“We’re all competitive,” said John Wallace ’96, a former member of the Syracuse men’s basketball team. “That’s why we came to Syracuse.”

Wallace is part of a large group of returning Syracuse University athletes participating in the CBT Celebrity Classic basketball game on Sept. 12. The game is part of . Every three years, Black and Latino alumni come back to campus to celebrate their accomplishments, meet current students and remain connected with the University.

On Tuesday, organizers revealed the list of returning athletes who plan to be on hand for the game. Among them is Vera “Sweet V” Jones ’88, a Syracuse Hall of Fame basketball player. Jones joined the news conference from Florida, pausing briefly to mention she was still getting alerts in the wake of Hurricane Debby passing nearby.

“Speaking of which, I plan to be a hurricane on the mic and am very excited to be coming back,” said Jones, who will serve as game announcer. “This game is for those who can walk the walk. I can talk the talk and that’s what I plan to do.”

Rachel Vassel ’91, associate vice president from the Office of Multicultural Advancement, mentioned that while players enjoy coming back to play against one another, there is a real excitement for being back in front of the fans.

“Fans in Syracuse have rallied behind our teams, and we consistently hear from those who have played in previous CBT Celebrity Classics about their fond memories of playing before the home crowd,” Vassel said.

“When we think about community and bringing people together, Syracuse University athletics has a very strong attraction, and at the heart of it are the men and women who left it on the court and the field,” said Melanie Littlejohn, president and CEO of CNY Community Foundation and a sponsor of CBT. “The excitement that Syracuse athletics has brought to this community is something the Community Foundation wanted to get behind because we recognize that together we are absolutely stronger.”

And of course, about family.

“It’s all that brotherhood and sisterhood from being at Syracuse,” said John Wallace, “and bleeding Orange.”

Tickets for the game are available at or 888-DomeTix (366.3849).

The net portion of the proceeds from the CBT Celebrity Classic Basketball Game will support the Women’s Basketball Head Coach’s Fund.

Partial roster of participants:

• Billy Owens (Men’s Basketball)
• John Wallace (Men’s Basketball)
• Lawrence Moten (Men’s Basketball)
• Lazarus Sims (Men’s Basketball)
• EJ Dowdell (Football)
• Will Hunter (Football)
• Vera Jones (Women’s Basketball)
• Mookie Jones (Men’s Basketball)
• Scoop Jardine (Men’s Basketball)
• Tyus Battle (Men’s Basketball)
• Naje Murray (Women’s Basketball)
• Jason Poles (Football)
• Dave Byrd (Football)
• Roxi McNabb (Women’s Basketball)
• Mark Pryor (Track and Field)
• Maurice Jackson (Football)
• Iasia Hemmingway (Women’s Basketball)
• Brandon Triche (Men’s Basketball)
• John Bol (Men’s Basketball)
• Isis Young (Women’s Basketball)
• Elimu Nelson (Men’s Basketball)
• Patrice Brown (Women’s Basketball)
• Gabriel Cooper (Women’s Basketball)
• Artie Vaughn (Track and Field)
• Dwayne Murray (Track and Field)

Tony Callisto

As more than 10,000 athletes have prepared to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, so too have the security personnel tasked with keeping the Olympic Village and athletic venues safe.

Tony Callisto, emergency management instructor and retired Syracuse University senior vice president for safety and chief law enforcement officer, has had plenty of experience managing large-scale events, including concerts and athletic events at the JMA Wireless Dome.

SU News sat down with Callisto to ask him for his thoughts on security needs for the Olympics and what it takes to be a good candidate for a career in emergency management.

As someone who has been involved in large-scale event planning, what is the number one thing that keeps you up at night?

Having been involved in many major and large-scale events, the number one thing that would tend to keep me up at night would be the possibility of the need for a mass evacuation or an incident of mass casualties. In planning for these types of events, having a multi-phased evacuation plan with detailed evacuation routes, locations for post-evacuation mustering/areas of refuge and ensuring event staff are fully trained on the evacuation protocols are critical for preparation.

Further, in these types of incidences, it is possible that there would be mass casualties, therefore having a preplan with appropriate medical responder staffing in place is also critical to the success of a large event.

Those in charge of security in Paris have openly discussed their top concern of terrorism. Businesses in the region are worried that tight security will hurt their bottom line. How do you balance the two?

(Credit: Paris 2024/pawel.gaul/Florian Hulleu)

As we think about the Paris Olympics, as with any major international event, the possibility of intentional disruption or even an act of terrorism has to be considered in planning.��There are several key elements in security planning, including full threat assessment and analysis, full vulnerability assessment of the venues and protocols for the event, and development of strategies to limit access to only those authorized to be present, and ensuring each of those who are present undergo security screening at specifically designated access points.

In my experience, the less access points there are the better; however, understanding that there will be a significant number of spectators, there needs to be enough controlled access points to accommodate the volume and account for the possibility of the need for evacuating.

All of this does have to be balanced with the enjoyment of the spectators and participants, the ability of businesses to provide services and support the spectators and participants, and limiting the disruption to unrelated businesses impacted by the significant increase in activity and volume in the area.

Without a doubt, as with any major event, there will be business interruptions associated with traffic, street closures, extraordinary building uses, heavy pedestrian activity and increased security measures. The best plans will include sufficient event staffing and training to make the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, spectator access and security processes occur as seamlessly and efficiently as possible.

When an anomaly occurs, there must be a sufficient and swift response from authorities with an immediate focus on protecting life and property, and an urgent secondary focus on recovery and resumption of activities. All of this requires mitigation strategies, preparedness, response capabilities and recovery capacity.

A secondary concern this year is a shortage of security contractors. Is workforce always a concern in public safety?

Of course, in this post-pandemic era, recruitment, training and retention of qualified personnel to provide event-related services and security is a public safety concern. Planners must ensure that there are sufficient financial and benefit incentives to attract qualified and competent event staff. Planners will also have to ensure that training provided to event staff is robust and relevant to the risks, as well as to the services necessary for the success of any major event.

With today’s incredible technology, high resolution video surveillance, paired with behavioral pattern recognition and other analytics, will be a significant force multiplier. Likewise, interoperable radio communications will enable those operating the camera and imaging systems to relay live time critical information to security and law enforcement staff on the ground for rapid response.

All of this requires outstanding leadership and the use of a well-coordinated and integrated “unified command,” including leadership representation from law enforcement, security, event management, fire and emergency medical services organizations.

With regard to the day-to-day staffing needed for general public safety, the same staffing concerns are common around the U.S. and abroad. There are no simple answers, so making these jobs as attractive as possible tend to be the necessary actions to minimize the problem, and ensuring a well-coordinated command structure, using the newest proven security technologies, will help to keep the athletes, fans and community members safe.

You teach classes in emergency management in the College of Professional Studies. What are the qualities of your most successful students?

I find the most successful students in classes about crisis and emergency management tend to be those students who are excellent critical thinkers, have a sense of vision and purpose, and understand the importance of mission.

In the emergency management and crisis management disciplines, mitigation through risk identification and analysis, preparedness through development of protocols and conducting drills and training, response capabilities, and a forward focus on recovery tend to be key components.��Students who can think critically, have excellent writing skills and have efficacy to consider appropriate contingencies, tend to excel in crisis and emergency management studies.

Mike Tirico ’88, NBC’s voice of the Olympics, talks about getting ready for the games, his commitment to helping our young broadcast students and his love for Syracuse University.

When the Olympic Games begin later this month, one of the University’s best-known alums will be front and center. In many ways it’s a role Mike Tirico ’88 knew he wanted at an early age.

“My mom will tell you, even as a little kid, I was walking around pretending to be a sportscaster,” he says. “This is what I wanted to do in life.”

As the athletes prepare for competition, Tirico is preparing to anchor NBC’s daily Olympics coverage as he’s done since 2016. But as most broadcast fans know, Olympics studio host is only part of the Tirico portfolio, which includes “Sunday Night Football,” PGA golf, and thoroughbred and Indy racing among others. Those sports he knows well. This summer he’ll be put to the test with new Olympic sports, all while trying to avoid making waves.

“Surfing is happening in Tahiti at the Olympics, I put up my hand to volunteer to be the surfing correspondent,” says Tirico, who adds with a smile that “for some reason, they went with Colin Jost from ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I don’t know what I should read into that but it’s fine.”

Break dancing is another sport new to the games and according to Tirico a sign of the athletic times. “It does speak to what the Olympics does in trying to reach out to new generations and keep the youth of the world involved,” he says. “There was a time that snowboarding came in the Olympics and people were asking why. Now, snowboarding is one of the cornerstones of the Winter Olympics.”

In this “’Cuse Conversations” podcast, Tirico talks about getting ready for the games, his sleep schedule while in Paris (it’s rough), his commitment to helping our young broadcast students and, as a first-generation student who met and married his wife here, his love for Syracuse University.

Check out podcast featuring Tirico. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

What are your most memorable moments from the Games?

This would be the fifth Olympic Games I cover, the fourth as the primetime host and watching Americans win gold medals in person, those stick out for me. When we say the Olympics brings the world together, I don’t mean to be too Pollyanna about it because the Olympics are flawed in many ways, they are impacted by politics and corruption and all this stuff that’s happened, those stories have been well reported for years. But just the fact that there’s somebody in South Sudan who is training the same way somebody is training in South San Francisco for the same event and they get to meet in the middle and figure out who’s better, that’s still really freaking cool for me.

With 30 different Olympic sports and more than 10,000 athletes, and knowing your busy sports coverage schedule, how do you find the time to prepare?

Mike Tirico

If I’ve learned anything, it’s you can’t be prepared for everything at the Olympics. The key is to know how to access it and, oftentimes, that is our research team. The unheralded heroes of Olympic coverage for generations have been and continue to be the research teams who work year-round on the details of the competition.

In the lead up to it, it’s go over all the stuff so you know where it is but don’t memorize it because you can’t. You can’t know everything about each of the 10,000-plus athletes or every sport, all the 200-plus countries or delegations that will come down the river, in this case, the opening ceremony in France.

