What’s Shakin’

SU’s TD Marathon Mauls Mountaineers

“In fact, I would trade Air Force or Navy for Syracuse every day of the week in terms of the quality of the football program. No disrespect, but that’s just an observation I think most would agree with who understand football.’’ — West Virginia University athletics director Oliver Luck to the Big East Network on Oct. 1 When you start a sentence with “no disrespect,’’ it usually means you’re about to disrespect.

But just in case Luck’s comments about Syracuse leaving the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference weren’t obvious enough, the Mountaineers’ football players made their feelings about Syracuse University crystal clear during the pre-game warm-ups before the Friday, Oct. 21, game between the Orange and West Virginia at the Carrier Dome.

While SU was stretching on its side of the field, the Mountaineers carried a sledgehammer from their end zone and placed it on the 50-yard line. Then many of the WVU players started yapping about how they were going to pummel the Orange.

“Yes, we noticed it,’’ SU guard Andrew Tiller said. “I was there on the front line and could hear all the talking, but we kept that out of our minds. That was it and it served as motivation.’’ So what’s the best way to shut up a bully? Smash him in the mouth. And that’s exactly what the Orange did with a 49-23 romp over the 11th-ranked Mountaineers before 45,265 fans at the Dome and a national television audience on ESPN. It’s SU’s first win against a top-15 opponent since the Orange defeated No. 8 Virginia Tech 50-42 in triple overtime in 2002.

“They really hit us in the mouth tonight,’’ WVU quarterback Geno Smith said. “We didn’t respond very well. It’s tough. It hurts.’’ The Orange (5-2, 1-1 in the Big East) dominated the Mountaineers in every phase of the game. But it was up front— the offensive and defensive lines—where SU showed the Mountaineers how to use that sledgehammer.

Facing the nation’s No. 16 defense, the Orange offense ran 74 plays and did not lose yardage on any of them. While rolling up 443 yards, SU did not commit a turnover or allow a sack, and the Orange converted 12-of-17 third-down opportunities.

“Their offensive line mauled us,’’ WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said. “We were exposed up front.’’ SU quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 24 of 32 pass attempts for 229 yards and four touchdowns, including three to tight end Nick Provo. Starting running back Antwon Bailey gained 125 yards on 22

carries (his fourth consecutive 100-yard game), while backups Jerome Smith and Adonis Ameen-Moore combined for 53 yards on 14 carries.

Bailey’s 3-yard touchdown run late in the game provided the 26-point margin of victory—WVU’s second 26-point loss of the year. The other: 47-21 to No. 1 LSU on Sept. 24.

“We took a look at the LSU film and they kind of punched them in the mouth,’’ SU offensive tackle Justin Pugh said. “They had the kind of mentality we had last year. We just wanted to go out there and make sure we were physical up front.’’ SU was even more impressive on defense. The Mountaineers (5-2, 1-1) entered the game ranked No. 11 in the nation in total offense (503.5 yards per game) and No. 4 in passing offense (380.5 ypg). Smith, WVU’s junior quarterback, had averaged more total yards per game (358) than SU’s entire offense (334).

But from WVU’s first play from scrimmage, when defensive end Chandler Jones batted down Smith’s pass attempt, the Orange harassed and confused Smith with blitzes and pressure.

Smith tossed two interceptions, including one in the red zone near the end of the first half. He was sacked three times and hit numerous others; defensive coordinator Scott Shafer said he stopped counting at 16.

Jones, who had missed the previous five games after suffering a lower-body injury in the Sept. 1 opener, led the defense with six tackles (two for a loss) and two sacks. Safeties Philip Thomas and Jeremi Wilkes had the interceptions off Smith.

“Even when they didn’t blitz, their pass rush was better than our pass blocking,’’ Holgorsen said. “They were just beating us up.’’ When it came to Smith, Jones said SU wanted to “get in his head’’ by hitting him as much as possible. Jones and nose tackle Deon Goggins said they knew the Orange had rattled Smith when they saw him walk off the field with his head down at halftime, after Goggins had leveled Smith on a pass attempt on the last play of the first half.

“I knew we had him. He was out of his game,’’ Goggins said. “All week we were saying we’re not going to run to the ball, we’re going to fly to the ball.’’ Speaking of flying, the Orange special teams had its moment in the second quarter, when wide receiver Dorian Graham returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. It was the Orange’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Mike Holmes’ 90-yarder against Pittsburgh in 2008.

