The Good Life Magazine Spring 2023

The Good Life

Letter from the Editor

Another semester, another edition of TGL! Welcome back everyone to our Spring 2023 issue of The Good Life Magazine. This edition’s letter is especially difficult for me to write as I sit in my college apartment looking at the date of graduation circled on my calendar, quickly approaching. Unlike other letters I have written in the past, I want to use this space to take a few moments and reflect back on my time as Editor in Chief, what has been accomplished, and the people who I need to acknowledge.

In my time as a Staff Writer, Assistant Editor, and EIC of The Good Life, I have learned so much not only about myself, but about what it takes to be a good leader and editor. In the past two years this magazine, and everyone who has worked on it, has created a safe space for me to learn and to grow, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Throughout my time here, TGL has continued to thrive and to be an optimistic light for readers to turn to on dark days. As a staff, our 2022 Spring Edition won an SPJ Excellence Award for Best Student Magazine, and I hope that as time goes on this magazine continues to be recognized for what a special publication it is. Thank you to everyone who has made my time as Editor in Chief so meaningful. I wish the best of luck to next year’s EIC, Emily, and I hope that her journey is just as rewarding as mine was.

Graduating is tough, don’t let anyone tell you differently. As I turn the page to a new chapter in my life, I will always remember with love working on our silly, colorful, and mighty little magazine.

All the best, and as always, see you soon.

Gracie Carrigan Editor-In-Chief

Michela Flood

By Cecilia Catalini

Sofia Abdullina

The Good Life

Gracie Carrigan Editor-In-Chief

Beckwith Co-Creative Director

Grace

Sophie Walter Co-Creative

Director

Section Editors

Lifestyle

Leila Frankina

Profile

Chloe Langerman

Earth

Julia Pryor

Feature

Morgan Calcara

Art

Grace Beckwith

Sophie Walter

Lookbook

Sophie Walter

Grace Beckwith

Photographers

Grace Beckwith

Sophie Walter

Morgan Calcara Editor-at-Large

Writers

Gracie Carrigan

Morgan Calcara

Emily Bruck

Chloe Langerman

Leila Frankina

Isabelle Sareen

Sofia Abdullina

Michela Flood

Cecilia Catalini

Designers

Emma Lenz

Caitlyn Begosa

Gabrielle Essex

Isea Kelley

Cover Design

Isea Kelley

Harriet Brown Advisor

The writing contained within The Good Life expresses the opinions of the individual writers. The opinions expressed herein are not those of the editorial board, Syracuse University, the Office of Student Activities, the Student Association, and the Student Body. The Good Life reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions at the discretion of its editors. The Good Life magazine is published twice during the Syracuse University academic year. All contents are copyright by their respective creators. No content may be reproduced without the written consent of The Good Life editorial board.

Emily Bruck

Assistant Editor

Lookbook

Euro Summer 15

By Gracie Carrigan and Morgan Calcara

Earth

Reality of Constant Cold Fronts

By Emily Bruck

Lifestyle

The

By Chloe Langerman

The

By Isabelle Sareen

by Emma Lenz and Gracie Carrigan

A New Form of Sex Ed

Promoting a safe space to educate people on sexual health

By Michela Flood

When clicking onto the @ Sarcasticsexed Instagram account, viewers will be pulled in by the unique and aesthetically pleasing sexual education page, containing a plethora of valuable information. The account, which was first posted back in April 2020, has just over one thousand followers and spreads knowledge to support a healthy and substantial life on the basis of sex. Created with the intention of providing information for the youth of Syracuse NY, @sarcasticsexed is dedicated to being a comfortable environment to talk about topics typically regarded as taboo.

Kareliz Ortiz Camacho has been working with Planned Parenthood as a peer health advocate for five years. More recently, Camacho has worked on the marketing of the @sarcasticsexed account, and how to enlarge its viewership.

The people who work on @sarcasticsexed have an incredible passion for community outreach. Prior to the pandemic, Camacho felt this immense need to reach out to more people, and she believed that creating an Instagram account like @sarcasticsexed would be the perfect way to do just that.

“The name sarcastic-sexed, and this idea of using sarcasm to approach these vast topics through usage of memes to increase viewership from youth has always been the intention” Camacho said.

Camacho explained that the account’s colorful and eye-catching feed is purposeful. She said the posts are curated to make young Instagram users interested in scrolling through the account.

