'Cuse Conversations

Despite growing up on Cayuga ancestral lands, one of the six nations that make up the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Native Americans in New York, Lorna Rose ’11, G’21 never really identified with her Native heritage. She was raised Italian American and always thought of her Italian roots when it came to her cultural heritage. But that perspective changed with the sudden passing of her older sister in 2020. That loss led Rose to a spiritual reawakening, cultivating an affinity for both her Native culture and her Native heritage. From the depths of sadness, Rose immersed herself in her Cayuga culture, reacclimating and reacquainting herself with her Native roots while rediscovering pride in belonging to the Cayuga Nation, the People of the Great Swamp. As the University community celebrates Native Heritage Month, Rose discusses her spiritual reawakening, the pride she feels through her Native heritage and culture, how the Syracuse University community helped her overcome depression and mental health issues, and why she’s eternally proud to be a Syracuse University alumna.

Adrian Autry ’94 came to Syracuse University from New York City as a talented men’s basketball recruit, a McDonald’s All-American who etched his name in the school’s record books as a prolific passer and tremendous defender during his four years on campus. Following a successful playing career that included stints in Europe and across North and South America, Autry embarked on his second act: as a basketball coach. He learned from one of the best, serving as an assistant and associate coach for his mentor, Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim '66, G'73, and in March, Autry was named the program's eighth head coach. Before the Orange open the season on Nov. 6, Autry discusses this exciting opportunity and why he’s ready to take over and make his mark on the program. Autry also reveals the lessons he's learned from Boeheim, why his team will be fast-paced on offense and tenacious on defense, recalls his favorite memories from his playing days, and shares why Syracuse has always felt like home.

"Look back. Act forward." Those words influence how Syracuse University's Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars honor and celebrate the lives of the people who were killed during the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the bombing, which claimed the lives of 270 people, including 35 Syracuse students who were on their way home following a semester abroad. Each October, the University community comes together during Remembrance Week events and activities—planned by that year’s cohort of Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars—to memorialize the victims and further educate the campus community about terrorism. Three alumni—Julie Friend '92 and Hannah (Visnosky) Rafferty ’16 and Luke Rafferty ’16—reflect on the significant impact the Remembrance Scholars program had on them, share their stories of why they wanted to become Remembrance Scholars, and explain how they continue to honor the lives of the University students who died on the flight.

Moving away from home and embarking on your Syracuse University journey can be a difficult time as students leave behind their families and friends and start a new chapter in their lives. On top of that, social anxiety among college students is at an all-time high. The mental health and well-being of Syracuse's students is a top priority for Carrie Brown, the Counseling Director at the Barnes Center at the Arch. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Brown addresses a topic that affects many of our students: social anxiety over making new friends and finding community on campus. Brown discusses the University's integrated health and wellness model for addressing mental health concerns, shares how the University focuses on a student's holistic development while remaining empathetic to their concerns, describes what sets Syracuse apart with its mental health resources, offers up tips for finding community and shares common mistakes students make when trying to make friends and develop their social circle.

Anish Shroff ’04 is the only minority radio play-by-play voice of a National Football League (NFL) team, but the landscape is changing, and Shroff feels proud when he looks around the sportscasting landscape and sees a plethora of talented South Asian broadcasters working for ESPN, MLB Network, Fox Sports, TNT and other national media outlets. It's a stark contrast from when Shroff was watching sports and saw the field dominated by white men. Growing up, Shroff was a sports-crazed kid, an avid baseball player, rabid collector of sports trading cards and someone who read the Newark Star-Ledger sports section cover-to-cover. He always wanted to be a sports broadcaster, and thanks to parents who supported his dreams, Shroff has realized those childhood dreams. Shroff is entering his second season calling Carolina Panthers games on the team’s network of radio stations, and he’s also handled play-by-play duties for ESPN’s coverage of college football, college basketball, men’s lacrosse and baseball. Shroff discusses his path to the NFL, how he cultivated his voice as a broadcaster, why he feels future sportscasters should embrace reading and learning history to help hone their on-air skills, and how he’s forever thankful that his immigrant parents encouraged him to pursue his sportscasting dreams.

The Syracuse University family is expanding, as more than 4,000 first-year students will move into their residence halls during Syracuse Welcome, the University’s annual new student orientation program, running Aug. 24-27. Syracuse Welcome represents the first steps in a student’s Syracuse journey, and the week-long orientation is filled with programs designed to make new students and their family members feel at home through engaging academic and social events, including New Student Convocation, a key component of Syracuse Welcome. Carrie Grogan Abbott G'03 is the director of new student programs, and her team strives to help students feel a sense of belonging to the Syracuse University community from their first day on campus. Abbott shares why Syracuse Welcome is the perfect way to introduce new students to campus, reflects on the Goon Squad's pivotal role during move-in, and offers advice to ensure move-in runs smoothly.

Ryan Smith '92 anchors ESPN’s flagship "SportsCenter" program, and he's a Sports Emmy-winning host of ESPN’s "Outside the Lines" and "E60." Smith also serves as a legal analyst for ESPN and ABC News. But his path to journalism was unorthodox. After earning his political science degree from the Maxwell School, Smith went on to earn his law degree from Columbia Law School. A successful practicing lawyer, Smith didn't feel satisfied, so he pivoted to pursue a career in television. The bet paid off. Today, Smith combines his love of law with his passion for journalism. Smith discusses his unusual career path and the skillsets from being a lawyer that carry over to journalism. He shares why he's forever curious about the stories he tells, how he enjoys making complicated issues easy for the audience to understand, the important role Syracuse University played in his life, and the best piece of advice he ever received.

Back in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide angst and turmoil, a show debuted on Apple TV+ that emphasized the importance of hope and believing in yourself. “Ted Lasso,” which recently concluded its third season, has been a feel-good television hit from the first episode. Early in the third season, the show introduced a new character, Zava, who was never lacking in confidence and self-belief. While Zava’s bravado jumps off the screen, fans of the show might not know that the real-life actor who plays Zava is Maximilian Osinski ’06, who never played a minute of soccer in his life. On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Osinski, who earned a bachelor's degree in drama from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, discusses his breakout role on “Ted Lasso” and how he overcame his doubts about whether he could play the world’s greatest soccer player. Osinski shares why Syracuse University was his dream school, recalls his first role in a major motion picture: as former Orange football standout Gerhard Schwedes '60 in the Ernie Davis '62 biopic, "The Express," explores how being born in a refugee camp to immigrant parents inspired him to pursue his dreams and more.

From an early age, Erykah Pasha ’24 has been driven to provide a voice for those who have been systematically oppressed and suppressed in her hometown of Syracuse, and she always knew Syracuse University was where she wanted to study. Enrolling in the dual degree political science and sociology program in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, Pasha credits the University for providing her with the resources and, more importantly, the opportunities to effect change. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Pasha, a Kessler Scholar and McNair Scholar, discusses her research, how she hopes to create change through this summer experience and how her time on campus helped her find her voice. As Pride Month is celebrated across the country, Pasha, who identifies as queer, shares how both the Intercultural Collective and the LGBTQ Resource Center play a pivotal role in her development as a campus leader and how the programs and engagement efforts offered through the LGBTQ Resource Center created a home-away-from-home atmosphere.

Instead of feeling pride over being the first member of his family to earn a college degree, Ruchatneet Printup '23 felt trapped in a dead-end job that lacked purpose, meaning and fulfillment after earning a biomedical computing degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1988. More than three decades later, after embarking on an unconventional path that took him from an office job in Philadelphia to serving his community as a non-profit advocate on the Tuscarora Reservation, Printup was driving a truck delivering the Buffalo News when he had a life-changing epiphany. As he meditated, he realized he needed to pursue his passions and return to school to earn a film degree. This week, Printup will graduate from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) with a film degree. One of 12 University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows, Printup has made the most of his second undergraduate experience. A Haudenosaunee Promise Scholar, Printup plans on using his degree to ensure more Native Americans' voices and stories are represented in film. Printup shares how he will make a difference as a film director, how the University's well-rounded course load made him a better storyteller, and why as soon as he walked into his first class at Syracuse he knew he was where he was meant to be. Printup, who says he had to venture outside of his comfort zone and become fearless while making the difficult adjustment of going back to college later in life, shares how he inspired his daughter, Gehnew, to follow his lead and pursue her dreams as a fashion design student in VPA.

The United Kingdom is about to hold the country’s first elections where voters are required to show ID when they vote. The reason behind the policy change is a growing mistrust in the election process, and the new laws closely follow those in the U.S. Gretchen Coleman '22, who is currently pursuing a master's degree in political science, democracy and elections at the University of Manchester, has researched voter ID laws in the U.S. Now, she’s shifting her focus to U.K. elections, thanks to a Fulbright postgraduate award. Coleman will analyze materials sent to voters informing them of the policy change to examine how well-informed voters were about the policy shift. Coleman’s findings will be used for a report on how the U.K. can improve its elections. Coleman stops by to discuss her research and how she became interested in politics and elections, compares voter ID laws in the U.S. with the U.K., addresses the growing concern in the U.S. over voters not trusting election results, and shares how she wants to use this research to make election laws less discriminatory and more representative.

April is a time for the Syracuse University community to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This year’s theme is “Community Coming Together: Strength in Unity," representing the University's diverse AAPI community uniting across our differences to demonstrate they are a strong voice that can face challenges together. It's an important and timely theme, especially following the challenges of the last three years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a troubling rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and bias incidents. On this student-centric 'Cuse Conversation, we hear from AAPI Planning Committee members MaryKate Keevins '24, who is studying television, radio and film in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School, and Lia Margolis ’23, a student in the School of Architecture. They discuss planning this year’s celebrations, why they wanted to get involved, what their cultural heritage means to them and how their time at Syracuse University helped them discover more about their identities.

Bob Costas '74 grew up idolizing New York Yankees' Hall of Fame outfielder Mickey Mantle, and he loved listening to baseball on the radio. When he arrived at Syracuse University in the fall of 1970, Costas just wanted to one day land a radio play-by-play job in baseball. Little did Costas know he would one day wind up in Cooperstown as a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer alongside Mantle and his childhood heroes. Costas' broadcasting career has included winning 28 Emmy Awards, calling 12 Olympics, and covering multiple World Series, Super Bowls and NBA Finals. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Costas discusses his love for baseball and the new rules changes meant to speed up the pace of play, reveals which broadcasters inspired him, remembers thinking his career was doomed to fail after hearing his first sportscast, shares how WAER and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications helped him develop his voice and his style, and relives his most memorable sportscasting moments.

Brianna Sclafani L’23, G’23 is a 3L law student in Syracuse University’s College of Law, graduate student in the Maxwell School’s master of public administration program, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Global Rights and Organizations/Impunity Watch and chair of the University’s inaugural Community Review Board. The Community Review Board (CRB) was established in 2021 following an independent review of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) by former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and is responsible for providing oversight for key DPS functions that impact the University community. Growing up in Newtown, Connecticut, and attending Virginia Tech as an undergraduate, Sclafani’s life has been irrevocably influenced by the gun violence that has impacted her communities. Her decision to pursue a career in law and her ongoing commitment to public service and giving back were inspired by these events. Sclafani discusses her experience as a student in the J.D./M.P.A. joint degree program, the work of the CRB, and ways students, faculty and staff can get involved in its mission to improve transparency, accountability and community relations on campus.

Like most children, Thomas Wilson '23 grew up watching television. But his preferred shows weren't cartoons. Rather, he loved watching the local and national newscasts, dreaming of one day being a reporter. A senior studying broadcast and digital journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Wilson is now living out his dreams, thanks to Syracuse University and its InclusiveU program, which brings students of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to campus to experience college life in a fully inclusive setting because of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education. Wilson recently was named one of this year's recipients of the Unsung Hero Award in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A news anchor on Citrus TV, Wilson is also the executive producer and creator of “Thomas on the Town”, a show where Wilson interviews University community members. He is a leader who inspires colleagues and community members to be better.

For the last 19 years, the WellsLink Leadership Program has transformed the lives of first-year students of color at Syracuse University through mentoring and a series of structured academic, social and cultural enrichment activities. Scholars like Josh Ortega '25 and Sophia Moore '25 achieve success and develop into leaders on campus through their time in WellsLink, a nationally-recognized leadership program. Ortega and Moore stop by to discuss how the program facilitated their transition from high school to college, how they honed their leadership and academic skills, how they thrived through hands-on peer mentoring, and why they are driven to make a positive impact in their communities through their experiences with WellsLink.

