Medley Magazine / Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

R OYA L

T R E AT M E N T Creating a safe space for women of color throughout pregnancy // 22 I N V I S I B L E T H R E AT

Ongoing lead exposure issues persist, transcend generations // 16

T H E WA R O N VACA N T P R O P E R T I E S

Lack of South Side funding drives housing disparity // 40

M E D L E Y \\ 1

F E A T U R E S

12 Bound to the Past

The thriving force behind libraries and bookstores

22 Invisible Threat

Lead exposure issues persist, transcend generations

28 Royal Treatment

Making a safe space for women of color throughout pregnancy

42

Busy as a Bee

A veteran beekeeper gives life a little bit of sweetness

2 // M E D L E Y

C O N T E N T S 6 Your Feminist Field Guide through Upstate New York Siri, play "Run the World (Girls)" by BeyoncĂŠ 8 The Gear Factory Visual exploration of the Near Westside's collaborative space 1 0 Code for Success Hack Upstate is recoding the face of local technology 1 2 Bound to the Past The thriving force behind libraries and bookstores 1 6 Invisible Threat Lead exposure issues persist, transcend generations 2 2 Royal Treatment Making a safe space for women of color throughout pregnancy 2 8 Busy as a Bee A veteran beekeeper is giving life a little bit of sweetness 3 4 One Teacher Fits All Preparing the next class of inclusive educators 3 6 From Soldier to Student Army veteran embraces change to follow his dreams 4 0 The War on Vacant Properties Lack of South Side funding drives housing disparity 4 4 Moments Abroad International photos from Syracuse University students

Cover photo by Jordan Larson SeQuoia Kemp, owner of Doula 4 A Queen, poses with one of the mothers she is helping through the pregnancy and post-birth process.

M E D L E Y \\ 3

S T A F F Editor-in-Chief Ellie Coggins Executive Editor Rachel Burt Creative Director Randy Plavajka Senior Editors Sajida Ayyup Quinn Gawronski Emani Glee Elizabeth White Online Managing Editor Jaspreet Gill Dakota Palmer Videographer Sajida Ayyup Contributing Writers: Sajida Ayyup, Izzy Bartling, Pearl Cadigan, Micah Castelo, Weng Cheong, Ellie Coggins, Quinn Gawronski, Emani Glee, Yzzy Liwanag Contributing Photographers: Sajida Ayyup, Weng Cheong, Ellie Coggins, Jordan Larson, Randy Plavajka, Tori Sampson, Chelsea Taxter

4 // M E D L E Y

Lead Illustrator Samantha Lee Lead Designers Blessing Emole Emani Glee Randy Plavajka Marissa Poe Photo Editor Chelsea Taxter Staff Photographers Weng Cheong Tori Sampson Social Media Manager Maddy Goore Advisor Melissa Chessher

Medley Magazine shares stories from our campus, our city, and our globe that explore the intersection of cultures from a socially conscious perspective. We cover local news, national politics, music, beauty, travel, fashion, women’s issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, race, TV and movies, memes — you name it. Most importantly, we write about you — the members of the Syracuse community.

The magazine publishes once a semester with funding from the Graduate Student Organization.

All contents of the publication are copyright Spring 2019 by their respective creators. medleymagazine.com issuu.com/medleymagazine @medleymagazine

EDITOR'S NOTE

We want to show that there is hope thanks to people who are trying to make a difference.

2018 was a year of highs and lows in my life. I graduated from undergrad with high honors, spent a month hiking across southern France and northern Spain, and moved to Syracuse to start journalism school in my dream program.

But I also was away from home — and alone — for the first time in my life and facing one of the hardest semesters I’ve ever experienced. By December, the naturally optimistic side of me was beginning to falter, which made me nervous, feeling like I was losing part of myself. So I made a resolution to come back to Syracuse in January, ready to reignite my positive side.

But with what felt like a near-constant snowscape and a barrage of negative news — from a shutdown to ocean warming and everything in between — staying positive was harder said than done. I decided that if I couldn’t control current events or the weather, I would do what I could.

As editor in chief of Medley Magazine, I decided to try to change the narrative of Medley and focus on the good.

The issue you’re holding in your hands is a collection of stories from our city that show the city in its best light.

We aren’t ignoring the issues present in Syracuse, whether it’s how vacant lots impact South Side residents (page 40) or how women of color face more health challenges during pregnancy than white women (page 22), but we want to show that there is hope thanks to people who are trying to make a difference. My hope for you is that you walk away from reading Medley feeling refreshed and happier about the world around you.

Sincerely,

Ellie Coggins

M E D L E Y \\ 5

YOUR FEMINIST FIELD GUIDE THROUGH UPSTATE NEW YORK Siri, play “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé Words by Quinn Gawronski Research by Micah Castelo Illustration by Samantha Lee

G

rab some snacks, your lady gang, and a jam-abundant playlist before you hit the winding highways of Upstate New York. From woman-powered wine tasting to hikes through the opulent landscape of Seneca Falls, this state is covered in tributes to many feminist icons who have fought for women’s rights.

1872 Cafe, Rochester, NY Hours: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

On West Main Street sits the 1872 Cafe, simplistic white window designs advertising their extensive menu: coffee, bakery, soups, salads, and more. Much like Susan B. Anthony’s home, this cafe is much more than meets the eye. Here, Anthony cast the first female ballot on November 5, 1872. Stop by after visiting her home and grab a breakfast pizza or grilled chicken salad.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, NY Hours: Visitor Center & Wesleyan Chapel: Sun.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Spring only. Admission: Free.

In the lobby of the Women’s Rights National Park is an impressive life-size bronze sculpture — aptly named The First Wave. It depicts 20 figures who attended the first Women’s Rights Convention. Nine of the figures represent the women who organized the convention.

Learn more through daily tours, films, and scavenger hunts around the area. Tours include trips to the Wesleyan Chapel, where the first convention was held in 1848, and the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, feminist icon and one of the convention’s organizers.

6 // M E D L E Y

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, Rochester, NY Hours: Tues.-Sun., 11:00 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission fees: $5-15.

Nestled in a quaint Rochester neighborhood, one brick home has a simple plaque outside its green fence. This is the former home of Susan B. Anthony, an unforgettable figure in the American women’s rights movement. She fought to ratify the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments, a document that outlined the rights American women should have as citizens. Visit this historic home, which also doubled as the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s headquarters, and learn all about the suffragettes.

Thorpe Vineyard, Wolcott, NY Hours: Vary depending on season.

Amid the many vineyards across New York it’s rare to stumble across a vineyard that’s completely 100 percent woman-owned and operated. Fumie Thorpe has been operating her vineyard since 1988. Snuggled on the Lake Ontario’s southern shore, this charming vineyard features an array of dry, semi-dry, and sweet white wines.

Ganondagan Seneca Art and Culture Center, Victor, NY Hours: Tues.-Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $3-8.

This extensive cultural center on the Haudenosaunee people features a new exhibit — Hodinohsoni Women From the Time of Creation. The exhibit opened in March 2018, and centers around the women’s mosaic of history and way of life. Although they weren’t directly involved in the suffrage movement, the Haudenosaunee women influenced the early feminists. They also aided in the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy.

WomanMade Products, Seneca Falls, NY Hours: Tues.-Fri., 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sat. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. from October through April.

Mon.- Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Step into the pink neon storefront of WomanMade products to pick up a variety of feminist-friendly items at this Seneca local store. All items at here — from crafts and illustrations to T-shirts — are made by women, come from a woman-owned company, or are woman-inspired.

Pick up a product and add some fiery feminism into your closet.

M E D L E Y \\ 7

THE GEAR FACTORY Visual exploration of the Near Westside's collaborative space

Photos by Jordan Larson

8 // M E D L E Y

M E D L E Y \\ 9

THE CODE FOR SUCCESS <Hack Upstate is changing the face of local technology through careers in code> Words and Photos by Ellie Coggins

/* (Above) Jeff Passetti, a Newhouse adjunct professor, teaches participants the basics of web development.

(Opposite) The bootcamps are designed to teach essential coding languages and encourage further exploration. */

10 // M E D L E Y

W

hen most people think of coders and technology buffs, their first thought is probably a white man with a college education. But Hack Upstate, a local organization whose mission is to support the technology community in Upstate New York, wants to help fight that stereotype through Careers in Code. It’s a coding bootcamp designed specifically for women and minorities living at or around the poverty line with skills to help them find jobs and internships in the tech field. Hack Upstate plans to change the face of technology in Syracuse — literally.

We spoke with Jesse Peplinski, one of Hack Upstate’s partners, about Careers in Code.

MM: Why is this bootcamp needed in the community?

JP: One, poverty being such a huge issue here in Central Upstate New York, and it’s just rising at such a crazy rate here. There was this report that came out a couple months ago here and Syracuse was rated one of the top 10 most impoverished cities in the U.S. which is just insane to think about. In particular, there are very few opportunities for women and minorities to advance in those areas of extreme poverty just because those opportunities are simply not available to them. So that’s really the first problem there.

The second problem is a lot of employers here in Central New York are really struggling to find developers. They need these developers, right? To help grow their

companies. But at the same time, they really can’t find enough folks locally to hire so loads of times they have to operate outside of New York here and go with consultants and contractors and so forth. It is just one piece of our mission at Hack Upstate, to help keep folks here in Central New York and not have them move away.

MM: How does it feel to have so much local support?

JP: It’s been amazing. Every time we talk with our partners, and our sponsors here, they’re all super excited about the initiative. This is our first cohort, so this is all relatively new to us, as well. And we’ve been relying on our community, too, and our instructors and partners to help form what we’re doing. It’s been awesome. And there’s definitely a gap for coding bootcamps here in Upstate Central New York and we thought that we were a good candidate to start building that gap.

MM: What is the biggest challenge of this process so far?

JP: From the network that we’ve amassed and what not, we just have to figure out a way to keep this going.

And that actually is a big piece of the proposal [to receive their grant money] when we put it in. Basically, when this is done and over with, how

In particular, there are very few opportunities for women and minorities to advance in those areas of extreme poverty just because those opportunities are simply not available to them.

Jesse Peplinski Hack Upstate does this continue to remain and exist? And ultimately we’re going to call all our sponsors and prospective partners, and together, put it on the table, and say, here’s what we have in mind, what do you guys think of this?

MM: What has been the best part?

JP: Honestly we’ve had some stories that some of these students have told that have honestly brought a tear to my eye and I’ve had a smile on my face this whole time. It’s way different when you hop on the phone and talk with these folks who not only is it changing and affecting their life positively, but also their family. Like we’ve been on the phone with single mothers who want to do this for themselves and for their kids. Like they want it, so that their daughters and sons can be engineers.

If I can do this, you can do this too, right? And honestly that has been so tremendously powerful.

Careers in Code began on March 11 and plans to run for 24 weeks, on Mondays through Thursdays at the Syracuse Technology Garden. Check in with Medley Magazine online to see this story develop.

M E D L E Y \\ 11

BOUND The thriving force behind libraries and bookstores Words and Photos by Sajida Ayyup here is quaint little bookstore on the corner of James Street and Woodbine Avenue in Eastwood Syracuse that resembles a “throwback Thursday” today in 2019.

Wide glass windows invite the eyes of passersby and maps the visual journey of what awaits inside. It’s almost as if J.R.R. Tolkien’s overly-abused quote, “I’m going on an adventure,” was being etched on the ground as the doors to this bookstore welcome you.

The store, Books and Melodies, houses a range of things. You’ll find books — old and fairly new, special editions and single prints, paperback and hardcovers, and some even with personal letters scribbled on them by previous owners. Sometimes books have postcards and notes tucked in between them — notes of nostalgia, love, and “things-to-do.” The “Melodies” part embodies the amount of music surrounding the books in the form of vinyls records and CDs — think of the biggies, like Frank Sinatra, The Beatles,

12 // M E D L E Y

and more. You’ll also stumble upon cassettes, DVDs, and even VHS tapes, waiting for their time-traveling engine to rev.

Nick Oliver, the manager, has been working at the store for more than two years. He knows the store’s history, every owner the store has ever had, and can tell you stories about the people that are behind the things he sells.

For Oliver, print books are important, and his sales show that books don’t seem to be going away anytime soon, despite competition with e-books.

He thinks that people are getting sick of staring at digital screens. “Our book sales and our record sales have gone up the past couple of years,” he adds.

According to the Association of American Publishers, book sales are up approximately five percent compared to 2017, while e-book sales dropped by 3.9 percent in 2018. A 2017 analysis of Pew Research Center survey data reported that “millennials are the most likely generation of Americans to use public

TO THE PAST

(Above) Nina Verity, organizer of the poetry nights at Books and Melodies, reads an original piece of her own to the crowd in attendance.

M E D L E Y \\ 13

libraries.”

There is some tension between those who enjoy reading print books like Oliver and those who prefer e-books, but e-books certainly aren’t holding people hostage in the digital realm. The libraries at Syracuse University have a large collection of both types for their large audience. They received 1,213,469 visitors from July 2017 to June 2018, added 35,147 new books to the collection, and currently have 545,994 e-books, according to “Facts and Figures” from Syracuse University's Libraries.

The Onondaga County Public Libraries also have a wide variety of both print editions and e-books. Jane Kalkbrenner is the manager of both the Petit and Betts branches of OCPL, where she began in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

She says that for libraries, e-books are just another way to read a book because of their versatility. “If you have any visual problems, you can make the print bigger or smaller depending on your device,” she further adds. As the needs of people change, libraries will work to meet those changes.

