Central New York

Super Smash Bros. tournaments take Central New York
By Lisa Laffend
September 6, 2017 - 10:00am
Central New York's video game tournament, Syracuse Smash, celebrated its 50th biweekly tournament on August 19.

A woman in a pink evening gown with long golden hair stands opposite of an anthropomorphic fox in a green jumpsuit and silver vest. They’ll soon have mere minutes to knock each other out of bounds until one runs out of lives—or until the clock runs out.

Such is the basic gameplay of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise. The series has become wildly popular among competitive gamers, but not on purpose, according to Austin “TheEvilTurnip” Hernandez, former event coordinator for Binghamton Smash.

'Original Gangster' has one goal: peace
By Rachel George
September 14, 2016 - 10:25pm
Clifford Ryans takes to the streets to spread his powerful anti-violence message.

Clifford Ryans is no stranger to the violence in Syracuse. The 52-year-old is taking to the streets to help find peace in his community.

It starts on the sidewalks, where Ryans greets neighbors as cars honk hello and children stop to chat. “Hi, OG,” one little boy said, walking home from a nearby summer camp.

“You not touching no guns! You not touching no squirt guns! You not touching no toy guns! You not touching no Nerf guns! You not touching no guns at all, right?” Ryans said.

A Southside 'Gentle Giant' leads local Black Lives Matter group, brings hope to Syracuse
By Bridget Whitfield
September 14, 2016 - 8:32pm
Anthony Harper is no stranger to the violence in Syracuse and is rallying his community together to create change.

Anthony Harper sits on a bench near Mountain Park Avenue, hunched over his phone, wearing a black baseball cap, a gray tank top, dark blue denim, and light brown work boots. He stands up, he is 6-feet 5-inches. His arms stretch out like tree trunks with hands the size of catcher’s mitts. His arms are sculpted with hard muscles and tattooed with thick black lines that swirled around his shoulder blades and on to his chest.

Barefoot astronomer shares passion with stargazers
By Andy Belt
September 15, 2015 - 4:10pm
Amateur astronomer known as "Barefoot Bob" educates locals during monthly astronomy events across Central New York.

At the end of Wilson Drive, a quiet street in the sleepy village of Marcellus, New York, is a house on a small hill that stands out from all the others. The home would look like any of the other low-key ranches on the block if not for the 12 solar panels installed to the roof, or the eight-foot-tall wind turbine perched on top. A vibrant greenhouse takes up half of this already modest dwelling.

The New Pornographers rock in Ithaca with top-quality show, despite low turnout
By Abby Rose Sugnet
February 12, 2015 - 3:12pm
Review: The indie rockers put on a powerhouse performance blending classic hits and new music.

The New Pornographers rocked the State Theatre of Ithaca on Tuesday night, and fewer than 200 people were there to see it.

To my surprise, the Theatre was nowhere near full. I got to the venue 30 minutes before the show, which was general admission, even started and still managed to get seats in the fourth row.

But, the show deserved a far greater turnout than it received.

Step into the sun: Transition into springtime with these in-between-seasons fashion tips
By Brittany Fowler
April 7, 2014 - 12:12am
Nice weather never comes fast enough in Central New York. Look fresh as a daisy but keep warm this Spring with these transitional weather fashion tips.

Spring in Syracuse encompasses all types of weather. Temperatures linger in the lower 20s at the beginning of the week, but by Friday they climb to the 50s. There may be snow in the morning, sun by mid afternoon, and hail by nightfall. With fluctuating temperatures and bitter cold winds, deciding what to wear becomes a challenge. Mother Nature forces students to dress for bipolar temperatures and weather conditions, which often leaves them confused in a heaping pile of clothes. Make the transition from winter to spring smooth and stylish by incorporating layers.

My Lucky Tummy serves up delicious, homemade international delicacies
By Maya Kosoff
February 9, 2014 - 10:09pm
The pop-up food court was hosted at the Alibrandi Catholic Center on Saturday, and included dishes from Iran, Bhutan and the Mowhawk Nation.

On Saturday night, more than 400 local Syracuse residents, Syracuse University students, and members of Syracuse’s refugee communities came together at the Alibrandi Catholic Center for My Lucky Tummy, a celebration of cultural cuisine and community.

My Lucky Tummy is a cultural pop-up food court. Held in February, May and October, My Lucky Tummy recruits five local refugee and New American chefs to share their native dishes with other refugees and with locals.

Miss America Nina Davuluri returns to Syracuse
By Madysan Foltz
November 17, 2013 - 11:13pm
The former Miss New York attended a Bollywood-inspired homecoming reception party at The Oncenter on Nov. 16 bringing with her a new beacon of hope for Syracuse’s Indian community.

Recently-crowned Miss America Nina Davuluri has come to stand as a symbol for a new generation of Indian-Americans. 

“[Indian Americans] haven’t really had their spotlight yet,” said Miss Florida Myrrhanda Jones. “I think the world is ready. We have a black president, [America] is ready for more prominent leaders from diverse backgrounds.”

Scenes from Election Day 2013
By Miriam Taylor
November 5, 2013 - 7:06pm
The Democracy in Action project delivers dozens of accounts Tuesday from across the Syracuse community.

For the fourth year in a row, graduate and undergraduate students from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications covered all things election: poll sites, campaign events, and pasta parties through the Democracy in Action project.

Student journalists told Election Day stories through video, photo and text as they toured through Central New York starting at 5 am and going until late into the evening.

#MyMessage — Michele Lopez
By Thomas Rende
October 30, 2013 - 11:11am
Meet Michele Lopez, a counseling and counselor doctorate student from Venezuela.

Michele Lopez came to the United States in search of stability and a better life. Even though she loved her family dearly, she said Venezuela was too full of uncertainties. The decision to leave her home country became final after a personal experience with Venezuela’s health care industry.

Lopez and her boyfriend had just bought an apartment and were looking to save some money by remodeling it themselves, she said. But she was injured in the process.