Reporter Debrief: Jeff Kramer on Syracuse’s Humanitarian Parolees “I remember at one point, the most dramatic, it felt like being in a movie,” said Jeff Kramer, in recalling assisting Saboor Sakhizada to evacuate his family from Afghanistan after the fall. “We were sitting in my truck, in the rain, with him in the front seat, and I was helping him …

The Stand to offer free Fatherhood Portraits to dads on their big day

The Joy in Family Moments  Guest Column by Habakkuk Nickens

My Return Home Guest Column by Habakkuk Nickens

The Summer 2022 edition’s cover story shares how transgender and non-binary teens navigate the difficult terrain of transitioning. It includes a comic created by ITC High School junior Jasper Cotroneo, who is also a graduate of the Syracuse Journalism Lab. Additional stories spotlight Syracuse boxing prodigy Amir “Cash” Anderson, named a member of USA Boxing’s 12-person 2022 Youth High Performance …

A Polarizing Promise: The Potential of the Afghan Adjustment Act “I think one of the first things I learned when I immigrated to America is about the polarization of politics,” said Saboor Sakhizada who’s lived in the United States for the past decade. “There’s these two dominant political parties that seems like they couldn’t get along on any matter. There’s …

Guest Column by Habakkuk Nickens My name is Habakkuk Nickens, and I recently returned home from a 20-year prison sentence, convicted on racketeering charges. My time was cut to 13 years and 4 months on a compassionate release motion I wrote myself. Habakkuk Nickens Next, the First Step Act allowed for an additional year off my sentence, providing me immediate …

Meet local audio engineer, record producer & inventor Langston Masingale By Reggie Seigler If there were a person who’d invented a device used on over 30 Billboard No. 1 songs, with thousands in production and used around the world, including placement in a Shang-Chi Marvel movie and numerous Grammy winning songs, a knee-jerk reaction might be that the person was …

Summer Photo Contest continues, two Photo Meetups planned Board members and staff at The Stand look forward to bringing back the annual South Side Photo Walk. This event continued to grow each year, until being re-imagined due to COVID-19. The pandemic forced us to rethink this annual community engagement event but did result in a partnership with the Urban Video …

By Ashley Reeves Q: You are raising your two brothers. What did it feel like when you became their guardian?A: I took custody when our father died in 2015. It’s been really interesting. I’ve gone from being their awesome, cool, outrageous, trouble-making big brother to now the authority figure. It’s been a difficult transition if I’m being transparent. For seven …