“There’s a saying ‘library is a great equalizer’ — it makes everybody equal in that respect,” Kalkbrenner says.

“Everybody can read. If you can’t afford a book, you can borrow a book.” This not only applies to books but also to music, audio books, and movies that are available at these libraries at all times.

These local libraries also host book discussions and other events, creating a sense of community, as does Books and Melodies with their open mic nights.

In an age where innovators find different ways to feed content to the future, people like Kim Hoffman work

14 // M E D L E Y

toward repairing the past. She’s a graduate preservation assistant at SU’s Bird Library. Hoffman spends most of her time repairing books, making sure the conditions in the library are right for preserving them. “[Books] get a beating and they come downstairs to the basement where we work,” she says. “We might rebind them or we might just glue some things together and make sure that they can go back out and keep circulating.”

Hoffman wants to make sure that students get access to books for decades to come, whether it’s physical books or e-books. On a day to day level, the library is going to be more digital, but there’s still going to be room for special collections, she adds.

Her idea about e-books is about the same as that of Kalkbrenner, but on the opposite side of the spectrum from Oliver. She expresses her love for e-books and their accessibility at libraries, but adds that she believes having a physical book is still important.

But Hoffman, like many, finds that her digital time can be exhausting, which is what drew her to book repair. “I spend so much time on my screen most of the time, I find it very soothing to be working with my hands with something material, something tangible — kind of meditative in a way,” Hoffman said.

Regardless of the allure of digital books, the future of print editions is still bright, according to Oliver. “Books have been around forever,” he says. “You're not going to get rid of them overnight.” \\

I spend so much time on my screen most of the time, I find it very soothing to be working with my hands with something material, something tangible â&#x20AC;&#x201D; kind of meditative in a way.

Kim Hoffman, Graduate Preservation Assistant at Bird Library

(Right) An attendee of the poetry night at Books and Melodies reads an excerpt from his self-published book. (Opposite) The store rebinds and repairs books aside from simply selling them.

M E D L E Y \\ 15

INVISIBLE Syracuse's lead exposure issues persist, transcend generations Words by Quinn Gawronski Photos by Randy Plavajka

G

reg Smith holds up his calloused hands to show that his palms are clean. Then he runs his forefinger across a white sheet of paper that a woman seated next to him was holding. A grey smudge appears. Lead dust that is in the majority of Syracuse homes is virtually invisible, he says.

These traces of lead caused Greg Smith’s son, Mark Smith, to have an elevated blood lead level of 22 deciliters. Five deciliters of lead in blood is dangerous to children’s health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

If Mark Smith hadn’t gotten his finger pricked in the lead testing bus that drove through their neighborhood, his family wouldn’t know he had been exposed. Dr. Howard Weinberger, a pediatric doctor, has seen children with over 100 deciliters of lead with no symptoms.

In 1969, a medical student working for Weinberger suggested testing Syracuse children for lead. When a majority of the tests revealed high levels of exposure, the city health department scrambled to find the source but came back empty-handed. The following year, the student went around the city peeling off paint samples. He found that nearly every home had lead-based paint.

Lead paints were banned from homes in 1978, but the U.S. Census reported that 91 percent of homes in Syracuse were built before 1980. The Journal of Pediatrics found that Syracuse is one of 11 regions with the largest proportion of high blood lead levels, with 16 percent of subjects testing above nine deciliters.

Children exposed at a young age can develop behavioral problems, ADHD, impulsivity, impaired cognition, and hyperactivity. These conditions often correlate to a lower IQ and juvenile delinquency, says Weinberger. In his practice, he has seen Syracuse families who have struggled with lead exposure for generations. “We’re waiting until a child has an elevated lead level to find the source,” Weinberger says. “We’ve been using the kids like they used to use canaries in the coal mines.”

Unbeknownst to Greg Smith, when he returned home from renovation work on his West Side apartment rentals, traces of lead dust clung to his clothing.

After Mark Smith’s diagnosis, his parents began frequently washing hands and changing clothes after work. Soon their son’s levels dropped to a normal level.

In 2008, Mark Smith graduated from Syracuse University and went on to help his father with the family business. Greg Smith said that his son’s elevated blood

(Cover) Leftover lead-based paint peels and flakes as it degrades.

Though home usage was banned in 1978, many older Syracuse homes in need of restoration are still plagued by the paints.

16 // M E D L E Y

THREAT

M E D L E Y \\ 17

lead levels didn’t impact his health or brain function.

Not all kids who are exposed to lead are as lucky as Mark Smith.

Behavioral issues associated with lead exposure are often assumed to be the result of bad parenting or a learning disorder, which Mark Smith said is one of the greatest divides between low-income and middle-class families. Exposure to lead isn’t equally dispersed. The Onondaga County Health Department reports that the impact of lead exposure is especially devastating in West Side and South Side neighborhoods, where approximately half of residents live below the poverty line.

Low income families grapple with a variety of roadblocks to removing and preventing exposure. Individual window replacement can cost hundreds of dollars and the High-Efficiency Particulate Air vacuum used by renovators to remove over 90 percent of lead dust is $600.

Children living in poverty are also likely to have diets low in iron and calcium, which causes lead to be more easily absorbed into the body, said Weinberger.

Jaime Howley, co-chair of the Housing Taskforce with the South Side Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today, says it’s terrible that it impacts the most vulnerable populations. “We don’t have a child to waste. We need them all, and in the best shape possible,” she adds.

Howley works at an occupational health clinic and has focused on fostering lead awareness in Syracuse for the past two years. She said the longterm disproportionate levels of lead in low-income areas contributes to lower IQ levels, juvenile delinquency, and lower academic achievement. When Howley lived in older homes, her husband would use a screwdriver and hammer to pry open windows that had been painted shut. Her sister was chelated after being exposed to lead in a pottery class.

She sits in a circle of plastic chairs in the sparsely decorated hall of the Iron

18 // M E D L E Y

That’s part of the problem. It’s a perpetual thing.

You can’t go in and say this house is lead-free.

Tim Rudd, Syracuse Common Councilor (Above) A vacant house on the south side of the city sits in tatters from its previous residents. The Smiths purchased the home to fully restore it. (Opposite) Mark Smith and his brother Ken survey the bathroom wall while their father Greg organizes the countertop.

Workers Local Union off Genessee St. Here, residents have gathered for the monthly Lead Coalition meeting.

Some attendees scribble on yellow notepads, while others chat and munch on pizza provided by Common Councilor Joe Driscoll. He leans against the table at the front of the room, a cup of Pepsi in hand. Driscoll hopes that the recently established Bureau of Administrative Adjudication will incentivize landlords to fix code issues. Creating consequences for bad landlords is a proactive way to incentivize better protection of their tenants, he said.

Driscoll wants to implement a lead ordinance similar to Rochester’s.

Rochester also grappled with high levels of lead exposure and implemented the Lead-Based Paint Prevention Ordinance in 2006 to combat the issue.

