Syracuse’s official student section, Otto’s Army, will boycott the second consecutive men’s basketball game on Saturday night amid several hate crime and bias-related incidents over the past 10 days.

In solidarity with #NotAgainSU, Otto’s Army announced at 3:34 p.m. on Twitter that they encourage students to join the sit-in at the Barnes Center instead of attending the basketball game against Seattle. 

Like they did on Wednesday, Otto’s Army is using the #UnPackTheDome slogan for the boycott. 

“From what we’ve seen, with the protests still going, and we still have acts like these going on, we want people to support the protests,” said Mike Bournival, Vice President of Otto’s Army.

“Things like this are more important than sports,” Bournival added. 

#NotAgainSU, a movement led by black students, has occupied the lobby of the Barnes Center at The Arch since 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The demonstration was motivated by SU’s delayed communication of racist graffiti against black and Asian people in Day Hall.

In the two days since the sit-in began, additional racist and bias-related graffiti directed toward Asian people was found in the bathroom in the Physics Building and on the third floor of Day Hall. A swastika drawn in the snow was discovered Thursday afternoon across from the 505 on Walnut, a luxury apartment complex. 

At 2:35 p.m. the Department of Public Safety alerted students via email of another racist graffiti incident, this time found in Haven Hall. It was the seventh reported hate crime in or around the SU campus in the past 10 days. Several Student Association cabinet members received hateful emails supporting hate crimes around campus on Saturday as well.

“We hope to see continued change in the administration’s responses to such terrible events and continue as always to support the student body,” a Saturday evening press release from Otto’s Army said.

Otto’s Army first decided to boycott last Wednesday’s game against Colgate, and less than 100 fans sat in the student section at tipoff. Some SU players supported Otto’s Army initiative. 

“Whatever they think is best,” sophomore guard Buddy Boeheim said after the Colgate game. “I think that definitely resolution needs to come from that. It’s unacceptable … You love when the students come to support, but when it comes to stuff like that you got to understand their position.”

On Wednesday, Otto’s Army treasurer Matt Jensen was in the Carrier Dome, trying to inform and convince students of the protest and to not sit in the student section.

Bournival said that to his knowledge, Otto’s Army is not planning to have a member there tonight. Otto’s Army received “mixed” reactions to Wednesday’s protest, he said. 

“From the student standpoint and other (organizations) on campus, we’ve received a lot of support all throughout the campus. “The only backlash is from people not associated with the university. It’s mainly people who are SU sports fans.”

On Saturday, SU men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim met with protesters at the Barnes Center and expressed support for #NotAgainSU. Previously, he said that “We can’t go and blame the whole university for what could be one or two people that are obviously not the kind of people that should be here.”

Bournival stressed that Otto’s Army is “not trying to force (coach) Boeheim or any of the players to take a stand or speak.”

He said, “we just believe students should commit their full attention to the protest now.”

The men’s basketball game tips off at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. 

Asst. sports editor Anthony Dabbundo contributed reporting. 

Published on November 16, 2019 at 5:25 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman