The Digital Violation Of Women On the SYracuse University Campus

Feeling unseen and uncomfortable, rather than protected by our institutions

BY ABIGAIL LUCA ★ FEBRUARY 26TH, 2025

design: Laura Lopes

A woman has every right to feel safe. But unfortunately, while society tries to convince us that “times have changed” and women have “equal rights,” our experience and opportunity are starkly different from a man’s. Safety is not our reality- it is the constant look behind our shoulder on the street, pretending we are on a call in the grocery store, and for me, and many girls recently on the Syracuse University campus, it is making sure a man’s glasses serve his vision rather than filming footage for his Youtube channel. 

“Being a woman on campus already comes with its unspoken rules—stay aware, keep your guard up, don’t be too friendly, but don’t be too cold either. Yet none of those silent precautions prepared me for this,” said a Junior at the School of Information Studies, who has asked to remain anonymous.

On Monday, Feb. 3, I was approached by a man who called himself Nyquell in the Barnes Center. The 20 minutes he spent near me before that proved not to be a rest between sets, but time set aside for test recordings. 

★  “This experience took something from me. It chipped away at the confidence I once had in my ability to navigate social interactions freely,”★  

He was wearing chunky, black eyeglasses, which are totally in style right now, so I didn’t give them a second thought. He branded himself as a “personal trainer,” mentioning my legs, asking me about my experience, and saying he wanted to “put me to work.” Watching our conversation back on the recording he took with those very glasses, I was fidgety, my pitch was high and my eyes were wandering. If I can pride myself on anything, it is my confidence and strong-willed nature. The version of me Nyquell posted is not a reflection of the woman I am. I was uncomfortable– just as all the women he interacted with were. 

“I was just trying to get where I needed to go. I had thoughts like should I say I have a boyfriend or have somewhere to be? I was weirded out, but I was raised to give people a chance; I realize now I need to change,” said Hailey Roy, one of the first SU women to be unknowingly recorded in Nyquell’s videos. 

When I saw him again, he was speaking to another girl. It's universal knowledge that the gym is just another place where many people allow themselves to sexualize others- specifically women. The shorts that make us feel good about our butt or the sports bra that fits just right aren't for us, to those who can't seem to focus on the reason they are at the gym, they are previews for a thirsty imagination. I again thought nothing of it. Just another guy trying to get play right? Wrong. 

“He asked me for restaurant recommendations, a harmless enough question. But then, without hesitation, he pivoted. He didn’t want recommendations—he wanted to take me out,” said Junior. 

“What if I said no? What if he reacted poorly? In that moment, avoiding potential conflict felt safer than rejecting him outright. So, I settled on a noncommittal ‘okay’  and a smile– a small act of self-preservation.”  

Before bed that night, I went on Instagram for some last-minute brain rot. In my notifications, I saw Nyquell had followed me, per his request to “put me to work.” To my surprise, though, when I clicked on his Instagram story, I saw a promo for his newest YouTube video titled Taking 10 Blinkers Then Cold Approaching Every Woman I See, with the addition of  “Seducing, Sparking Conversation, Adding To Cliental” in the caption. Recognizing the girl in the thumbnail from the campus gym– as if the caption wasn’t telling enough—I clicked the link. There, I found not only myself but several women I see every day posted. I had no idea he was recording me, and I knew they hadn’t either. 

“I remember my roommate texting me in the morning about something ‘really bad,’ said Roy. “She showed me a group chat mentioning someone secretly recording girls on the SU campus and a video, where I saw myself as the thumbnail.” 

Roy reported the man to Syracuse University but was told she shouldn't have given her phone number out and to take this experience as a learning lesson.

“I thought because I went to the school about this, a message would be put out. They sent messages for everything, but they didn't, ” said Roy. “As a woman, you can sometimes feel your problems aren't taken seriously. I wish SU would have done a better job at warning students, because what happened in Barnes probably wouldn't have happened if they did.”

Had Roy’s concerns been taken more seriously, I would not have had as much reason to write this article or rather– PSA: for SU has still not issued a school-wide message concerning this incident. 

In the beginning of the latest video filmed in Barnes, “semen retention” had been mentioned a handful of times, something many men have fetishized over time. It can be defined as a man abstaining while fueling their “masculine power and sexual energy,” in attempts to become more attractive. 

“I was sitting in class when my phone buzzed. When I opened the video, my heart dropped. There I was, captured without my knowledge, my image accompanied by a two-minute monologue drenched in sexualization,” said Junior. 

From the introduction, it was clear the focus of the video would be an egotistical version of “How to Get a Woman.” I have no hesitation in saying that you cannot get a woman by recording her without consent. I hate to admit it but my immediate reaction was to cry. The fact that I wasn’t even secure in a place I went to every single day, somewhere I grew my sense of self and felt respected, broke my heart a little.

“I felt stripped of my autonomy, reduced to an object. Something to be discussed, rated, dissected,” said Junior.  “I felt foolish for being kind, for engaging in conversation, for not recognizing the signs of predation sooner.”

My second reaction was anger—anger that a woman can't be safe even in the places she feels most comfortable. Angry about “the violation of being recorded, for the humiliation of being reduced to entertainment. The realization that my safety wasn’t just about physical harm but about digital exploitation, about being commodified in a way I never consented to,” said Junior.

Like Nyquell did, I took to Instagram. I posted a story exposing that he had secretly recorded all the women without their knowledge or consent. I urged my followers to report both his account and the video. Sadly, my post also became a space where many girls realized they, too, had been victims.

“I just saw this and realized he recorded me too. I am disgusted,” said SU Senior Hannah Kudlacz, responding to my story. “It's sad that we were all just minding our own business and he proceeded to violate us by recording without consent.” 

I have learned many things from this experience, but one of the most powerful is the sense of community that can come with social media. My story received thousands of views. I was sent messages from childhood friends, friends of friends, friends of those affected, and even strangers—expressing not only compassion for me but disgust at the situation. In response to all the attention, as well as a report I filed, Nyquell’s Instagram and YouTube video were taken down not even 3 days later, and he was banned from the SU campus. 

Incidents like this cannot be ignored. As a society, we have normalized actions such as Nyquell’s; we have become desensitized to a woman's discomfort amidst patriarchal pressures. I cannot count on my hands how many times I have felt violated and objectified in my life. I have downplayed these experiences, making them more easily digestible, more bearable. This should not be the case. 

As a collective, we must recognize that situations like these are not isolated incidents or misunderstandings—they are reflections of deeper systemic issues that must be challenged. We cannot afford to remain passive when a woman's well-being is on the line.

“This experience took something from me. It chipped away at the confidence I once had in my ability to navigate social interactions freely,” said Junior. “I’ve always taken pride in my warmth, my openness. But now I hesitate, second-guess my own instincts. Was I too naive? Too trusting? Too soft? This situation has made me want to build walls where there were once open doors. It has made me rethink my clothes, my movements, the simple act of existing in public.”