@sarcasticsexed is supposed to be comforting to viewers, and offer them a safe space to be their curious selves. Camacho explained that through the direct messages feature on Instagram, she and her fellow account runners are able to provide followers with an outlet to ask questions, and receive accurate sexual health information that does not require in-person clinical visits.

Back in September 2016, Camacho moved to Syracuse from Puerto Rico. She explained that, upon reflection, she realized that the only acknowledgement of sexual wellness was about periods in elementary school. She said that this lack of access to education on sexual health increased her passion for creating awareness on the topic. Because of this passion, the account was created to reach all people by posting in multiple languages.

“It does not matter if you only speak English or Spanish, you can access the information,” Camacho said.

The account is diverse in the age range it caters to. Although the account’s bio says “for youth by youth,” anyone can obtain and benefit from the information provided. Camacho said that even her mom has been an active viewer on the account.

Her point: promoting healthy sexual education should not only focus on one age group.

“Not gearing towards one niche of people allows people to know that while one post may not include me, another will,” Camacho said. “Everything can be accessed by all genders, identities, and ages.”

Sara Rose is a peer health advocate for Planned Parenthood, but she also assists in running the @sarcasticsexed Instagram account. Rose is extremely passionate about sex education, and believes that an individual’s relationship with sex is important to the way that we view and incorporate it into our lives.

Rose says that the account takes what she calls a “big sister” approach, giving people a safe space to ask questions and get answers. The account values connection, letting people know different information through different lenses and experiences through stories in each post.

“To me, @sarcasticsexed is a way to help educate youth,” Rose said.

Rose believes that if people are already going to be mindlessly scrolling on Instagram, they might as well gain useful insight and information. She said that the Instagram account is a less pressured approach that makes the information much more tangible to viewers.

Both Camacho and Rose have a huge passion for the @saracsticsexed account. To support the account, simply go to the page and learn new and valuable pieces of information on the basis of sex.

“What I have learned is you have to have an open mind,” Camacho said. “Your schedule or background is not the same as anyone else. Everyone is different, has different backgrounds, and has an open mind.”

Welcome to The Yard

One of SU student’s favorite spots to shop vintage

By Cecilia Catalini

Articles of clothing are like time capsules. Each piece has its own story, and its own past. Buying second-hand clothing offers people something that today fashion mills simply cannot – history. To Syracuse native, Andrew Rainbow, vintage clothing is more than just a trend. This is why he began his weekly pop-up Vintage shop, “The Yard '', on his lawn at 1203 Madison Ave. Syracuse, NY.

Rainbow has always loved the history behind things, and during the summer of 2018 he started selling antiques at the CNY Regional Market. Rainbow describes one day that he found some old vintage band t-shirts at a garage sale, and brought them to the Market as part of his commodities. He sold them all. From there, he moved to the Syracuse University Hill area and officially started “The Yard” in August 2022. His vintage business only grew from there.

Rainbow’s search for vintage clothing does not come from one place; he looks for his pieces all over the area. Rainbow specifically seeks out items that can be dated to the 70s, 80s, and the Y2K eras. He tries to search locally through thrift stores and garage sales, but a good portion of items that fit his merchandise profile he finds on online sources such as Ebay, Mercari, and Poshmark. His pieces are often unique, with stories of the past attached to them. For this reason, he has found that people are attracted to The Yard.

“My favorite part about The Yard is when I find a really cool vintage item and I hear an audible gasp from someone who is coming

and looking around at my stuff and goes ‘Oh my god! My dad had something like that!’ or ‘I can’t believe it! My mom bought me this in the 90s and I haven’t seen it since!’ I get to give someone a nostalgic piece of their past that they absolutely love,” Rainbow said.

His front-yard store is mostly known for selling fashionable vintage sports clothing. But, Rainbow said he is interested in finding and selling pieces with older, funkier patterns that were produced from smaller companies of the time. People love the clothing he sells because the pieces are unique to their time, and hard to find replicated in today’s fast fashion culture.

“That’s why I love vintage clothing. Honestly things were just made so much better, so much more creatively. There wasn’t as much uniformity and control with bigger companies monopolizing markets,” Rainbow said.

The Vintage Yard has grown in its popularity with people in the Syracuse area. From reposts on social media, to people sharing the shop’s location, The Yard is one of SU students’ favorite spots to find vintage clothing. Students say they enjoy the historical aspect of the clothing because some of the pieces belonged to alumni and are now being passed down to the current day Orange community.