So, it is learn how to prepare for it and really focus in on the stuff we cover the most—swimming, ��gymnastics, track and field, basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s soccer. Know that and then know the big athletes, the 50 or so that will become somewhat familiar names to households around America.

In many ways you are not starting from scratch here, are you?

You’re not starting from zero, you’re starting from, “Okay, I remember this in Tokyo and let’s just build on that.” And I think, during the years now as well, maybe I wouldn’t have been paying attention to the world swimming championships that were on, but now that I know this is my job and I’m getting ready for this Olympics, which gets you ready for the next one, you pay more attention. The global athletes, international athletes are on my radar way before I open up a book and say, “Okay, today is swimming day, let’s start cramming for swimming.” It helps significantly to have some gray hair in the chair.

Mike, you and I have been friends for many years, having worked together at WTVH in Syracuse. If we could go back, what would you say to young Mike, the sportscaster at TV5?

I wish I could tell younger Mike to have a little broader view and be adventurous more. I think being adventurous as a journalist is impactful and I think, over time, we start to feel that a bit more. I think you know you’ve done the job, you’ve established yourself. It’s so hard to fake confidence but that’s what you have to do at an early age. I’m 21, 22, here I am trying to ask Jim Boeheim a question. Jim Boeheim, at that point, knew a thousand times more about basketball than I did and I’m trying to ask an impactful question and make a difference and I wish I would’ve had a little more ability to fake my confidence and get through that stuff back then. And that, if you’re prepared, you’re going to be all right and you don’t have to doubt yourself.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

“If there’s a perception that something was going on specifically to gambling, from a marketing standpoint that could be huge,” Meluni says. “If there is any sort of tie, New Balance may immediately say, ‘That’s it, we’ve severed our relationship because of a morality clause that we have in our contract.’”

David Tarleton

Nominations for the Academy Awards were released earlier this week with immediate feedback regarding who made the list and who was left off. According to , it’s pretty typical for Oscar season.

“Like every year, the nominations for the Academy Awards had some great choices and highlights, but also some obvious oversights,” says Tarleton, chair of the Department of Film and Media Arts and a professor of film in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

��“’Oppenheimer’s’ 13 nominations makes it the one to beat this season. The Christopher Nolan directed film has been dominating the awards season so far. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ received 11 nominations, and ‘Barbie’ was nominated eight times,” says Tarleton, who is an Emmy-nominated producer, director and editor, having created programs for Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers and more.

��“The surprise that has the internet in an uproar is that Margot Robbie was not nominated for best actress and Greta Gerwig was not nominated for best director for ‘Barbie,’ the biggest movie of the year. There is a terrible irony in a film about the patriarchy having Ryan Gosling as Ken be nominated for an Academy Award but not the women who are producer/star or co-writer/director. ‘Barbie’ was nominated for best picture, and you can’t make a film without a director. Greta Gerwig was central to conceiving and creating ‘Barbie,’ and it really does feel like a snub,” says Tarleton. “I feel that ‘Barbie’ was an incredible accomplishment, especially considering that it was a corporate product made about a doll, where Gerwig found a way to really say something meaningful, in a wildly entertaining way.” Tarleton added that Fantasia Barrino’s not being nominated for “The Color Purple”��was also widely seen as a snub.��

Tarleton also points out that “Lily Gladstone makes history by being nominated for best actress in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ This is the first time a Native American has been nominated for that award, although the first Indigenous best actress nomination was Keisha Castle-Hughes in 2003 for ‘Whale Rider.’�� And Jodie Foster is the first out LGBTQ+ woman to be nominated for playing an explicitly lesbian character, in ‘Nyad.’ Colman Domingo in ‘Rustin’��is only the second openly gay man to receive an Oscar nomination for playing a gay character. In a context where many straight actors have received awards for playing gay characters, it is due time to celebrate authentic representation.”

“I am personally excited about the documentary short film nomination for ‘Island in Between,’ directed by a former film school classmate of mine, the remarkable filmmaker, S. Leo Chiang. Go Leo,” Tarleton says.��

Overall, Tarleton, like most movie fans, is looking forward to the big night when the Oscar’s are awarded, on Sunday, March 10, on CBS.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Sidat-Singh’s death, which occurred a year after his entry into the U.S. military. Following rigorous testing, he joined the elite Tuskegee Airmen. His P-40 fighter went down during a training mission in 1943, killing the young airman, just four years after earning a bachelor’s degree from the .

Sidat-Singh’s life and legacy was recently honored during an event at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building (NVRC), marking the 75th anniversary of desegregation of the U.S. military.

Even so, much of Sidat-Singh’s life remains undocumented. Award-winning journalist and author Scott Pitoniak ’77 and , the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the , have written a years-in-the-making book that fills in the blanks of Sidat-Singh’s extraordinary but largely forgotten life.

Predicated on extensive research and interviews, their historical novel, “,” recently was published by Amplify/Subplot and is available online and in bookstores. The book was unveiled during the NVRC event, at which both authors discussed this remarkable student, athlete and veteran.

This comes following a report from the Illinois state attorney general on the likelihood of widespread clergy abuse. The report indicates that more than 450 adult Catholic clerics and religious brothers sexually abused almost 2,000 children across that state over a 90-year period.

Genovese

, assistant teaching professor of social work in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, who also maintains a private practice helping young people, says these revelations are added to a long list of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy against vulnerable children who put their trust in their religious leaders, only to find that trust violated.

“The effects of sexual abuse are far-reaching, resulting in such emotional and behavioral symptoms as sleep disturbance, nightmares, appetite disturbance, impaired relationships, anxiety, depression, lack of self-worth, low self-esteem, anger, substance abuse, self-injury and suicidality,” says Genovese, a certified social worker who adds that abuse by clergy adds another element to the trauma of sexual abuse.��“The betrayal of trust by a religious leader may damage the victim’s faith and spiritual life. This trauma may extend beyond the victim to the family, who may have taught the child to trust the religious leaders, and who also put their faith and trust in them.”

According to Genovese, “it is crucial that victims of sexual abuse, past or present, reach out for help and support. As the most recent cases in Illinois demonstrate, the effects of sexual abuse may be life long, but help and support are available and can bring healing and recovery for survivors and their families.”

Monster Jam: With Monster Jam taking over the JMA Wireless Dome, parking changes are set to be in effect on Saturday, April 8. All campus parking lots will be restricted to Dome event permits, so if you need to park for academic reasons, Syracuse University parking permits will be honored at the University Avenue Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage, and Harrison lot. For the event itself, your Syracuse University permit will be honored in the Comstock lot, Colvin lot and Skytop lot.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert: If you’re planning on attending the Friday, April 14 concert, please be aware that all campus lots will be restricted, and valid Syracuse University permits will only be honored at University Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage and Skytop lot. If you need to be on campus for academic reasons and are arriving after 2 p.m., please use the University Avenue or Comstock Avenue garages.

Block Party: For Block Party on Friday, April 28, the Quad lot will be closed to all Quad permit holders, with limited space available for those with accessible parking permits. Quad permits will be honored in the other campus lots on a space-available basis. The blue and orange shuttles will continue their route to the Quad lot.

Commencement Weekend: Lastly, for Commencement on May 13-14, please note that on Saturday, May 13, home lot parking permits for the Quad, Lyman-Hinds lot, Carnegie and Barnes will only be honored on a space-available basis due to Convocation activities. For Commencement on Sunday, May 14, parking lots will be restricted to special event passes until 1 p.m. Restricted parking locations include the Quad, Lyman-Hinds, Carnegie, Barnes Arch lot, Irving garage, Women’s North and Hillside. If you have a “home lot” permit for these locations and need to park on Sunday, parking is available on a space-available basis at University Avenue Garage, Comstock Garage, University North, University South and Harrison lot. The Comstock and Colvin lots, along with West campus parking locations, will not be restricted.

Brad Horn

, professor of public relations in the Newhouse School and former VP of communications for the Baseball Hall of Fame

“The reality is that for the game to navigate a 162-game regular season, change is essential to the sport’s relevancy. Change is overdue, and change is good.

“Ironically, baseball was never meant to be played over a span of more than three hours. Efficiency has been the ultimate reward: the shortest effort between 27 outs typically signals victory.

“But somewhere along the way, the game itself slowed to a crawl while the rest of the world ran out of patience. As sports fans, we crave efficiency: the two-minute drill, the last-second possession, the power play. Yet baseball has continued to rely on the timeless nature of the game. While redeeming, good only for the few who can afford to wait.

“The reality is that the game can no longer stand on history and tradition alone to be relevant. The raw numbers just don’t matter as much as they once did. But the excitement of baseball—a thrilling postseason, a dramatic walk-off, an incredible World Baseball Classic—are the moments that matter more today. Creating more shareable moments is central to the game’s growth and future.”

Jason Maddox

, assistant professor of sport management in the Falk College with a teaching specialty in analytics

“I do not believe the new rules will have a very large effect on the way the game is played. There may be some minor growing pains for pitchers with the pitch clock early on in the season, but many players have already played with a pitch clock instituted in the minor leagues since the 2015 season. As with any rule change or emphasis, I envision the umpires will enforce the changes more strictly at the beginning of the season, but I would expect there to be a lot of leeway on the new rules once September and October roll around.

“I think that the biggest change in the game for this season will be a lot more action occurring on the basepaths with stolen base attempts. Limited pitcher disengagements and larger bases will make it much more difficult for pitchers to hold runners, and therefore increase stolen base successes along with attempts.”

Jeremy Losak

, assistant professor of sport management in the Falk College and former baseball analytics consultant

“MLB rule changes will do exactly what the league wants them to do: make the game of baseball more interesting and enjoyable to watch. The new rules also allow for more diversity in play styles.

“Starting with the new pickoff rules and larger bases (and pitch timer, to some extent). Analytical thinking had mostly killed the stolen base because the potential cost of getting an out outweighed the benefit of gaining the extra base. These new rules reduce the likelihood of recording an out when attempting to steal (we do not know by how much just yet, but some expect the effect to be huge), which should lead to significantly more attempts to steal bases.