The ordinance requires lead testing in all rental units as an extension of the city’s inspection checklist. If a property

doesn’t pass the inspection, a citation is issued and it cannot be cleared until the rental receives private clearance.

In 2014, less than one percent of children in Rochester had elevated blood lead levels, down from 6.5 percent in 2004. Tim Rudd, a Syracuse Common Councilor, has lead in his own home.

He keeps his family safe by frequently painting over doors and window frames to reduce risk of flaking and chipping paint. The most vulnerable populations in Syracuse are exposed because they don’t have adequately maintained housing, says Rudd. “That’s part of the problem. It’s a perpetual thing,” he adds.

“You can’t go in and say this house is lead-free.”

The Smith family has first-hand experience with the meticulous practices required to keep exposure at bay. When new tenants move into their West Side rentals, they test windows and walls for lead paint. Greg Smith says this

M E D L E Y \\ 19

process only takes 20 minutes. If tests are positive, they go about rigorous work to remove most of the lead. On interior paint, they scrape or use heat guns to remove paint, manage dust with a HEPA vacuum, sand the wood, and repaint.

“That’s the kind of behavior I’d like to see,” Greg Smith says, encouraging people who own property to make this part of standard procedure After this extensive work and further testing, inspectors often say that they still haven’t done enough. In one case, a child had a blood lead level of 70 deciliters even after the Smiths did multiple tests. Doctors and nurses called the family and told them that they needed to provide the family a hotel room, Mark Smith said. He doesn’t know if the family ever found the lead source.

The Smiths also took lead certification classes to learn how to renovate safely and wear face masks while working. Even after these precautions, the problem persists. Greg Smith’s granddaughter became exposed to lead when his son would return home from renovations and give his daughter a hug. “It is hard to deal with, but it’s really important to try to get rid of as much as you can,” Mark Smith says about lead.

“It’s going to be an ongoing issue and always has been.”

The consequences of lead exposure are seemingly unending. Weinberger says that analysis of group populations has demonstrated that high lead levels can lead to violent behavior and longterm behavioral issues, but impacts of exposure is difficult to determine on an individual basis.

While Weinberger can treat the lead level immediately with medication or chelation therapy, lead is absorbed in children’s soft tissue and bone and stays for years to come. Weinberger can administer treatment, but nothing can

20 // M E D L E Y

be done about the damage that’s already happened, he says.

Greg Smith is more skeptical about the long-term effects of high lead levels.

“For all you hear about lead, do you personally know anybody that has a kid that’s been rendered mentally defective from lead poisoning?” Greg Smith says.

“No, and nobody does.”

He was born in a house built in the 1800s and was recently reminded by his sister that he was a dedicated thumb-sucker. His mother would even put bitter liquid on his thumb to deter his habit. His family also lived on a busy street during a time when lead was still in gasoline and home renovations were done before there was a concept of lead safe techniques. “It dawned on me in the last few months that I was a lead kid too,” he says. “There were symptoms, but nonetheless I ended up testing at an IQ level in the top one percent.”

He recalled a concerned mother, who believed their child’s lead level of 15 deciliters caused his inability to sit down and read a book. “People tend to read things into it. I don’t want to say we’re overreacting, because I’d get crucified,” he says. “Perhaps what we’re doing is more effective than what we’re giving ourselves credit for.”

Weinberger also notes drastic improvements since he started treating high lead levels 50 years ago. He recalls his own childhood, when lead was in toothpaste and baby food cans. In the 70’s and 80’s, he even led a clinic designated for chelation therapy.

“I talk about lead fatigue. People get tired of hearing the message,” Weinberger says. “The community call me the lead policeman. You know when I walk in the room, we’re going to talk about lead poisoning.” We’re at peak interest in the lead issue now, he adds.

Despite the increased awareness, Howley doesn’t know if it’s enough to generate the needed transformation.

“You can put lead anywhere, it stays,” Howley said. “It doesn’t just go away.” \\

(Top) Mark and Greg Smith discuss the installation of a new shower. (Left) Mark Smith watches as one of his crew members strips unnecessary material from the cover beneath the bathroom's pipes. (Right) Inside the vacant residence the Smiths purchased to restore, lead paint peels from age and wood rots from overexposure to the elements.

M E D L E Y \\ 21

22 // M E D L E Y

R OYA L

T R E AT M E N T Making a safe space for women of color throughout pregnancy Words by Micah Castelo Photos by Jordan Larson ngela Thornton spent over 24 grueling hours in labor when she had her third child five years ago.

At one point, her doctor told her it would be best to deliver her baby by cesarean section, she says.

But Thornton knew she wanted a natural birth despite the pain she was going through. She spoke to her doula, SeQuoia Kemp, who advocated for her decision. Kemp also helped relieve Thornton’s pain by going through breathing exercises with her.

“She comforted me and let me know that she’s going to be there every step of the way, and she was,” Thornton says.

“She was more of a help than my son’s father,” she adds with a laugh.

It was the first time Thornton had a doula. She didn’t even know what they were until Kemp approached her at their church and asked if she could be her doula. But now, the 38-year-old says she tells people who are pregnant to get a doula after her positive experience with Kemp, especially since they aren’t often talked about in minority communities.

Kemp is trying to change that with Doula 4 A Queen, a private practice she launched in 2014 to provide prenatal,

M E D L E Y \\ 23

labor, birth, and postpartum support specifically for women of color and of low socioeconomic backgrounds. As a certified doula, Kemp meets with her clients throughout their pregnancy and offers non-medical emotional and physical support before, during, and after they give birth.

“My mission as a doula is to improve birth outcomes, to improve people’s birthing experiences, and help empower people to make informed decisions regarding different experiences like taking medication or childbirth education,” she says.

Kemp adds that the maternal health crisis among black women and other marginalized communities also pushed her to start her practice. In the U.S., black mothers die at a rate three to four times that of the rate for white mothers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black women are also less likely to have health insurance and access to prenatal care, as reported by the National Partnership for Women and Families. Meanwhile, 23 percent of women in Onondaga County do not have access to adequate prenatal care, according to the New York State health department.

Therefore, at the core of Kemp’s work is making sure all of her services are accessible to anyone. “I offer my services on a sliding scale so that if people aren’t able to afford it, they don’t have to feel bad,” she says. “I want to help eliminate financial barriers.”

BECOMING A DOULA Kemp never thought she’d become a doula.

She wanted to be an obstetrician ever since she was 13 years old. After graduating from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 2012, she went straight to the University of Rochester on a pre-med track.

24 // M E D L E Y

But she says she wasn’t only interested in being in the healthcare system — she also wanted to take care of people’s social needs.

The summer after her sophomore year, she shadowed a midwife at Upstate University Hospital and was told that she should major in public health if she wanted to mesh her passions for healthcare and social justice.