Graham’s return, which came after WVU had cut SU’s lead to 14-9, sent the Dome crowd into a tizzy and made everyone wearing Orange believe it was their night.

“It was a momentum booster. I am happy to get my team up and get the morale up,’’ Graham said. “Keep pushing forward. Get the defense out there to give us a chance to stop them. Then the offense can come out and take it down for another score.”

SU, in fact, answered every WVU score with a score of its own on its very next possession. After the Mountaineers took the second-half kickoff and scored to slice SU’s lead to 21-16, Jeremiah Kobena’s 47-yard kickoff return set up a short drive capped by Nassib’s 29-yard touchdown toss to tight end David Stevens.

At that point, the rout was on. It makes one wonder: If that’s what SU can do to the Mountaineers, imagine what Air Force will do.

“They beat us today on all three sides of the ball,’’ Holgorsen said. “They outplayed us and outcoached us. It’s as simple as that.”

Orange Slices: By beating West Virginia University for the second consecutive year, the Orange maintained possession of the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy, which has been awarded to the game’s winner since 1993. Schwartzwalder played center at West Virginia and then coached the Orange to its only national championship in 1959.

“We don’t really talk about it that much when we talk about the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy and what it means to not only our football team but for all the lettermen,’’ SU coach Doug Marrone said. “It means a lot to us because he was such a great coach, a great person, such a great citizen of this country and we are so proud to be able to keep that here.’’ •The crowd of 45,265 was the largest at the Dome since Marrone’s first game as head coach on Sept. 5, 2009, against Minnesota. The fans were loud and lively, and even started an “overrated’’ chant directed at WVU late in the game.

“It matters. It matters to these kids,’’ Marrone said. “{The fans} helped us win this game, and a game ball goes to them as well.”

• This week, Syracuse will travel to play Louisville (3-4, 1-1) at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Kentucky. Kickoff is set for noon on Saturday, Oct. 29, and the game will be televised on the Big East Network.

—Matt Michael

Blanket Response

Ann Alger was the kind of person who, throughout her life, gave a little bit in a lot of different ways. Although ovarian cancer took her life in April 2011, her legacy—the Quilts4Charity Project— will provide something for each of the various community organizations she loved.

Alger, a longtime Liverpool resident and an avid quilter, began her project after her diagnosis in the spring of 2009. She spent the remaining two years of her life preparing 41 quilts which will be given to 31 different charities for auction. The quilts will be on display on Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Carman

A night to remember: Coach Doug Marrone and his Syracuse University gridiron gang (facing page, left) came out ready for action against West Virginia on Oct. 21. And brother, did they deliver, with impressive turns from tight end Nick Provo (top, left, getting tackled for his prowess) and running back Antwon Bailey (top, right) earning applause from a rockin’ Carrier Dome crammed with orange-garbed fans (above).

Community Room of the Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St.

“Ann was really interested in what was going on in the community, so it was important to her that she complete this project,” says Susan Segreti, a friend of Alger’s who—along with another friend, Wanda Carley— helped coordinate the Quilts4Charity Project and the free exhibit. “She was adamant that she was going to complete all 41 quilts before she died.”

The quilts are as diverse as Alger’s many interests and volunteer commitments. Some pieces are full-sized, others smaller. One piece, a landscape scene, is based on a photo Alger took while doing missionary work in Africa. She worked as a missionary during summer breaks from her job as an elementary school teacher for the Baldwinsville School District. The plan is for this piece to be sent to Gambia, Africa, where the Liverpool Public Library has a sister library. Alger was also active with Literacy Volunteers of America.

“Ann was very independent, and she didn’t like to talk about all the things she did to help others,” Segreti says. “Ann always said, ‘The quilts will speak for themselves.’ Cancer was a journey for her, and the quilts represent her way of working through that. For Ann, quilting was therapy. Our job in her honor is to give back to the community.”

Carley, who lives in Hannibal but taught with Alger in Baldwinsville, says the two were friends for more than 30 years. She says the quilts reflect the same kind of precision and attention to detail that Alger showed in all aspects of her life. But that precision never obscured her personal connection with her students, and those who knew her. Carley says during the two-year period in which the quilts were completed, she would often visit Alger, and could follow the steady progress she made on the quilts each week. At one point, Alger had fractured her wrist, but continued working toward her goal.

“It was amazing to see the project unfolding,” Carley says. “I loved the different things she worked into the quilts. Her eye for colors was just tremendous. She even made sure the backing was coordinated with the colors in the design.”