“This, in turn, impacts the marginal impact of a single and reduces the marginal impact of a walk. Generally, it takes three singles to score a run (if only singles are hit). With increased stealing, it may only take two singles to score a run. This makes singles hitting more valuable than it was previously, and more importantly, it decreases the value of the home run relative to the single. Combine this with the new shift restrictions, increasing the likelihood that a ball hit on the ground results in a hit, hitting for contact in general, as opposed to hitting for power, should become much more prevalent. Now combine this with less dead time, and there should be much more in-game action this season.

“I also anticipate lineup management, and specifically the role analytics plays in lineup management, to be even more crucial this year. With multiple home run jacking individuals in the lineup, the key objective in past years would typically be to get people on base so home runs do more damage, leading to fairly simple lineup strategies (and incentivizing walks, i.e., not swinging). With more diverse outcomes, and more hits in play as opposed to home runs, player sequencing will be especially critical to get right. I expect there will be a general reversion toward more traditional lineup setups (speed hitter no. 1, best contact hitter no. 2, best overall hitter no. 3, best power hitter no. 4) as opposed to what we have seen more recently (best OBP player no. 1, best overall hitter no. 2).

“Of course, there will be bugs to work out, especially as teams find loopholes in the pitch clock and shift rules. Teams will spend the early part of the season trying to identify the optimal aggressiveness on the basepaths, and pitchers will continue getting accustomed to working under time duress. The pickoff rule is wonky, which is part of the reason stolen base rates should go up significantly. At this point, it is not clear if everyone will run more, if just the top players will run more or if everyone will see some sort of proportional increase in their baserunning aggressiveness. Again, part of that will work itself out during the early part of the season. Teams will surely review early season data very closely. Although I do expect catchers who can throw out runners will be more greatly compensated and sought after.

“I expect more runs to be scored despite a slight decrease in home runs (unless MLB messes with the aerodynamics of the baseball again). And the pitch clock has already shown evidence (in the minors and spring training) of being successful in its endeavor: to cut down on dead time in baseball games. Games will go much quicker but will also see more action. I am concerned about how the pace-of-play rules will impact pitcher durability, health and player safety. These rules may continue to push us away from the traditional starting pitcher. In fact, I wonder if this will be the next area of the game that is targeted for rule changes: the number of pitchers allowed to be brought in during a game.”

To request interviews with the professors or get more information, members of the media can contact:

Keith Kobland
Associate Director of Media Relations, Division of Communications
Phone: 315.415.8095
Email: kkobland@syr.edu

Rachael Goodwin

The research team, which included Rachael Goodwin, assistant professor of management in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; Samantha Dodson, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of British Columbia; and Kristina Diekmann and Jesse Graham, professors from the University of Utah, focused on recent well-publicized cases of sexual harassment.

“We show that third parties—or people like you and me who watched the #MeToo Movement happen—evaluate victims and perpetrators based on their moral values,” says Goodwin. “These moral concerns can bias our emotional responses, credibility judgments and motivations to resolve injustice either in favor of the accused or the accuser. For example, we found that people who highly endorse values such as deference to authority, in-group loyalty and purity tend to be more likely to support the perpetrator rather than the victim.”

Workplace sexual misconduct perpetuates costly gender inequality at work and in society. Efforts to encourage reporting of gender-based discrimination (e.g., sexual misconduct) at work have increased; however, victims who report sexual misconduct in organizations often face significant sanctions for doing so.

Women who make sexual misconduct complaints often experience organizational and third-party retaliation for reporting misconduct (involuntary transfer, poor performance appraisals, job loss, ostracism), which can take a severe toll on their well-being. In contrast, men accused of engaging in sexual misconduct rarely experience transfers or terminations and are less likely to be terminated or resign than their victims.

Further, termination of those accused of sexual misconduct may not prevent perpetrators from gaining power in other organizations. Although there are recent high-profile cases in the media of men accused of sexual misconduct facing significant penalties, suggesting that organizational responses to sexual harassment allegations have changed following the #MeToo Movement, most of the accused escaped repercussions altogether or recovered from this career setback within a few short years.

This new research explains one reason this may be happening by showing that some people, including managers, may be morally biased against sexual harassment victims and in favor of accused perpetrators.

The work was inspired by courageous women, like Christine Blasey-Ford, who publicly came forward with #MeToo accusations, despite the “himpathetic” individuals they were likely to encounter.

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

The shooting death of a broadcast news reporter and wounding of his photographer in Orlando, Florida, is gaining the attention of S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications faculty.

Dylan Lyons was one of three people shot to death by a gunman, including a young girl and her mother. A news photographer was also wounded in the attack. Lyons and photographer Jesse Walden, who was wounded, were reporting on another story when the shooting occurred.

“The Tully Center for Free Speech mourns the loss of Florida reporter Dylan Lyons and the wounding of his photographer Jesse Walden. Even in seemingly safe places, reporters encounter danger,” says Associate Professor Roy Gutterman, who serves as director of the Tully Center for Free Speech.�� “We are inured to reports of journalists being harmed in war zones or hotspots around the world. It is troubling when this happens in our backyards. More details will emerge on this senseless killing but this is another example of the risks reporters face to gather the news.”

Immediately after the shooting, Newhouse faculty started exchanging emails and reaching out to former Newhouse students who work in the Orlando TV market. Several students work at competing stations and knew Lyons well.

“A small news world means this is going to touch all of us in one way or another,” says Associate Professor Keren Henderson, in the broadcast and digital journalism department.

Former students working there are still processing it all. “Our emotions will come in waves and be a mixture of many things at any given moment,” says Assistant Professor Keonte Coleman, in the broadcast and digital journalism department. “Traumatic stories will stick with you and it’s OK to talk about it and seek professional help.”

According to The International Press Institute, 66 journalists were killed worldwide in 2022, up from 45 in 2021.

Editors Note: The concert has been for Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. Further information about tickets will be forthcoming.��

Another legendary performer is coming to the JMA Dome, and in this case it’s another return performance. Bruce Springsteen, who has twice performed at the dome, will return with The E Street Band Tour on Thursday, Sept. 7. It will be the first Syracuse performance for the artist, affectionately known as The Boss, since 1992. Before that, Springsteen first appeared at the dome in 1985.

Springsteen’s concert is just the latest in a list of recent shows featuring legendary names in rock music. Paul McCartney performed at the JMA Dome last June, and Elton John followed several months later in September.

To ensure tickets for the Springsteen concert are sold to fans rather than bots and resellers, tickets will be sold via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan.

Registration for the presale powered by Verified Fan is open now through Sunday, Feb. 19, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 21, registrants will receive an email confirming whether they’ve been verified and selected to participate in the presale. All those verified and selected will also receive a text to the number used at registration with a personal access code. More information can be found at .

These members include , Associate Professor of Philosophy and Affiliate Faculty in and at Syracuse University, and Malcolm Frierson, Visiting Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University.

Anderson and Frierson and will join Council veterans Clayton Fletcher, David Horning, and Liz Joynt Sandberg in delivering on the Council’s mission to apply the principles of humor to drive positive workplace culture and long-term business success.

As a community of like-minded humorists with diverse backgrounds and thinking, the Laughing Matters Council seeks to help businesses harness the power of humor to support cultural changes and business growth through ground-breaking research and thought leadership.

“Businesses continue to struggle with challenges including engaging a hybrid workforce, building bonds and connections across generational divides, creating inclusive cultures and driving innovative and creative thinking in the face of economic headwinds,” says Steve Cody, CEO of Peppercomm. “Research has proven that applied humor opens minds to new ways of thinking, improves creative problem-solving, builds bonds and speeds the path to trust. As a team, this council is helping businesses harness the power of humor to drive real business results.”

Through its various efforts, The Laughing Matters Council is working to raise awareness of humor as a change agent in the professional world. The following new members of Peppercomm’s Laughing Matters Council members will further expand the agency’s expertise and perspectives in new areas.

Bryce Hruska

For frontline health care workers, the mental health impact from the pandemic is extending beyond career burnout. Much of the attention on the mental toll suffered by frontline workers has focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

New research from a collaboration between Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh reveals that even those who are not formally diagnosed as suffering from PTSD still experience critical health symptoms that could lead to other health problems.

“While there has been a lot of attention paid to elevated symptom levels indicative of a clinical diagnosis, little attention has been paid to subclinical symptom levels,” says , assistant professor of public health in the Falk College and lead author of the publication reporting this research.

Subclinical (or subthreshold) symptoms refer to psychiatric symptoms—PTSD symptoms in the case of this study—that are not severe enough to be considered indicative of a clinical diagnosis. Hruska and his collaborator, Maria Pacella-LaBarbara at the University of Pittsburgh, examined the prevalence and significance of subthreshold PTSD symptom levels (known as PTSS) in frontline health care workers responding to the pandemic nearly one year after it started, from December 2020 through February 2021. Data from this study were collected from emergency health care workers located primarily in western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

“This is an important study that captures what frontline health care workers were experiencing during the pandemic’s second wave and continue to experience as COVID approaches the start of its fourth year in the U.S. It could not have been possible without the work of many people, including other researchers and medical personnel who assisted with ensuring that these workers’ experiences were represented,” says Hruska.

“In fact, we found that while 5.5% of the health care workers in our sample met criteria for probable PTSD, over half (55.3%) experienced subthreshold symptoms,” he says. “Even though they weren’t reporting symptoms indicative of a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, these workers were still feeling its effects.”

Researchers found that workers experiencing these symptoms levels reported:

• 88% more physical health symptoms (e.g., constant fatigue, weight change, low energy, headache)
• 36% more sleep problems (e.g., daytime sleepiness, difficulty getting things done) than health care workers not experiencing any PTSD symptoms

“This is a big oversight because these subthreshold symptom levels are common and often confer risk for other health problems,” says Hruska, who explains that these subthreshold symptoms are often overlooked. That in turn leads to increased risk for subsequently experiencing clinical symptom levels when another significant trauma, such as the current rise in COVID cases, is experienced.

