is running as a Democrat with the Working Families Party. After receiving an economics degree from SU, she interned with the Dunbar Center and said she knew she had to continue her work with the people of Syracuse.
Currently serving as deputy mayor under incumbent Mayor Ben Walsh, Owens told attendees she’s running on a platform of executive experience, efficient management and public services.
“There are things we still need to do in the city. We are on a trajectory for amaz -
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WHERE: ArtRage Gallery how to join us
Noteworthy events this week.
WHAT: Arc Race
WHEN: Saturday, 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: Long Branch Park
WHAT: Live Jazz Under Spoken Word
WHEN: Saturday, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE: Community Folk Art Center
WHAT: Artists Talk with Najee Dorsey
WHEN: Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.
By Chloe Fox Rinka asst. news editor
The city of Syracuse lost a nearly $30 million federal grant aimed at rebuilding the East Adams neighborhood.
The neighborhood, historically one of Syracuse’s most neglected, lost the funds earlier this summer under President Donald Trump’s administration’s megabill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The loss of funds was part of a $180 million federal grant under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program.
The East Adams revitalization project is working to reverse the displacement of 1,300 families segregated by the I-81 viaduct, creating a physical racial division throughout the city.
In March 2024, $150 million was allocated to the I-81 Viaduct project, and exactly $29.7 million to the East Adams neighborhood redevelopment, I-81 Project Director Joe Driscoll said. Because of the I-81 project’s significant progress in construction, Driscoll said it will not lose any funding.
The East Adams neighborhood project was only initially given $300,000, with the rest pending on a National Environmental Policy Act environmental review, where federal agencies assess the environmental effects of proposed projects before funding or approving them.
The remaining funding was cut under Trump’s megabill before the review could be completed.
“It’s still a question mark on how we’re going to rebuild those streets and that infrastructure for the residents of the 15th ward,” Driscoll said.
The East Adams neighborhood’s $1 billion revitalization includes the redevelopment of public housing, though neighborhood and public architecture are specifically impacted by the grant revocation, said Sarah Walton, the director of East Adams Neighborhood Redevelopment.
The funding was granted through the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, a federal initiative that mitigates transpor-
(The neighborhood has) borne the brunt of government-led discriminatory housing policy in the past.
Alex Lawson cny fair housing policy manager
tation burdens. The $29.7 million would have been used to complement East Adams’ new housing infrastructure by building new sidewalks, roads, landscaping and lighting.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration created the NAE Grant Program to fund transportation projects, receiving funding through the Inflation Reduction Act. However, Trump’s July signing of his megabill cut funding for “radical and wasteful government DEI programs.”
The loss of funding is expected to increase the workload of nonprofit CNY Fair Housing, an organization working to investigate and act on cases of illegal housing discrimination, Policy Manager Alex Lawson said.
Lawson works with communities, including the East Adams neighborhood, to combat housing discrimination by advocating for equitable community development. The funding loss and halt in construction could increase the number of housing discrimination cases the organization sees, he said.
“(The neighborhood has) borne the brunt of government-led discriminatory housing policy in the past, the destruction of an entire community for the construction of a highway on the basis of race, almost explicitly,” Lawson said.
CNY Fair Housing works on legislation and education to prevent housing discrimination in the East Adams neighborhood. The nonprofit has feared its housing advocacy efforts would be
affected by Trump’s cuts to grants for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.
Lawson said the funding would’ve contributed to an improved quality of life for residents, creating housing opportunities and better sidewalks.
Having written the original $180 million grant application, Walton said she believes the funding loss will “heavily” impact the project and may create setbacks with its design and construction moving forward.
“More specifically, it’s $29.7 million that has been recaptured, which was the city’s portion of the overall grant to pay for public streets and public infrastructure,” Walton said.
With the new housing being built, streets and public infrastructure also needs to be funded, he said.
The cut in funding has the redevelopment of East Adams searching for new means of sourcing.
“Of course, we’re going to have to think about the timing of how fast we were going to be able
to do things, and we may not be able to make as beautiful or as comprehensive on the street upgrades as we once imagined, without the kind of funding that we need,” Walton said.
Walton and the partners helping rebuild the East Adams area remain hopeful in their search for alternative funding.
The city recently asked for $10 million from New York state to recover from the loss in funding, and hopes to coordinate with partners in building new infrastructure after the I-81 teardown. The city has also sought funding through the state’s pro-housing supply.
“We have seen other cases through other government agencies where there has been a withdrawal of funds that has been challenged and sometimes effectively so,” Walton said. “I do remain hopeful that we’ll figure out a way to keep the momentum high on this project.”.
cfrinka@syr.edu
By Tara Binte Sharil asst. digital editor
Rabbi Natan Levy’s path to chaplaincy was an unusual one.
Levy was always familiar with his Jewish cultural roots, but he wasn’t in touch with his religion growing up until it became an integral part of his self-identity.
What initially began as a six-month trip to Israel to immerse himself in Judaism eventually became a six-year-long, “life-changing journey,” he said.
“ I wanted to engage with the rabbinical model of how asking questions are always better than having answers,” Levy said. “Religion wasn’t a way to close down conversations or beliefs. It was a way to ask questions about our relationship with God, with each other, our purpose and mission in life.”
Bringing over 20 years of experience in university and community chaplaincy with him, Rabbi Levy was appointed Hendricks Chapel’s Jewish chaplain in July after former Rabbi Ethan Bair did not return.
Levy’s journey first began in Israel, where he focused on receiving his rabbinical ordination. He became the Jewish chaplain at the University of Bristol in 2005, leading to an inspiring encounter that encouraged Levy to dive into interfaith initiatives.
At Bristol, he was approached by the heads of the Jewish and Muslim student leadership teams about the lack of kosher and halal food choices on campus. Watching the two students work together to get their proper food options on campus shelves heavily influenced Levy’s chaplaincy trajectory, he said, especially after his move to London in 2008.
Though London is home to many different faiths, Levy said communities often stay congregated within each other, ultimately leading to forthcoming challenges and tensions. His first interfaith encounter changed the way Levy handled community events and issues, he said.
“ When I got to London, the opportunity to do interfaith work kept growing, from environmental activism to refugee rights. We weren’t always successful, though,” Levy said. “If a rabbi was planting a tree, not everything is going to turn into paper. But if you’re with an imam, a rabbi and a priest, you will get a story that’s worth telling.”
For Levy, Hendricks Chapel was a beacon of light that drew him to SU. Hendricks’ longstanding history with interfaith work and student religious engagement made it easy for Levy to decide his next chapter in chaplaincy, he said.
Though it was a coincidental run-in in May that cemented Levy’s decision to move to Syracuse.
While volunteering for a food recovery site in Israel, Levy ran into a group of Syracuse Hillel students who were volunteering at the same farming site.
“(The students) were kind to the volunteers and you could see there was a level of care about what they were doing. And they just got off a redeye flight, which is pretty impressive,” Levy said. “After not sleeping for 24 hours straight, they still wanted to volunteer and still had a level of real passion and kindness.”
Since his appointment to Hendricks, Levy has leaned on Hillel for guidance on the ebbs and flows of the organization. For now, Levy’s
duties are to motivate students to pursue their passions outside of their academics.
Hillel President Sadie Meyer has seen firsthand how Levy has already familiarized himself with the organization. From attending FreshFest, a pre-welcome program for incoming Jewish freshmen, to helping Hillel for upcoming holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it has been an all-hands-on-deck experience for Levy, she said.
“ He obviously cares about this environment and he’s been very welcoming to our students,” Meyer said. “For every (new) rabbi that comes in, it’s a big transition period (for them), but he’s been doing a fabulous job. I have nothing but good things to say about him.”
While getting acquainted with student organizations is a priority for Levy, he said he hopes to continue building off the previous interfaith initiatives at Hendricks.
As a start, Levy attended the August 2025 Interfaith America Leadership Summit in
Chicago with Imam Amir Durić and several other religious student affinity groups.
During the summit, sophomore Ronit Hizgiaev said she saw Levy’s kindness extend beyond attending events and other commitments, even inviting her to Shabbat dinner at his mother’s house.
“I got to not only know the Rabbi more, but I also got to talk about their background, everyone’s careers and passions,” Hizgiaev said.
As a student representative who attended the summit, Hizgiaev saw firsthand how interfaith initiatives hold importance in today’s climate. Though Hizgiaev was initially not very involved with Hillel, she has since become the organization’s multicultural chair, using her experience at the summit.
Engaging in conversations with Hendricks interfaith leaders about the current campus climate and continuing initiatives like the Jewish Muslim Fellowship started by Rabbi Bair and Imam Durić, developing interfaith projects is the key to fostering social progress, Hizgiaev said.
“ When we all work together and we’re like-minded, we’re working towards a greater good,” Hizgiaev said. “The work of Interfaith America is so amazing, and I would love to get more involved in what they do. It gives me a lot of hope.”
As his first year at Hendricks begins, Levy said he hopes to remain an approachable figure for those of all faiths. Whether it be seeking advice or helping with a service, Levy aims to continue his interfaith work.
Levy said he found interfaith work necessary to maintain hope in tough times, recalling a Hadith told by his friend, who is an Imam. When Abraham was stuck in the burning flames, a small bird attempted to put the fire out with its small beak, Levy remembered his friend telling him. Though the other animals made fun of the bird, it persisted.
“ At the end of the day, they’re not going to ask if I put out the flames. They’re going to ask what I did when the fire was burning. That question has always sat with me,” Levy said. “With a very tiny beak, you might not be able to put out the flames. But if you get a lot of people together with their beaks, maybe that can put up the flames.”
By Kate Jackson asst. copy editor
Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees will begin the search for Chancellor Kent Syverud’s successor after his Tuesday announcement that he will step down in June 2026.
Syverud, who has served as SU’s 12th chancellor since 2014, will remain in his role through the 2025–26 academic year. The board said it will share details about the search process in the coming weeks, seeking input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and other university stakeholders.
The board has not yet released a specific timeline for selecting a chancellor, though they have nearly a year to search for Syverud’s successor. After Nancy Cantor, Syverud’s predecessor, resigned in 2013, the board had expected the search to take at least a year.
Most past SU chancellors have held previous leadership roles in higher education, including deanships and vice chancellor positions. Syverud previously served as dean of the law schools at Washington University in St. Louis and Vanderbilt University.
In recent decades, SU has selected chancellors from both within and outside the university. Melvin Eggers, initially hired as an economics professor, was named chancellor in 1971, followed by Kenneth Shaw in 1991 and Cantor — the university’s first female chancellor — in 2004.
Notably, two of the previous 12 chancellors, William Tolley and William Graham, have also been SU alumni, and three other chancellors were promoted from vice chancellor positions at SU. Appointed in July 2024, Lois Agnew is currently serving as interim vice chancellor and provost.
About three months after Cantor’s resignation, the board created a 20-member search committee to find her replacement. The committee consisted of trustees and representatives from the university, including faculty, students, staff, dean and cabinet representatives.
In March 2013, the committee launched a pub-
ing promise. I’m the candidate prepared,” Owens said. “It is not speculation. I’m on the ground doing the work, and I’m ready to continue that work.
Babilon, a former city hall lawyer, said he believes his legal experience makes him the right choice for mayor.
Moving to Syracuse in 2003, he spoke on his previous experiences working as assistant corporation counsel for the city under former mayor Matthew Driscoll, and later as the City’s labor and employment attorney.
Focal point
In the 10 minutes each candidate had to speak about their platforms, the four discussed the importance of public safety and using taxpayer funds efficiently. As Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile announced his plans to retire at the end of Walsh’s term, the candidates also touched on their ideas for a revamped police force.
Babilon claimed the city lost 40% of its police force between 2003, when he moved
lic website to gather community input on Cantor’s successor, a model the board may replicate again.
The board also held several public forums and campus-wide surveys to gather information on what academic, professional and personal credentials and qualities were considered most important for SU’s 12th chancellor.
Syverud was inaugurated in April 2014, after being selected by the committee in September from a pool of 270 candidates. The committee planned on recommending two or three candidates to the board, but Syverud was the unanimous favorite.
In a 2013 interview with The Daily Orange, Joanne Alper, chairwoman of the search committee, said the committee quickly reached a consensus on SU’s key challenges, which helped create an outline for the ideal candidate, streamlining the search process.
Alper said Syverud was a top choice from the start, earning unanimous support from both the search committee and the Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee days later.
“The timeline was ongoing until we found Kent,” Alper said in 2013.
The new chancellor will inherit several challenges amid President Donald Trump’s reshaping of higher education, which the current board may take into consideration.
Recently, the university faced backlash in July for replacing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion with the new People and Culture unit. The decision aligns with a national trend following Trump’s executive order targeting these programs, alongside threats to cut funding and restrict international student status in his crackdown on higher education.
“Leading a university today is not for the faint of heart,” Jeff Scruggs, chairman of the board, wrote in a campus-wide email following Syverud’s announcement. “These roles demand the ability to manage complex operations, respond to a vast array of constituencies and uphold core values amid significant scrutiny.”
to Syracuse, and 2017, when Walsh was elected as mayor.
Since Walsh took office, Babilon said the city has lost over 100 officers.
According to the Syracuse Police Department’s annual report, there were 417 sworn officers and 68 civilian personnel employees in 2017, when Walsh was elected as mayor. In April 2025, the department had around 388 officers, according to WRVO Public Media.
Babilon vowed to allocate more money toward the SPD and its presence in the community.
“How many y’all call the police and they don’t even show up? I know you have. I know you have because it happens to everybody,” Babilon said. “We deserve better from our police officers.”
In response to Babilon’s claim, Owens said the mayor’s office works with the police department, responding to calls that are triaged through the 911 center.
To assist with mental health emergencies, Owens created the “diversionary response” protocol in 2022, allowing 911 dispatchers to send mental health professionals with or instead of police. She hopes to continue
Syverud faced scrutiny in April for not sign-
ing a letter condemning the Trump administration for “unprecedented government overreach” on higher education. The university has also faced criticism for its response to the 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
In his parting announcement, Syverud urged the campus to “fully and thoughtfully” engage with the process of selecting a new chancellor.
“Your voices, perspectives, and aspirations for the future are vital to selecting a leader who will build upon our shared accomplishments and guide Syracuse University forward,” Syverud said. kjacks19@syr.edu
strengthening the response unit to assist in non-emergency calls.
“When a person is struggling because of substance use and mental illness, they don’t need an armed police officer. They need a social worker or a mental health professional,” Owens said.
Rudd said he would work directly on the ground with the police and fire departments “one day a week” and assist them in any way they need.
“I want somebody who is going to agree to transparency and accountability. In general, I believe we can find common space,” Rudd said.
Davis spoke on what he sees as a lack of diversity and inclusion within the police department. As mayor, Davis said he would play an active role in recruitment for SPD, creating more jobs for marginalized communities in the city.
He said a key issue the city faces is relationships between residents and police officers. He added that increasing interactions would “change the dynamics.”
Davis said a previous “very racist” police chief affected the narrative of who is includ -
By Kate Jackson asst. copy editor
Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety will begin scanning license plates on campus, cross-referencing them with law enforcement databases, according to a Friday release.
The license plate reader technology allows officers to see whether a license plate belongs to a stolen vehicle or is involved in an ongoing police investigation. The pilot program is the latest DPS initiative aimed at improving campus safety, the release said.
Michael Bunker, associate vice president of campus safety and DPS chief, said the new technology will increase efficiency and response times when crimes are reported.
“It allows us the ability to identify threats in real time and share that information with our local law enforcement partners,” Bunker said in the release. “This collaboration strengthens our ability to keep the campus community safe.”
Last Friday, a pickup truck was stolen after a house burglary on Redfield Place. The Syracuse Police Department and DPS are still investigating as of Sunday, as the burglar has not been identified.
Also on Friday, a burglary was reported on Harrison Street. Both cases took place in the University Neighborhood, and an unknown suspect stole several electronics and personal belongings.
kjacks19@syr.edu
ed in safety measures. Davis didn’t specify the police chief’s identity.
He related this as a reflection on a national problem, calling President Donald Trump “crazy” and directed a slur at him for attacking the Chicago mayor for “hiring too many black people.”
After the forum ended, attendees spoke with the candidates to get a better sense of their platform. Sekarore said the conversations were exactly what he intended the forum to be, calling it “an overall success.”
“I just wanted people to come here and understand the backgrounds of the candidates. There are platforms, and what they plan to do for the people of Syracuse and this great city that we live in,” Sekarore said. Sekarore said a “general meeting” with all four candidates will be held Oct.7 and said a second forum or debate is being planned.
A version of this article, with corrections, was digitally published Wednesday afternoon. news@dailyorange.com
After three years of memories at the Redgate house, Dazed organizers will find alternative places to host their music shows
By Irene Lekakis senior staff writer
Polly Hoffman and Kieran Romano sat on their porch during the first week of school, watching passersby interact with the red Torii gate in their front yard. Some gave the large red structure curious glances. Others stared fondly and whispered to their friends. The gate serves as a campus landmark, one that the Syracuse University community was lucky to experience.
This summer, Dazed announced it’s no longer hosting live music shows at its house, bringing three years of tradition to an end.
“This house really brought people together, which was a long-standing favorite thing,” Hoffman said. “We all love music.”
On Aug. 6, the group announced on Instagram that they’re closing the house show venue because their landlord and his insurance company no longer permit basement parties. The house has been a gathering place from its beginning as Redgate in 2022 to its resurgence as Dazed last fall. After the post, many friends and other venue organizers reached out to Romano and Hoffman expressing sadness and concern.
The original six organizers of Dazed signed their lease knowing it was Redgate, a house they frequented as underclassmen and shared many memories in. After deciding they wanted to live
there, they also wanted to carry on the tradition of hosting shows.
Hoffman said she met most of her friends as an underclassmen while attending parties at the house. Romano added that the layout of the house lends itself to socialization.
With what he referred to as “the big three” — the indoor space, porch outside and basement — there was a space for everyone, whether they wanted to party or have an intimate conversation. Dazed was one of the few venues on campus with this variety of spaces.
Jared Rowland, a former organizer of Redgate and bass player for The Gritty Jawns, said the house was more than just a home for
By Charlotte Price asst. culture editor
ta, the theater’s executive director. As the Landmark approaches its 100th anniversary in a few years, it once again faces an era of change. The theater is undergoing a comprehensive restoration to bring it back to its original 1920s splendor. A third of the $1.5 million necessary for the first
phase of the restoration came from a grant facilitated by Syracuse Assemblyman William Magarelli, with private donors and the Landmark equity funding the rest, Intaglietta said. The first, most difficult phase of the project — restoring the theater’s proscenium arch, walls and ceiling stretching to the back balcony — is already complete. The rest of the work, including the orchestra area and the back of the balcony, should be complete by summer 2027, Intaglietta said. John Tiedemann Incorporated, a company dedicated only to historic restorations, took on the job. The theater hadn’t seen any renovation since the 1970s, said Ray Tiedemann, the company’s owner. After 50 years of accumulated wear, tear, layers of paint and cigarette smoke, the origisee landmark page 8 see legacy house page 7
By Savannah Stewart senior staff writer
Margot Lee’s parents encouraged her to find a niche during her first year at Syracuse University, but none of the spaces Lee explored felt like the right fit. It wasn’t until Julia Haber, a junior at the time, dropped in on one of Lee’s classes that a potential career path, entrepreneurship, piqued Lee’s interest.
Haber created spaces for ambitious students, but Lee wasn’t quite ready to start a business without a clear vision. So, Haber took Lee under her wing.
“Not only do we have an amazing business relationship, but we have a deep, long-lasting friendship from that too,” Haber said.
Lee, Class of 2020, and Haber, Class of 2018, returned to their alma mater Wednesday evening in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium for a panel discussion. The event launched “In the Margins,” a prompt-filled journal to guide students through careerreadiness and pivoting professional trajectories. “In the Margins” is offered at the SU
Campus Store, debuting with a chat with Haber and Lee on Thursday.
SU students and professors gathered to engage in the discussion. Robinson dedicated the first 45 minutes of the panel to Q&A between herself, Lee and Haber, then handed the microphone over to the crowd. Questions ranged from the art of cold calls to introspection and professional life.
A student chimed in to ask for networking tips, and Haber bluntly responded, “It needs to be validated that networking is scary.” It’s a process that requires a young professional to approach outreach as a longterm relationship that shows their worth overtime, she said.
Haber is the co-founder and CEO of Home From College, a digital career platform that offers students opportunities at the ground floors of their professional journeys. Once an advertising major, she gained background as a sales intern at both Spotify and Snapchat during college, helping the brands navigate the student demographic.
In her roles, she was exposed to many
companies’ difficulties in finding motivated students to promote the brands, especially when many students are already juggling uncertain futures.
As a junior, Haber bridged this gap by founding WAYV, a venture that hosted experiential activations for brand partners to connect with student influencers. The start-up lasted until May 2020. Two years later, Home From College was born.
Lee also graduated as an advertising major and now works as an entrepreneur, content creator and digital brand consultant. She shared her input on networking, especially relating to Gen Z. Lee learned the significance of being a good person and understanding professional outreach as a two-way street during her time as a WAYV intern in her senior year, she said.
Lee tied these ideas to her current role as the founder of No Particular Order, a brand that creates journals to help people “reflect, plan, remember, manifest, and play.”
“In the Margins” was a collaboration between Haber’s Home From College and Lee’s No Particular Order, created through personal experiences and gathering insight from students and mentors, Lee said. When a student asked Lee to share her favorite “In the Margins” prompt, Lee reached for a copy of the journal and opened it with a smile and laugh.
“It’s like picking a favorite child,” she joked.
SU senior Lauren Holdmeyer, a broadcast and digital journalism major, was one of many students to attend the panel, but only one of a handful to ask Lee and Haber a question. Holdmeyer said she has followed Lee on social media and related to her content for as long as she can remember.
Last spring, Holdmeyer studied abroad in London at the same time Lee was in the city. Holdmeyer remembered Lee’s social media posts about the struggles that can come with adapting to a foreign country.
“(Lee) made me feel comfortable in places that I’ve felt uncomfortable at first,” Holdmeyer said.
A couple of Haber and Lee’s past Newhouse professors also stopped by to hear the panel and reconnect with their former students.
Corey Takahashi, a magazine, news and digital journalism associate professor, taught both alums in COM 117: Multimedia Storytell-
By Mia Jones culture editor
University Union announced that due to budgeting changes, it’s facing impacts to events for the 2025-26 academic year.
UU said it will be transparent when events change, and adapt as needed, remaining committed to its programming and student experience. It will provide updates to the student body regarding budgeting, programming changes and event announcements.
Kate McKenna, the president of UU, said that despite losing almost half of its annual budget, UU is working to adjust and maintain the organization’s reputation with these challenges.
