Mornings on the Hill for December 8, 2021

TODAY ON MORNINGS ON THE HILL, BOOSTER SHOT REQUIREMENTS ARE MAKING THE S-U HEADLINES AND COVID NUMBER ARE INCREASING. YOU MAY WANT TO PULL OUT YOUR SNOW BOOTS AND BUNDLE UP AS SNOW BEGINS TO STICK IN SYRACUSE. AND PROVIDING SOME HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT, THE NUTCRACKER IS MAKING A COME BACK IN THE FIRST IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE SINCE 2019. OUR MEN’S BASKETBALL TOOK ON VILLANOVA IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. All that plus more coming up on our final Mornings on the Hill this semester. GOOD MORNING. I’M KRIZIA WILLIAMS. THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR MORNINGS ON THE HILL. AND I’M ADRIANA ROZAS RIVERA. HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING TODAY. NEW RULES ARE NOW IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF RETURNING AFTER THE WINTER BREAK. ALL MEMBERS OF THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO NOT ONLY BE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID, BOOSTER SHOTS WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED BEFORE WE RETURN TO CAMPUS. THIS COMES AT A TIME WHEN THERE ARE CURRENTLY 78 ACTIVE CASES ON CAMPUS–WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF THREE CASES IN THE PAST WEEK. THERE ARE SEVEN NEW STUDENT CASES AND TWO NEW CASES AMONG FACULTY AND STAFF. THE POSITIVITY RATE AMONG THOSE TESTED, WHICH IS EVERYONE ON CAMPUS, IS AT POINT-ZERO-FOUR PERCENT. THERE WAS A FIRE AT DESTINY USA LAST NIGHT. THE FLAMES AND HEAVY BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM THE TOP OF THE MALL – ABOVE THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY. THE CALL TO FIREFIGHTERS CAME AT AROUND 6:35 P-M AND THE MALL WAS COMPLETELY EVACUATED. ABOUT 50 FIREFIGHTERS WERE ON THE SCENE AND IT TOOK MORE THAN 45 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. AUTHORITIES REPORTED NO INJURIES. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE SYRACUSE CITY BALLET PRESENTED THE NUTCRACKER FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON. OUR GABRIEL VEIGA WENT TO SEE IT. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL. AND THIS NUTCRACKER IS NOT LIKE ANY YOU’VE EVER SEEN. I TALKED TO THE CAST AND CREW BEFORE THE SHOW AND OF COURSE, THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED TO GET BACK TO THE THEATER AFTER COVID. SYRACUSE CITY BALLET HAD 3 PERFORMANCES OF THE NUTCRACKER. IT WAS THE FIRST SHOW FOR THEM INSIDE A THEATER SINCE COVID. It’s amazing that we can go back in this beautiful theater with this wonderful crew that we have here THE CROUSE HINDS THEATER WELCOMED OVER 3000 PEOPLE FOR THE PERFORMANCES. THE CROWD WAS LARGEST ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHEN WHEN MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE FILLED THE SEATS. DANCER CARA CONNOLLY SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRAINING ENDLESSLY. It’s been very rigorous six days a week, many hours a day. It’s very hard it’s demanding and it can be painful but the reward is incredible. ALDO KATTÓN SANTIAGO WHO BECAME SYRACUSE CITY BALLET’S NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR IN JULY, BROUGHT A FRESH NEW LOOK TO THE NUTCRACKER … CORRECTING RACIAL STEREOTYPES. “The racial stereotypes that most companies or all if not all companies have been doing in Nutcracker are not okay anymore. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SHOW DIDN’T INCLUDE AN OVERLY SEXUALIZED ARABIAN DANCE AND SANTIAGO GOT RID OF THE YELLOW FACE IN THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS. They are going to the kingdom of sweets… its in the original story, but they are meeting instead of the Chinese they’re meeting the princess gumdrops. These two are very important characters as well, because I think representation is super important. CONNELLY IS ALSO HAPPY WITH THOSE CHANGES. “I think it will certainly give them a new fresh taste for it, that it can be bigger and better than what they thought Nutcracker could be. SYRACUSE CITY BALLET IS REALLY EXCITED FOR A NEW SEASON IN 2022. SANTIAGO TOLD ME HE WAS WORKING ON A VERSION OF THE BALLET GISELE AND IT SOUNDS PRETTY AMAZING. IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO THE BALLET BEFORE YOU SHOULD REALLY GO IN THE NEW YEAR. I’M GABRIEL VEIGA, BACK TO YOU. SNOW IS FALLING AND WINTER BREAK IS CALLING. BUT WHAT CAN WE EXPECT GOING INTO FINALS WEEK? AND UP NEXT, AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH STUDENTS FROM OUR MILITARY JOURNALISM PROGRAM. FIND OUT WHAT THEIR DAY TO DAY IS LIKE AFTER THE BREAK. WE ALL WOKE UP TO CARS COVERED IN SNOW THIS MORNING. I SURE DID NOT MISS CLEANING MY CAR OFF. OUR ALLISON TURNER JOINS US WITH DETAILS ON A BIT OF A SNOWY FORECAST. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! TODAY, WE WOKE UP TO SOME SNOW! THAT’S RIGHT, THERE WAS SNOWFALL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT INTO THE MORNING, AND WE DID HAVE A SMALL BLANKET OF ACCUMULATION. IT’S NOT REALLY COMING DOWN ANYMORE, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT ON TOP OF CARS, BUILDINGS AND TREES. IT WILL FLURRY A LITTLE BIT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE CURRENT TEMPERATURES. IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON GOING OUTSIDE THIS MORNING, MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A NICE WINTER COAT BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW, IT’S A COLD ONE. RIGHT NOW IT’S 30 DEGREES, BUT IT FEELS LIKE 27. IT’S NOT SUPER WINDY OUTSIDE AT SIX MILES PER HOUR, BUT IT IS CLOUDY AND SNOWY. TAKING A LOOK AT THE REST OF THE DAY – WE WILL BE SEEING SOME LIGHT SNOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WITH ACCUMULATIONS UP TO LESS THAN HALF AN INCH. THE TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK AROUND 35 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON, BUT WILL GO BACK DOWN TO THE UPPER 20s BY TONIGHT. AND NOW LOOKING AHEAD AT THE REST OF THE WEEK – TOMORROW WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME AS TODAY, WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS EARLY, AND WIND AT 5 TO 7 MILES PER HOUR. IF YOU’RE A WARM WEATHER FAN LIKE ME, THEN YOU WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE THAT TEMPERATURES WILL GO UP THIS WEEKEND, FRIDAY HAVING A HIGH OF 45, AND SATURDAY HAVING A HIGH OF 63. BUT DON’T GET TOO EXCITED YET, WE WILL BE SEEING SOME RAIN SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY SATURDAY, BUT WE WILL THEN SEE SOME SUNNY SKIES TO START OFF OUR FINALS WEEK. THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR WEATHER TODAY AND THIS SEMESTER, I’M ALLISON TURNER, BACK TO YOU GUYS. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF THE STORIES PRODUCED BY STUDENTS IN THE BROADCAST JOURNALISM CLASS. N-C-C NEWS REPORTER MARKUS CASTANEDA, WHO IS WITH THE MILITARY VISUAL JOURNALISM PROGRAM, TAKES US TO THE NEW YORK STATE FAIRGROUNDS WHERE MORE THAN 2-THOUSAND PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO DISCARD ITEMS THAT JUST CAN’T BE THROWN AWAY. JOINING ME ON SET NOW PETTY OFFICER COLE PEE-LOP, AND STAFF SERGEANT MANNY SERRANO. THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. COLE , TELL US ABOUT THE MILITARY VISUAL JOURNALISM PROGRAM HERE AT NEWHOUSE. MANNY, HOW DID YOU QUALIFY AND GET IN TO THIS PROGRAM? COLE, WHAT’S A DAY ON THE HILL LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? MANNY, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CLASS? COLE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED HERE? THANK YOU BOTH, ADRIANNA.
THANKS AGAIN TO MANUEL AND COLE AND ALL OF OUR FELLOW STUDENTS WHO ARE SERVING IN THE U.S. MILITARY. WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. AND COMING UP NEXT, SOME THOUGHTS FROM OUR MORNINGS ON THE HILL TEAM AS WE PREPARE TO SAY FAREWELL FOR THIS SEMSTER. GOOD MORNING, I’M LAUREN HELMBRECHT HERE WITH YOUR SPORTS UPDATE. YOU KNOW THAT FEELING BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS WHERE YOU’RE FILLED WITH HOPE AND JOY? AND THEN REALITY HITS THAT YOU HAVE BILLS TO PAY AND MORE WORK TO DO? WELL, THAT’S KIND OF HOW THE MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME WENT LAST NIGHT. THE SYRACUSE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM TOOK AT TRIP TO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TO TAKE ON NUMBER 6 VILLANOVA LAST NIGHT IN THE JIMMY V CLASSIC. COLE SWIDER STARTED THE GAME OFF WITH A BIG THREE POINTER. AND HE WAS SHOOTING WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE. SWIDER TRANSFERED FROM VILLANOVA TO SYRACUSE THIS YEAR. THE FIRST HALF WAS PRETTY EVENLY MATCHED. AND THE ORANGE WERE FEELING HOT BEHIND THE ARC. SYRACUSE WENT ON TO TAKE A 22 TO 17 LEAD, THEIR LARGEST OF THE GAME. AND JESSE EDWARDS SAID DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE DEFENSE. SYRAUCSE WENT INTO HALFTIME UP 29-26. BUT THE SECOND HALF DIDN’T GO CUSE’S WAY. THOUGH JIMMY BOEHEIM HAD 21 POINTS, HIS SECOND HIGHEST SCORING OF THE SEASON, VILLANOVA WAS LED BY GUARDS JUSTIN MOORE AND COLLIN GILESPIE, WHO EACH SCORED THE DOUBLE IN DIGITS. THE WILDCATS COMPLETELY DOMINATED THE BOARDS AND HAD 27 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS TO SYRACUSE’S 11. COACH BOEHEIM DIDN’T MINCE WORDS WHEN IT CAME TO HIS TEAM’S 67-53 POINT LOSS. I think their one of the best teams in the country and we are not. I think we are going to continue to get better, but right now we are not good enough.
THE ORANGE LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK THIS SATURDAY WHEN THEY TAKE ON ARGUABLY THEIR BIGGEST RIVAL, GEORGETOWN. THE GAME TIPS OFF AT NOON IN WASHINGTON DC.
AND SPEAKING ABOUT 5 AND FOUR BASKETBALL TEAMS, THE SYRACUSE WOMEN’S TEAM TAKES ON CORNELL TONIGHT IN THE DOME. THE ORANGE ARE COMING OFF A HISTORIC VICTORY ON SUNDAY AGAINST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE. CUSE SET A RECORD FOR POINTS SCORED IN A HALF AND THE HIGHEST SCORE EVER FOR A CUSE WOMEN’S GAME WITH 116 POINTS. AND I KNOW WHAT TEISHA HYMAN WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR…A COUPLE MORE REBOUNDS. IN THE GAME ON SUNDAY, HYMAN WAS JUST TWO REBOUNDS AWAY FROM A QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE POWER FIVE. GOING IN TO TONIGHT’S GAME, CHRISLYN CARR IS ON A FOUR-GAME STREAK OF SCORING AT LEAST 20 POINTS, AND THE ORANGE HAVE WON THREE IN A ROW. CORNELL COMES IN WITH A RECORD OF 4 AND FIVE. THE GAME TIPS OFF AT TONIGHT SEVEN P-M. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND I HOPE YOUR YEAR FINISHES WITH A WIN.
STILL TO COME HERE ON MORNINGS ON THE HILL, A UTICA BASEBALL TEAM CHANGES A YOUNG KID’S LIFE. AND THE MORNINGS ON THE HILL TEAM SHARES WHAT THEIR EXCITED ABOUT AHEAD OF THE CHRISTMAS BREAK. STAY WITH US.
MORE ATHLETES HAVE COME FORWARD TO TALK ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH THAN EVER , BUT IT’S INCREDIBLY RARE FOR SOMEONE TO STRUGGLE SO MUCH BEFORE THEY EVEN BECOME A TEENAGER. OUR JAMES KATTATO TELLS US HOW ONE 11 YEAR OLD’S LIFE CHANGED AFTER A LOCAL BASEBALL TEAM GAVE HIM THE BOOST HE NEEDED. WHEN YOU THINK OF COLLEGIATE BASEBALL, YOU THINK OF ATHLETES ANYWHERE FROM 18-22 YEARS OLD… BUT YOU MIGHT NOT THINK THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE BARELY EVEN ADULTS… CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE FIGHT THEIR TOUGHEST BATTLE.. THAT’S WHAT THE UTICA BLUE SOX DID FOR ONE EXCEPTIONAL 11 YEAR OLD.