“Thus, while the world tries to move on from the pandemic, our health care workers continue to face a significant mental health risk with every surge in cases, as is happening now,” Hruska says.

in January’s edition of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Rick Burton

The fastest game on ice requires the fastest internet connectivity available, and this season an upgrade is underway. The National Hockey League (NHL) has updated wireless access in arenas throughout the league. As the puck dropped on opening night recently, nearly two-thirds of all NHL rinks had 5G connectivity. It’s simply a sign of the times when it comes to competitive sports—not only for fans but for teams, too.

“The speed of modern hockey is similar in some regards to the speed of change in technology and decision-making by contemporary leaders,” says , David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the Falk College. “In a hockey game, players have split seconds to make choices that influence outcomes. Modern business is becoming much the same way and while 5G sounds exciting today, 6G is right around the corner.”

Of the 32 arenas in the NHL, 21 have been equipped with 5G with four or five more slated to be upgraded this year and the remainder by the following season. It’s a necessity when it comes to the fan experience. People sitting in the arena want access to fast wireless speeds, not only to keep up with the game on social media, but to check email or their favorite TikTok videos. It’s part of life for professional sports to try to stay relevant in the lives of an increasingly distracted fan base.

“In an era where it is tough to attract millennials and Gen Zers to stadiums and arenas to watch traditional sport, a few professional sport leagues in North America have performed better than others,” says Norm O’Reilly, professor of sport management at Maine Business School. “These are typically the ones who understand that ticket buyers of these cohorts need environments that are both engaging and interactive.”

Burton and O’Reilly write extensively about the current state and future of hockey in their new book, “.” As is the case with most professional sports, the NHL is at a crossroads when it comes to appealing to young fans while maintaining its current fan base. In one small sense, faster wireless connectivity is important to the success of the league, as important as fast wireless speeds in the classroom, boardroom or hotel room.

“We are all moving faster than ever before,” Burton says, “and hockey reflects that new reality.”

(Photo by Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

Incoming freshman Jay Lewis comes to Syracuse University from Cheshire, Connecticut, and he just might be a familiar face to those who watch the hit NBC program “American Ninja Warrior.” On the show, contestants are put through a rigorous obstacle course, and Lewis says his decision to come to the University was partially driven by a cool feature found in the Barnes Center at The Arch: the giant climbing rock wall.

Recently, Lewis sat down with us to discuss his decision to attend Syracuse University and what it’s been like to appear on network TV.

Sean O’Keefe

Professor O’Keefe says: “The images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are a strong reminder of how little we know about the vast universe we are part of. ��We are beginning to see the constant, evolving formations of the universe going back over 13 billion years, and are now able to ‘see’ further in distance and further back in time.�� The telescope itself is an amazing technological achievement, as its operation requires no service (we can’t get there, as it’s over 1 million km away) except continued monitoring from afar. JWST was designed to last 10 years, but if past is prologue (Hubble has last 30 years and Mars Rovers lasted more than a decade), it will last longer.”

For further questions or to arrange an interview, please contact Keith Kobland at kkobland@syr.edu.

Students enrolled in SPM 300 – Australia: Sport, History and Culture, spend time near the Sydney Harbor Bridge and famed Sydney Opera House.

An immersive trip to study the history and culture of Australia, along with enjoying a game of footy and a tasty meat pie too, is underway for a group of Syracuse Abroad students who are spending time this month in the land down under.

The group is led by David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management Rick Burton, who at one time served as commissioner of the Australian National Basketball League. Burton has led SU students on trips to the region for more than 10 years. This year is the first time students have returned to the country since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s obvious they’re excited to be there.

“For some of us, this was years in the making. COVID-19 hit the world hard in the year 2020, when the last trip was scheduled,” says Preston Klaus ’22, G’23, who is blogging about the trip with his classmates.

One of group’s first stops after arriving in Melbourne was to visit the Melbourne Skydeck. “The Melbourne Skydeck is on the 88th floor of Eureka Tower and boasts incredible 360-degree views of the city,” according to the first blog post by Klaus. “Before riding the elevator to the top we experienced a 10-minute virtual reality tour of Melbourne, including courtside views of the Australian Open. We then made our way up to the top, where we were in awe of the wonderful sight of Melbourne at night. The pictures do not do it justice. We sat up there for nearly an hour as it finally sank in that we’re really here. All of the anticipation and we finally made it.”

The trip (June 1-19) is part of a three-credit course titled SPM 300 – Australia: Sport, History and Culture. The students stay in each city approximately five days and along with classroom work enjoy cultural studies with trips to the rainforest and in-depth study of indigenous communities. The group will visit Melbourne, Sydney, and Cairns (the Great Barrier Reef), taking in professional football and basketball, as well as snorkeling, scuba diving and “jungle surfing” in the Daintree National Park. They will visit the Queen Victoria Markets, Australia’s Sporting Hall of Fame, Sydney Harbour and Cape Tribulation, where British explorer James Cook ran aground in 1770. Most days are busy with planned activities, meetings, and sightseeing. As part of their journey, students met with the CEOs of top sports marketing firms including Twenty3 Sport and Entertainment. They also met with SU alumnus Ruffy Geminder ’82, G’84, founder and chairman of Pact Group Holdings, the largest packaging company in Australia. Side trips included an in-person tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, attending an Australian Rules Football match, visiting Australia’s famed coasts and the Sydney Opera House, and of course sampling local delicacies.

A day-by-day journal of their experiences can be found at .

Bryce Hruska

It’s no secret that sleep and emergency medical services (EMS) work do not go hand in hand. The profession is notorious for long and oftentimes odd hours, with overnight shift work a part of the job. It’s bound to affect one’s mood and now, new research shows just how much.

Led by Bryce Hruska, assistant professor of public health in the Falk College, investigators looked at the sleep patterns of 79 EMS workers from Central New York. The results were published in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. They found that EMS workers who typically experienced poorer sleep quality reported greater anger levels. Workers who routinely experienced poor sleep quality reported anger levels that were 18 to 35 percent higher compared to workers receiving fair sleep quality. Regardless of their typical sleep quality, days when workers experienced poorer sleep than usual were characterized by higher levels of anger. On a day when a worker experienced poorer sleep quality than usual for them, their anger levels were five percent higher on that day regardless of their typical sleep quality.

“We examined sleep quality as opposed to sleep quantity. This was intentional,” says Hruska. “While both sleep quantity and sleep quality are important sleep metrics, research indicates that sleep quality may be a superior predictor of many health and emotion related outcomes.”

What might this mean for patient care? “There are documented connections between anger in the workplace and the impact that it has on organizational function, work climate and employee satisfaction,” says Hruska. “For example, when supervisors use anger to influence employees’ behaviors, it may promote retaliatory behaviors and lead to strained interpersonal relationships. This could be really problematic for a field like emergency medicine because high functioning teams are crucial for ensuring effective patient care.”

As for what’s causing poor sleep and more anger, Hruska says it’s likely the difficult nature of EMS work during the pandemic. “Even though we are transitioning out of the “emergency” phase of the pandemic as COVID-related hospitalizations continue to decline, many EMS workers are simply tapped out. The long hours that are a routine feature of the profession are being felt more deeply,” says Hruska.

With this in mind, Hruska says it’s critical that sleep quality is considered crucial for EMS workers. “Our research suggests that habitual experiences and behaviors might be important targets compared to impactful, yet more infrequent day-to-day experiences. For example, some EMS workers tend to take more overnight shifts than others. Establishing an agency policy that limits the number of consecutive overnight shifts might be important. Sleep hygiene habits are also important. Regular over-caffeination, sugary snack consumption, or lack of physical exercise can detract from sleep quality. Sleep hygiene education training during employee onboarding may help to raise awareness around the importance of practicing habits that promote sleep quality.”

“The tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, was unimaginable. A classroom, which should have been a safe space for children, turned into a scene of panic and terror. Parents, teachers and mental health professionals are left trying to explain the unthinkable to children, while trying to make sense of this senseless tragedy themselves.

Falk College Professor Jennifer Cornish Genovese

A single act has changed the lives of children, families, a community and a nation. The devastation of this event has reached into every home across this country, again, because the loss of one child sends ripple effects throughout our country. We cannot make sense of this tragedy, but we can turn to one another and share our communal shock and grief. Adults can support children by being present with them, listening to their words, sensing their feelings and seeing their actions. Children may express feelings through their behaviors rather than words, thus adults must focus on myriad ways children communicate their emotions.

Following exposure to a traumatic event, children may have difficulty regulating their emotions and often become anxious, clingy, irritable, confused or fearful. They might be difficult to soothe or comfort. Children may appear sad, numb or depressed; or become silent and withdrawn. In these times of anguish and sorrow, adults must listen to children with their ears, their eyes and their hearts, knowing that in their confusion and pain, children may express fear and uncertainty in unfamiliar ways.

Although adults may be experiencing similar symptoms, it is incumbent upon them to provide children with a safe harbor, a place where they can express their thoughts and feelings and find comfort and hope. By allowing children to express themselves in an authentic manner, adults offer a secure base where feelings can be acknowledged and affirmed, and hope can be instilled again.”

Evan Weissman

Honoring the life and legacy of professor and local food justice activist is an ongoing effort, much like Weisman’s tireless work to strengthen the local food system. Weissman was selected as the 2020-22�� Lender Center for Social Justice Faculty Fellowship shortly before his untimely passing in April 2020. A food studies scholar committed to community-engaged research and social change, Weissman envisioned using his Lender fellowship to co-construct a local food policy council rooted in justice and equity.

To honor his legacy, Professor Jonnell Robinson, six student fellows, ��and community members have spent two years collectively engaging in reflective dialogue, research and action around promoting greater control over the local food system by people marginalized by the current global corporate food regime. While we all engage in the local food system, which includes everything from farm to fork and beyond, not everyone has equal access. Weissman set the stage with his scholarly work, and his vision continues as part of the second annual Lender Symposium, “Centering Food Justice in Food System Transformation: Honoring the
Legacy of Professor Evan Weissman.” The event takes place in person on March 31 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET at the Schine Student Center.

“Evan’s deep commitment to social justice was evident in all he did,” says Robinson, a friend and colleague of Weissman. “He also had an incredible impact on his students. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with this amazing group of students to advance the important work he dedicated his life to. I think he’d be proud of the students’ accomplishments.”