Ian McIntyre took over the Syracuse University men’s soccer program in 2010, and the Orange won five matches combined over his first two years. But from the moment he assumed the role of head coach, McIntyre has been building up the program, and on Dec. 12, his team reached the pinnacle, claiming Syracuse's first national championship thanks to a thrilling win over Indiana University in penalty kicks. The dramatic performance in the championship of the College Cup was the perfect ending to the best season in school history, as the Orange claimed this year’s national championship, ACC postseason tournament title, and the ACC regular season division championship. McIntyre relives the night Syracuse was crowned champions of the collegiate soccer world, shares how his student-athletes and coaches celebrated their national title, recounts when he felt his team was capable of making a deep run in the postseason, discusses the vital role support from the campus community and alumni played in the team's postseason run, and more!

As she looks to make her mark on the Syracuse University women's ice hockey team, Britni Smith, just the second head coach in program history, is relying on a key principle that helped the Orange soar to new heights in recent seasons: No one will outwork the Orange. Smith comes to Syracuse with a decorated resume, excelling as both a defenseman with St. Lawrence University and an accomplished assistant coach at Clarkson University and with Hockey Canada. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Smith discusses why she wanted to become the Orange's next head coach, how she relates to her student-athletes, how she created a team-first culture and what makes Syracuse University a special place. Smith also shares her coaching philosophy, why she's a talented recruiter, what it was like to earn her first win with the Orange and how she fell in love with hockey while playing on a homemade rink in her hometown of Port Perry, Ontario.

Diane Schenandoah ’11 joined the staff at Syracuse University last July as Honwadiyenawa’sek—the Haudenosaunee word for “one who helps them.” Firmly rooted in her Haudenosaunee heritage—her mother was a clan mother of Oneida Nation’s wolf clan; her father an Onondaga Nation chief—Schenandoah brings teachings of gratitude, faith, peace and inner resilience to students who meet with her. As Honwadiyenawa’sek, she offers a range of healing modalities, including energy work and acupressure, art therapy, dream interpretation, tuning forks, and ritualistic smudging with sage and tobacco, to help students find their center in today’s hectic world. On this ’Cuse Conversation, Shenandoah shares about her life growing up on Oneida Nation lands with her close-knit family; her spiritual principles and practices; her role as faithkeeper; her art and singing careers; and her experience at Syracuse since joining the team at the Barnes Center.

Food was always at the epicenter of Ashia Aubourg's '18 life, and she dreamed of being a chef until an experience at an award-winning restaurant in Boston helped Aubourg realize an important lesson: not everyone has the same access to food. Aubourg started thinking about food inequality and food justice, and headed to Syracuse University to be one of the first students in Falk College's fledgling food studies program. Today, Aubourg serves as the lead of Asana's global culinary program, blending her love of food and communications with a drive to empower her community. Aubourg discusses food justice and food insecurity and how these issues affect millions of Americans, how food plays an important role when it comes to social justice, healing and culture, how she's helping to mobilize Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)-owned businesses to help everyone gain access to healthy and nutritious food, and how her time at Syracuse University helped fuel her passions.

As a student at Oberlin College, Ethan Bair experienced such a meaningful connection with Hillel and with his rabbi that he was inspired to become a rabbi. Something about building community and teaching the ways of the Torah to college students resonated with Bair, who earlier this summer was named Hillel at Syracuse University's new rabbi and will serve as Jewish chaplain at Hendricks Chapel. An accomplished Jewish community leader, Rabbi Bair shares how he assists with the holistic development of Syracuse University's Jewish students, why he's passionate about forming meaningful connections and impactful relationships with the campus community, the importance of finding your joy and passion, and why being part of the multi-faith community at Hendricks Chapel is such a blessing.