“Despite the circumstances, we are working even harder to ensure our events are just as exciting and impactful as they have always been,” McKenna said. “I’m confident in our team’s ability to adapt and overcome to create meaningful experiences for the student body.”
mjones58@syr.edu
ing and other communications courses. He admires them for being unconventional and breaking new ground, he said.
“We encouraged them to take risks and they were students who really seized on that,” Takahashi said. “I’m glad they get to inspire students now.”
Lee was adamant about accepting the unpredictability of your path. “In the Margins” can help play a role in students’ understanding of themselves, inside and outside their careers. In a culture that often pushes toward wellness and transformation, it’s easy for people to lose themselves, Lee said.
“Helping you get to know you always grounds me when we’re coming up with new products,” Lee said. “(I want to) make sure it doesn’t feel like it’s a departure from who you know yourself as.”
sfstewar@syr.edu
By Lily Zuckerman asst. digital editor
Apricot Lane Boutique was Alison Ryan’s go-to place for everything fashion for almost a decade. It was her home for going out tops, business casual outfits and everyday essentials.
When the store’s Fayetteville location closed in November 2020, she was devastated. Less than six months later, she decided to leave her job and reopen the store as her own in the exact same location.
“I wanted to return to something that I actually love,” Ryan said.
After four successful years running the store in Fayetteville, Ryan looked to expand to Syracuse. On Aug. 15, Ryan opened her second Apricot Lane franchise, nestled at the front of Marshall Square Mall. The store sells name-brand clothing, catering to collegeaged customers.
Now, along with the aroma of Salt City Coffee and Subway along with voices of chatty students running to their next class, Marshall Square Mall is home to trendy clothes for this week’s game day tailgate or date night event.
The Syracuse University sophomore Sophie Miller stumbled upon Apricot Lane’s new location on her first day of classes while using a shortcut through Marshall Square Mall.
What was intended to be a shortcut led to a detour and the purchase of a necklace and cardigan at Apricot Lane. Now, Miller is looking forward to getting her next date night or themed party outfit at the boutique.
“Everything was very on trend, I was super impressed with the brands they carried and the variety they had,” Miller said. “It was almost as if they knew exactly what a college girl wants to wear at school. It was just the type of store I was looking for in Syracuse.
Besides the same wall colors, branding and company oversight, Ryan said both Apricot Lane locations serve different clientele and carry various brands chosen by the owner.
Ryan’s Fayetteville location typically serves customers ages 30 to 60, while the new Marshall
Square Mall location is aimed at SU students, like Miller.
Apricot Lane’s clothing racks are filled with well-known brands like Just Black Denim, Free People and Hidden Jeans, as well as custom SU-printed apparel, all of which were chosen to fit the campus clientele.
It was almost as if they knew exactly what a college girl wants to wear at school. It was just the type of store I was looking for in Syracuse.
Sophie Miller apricot lane boutique customer
Both Ryan and Giana Coccagnia, a key holder at the Marshall Square Mall location, said they struggled to find clothing that was different from their peers in college, because everyone was shopping at the same stores. They drew from this experience, along with Ryan’s lifelong Syracuse residence, in choosing the brands for the new storefront.
“Being a recent college graduate has definitely helped me recommend clothing to our customers and what we should carry in our inventory, knowing what my peers and I wore and seeing what clothing items could transfer over to the Syracuse clientele,” Coccagnia said.
The store has already sold out of most of their orange and blue school-spirited clothing. These observations about consumer patterns and clothing inventory are exactly what tailor the store to the SU community and student body, Ryan said.
Miller said she’s going to have to avoid visiting the store every day, because she’ll want to keep returning every week to see the store’s new arrivals. Still, she plans to
visit often, replacing her online shopping and shipping waitlists with in-person try-ons at Apricot Lane right near class.
Ryan said owning a franchise allowed her to fulfill her dreams of having her own clothing boutique without needing retail experience that she didn’t have. It also allowed her to meet other franchise owners who operate their boutiques in towns like College Station, Texas and Fairfield, Connecticut, who’ve taught her about operating a boutique on a college campus.
The new Marshall Square Mall boutique will continue to fit the needs of SU students and fill the void of reliable, trendy clothing stores near campus.
“There was definitely a need for the college girls to have cute clothes that they could just run over and grab a cute little outfit and be able to have it in their hands right away for that night,” Ryan said.
lvzucker@syr.edu
The Strictly Hip
Rock out with The Strictly Hip and enjoy some waffles this Friday night. The group has been spreading Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip’s music since 1995. Tickets can be purchased here.
WHEN : Friday, doors at 7 p.m. show at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Funk ‘n Waffles PRICE: $29.30
Tropicage
its members; it fostered a community of music lovers. Performers showed off their talent and passion to an audience.
“It was more than just a loud sweaty basement. You could be upstairs socializing, you could be on the back porch smoking a cigarette. You could have a variety of different experiences under one roof,” Dylan Fox, another organizer of Redgate, said. “Because of that, the community that was created was much stronger.”
For some performers like John Webster and Stone Camillo of Ancient Spaceship, the house functioned as a second home. The band, local to Buffalo, played at both Redgate and Dazed. They were encouraged to perform by Studio 89, another band that played at the house.
“It always felt like home,” Webster said. “The crowd was always so welcoming and some of the wildest people I’ve met in a good way.”
Rowland emphasized the importance of the houses’ consistency — few other music venues were hosting every single weekend. Returning to play bass for The Gritty Jawns reminded him of the music culture the house cultivated.
Fox recalled people looking forward to the shows each weekend. The house created a space for people who weren’t attracted to fraternity parties on campus to enjoy themselves on the weekend. The venue’s consistency differentiated it from other house shows that only hosted a couple times a semester.
“(Dazed) made it their own. They found their own way,” Fox said. “They took what we did and made what they saw as improvements on it.”
When Fox first found out about the house’s closing, he was grateful it didn’t happen while he was running Redgate, but saddened for the Dazed organizers. He said he can’t blame Dazed for stopping the shows, but doesn’t deny the negative impact it will have on the music community, taking away a space where budding musicians have the chance to try new things and get discovered.
Camillo said he’s never in his life seen a music community like the one at Redgate and Dazed. Webster added that in his six or seven years of per-
Dazed is known for more than its basement parties, giving a stage to student bands and deep conversation.
forming at hundreds of shows, this specific venue stood out to him more than any other.
Hoffman and Romano are deeply saddened by the loss of their house as a community space.
It’s a bittersweet goodbye, partially because their house is easier to live in. With only four roommates as opposed to six, they find the space less chaotic.
Though the exterior has remained the same with its iconic red gate, the inside is now fully furnished with decor, mirroring a traditional college apartment. Previously, furniture was tied up and the walls remained bare to prepare for the events they hosted.
The two said they want to continue hosting shows after receiving offers from friends who own other venues and spaces. Hoffman and Romano know they have an audience of dedicated music lovers and hope the following stick
around for shows at other places. Webster said what separated the house from other venues the most was the people and the energy.
“The coolest f*cking music venue and the coolest f*cking people we’ve ever met and had the pleasure to play for,” Webster said.
Camillo said it was atypical to see such a large group of people so dedicated to the music at a house show venue.
Fox and Rowland remain optimistic that Dazed will continue to share live music with its audience. Fox said the group has proven their creativity throughout their time managing Dazed, a quality that will aid them in relocating.
While Hoffman and Romano remain hopeful for future collaborations, they’ll never forget the impact Dazed had at Syracuse. For new students, the house will no longer represent what it once did.
It’s
sad that maybe in future years the legacy of it will kind of die. It’ll just be the house with the big gate
“It’s sad that maybe in future years the legacy of it will kind of die,” Hoffman said. “It’ll just be the house with the big gate.”
Webster made it clear that for those who played at the venue, the experience will not be easily forgotten. So, in some ways, the legacy of the house with the red gate out front lives on forever.
Nothing will change the impact the house made on the music community, Rowland said. He hopes if nothing else, the music continues.
“The legacy that I hope carries on is the essence of the music in Syracuse,” Rowland said. “The greatest legacy, for me, would be that music continues in Syracuse University’s student body.” iclekaki@syr.edu
Bring your lei and coconuts to Cage Collective this Friday. The tropical-themed event will feature appearances from Syracuse University student DJs Josh Chun and Troy Conner.
WHEN : Friday, time TBD
WHERE: DM @cage_collective for address PRICE: $5 early sale, $10 maximum
Enjoy a morning celebrating art and music with Harmonic Dirt’s Art on the Porches return this year. The group includes multi-instrumentalist Mike Gridley and lyricist Susan Coleman, along with Taylor Bucci on banjo and vocals and James DaRin on drums and percussion.
WHEN : Saturday at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Art on the Porches, 100-198 Ruskin Avenue PRICE: Free
James and the Kyusonics
Get your funk and groove on this weekend with Syracuse-based band James and the Kyusonics. The trio will bring their danceable originals and cover songs to Middle Ages Brewing Company. Tickets are not required for this outdoor concert. RSVP here.
WHEN : Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Middle Ages Brewing Company
PRICE: Free
Crossfire Hurricane
Celebrate the Rolling Stones’s biggest hits with Crossfire Hurricane on Saturday. The tribute band will perform a high-energy setlist with classics like “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” and “Beast of Burden.”
WHEN : Saturday, doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
WHERE: The Westcott Theater PRICE: $35
nal colors of the theater’s ornate murals and stencilling were no longer visible.
Once the Tiedemann team arrived on the scene, they realized that in order to restore the theater, the paint would need to be chemically removed to access the original plaster. This step added another layer of difficulty to the process.
The hardest part? The theater had to be showready in only three months for the North American Broadway tour of “Hamilton” in September.
“It’s very stressful for us to have our theater torn apart,” Intaglietta said. “They had to remove 10 or 11 rows of seating. We had scaffolding everywhere. We had to remove all the lights. It was very nerve-wracking.”
Victoria Bingham, a color-matching specialist, said when she first walked into the theater and saw the scale of the task, she wasn’t convinced the restoration would be possible in the three-month time frame. Bingham came out of “semi-retirement” to work on the project with her husband and son, also artists, in matching the original 1928 colors.
My generation is responsible for bringing it up to its full potential, so I can pass it on to my daughter’s generation
Mike Intaglietta
For the Tiedemann construction team, the theater was a worthy challenge. Tiedemann is from upstate New York, and said he always enjoys working in the area. The company’s resume includes other Syracuse staples like St. Matthew’s Church and the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. They are no stranger to working on 100-year-old buildings like the Landmark.
“It’s normal for us,” Tiedemann said. “It’s not normal for most, but normal for us.”
To access the ceiling and arch, the team needed to install large amounts of scaffolding. Installing and removing the scaffolding added two weeks at the beginning and end of the process, Tiedemann said, limiting the actual working time to only around 11 weeks.
Once work began, it began in earnest. Twentytwo people worked long hours to complete the restoration, with 12 staying on the scaffolding stripping paint for eight weeks straight. Bingham’s color-matching skills were ready for the challenge.
Bingham takes pride in her ability to look at a color and understand exactly what needs to be added to white paint to replicate it. Though nobody ever taught her the skill, she said color theory comes naturally to her. Even with Bingham’s propensity for color-matching, the Landmark was a challenge.
“Theater lights throw color,” Bingham said. “So what you’re seeing there and what you’re
seeing at your work table in good lighting is 100 different things. It could take 20 trial and errors putting color up before I finally nailed it.”