The Lender Symposium will have a partner event this year.�� The Social Differences Social Justice Symposium will also take place on March 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET�� at the Whitman School and is presented by the Social Differences, Social Justice faculty cluster and sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Renée Crown University Honors Program and Whitman School of Management. The inaugural symposium will explore the themes of equity, social justice and global transformation. Additionally, the Humanities Center is also serving as a sponsor of the symposium.

Avalon Gupta VerWiebe

“With the (Lender) symposium, we hope to accomplish a demonstration of how the Lender Center has successfully built itself as a place where academia and the community can come together,” says Avalon Gupta VerWiebe, an M.S. candidate in food studies. “We want to show how the Lender Center’s generous resources were utilized to create real change in the community and set projects in motion that will have long reaching effects.”

Taylor Krzeminski

Among them is a project conducted by Lender Student Fellows focusing locally on the Onondaga Nation, to begin developing a food stories archive, preserving the nation’s food traditions, history and knowledge.

“The most important thing to me about food justice is giving people back autonomy when it comes to their relationship with food,” said Krzeminski, an M.A. candidate in public diplomacy and global communications. “Food is a huge part of our lives, but many people find themselves disconnected from the history or traditions that are so intertwined with the foods they eat. This project with the nation perfectly represents the idea of food sovereignty—we assisted in teaching youth so that they could continue the archive process on their own and complete ownership over that content. And most importantly, the youth have a strengthened relationship with their culture, the nation and food.”

According to VerWiebe, “Food justice is important because it expands on the initial idea of food insecurity and sheds light on the very real issues of justice and equity that impact when, how and why people get fed.”

For Lender Student Fellows, it goes beyond the research.

“My experience working so far with the Lender faculty has been fabulous,” said VerWiebe. “Jonnell is truly dedicated to her work as a participatory researcher, and is a shining example of how academics can learn from, and with, communities even as they are also teachers. Jonnell’s perseverance in carrying out Dr. Weissman’s vision shows in all of the work that we have done collectively as fellows. I’m so grateful for her in my life and that she is at Syracuse University in general.”

The Lender symposium takes place in room 304 AB of the Schine Student Center. Refreshments will be offered. Registration is required.

Learn more about the Lender Student Fellows

This past fall, five new student fellows were selected to work with , associate professor of environmental and interior design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) School of Design. Their two year project involves the , run by the YMCA and branded as a facility where women from all socioeconomic backgrounds, ages and ethnicities can pursue wellness. Lee’s expertise was sought by local officials to help design the facility and, with her leadership, Lender Center student fellows will help determine if the building matches the needs of the people who use it.

Professor Seyeon Lee

“The core idea of this is: how can we use this space as a hub and connect it with other parts of the community?” says Lee. “There is a ton of community space that is underutilized, a lot of pockets of opportunities that are lost, and that’s where I would look to engage with the students with their different perspectives and backgrounds.”

For their part, Lender Center student fellows are thrilled with the opportunity to work with Lee.

Roselynne Hodges

“Dr. Lee is extremely talented and I am so honored to be working very closely with her,” says Roselynne Hodges ’23. “I’m the only VPA design student (my major is environmental and interior design and my minor is architecture) that was selected for this fellowship. I was interested in this opportunity from the beginning because it was a collaboration between students across different colleges at Syracuse. I loved this idea of bringing students with different backgrounds together to make a positive impact on the community that we live in. This project would directly work to try it ease some of these struggles that female refugees and their children face. “

Taylor M. John ’22 typifies the wide range of backgrounds and experiences of Lender student fellows.

Taylor M. John

“I am excited for this fellowship and grateful for the opportunity to serve under Dr. Lee’s guidance,“ says John, a citizenship and civic engagement and international relations major and Chinese language minor. “I chose to apply to this fellowship because of my interest in social justice, wellness, and reproductive justice. I am a full spectrum doula through Sankofa Reproductive Health and Healing Center in Syracuse, so it was only fitting that I apply to join this team to further expand my knowledge of Syracuse and its community. “

Iona Volynets

But it’s not only expansion of knowledge of Syracuse and Central New York. For Lender student fellows, the focus is also worldwide. Iona Volynets ’23 is a history and international relations major interested in studying how societies vary across the globe and change over time, along with how unjust disparities occur and how they are solved. “I’m honored to be part of the Lender Center project to try to leave a positive impact on Syracuse and to work with some of its vulnerable populations to provide them with the tools they need to be healthy and secure,” says Volynets. “I hope to focus on addressing potential linguistic barriers, expanding green spaces and access to nutritious food, and on the healing power of creative outlets. I cannot wait to embark on this wonderful opportunity and I am so grateful to Dr. Lee and everyone at the Lender Center.”

For Ana Aponte ’24, a communication and rhetorical studies major in VPA, being a Lender student fellow�� is an opportunity to deepen the connection between the Syracuse University community and the rest of the city at large.

Ana Aponte

“Due to my upbringing and the values I was raised with, connecting with those communities is something that I have always valued because it creates an environment where we can all learn from each other’s experiences and needs within the society we live in nowadays,” she says. “The Lender Center for Social Justice is a great opportunity to learn do just this and value humanity even more.”

Student fellows not only come from diverse backgrounds, but also represent young people from undergraduate and graduate programs alike. Aaishanni Agny, a graduate student in the School of Education, is among them.

Aaishanni Agny

“In my understanding, local realities, resources, and socio-cultural issues are best known and understood by grassroots community members. I am passionate about making mental health resources accessible to diverse populations and enjoy exploring the role of family systems, culture and identity in the same. I am honored to be able to work with the Lender Center, Dr Lee, and the other fellows in participatory research and dialogue, thereby engaging in work that directly promotes social justice, better public health and emotional resilience,” says Agny.

The Lender Faculty Fellowship supports a two-year research agenda to critically and creatively explore contemporary social issues, develop innovative approaches to these problems, and implement useful and sustainable initiatives. Dr. Lee is the third faculty fellow, following Casarae Lavada Abdul-Ghani and Jonnell Robinson, fellows for the program that was created to critically explore contemporary social issues and develop sustainable solutions to pressing problems. The Lender Center is now seeking its next faculty fellow for the two-year appointment. More information about the fellowship, along with how to apply, can be found on the .

Yorgey was reporting on her own as a multi-media journalist (MMJ).�� While this arrangement is far from unique due to cost savings, news professionals say best practices would dictate an actual camera operator, who could serve as an extra set of eyes to keep both members of the crew safe.�� The incident involving Yorgey was the second in the past few months involving a reporter hit by a car while videotaping a standup report. It also happened to Newhouse grad Lilia Wood ’20 while reporting for her station in Buffalo. Newhouse Broadcast and Digital Journalism Professor Shelvia Dancy, once a television news reporter herself, says things need to change to help keep reporters safe.

Bernard Appiah

The Red Cross is managing the worst blood shortage in more than a decade. There are a variety of reasons, but the question remains: what can be done to get more people to give? Bernard Appiah, assistant professor of public health in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, has studied possible solutions,�� including the use of social media, to increase blood donations.

The Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation “strives to enrich the lives of kids in need within our Central New York Community, as well as provide support for eliminating cancer through research and advocacy.”

Juli Boeheim says, “We are thrilled to work together with the Sport Management Club and combine our efforts to enrich the lives of our Syracuse community. Jim and I are looking forward to seeing all the great work that the students put forth for the 17th Annual Sports Charity Auction.”

Over the past 16 years, the Sport Management Club has raised more than $567,000 for central New York nonprofit organizations. Featured items this year include a Buffalo Bills helmet signed by Tre’Davious White, an Andrew McCutchen signed bat, limited edition watches from the 2021 March Madness tournament and the College Football National Championship, and many other items.

The auction will begin Nov. 20 in the backcourt of the newly renovated stadium as the Syracuse Orange take on Colgate. The thousands of fans on hand will be able to browse, bid and buy items at the stadium. The auction will then continue online through “Black Friday” and conclude on Saturday, Nov. 27.

Auction information will continue to be updated on Twitter (@SPM_Auction), , Instagram (@SPM_Auction) and on the .

Members of the media were on hand for the announcement of this year’s CBT Celebrity Classic.

“This year’s game promises to be extremely exciting, as it will take place in our newly renovated stadium,” says Rachel Vassel, associate vice president of Multicultural Advancement. “All money raised will go specifically to the Orange Legends Scholarship, which is an Our Time Has Come (OTHC) fund created by Syracuse University athletes who want to make an impact for students from underserved communities.”

The game serves as a kickoff for the 13th CBT, the triennial on-campus celebration in honor of our Black and Latino/a alumni. Recently, some of the athletes returning to campus got together to talk about the game, its impact and their love for getting back together. It’s obvious they enjoy one another’s company and their memories of playing in front of the fans.

“For me personally as a kid who grew up in Pioneer Homes just a short distance from the stadium, there are certain things that make you smile,” says Rob Drummond, a former NFL running back who attended the University in the mid 1980s and will be taking part in the CBT Celebrity Classic. “My last game at the stadium the fans gave me a standing ovation. I had tears in my eyes. I won’t forget that moment nor the love I have for my teammates and the people here today. That’s what this is all about. It’s about family.”

An Orange family. A family that knows it is stronger together.

“I think the cause, to bring underrepresented students to Syracuse University, that’s the joy all of us get out of this,” says former NBA and Syracuse University basketball player Derrick Coleman, who will serve as one of the team captains. Billy Owens, who also played in the NBA and for the University, will serve as the other. This time around there is a bit of a revenge factor, as Coleman’s squad defeated Owens’s team at the first Celebrity Classic in 2017. “It was great for everybody to come together,” says Owens. “I’m looking forward to this year and bringing the trophy home for Team Owens.”

Ultimately, though, the players are doing this for students like Taylor M. John, a senior who is studying global health policy, citizenship and civic engagement, with a minor in Chinese language. John is an Our Time Has Come scholar, one of nearly 1,500 hundred OTHC scholarship recipients awarded since the program was founded at the University in 1987. The scholarships help provide opportunities for underrepresented students. “For me, it’s all about community and mentorship,” says John. “It’s about bringing students and alumni together to network and share what it means to bleed orange.”

