Over 200 walk for brain cancer awareness following Kent Syverud’s diagnosis
Current and former SGA executives, alongside Otto the Orange, lead the walk for Syverud. Student organizations represented their respective groups, with over 60 organizations appearing throughout the crowd. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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While leaving Syracuse University’s Schine Student Center Tuesday afternoon, freshman Ayan Haque came across a collection of tables covered in drawings of gray ribbons, poster-making materials and T-shirts.
Although Haque didn’t know what it was for at first, when he saw a sign urging passersby to write letters in support of outgoing Chancellor Kent Syverud following his brain cancer diagnosis a few weeks earlier, he stopped to pen his own message. Despite not knowing the chancellor well, he said he understands Syverud’s struggle.
Haque said his brother had leukemia when they were children. While his brother recovered from the illness, Haque said the fight wasn’t easy — he still remembers the ports that ran from his younger sibling’s chest to his back.
“It was hard seeing (my brother) go through all that … but I want to tell the chancellor nothing’s impossible,” Haque said. “He can overcome it.”
Haque was one of hundreds who showed their support during Tuesday’s brain cancer awareness event and walk. The walk, from Schine to Crouse-Hinds Hall, drew over 200 people from across the SU community to support Syverud and raise money for brain cancer research.
The event, hosted by SU’s Student Government Association and over 60 other on-campus organizations, raised money for research on the disease through the Brain Tumor Foundation. It also marked the start of Brain Cancer Awareness Month, which officially begins on Friday.
“Go Gray in May” took place outside of Schine from 12 to 2:30 p.m., allowing visitors to make posters in support of Syverud, write letters to the former chancellor and his wife, Professor of Practice Ruth Chen, eat snacks and donate to the Brain Tumor Foundation. Those who donated $15 or more received a shirt reading, “Nobody fights alone.”
Several campus administrators and leaders — including acting Chancellor Mike Haynie, Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew and Department of Public Safety Chief Michael Bunker — stopped by the event throughout the afternoon. SU mascot Otto the Orange also joined supporters on their walk to Crouse-Hinds, which houses the chancellor’s office.
Syverud first shared his cancer diagnosis on April 15, less than a month before he was set to become president of the University of Michigan. In the message, he announced his decision to step down from SU’s chancellorship — bringing chancellor-elect Haynie into the role earlier than expected.
The former chancellor shared an update on his condition last week, confirming he would be receiving treatment in Michigan for the remainder of the semester. Syverud thanked the SU community for its “overwhelming wave of support, love, and care” following his diagnosis.
Gallery: ‘Nobody fights alone’: SU walks for Syverud, cancer awareness
Emily Castillo-Melean, SGA president-elect, said the walk in Syverud’s honor was one of the largest collaborations between the association and other organizations in university history.
“(The event) really shows the power of how much we can do,” Castillo-Melean said, addressing the crowd. “To everyone who participated today, thank you. Your presence reflects a commitment to community, compassion and awareness that defines (the) Syracuse University family.”
One attendee, SU senior Salome Abdushelishvili, decorated her poster in silver and black writing with the message: “What matters MOST is how you walk through the FIRE.” Abdushelishvili was one of the first non-SGA-affiliated attendees to make a sign.
Dozens of colorful signs created by SU offices, student organizations and visitors covered a wall in Schine by the end of the afternoon. Some of the messages read, “Crush cancer,” “Nobody fights alone” and “Thank you, Chancellor Syverud,” among others.
While Abdushelishvili said she initially decided to attend the event in support of her boyfriend, Julian Hernandez, who was officially appointed as SGA’s director of student technology affairs, she said rallying behind Syverud resonated with her personally, as someone who wants to work in the healthcare industry and knows someone with cancer.
“The whole thing about battling cancer is the focus, especially in healthcare, it’s how you go through the motions of dealing with the illness, because you can choose to have a positive mindset even though it’s really difficult,” Abdushelishvili said.
Another student, freshman Zack Felker — a friend of Haque’s — said he’s connected with cancer, as two of his grandparents had the disease. He said he hopes his note will encourage Syverud to move forward, like his grandfather — who beat cancer twice — did.
In remarks at the end of the walk, Hendricks Chapel Rev. Devon Bartholomew shared his own experiences with brain cancer — saying he knew someone who died from the illness in December and another who’s back to working after undergoing surgery in February.
“Thank you Student Government Association for responding to Chancellor Syverud’s diagnosis by asking the right questions: ‘How do we respond?’ You have responded with conscience and with clarity,” Bartholomew said before leading the group in prayer.
Not all attendees were able to attend the walk itself, but many arrived to donate or write a letter before leaving. One visitor, Juanita Goncalves, said she decided to spend part of her lunch break from working a shift at CoreLife Eatery to write a message for the former chancellor.
Syverud once hosted Goncalves and other Food Services workers at the Chancellor’s House when she first arrived at SU “many years ago,” she said with a laugh. Goncalves said Syverud and Chen’s positivity immediately struck her, making it important to her to offer her support today.
Goncalves teared up when reflecting on her letter to Syverud and her reasons for attending “Go Gray in May.” She said she hopes the campus community continues to support the former chancellor and keeps in mind that cancer “can hit anybody, young to old.”
“This is a painful time for him,” Goncalves said. “We’re going to have to deal with this as a community, not just as one human being or one person.”
Hernandez said he hopes events like “Go Gray in May” show the university community can “pull together” and rally behind someone they care about. He added that this is especially true for someone like Syverud, who’s been with SU for over a decade.
SGA’s April 15 resolution “Honoring Kent Syverud and Extending Love and Support,” which was released the day the former chancellor shared his diagnosis, echoed this sentiment. The resolution specifically wished the chancellor well and commended his “enduring contributions” to SU.
“When something is wrong, we need to learn to build each other up, and we need to stand by each other. I don’t find that for just brain cancer. I find that for anything,” Goncalves said. “We’re very negative in this world that we’re living in lately, and we just need to … be more positive and more selfless.”