“If people have stable housing, if people have stable finances, if they have access to quality and nutrient-dense foods, then they can have time to go to the doctor,” Kemp says. “They can have time to do different things that are promoting health and wellness.”

So Kemp threw herself in doula work and research during college. In between her classes, extracurricular activities, and internships, Kemp found the time to enter a doula training class, complete a nine-month doula certification program, and assist in three live births in one summer.

“Some days, I don’t know how I managed it,” she says. But she recalls a time in her junior year when she had to catch a bus from Rochester to Syracuse to assist in two live births. She says the babies waited just for her.

“To be able to travel from a different city and still be able to make it, it just shows to me that I was meant to do this work,” she says.

WORKING IN SYRACUSE Life in Syracuse wasn’t easy for Kemp when she was growing up, but it’s the city she decided to start her doula practice in.

“I have a lot of family members who were murdered here in Syracuse, so I think that as a teenager, I was very angry,” she says.

“Trying to conceptualize moving back to a city that, in my mind at that time, stole the lives of my cousins was really hard and traumatic.”

M E D L E Y \\ 25

26 // M E D L E Y

I want Syracuse to be where I build the foundation of my midwifery care. I think for a lot of people, we get degrees and move to other cities, but if we keep leaving, how can we build up our hometown and make sure people are benefiting from us?

SeQuoia Kemp, Doula 4 a Queen Founder

Yet by the time she was a senior in college, she knew she had to return. She says she felt inclined to help her own community after learning about public health issues in college.

“I was like, yup, I’m just going to try to be the change I want to see,” she says.

Asteir Bey, Kemp’s mentor, says that improving healthcare for women of color in Syracuse is particularly important. Bey is the co-director of Village Birth International, a community-based organization for maternal health and reproductive justice in Syracuse, New York City, New Jersey, and Northern Uganda.

For instance, it can be challenging for women of color not to have healthcare providers who look like them and understand their daily life. There’s a lot of research on implicit bias and racism in healthcare settings, Bey says, which ultimately leads to disparities in communication and treatment. She adds that Syracuse’s status as the ninth poorest city in the U.S. and the large influx of refugees from African countries makes Kemp’s community work imperative.

Kemp started to get clients through word of mouth and while working with Syracuse Healthy Start, a community-based program that helps mothers have healthy babies.

Soon, she started advertising her business on Facebook and Instagram. Since the time she first started her doula work, Kemp has helped over 20 women throughout their pregnancies or postpartum experiences.

But the work hasn’t been easy for Kemp.

She says that the majority of the births she’s been present at were pro bono. Most of the people she works with don’t have enough money to pay for her services. She understands that she has bills to pay, but she wants every person in her community who wants a doula to have one, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

To address this challenge, Kemp started a GoFundMe to raise funds for clients who can’t afford her services. “It’s just paying it forward,” she says. “We have three recipients right now who have my services completely free.” All of the donations she receives cover

the guidance and support she provides for her clients, as well as any educational materials she shares with them. Some of these services include going to prenatal appointments with mothers who don’t have partners and researching individual birth plans.

Bey says that without the financial support, it can be hard for low-income women to have access to doulas. “I think up until the last couple of years, the word doula has been associated with luxury and comfort, like this supportive care for affluent white women,” she says. “But indigenous people, black people, black midwives — we’ve always supported each other. We’ve always doula-ed each other.”

THE EVOLUTION Now, Kemp is expanding her doula work by hosting free community workshops.

Starting last summer, she held workshops on topics such as mental health and food justice in the east, west and south sides of Syracuse.

Having these types of conversations can help people of color in these communities normalize important conversations regarding wellness and access to health care, she says.

In February, Kemp also organized an expo featuring black healthcare providers and healers in the city. She says she wanted people to know that there are people who look like them in the healthcare system, understand their concerns, and can provide them with quality care.

Eventually, Kemp hopes to go to midwifery school. She says she’d like to become a certified nurse midwife in the next few years so she can build on her practice.

She envisions starting her own birthing center in Syracuse.

“I want Syracuse to be where I build the foundation of my midwifery care. I think for a lot of people, we get degrees and move to other cities, but if we keep leaving, how can we build up our hometown and make sure people are benefiting from us?” \\

M E D L E Y \\ 27

BUSY AS A BEE A veteran beekeeper is giving life a little bit of sweetness.

Words by Pearl Cadigan Photos by Chelsea Taxter

(Cover) Rich Schuler examines the final beehive in his small-scale operation.

28 // M E D L E Y

M E D L E Y \\ 29

I

(Bottom Left) The "Honey for Sale" sign in front of Schuler's home attracts passersby and neighbors. (Bottom Right) Schuler sells honey-roasted nuts and trail mix alongside small bottles of his bees' honey.

30 // M E D L E Y

sell my honey up at Clear Path for Veterans,” Rich Schuler says, recounting his first trip to Clear Path. “They ran out of honey, so I went up there.” Along with his honey, he brought four bags of honey-roasted nuts and seeds including almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and more to the non-profit organization’s property in Chittenango. Schuler was almost immediately asked to bring back three times the amount because the products had sold out so quickly. “They were like ‘You’ve got to go home and get twelve more bags, we just sold all of them,’” he remembers as he smiles, proud of the work that he’s doing. Clear Path for Veterans is dedicated to providing veterans, military members, and their families with resources, a cause that Schuler believes in.

Schuler, a beekeeper who operates a honey farm in Kirkville, is a local to Syracuse, having grown up in the city for the first 15 years of his life before moving out to the country. At the age of 18, Schuler, a then high school dropout, joined the Navy, where he spent three years before coming back home to the U.S. Army Reserve. He served in Kuwait for a year in 2005 before picking up E-8 status and finally having enough years to retire.

There wasn’t much of a transition back to day-to-day life for Schuler since he was in the Reserve for many years, but it was still helpful for him to pick up a hobby. It got him started with beekeeping and later turned into a passion. The entire process of beekeeping provides him with a source of motivation and excitement. Schuler wakes up every morning looking forward to spring’s arrival when he can see if his bees made it through the winter or not. He can then begin honey production, going to markets, and interacting with the community again.

Being a veteran allows Schuler to not only receive organized support for his love of beekeeping, but also gives him the opportunity to share the benefits of his passion with other veterans. “I was hoping to maybe get some vets involved and show them some beekeeping because it’s very therapeutic, just sitting there watching the bees,” Schuler explains while telling about the honey hives that he has on the property of Clear Path for Veterans.

When describing the importance of supporting local and veteran-owned businesses, Schuler cites a difference in taste as a motivating factor. “Get to know what you’re eating,” he stresses.

“Your honey might be a little bit more

(Top Left) Schuler keeps memorabilia around his garage related to his military service. (Top Right) A box of Schuler's honey on display at his roadside stand.

(Left) Schuler keeps a supply of artificial beehives, mason jars and other beekeeping tools stockpiled in his garage.