“A good friend of mine picked up an old Syracuse crewneck that was actually from the 50’s because it had the old Syracuse logo on it. It was really cool and [Rainbow] told us the story behind it,” Leo Vagnatii, a freshman at SU, said. Found in a garage

sale, Rainbow shared with Vagnatii that the crewneck had belonged to an older alumnus who was a Syracuse University legacy.

The success of The Yard at times has left Rainbow finding that he is running out of merchandise. He said he has expanded the sellers at The Yard to allow a few other close friends to share items that they find with the community as well. He explained he just wants to make sure that Yard-goers can find vintage clothes that they love.

“It’s been really encouraging by how much the student population has really enjoyed what we are doing,” Rainbow said.

As it looks right now, the Vintage clothing trend is not going away anytime soon. Rainbow understands not only the desire and relevance of it, but also the special meaning behind the clothing that connects all people from different Syracuse timelines and backgrounds. These clothing items offer a connection between past and present students, and a different way of expression that can come from second-hand apparel.

“Everyone wants to be unique, but there’s not enough unique stuff being made to support that kind of creativity,” Rainbow said. “I think vintage clothing is the only outlet that people have to show outwardly to the world how unique of a person you are.”

Make sure to follow @thevintageyard315 on Instagram to see all that “The Yard” has to offer.

The Guyanese American Dream Project

SU Senior Ryan Ally and his thesis on his family’s heritage in Guyana

By Sofia Abdullina

In 2017, Ryan Ally began his undergraduate experience at SU as a computer engineering major. However, it didn’t take him long to realize that his true passion was photography, so he switched his major to pursue a BFA in Art Photography during his sophomore year. Now a senior, Ally is using his passion for photography, as well as curiosity on his own identity, to shine a light on his family’s home country of Guyana, South America.

Growing up in New York City, Ally began to experiment with photography in high school. Overtime, his passion and love for the art pushed him to dedicate his time, effort, and attention to his senior capstone project on his family’s heritage and Guyana. He titled his photography project “The Guyanese American Dream,” describing it as his way of capturing memories and individuals that are meaningful to him.

“The country of Guyana is something that I wasn’t really seeing a lot within my years of being in photography and it’s a topic that I was confused about,” Ally said. “I don’t know too much about my family’s history and where they came from, so I took it upon myself with this project to really just uncover all that, discover

things about myself, and where I come from.”

Ally always had a lingering curiosity about his family’s home country of Guyana, and he felt that many of his questions were left unanswered. A child of immigrant parents, Ally said he sometimes struggled with his own personal identity. However, much of what this project encompasses has helped Ally become more knowledgeable about his personal individuality.

“I didn’t know exactly what to say in the questionnaires, ‘what’s your race, what’s your ethnicity, what do you identify as’,” Ally said. “It was a question that I never properly understood and knew how to fill out. With this project that was always a question of mine, how do I identify myself, and use this as a direction to figure that out.”

A lot of the inspiration for this project revolves around Ally’s family memories. Using the activities, people, and family traditions that he can remember, he crafted his project into what he ultimately desired.

“I started to work on images that showed places that I’ve seen before, within my photo albums,”

Ally said. “Or, things that you would normally see in the country that I’m familiar with like fishing, for instance, is a big thing that the men in my family do a lot.”

One aspect of his project that Ally felt strongly about portraying to viewers is the reality of life in Guyana. He aims to represent the beautiful aspects of his family’s home country, while at the same time shedding light on less portrayed aspects of Guyana.

“I do want to navigate that line of beautifying and making it beautiful. Because there is the notion that the tropics, like Caribbean communities – they are very beautiful – the landscape is very lush and nice,” Ally said. “It’s not problematic, but it does get into a case that I’m just making everything seem really pretty, and sometimes it’s really not like that.”

Ally’s mother, Diana Ally, has been one of his biggest supporters not only throughout the duration of this project, but in his life. Diana immigrated from Guyana to the United States with her family when she was 14 years old with support from her parents, who wanted to provide more opportunity for

New York

Guyana

their children. Since then, Diana started and raised her own family in New York City.

Ally has traveled to Guyana a handful of times. On his most recent visit, his goal was to capture his parent’s history, who they are, and how this compares to his life in New York City. When this interview was conducted, Ally and Diana were in Guyana, and Diana said she could not be more pleased with the work that her son has been doing.

“I am so happy and proud that he decided to base his project on the lives that the people live here, and he is basing it on his family –the lifestyle, the culture,” Diana said. “We are here right now to finish up what he is doing. We all support him.”

Both she and her son have realized the difference in life in Guyana compared to their lives in the United States, Diana said. She said that this project has made these differences more real to Ally, and she is pleased that her son is taking the opportunities that are offered to him in the United States.