BROOKLYN MALLEONEE WAS ABOUT AS YOUNG AS YOU COULD GET WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS FIRST BASEBALL.. “I was, I think three,” HE GOES BY THE NICKNAME.. B MONEY, AND BEWTEEN THE MONEY SOCKS, HELMET, OR THE B MONEY CHAIN… HE BRINGS HIS OWN FLAIR TO THE GAME HE’S PLAYED HIS WHOLE LIFE.. BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS LIKE THAT. “I mean, his sports practices if he did, he was giving 0% It was just kind of going through the motions, I would describe it as he was on autopilot.” BROOKLYN WAS BULLIED IN SCHOOL, AND THREE YEARS AGO, THE 11 YEAR OLD RECEIVED SOME NEWS FROM HIS DOCTOR, THAT WOULD SHAKE UP HIS LIFE. “He was diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD. “Some days, I couldn’t even get out of bed. Some days, I couldn’t even eat” “Watching your child struggling with that and not being able to flick a switch and make it better, is probably the hardest, most discouraging thing you could ever watch as a mom” ON BROOKLYN’S 11TH BIRTHDAY, HE BLEW OUT THE CANDLES AND MADE ONE WISH TO BE A NORMAL KID AGAIN, BECAUSE KIDS DON’T NORMALLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH PTSD AND ANXIETY WHEN THEY’RE THAT YOUNG. BUT IT WAS RIGHT HERE ON HIS BIRTHDAY NIGHT AT VERNON FIELD IN FRONT OF THIS VERY DUGOUT WHERE IT ALL STARTED TO CHANGE. “And everyone just waited at the end of the game to say Happy Birthday they all gave them an autographed ball Ryan angels came out and gave him an autographed baseball bat that he broke that day and it said Happy Birthday.” AFTER THAT DAY… B MONEY WAS WITH THE PLAYERS FOR EVERY GAME.. FOR THEIR HIGHS, AND EVEN LOWS. JOHN FRANCHI RUNS THE UTICA BLUE SOX ACADEMY AND SAW HOW MUCH THOSE INTERACTIONS MEANT TO BROOKLYN “Something simple, something small, just as taking the field and playing catch with them made the kid field 10 feet tall. And here’s this kid who’s constantly being bullied and constantly being picked on to being the face of the show.” “It changed my life completely. In five seconds I walked into the dugout and the blue Sox taught me how to be myself and not care about what other people think.” FRANCHI HAS WORKED AS BROOKLYN’S TRAINER FOR A YEAR NOW. PRIDE CAN’T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW HE FEELS TOWARD BROOKLYN’S PROGRESS AS A PLAYER AND PERSON. “What makes me happiest seeing the kid not only be successful, but seeing him stand up for himself defend themselves knowing that you know he has worth he has value.” AS “B” CONTINUES TO OLDER, HIS OUTLOOK AT HOW HE’LL USE THESE EXPERIENCES FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.. IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY. “I’m gonna treat everyone how I’m supposed to treat people. And even if they’re mean to me, I’m gonna still show them respect. And mean that’s what the blue Sox.” JAMES KATTATO… “Life is great.” N-C-C NEWS SOMETHING WHOLESOME TO NOTE…. B MONEY AND HIS MOM BOTH SAY THAT TWO OF THE UTICA BLUE SOX.. SHORTSTOP EDDIE JAVIER JR AND PITCHER GIO CANALES.. TEXT HIM TO CHECK UP ON HIM AND HAVE CONVERSATION WITH HIM EVERYDAY. GUYS
SNOW IS FALLING, CLASSES ARE ENDING, AND CHRISTMAS IS APPROACHING. OUR OWN MIKHALA ARMSTRONG IS HERE WITH YOUR ENTERTAINMENT REPORT FOR ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
TUESDAY NIGHT MEANT THE RETURN OF THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS. DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON WAS THE BIGGEST WINNER OF THE NIGHT TAKING HOME TROPHIES FOR MALE MOVIE STAR AND COMEDY MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR. JOHNSON WAS ALSO HONORED WITH THE PEOPLE’S CHAMPION AWARD. FOR FILM, BLACK WIDOW WON MOVIE OF THE YEAR, AND IN MUSIC OLIVIA RODRIGO WON BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR HER ALBUM “SOUR” THE WIN IS FOLLOWING RODRIGO’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF HER “SOUR” TOUR IN 2022. THE TOUR WILL RUN FROM APRIL TO JULY, KICKING OFF ITS FIRST SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO. FOR MORNINGS ON THE HILL, MIKHALA ARMSTRONG.
TODAY IS THE LAST SHOW OF MORNINGS ON THE HILL FOR THE YEAR AND IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT IF I DIDN’T ASK SOME FAMILIAR FACES WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND THE DAY AHEAD.
THAT IS GOING TO DO IT FOR US THIS WEDNESDAY HERE ON MORNINGS ON THE HILL. I’M KRIZIA–FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
I’M ADRIANA ROZAS RIVERA_. THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR LAST SHOW OF THE SEMESTER, ORANGE NATION. WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT SPRING, LIVE AT TEN A-M RIGHT HERE ON O-T-N.