After the careful work was complete, areas on the ceiling that had previously been plastered and repaired became indistinguishable, Bingham said. The theater was transported back in time.
Despite the cosmetic transformation, things at the Landmark are much different than they were a century ago. Instead of showing movies, the theater now brings in Broadway shows, a result of industry pressure in the early 1950s following the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.
This decision limited movie multiplex monopolies, eliminating the need for 2,800seat theaters, like the Landmark, as more smaller theaters began to open. The Landmark then transitioned into a concert venue until the 2010s. The theater hosted movie marathons during the slow season, but by the 2010s, the biggest crowd one of those events drew was 100 people. The model didn’t make economic sense, Intaglietta said.
As it did in the past, the Landmark adapted. The theater expanded its stage and built out its basement to accommodate touring companies, making the Landmark a viable location for Broadway tours.
The plan worked. According to Intaglietta, last year was the Landmark’s busiest on record, with 163,000 people attending around 85 events. Next year, Intaglietta hopes to host closer to 100 events. He wants to keep the business nimble and resilient enough to accommodate a growing population in Syracuse following investments from Micron.
The Landmark is an essential draw for the city of Syracuse, Bingham said.
“It helps to have universities and hospitals,” she said. “We have them both. It helps to have sports and entertainment. We have that. We have the New York State Fair. We’ve got the Dome, all the different schools have their games. But what about culture?”
Bingham said if the Landmark had succumbed to the changing industry forces in the 1950s or 1970s, its absence would’ve left a “gaping hole” in the cultural fabric of the city. The Landmark’s role, she said, makes her even prouder to have been part of restoring it.
As a local to the Syracuse area, Intaglietta understands the importance of the Landmark. It seems to run in his family. He remembers visiting for an animated movie marathon with his older sister. His mother used to work as an usher at the theater, while his father preferred to sneak in through the side doors to catch a showing.
Though Landmark has been supported by the Syracuse community since the 1970s, the outlook is different now that the goal isn’t saving the theater. It doesn’t need saving.
Now, Intaglietta hopes to make the space as beautiful and effective as it can be, so that future generations have a theater they can be proud of.
“What I always like to say is that my grandparents’ generation built the theater,” Intaglietta said. “My parents’ generation saved it and preserved it. My generation is responsible for bringing it up to its full potential, so I can pass it on to my daughter’s generation.”
cprice04@syr.edu
By Saimun Uddin columnist
With Chancellor Kent Syverud set to step down after next spring, Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees now faces the task of choosing his successor.
Soon, we’ll welcome a new face of the university, a new narrative for families, donors and alumni. But even if SU is genuinely interested in restoration, looking back at years of disregard for the students’ voices doesn’t make me hopeful at Syverud’s departure – it only makes me relieved.
In the coming weeks, the Board will provide updates regarding the search for Syracuse University’s new chancellor. While the Board presented the transition as an opportunity to reaffirm the SU’s values, their administrative history raises doubt on how genuine this promise will be. Calls for transparency have often been met with carefully crafted campus-wide emails rather than meaningful change.
“That process will reflect our commitment to shared governance and include engagement with and input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the University,” said the Board of Trustees Chairman, Jeff Scruggs, in the official schoolwide statement.
This may sound promising, but we students must ask whether our next chancellor will really be chosen in regard to the entire student body, faculty and overall community. The last decade of indifference doesn’t inspire much certainty.
Personally, I first questioned the catalyst for Syverud’s retirement: is it merely a change in leadership, or is it a conveniently timed rebranding effort?
After a 2019 wave of peaceful student-led protests exposed the active racism on campus, former Gov.
Andrew Cuomo of New York stated he didn’t believe Chancellor Syverud handled investigations “in a way that instills confidence.” With the governor himself publicizing doubts in the university’s leadership, we weren’t given much material to reinspire any other narrative.
“As Chancellor, I take very seriously these immediate priorities, and commit to promptly achieving them, as well as to supporting the other important measures in the responses,” Syverud said in a November 2019 campus-wide email.
During Syverud’s term, SU faced what he called a “rapid succession” of bigoted incidents, from the verbal targeting of a Black female student outside of one of the university’s prominent fraternities to the institution’s handling of a white supremacist manifesto being spread through campus.
Instead of swift and transparent leadership, the administration handled the issues with delay.
When racist graffiti targeting Black and Asian students appeared in residence halls, students said they were discouraged from recording meetings and the university failed to notify the campus community for four days. These delays were dangerous and ignorant, waiting days while students’ safety was compromised only to send a message that protects the school’s image more than them.
“It’s important for all of us to learn from what all of us have been doing so that we can do better the next time,” Syverud said in response. “I say ‘do better the next time’ with caution because, as the students have pointed out, they’ve heard that before.”
But when students attempted to advocate for themselves and others, they were met with direct resistance.
There’ve been countless peaceful protests where accountability was
demanded but ignorance resulted instead. The last academic school year has seen SU students standing together to demand a Gaza ceasefire. Similar to schools across the nation, students partook in an encampment to protest for the voice of Palestine.
Initially, the chancellor publicly affirmed students’ right to free speech in a campus-wide email. In the mere few weeks following, the Student Experience Office threatened the peaceful demonstrators with disciplinary charges for refusing to relocate protests just as graduation neared and families prepared to visit campus. The contradiction was clear; student voices were supported only when out of sight.
Having witnessed four of Syverud’s 12 years as chancellor, these instances proved to me his priorities lay in whatever will cause the least amount of effort or best preserve the university image. What he failed to realize was how much his students were, and still are, sacrificing and struggling in the process.
Chancellor Syverud achieved many things during his term, roughly doubling SU endowment to $2 billion, growing student aid, increasing faculty numbers and initiating construction of new dorms.
But I don’t feel his financial endeavors properly address the more emotionally tumultuous issues we face.
The renaming of Manley Field House to Lally Athletic Complex is an example made possible from a $25 million gift commitment in 2019. This was one of the biggest discussion topics, just months after the chancellor addressed the increase in racism on campus. My peers and I have questioned how the renaming of an athletic center has gotten more traction from the chancellor than systemic and institutionalized racism.
These tendencies have left students feeling overlooked and underheard, further reinforcing the perception that our struggles are secondary to institutional politics and financial considerations.
The university declined The Daily Orange’s request for comment.
This is where the doubt in the Board of Trustees arises, a collective group that has often stood behind the chancellor’s decisions.
Will it truly honor its promise of shared governance? Will students be given a seat at the table when choosing the next chancellor, or are their “voices” going to be tokenized while the real decision lies in the hands of the 49 people that compose the Board?
“I encourage each of you to engage fully and thoughtfully with the Board of Trustees as they lead this important search,” Kent said in Tuesday’s message to the Orange community. “Your voices, perspectives, and aspirations for the future are vital to selecting a leader who will build upon our shared accomplishments and guide Syracuse University forward.”
A university’s leadership should reflect the values of the community. If SU truly wants to move forward, the role of the chancellor can’t be treated as a transition with simple passing of the torch.
The school must reckon its past failures, prioritize the safety and dignity of all students and select a leader who not only listens to donors or trustees, but one that accounts for the students whose lives and futures are the ones shaped by these decisions.
The chancellor may be stepping down, but the responsibility for real change has a new vacancy sign.
Saimun Uddin is a graduate student majoring in engineering management. She can be reached at sauddin@syr.edu.
By Maya Aguirre columnist
Once repression fully roots itself into culture, missed warning signs of the society’s downfall become obvious and regrettable to all its members.
Six months ago, I wrote a column for The Daily Orange arguing that history is a powerful means of combat against the tragic patterns our society is falling into under the Trump administration. Seven months into President Trump’s second round in office, I find his playbook more predictable than ever. But now, the impacts are more impactful than they were before.
The most frustrating element of repression is how it changes our culture in ways we don’t realize. While many of us attempt to push back against the more obvious effects of Trump’s anti-woke agenda or attacks on free speech and protest, there are still sociological impacts when collective moral standards decay.
Often, the practice of repression starts small. In schools, it becomes political for teachers to educate their students by using certain words or referencing specific moments in history. In the press, journalists are name-
called and defamed for asking questions and attempting to report with integrity.
The effect of the changed dynamic between our government and the institutions most responsible for the free spread of ideas is much more threatening than we’re comfortable admitting in the United States. While censorship is cancerous to society as a whole, it can collectivize in a discriminatory fashion, especially in a society where prejudice is already so prevalent.
When the bystander effect is codified, staying silent becomes frighteningly comfortable for those who aren’t the direct targets of political repression and violence. But the long-term price of silence is often much higher than that of the discomfort or fear that accompanies fighting corruption through confrontation.
Despite being my sixth syllabus week at SU, it was the first time I took more away from what wasn’t said than what was. The conversations held in each of my classes seemed to dance around certain topics, all following a choreography passed down from our federal government.
While discussing DEIA through the lens of fostering an inclusive classroom environment, I watched many of my
professors visibly lose self-assuredness as they attempted to select the appropriate, approved language.
However, not all the topics my professors avoided or struggled to address were explicitly prohibited. What once was a single “elephant in the room” became a classroom full of elephants – a classroom full of “if you know, you know” looks, but the lack of courage to verbalize what was behind them.
The fear of retaliation, of being informed on, of losing something because we speak up, has put us all at risk of losing our ability to speak at all.
Even conversations within my classes that did willingly address controversial topics did so rather ironically. For instance, the issue of AI usage kick-started many of my lectures.
While talking about AI, most of my professors took the stance that real human ideas are our most important mechanisms. This mantra seemed inauthentic as I watched them struggle to express themselves under the standards of their superiors.
Fear of controversy is the enemy of learning, but it’s seemingly become the norm in my classrooms.
In feeling the effect of all the words unsaid in class last week, I determined for the first time that a culture of fear has
permeated our classrooms in a way that damages the educational experience for both students and educators.
We don’t have the privilege to tiptoe around topics at this point.
In our opportunistic position as students, we hold a responsibility to sound the alarms of corruption as it seeps into our educational spaces before our voices are silenced. This includes combating our changing cultural norms, which implore us to limit our breadth of conversational topics in professional and academic settings, but will extend to all other spheres of our lives.
This is not to say that every conversation we have should be blunt. The most complex part of reactivating our comfort to speak freely is knowing that unchecked hate speech is what causes repression in the first place.
But in taking time to distinguish what topics and thoughts are worth addressing versus what is unhelpful to creating environments where free speech is protected, we regain our power and change the culture we’ve come to accept more and more over the past year.
By Sofía Peralta guest essayist
As I look around campus, I see students crowding the Hall of Languages to demand change. Teachers from my Texan high school have told me of their secret lessons on banned books during quick catch-ups, and people all over the nation are taking to the streets for immigrants and U.S.-born citizens alike.
For many Americans, times are bleak, but Mexico’s resilience and unbreakable spirit should serve as a sign that collective hope and effort can cause a change in even the highest of tides.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party, later dubbed by historians as “The Perfect Dictatorship,” was formed in 1929 after the Mexican Revolution. This granted Mexico its freedom from Spanish colonial rule to ensure political stability across the country.
But what once started as a beacon of hope for the country ultimately became its own demise, demonstrating a dangerous descent into dictatorship that would fail citizens nationwide.
Over the years, PRI acquired full control of the Mexican government, holding the presidency of Mexico and the majority in both houses of Congress and most state governments for 71 years.
Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory showed the United States the beginning of a cultural shift in a similar way – the U.S. was entering unmarked territory.
Under the Trump administration, the Republican Party has a majority vote over the House of Representatives and the Senate and also fills most of the Judicial seats.