These are some of the legends taking part in the CBT Celebrity Classic:

Tyrone Albright: men’s basketball
Ryan Blackwell: men’s basketball
Roosevelt Bouie: men’s basketball
Derrick Coleman: men’s basketball
Eric Devendorf: men’s basketball
EJ Dowdell: football
Rob Drummond: football
Danene Hopson: women’s basketball
Will Hunter: football
Mookie Jones: men’s basketball
Vera Jones: women’s basketball
Jamont Kinds: football
Duane Kinnon: football
Felisha Legette-Jack: women’s basketball
Sue Ludwig: women’s basketball
Don McPherson: football
Lawrence Moten: men’s basketball
Demetris Nichols: men’s basketball
Billy Owens: men’s basketball
Duke Pettijohn: football
Mark Pryor: men’s track and field
Lazarus Sims: men’s basketball
John Wallace: men’s basketball
Al Wooten: football

Senior Deputy Athletic Director Herman Frazier

It’s safe to say that even 45 years later, the Olympic spirit is still very much alive in Herman Frazier. The University’s senior deputy athletic director, at that time a junior in college, took home the gold and bronze medals in the Montreal Olympic games back in 1976. Even so, the memories are still vivid, and he still gets a tiny bit emotional when he hears the Olympic Fanfare.

But this year’s games are very different. Under the threat of Covid-19, no fans are in attendance, and each day brings new stories regarding the impact of the pandemic on the Tokyo games. We recently spoke to Frazier about his Olympic dreams and memories, how he’s still involved to this day and just where are those medals he won back in 76?

Grounds employee Stephanie Anson operates the new zero-turn electric powered lawn mower.

It’s one of the sounds of summer: a gas-powered lawnmower. The noise is quite common in neighborhoods as people work to keep their lawns looking good. It’s no different on the Syracuse University campus. With 800 acres of grounds, cutting the grass comes with the territory. But the noise and pollution created by gas-burning engines is soon becoming a thing of the past on campus, as grounds crews transition from gas-powered equipment to electric. Included in this grouping is the use of a zero-turn commercial grade mower with a 60-inch cutting deck, powered not by gas, but rather, four large batteries.

“It does pretty much the same thing as a gas-powered mower, except with a lot less noise, less maintenance and the fact it uses no fossil fuels,” says grounds manager Pat Carroll, who explains the technology and power of the new electric mowers far outweighs that of the old. Plus, he says, “our grounds crews appreciate the fact that their clothing doesn’t reek of gas fumes.”

The side benefit of course is the softer nature of the machines. When the blades are turning, it still sounds like a mower, but with a softer whir of the engine. And when the blades are off, it moves silently across campus. It will make the quad and the rest of campus grounds quieter by about a third, according to some estimates.

From a bigger picture, the use of electric-powered equipment is another step in fulfilling the University’s commitment .

According to Sustainability Coordinator Melissa Cadwell, the zero turn��mower “will be used approximately 20 hours per week, for 22 weeks per year, and will mitigate roughly 1,446lbs of carbon per year. And this is just for one piece of equipment. There are more, but this is the biggest by far.”�� The mower was funded through Sustainability Management’s carbon neutrality fund used for projects that promote and/or lower the campus’s carbon emissions.

“Sustainability Management’s goal is to continue to help support Grounds with converting traditional��lawn equipment to electric equipment, which will lower our carbon emissions and sound pollution,” said Cadwell.

So keep watch for the new electric equipment on campus. It’s more likely you’ll see it than hear it.

]]> /blog/2021/04/25/new-research-shows-pain-relieving-effects-of-cbd/ Sun, 25 Apr 2021 21:31:01 +0000 /?p=164859

Martin De Vita

It’s been hailed as a wonder drug and it’s certainly creating wonder profits. By some estimates, the cannabidiol (or CBD) market could be worth $20 billion dollars by 2024.

While users tout its effectiveness in pain relief, up until now there’s been limited experimental human research on the actual effectiveness of the drug. However, a new study led by University researchers sheds light on the ability of CBD to reduce pain along with the impact that the so-called placebo effect may have on pain outcomes.

“For science and the public at large the question remained, is the pain relief that CBD users claim to experience due to pharmacological effects or placebo effects,” says Martin De Vita, a researcher in the psychology department in the College of Arts and Sciences. “That’s a fair question because we know that simply telling someone that a substance has the ability to relieve their pain can actually cause robust changes in their pain sensitivity. These are called expectancy effects.”

De Vita, along with Stephen Maisto, research professor and professor emeritus of psychology, were uniquely prepared to answer that exact question. The pair, along with fellow lab member and doctoral candidate Dezarie Moskal, previously conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental research examining the effects cannabinoid drugs on pain.

As the first experimental pain trial to examine CBD, their study yielded consistent and noteworthy results. Among other findings, the data showed that CBD and expectancies for receiving CBD do not appear to reduce experimental pain intensity, but do make the pain feel less unpleasant.

Stephen Maisto

De Vita and Maisto used sophisticated equipment that safely induces experimental heat pain, allowing them to measure how the recipient’s nervous system reacts and responds to it. “Then we administer a drug, like pure CBD, or a placebo and then re-assess their pain responses and see how they change based on which substance was administered,” says De Vita.

Researchers then took it a step farther by manipulating the information given to participants about which substances they received. In some cases, participants were told that they got CBD when they actually received a placebo, or told they would be getting a placebo when they actually got CBD.

“That way we could parse out whether it was the drug that relieved the pain, or whether it was the expectation that they had received the drug that reduced their pain,” according to De Vita. “We hypothesized that we would primarily detect expectancy-induced placebo analgesia (pain relief). What we found though after measuring several different pain outcomes is that it’s actually a little bit of both. That is, we found improvements in pain measures caused by the pharmacological effects of CBD and the psychological effects of just expecting that they had gotten CBD. It was pretty remarkable and surprising.”

Dezarie Moskal

“The data is exciting but pretty complex in that different pain measures responded differently to the drug effect, to the expectancy, or both the drug and expectancy combined—so we’re still trying to figure out what is behind the differential data with different kinds of pain measures,” said Maisto. “The next step is studying the mechanisms underlying these findings and figuring out why giving instructions or CBD itself causes certain reactions to a pain stimulus.”

Most people think of pain as an on and off switch, you either have it or you don’t. But pain, as De Vita describes it, is a complex phenomenon with several dimensions influenced by psychological and biological factors.

For example, whereas pain intensity reflects a “sensory” dimension of pain, unpleasantness represents an “affective,” or emotional, aspect of pain. “If you think of pain as the noxious noise coming from a radio the volume can represent the intensity of the pain, while the station can represent the quality,” says De Vita.

Results from his previous study showed that while cannabinoid drugs weren’t reducing the volume of pain, they were “changing the channel making it a little less unpleasant.” According to De Vita, “It’s not sunshine and rainbows pleasant, but something slightly less bothersome. We replicated that in this study and found that CBD and expectancies didn’t significantly reduce the volume of the pain, but they did make it less unpleasant—it didn’t bother them as much.”

As part of the study De Vita and Maisto developed advanced experimental pain measurement protocols “to pop the hood and start looking at some of these other mechanistic pain processes,” says De Vita. “It’s not just pain, yes or no, but there are these other dimensions of pain, and it would be interesting to see which ones are being targeted. We found that sometimes pharmacological effects of CBD brought down some of those, but the expectancies did not. Sometimes they both did it. Sometimes it was just the expectancy. And so, we were going into this thinking we were going to primarily detect the expectancy-induced pain relief but what we found out was way more complex than that and that’s exciting.”

One important note to also consider is the source of the CBD. “What we used in our study was pure CBD isolate oil,” says De Vita. “Commercially available CBD products differ in their content and purity, so results might be different for different CBD products, depending on what other compounds they may or may not contain.”

John C. Williams

In an effort to hear more about Central New York’s economy and impact of the pandemic, President and CEO of the New York Federal Reserve Bank John C. Williams will be paying a virtual visit to Syracuse on Wednesday, March 24. Williams will appear at a virtual fireside chat that’s open to students, faculty, staff, local business leaders and the general public.

for the event, which will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. More information is available on the .

“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York makes routine stops as they visit various ‘constituencies’ in their jurisdiction,” says Tom Barkley, professor of finance practice in the Whitman School of Management and a participant in one of the panel discussions organized as part of the event. “This is an opportunity to interact with a senior member of the country’s central bank. It allows President Williams to give information about the state of the economy in Central New York and gives local academic and business leaders a chance to ask questions about forthcoming changes.”

The last time the New York Fed visited Syracuse University was 2013, according to Barkley. “Nevertheless, it’s always a privilege and an honor to be selected to serve as hosts.”

Barkley adds when it comes to the actual discussion, it’s a two-way street. “The bank will share data and statistics about the economy in Central New York, and local business leaders and professors can express their concerns directly to the person who can do something about those concerns.”

The event is co-sponsored by Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College.

Students in Jeff Rubin’s Introduction to Information Technology will attend class beneath the new stadium roof.

Syracuse University’s beloved stadium has served as home for some of the region’s greatest sporting events, concerts and Commencement, the most important rite of passage for college students. Now, it will serve another purpose: as the University’s largest classroom ever.

The idea was first announced by Chancellor Kent Syverud at the November 2020 University Senate meeting. “We have a plan and are working hard to refine it for major spaces coming online that we will use for socially distanced academic and student life activities. We are looking at how we can best allocate and use all our space. That space emphatically includes the stadium, which is now open and the Schine Student Center,” Chancellor Syverud said. The Schine Student Center officially opens on Monday, Feb. 8.

Starting Monday, Jeff Rubin, associate professor of practice in the School of Information Studies, will teach Introduction to Information Technology to socially distanced students in the stadium. While the iconic building is known worldwide as a top entertainment venue, Rubin says his students will have a truly one-of-a-kind learning experience when they meet for his class beginning next week. He says a lot of time, thought and collaboration went into making this happen.

