Life & Style

ROTC students discuss their multicultural pride
By Nicole Valinote
March 3, 2017 - 4:04am
With immigration being widely discussed, ROTC students maintain their pride for their homelands, while serving the U.S.

During his first year in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Moyan Dong crawled through the snow in civilian clothes for a training exercise for two hours. His fellow cadets wore their official ROTC gear during the exercise, but the U.S. military does not issue the gear to cadets without U.S. citizenship, like Dong. By the end of the exercise, his jacket was frozen solid.

“Dong is hardcore,” the sophomore at Syracuse University remembered a sergeant saying after the exercise.

Dressing up with drag queens and kings
By Dayna DiJoseph
February 21, 2017 - 1:00am
Before the drag queens and kings could take the stage at Pride Union’s 15th Annual Totally Fabulous Drag Show, the participants spent hours transforming themselves.

 “Are you using that mirror?”

“No, we are just feeling ourselves, go ahead.” 

A few hours before the performers were called to the stage, the two dressing rooms bustled with drag queens in various stages of dress. Tights littered the floor, makeup was strewn across every available surface and puffs of glitter lingered in the air. Wigs rested atop a table waiting to transform the participants.

Where to find deals on your meals in downtown Syracuse
By Michaela Anne Q...
February 20, 2017 - 12:17pm
The 13th annual Downtown Dining Weeks is in full swing with local Syracuse restaurants offering three-course meals for $25.

Now through March 1 marks the 13th annual Downtown Dining Weeks, hosted by the Downtown Committee of Syracuse. During these two weeks, restaurants offer three-course meals for $25. These two weeks allow people to try restaurants that may be out of their budget, otherwise. Dining Weeks also boosts business downtown during a quieter time of the year.

SU graduate student gets invited to New York Fashion Week for the first time
By Kayla Boyd
February 17, 2017 - 1:00am
Aspiring fashion writer Kayla Boyd is rewarded for her longtime passion for style with an invitation to attend the New York Fashion Week.

When I was eight years old, I liked collecting weird things: rubber bracelets, skater shoes and basketball jerseys. But, I can still remember the moment that fashion truly became an interest to me.

I was in sixth grade, and it all started with a new shirt and hairstyle for picture day. This was one of the first times that I can recall straightening my massively frizzy, long hair (with an actual clothing iron on an ironing board). In addition to the hair, my mom took me to the mall and bought me a long-sleeve Southpole shirt that was black and tan with a gaudy design on the front.

Love chimes
By Dominique Hildebrand
February 14, 2017 - 1:38am
Two Syracuse couples share their respective stories of what keeps a relationship working for Valentine's Day.

The love that Lydia and Earl Smith share spans 75 years.

The couple first met in Waterville, N.Y. when Lydia was 15 years old and Earl was 19. After two years of dating, Earl proposed to Lydia in a letter. The young couple were married on Nov. 9, 1943.
Now in their 90s, the couple seem just as passionate as ever. Earl often refers to Lydia as “my love,” and the couple are always seen holding hands around the James Square Health & Rehabilitation Centre in Syracuse.

SU students make prosthetic hands with kids at Central Village Boys & Girls Club
By Michaela Anne Q...
February 13, 2017 - 10:55am
Sophomore Justin Bachman led a group of SU students and local children to construct 3-D printed prosthetic hands to donate to kids in other countries.

Dressed in a black t-shirt with “Live Loudly” written on it, Justin Bachman asked a table of children at the Central Village Boys & Girls Club Of Syracuse New York, “When you woke up this morning, did you think you were going to make a hand for a kid in another country?”

My Lucky Tummy celebrates refugees’ homemade cuisine with the Syracuse community
By Nisha Stickles
February 6, 2017 - 1:44am
The All Saints Church hosted a pop-up food court dinner on Saturday, featuring international dishes for a cultural affair.

Madeline Kujabi stirred a curry-like concoction of chicken, peanut butter and tomato in a tall, slender metal pot. The dish, called domoda, emitted a heavy aroma, providing an olfactory nostalgia of the home Kujabi left four years ago: The Gambia.

 Kujabi came to Syracuse to continue her schooling as an international student. Now a senior at Bishop Grimes High School, Kujabi enjoys sharing her Gambian heritage through eating.  

Syracuse tattoo artist shares his skin deep story
By Laritza Salazar
January 30, 2017 - 12:05pm
Raymond Vazquez of Carmelo's Ink City struggled to find a purpose, but tattooing saved him from a life of trouble.

The 31st annual Am-Jam Tattoo Expo in Syracuse maintained the hallmarks of American freedom: chicken wings, beer and of course, tattoos. Large men with denim jackets showcased their sleeves. Eric Sprague, famously known as the Lizard Man, chatted with expo-goers. The passion for ink was hard to miss, but for one artist, tattooing was more than a hobby. It was the only escape from a life of structure and order.

The Magic of My Marathon
By Michaela Anne Q...
January 27, 2017 - 11:04am
My first marathon was the hardest thing I've ever done, but running the race through the four parks of Walt Disney World with my mom made the pain worth it.

As I posed between Sadness and Joy from Disney’s Inside Out at mile 20, I thought about the irony of taking a photograph with these two characters. The emotions from the movie were the same emotions I felt during the race. I felt sadness from the shooting pain in my knee that started around mile 18, the dehydration, and extreme exhaustion. But, I also felt an overwhelming amount of joy knowing that the finish line was 6.2 miles away. The camera shuttered, and I continued running.

Tai Chi Revolution encourages positivity through movement
By Elliot Williams
December 5, 2016 - 11:24pm
Looking to stay active this winter? Tai Chi may be the workout you have been looking for.

The studio is well-lit, and the open space is clearly designed for gymnastics or dance classes, maybe even karate. But this space is now being used for a different type of movement, one much slower and group-oriented. An ensemble of 12 laughs and sips hot tea, chatting about the heavy rain outside.