On Saturday night, inside the crowded lobby at the Barnes Center at The Arch, students were huddled together after a series of negotiations with SU administrators and speeches from politicians.  

They needed a break. So, the #NotAgainSU protesters decided to host an open mic night.  

At that point, there had been nine hate crimes or bias-related incidents reported on or around Syracuse University’s campus since Nov. 7. A tenth would be reported later. 

But, at The Arch, over the course of about an hour, protesters sang, danced and listened.  

Among the performers were a cappella members from The Mandarins and Main Squeeze. SU sophomore Kenna Kelley led the group in an arrangement of Christina Aguliera’s “Change.” As Kelley sang the lyrics, SU sophomore Sydni Tougas blended the background harmony with three other students.  

Kelley said she only heard about the open mic 45 minutes before it was to start, but wanted to show her support for the movement.

The song was originally performed at Empow(her), a charity concert in support of domestic and sexual violence victims. Kelley, who chose the song, said it shares the same message as what the student movement supports.  

Lyrics like, “Waiting for the day when hate is lost and love is found,” resonated with the crowd, who cheered and clapped the first time Kelley sang the chorus. 

Following that group was Ernest Daily, SU’s assistant director of Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program. Since Wednesday, when the protests began, Daily has come and supported the student protesters, staying for more than four hours each night.  

Daily recited “The Bridge Poem” by Donna Rushin. The poem talks about the frustrations some black people have acting as the point of contact for other communities, especially white communities. 

“I do more translating than the goddamn U.N.,” Daily recited, as the audience cheered and laughed.  

But while he gave a fervid delivery, Daily said doesn’t feel like he’s a bridge between SU administrators and the students, but rather that his responsibility is to support students.  

He said he’s helping students to be safe and reaching out to alumni who have previously worked on similar social justice movements.   

Daily, who has worked at SU for the last 10 years, said the school’s regression on social justice issues has gotten to a point in which a lot of work needs to be done. But as SU continues to regress, he notices how students now are savvier on these issues.  

“They are more equipped with the language, they have a more diverse friend group,” he said, adding that SU students are more socially aware than people at least 15 years older than them.  

SU junior Jordan Shepherd was the last to perform. Rapping an untitled piece, Shepherd said he wrote the song last year for a show centered on Afro-Futurism, but felt the rap worked well for the crowd, with the lyrics commending solidarity and ending “petty wars.”   

Shepherd has gone to the sit-in every day since it’s started, and even slept over on Thursday night. While the conditions aren’t ideal with cold tile floors and fluorescent lights that stay on throughout the night in the crowded space, he said creating solutions that have resulted from the racial incidents is more advantageous.  

“We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t see the solution,” Shepherd said. 

Published on November 18, 2019 at 12:31 am

Contact Diana: dianar@dailyorange.com