Carley says it is especially appropriate that the exhibit is being held at the Liverpool Public Library. “Annie spent a lot of time in that library, so I think it is a thrill that the library got involved. They have been wonderful working with us.”

Jean Armour Polly, executive director of the Liverpool Public Library, says the library staff was grateful to be part of the Quilts4Charity project and wanted to do something else to honor Alger. “The library is honored to be a recipient of one of Ann’s quilts and is very much looking forward to the quilt show,” she says in an emailed statement. “Another thing we will be doing is dedicating a ‘travel bug’ in Ann’s name with a quest to travel around the world. As part of a grant from the Onondaga Lake Partnerships the library will {soon} be circulating handheld GPS units so that users can get involved in the recreational sport called geocaching. It is a mash-up between a nature walk and a treasure hunt.

“We will be establishing four new geocaches in the Onondaga Lake area. The caches will contain logbooks and travel bugs, one dedicated to Ann, who loved to travel. The hope is that finders will take the travel bugs to other geocaches, leaving them there to continue on their respective quests.” (Find out more at www.geocaching.com.)

Assembling the exhibit and coordinating the distribution of the quilts has been something of catharsis for Alger’s two friends. The pair has struck up their own friendship in the process, and they each feel as though they are completing their roles in ensuring that Alger’s final wishes are carried out. “Sue and I were {recently} at the library to bring the quilts and I had a tingling sensation,” Carley recalls. “It was amazing seeing this all come together.”

“It’s like the end of a journey,” says Segreti, an oncology nurse who often stayed with Alger during her final months. “In releasing these quilts to the world, there’s a sense that it’s all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Alger made a list of the charities she wanted the quilts to go to. The recipients include Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse, public television and radio, the Humane Association of Central New York, and various organizations that

support women’s and children’s issues. Two quilts will be given to the Liverpool Public Library. Segreti also put together a small booklet and a Facebook page for the exhibit.

Carley says that quilting wasn’t Alger’s only creative passion. She was an avid photographer, and dabbled in beading and stamping. But perhaps her biggest love was for animals, particularly her dog Dhari. The two were virtually inseparable during Alger’s final years. Dhari died just weeks before Alger’s battle with cancer ended. In Dhari’s honor, there will be an opportunity for donation of non-perishable items for the Humane Association of CNY at the exhibit.

“Bits and pieces, that’s what Ann’s life is about,” Segreti says. “She was a humanitarian; a very simple person, a wonderful human being. When Wanda and I started moving forward with this after Ann died, we decided to celebrate her life. It’s not all about cancer.”

To view Ann Alger’s quilts, visit the Quilts4Charity Facebook page.

—Tammy DiDomenico

Unconventional Wisdom

SUNY Empire State College student James Suits often hikes to locales to shoot 360-degree landscapes of tri-point convergences: the places where three state borders meet. Although the panoramic views are not always the most scenic, Suits, earning a bachelor’s degree in photography, is intrigued by the idea that these points would normally be considered insignificant.

Suits’ school forms its own tri-point convergence between nontraditional learners, supportive faculty and mentors, and environmental proponents. This relationship is embodied in Suits’ most recent project, 40@40, an exhibit featuring 40 distinguished students and alumni of the school. The show further celebrates the 40th anniversary of ESC.

The 40 featured students and alumni represent the rich and diverse ESC community with a vast range of age, race, academic discipline and geographic location. A committee—including coordinator of Student Services Susan Voutsinas, arts mentor Alan Stankiewicz, assistant to the dean Michael Mancini, and dean of the Central New York Center Nikki Shrimpton—chose the subjects based on their exemplification of what the school represents.

“Our students often come to us with a lot of work and life experience, but without a formal degree,” said Mancini. “So this show is about the collective story of our students: which is often about persevering past life’s obstacles to complete their degree. All of these profiles one way or another tell that story.”

ESC will also honor former state Assemblyman Al Stirpe, who is receiving the inaugural Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award. “We wanted to do some special recognitions,” said Shrimpton, who is also a member of the college’s environmental sustainability committee. “We have very impressive students and alums, and we wanted this photography show to highlight some of the students.”

ESC was established in 1971 to give adult learners the opportunity to earn associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. They often enroll after developing careers and interests and complete their ESC requirements through independent studies, online courses, seminars and residencies. They may also earn credits for prior work and life experiences. It counts 63,000 alumni.

One such alumnus is meteorologist Dave Eichorn, who worked at WSYR-Channel 9 for 20 years. Many thought Eichorn retired when he left the station, but in reality he was completing a bachelor’s of science at ESC and a master’s at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Additionally, he taught meteorology and climate science at SUNY Oswego, Onondaga Community College and ESF.