Diana will continue to support Ally

throughout his journey with his project, and she said that his strong focus on his career makes her happy as a mother.

“For me, I did not have that opportunity, but for him, he can do this,” Diana said. “I always say, ‘Aim for the stars.’ Go ahead with what your mind tells you to do, and follow your dreams.”

Ally’s main goal for this project is not only to uncover the mysteries of his identity, but to give his audience an outlet to which they can relate. He hopes that by reflecting on his own relationship with his family’s home country, and how that relates to his life in the United States, he will be able to connect to his audience.

Welcome to Tipperary Hill

The west side Syracuse neighborhood full of Irish culture and tradition

By Leila Frankina

It is mid March, a frigid day in a neighborhood in Syracuse, NY. Two tall flags blow in the wind, one Irish, and one U.S., representing the joining of two cultures. Locals gather to share laughs and clink their beers in celebration. It’s Saint Patrick’s Day and this is the most fitting place to be: Tipperary Hill.

Tipperary Hill is a neighborhood district that contributes to about half of Syracuse’s west side population. The area is best known for its strong Irish roots, and is home to a number of Irish pubs such as Coleman’s, The Blarney Stone, Nibsy’s, and more. Despite its large Irish demographic, there are also many residents of Ukrainian and Russian descent who live within the Tipp Hill community.

As you make your way down Tompkins street, West Fayette street, and other roads in the neighborhood, you will come across the lively pubs, the celebrated landmarks, statues, and more. Together, these bring to life the history and culture of Tipperary Hill.

Tipperary Hill Association President Janice McKenna sees the unique nature of the community daily; for her, the neighborhood is always alive.

“There is a lot of history and culture up here, it’s a colorful neighborhood,” McKenna said. “It doesn’t matter where you walk on Tipperary Hill, if you have lived here for a bit, somebody will drive by you and toot their horn.”

Going hand-in-hand with the celebratory spirit of the neighborhood is the rich history of the area. Since Tipperary Hill maintains such a distinct identity, it has run into dilemmas with even the simplest of installments: a traffic light.

Staying on par with its Irish identity, the neighborhood features traffic lights with the green light on top. In an effort to follow rules of other Syracuse traffic lights, with the red light on top, the department of transportation demanded a switch. Unfortunately for them, Tipperary Hill had already embraced its quirky green light. Kids in the neighborhood rebelled by knocking the red light on top out, forcing the department to replace it. Eventually, the department of transportation allowed the neighborhood to stick to its roots.

An example of just one narrative that highlights the special nature of Tipperary

Hill, with its green light on top, differing from other Syracuse neighborhoods.

Every year, the neighborhood comes together in March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The festivities begin with Green Beer Sunday, a tradition started by Peter Coleman at his pub, which happens on the last Sunday in February. On this day, green is all the eye can see in front of Coleman’s Irish Pub. Beth Coleman Deehan, the daughter of Peter Coleman, said that during the lockdowns of the pandemic it was hard to see the festivities so restricted. But this year, Tipperary Hill was more than ready to return to its normally scheduled celebrations.

“I remember St. Patrick’s Day in 2021 during COVID,” Deehan said. “It was very limited and we had a lot of restrictions on the crowd size. It felt good to have a big turnout after that.”

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a lot of challenges for the neighborhood. Meetings were moved to Zoom, residents could no longer socialize at the pubs, and the neighborhood’s strong community ties were threatened.

Nicole Doty, a community member, felt the strain of the pandemic in the area, describing the lack of social interaction.

On the morning of March 17, the Tipp Hill neighborhood association held the ceremony at Tipp Hill memorial park. They had elementary school students from the area sing Irish songs and an Irish acapella group perform. Members of the Ukrainian choir also came and sang the Ukrainian national anthem, demonstrating the cultural ties of the community.

“We are a very social neighborhood, so the pandemic was difficult for people,” Doty said. “I noticed there was a lot more interaction on the neighborhood social media pages, but that’s not the same as face to face interaction. It was hard, but I think we all did a good job staying connected.”

As the pandemic restrictions have lightened over the years, the Tipp Hill neighborhood has been able to host more events for the community to enjoy in their regularly celebratory spirits. This St. Patrick’s Day, they were able to continue their flag raising ceremony tradition.

“It truly is a special moment,” Mckenna said, “You stand there and wonder every St. Patrick’s Day, is anybody going to come? Then you look out and see all of the people walking toward the park. I look forward to it every year.”

