Voices

Syracuse’s Underground Poetry Spot holds poetry slam anniversary Members of the Underground Poetry Spot performed original slam poetry pieces covering themes of love, relationships, authenticity and depression during its fifth anniversary show held Friday, Sept. 19, at Syracuse Stage. Seneca Wilson founded UPS in September of 2009. It was a way for him to engage with poets in the community …

Teen mom welcomes baby girl Our cover story in the September issue featured Myah Lynell Baker, an expectant teen living at the Salvation Army’s Transitional Apartments and Parenting Center. We are happy to share that Baker gave birth to a healthy baby girl at 4:54 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at Crouse Hospital. Amarionna Lynell Baker weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces …

Westside Residents Coalition Circulates Petition on Syringe Litter Drug users have been and are littering our city with used needles, which have been found along sidewalks, in churchyards and playgrounds, in yards, in piles of raked leaves and under porches of homes where children live. Syringes have been found to carry viruses causing AIDS and hepatitis C.  Discarded needles pose …

On Dec. 8, 1994, the Rolling Stones played at the Carrier Dome as part of their Voodoo Lounge tour. Their opening act was the then hot band Spin Doctors, whose final song was their Top 10 hit “Two Princes,” a catchy tune with the refrain “if you,” which could be summarized as follows: “if you want to call me baby, …

Sam Wright has cooked at Meals on Wheels for nearly three decades Sam Wright was looking for a job in 1986 when he came across a “help wanted” sign for an assistant cook — with the weekends off, too. He had his doubts about the offer, but inquired and took the job with Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. “I honestly …

Laurence Thomas compares teaching to romantic love. “Teaching at its best is very much like a romance, which reaches the heights it should reach only when both sides do their part,” Thomas, a philosophy professor, said, “No one person can make a romance, and unrequited love is a deep source of pain.”

The Stand is sad to share that board member John A. Young passed away Feb. 27. I first met John four years ago at The Stand’s launch party before our very first print issue came out. He was enthusiastic about our community newspaper project and eager to be a part of it. John quickly joined our board in 2010 and …

When one thinks about hunger the first thing that comes to one’s mind isn’t usually mapping. But that was exactly what the precursors of Syracuse Community Geography (SCG) did to study the demand for food pantry supplies in the city at the request of the Samaritan Center, a soup kitchen in the downtown area. When the study, titled the Syracuse Hunger Project, was conducted, in 2003, Lucas …

South Side native says she was born into a life of music and has never known any other way Markita Collins did not have a choice growing up about the role religion and music would play in her life. Her parents made those rules. “I was not born into a democracy; I was born into a dictatorship,” Collins said. “You …

Despite two unsuccessful campaigns for city judge, Romana Lavalas remains determined After she graduated from Syracuse University’s College of Law in 1999, Romana Lavalas decided to enter the real world. She said she didn’t care to go back to her parents’ home in Rockland County. But she didn’t have family members in Syracuse to hold her to the city, either. …