M E D L E Y \\ 31

(Top) After winter, few bees remain in the hive after the majority die in colder climates. (Left) This year was a success by Schuler's standards, he bottled one of the largest amounts of honey in recent years at his farm. (Right) Only one beehive remains before warmer weather arrives in upstate New York.

32 // M E D L E Y

expensive, but when you compare it to a lot of people don’t realize that,” Schuler store-bought, there is a difference in said. Because he once took the labor of flavors and stuff like that.” Schuler’s the honeybee for granted, Schuler now honey has a sweetness that’s able to understands how valuable it is and wants capture a more complex, deep flavor to share this knowledge with as many than the uniform plastic bears that line people as he can. the shelves of grocery stores. Along with His favorite part of owning an the taste, though, there is something apiary is interacting with people in intensely gratifying about not only the community, especially introducing knowing who and where the honey beekeeping to kids. Schuler hopes to you’re consuming comes from, but also spark an interest in younger people understanding the bees that produce that just might inspire them to pursue it, which Schuler makes sure his There’s a saying about beekeepers that you customers do. can ask a question to six different beekeepers The average person isn’t and get twelve different answers. So I tell expected to know people I don’t know a lot about bees because much about bees.

We run from them I’m still learning. I just try to pass it on. as kids, see frames Rich Schuler full of honey on Riches Apiary Owner, Beekeeper elementary school field trips to the local farm, and are beekeeping. He adds that he doesn’t see a aware of the term “queen bee” because lot of young people in beekeeping, which of Beyoncé, but that’s usually about is why he enjoys sharing what he knows the extent of a typical person’s bee about honeybees and their importance to knowledge. It’s all too easy never to think ecology. twice about where the honey inside the “There’s a lot of beekeepers out sticky bottle that stands between the there and it’s all about the money and almond milk and sweetener packets in everything, and they’re not doing the Syracuse University cafeterias comes educational part, and I think that’s really from. important,” he says. “There’s a saying Despite this, Schuler’s enthusiasm about beekeepers that you can ask a creates the opportunity to have question to six different beekeepers comfortable, interesting conversations and get twelve different answers. So I about these underdog creatures. He tell people I don’t know a lot about bees cares deeply for his bees and honey, even because I’m still learning. I just try to giving each bear-shaped jar of honey a pass it on.” brown, snuggly scarf each winter so they A conversation with Schuler makes it don’t get cold. Mostly, he admires how easy to appreciate not only the honey that hardworking bees are for the entirety we use to sweeten our tea with but also of their short lives; it’s visible in the way the hard work that went into its creation. that his eyes brighten and he gets more He wants to inspire people to really learn excited when he speaks about them. where their food - and especially their “The bees only live for forty-five honey - come from. days and the amount of time that it takes “You guys should get out there and them, and the miles they have to fly to see a beehive sometime,” he adds. \\ make one pound of honey (55,000 miles),

M E D L E Y \\ 33

ONE TEACHER

FITS ALL Preparing the next class of inclusive educators Words by Yzzy Liwanag Photos by Chelsea Taxter

ate on a weekend, Nicole Cruz sits behind her desk with her laptop brightness turned to the maximum.

Surrounding her are bright blue office supplies neatly placed in pencil holders with massive textbooks that take over her desk. Outside her window, the night is filled with energy and adventure, yet there she is — sitting in her dorm room preparing for the busy week ahead of her. Pulling an all-nighter for an important assignment, Cruz is not phased by the drunken girls screaming outside her window. She is not studying for an exam, but rather, she’s completing an intensive lesson plan for a younger and more important audience.

34 // M E D L E Y

Cruz, a student in Syracuse University’s School of Education, majors in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education. She spends time creating in depth lesson plans to present to the classroom at Seymour Dual Language Academy, a five minute drive from the university. SU offers an opportunity for students to learn proper teaching methods for a full range of learners. This includes English language learners, students from lower income families, and students with disabilities. “One class, for example, is a whole three hour class dedicated to that… my first year we had to do court cases for students with disabilities,” Cruz says.

SU gives students the opportunity

to gain real world experience by placing them in elementary classrooms in Syracuse. From the start of their freshman year to the end of their senior year, students like Cruz learn how to deal with every type of learner. “They’re exposing me to it, right now as a sophomore, to learn how to provide for these students [as their educator].”

Cruz is in a classroom with six students who face challenges that require an individualized education plan to help them succeed. “You can tell it’s already challenging,” she says. “There’s a lot of needs in the class, kids have outbursts like it’s nothing… it requires a lot of support, but it’s their attempt to make it into an

I like making sure I get to know my kids.

I let them talk about their lives whenever they want.

Nicole Cruz, Inclusive Elementary & Special Education Major

inclusive classroom.”

Cruz identifies the students that need more support than others by doing activities that lets them talk about their lives. She says that the students’ backgrounds regarding their family situation or personal conflicts can limit their learning inside the classroom. Rather than treating the student differently, Cruz understands that connecting with the student and learning about them through their hobbies can change the way they feel about learning ­— it lets them connect with the teachers in a more fun, personal way.

“I like making sure I get to know my kids,” Cruz adds. “I let them talk about their lives whenever they want.” \\

(Above) Nicole Cruz, an inclusive elementary and special education major at Syracuse University, is a part of a new curriculum designed to help future teachers form more personal, individualized approaches for every student.

M E D L E Y \\ 35

FROM SOLDIER TO STUDENT Army veteran embraces change to follow his dreams

Words by Izzy Bartling Photos Courtesy of Issak Hernandez and by Tori Sampson

S

tanding in the Jung-Frau region, on a mountain in Europe, Issak Hernandez was on top of the world. It was springtime in Switzerland and below the fog that filled the open sky were valleys of vibrant green grass and jagged silhouettes of snowpeaked mountains. Hernandez was frozen in place when his friend whispered beside him, “Man, if I can imagine heaven, this is what heaven would look like.” Hernandez couldn’t agree more.

Earlier, Hernandez and his friends had piled into a car with an ice chest filled with enough sandwiches and drinks to feed an army. They began their journey in Grafenwoehr, Germany, where they were living, and made the trek through parts of Germany and Austria to reach Grindelwald, Switzerland. The landscape changed with every hour on the road. First they drove through cities brimming with bright lights and people, then they found themselves diminish in size as hulking mountains appeared before them with houses seated on their slopes.

Hernandez soaked in everything the small town nestled in the Swiss Alps had to offer. The day after his trip up to Jungfraujoch, he and his friends decided to go paragliding in the mountains nearby, which he said was unbelievable. Another night, they brought a local bar to life when they belted out the lyrics to their favorite song “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, capturing the attention of curious onlookers, especially when they added air guitars to their number.

When their journey came to a close,

36 // M E D L E Y

they learned that not only can you get sick of sandwiches, but that the wonders and possibilities of the world are right at your fingertips, and all you have to do is reach out and grab them before they’re gone.

This realization — along with not wanting to continue in the army for several more years — is what lead Hernandez to Syracuse University this year, where he is majoring in Information Management and Technology at the School of Information Studies. However, his path toward success hasn’t been a direct one; it’s been filled with twists and turns that have required immense dedication and courage to navigate. Hernandez believes that he wouldn’t be where he is now if it hadn’t been for a decision he made six years ago — joining the army.

Blythe, a small town in California on the border near Arizona, is where Hernandez’s story begins. Not many people leave the comforts of Blythe, especially his family. It wasn’t until he graduated from high school in 2011 and continued his studies at the College of the Desert, a community college in Palm Desert, that things changed.

“I wasn’t in love with college,” says Hernandez. “I didn’t really apply myself in going to school. I thought that I could, I guess, weasel myself around it. College at the time just wasn’t an important thing to me.”

After realizing that college wasn’t his scene, he decided to take a break to work and spend time figuring out his next move. His research and connections lead him to the army website, where he

was immediately captivated and became invested in learning more about enlisting.

The more he researched, the more he realized that this was what he wanted to do. It was the sort of job he dreamed of having.

He joined the army about 10 months after leaving college and began basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Upon hearing the news that his first assignment would be at the Fort Drum military base in Jefferson County, New York, about an hour and a half away from Syracuse, he was ecstatic, and so was his family. As he sat in the van at the recruiting station that would take him to the airport, Hernandez looked out the window at his family members, who had gathered around to witness his parting from home.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but my life was going to change. I thought I was just looking at them, saying bye, but really I was saying bye for what seems like the last time,” Hernandez says. “I’ve been together with my family since then, but I haven’t been a part of my family because our communication style was mainly through phone or video chat.”

Once Hernandez got into the routine of things at Fort Drum, he knew he was in the right place. He gladly accepted the challenges his new job presented him and dedicated his entire spirit to them.

Not only did he find it challenging, but he also found it rewarding in the sense that he could meet and hear the stories of people from all over the country. Not to mention he enjoyed sharing his own

stories with others, especially when people would ask what a Californian was doing in Upstate New York. “I met people that I never thought I would talk to before, coming from Alabama, Louisiana, New York, people from California, Colorado, Wisconsin,” Hernandez says. “I remember my mom calling me and she was like ‘How’s it going?’ I said, ‘I love this. It’s awesome.’”

Not only did his environment change but so did his attitude. Hernandez says that he had confidence before joining the army but nothing like the confidence he had gained by the end of his army career.

He adds that it’s just the way the army works; they break you down to build you back up.

Hernandez says that friendship played a huge role in getting through the difficult times endured in the army. You’re probably doing “the most suckiest things” in life, he adds, but “those are the kind of friendships you make in the army; the ones that are all or nothing.”

“I trust them with my life,” he says, “because just the experiences that we’ve gone through and things that we’ve told each other, things that affected our life in a certain way that made us who we are.”

After three years in New York, Hernandez decided that he wanted to see the world. His idea of seeing the world at the time was moving to the military base in Colorado. His mentor immediately sat him down. “He’s like, ‘Go to Germany.’

And I’m like ‘What?’ And he’s like, ‘Go to Germany, it’ll be the best thing you ever do.’ I said, ‘Okay.’”

(Above) Issak Hernandez, now an information management and technology major at Syracuse University, found his academic passion after serving in the United States Army.

M E D L E Y \\ 37

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize it at the time, but my life was going to change.

I thought I was just looking at them, saying bye, but really I was saying bye for what seems like the last time.â&#x20AC;?

Issak Hernandez Information Management & Technology Major

38 // M E D L E Y

“Okay” was the magic word that brought Hernandez to Grafenwoehr, Germany, where he was stationed for eighteen months. Along with his military duties, including being deployed twice in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, he was given the chance to visit the beauties of surrounding countries, including Italy, France, and Switzerland, where he made some of the best memories of his life.

Afterwards, he was moved to the base in El Paso, Texas where he was deployed again for nine months. Looking back on his life, he believes that traveling has granted him with some of the best experiences he’s had, especially coming from Blythe where not many people get the chance to go out and see the world. “Traveling is something that I think I’ll continue to do for the rest of my life,” he says.

Hernandez’s initial plan was to stay in the army long-term, but after moving about 15 times in 17 different countries over the course of his army career, he slowly began realizing that he longed for a place to rest his feet.

“I loved it, but I was afraid I was going to miss out on the experiences of regular life,” he says. “Although people in the army are married, I didn’t want to put somebody I loved through that because the person that I love has goals, too. How am I going to ask this person to sacrifice what they’re doing for what I’m doing?”

He officially left the army in January 2019, which allowed him to reunite with his now-fiancée and create a new set of goals for himself. One is to fulfill his newfound desire to be the first one in his family to go to college.

Attending university wasn’t originally a priority, but he says that his time in the army shaped his mind into thinking that he always needs to be learning. After applying to Syracuse University, which was his reach school, he was accepted and officially moved his search for knowledge to the SU campus.

As a 26-year-old army veteran, Hernandez wouldn’t call himself a typical student, but he says that the challenge to fit into a learning environment is a challenge accepted. All he wants to do now is gain as much knowledge as he can to continue his life journey towards success and happiness and fulfill the current philosophy he has on life: to provide the influence to inspire generations. \\

M E D L E Y \\ 39

40 // M E D L E Y

THE WAR ON VACANT PROPERTIES Lack of South Side funding drives housing disparity Words by Emani Glee Photos from Greater Syracuse Land Bank he lights in the house were on and the doors were open. A car was parked in the driveway and people were moving their belongings in until they were spotted by a couple of neighbors. Takarra Smith, one of the neighbors and an office manager for the Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corporation, grew up on the South Side of Syracuse.

Seeing a group of people outside one of the four vacant houses near her home was troubling, but it was not unusual.

She recognized two of the young men as neighborhood drug dealers. Smith knew the house was owned by the bank, so she threatened to call the police, which was enough to make the intruders pack up and leave. Smith explains that neighbors have had to constantly call the police about this house because it became a place for squatters and a hot spot for drug transactions. “We just try to make sure we don’t allow people that don’t live in our neighborhood to come wreak havoc on our streets,” Smith says.

Abandoned buildings and the problems that come with them are

nothing new or unusual for residents on the South Side of Syracuse. According to the Greater Syracuse Land Bank’s inventory, last updated March 6, 2019, they own 118 vacant houses on the South Side. Block after block, they stand out, easily distinguishable by their chipping paint, broken or boarded up windows, and overall run down appearance. The “broken windows” theory introduced in 1982 by social scientists, James Wilson and George Kelling, suggests that potential offenders consider crime to be acceptable in locations of abandonment, since a window left unrepaired is a symbol that no one cares.