Associate Professor of Practice Jeff Rubin

“I started thinking over the summer as we were preparing for the fall semester, is there any way I can teach in person with such a large class,” says Rubin. “Once [Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer] Pete Sala and Dean Raj Dewan signed off, we worked with the registrar and the stadium staff. This wouldn’t have happened without them, along with campus planning.”

Rubin says the University has been thoughtful in how it will approach the spring semester, particularly as it relates to creating new learning and gathering spaces. With the assistance of the stadium technical crew, Rubin will have access to the giant stadium video boards through his laptop computer. The same screens that replay exciting sports highlights during games will be used to display Rubin’s lessons.

“Think of all the students who’ve never been in the stadium, never seen the new video boards,” says Rubin. “There’s the cool factor of having a college class in the stadium. In my mind it’s worth a shot, and I believe it will better the learning experience for our students. As a faculty member, I feed off the energy of the students, their eyes and facial expressions. I believe students are less distracted in an in-person class and can benefit from each other’s energy.”

It’s worth noting use of the stadium for academic purposes is not unusual. ��Engineering students have used the stadium for yearly projects, including one lesson in which they . ��But this is the first class to be held there during the pandemic. While excited for the opportunity and experience he’s providing his students, Rubin realizes this is also a test for other courses to come.

“In my mind it’s great. We all wish we weren’t in this situation but we have to be creative. Students signed up to learn in person, and I wanted to figure out a way to do it,” Rubin says. “There are so many options for what the stadium could be used for in a larger safe environment.”

Brittany Kmush

Faculty include:

: Kmush is an assistant professor in the in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Her areas of specialization include vaccines, infectious diseases, epidemiology, global health, and immunology and environmental exposures, particularly within the context of risks for infectious diseases. Kmush has been interviewed by the media multiple times for stories about COVID-19 vaccines, anti-vaccination trends, and measles outbreaks.

David Van Slyke

: Maxwell School Dean David Van Slyke is an expert in the political side of vaccine distribution along with the barriers that may prevent its success. Van Slyke can provide a wide variety of perspective in terms of where the system might fail, and how it might best succeed.

David Larsen

: Falk College Professor David Larsen is an epidemiologist and public health expert who leads Syracuse University’s COVID wastewater surveillance program and is an expert on the spread of disease. He can offer a perspective about how the vaccine will begin to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Shannon Monnat

: Monnat is the Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion and director of the ; co-director of the Policy, Place and Population Health Lab in the ; and a senior research associate in the in the Maxwell School. Monnat and her team of researchers have studied the impact of COVID-19 on various demographics and can speak to the distribution of vaccines and their importance to these groups.

Josh Introne

: School of Information Studies Associate Professor Joshua Introne studies anti-vaccination online communities and can speak to reporters on misinformation around coronavirus and vaccines. Introne has observed that the anti-vaccination movement has been joining forces with unaffiliated groups (such as gun rights groups and anti-government organizations) to reject public health guidelines during the pandemic.

Burak Kazaz

: Whitman School Professor Burak Kazaz is an expert in supply chain management and vaccines. Kazaz can offer perspective in terms of the vast supply chains needed to distribute the vaccine worldwide, along with his concerns regarding possible delays with manufacturing.

Samuel Gorovitz

: Gorovitz, professor of philosophy and former dean of the�� of the College of Arts and Sciences, is an expert in the field of medical ethics and author of the book “Drawing the Line: Life, Death and Ethical Choices in an American Hospital.” Gorovitz can offer perspective regarding the ethical decision-making process of vaccine distribution protocol.

The Unsung Hero nominations and auditions videos are both due on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Audition and nomination forms, as well as additional information, are available at .

The Unsung Hero Awards are presented annually to people who, in the spirit of King’s “beloved community,” have made a positive difference in the lives of others, but who are not widely recognized for their efforts. To be eligible for this award, nominees should not have received widespread recognition or been previously honored for their efforts, and their work should be ongoing and outside their normal job/student expectations.

Nominations may be made in any of the following categories:

• youth/teen from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• adult from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• student at Syracuse University or SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)
• faculty or staff from Syracuse University or SUNY-ESF

There are two ways to nominate an Unsung Hero:

• Fill out an .
• Print and fill out this and mail it to: Awards Committee, Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-1110.

Each year at the MLK Celebration, performers light up the stage in celebration of King’s life and legacy. Auditions are open to all composers, dancers, instrumentalists, poets, singers and other creators and artists. Students, student groups, and individuals and groups from the greater Syracuse community are welcome to perform in the celebration.

Two ways to audition to perform:

• Fill out the and submit an audition video according to the outlined specifications.
• For those who need an alternate audition method, contact chapelevents@syr.edu.

With questions about Unsung Hero nominations or performance auditions, please email chapelevents@syr.edu.

Burak Kazaz

Professor of Supply Chain Management and wine industry expert Burak Kazaz says along with exacting a heavy human toll, West Coast wildfires will also affect the flavor of your favorite California wine.

Smoke from devastating wildfires isn’t only filling the air along the West Coast, it’s also making its way into grapes and California produced wines. And the impact may be felt and tasted for years. Kazaz, who studies the wine industry extensively, says wildfires will have a long-lasting effect on the taste and pricing of California wines.

“The fires we’re seeing reported on the news are certainly bad enough,” says Kazaz, “but this is the latest in a string of bad wildfire seasons along the west coast.” As a result, Kazaz says consumers can expect that some of their favorite wines will have a slightly smoky flavor. Grapes are covered with ash. Winemakers are debating whether to harvest earlier than planned. “There are ways that winemakers can attempt to ‘mask’ the smoky taste, but it’s literally permeated everything, from the grapes themselves to the wooden crates and barrels used to store grapes and the finished wine product.�� Heavy smoke and a burnt flavor is hard to remove, and the effect is cumulative as the state has been�� hit hard by wildfires for the past few years.”

Kazaz has created a price algorithm that provides the most accurate valuation for wine futures contracts both academically and in practice. Taking into account a variety of factors, including weather, market fluctuations and the scores assigned by leading tasting experts, Kazaz has devised a system that provides the most accurate valuation for certain kinds of wines (Bordeaux) that can be expanded to other regions and varieties. He believes implementing the use of this system may benefit consumers and producers alike, especially at a time when grapes are being damaged by smoke. “Winemakers capitalize on uninformed consumers. Prices have continued to rise for the past few years despite the damage done by smoke and despite the excess amount of grapes. Using a system of wine futures would allow for a fair price to be set for outstanding wines and for those that feature a slightly smoky flavor.”

Brandi Kellam G’11

For CBS News digital journalist Brandi Kellam G’11, reaching the end of her master’s degree studies at Newhouse was only the beginning of her career journey.�� She wasn’t sure exactly where that journey would lead, and her message to students is, that’s okay.

“It’s okay for students to technically not know which path they care to take when they graduate,” says Kellam, who adds it’s important for students to have confidence and not get caught up in the end game when just starting out.

According to Kellam, “Confidence is a big part of being successful. Sometimes you graduate and you don’t know what you want to do in the industry.�� I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be on air or producing.�� That’s okay.”

Kellam delivered this message on Friday, July 24, to Newhouse broadcast and digital journalism (BDJ) students in the Washington, D.C., graduate capstone program. Kellam graduated from the program in 2011. Her talents first landed her positions at MSNBC, where she started as an intern and was hired full time. Kellam impressed early on, expressing a desire to come in unpaid on weekends to learn the role of the booking producer who helps to secure guests for newscasts. Her offer, in turn, led to a job offer—her first full-time professional position at MSNBC, all the while continuing to impress.

“I came up with an idea to provide a cheat sheet to one of the anchors I was working with,” Kellam says. “I wasn’t asked to do it but I did, and these notes became so popular that all the other anchors wanted them, too. Everyone was using my notes and that gave me a leg up and I made an impression.”�� Kellam’s advice is gold. “If you do more than people ask you to do, that will always open doors.”

Brandi Kellam G’11 conducts an interview during coverage of the George Floyd murder.

And it did.�� Kellam now works as a digital journalist for CBS News, covering some of the most meaningful stories in history, including the pandemic and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.

For a young person from Chesapeake, Virginia, who studied sociology and ran track as an undergrad it’s not the path she intended to take. But that’s just the point.

“What (journalism) has always needed is for people willing to stand out in a way that you’re not trying to fit in,” says Kellam. “I never felt I fit the mold of a traditional journalist. Most people I went to school with knew from an early age they wanted this, but I didn’t. I wasn’t shaped by that, and that allowed me to not fit a certain mold. I think that gives me a different perspective, ��and that’s what makes journalism great. Different voices in the conversation.”

Kellam says that when first starting out, a young journalist may hesitate to add their voice, but she believes it’s important that they do. “As a young journalist you have the power to do that and I want students to know that.”

As Kellam continues down her career path, the next step may be a move away from short-form news, and a move toward long-form, as in documentary production. “The future really is digital, and I’d like to combine my interest in documentary filmmaking and journalism and create my own content in a deeper way than what I’m doing now.”

It’s easy to see that by doing more than what’s expected, Kellam will easily achieve this goal too.

Some additional examples of Brandi Kellam’s reporting include:

• “”
• “”
• “”

Roy Gutterman

“The violence targeting journalists covering the protests and riots is unacceptable. Any targeted violence goes beyond violating the First Amendment. Reporters, photographers and videographers take significant risks to tell these stories. Whether it is law enforcement firing weapons or rioters attacking journalists themselves, it shows the serious risks journalists take to inform the world. Journalists around the world put themselves in harm’s way in war zones and conflict areas. It is sad that these conflict areas are now the streets of our country.”—Professor Roy Gutterman, Director, Tully Center for Free Speech

Lynne Adrine

“From Friday, May 29, to Monday, June 1, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had tracked reports of at least 125 press freedom violations from journalists covering demonstrations stemming from the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This is a rapid acceleration of activities threatening the safety of reporters across the country. It’s ironic because CPJ traditionally had focused its attention on journalists working overseas, in conflict zones. Now the conflict zones are all over America. Documented threats come from protesters and law enforcement, people whose agenda is to control or silence the story being told. It’s our job as journalism educators to include instruction on how to be safe in the field, being ever-vigilant, practicing situational awareness at all times, and knowing when to back away from confrontation so that you are around to report another day, another way. It’s sobering to face these challenges. At the same time, these challenges underscore that the job of a journalist never has been more important.”—Lynne Adrine, Director DC Graduate Program, Newhouse School

Raj says a well-planned, plant-based diet rich in all of the health-promoting components can lower the risk of many chronic diseases, as well as meet the nutritional needs of all age groups.