Between its memorable history, renowned landmarks, and tight-knit community, Tipperary Hill is truly a unique neighborhood. No matter what street you walk down in the area, there is always a noteworthy sight to see and there is always a remarkable experience to take part in.

“It doesn’t matter where you walk on Tipperary Hill, if you have lived here for a bit, somebody will drive by you and toot their horn.”

Illustration by Emma Lenz

By Yoonji Lee

By Aisling Kenny

By Aisling Kenny

By Esther Kim

By Yoonji Lee

By Aisling KennyKen-

By Yoonji Lee

“Euro-Summer” What the social media aesthetic actually looks like for new college graduates

By Gracie Carrigan and Morgan Calcara

About a year ago, my mom sat me down and told me that she, my dad, and their two best friends were going on a three-week trip to Italy in the Fall of 2022. Gallivanting around Italy was always the dream vacation of my parents, so it was no surprise to me that immediately following the pandemic they would decide it was the right time to go. It was going to be the trip of a lifetime: a three week tour of the country, hitting all the notable spots including Milan, Rome, Positano, and Capri. She talked about boat days, dinners overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, cooking classes, vineyard tours; basically three weeks of pure luxurious adventure.

As she walked me through the itinerary of the trip, I couldn’t help but think, “Man, I would love to do this with my friends after

college.” I knew a lot of people set aside time right after school to go on a trip with friends, and I couldn’t help but start to daydream about how amazing it would be for me and my roommates to trade in our Syracuse winter coats for knit dresses and heels in the Italian heat.

I told my mom that she was describing my dream: a “euro-summer” trip with my friends to the coast of Italy, and if they had fun, I was going to look into getting a group together to do a few weeks post-grad in Europe.

And then she laughed, looked me dead in the eyes and told me the “euro-summer” trip I wanted was going to run me about $15,000. And suddenly my dream of a drunken Italian graduation celebration with my friends died right then and there at my kitchen counter.

Photo by Sophie Walter and Grace Beckwith

Photos by Sophie Walter and Grace Beckwith

The “euro-summer” aesthetic and social media trend has been around for a while. But, the social media aesthetic really began to regain a following on TikTok after COVID-19 lockdowns began to lighten up in 2022 and everyone was romanticizing the ability to travel somewhere outside of their homes. The aesthetic is a play on the “it-girl” trend, emphasizing beach wear, sundresses, Aperol Spritz and adventure in a European setting.

how and where to take the right Instagram photos to make your followers jealous, they show you where to sign up for the premiere cooking class, and they even tell you how to ask for more wine in four languages. But, if you pay attention, you realize that they never really show you the price of what you are getting into.

the reality of traveling to Europe for three months really is. Beckwith said she had to find a way to make it possible, including getting a job to start saving money.

“The really expensive part was the flight over there,” Beckwith said. “Once you get there, it’s possible to live and travel cheaply.”

If you look up “euro-summer” on any social media, and especially TikTok, you are bound to see hundreds of videos explaining to you how you can plan your dream European vacation. The content creators who push this “euro-summer” aesthetic show all of the enticing parts of this type of vacation: all the beautiful clothing you could wear, all the amazing hotels and villas you can stay in, the crazy boats you can ride. They show you

It is not a new phenomenon that college graduates, like myself, want to go on a trip after finishing a grueling four years of schooling. It is even less surprising that this trend has been enticing people to want to jet-set off to Europe. In fact, a lot of people do end up going on a European trip with friends. But the “euro-summer” that most college graduates can afford looks nothing like the trend being romanticized on social media. The social media version of this trip costs tens of thousands of dollars that new graduates, most likely without a full-time job, do not have.

Grace Beckwith is a senior at Syracuse University, graduating in a few weeks. She explained that she has been wanting to go to Europe as an after-graduation-trip since she was a little girl. But as she was planning the trip she began to realize how expensive

For most college graduates, the “eurosummer” trip is anything but the luxurious lifestyle it looks to be on Instagram feeds and TikTok pages. Instead of private, beachfront Italian villas, most are staying in cheap Airbnb’s or hostels. These are much more cost efficient than hotels and villas, only costing a traveler a couple of euros a night, according to Beckwith.

“It’s not necessarily a glamorous stay,” Beckwith said. “I’m planning on staying in hostels, which most of the time are with up to 10 strangers, bunk beds, and you have to lock your stuff up when you leave.”

“The Instagram stuff, it’s a highlight reel”

“I’m staying in hostels, which most of the time are with up to 10 strangers”

Photo by Sophie Walter and Grace Beckwith

Photo by Sophie Walter and Grace Beckwith

Not only are young travelers typically staying in hostels and other less expensive housing options, they are also taking the cheapest modes of transportation to all of their destinations. Unlike the private jets and fancy boat rides you see on social media, postgrads are taking trains, buses, and subways to get around, according to Beckwith.

“It’s all about how you can get where you need to be for the least amount of money,” Beckwith said.

In addition to housing and transportation, people participating in the “euro-summer” trend show off a different outfit in every location. But, because young travelers are often constantly on the move, traveling to multiple countries in a short period of time, it’s important for them to pack light. Recent college grads don’t have the luxury of bringing along huge suitcases of outfit options for every scenario. Brooke Breton, who is traveling to five different countries this July, says all she is bringing with her is a carry-on suitcase.

“I’m not bringing a lot of clothes,” Breton said. “I’ll probably buy toiletries once I get

there so I don’t have to travel with them”

Upcoming SU graduate, Naomi Weinflash agrees that you don’t have the option to pack your entire closet. For the whole summer, she is only bringing a singular 40 liter backpack, which can only hold about five to six outfits, according to Weinflash.

“You just have to mix and match and make different outfits out of what you have,” Weinflash said.

While the reality of a European summer trip can sound daunting, Weinflash says this is how she prefers it. After traveling abroad her junior year, Weinflash says that so many obstacles come up when traveling that push you out of your comfort zone and allow you to get more experiences.

“The Instagram stuff, it’s a highlight reel,” Weinflash said. “You get to stay in a glamorous villa and stuff and that’s great, but you really get to know a city when you’re navigating it yourself.”

Photo by Sophie Walter and Grace Beckwith

The Reality of Constant Cold Fronts

By Emily Bruck

Astudent’s alarm blares repeatedly, signaling the start of yet another winter day. Reluctantly peeling away the warmth of their comforter, the student opens their blinds to discover their walk to class will again consist of clouds, wind, and snow. Among the many stressors for college students, the Syracuse winter weather (and lack of sunshine) adds to their ongoing distress.

In early February of 2023, upstate New York was struck with below-freezing temperatures, accompanied by lake effect snowfall, according to syracuse.com. At Syracuse University, dangerous conditions forced students to bunker down inside. And that was just the start of another long winter in Syracuse, New York.

With this weather comes the ever-present consideration of mental health. The inconsistency of activity and lack of sunlight for months on end can be detrimental in places like Syracuse, especially for those

battling seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Students around campus have much to say about the issue, from their initial experiences with SAD, to their personal ways of combating it.

Priya Hanley, a sophomore from California, has had an experience unique to students from the West Coast. Hanley grew up in a warm climate, near the beach, where people are always outside. Already struggling with mental health issues, seasonal depression was yet another challenge for Hanley to have to face at Syracuse. Hanley has found that local seasonal changes consistently affect her experience with depression.

“I can really see a difference in the way I feel during the summer versus the winter, and that, to me, is seasonal depression,” Hanley said.

According to a recent Mayo Clinic article, SAD is considered a form of depression

caused by differing factors such as the onset of fall and winter. Symptoms may include mood changes and withdrawal from usually enjoyable activities and socializing.

“I found myself spending a lot of time inside,” Hanley said. “I didn’t have the motivation to go outside, to see friends, or go to class.”

Peyton McGarry, a sophomore at SU, says she has had a similar experience to Hanley. Growing up in New Jersey, McGarry is not a stranger to the seasons. Despite this, the transition to Syracuse climate was jarring. Like Hanley, McGarry’s mental health was negatively affected by Syracuse’s long and dark winters.

“I struggle with mental health issues, but it helps when it’s sunny out,” McGarry said. “On days when I struggle more, it doesn’t help to walk outside and feel that gloomy atmosphere.”

Consistent cold fronts are anything but ideal

SU students speak on their experiences with seasonal depression

for McGarry. She combats her struggles to achieve success at SU, with exercise, new routines, and ignoring the weather.

Dr. Thomas Schwartz, chair of the department of psychiatry at Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical, provides a medical perspective. Regarding seasonal depression, he highlights that like any depression, it is defined by at least two weeks of mood changes and differing behaviors, such as energy, sleep cycle, and appetite.

“On that level it’s a depressive disorder, which people can get any time of the year,” Schwartz said, “but to make it seasonal, some of these folks only get depressed in the fall and winter.”

Schwartz notes that there are many causes of SAD, such as lack of light, which can affect our circadian rhythms and energy.