Researchers from Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania found that the rate of crime and violence decreases when abandoned buildings are fixed. “You’ll be completely overwhelmed with the amount of vacant homes and land bank-owned homes that are boarded up, that are dilapidated,” Smith says. “They’re littered with alcohol and drug paraphernalia.”

As the sun shined down on a Friday afternoon, Dallaner Seibles and her

M E D L E Y \\ 41

husband sit on their porch watching their grandchildren play in the front yard. Their home stands between two vacant homes.

Seibles has witnessed the amount of empty and broken-down houses increase over the course of three decades. “It’s an eyesore and makes the place look just like a slum,” Seibles says.

The view across the street from her house is unlike most. Multiple empty lots span the space where there would normally be four to five houses. Her husband said the houses were old and no good, so the city tore them all down.

The large vacant lot gives them a clear view to a severely run-down house that sits on the corner of the next street over.

Wooden boards and spray paint are the backdrop for this hangout where Seibles has witnessed suspicious activities for 30 years.

Two doors down, Brenda Warren sits on the steps outside the house she lives at with her niece. The South Side has been her home for over 20 years. Warren knows people who have hung out and slept in vacant homes because they have nowhere else to go. Four families took up residence in the vacant home across the street from Warren’s previous house. People were hanging around outside, the cops boarded up the house and put up a sign telling people not to hang out there or they will be arrested. “My neighbor didn’t even want her children outside,” says Warren.

In October 2018, a “Community Conversation” with Mayor Ben Walsh, city department heads, and elected city officials took place at the South Side Innovation Center. Every seat was filled and the walls were lined with people standing up eager to hear about the future

42 // M E D L E Y

of the South Side community. Housing issues received a large reaction, among the many topics covered such as jobs and crime prevention. Local news reporter Jennifer Sanders noted how vacant homes negatively impact the quality of life, and the audience erupted in a roaring applause signaling their agreement.

Katelyn Wright is the executive director of the Syracuse Land Bank.

“We demolish as many buildings as we can each year given the funds that are available and unfortunately there’s a big back log,” she says at the hearing. In 2018, there were 220 buildings that needed to come down with only enough money for 20, Wright explains. She says there are plans in the works for new construction, renovations, and demolitions. “I’m optimistic that we’re going to see some really transformative change come to the South Side because we have assembled so many properties,” she adds.

Members of the South Side community say vacant properties are not ideal but they are not going to magically disappear, and certainly not quickly.

Demolitions are expensive and the land bank primarily depends on money from grants to fund their projects. Since last fall, the Syracuse Land Bank was awarded a two-million-dollar grant from Enterprise Community Partners and a large portion of that money will go towards demolishing 56 properties in 2019, according to Wright.

“At the end of the year we might still have 250 demolition candidates even though we took 56 down this year, but we’re making progress,” Wright says.

“We’re chipping away at it every year.” \\

You'll be completely overwhelmed with the amount of vacant homes and land bank-owned homes that are boarded up, that are dilapidated.

Takarra Smith, Syracuse Model Neighborhood

M E D L E Y \\ 43

MOMENTS 3 4

5

6

7

44 // M E D L E Y

ABROAD 1

Rachel Burt: 1, 3 & 5 Israel & Madrid, Spain Rachel Burt, a magazine, newspaper, and online journalism student, traveled with her international reporting class this spring break to Israel, Jordan and Palestinian territories. Earlier in the semester she traveled to Madrid, Spain for an awards ceremony.

Weng Cheong: 2, 4 Chernobyl, Ukraine Weng Cheong, a graduate student in the magazine, newspaper, and online journalism program, traveled to the Ukraine with her international reporting class during winter break, where she visited Chernobyl.

Patrick Linehan: 6 Seville, Spain Patrick Linehan, a sophomore in news and online journalism, traveled to Seville, Spain to visit a friend during spring break.

Kristen Heglin: 7 Coogee, Australia Kristen Heglin, a junior advertising major, visited Australia, where she witnessed beautiful sights, like this one at Coogee Beach near Sydney. \\

2

M E D L E Y \\ 45

In the past 50 years, we have grown to become an effective advocate for graduate students, and a builder of a graduate student community. We work with administrators, departments, and directors across campus to create the best graduate experience possible. Recently, the GSO successfully negotiated increased assistance, finding housing, improved career services, improved bus routes specifically for graduate students, the formation of the Ombuds office and affordable health insurance and many more.

This year, we aim to improve even more. If you have an issue you'd like the GSO to address, please contact us at gso@syr. edu. We want to hear from you!

What is the GSO? The Graduate Student Organization is a senate body made up of elected representatives of graduate students across the university. In addition to discussing and conducting graduate student business at its open meetings, the GSO runs events and activities for graduate students throughout the year.

46 // M E D L E Y

What does the GSO do for you?

The GSO plays many different roles in graduate student life, including providing services and advocating for students. A few of the things the GSO does are: Advocate for graduate students: The Senate directs the GSO President on topics important to them. Through senate resolutions and the advocacy of our President, the GSO communicates the issues of the graduate student body to the University at large.

Professional Development: GSO professional development events are held throughout the academic year in conjunction with Career Services and the Graduate School.

Learn about various topics such as budgeting time management and job searching.

Social Events: The GSO sponsors picnics and events specifically for graduate students. Come connect with other graduate students and enjoy yourself!

Graduate Organizations: The GSO provides funding for its graduate organizations involved in a variety of activities, including for scholarly conferences and professional development.

How you can get involved: Become a GSO Senator: The graduate students of each academic plan at Syracuse University are allotted one Senate seat. A maximum of six Senators-at-Large will also be elected each academic year. GSO members may fill one or more of these seats from any degree-granting unit.

Become a University Senator: There will be a number of University Senators selected from the GSO membership each year. The Office of the University Senate Recorder will determine the number of GSO University Senators annually. Anyone elected as a University Senator through the GSO will automatically become a GSO Senator with voting rights.

Join a Graduate Organization: There are many graduate student organizations throughout campus. Some are run through academic programs, and others through common interests. Joining a graduate organization is a great way to get to know new people within and/or outside of your degree cohort.

Create a new Graduate Organization: The GSO encourages graduate school students to create an organization that serves a need not already met by another organization. The GSO fully supports new organizations that increase the quality of life for our graduate students.

GRADUATE STUDENTS GATHER AT THE INN COMPLETE ON SOUTH CAMPUS

Joining a Committee is a great way to get involved with graduate student life campus! Any graduate student can join a committee and participate. The GSO currently has 9 committees: Academic Resources and Affairs, Childcare Taskforce, Diversity, Finance , Employment Issues, Travel Grant, NAGPS, Outreach, Student Life If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to learn more about what committees do and how to get involved contact the Internal Vice President at gsointernalvp@syr.edu. Sign up at bit.ly/gso-committeesignup

M E D L E Y \\ 47

48 // M E D L E Y