Student athletes show support for #NotAgainSU
Student groups show support for #NotAgainSU
Before Wednesday night’s tip off against Cornell, the Syracuse men’s basketball team warmed up in black shirts with “#NotAgainSU” in orange printed across their chests. They did this to stand in solidarity with the students protesting after recent acts of hate on campus.
Coach Jim Boeheim said after the game that it was the players that wanted to show their support. “I was glad the players wanted to do something,” he said.
“As a team we want to show support for our fellow students and all of those who are working toward ensuring a safe and welcoming community.”
– Elijah Hughes#notagainSU pic.twitter.com/YrOPhL0HcK— Syracuse Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) November 20, 2019
Otto’s Army, the official Cuse Athletics student section, didn’t sway students one way or another in regards to whether they should attend the game this evening. Prior to the game they Tweeted, “We encourage students to only do what is within their comfort zone tonight. If you are planning to be out and about on campus, be vigilant.”
However the student section was noticeably empty. Whether this is due to the #NotAgainSU protest or holiday travel schedules is unclear.
Andrew Benbenek, a junior in the Broadcast and Digital Journalism student says he didn’t consider skipping the game. “Students come to the game to show unity on campus. Skipping this game would be giving in to the people trying to hurt the school,” he said.
Sophomore Sports Management major Zach Leichtman felt the same sentiment saying, “These games bring students in regardless of demographic.”
Otto’s Army, the official student section of Syracuse Athletics, asked members to boycott last night’s men’s basketball game against Colgate in solidarity with the #NotAgainSU sit-in.
The group asked its members on Twitter to #unpackthedome and support the student’s protesting the university’s response to the racist graffiti found in Day Hall.
Student organizers began a sit-in in the Barnes Center at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, and hundreds of students sat in solidarity away from the game as the men’s basketball team went on to beat Colgate 70-54.
Otto’s Army will not be attending tonight’s basketball game vs Colgate and invite all SU students to join us in light of how the university has handled recent hate crimes that have occurred on campus.#unpackthedome pic.twitter.com/Lq43834PIJ
— Otto's Army (@OttosArmy) November 13, 2019
Campus groups are rallying around the organizers of the #NotAgainSU sit in happening now in the Barnes Center at the Arch.
Renegade Magazine, the first to publish the pictures of the racist graffiti in Day Hall last week, posted the list of demands of the movement on their instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B40JJL9nKpB/
The post concludes with: “If demands are not met by Wednesday November 20, 2019 at 3 p.m. we will call for the resignation of Chancellor Kent Syverud and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith Alford.”
This comes after an unnamed “concerned student” launched a change.org petition yesterday morning calling for Syverud’s resignation. At present, the page has more than 800 signatures.
Other groups on campus have pledged support in solidarity, including the SU Remembrance Scholars and the Student Association.
The Panhellenic Council is also the first campus group to suspend scheduled events to support the sit-in. Expo was scheduled for Wednesday night, the first preview event to January’s Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment. The event was canceled via their Instagram story.
The #NotAgainSU organizers have also started a gofundme.org page that has gained major traction throughout the day, raising funds for snacks and supplies for the sit-in that is scheduled to go until 1 a.m. Thursday.