Both PRI and Trump managed to pull off the siege of democracy in their respective nations, dominating every aspect of their political systems and enabling violence within.
In 1952, for instance, opponents of PRI were attacked by troops during a protest in Mexico City. This was not the last time PRI militarized the streets of Mexico, with recurring violence against protesters and civilians alike in other instances such as the Tlatelolco Massacre and the Corpus Christi Massacre.
It’s not hard to see violence inciting at the federal level and compare it to events in the
U.S. like the Jan. 6 insurrection, defended by Trump himself, and the current deployment of the National Guard and Marines against protesters in Los Angeles, or even the ongoing militarization of the streets of Washington, D.C.
But PRI’s steamrolling shouldn’t be the only perspective we apply to today.
The nation’s people also demonstrated a level of unity that could greatly benefit the Americans of today. If the Trump administration wants to repeat history in negative ways, we can combat his actions with the same resources.
When the unstoppable PRI finally lost the 2000 election to the National Action Party, Mexico was politically freed. Doors opened for the country to evolve positively,
eventually leading to developments such as the first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, taking office.
Labor Day’s arrival should remind us of Trump’s approaching plans to strip workers of federal protections and cut wages. The unions have decided that they won’t be silent in the face of these injustices, having planned rallies across the country today.
Even though PRI controlled much of what the current labor unions at the time could do, communities began to form independent unions to challenge the authority. College students and the elderly alike organized rallies in the streets to draw global attention to the atrocities happening under the PRI administration.
Additionally, community-run news outlets and independent papers began
emerging despite PRI’s heavy suppression of freedom of speech.
This was a stepping stone to getting their democracy back on track, and the same methods can apply to the 21st-century U.S.
Since the Trump administration has cut significant funding to media outlets, we must rely on local and independent news more than ever. Once we’re no longer afraid to be silent, those in the position of power lose their grip over our mouths.
This is the time to get loud while we still can. There is a common Latin American saying that translates to, “To be young and not a revolutionary is a biological contradiction.” I urge students at Syracuse University and across the country to get organized, get vocal and get involved.
But, while playing an important role, protesting alone didn’t win Mexico its independence.
A big factor in taking back their democracy was the act of coalition. PAN and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico unified their campaigns to broaden their appeal to indecisive voters, preventing PRI from obtaining a majority vote.
In the U.S. presidential race, we see votes go toward the Independent party that could otherwise bolster the Democratic party. If representatives could work together to bridge the gap between voters, there might be a better chance for deviation from Republican control.
The few independent agencies used by the U.S. to limit corruption are currently under attack by the Trump administration, which seeks to monitor their regulations and policies.
Most Americans are growing notably distrustful of the electoral process, which makes efforts like calling our representatives and pushing for independent electoral monitoring even more pressing.
We need both bold, direct outreach as well as gradual system change to best mimic the unwavering resistance of Mexico as it rose from under the boot of oppression.
These are the same sparks of revolution I noticed when studying Mexican history, and, by acting now, we can ensure the similarities don’t stop at defeat.
school, one that’d provide him a chance to see the field after playing sparsely at Texas from 2023-24.
Cook and his family met with a litany of Division I teams in the spring. Only one head coach entered their recruitment meeting with an outlined, detailed plan of success for Cook’s future: Fran Brown.
“Coach Fran talked about a plan of success (for Johntay) before we even showed up,” Tracie said. “Collectively as a team, everyone was able to tell us what their plan was.”
Syracuse developed a routine for Cook , Brown said. SU’s staff told Cook he’d receive a personalized, written-out plan each week of the season, allowing him to focus on progressing toward specific academic and onfield goals.
Brown speaks with Cook daily, discussing all aspects of life and how he’s adjusting to life in Syracuse. Cook said he even talks to SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack for guidance.
“We’re constantly helping him develop as a man, not just as a football player,” Brown said of Cook. “When you have a detailed plan for how to dominate this week, and you’re able to do that, I think that helps young men be a little more on track.”
Brown’s authenticity stood out among other coaches the Cook family spoke to. His emphasis on developing Cook in all facets of life made Johntay Sr. and Tracie comfortable sending their son to central New York.
For Cook, he wants to be where he’s wanted. He felt Brown’s intense belief in him from the day the head coach called him this spring while he ate in a Whataburger, saying he wanted Cook to come play for him.
“It was just comparing him to other coaches that were recruiting me,” Cook said of choosing Brown over others. “I just really asked myself what type of coach I wanted to play for.”
More than anything, Brown provided Cook with a clean slate to show the world his best is yet to come. That’s why Cook is in Syracuse.
“I think Fran (Brown) gave him the opportunity to show what type of young man he is,” Johntay Sr., said of his son. “He never got the opportunity to show it at the other place. He just needs a chance.”
from page 16
But his rise to dominance was far from instant. When Willis was 6 years old, his father, Harold Willis, took him to the East Orange Jaguars, a local youth squad. Willis lasted one practice.
After getting walloped during his first Oklahoma drill, Harold said he didn’t stop crying on the ride home. That told Harold his son wasn’t ready. He told Willis he’d dominate the next time he stepped on the field.
But that wouldn’t happen for three years. In between, Harold molded Willis into Night Train.
The two trained on concrete in the courtyard of their 13th Street apartment. To teach Willis how to manage contact, Harold had him run while his three sisters and his mother, Shanika Willis, swung laundry bags at him. Eventually, Willis was knocking the bags out of their hands.
Harold also made Willis do hundreds of squats with a weighted vest, among other exercises. Willis’s first nickname was “Meatball,” a name given to him by his family due to his chunky frame. That baby fat disappeared after sessions with Harold.
“It was like Frankenstein. I know I was creating a monster, but I had to take my time,” Harold said.
Eventually, Harold took Willis to Brick City. Willis stood out as a power back, sharing the field with future Division I prospects like Jayden Bonsu (Pittsburgh), Adon Shuler (Notre Dame) and Omari Gaines (Stanford). Suggs constantly emphasized the importance of scoring on the first play. Willis took it personally, often plowing through opponents with ease.
“It was always train going wild,” said Brick City assistant coach Nasir Gaines. “That’s what he does. He’s a special kid.”
Willis stayed with Brick City until eighth grade. Then, Harold got a new job that required him to travel frequently and prevented him from training with Willis as often. Harold wanted to provide Willis with structure, steering him away from the wrong crowd. Shanika described their neighborhood as “chaotic,”where carjackings, drugs and other “unacceptable” crimes took place.
Harold had seen promising local athletes miss out on the chance to achieve their dreams because of poor decisions. He wanted Willis to have support from a male figure in his adolescence, something his schedule prevented him from doing.
Operation Teen Titans was the perfect opportunity. Raheem Mathews — who Harold knew
Johntay Sr. and Tracie raised their son in a football-crazed environment. DeSoto High School is one of Texas’ top programs. Cook started to learn the game as an 8-year-old, Johntay Sr. said, the typical age for children in Texas to begin playing football. Cook’s father said DeSoto is a breeding ground for future D-I stars. They seemingly sprout up everywhere in the area.
“The good thing is, Johntay was one of them,” Johntay Sr. said.
When Cook’s football journey commenced, he made a vision board to outline his future goals playing the sport. Tracie said he wrote a pretend college scholarship offer to himself and picked himself out an NFL team to sign with.
Sometimes, you have to struggle in order to get where you need to be.
Claude Mathis desoto high school head coach
As a little kid, Cook’s manifestations created a lofty bar for himself. He’s since proven he was dead serious about the path he envisioned he’d take.
“What I’ve seen from him as his mother is that he believes he can do it,” Tracie said. “But he also understands that in this belief in himself, he has to put in the work and follow the steps to go where he’s trying to go.”
Cook’s work truly began at DeSoto High School under head coach Claude Mathis, Caimon’s father. When he first saw Cook practice with the freshmen, Claude said he thought his athletic ability was “through the roof.”
He knew forging Cook in a professional atmosphere like DeSoto would help his talents explode.
“Our coaching staff (at DeSoto) worked us like we work here (at Syracuse),” said SU freshman offensive lineman Byron Washington, who was teammates with Cook for two seasons on DeSoto. “In college, there’s more intensity, but as far as the speed of the game, it was there.”
Cook quickly gained confidence with the Eagles. Claude still vividly remembers when Cook first broke out in his sophomore year. On Nov. 6, 2020, on the road against rival Cedar Hill,
growing up — helped create the Bergen County-based non-profit, which provides rigorous daily training for inner-city kids from Newark. Players lived with Mathews year-round, who simulated the conditions of a college program with multiple daily workouts, healthy diets and academic tutoring. He also helped players get scholarships to attend elite private high schools in North Jersey.
To give his players recruiting exposure, Mathews had them travel across the country for 7-on-7 tournaments and college camps. It was something Harold and Willis both got behind. Willis previously watched Brick City alumni like Jalen Berger (UCLA) come out as different players after going through the program.
Shanika was less thrilled. She cried at the idea of her only son living under another roof, but she eventually relented.
“Even though it hurt to allow him to go, I knew it was something that would be best for him,” Shanika said. “I knew I had to not be selfish.”
The program was intense. For nine months, players woke up at 5:30 a.m. for a two-to-threemile interval run. Around 10:30 a.m., they either participated in an on-field skill session or more conditioning. They gathered again at 5 p.m. and capped off the night with a resistance band workout at 7:45.
“I will push them just enough to where they’re about to break, and I back off,” Mathews said. “You are your biggest problem. You’re going to fight yourself more than anybody in this world is gonna fight you.”
Harold gave Willis the foundation. Mathews took it to a different level. Willis started the program at 130 pounds. He entered high school at 190. By his junior year, he hovered around 220 pounds. But more than anything, it was his agility that truly elevated his game.
It started with Willis’s footwork. Mathews critiqued the running backs’ technique through rigorous film sessions. Even if Willis had a successful run, he was called out if his foot placement was off. Once that was down pat, Willis shined in 7-on-7 tournaments. Mathews said Willis could “run routes better than most receivers,” a fact that was overshadowed by his physical running style.
Willis was more than ready for varsity by the time he reached Saint Joseph. Though, he had to wait his turn, with future Notre Dame running back Audric Estime — another bruising running back — tearing it up. Once Estime graduated, it was Willis’s time.
DeSoto was stuck in a close contest when Cook boldly approached the coaching staff.
He told Claude to put him in the game and give him a deep skinny post route to run. Cook was sure he’d blow the top off the defense, saying he spotted a hole in Cedar Hill’s zone coverage through pregame film study. Claude obliged. The very next snap, Cook hauled in a long touchdown reception.
After the play and his diagnosis of the opposing defense, Claude said he questioned whether Cook was really a sophomore.
“That was the moment that told me right there that this kid is … man,” Claude said, struggling to find the words to encapsulate Cook. “He ain’t worried about the game being bigger than himself. He was made for this.”
Cook posted gaudy statistics across three seasons on DeSoto’s varsity squad; 3,026 receiving yards, 50 touchdowns, 166 receptions, 18.2 yards per catch. His downright absurd senior year — where he tallied 85 receptions, 1,530 yards and 22 touchdowns — led to his selection as the 2022 Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Year. Cook’s efforts helped propel DeSoto to a Texas state title that season.
There’s little Cook does wrong at wide receiver, Claude said. Cook can play X, slot and Z receiver, and his speed makes him a dangerous weapon as a ballcarrier. Claude, who became DeSoto’s coach in 2019, thinks Cook is the greatest route runner he’s seen come through his program.
So, it came at a surprise to both Cook and those around him that he didn’t garner much playing time with the Longhorns. Cook fell behind Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond, Ryan Wingo and others in a loaded wide receiver room.
Cook totaled eight catches for 136 yards as a freshman, then increased that output by one yard in his sophomore year. Midway through his second season, head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Cook was no longer with Texas.
Cook still sees value in his experience at Texas, saying it operates similarly to an NFL team. But if you ask Washington, he thinks Cook’s time with Texas caused his mentality to shift. Cook is unrecognizable, Washington said, but in the best way possible.
“If I can be honest, that player and this player are two different guys,” Washington said of Cook in high school versus now. “Don’t get it wrong, Johntay works. But this one, I’ve never seen before. He’s on a mission.”
“You could pretty much tell there was something different, physically about him,” said former Saint Joseph head coach Dan Marangi. “It was like, ‘Okay, this kid’s got a certain God-given ability that the average kid (doesn’t have).’”
Though Marangi limited Willis’s workload to 20-25 carries per game, his production wasn’t hindered. He combined for 2,156 yards and 26 touchdowns across his sophomore and junior seasons in the Big North Conference, one of the toughest high school leagues in the country.
Saint Joseph running back coach Presley Beauvais watched Willis “put fear in people” with his running style. It was funny for Beauvais to see how Willis became so jovial during pregame warmups. Once the whistle blew, he became a completely different person, Beauvais said. Every run was treated with the same ruthlessness. If he knocked someone over, Beauvais watched as Willis laughed in their face.
“He would talk sh*t,” Beauvais said. “He’s like, ‘I told you I was coming.’”
Willis poured everything into each contest. He took losses personally, to the point where he’d cry in the locker room afterwards.
“It just hit me deep because I’m also playing for people,” Willis said. “When I lost games, I felt like I failed everybody, so I used to hold on to that a lot.”
Brown said a false narrative got spread around about Cook’s character following his two arrests. When he showed up this season for fall training camp, Syracuse’s head coach was vindicated once he saw Cook picking up pieces of trash around SU’s football facility.
“I love who he is as a kid,” Brown said.
The act of kindness reflects Cook’s refreshed state of mind ever since he’s stepped foot in Syracuse. Not only is Cook’s expressive personality popular among his teammates, but he stands out as one of SU’s top playmakers in his first season with the Orange.
Throughout fall camp, Brown said Cook solidified his starting spot from the get-go.
“You can see why he was recruited so high and why he ranks so high,” Brown said of Cook. “He makes a lot of plays.”
Freshman receiver Jaylan Hornsby said Cook brought a veteran presence into a young Syracuse receivers’ room. He consistently goes out of his way to help others with their technique, taking charge as one of the top dogs.
“He’s been getting my footwork right,” Hornsby said of Cook. “He’s one of those guys that knows the game very well and has different attributes that some people don’t have, so he’s been a blessing to work with.”
Cook followed through on the hype his teammates and coaches gave him in his Syracuse debut on Aug. 30. Against then-No. 24 Tennessee in Atlanta, Cook caught six passes for 58 yards and hauled in a three-yard touchdown from quarterback Steve Angeli. Cook said it felt nice to fill a prominent role within an offense again.
“Sometimes, you have to struggle in order to get where you need to be,” Claude said.
In March, Cook bought a silver and goldplated necklace that hangs a globe over the top of his chest. He wears it everywhere. For him, it’s more than a flashy piece of jewelry. The globe is a constant reminder that he controls his own destiny, no matter what obstacles life throws at him.
“It says, ‘The world is yours,’” Cook said of the necklace. “I got it to motivate myself (that) anything you really put your mind to, you can have, and all you have to do is go get it.”
Senior Staff Writer Aiden Stepansky contributed reporting to this story.
ccandrew@syr.edu @cooper_andrews
Harold said he knew where Willis was coming from, but he implored his son not to be as hard on himself. Other Saint Joseph players were going to college even without a football scholarship. Gaining a full-ride was his goal.
Willis began racking up Power Four offers as a sophomore, eventually committing to Pittsburgh prior to his senior season. That changed when Brown was hired at Syracuse four months later. Brown knew Willis through his New Jersey roots. Willis said the coach “understood his background” and his “approach to football,” which led to him flipping his commitment.
Willis approaches football knowing opponents can’t tackle him. During the week, the running back enjoys listening to rappers like NBA Youngboy and Gunna, but he listens to soothing music on gamedays to ensure he remains as calm as possible. Willis said he used to hype himself so much that he’d lose energy before games. He’s more level-headed now.
Once he hears Brown blasting “Closer”, a slow-paced R&B song by Goapele, in the locker room, Willis knows it’s the conductor’s last call. It’s time to get aboard before the train leaves the station.
zakwolf784254@gmail.com @ZakWolf22
By Aiden Stepansky senior staff writer
For the first time in five seasons, Syracuse enters Week 2 0-1. The Orange has won 10 of its last 11 season openers entering 2025, with the lone exception being a 31-6 defeat to North Carolina in 2020. Facing then-No. 24 Tennessee last weekend, SU’s first Southeastern Conference opponent in eight seasons, posted a devastating challenge the Orange couldn’t survive.
Syracuse fell behind early due to poor offensive line play and the Volunteers targeting 17-year-old freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. Steve Angeli and Co. eventually found their footing, but it was too late as UT dropped 31 points in the first half and rolled to a win.
“We’re 0-1 and that’s not a good deal,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said. “We want to get on the winning side of the column so we can continue to try to go face the things we need to face.”
To reach the win column and return to the .500 mark, the Orange must face off against former Big East foe UConn. The Huskies crushed Central Connecticut by 46 points in their 2025 opener, building off a 9-4 mark capped by a Fenway Bowl victory a year ago.
Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse’s (0-1, 0-0 ACC) home opener against UConn (1-0, Independent) Saturday:
All time series Syracuse leads UConn 7-6.
Last time they played
Fresh off a victory on the West Coast versus Cal, Syracuse returned home on Nov. 23, 2024, for its penultimate regular-season game. The Orange quickly asserted their dominance against UConn as Kyle McCord uncorked a 53-yard bomb to Darrell Gill Jr. on the first play of the game. SU scored on the next play and never trailed en route to a 31-24 victory.
McCord passed Ryan Nassib for the program’s single-season passing yards record with a careerbest 470 passing yards on an absurd 37-of-47 mark. Gill reset his personal highs too, as he tallied nine receptions for 185 yards — the most for a Syracuse receiver since Steve Ishmael in 2017. The Orange then rode the momentum of the win to upset then-No. 8 Miami the following week.
The Huskies report
After meeting for the first time as opposing
men’s college basketball history to lead the titlewinning team in scoring (22.2 points per game).
Following one of the greatest college seasons ever, Anthony declared for the NBA Draft, becoming the second freshman ever to be a topthree selection. At SU, Anthony blazed his own path during an era when most top prospects either skipped college or stayed for several years, paving the way for a new generation of one-anddone stars.
“It was unheard of,” Warrick said of Anthony’s year with the Orange. “Coming in and being a freshman and putting up numbers is cool. But to put up numbers and win the way we did that, that’s just something that wasn’t done before.”
Before Anthony’s No. 15 became the most popular jersey in Syracuse, junior walk-on Andrew Kouwe remembers times he went to the mall with his soon-to-be superstar teammate unbothered. Meanwhile, some other top recruits — like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James (the No. 1 pick in Anthony’s draft class) — jumped straight to the NBA from high school.
When SU head coach Jim Boeheim first watched Anthony as a high school junior at Towson Catholic (Maryland), he was rated around 40th in the country. Still, Weaver, then new to Boeheim’s staff, told his boss that Anthony could help SU win a national championship.
“I was obviously skeptical about that,” Boeheim said.
Like Warrick, Boeheim didn’t know much about Anthony until watching him play for the first time. A 3-pointer, mid-range jumper and dunk on three straight plays to begin the game was all he needed to see.
“You might be right about this guy,” Boeheim said to Weaver. “He might be that good.”
After committing to SU later in his junior year, Anthony transferred to powerhouse Oak Hill Academy (Virginia). There, he transformed his game and body, rising to No. 2 on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) for the 2002 class.
After dazzling during his first practice with the Orange, everyone within the program knew Anthony had a special talent. But to say he’d lead it to a national championship? Nobody thought that far.
coaches in 2024, Brown said he and UConn head coach Jim Mora have become friends. Brown and the former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons head coach text, he said Monday.
The Huskies, now in their fourth season under Mora, have shown significant improvement. When Mora took over the program from former SU assistant Randy Edsall in 2022, UConn was coming off five seasons in a row with three or fewer wins. Fast forward to 2024, and the Huskies secured nine victories, their most since 2007.
Entering Mora’s fourth year, UConn returns a majority of its offensive weapons that the Orange faced previously. Quarterback Joe Fagnano enters his seventh college season and third with the Huskies. He threw for 1,631 passing yards last year and attempted 48 passes in the Huskies’ loss to Syracuse. Alongside Fagnano, UConn also mixes in junior Nick Evers as a rushing threat.
Fagnano’s top target is senior Skyler Bell. He tallied 860 receiving yards in 2024 and began 2025 with a bang, scoring two touchdowns on four receptions and 135 yards. The Huskies also lean on wide receivers Chris Parker and Jackson Harper, as well as tight end Javonte Vereen, who transferred from NC State.
Running back Cam Edwards leads the way with Mel Brown as another key contributor, but UConn completely revamped its offensive line. It lost both offensive tackles to the NFL and returns only left guard Kyle Juergens and former Syracuse lineman Wes Hoeh Jr. at center. The offense overall was unstoppable in the season opener, reaching a program record 638 total yards.
Defensively, after leading tackler Jayden McDonald graduated, Temple transfer Tyquan King has taken on a top role. He recorded a teamhigh eight tackles versus Central Connecticut. Top pass rusher Tui Faumuina-Brown also graduated, as did interception leader Malik Dixon-Williams.
Oumar Diomande has stepped into a more prominent linebacker role and Washington transfer Bryun Parham takes on the pass-rushing work. In the back end, Grand Valley State transfer Devin Pringle and sophomore Cam Chadwick are the starting cornerbacks. Senior safety D’Mon Brinson was the highest graded player on the defense per Pro Football Focus at 80.5.
The Huskies’ best attribute per PFF last year was their coverage, which graded at a 90.0 and the 10thbest mark in the country. Through Week 1, their pass coverage is 63rd among all FBS schools at 70.4.
The Orange have the best chance to capture their first victory of 2025 by giving Angeli time to operate on offense and mitigating UConn’s rushing attack. Tennessee’s five-sack performance was described by Brown as “unacceptable.”
Luckily for SU, the Huskies recorded just one sack against Central Connecticut and don’t seem to pose as much of a threat. Brown hopes to mix in some depth versus UConn, he said Monday, rather than utilize the same five starters for the entire game. With this strategy, Angeli can settle in and find his connection with Johntay Cook while getting Gill more involved.
Additionally, the Orange’s run defense looked pitiful against the Volunteers, and they need to stop the Huskies in their tracks. By limiting Edwards, Syracuse could force Fagnano into a few poor decisions and give Syracuse chances for marquee turnovers.
Stat to know: 5-of-14
Despite going 3-for-4 on fourth-down attempts against Tennessee, Syracuse’s offense converted just five third downs on 14 attempts. The 35.7% mark is far below the Orange’s impressive 49.0% efficiency from a season ago, with 94 conversions on 192 attempts ranking only behind Miami in the ACC.