The Office of Community Engagement is hosting Food Insecurity Awareness Week to raise awareness about food insecurity issues on the Syracuse University campus and in the city of Syracuse. On this 'Cuse Conversation, we spotlight the incredible, data-driven work being done on campus to address food insecurity and food justice. Colleen Heflin, associate dean, chair and professor in the Maxwell School’s Public Administration and International Affairs (PAIA) department, and Len Lopoo, a Maxwell PAIA professor and Director of the Maxwell X Lab, explain how the Maxwell School and the Maxwell X Lab partner with respected public policy leaders on campus to study human behavior, turning policy into practice to combat food insecurity and other issues affecting our citizens.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Syracuse University women’s volleyball program has a new head coach: Bakeer Ganesharatnam, the seventh women's volleyball coach in school history. Ganesharatnam boasts an impressive coaching resume and has a reputation for helping student-athletes achieve success on the court and in the classroom. Ganesharatnam discusses what made the position so appealing, why he was the right person to lead the Orange, how he'll use analytics to help his team get better, how he develops a positive team culture, and why his team enjoys a unique home-court advantage.

Leaving behind your family and friends and embarking on your Syracuse University journey can feel daunting to both the student and their family members. As the University prepares to welcome thousands of first-year students to campus for Syracuse Welcome, we invited Amie Freling '89, a well-known interior decorator, home décor expert and social media influencer, to share her tips on how to take a residence hall room and make it feel like home. Freling, who earned a bachelor's degree in illustration and design from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has a keen eye for taking spaces and sprucing them up, adding life and color to even the most drab of rooms. The owner and operator of Meme Hill Studios outside of Rochester, Freling discusses how to decorate a room on any budget, the importance of going vertical to maximize the room's space and storage, how accent pieces can make a room feel more welcoming, how to add color to any room and common mistakes for parents and students to avoid when it comes to decorating.

More than 12 million Ukrainians have fled their home since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the sovereign nation on Feb. 24. Facing a violent present and an uncertain future, the fates of these women, children and elderly Ukrainians is up in the air. But one organization is providing medical assistance to these refugees: Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders as it is known in the United States. Sana Bég ’04 is the director of communications for Doctors Without Borders in South Asia. Bég discusses how Doctors Without Borders assisted those Ukrainian refugees, the atrocities her organization witnessed while providing relief, and the toll the war has taken on these citizens. A proud member of an Orange Legacy family— Bég is one of four Syracuse graduates in her family— Bég shares how Syracuse helped her discover more about her identity and cultivate her storytelling skills, why she wanted to be a voice for the voiceless, and why she became forever curious.

As the United States celebrates Pride Month, the 'Cuse Conversations podcast wanted to spotlight the LGBTQ+ community here at Syracuse University. Alex Middleton '22 recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology from the communication sciences and disorders program in the College of Arts & Sciences. Alex discusses how they knew since middle school they wanted to be a speech pathologist, providing people with the voice to advocate for themselves. They share how a paperweight convinced them to travel across the country and pursue their speech pathology degree at Syracuse, and why the University’s LGBTQ resource center provided a home and a solid support system on campus. Note: This podcast includes discussion of potentially sensitive topics. Please listen with care.

Dino Babers is a family man. Entering his seventh season as Syracuse University's head football coach, Babers has always preached the value and importance of family as Syracuse’s head coach. On a special Father's Day 'Cuse Conversation, Babers shares stories from a childhood spent growing up on a military base with a father, Luther, who served in the Navy for 21 years, how that upbringing influenced his coaching style and how his father taught him discipline. Babers also shares why he treats his football team as a second family (Babers admits he has "104 stepsons" under his watch) and how his life forever changed when the first of his four daughters, Breeahnah, was born.

Father Gerry Waterman has been making a difference in the lives of Catholic students on the Syracuse University campus since 2016. As the University's Catholic Chaplain, Father Gerry brings people together for sermons and service, and he is proud to share his faith with the campus community. Father Gerry discusses how the Catholic Center provided a sense of community to Syracuse students during the pandemic, how a fateful encounter while out for a run convinced him to join the Syracuse University community, why he was beyond humbled to receive the Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award and why he's passionate about making wine.

After spending the last 25 years in leadership roles in higher education, Mary Grace Almandrez takes over on June 1 as Syracuse University’s new vice president for diversity and inclusion. Almandrez discusses why she is so passionate about making the Syracuse University campus a welcoming place for all, shares what diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility means to her, and explains why the Filipino phrase "Bayanihan" (building community) has played such an important role in her life.