Similarly, Suits’ well-established photography background makes him a perfect fit for ESC. After graduating with an associate’s degree in photography from Onondaga Community College in 1997, he worked for the photo lab at NASA in Houston. He eventually returned to Syracuse in 2001 to work for OCC and Community Darkrooms, a state-of-the-art Syracuse University facility available to beginners and professional

photographers. When he was laid off from his job as a photo lab tech at OCC, his boss at Community Darkrooms told him about ESC. Suits knew it was the perfect opportunity to acquire more knowledge for his trade, and he’s currently finishing up his last semester.

“I liked the idea of getting credit for my real world experience. Plus the classes I take are customizable,” said Suits. “Between you and your adviser you come up with the type of classes you want to take and how to take them. It’s pretty flexible; not horribly expensive.”

Suits was commissioned to shoot the 40@40 portraits by his mentor, Alan Stankiewicz, and Mancini after his panoramic photography created positive murmurs at his senior exhibition last summer.

“James has shown in our gallery before and everyone was very impressed with his work,” noted Mancini. “He also spent a lot of time as a model photographer, so he also had practical experience with design and printing.”

The three-person committee began planning what would become Suits’ first collaborative photography project. “Commissioning a student photographer was another way to connect the pieces together,” said Shrimpton.

Most of the images are straightforward head-and-shoulder portraits. “We didn’t want to do anything fancy or done up,” said Suits. “Preferably, we wanted the subjects to look happy about being an ESC student.”

There are a few subjects who wished to integrate their degree into the portraits. D’Lorah Robbins, who earned a bachelor’s in science, math and technology in 2007 and is now a physician assistant with the Joslin Diabetes Center, 3329 East Genesee Street, Suite 1, appears in her lab coat and stethoscope. Michael Scriminger holds a copy of Fourth Coast Entertainment magazine, distributed by the company he found ed before earning a bachelor’s in business, management and economics in 2005.

In addition to a flexible learning environment for adult learners, ESC is a leader in environmental sustainability, as integral to the school since president Alan Davis created the position of director of environmental sustainability in 2008, held currently by Sadie Ross. Last year, the Center New York Center was named Recycler of the Year by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency.

Stirpe will be awarded at the open house with the Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award. The accolade recognizes someone who is highly influential in developing a policy, program or campaign that leads to a positive change toward environmental sustainability in the community. Shrimpton nominated Stirpe for his promotion of CNY Bounty, an organization that works to endorse local farmers and ensures the availability of local food to residents. Adhering to the green hue of the event, food will be catered by Circa, a Cazenovia restaurant that works with local farmers.

The open house begins Thursday, Oct. 27, at 5:30 p.m. The images and profiles will hang at the Empire State College’s Central Arts Gallery, 6333 Route 298, East Syracuse, until January. Each photo also appears on Twitter and Facebook for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

—Samara Napolitan

Catch the Wave

The Adult Swim Block Party will pause on its circuit of 11 college cities to visit Armory Square’s 100 block of Walton Street on Thursday, Oct. 27, 6 to 10 p.m. The carnival is inspired by the late-night television programming on cable TV’s Cartoon Network, known for its unorthodox animated content. Syracuse University is the fourth stop on the tour, after Florida State University, University of Virginia and Ball State University.

The games, music and prizes have an Adult Swim twist featuring characters from their programming. Fans of Children’s Hospital, a live-action parody of hospital dramas, can dress up using the provided props. Other party animals can enjoy Balloonicorn Blowout, where contestants don a unicorn-horned helmet to pop balloons hanging from the ceiling. New Wave artist Twin Shadow will also perform a concert at an unspecified time, and let’s hope the night features freebies connected to the Chris Elliott action spoof Eagleheart. The all-ages event is free.

—Samara Napolitan

There’s still one born every minute: Ty Marshal, profiled in the Oct. 12 cover story “Super Duper,” stands with his replica of the Cardiff Giant. He estimates the Oct. 16 unearthing attracted hundreds of people that day at Lipe Art Park, with around 400 more coming by to gawk during the following week. On Oct. 23, two Belgian draft horses pulled the Giant by wagon to the Atrium at City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington St. in Hanover Square, where it will remain displayed daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Monday, Oct. 31. ‘I couldn’t have been more pleased with the support from the community,’ Marshal said. ‘The best thing for me was seeing the smiles from all of the children who saw the Giant for the first time.’”