Editor’s picks: The top culture stories of 2020
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Although 2020 was void of live concerts, events and social gatherings, the Syracuse University and greater Syracuse community had compelling stories to tell.
The Daily Orange’s culture section has chosen the best written and most influential pieces of the year. Here are our picks:
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Sarah Allam | Illustration Editor
Virtual concerts become new norm in quarantine
Musicians continued to perform during quarantine, relying on social media platforms and video chat functions such as Zoom to engage with their audiences while following social distancing guidelines. International artists and local artists alike have joined the virtual concert trend, including SU junior Sarah Gross, who sang to her fans over Instagram video while at home.
“It’s really a beautiful thing that people really want to be there for each other,” Gross said. “I didn’t realize how much I relied on playing with music to feel inspired, and now that I don’t have that, I really, really miss playing with people and learning from them because there’s only so much you can do when you’re by yourself.”
Sarah Lee | Asst. Photo Editor
Black-owned Winnie’s Soul Delicious to open on Marshall Street
Winnie’s Soul Delicious became the only Black-owned restaurant to currently operate on Marshall Street when it opened in December. Dawn Reed, the owner of the restaurant, was born and raised in Syracuse and has been cooking throughout her life. Opening a soul food restaurant on Marshall Street has always been a goal of hers. Now, it’s a reality.
“I always knew that this is where I wanted to be, and I never gave up,” Reed said in August, in preparation for the restaurant’s opening. “This is my dream and it’s what I wanted.”
Sarah Lee | Asst. Photo Editor
COVID-19 changes business for Syracuse’s Little Italy stores
The pandemic has altered the restaurant industry and has had a particularly hard toll on the restaurants in Syracuse’s Little Italy neighborhood, now home to family-owned businesses established by immigrants from around the world. Businesses such as Habiba’s Ethiopian Kitchen and Biscotti Cafe have had to adapt their operations to fit COVID-19 restrictions, forcing them to rely on takeout and find new ways to bring in business.
“As time goes on and the longer this lasts and the more businesses that go under — that’s the last thing we want to see here,” said Danny Liedka, CEO and president of Visit Syracuse. “I hope these folks and their businesses can get back on their feet soon.”
Courtesy of Maggie Gaus
The Syracuse Mask Project provides cloth masks to hospitals, health centers
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that face masks were an effective way of protecting against COVID-19, many people began making and selling cloth masks. Nancy Gaus, who had just retired from a 12-year career as a seamstress, created The Syracuse Mask Project to connect people sewing masks to local health institutions in need of the protective wear. Hospitals and other health organizations can request masks through the website, SyracuseMaskProject.org, which Gaus created so people can donate their homemade masks to medical workers.
“Anybody who sews in Syracuse can sew by themselves and donate by themselves in a bubble in their protected house,” Gaus said. “Or, they can reach out to a sewing group that already exists if they want to be part of more of a team.”
Elizabeth Billman | Senior Staff Photographer
Scholarship to honor legacy of street musician Eli Harris
Elijah Harris Jr. was known around Syracuse for playing music outside of the Carrier Dome, on Marshall Street and at other well-known local places. When he died in April, community members created a GoFundMe page that raised about $23,600 for Harris’ family. His family has created a scholarship in his name that will support a part-time music student with $1,000 each fall for the next 10 years, beginning fall 2021.
“He gave what he had inside of him, so he could teach everyone else how to love through music. He used music to communicate that,” said his daughter, Lakisha Harris. “They embraced my dad with open arms from day one.”
Emily Steinberger | Photo Editor
Challah At Me delivers bread to community members during Jewish holidays
After Maura Koenig moved back to her hometown of Syracuse during the pandemic, she began baking and selling homemade challah bread — typically eaten during Shabbat and Jewish holidays — to SU students and Syracuse community members. Koenig donates $1 from every challah sale to the Syracuse Jewish Federation of Central New York’s COVID-19 relief efforts.
“It certainly can help brighten up people’s lives,” said Stew Koenig, her father. “It has meaning. For Jewish people, it’s not just a loaf of bread. It’s symbolic of Judaism, and that brings them some warmth. And for people who aren’t Jewish — and obviously, anybody is welcome to order and eat it — it’s a great new experience.”