“Daylight has been a longtime culprit, the days here get shorter, Syracuse in particular is a cloudy city, and we don’t see many bright sunshine days,” Schwartz said. “So when your exposure to light drops, your circadian rhythm can change.”

However, it is not all biological, it is also social in many aspects. Schwartz acknowledges that depression can be because of

changes in routine social interaction, or lack thereof. Faced with the weather in Syracuse, we lose some of our typical social routine.

Schwartz lists a variety of ways to treat seasonal affective disorder, the most primary treatment being bright light therapy, followed by exercise, psychotherapy, and antidepressants such as Bupropion, FDA approved for seasonal depression.

As a professional in the field, Schwartz is able to provide medical and psychological ways to combat the difficulty of seasonal affective disorder; however, it is important to note the common student dilemma of locating these resources easily, as well as finding help in

them. This is the experience that Hanley and McGarry have had in Syracuse.

It is unsurprising that many students at SU are at risk of seasonal depression. Given the cold and windy weather, it is difficult for students to keep their attitudes and moods high. In the end, as Hanley says, all we can do is see positives in the present.

“My advice is to distract yourself, surround yourself with people who make you happy, and try your best to keep a positive mindset.” advises Hanley.

“My advice is to distract yourself, surround yourself with people who make you happy, and try your best to keep a positive mindset.”

Illustration by Emma Lenz

The Push to Combat Gun Violence

How organizations throughout the United States are fighting to save lives

By Chloe Langerman

Anews alert that another gunman has terrorized a school, a supermarket, a nightclub. Another life that has been lost to a gun-related accident or suicide. These incidents are no longer shocking to many in the United States, but they continue to destroy the lives of countless people.

The Giffords Law Center reported that the United States has the highest number of gun-related deaths of any high-income country, with over 45,000 in 2021. This epidemic affects every state and countless communities throughout the country, including Syracuse, New York.

In March 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced an expansion of the Syracuse Cure Violence (SNUG) program. Newly hired employees were deployed to 11 sites throughout New York State. This came as a response to Syracuse’s gun violence crime, the rate of which increased by 59% in 2020, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice. The program treats gun violence as a

health crisis, focusing on conflict mediation, youth mentorship, and strong communitybuilding.

This rebrand included 29 outreach employees, all of whom had to go through a rigorous training process that ensured their ability to handle conflict. An $8.2 million grant from NY State made the extension of the SNUG program and investments in gun violence prevention possible.

According to an article from WKBW, Niagara Falls is the most recent addition to the New York communities that have implemented SNUG. The community introduced the program because gun violence rates in areas that have utilized the SNUG program– including Syracuse – have seen violent crime decrease.

Surrounding states face similar gun violence issues, and organizations are working to make a difference by building programs like SNUG in their areas. Josh Fleitman is a Western Pennsylvania Manager at CeaseFire

PA, an organization created in 2002 that is dedicated to ending gun violence in the state. Fleitman explained his organization has had great success in combating the issue in recent years.

“Last year, we were able to get $105 million put into a grant program,” Fleitman said. “That money supports community-based prevention programs that are addressing the

“Seeing gun violence as a public health issue is a newer lens that folks are taking on. It has become widespread in the advocacy community, but that is why it’s so important to continue educating”

root causes of gun violence, and helping to de-escalate conflict and make our community safer.”

In Massachusetts, the MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence (MACOPGV) has a four-step model that incorporates similar objectives as the SNUG Program: educate, advocate, organize, and engage. Community Engagement Organizer Angelica Fontes, who has worked for social justice causes her entire career, emphasized that an important facet in stopping gun violence is changing the narrative.

“Seeing gun violence as a public health issue is a newer lens that folks are taking on. It has become widespread in the advocacy community, but that is why it’s so important to continue educating,” Fontes said. “When I talk to young people, they are often so surprised by the complexities of the issue.”

This emphasis on young people is also taking shape in Syracuse. Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration announced a plan this past

March to provide a weekly stipend to highrisk individuals between the ages of 18-24 in order to avoid violence and criminal activity. Community outreach, like that being achieved in Mayor Walsh’s plan, is a

“We want to set a universal basic income and improve the foster care system. We also have a community council, who tell us if our legislation goals are what the community will support.”

As community programs are set in place across the country and are working to address the systemic factors that impact gun violence, there is still much work to be done in preventing further incidents.