Professor Sudha Raj

She cautions, though, that a potential shortfall of certain critical nutrients that can occur. The more restrictive the plant-based diet is, the higher the concern. For example, an over-reliance on fruits and vegetables, as seen in fruitarian diets, can result in severe nutrient deficiencies. Plant-based vegan diets that avoid all animal products and are not well planned can increase the risk for deficiency of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, protein and micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12.

For those considering a change, Raj’s first piece of advice is to transition slowly—like anything else, it is hard to quit cold turkey. In keeping with the adage “slow and steady wins the race,” transition slowly. There are several credible media and Internet resources available.

Raj offers five simple strategies for making the transition:

1. Make breakfast completely plant-based–it is often the easiest meal to change.
2. Plan one or two plant-based meals during the week; go meatless at lunch or dinnertime.
3. Make small changes to favorite recipes by substituting plant-based ingredients in recipes that contain meat, such as tofu or meat substitutes.
4. Experiment with egg-based dishes. If you wish to avoid eggs, find substitutes.
5. Explore plant sources of calcium, such as greens including kale and bok choy.

Sam Sampere

A celestial showcase will be visible this week, as the Lyrid meteor shower will likely peak Wednesday morning. For those who may be a Lyrids layperson, Sam Sampere from the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences provides six helpful things to know:

1)������������The Lyrids are a result of meteor’s passing through the orbit of the Comet Thatcher, which passes near the sun only once every 415 years. This is one reason we are still discovering comets. Just think, no cameras 415 years ago. Unlike Haley’s comet, which passes every 76-ish years, this comet occurred so frequently that we have enough written history.

2)������������Look toward the star Vega, which is part of the constellation Lyra, and one of the stars of the Summer Triangle. Look high in the sky to the northeast after 10 p.m. Vega is easily apparent if you know where to look.

3)������������Where to look? is a great sky map.

4)������������As it gets later, Vega rises higher in the sky.

5)�� �� �� As it’s a New Moon, the sky will be dark and only polluted by artificial lights. The viewing, if the skies are clear, will be excellent!

6)�� �� �� The next meteor shower is coming in a few weeks—the Eta Aquarid shower appears the first week of May.

The process of submitting an op-ed is as much art as science, and expectations must be managed as the competitive playing field is vast based on the publication. Each op-ed must be offered exclusively to one media outlet at a time, and proper processing time must be taken into consideration. There is a nuance with each media outlet, and certain circumstances dictate submission by the author. The media relations team can assist in this process. Feel free to reach out to media@syr.edu when you first consider authoring an op-ed.

Some tips for writing them:

• Craft a clear message; focus tightly on one idea or argument and tell readers, high up in the piece, why they should care.
• Make it timely. Tie your piece to the strongest possible news peg when possible, and deliver it as far in advance as possible.
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short and simple. Editors love punchy copy. So do readers.
• Weave in relevant facts and statistics to bolster your case, but try to��avoid using too many of them.
• If you have a good graphic to drive home a point, offer it.
• Steer clear of jargon, obscure acronyms and technical terms; if readers (and editors) have to labor to figure out what you’re saying, you’ve lost them.
• If you’re focusing on a problem, propose ways to fix it.
• Finish on a note that reinforces your message.
• ​Aim for a length of 600-700 words. (Even that may be too long for some media outlets.)��Keep in mind that editors reserve the right to edit or condense contributions.
• Many publications prefer the author submit their own op-eds. The media relations team can help you find the right editors to contact.
• Most newspapers and commentary sites post guidelines and addresses for submitting op-eds electronically. Include text within the body of an e-mail—attachments are usually discouraged.
• ​Some newspapers ask for your picture, so please include a high-resolution image along with the piece.
• Submissions need to be exclusive to one media outlet, so don’t approach a second publication until you’ve been declined at the first one. You may stipulate at the top of your piece that you will offer it elsewhere if you don’t hear back within a certain period of time—three business days, for example.
• Major newspapers are often flooded with far more submissions than they can possibly print, so try to target your piece strategically. The media relations team may be able to help identify the most appropriate outlets for your piece.
• Make sure to include your contact information and a brief line about your credentials.

Here are a few great places for higher education faculty/expertise to get placement outside of the traditional daily publications. Each responds very well to direct pitching from academics.

• —distributes content to sources all over the world.
• —distributes content to sources all over the world.
• —distributes content to sources all over the world.

offers a great site for access to regional and national publications, with email address and pertinent information to submit your piece.

Seeking reach? Here’s a listing of the top newspaper publications (listed by circulation) for which to target your op-ed.

1. USA Today—1,621,091
2. The Wall Street Journal—1,011,200
3. The New York Times—483,701
4. New York Post – 426,129
5. Los Angeles Times—417,936
6. The Washington Post—254,379
7. Star Tribune (Minneapolis)—251,822
8. ����ɲ��岹��—251,473
9. Chicago Tribune—238,103
10. The Boston Globe—230,756

Contact us:

Ellen James Mbuqe-Director of News and Public Relations
315.443.1897 ejmbuqe@syr.edu

Joshua Grossman-Director of Media Relations, Washington D.C.
202.227.9250 jmgrossm@syr.edu

Daryl Lovell-Media Relations Manager
315.380.0206 dalovell@syr.edu

Keith Kobland-Media Relations Manager
315.415.8095�� kkobland@syr.edu

Matt Michael-Media Relations Specialist
315.443.2990 mmicha04@syr.edu

Hall of Languages (Dedicated in 1873)

Two of Syracuse University’s iconic buildings—Hendricks Chapel, the spiritual center of campus, and the Hall of Languages, the oldest building on campus—are bathed in blue to honor the many women and men working as first responders and medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hendricks Chapel (dedicated in 1930)

The University campus is not alone in this endeavor. Throughout the country, landmark buildings and structures, including Seattle’s Space Needle and New York City’s Madison Square Garden, are also lit in blue in support of the tireless work being done by professionals who answer the call for help.

This isn’t the first time Syracuse University’s buildings have appeared in a special color in support of an important cause. During National Domestic and Dating Violence Awareness Month, the buildings appear in purple, while the color green is used in support of military personnel for Green Light a Veteran.

For this most recent effort, Hendricks and the Hall of Languages will retain their nightly blue hue for the next two weeks.

, University Professor in the College of Law, authored the opinion piece “.”

, professor in the College of Law, was interviewed by on Facebook Live about what is essential work.

, professor in the School of Education, was interviewed for the NewsChannel 9 story.”

, professor of policy studies in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Fast Company story�� “.”

, University Professor and dean emeritus of the Maxwell School, was quoted by U.S. News & World Report for the article “.”

, assistant professor of supply chain practice and director of executive education in the Whitman School, was interviewed for the CNY Central story “.”

, adjunct professor in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the CNBC story “.”

, assistant professor of food studies in the Falk College, was quoted in the Wallethub story “”

Faculty members from Falk College (Anne Bellows, Rick Welsh, Evan Weissman, Mary Kiernan, Lynn Brann, Kay Stearns Bruening, Nichole Marie Beckwith, Chaya Charles, Elissa Johnson, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Tanya Horacek, Sudha Raj, Jessica Redmond, Nancy Rindfuss, Jane Uzcategui, Margaret Voss and Jennifer Wilkinsco) co- authored the Syracuse.com opinion piece “.”

His initial research was published last year, and drew direct correlations between a vacation from work and positive benefits to a person’s heart health. Hruska says research also proves this benefit is realized even during small breaks, which he says are vital right now especially for health care workers who will likely see an increasingly difficult workload.

“Just as hospitals must ensure that adequate material resources are in place to manage patient influx, they must also ensure that systems are in place to provide health care workers with opportunities to manage and restore their personal psychological and emotional resources.

Under normal conditions, health care workers are disproportionately impacted by occupational stress and emotional burnout owing to the demands and responsibilities associated with administering patient care. This may become all the more pronounced under acutely taxing conditions such as the current pandemic.—Bryce Hruska, Falk College

“Under normal conditions, health care workers are disproportionately impacted by occupational stress and emotional burnout owing to the demands and responsibilities associated with administering patient care. This may become all the more pronounced under acutely taxing conditions, such as the current pandemic.

“One consistent finding from the research literature is that health care workers can effectively counter the emotional toll of the job if provided with time for recovery from the day’s tasks. This includes ensuring time for adequate sleep as well as building in sufficient downtime during which they can process the days events and “switch off” from the days demands. These practices not only protect against decrements in performance, attention and memory, but they also promote opportunities to derive meaning from the day’s experiences, which can promote resilience in the face of stressful circumstances.

“Attesting to this importance, recent reports from China document the need that health care workers express for recovery time from the job. Importantly, measures addressing this need often consisted of relatively brief, but dedicated periods of time and physical space in the hospitals allowing for rest and reflection. As these reports demonstrate, while the current pandemic places an urgency on the delivery of care to those in need of it, the best way to ensure consistent and effective care over the ensuing weeks and possibly months is to tend to the workers responsible for delivering it.

“As hospitals across the U.S. prepare for anticipated strain due to surging COVID-19 cases, it is important that they do not neglect their most important asset: the healthcare workers responsible for delivering care.”

The MLK Celebration is a night of dynamic entertainment and inspirational presentations of the Unsung Hero Awards, which recognizes local community members, faculty, staff and students who—like Dr. King—champion the plight of those in need.

The Unsung Hero Award celebrates individuals or community groups who exemplify the spirit, life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but have not received widespread recognition or been previously honored for their efforts. To nominate someone who makes their world a better place (or for more event information) visit .

This year’s celebration takes place on Jan. 26, 2020, at the Dome.

For more information visit .