thursday, february 26, 2026
celebrating 122 years
free
O • Overextended olympians
C • Student spins
S • Positionless threat
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Ilia Malinin’s recent struggles and Alysa Liu’s mindful return show burnout can shake even Team USA Olympians.
Cycle instructors at Barnes Center at The Arch provide energy, motivation and cardio for fellow students.
‘To fly’
Syracuse senior Michael Leo has evolved into a star in multiple positions as the Orange chase a national title.
Architecture professor Fei Wang built a legacy of ‘unconditional mentorship’
After his death in December, students and faculty remember how professor Fei Wang continued to lead those around him.
By Laura Lemgruber asst. copy editor
F
ei Wang moved through the world with an unstoppable spirit, leaving an impact that, much like his name, soared above and beyond. “The name Fei means ‘to fly,’ and that is exactly what he taught his students to do,” said Vittoria Buccina, assistant dean of enrollment at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture. “To rise, to push themselves and to become the best versions of themselves.”
Fei, 45, and a professor at SU’s School of Architecture, died in December following a traffic accident in London. The professor taught at SU for over a decade. He also served as the School of Architecture’s China programs director and master’s program coordinator. Outside of the university, Fei was a highly respected practicing architect. After earning his bachelor of architecture at Tongji University in Shanghai, Fei left his home country to pursue his academic career in the United States, earning degrees from Virginia Tech and McGill University.
courtesy of nan wang
“To know Fei, even a little bit, is to be immersed within a global matrix of pedagogy and design,” said architecture professor Ted Brown. “He’s always on the pulse.” Along with his teaching career, Fei was an editor for several architecture publications, a curator and an entrepreneur. His work was exhibited across the world, earning several research and design awards. “He is so much more than what you could read on a piece of paper or on a Wikipedia page,” said Caroline Bowling, one of Fei’s students. “The energy that he see fei wang page 5
on campus
Biden to return to SU campus for portrait unveiling ceremony By Priya Schmit and Vivian Collins the daily orange
Former United States President Joe Biden will visit Syracuse University on April 14 to unveil his official portrait, SU announced in a Wednesday release. The event, held at the College of Law, marks Biden’s first return to campus in 10 years. The former president most recently visited the
city of Syracuse in 2024 to celebrate a federal grant toward the Micron Technology project in Clay. Mornings on the Hill reporter Luke Radel first reported the event Tuesday night in an X post. The university commissioned the oil-on-canvas artwork to be painted by Michael Shane Neal, whose other pieces hang in the United States Capitol building, Smithsonian’s National
Portrait Gallery and the Pentagon, according to the release. Following the ceremony, Biden’s portrait will be on permanent display in Dineen Hall’s Law Library Reading Room. “President Biden has never forgotten where his legal career began, and we have never forgotten him,” College of Law Dean Terence Lau wrote in the release. “His portrait in Dineen Hall will remind every student who passes
through our doors that a Syracuse Law education doesn’t just open doors. It can change the course of history.” Biden, a 1968 graduate of the College of Law, has given SU’s commencement speech four times and received the Chancellor’s Medal in 1974. He also earned the university’s highest alumni award, the George Arents Pioneer Medal, in 2005.
The April gathering will celebrate Biden’s “remarkable legacy of leadership, lifelong public service and enduring connection to Syracuse University,” according to an invitation obtained by The Daily Orange. The event will begin at 1:00pm at the College of Law. The event is invite only, according to the invitation. news@dailyorange.com