Fleitman says to make a difference, individuals must go out and support these organizations, and anti-gun policies.

common thread through most gun violence organizations, including MACOPGV. But, they also place a heavy focus on legislation that addresses the systemic problems that increase violence.

“We work so more people are out of the justice system to begin with,” Fontes said.

“Vote for gun safety candidates, join an organization,” Fleitman said. “Show decision makers and your community and your neighbors, that you are not going to sit back and do nothing while people die, you’re going to use your voice, your power as a citizen in our democracy.”

Illustration by Emma Lenz

“Vote for gun safety candidates, join an organization. Show decision makers that you are not going to sit back and do nothing”

The Future of Sports Media is Female

Three SU students on the misrepresentation of women in sports media

By Isabelle Sareen

Open a new tab in Google and search “sports announcers.” You will find that the first 20 people listed are men. Finally, at number 21, you will find the first noted female sports announcer. Another 29 people later, a second woman is listed, only to be followed by several more men.

Sports journalism is not an uncommon career path or major to find in many journalism schools across the country. At SU, several majors are offered to students within the sports realm. These majors have long since adapted the stereotype of being a ‘male-based’. However, the increasing interest of women to be involved in sportsbased careers has led to a shift in the ratio of male to female students in this area of study.

Miranda Shovlin is a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School, and she hopes post-grad to enter the sportsmedia field. She said she has noticed the stereotype of sports-media being a ‘malebased’ career first hand.

“The sports media clubs and organizations I’m involved in range from 0-5 girls in any given setting,” Shovlin said. “That of course is subject to change depending on the class or club, but that’s the pattern I’ve seen.”

The competition between male and female students in the sports broadcasting field is intense, and Shovlin noted that it can take a toll on the mental health of some students.

“Honestly, my experience has been really competitive. You’re constantly comparing yourself to others which gets toxic at times,” Shovlin said. “Especially being a woman, most of the people you’re comparing yourself to are men.”

Aylee Weiss, a broadcast and digital journalism major at Newhouse, says women in sports media are stereotyped in a negative and demeaning way just for doing their job. Weiss said many women in the industry are stereotypically used for looks, instead of their intelligence and what they can bring to a conversation.

Weiss, like many other female students, is determined to change the narrative imposed on female sports broadcasters by making her own way in the industry.

“I want to change the stigma attached with sideline reporters that they are unintelligent, pretty women who ask dumb questions that don’t contribute to the broadcast,” Weiss said.

Sophomore Audrey Glynn, a broadcast and digital journalism major, has had a similar experience with the stigma of women in sports media. Glynn is the Executive Producer of a sports show on CitrusTV, and she said there’s only about 10 girls in her department.

“The only sexism I have experienced has been from other students, and never illintentioned, cruel behaviors, but rather internalized misogynistic actions that we as a society are working every day to tear down,” Glynn said.

The lack of female representation in this type of media could influence the patterns of sexism and discrimination taking place in colleges and universities. When people see more men than women shown on television and in the media, it can solidify the stereotype that sports broadcasting is a job for men. Some students even feel that they are unable to find female role models in the industry, due to the uneven gender representation in sports-TV.

“I just really think that what will get more women in the industry is seeing more women in the industry,” Shovlin said. “Samantha Ponder was the first female broadcaster I saw

and seeing her on a stage, being in a powerful position, really resonated with me. There is no greater way to get women in the industry than by putting women in the industry who can act as role models to younger women.”

inspiration and more confidence.”

Stigmas against women in the sports media world exist almost everywhere in the United States, not just colleges and universities. Syracuse and the Newhouse school have tried to fight this stigma by including opportunities for all students, selecting the most talented students for each position, despite their gender identity. The programs the school offers are open to anyone interested in the field, and are very inclusive.

Glynn agreed that increasing the number of women shown on screen in positions other than sideline reporting is necessary in working to demolish stigmas.

“I think the best way to create more interest and representation in sports media is to continue putting women in positions where they can be seen, to inspire younger girls, and even women, who may be fearful or hesitant to pursue such opportunities,” Glynn said. “When you see someone like you doing something you care about, it gives you greater

Female students like Glynn, Shovlin, and Weiss are paving the way for more female sports broadcasters to flourish in their future careers. These students are determined to change and abolish the stereotype imposed on female sports broadcasters.

“I want to keep driving this movement forward for women in sports,” Weiss said. “It is very important for me to help not only myself get to where I want to be, but also the future of the field, past my days.”

“There is no greater way to get women in the industry than by putting women in the industry who can act as role models to younger women.”

Illustration by Emma Lenz & Peyton McGarry