UConn held its Week 1 opponent, Central Connecticut, to a similar tally at 5-for-16. The Huskies’ offense, however, was masterful, with an efficient 12-for-16. If Syracuse can move the chains, it’ll be in prime territory to surpass its 26-point total from the season opener.
Player to watch: Cam Edwards, running back, No. 0
The redshirt junior running back has shouldered an increased workload in each season for the Huskies thus far. To kick off 2025, Edwards recorded 115 rushing yards on six attempts for an absurd 19.2 yards per carry. For reference, Syracuse tallied 2.3 YPC on 44 rushes versus the Volunteers. The Norwalk, Connecticut, native appeared in all 13 games last season and notched a team-leading 146 attempts and 830 rushing yards. His longest run came against the Orange, a 71-yard burst for a touchdown. Slowing Edwards means slowing a substantial portion of the Huskies’ rushing attack. amstepan@syr.edu @AidenStepansky
After all, Syracuse had just missed its first March Madness in five years, and its two leading scorers were no longer with the program. Besides senior guard Kueth Duany and junior center Jeremy McNeil, the Orange desperately lacked the upperclassmen typically necessary for a title run; Maryland, which won the 2002 National Championship, was anchored by seven upperclassmen.
Though SU lacked experience, it featured an influx of underclassmen talent. Alongside Warrick, a forward, Syracuse had guard Josh Pace and center Craig Forth returning for their sophomore years. And beyond Anthony, talented guards Gerry McNamara (No. 38 RCSI) and Billy Edelin (No. 36 RCSI) rounded out the Orange’s freshmen class.
Expectations remained modest for the Orange, as they were unranked in the Preseason AP Poll and selected to finish third in the Big East’s West Division in the conference’s Preseason Poll.
Despite Anthony immediately introducing himself with 27 points against Memphis at Madison Square Garden, SU dropped its first game of the year. McNamara admitted that, while Anthony was ready for the spotlight, it took time for everyone else to grow into it.
Following his stellar debut, Anthony led Syracuse to 11 straight wins, laying the foundation for Big East freshman records in scoring and doubledoubles once conference play began. Recognition followed, with the Orange earning an AP Poll ranking on Jan. 13. Yet Anthony hit a lull as SU went 2-2 over its next four games, which included road losses to Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
Warrick remembers Boeheim laying into Anthony postgame after falling to the Scarlet Knights.
“That kind of rallied us, just seeing that Coach Boeheim would get into our best player like that,” Warrick said. “And from there on, we just snowballed and picked up some wins and kept going. We felt we could play with anybody.”
Syracuse responded by finishing the regular season with a 10-1 stretch.
As the Orange surged to the best record in the Big East and finished the season ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll, Anthony proved he was among the best players in the country. Before expanding his legend in postseason play, Anthony was named National Freshman of the Year, a second-team All-American, Big East Rookie of the Year and All-Big East First Team.
“He just took charge offensively right from the beginning, and nobody was able to contain him the whole year,” Boeheim said. “He’s just a great offensive player, and those guys are valuable commodities in the NBA.”
Despite bowing out in the Big East Tournament semifinal, Syracuse earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Even with Anthony’s dominance, McNamara’s emergence (13.3 PPG) and Warrick’s sophomore leap (14.8 PPG), Warrick felt there wasn’t much expected from Syracuse in the tournament because its three best players were underclassmen.
Warrick thought it helped SU knowing it wasn’t the favorite. As McNamara recalled, the Orange were the youngest team in the NCAA Tournament, but that was never an excuse. They expected to win.
“You’re just naive in it,” McNamara said. “It’s your first time going through it, you’re confident, you think you can tackle the world.”
Thirty-three points, 14 rebounds and a commanding 95-84 win later, it was clear Anthony was the actual best player in the country.
Two days later, Anthony — on a hurt back — poured in one of his most complete performances of the season against Kansas in the title game. In an 81-78 win, Anthony notched a game-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists en route to capturing the Orange’s elusive first title and sealing one of the best seasons the sport has ever seen.
While naysayers doubted the Orange’s lack of experience, McNamara’s six first-half 3-pointers and Warrick’s game-sealing block were also key components for the Orange to make history.
Despite his desire to return to SU, Anthony couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play in the NBA. McNamara felt bad after hearing Anthony was leaving for the NBA because he knew how much his year and the people at Syracuse meant to him — something hard to imagine in today’s landscape.
Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after one season at Duke, said in an interview with The Athletic mid-season that he wanted to return for a second year. But Flagg’s desire for another year with the Blue Devils meant nothing. He was always going to the NBA.
That’s because the path was already set in stone; including Flagg, eight of the last 10 first overall picks were one-and-done college players. That wasn’t the case in 2003.
While Anthony averaged 15 points across the first weekend of the tournament, McNamara credits Edelin, Pace and McNeil — who all came off the bench — in ensuring Syracuse advanced to the Sweet 16. Once SU advanced, McNamara felt winning the title was attainable.
Auburn and No. 1 seed Oklahoma stood in the way. McNamara thought SU was better than both teams at that point. Led by Anthony’s team-high 18 against the Tigers and 20 against the Sooners, SU clinched its third Final Four appearance under Boeheim.
This booked a matchup with Texas, led by National Player of the Year T.J. Ford. When Anthony drew several foul calls versus the Longhorns, Kouwe remembers laughing on the bench when Ford complained to the refs that Anthony wasn’t Michael Jordan.
“(Anthony’s) game just frustrated, and almost kind of broke, the best player in college basketball at the time,” Kouwe said. “That’s what made him so special.”
“When Melo did what he did, I think not only did it change the way maybe the NBA was a little bit doing things, I think it probably motivated a generation right below us to be like, ‘I want to do that,’” McNamara said.
While the high school to NBA pipeline was vastly more popular than the one-and-done route during the 2004 and 2005 NBA Drafts, the NBA changed its minimum draft age from 18 to 19 in 2006. It opened the one-and-done floodgates. Kevin Durant. Anthony Davis. Anthony Edwards. The list goes on.
While all have tantalizing skillsets, one-anddone prospects aren’t built the same — some are dynamic guards, others are polarizing big men and one may look a little chubby. But they all have one thing in common: they’re trying to dominate college basketball for one year before having Hall of Fame professional careers.
Just like Carmelo Anthony.
justingirshon@gmail.com
By Matthew Gray senior staff writer
Thirty seconds is all that remained on the clock as Landon Darko barreled toward Penn State’s goal while three defenders chased him.
With the game tied 1-1, a goal would seal SU’s victory. Alone against Jonathan Evans, Darko attempted to dribble the ball around the goalkeeper’s left side. But Evans’ outstretched palm spoiled the chance, and with it any hopes of a theatrical win for the Orange. When the final buzzer sounded, Darko briefly pulled his jersey over his head and then looked up in disbelief.
No play has epitomized Syracuse’s (2-1-1, 0-0-0 Atlantic Coast) early offensive struggles more than that one. As it seeks to find an identity, SU’s new attacking front has been plagued by an inability to complete its scoring chances. The result? Three goals so far, good for the secondlowest mark in the ACC. The Orange are also yet to score a goal in the second half of a game.
Heading into 2025, one of SU’s biggest questions was whether its offense could find a way to reinvent itself after an inconsistent year. Last season, Syracuse’s 26 goals ranked second-to-last in the conference. Because they failed to convert, the Orange often found themselves in one-goal games.
During its 2022 national title run, winning one-score games was Syracuse’s bread and butter. En route to its championship, it finished with an 11-2 record in matches decided by a single tally. But over the next two seasons, SU’s middling 7-6 mark in those games kept it from being a true conference threat. It was a sign of a team in transition.
Still, SU’s season opener against UConn brought a fresh start. Out were nightly starters like Gabe Threadgold, Nicholas Kaloukian and Daniel Burko. In came fresh faces like veteran transfer Bright Nutornutsi and freshman midfielders Darko and Quentin Christey.
Boasting a refurbished cast, the stage seemed set for SU to put its scoring woes in the rearview mirror. Instead, it fell into the same old habits.
Although the Orange possessed most of the game’s chances, they never found the back of the net. Slotting in Nutornutsi up front alongside returners Michael Acquah and Sachiel Ming
women’s soccer
gave SU a 4-1 advantage in shots on target and a 5-1 edge in corners in the first half. Still, the Huskies took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
Out of the break, Syracuse continued to turn up the pressure. As their attackers pressed UConn, it seemed the Orange were bound to break through. But the final touch never came. Despite generating four more corners and attempting 10 shots in the second half, Syracuse’s offense remained stymied down the stretch as the Huskies escaped with a slim victory.
“We can create more chances. I do like our group, there’s a lot of new faces. That part of the field always takes the longest (to develop),” McIntyre said of his offense. “We’re still going to move some things around and tinker a little bit.”
After missing all nine of its corner kicks last time out, McIntyre made sure his team addressed set-pieces before taking on Loyola Maryland. The tactic paid off.
Just 10 minutes in, Syracuse took its first corner of the game. Often used as SU’s primary setpiece taker, Ming lined up to the right of the box and lofted the ball on goal, where Tim Brdaric headed it home. Breaking an over-100-minute scoreless streak to start the young campaign gave SU a sense of satisfaction. But it didn’t last.
Despite turning in yet another dominant first-half performance, that goal was all Syracuse mustered. The Orange peppered Loyola Maryland’s goalkeeper Connor O’Keefe with 10 shots. Two good looks spoiled by Ming and multiple misplaced shots prevented SU from extending its edge. This allowed Loyola’s offense to eventually find its rhythm. But thanks to lategame heroics from its defense and Hut, Syracuse held on to top the Greyhounds, 1-0.
“If we weren’t creating chances, I’d be more concerned. Against Loyola, we should have put the game away in the first half. We didn’t take our opportunities,” McIntyre said.
In its first marquee matchup of the year versus Penn State, Syracuse’s offense was given a chance to break through when it mattered most. For the first time, its young group was tested in an end-to-end contest, as both sides exchanged blows from the outset and were forced to rely on clutch defensive plays.
PSU’s offense surged early, testing Hut with a shot-on-goal and creating two corners in the first 10 minutes. However, SU found a way to draw first blood via a 13th-minute screamer from Kelvin Da Costa — his first career goal.
After finding the net for the first time, Syracuse pushed for more. Penn State matched its intensity. Neutralized by the Nittany Lions’ high press, the Orange managed just two corners and were outshot 13-8. When they found prime scoring chances, they still couldn’t finish and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
“Sometimes we’re looking for a little bit of personality during tough times. We showed that at the end (against Penn State) because we did the same thing against Loyola and held on,” McIntyre said after facing the Nittany Lions. “They weren’t as dangerous as this Penn State team, but I felt we bent, but we didn’t break.”
Back on the road at Yale in their latest outing, the Orange put together their most complete effort. Tilting the pitch in its favor from the opening whistle, Syracuse racked up 28 shots
thanks to endless offensive pressure. By the same token, its 13-0 edge in corners kept the Bulldogs’ backline on its heels as goalie Conrad Lee was forced to dive in all directions.
Besides Darko’s lone strike to close out the first half, SU’s offense left a lot to be desired. Still, a timely save from Hut on Joseph Farouz in the 75th minute helped the Orange snag the win anyway. Syracuse holds the same record it did at this point last season: 2-1-1. And just like last year’s squad, it’s fallen into a habit of creating good chances, but failing to convert them. Regardless, McIntyre is confident his newly assembled team has what it takes to buck that trend before ACC play arrives. If it can’t, the 2025 campaign could devolve into another step backward for SU.
“We’ve got depth in those attacking spots,” McIntyre said. “Perhaps from the outside it looks like an area that’s maybe not clicking right now, (but) I’m very optimistic that it’s an area of strength for our team.”
mgray06@syr.edu @ma77hew_gray
By Jordan Kimball asst. sports editor
Before the 2025 season, Syracuse’s team captains, Shea Vanderbosch, Emma Klein and Ashley Rauch spoke over the phone almost daily. When the team reported to campus in late July, those conversations shifted to in-person, often joined by the coaching staff.
As the team’s anchors, Vanderbosch, Klein and Rauch focused on addressing last season’s shortcomings — the Orange went 6-10-2 and placed last in the Atlantic Coast Conference — while building on what already worked. They emphasized pushing each other. They stressed the importance of culture. But the biggest theme of their discussions was new additions. How could the next generation mold Syracuse’s program into its best self?
Leading the pack were Natalie Magnotta, Bree Bridges and Jasmine Nixon. They weren’t just unknown but rather inexperienced. One freshman and two sophomores — who only played seven collegiate games before coming to SU — brought uncertainty. But six games into the season, they remain the only three newcomers in SU’s starting lineup. And they’ve fueled Syracuse to a 3-1-2 record while conceding just four goals.
“We knew we had a really good opportunity,” Klein said of SU’s new backline trio. “We knew this new formation was gonna be us.”
In the spring, SU’s three captains had already turned the page on its disappointing 2024 campaign. The Orange were 4-0-1 through five games, but their decline began once ACC play started. It’s a recurring scene. In 2021, Syracuse was 0-10-0 in conference play. A 1-5-3 record followed in 2022, with SU repeating at 0-9-1 in 2023 and 2024.
Rauch, Klein and Vanderbosch didn’t wallow, though. They, alongside SU’s returners, practiced at SU Soccer Stadium multiple times a week to “return (the program) to where it wanted to be,” Klein said.
Magnotta and Nixon also showed up.
Hailing from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Magnotta stayed local by attending Penn State for her freshman year. Yet she watched from the bench as the Nittany Lions made the NCAA Tournament, appearing in zero contests.
Nixon moved from her hometown of Fort Mill, South Carolina, to Kentucky, where she logged just 121 minutes across seven games in 2024. Like Magnotta’s squad, the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament, but Nixon didn’t see any postseason minutes.
When their campaigns concluded, both players were sold on SU. Nixon committed on Dec. 8, 2024, and Magnotta joined four days later. Their
impact was instant. In the spring, Rauch worked with them on embodying the identity that they had to defend strongly, Klein said.
In July, Bridges joined them. The three quickly solidified themselves as SU’s starters, replacing Kylen Grant, Kate Murphy, Anna Croyle and Iba Oching from 2024 — when the Orange shifted between a 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-1-1 formation.
They’ve taken Rauch’s message and amplified it.
Vanderbosch is still a brick wall in Syracuse’s net. She’s recorded 309 saves across four seasons for the Orange, the epitome of consistency between the sticks. Magnotta, Bridges and Nixon have helped her post a career-high 0.846 save percentage this year.
It had been 341 days since the Orange’s last win when they faced Charleston Southern in their season opener on Aug. 15. But facing a mid-major program like the Buccaneers was the perfect chance for SU to rediscover its strengths.
From the outset, it was all Syracuse. Within 20 minutes, the Orange led 3-0. Seventeen minutes later, they were up by five. The offense stole the spotlight, but Magnotta, Bridges and Nixon limited CSU to zero shots on goal.
In the second half, SU’s attack wasn’t as prevalent. But defensively, it stayed locked in. Magnotta was given a rest while the other two defenders made their presence felt. They pushed midfielder Rachel Gopalakrishnan into a wide shot and forced two weak shots to backup goalkeeper Lilly Heaslet.
“Our distance between our lines defensively was really good,” SU head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said following the victory. “I love the way we’re working on our rest defense and just making sure we’re organized when the ball’s in front of us.”
As competition escalated, little changed. Against Niagara, Bridges shined brightest. She recorded five shots, most of which came on headers off set-pieces. Nixon played a full 90 minutes for the first time in her college career, and Magnotta followed closely behind with 82.
Since its 2-1 loss to the Purple Eagles, Syracuse has trended upward. Against Canisius, Maya McDermott netted her first career goal. Kendyl Lauher, Mia Klammer and Julia Arbelaez added scores to secure the 4-0 victory.
But the Golden Griffins almost cut their deficit in the second half. They pinned six shots on Vanderbosch. Each time, SU’s backline was in position to aid her. Just two minutes into the frame,
forward Mia Iacona was pressured into a try at Vanderbosch’s feet. Two similar shots followed, which were easily handled by the netminder.
“The three girls did really well. Between the four of them, they were really organized,” Canisius head coach Ryan Louis said.
That story has continued. On Aug. 24, Holy Cross forward Charlotte Hanchar intercepted a loose ball off Magnotta’s cleat. She sprinted past Nixon. But when Hanchar went hip-to-hip with Bridges, the freshman steered her out wide to make the block. Syracuse held on despite a late comeback attempt for a 3-1 win, earning its third victory in four matches.
Four days later, SU’s defense allowed just one goal in a draw with Quinnipiac. The Bobcats rifled three shots toward the net in the second half, but the backline only let one through.
And then the most recent chapter. Against the defending Ivy League champions in Princeton, the Tigers peppered the Orange with 31 shots. Magnotta, Bridges and Nixon still held Princeton scoreless for the first time since Sept. 18, 2024.
The Tigers were in command, though. They controlled possession for 61% of the first half, attempting 17 shots against the Orange, who hadn’t previously surrendered more than 10 in an entire game. Just 19 minutes into play, Magnotta ushered forward Nina Cantor to the byline, where she was forced to make a rugged cross over the middle.
In the second half, Bridges matched Cantor’s move, making her hesitate, which resulted in a weak shot. Vanderbosch patiently made the save.
Cantor wasn’t done, though. The freshman from Bryn Mawr — 20 minutes from Magnotta’s hometown — was wedged in between her and Bridges as she dribbled upfield. The limited space forced her into a left-footed boot, which Vanderbosch rose to bat away.
Vanderbosch finished with a season-high 10 saves, and while SU wasn’t victorious, Nixon, Magnotta and Bridges demonstrated their growth into a reliable defensive foundation.
Six games in, the backline trio has proven to be more than mere replacements for departed veterans. They’ve embodied the culture Vanderbosch, Klein and Rauch set out to instill during the preseason, giving Syracuse a defense to lean on for years to come.
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Johntay Cook transferred to SU to unlock NFL dream
By Cooper Andrews senior staff writer
Inside a gymnasium in their hometown of DeSoto, Texas, Caimon Mathis comforted Johntay Cook during one of his best friend’s darkest moments.
It was February, and Cook didn’t belong to a college team at the time. He transferred to the University of Washington on Dec. 28, 2024, following his second year at the University of Texas, from which he exited on Nov. 7.
Two weeks later, Cook got dismissed from Washington for violating program rules. Then on Feb. 4 back in Texas, Cook was arrested on property theft charges. He was arrested again on Feb. 14 for marijuana possession.
What struck Caimon is Cook’s instantaneous decision to find sanctuary in the gym. Ever since this winter, Cook’s flipped a switch, he said. Caimon has never seen his former high school teammate in a zone this impenetrable — Cook lives, breathes and bleeds football.
Syracuse’s junior transfer receiver says it’s his mission to get selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. With two more years of college eligibility remaining, why the urgency now?
Cook wants to make up for lost time.
“I wouldn’t say it’s ‘time’s up,’” he said. “But to me, it’s time to go.”
Cook’s setbacks shaped him into the player he is today, a version of himself those close to him haven’t seen before. His teammates and coaches said he’s “locked in” to the point of obsession. A wizard in the film room and an athletic specimen on the gridiron, Cook — the former No. 6 overall player in Texas’ 2023 class, per 247Sports — elicits hype as one of the most talented receivers who’s entered Syracuse this century.
“Of course they want to showcase his ability, his talent,” Cook’s father, Johntay Cook Sr., said of his son joining SU. “And not only that, just showcasing the per-
son that he is and trying to change the narrative that was put out from the first stop of his college career.”
With a renewed spirit since transferring to SU in May, Cook is ready to fulfill his dream of hearing his name called in the NFL Draft.
“He kept working so he could get one more opportunity,” Caimon said. “He has that opportunity now, and he’s not going to let it go. At the end of the day, his goal since we were young was, ‘I’m going to the NFL.’ It’s not even a dream. No, he’s going to make that happen.”
The arrests don’t define who Cook is. He grew up in a disciplined household under Johntay Sr. and his mother, Tracie Cook. His values revolve around family, football and faith.
That doesn’t mean he’s immune to mistakes.
“I hated seeing it,” Caimon said. “We’re kids at the end of the day, we’re still young. People make mistakes. But you’ve got to think about this — he’s an influencer. His fanbase is huge. And so when one thing goes bad, you’ve got people texting you crazy stuff. It can mess with a kid, honestly.”
The adversity didn’t alter Cook’s psyche. He maintained the same goal: get to the NFL by any means necessary. His next step was to find a new
see cook page 12
By Zak Wolf senior staff writer
Anwar Suggs didn’t struggle to find a nickname for a 9-year-old Yasin Willis. While playing for the Brick City Lions — a premier youth football organization in Newark, New Jersey — Willis bulldozed anybody who tried tackling him.
Any player who dared cross his path would have to face his wrath. Players ducked out of his way, afraid they’d get run over. It became a common occurrence during Willis’s first summer with
Brick City. Before the Lions’ first scrimmage, Suggs — Brick City’s head coach
— thought he crafted a good moniker for Willis. He ran his idea by his assistant coaches, and they all co-signed it. Enter “Night Train.”
“I think he just liked to hurt people when he was young,” Suggs said. “Give him a football and he’d be mean and tough.”
“I love it, man. I feel like it really describes who I am as a running back,” Willis added. “‘What do trains do when something gets in their way?’ They run them over and keep going.’”
The nickname stuck. He gained such notoriety as a youth player in North Jersey that players and coaches didn’t know Willis’s real name. They only knew him as Train. It followed him to Saint Joseph Regional High School (New Jersey), where he developed into the state’s best running back. Punishing blows never stopped being a fixture of Willis’s game. Now, they’re on full display at Syracuse.
After waiting in the wings behind LeQuint Allen Jr. as a freshman, Willis is ready to be the engine powering SU’s offense. He showed that with a
three-touchdown performance in the Orange’s 45-26 season-opening loss to then-No. 24 Tennessee.
The sophomore had 23 carries in SU’s season-opener, just 13 less than his freshman total.
That didn’t stop Syracuse head coach Fran Brown from wanting to increase his workload.
“We’re going to make sure we get him the ball more,” Brown said postgame. “He’s the best player on the team from an offensive perspective.”
Replacing Allen Jr. isn’t an easy task. The now-Jacksonville Jag-
uar was the heartbeat of Syracuse’s offense the last two years, accounting for 25 rushing touchdowns and accruing two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Anointing Willis the face of SU’s offense might be a bold proclamation after just one collegiate start. Allen Jr. doesn’t think so.
“I always let him know he wasn’t very far away and his time was definitely going to come,” Allen Jr. said. “It’s his time to shine. I passed the torch to him, and I know he’s going to do great and lead (Syracuse) to success.”