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As Syracuse University’s Class of 2021 looks back on an unprecedented college career, it’s hard to believe a campus can change so much in four years.
Classes moved online. Semesters were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Protests erupted against inequality. Students and faculty demanded institutional change.
While it is difficult to boil down the last four years into a handful of events, The Daily Orange brainstormed 10 major events from fall 2017 to today. Here are our picks:
Syracuse pulled off a monumental upset against No. 2 Clemson in one of the biggest victories in the program’s history. Todd Michalek | Photographer
Oct. 13, 2017
Clemson upset
Syracuse pulled off a monumental 27-24 upset of No. 2 Clemson, making this game one of the biggest victories in the program’s history. After quarterback Eric Dungey lunged at the end of a third-and-8 run to count for a first down, a crowd of 42,475 fans — made up of SU students and die-hard locals — stormed the field and embraced players.
Syracuse University expelled its chapter of Theta Tau after videos circulated showing fraternity members engaging in racist behavior. Alexandra Moreo | Photographer
April 18, 2018 – April 21, 2018
SU expels Theta Tau fraternity
SU suspended its chapter of Theta Tau, a professional engineering fraternity, after video evidence showed fraternity members engaging in behaviors that were “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and hostile toward people with disabilities.” On April 18, student protesters gathered outside Chancellor Kent Syverud’s house and demanded SU release the videos. Syverud announced on April 21 that Theta Tau was permanently expelled from campus.
Playboi Carti headlined Juice Jam Music Festival in 2018, along with A$AP Ferg. Alexandra Moreo | Photographer
Sept. 16, 2018
A$AP Ferg, Playboi Carti co-headline Juice Jam
Playboi Carti and A$AP Ferg co-headlined Juice Jam Music Festival in 2018. Playboi Carti rapped along to the audio of some of his hit songs like “Magnolia” and “Poke It Out,” but he left abruptly after the speaker malfunctioned. A$AP Ferg then energized the crowd before going into his classic cuts from A$AP Mob. Opening for the two were Anne-Marie, Loud Luxury and Omar Apollo.
Students called on administration and DPS to increase transparency and communication following an assault on Ackerman Avenue. Wasim Ahmad | Photographer
Feb. 9, 2019
Ackerman Avenue Assault
Three students reported being approached and struck with a handgun by an unknown woman on the 800 block of Ackerman Avenue just after midnight on Feb. 9. A statement circulated among students the following Monday accusing SU and the Department of Public Safety of mishandling the incident. The statement said three students of color were assaulted by three white men and one white woman, who struck the students with a pistol and threatened to shoot them. SU’s Student Association and Student African-American Society held a forum, where students called on administration and DPS to increase transparency and communication. People at the forum also said the assault was representative of a larger issue of students of color not feeling safe or welcome on campus.
Syracuse resident Jorge Jimenez died from his injuries in a car crash involving head coach Jim Boeheim. Courtesy of Brian Hernandez
Feb. 20, 2019
Jim Boeheim hits, kills man in I-690 crash
Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed Syracuse resident Jorge Jimenez while driving on Interstate 690 late at night after SU’s game against Louisville. 51-year-old Jimenez was transported to Upstate University Hospital following the crash and was later pronounced dead. In November, Jimenez’s estate filed a lawsuit against Boeheim, alleging the coach was negligent, driving an SU-owned vehicle at a high rate of speed leading up to the crash.
The Barnes Center at The Arch opened after 18 months of construction with a new fitness and health facility. Will Fudge | Photographer
Sept. 14, 2019
Barnes Center finishes construction
SU opened the Barnes Center at The Arch after 18 months of construction and $50 million in renovations. Students praised the new fitness and health facility, which added new wellness amenities and consolidated all health and counseling services to a centralized location.
#NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, held a sit-in at the Barnes Center for eight days and would later occupy Crouse-Hinds Hall. Corey Henry | Photographer
Nov. 2019 and Feb. – March 2020
Hate crimes and protests
On Nov. 7, racist graffiti targeting Black and Asian students on the fourth and sixth floors of Day Hall was reported to DPS. SU did not release a statement until Renegade Magazine and The Daily Orange published reports of the graffiti. Student protesters issued demands to the university, urging SU to increase DPS transparency and implement diversity training for faculty and staff, and calling for the resignation of Chancellor Kent Syverud. #NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, held a sit-in at the newly-completed Barnes Center for eight days. The group would later occupy Crouse-Hinds Hall for 31 days during Feb. and March 2020 and issue additional demands.
On-campus classes were suspended for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 hit Onondaga County. Emily Steinberger | Photographer
March 16 – March 22, 2020
On-campus classes suspended, 1st COVID-19 case in Onondaga county
SU suspended on-campus classes for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester just hours after the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Onondaga County. University officials encouraged students to leave campus by March 22, and students took their classes online for the remainder of the semester. Students were welcomed back on campus for the fall 2020 semester, but they finished the last two weeks online after a spike in cases.
The $118 million project implemented accessibility measures that complied with guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Will Fudge | Photographer
Sept. 27, 2020
Renovated Carrier Dome home opener
During the pandemic, SU continued renovations to the Carrier Dome, a $118 million project implementing accessibility measures that complied with guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act, improving Wi-Fi and adding a four-sided video board in the stadium’s center. The first game in the renovated Dome was the home opener on Sept. 26 against Georgia Tech. The game had no fans because of pandemic restrictions, but fans were later welcomed back into the Dome in March 2021 during the lacrosse season.
Syracuse College of Law graduate Joe Biden became the first SU alumnus elected president of the U.S. Moriah Ratner | Photographer
Nov. 7, 2020
Joe Biden becomes the 1st SU alumnus elected president
The Syracuse College of Law graduate became the first SU alumnus elected president of the U.S. The former vice president won against Donald Trump after obtaining more than 290 electoral votes with victories in battleground states. His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, became the first woman, first Black person and first Asian American person to be elected vice president. Biden and Harris assumed office in Jan. 2021.
Published on May 17, 2021 at 3:14 am
Contact Richard: rjchang@syr.edu | @RichardJChang1
