Fans of Syracuse University basketball got to know Eric Devendorf ’09 on the basketball court – knocking down shots and talking trash, a role he’s reprised as an anchor member of Boeheim’s Army in the TBT. Members of the Syracuse community have gotten to know Devendorf off the court – organizing winter coat drives, hosting free basketball clinics and delivering hundreds of Thanksgiving dinners to families in need. In this ’Cuse Conversation, Devendorf talks about his special relationship with th...
Nov 27, 2020•23 min
From an early age, Elizabeth Strout L'82 was fascinated with seeing life through someone else's perspective, so it's no surprise she envisioned a career in writing, penning works of fiction as a teenager. Upon arrival at Syracuse University's College of Law, Strout aspired to be a lawyer during the day and an author at night. While her legal career was short-lived after graduating cum laude from Syracuse, Strout's writing career has taken off. An accomplished and acclaimed novelist, Strout's boo...
Nov 23, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 22
College All-American, basketball Hall of Famer, founder and CEO of Michigan’s largest steel company, Detroit mayor, life-changing mentor – those are just some of the titles Dave Bing ’66 has had during an illustrious career. In his new memoir, “Attacking the Rim,” Bing talks about the trademark drive, spirit and philosophy that propelled him for success on and off the court. He shares stories about his life and lifelong connection to Syracuse University in this ’Cuse Conversation....
Nov 19, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 21
When Patrick Garrigan '01 was studying musical theater at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts, he learned to be fearless, to think audaciously, and to go after what he wanted in life. Those core tenets have served him well as Garrigan has carved out a successful career in the communications field, including his current job as Global Head of Bloomberg Live at Bloomberg Media Group. Garrigan discusses how the COVID-19 global pandemic affected his job, how he transitioned fr...
Nov 16, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In the spring of 1970, Greg Allen '73 and seven of his teammates on the Syracuse University football team, frustrated at how they were treated by the football coaches, sacrificed their shot at glory and took a stand for equality by boycotting spring practices. Among their demands: a more diverse and integrated coaching staff, equal access to academic support and medical care, and playing assignments determined by merit and not the color of their skin. When their demands were denied, the Syracuse...
Nov 05, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 19
If you’re a Syracuse University alumnus, you probably haven’t heard of John and Jerry Dellas , but chances are good that you’ve been inside one of their restaurants before. John and Jerry co-own the Varsity, which has occupied the same location at the corner of Marshall St. and Crouse since its founding in 1926, when John and Jerry’s grandfather, Jerry Dellas, built the Varsity. From its humble beginnings, the Varsity has evolved into a staple for Syracuse University Alumni, faculty, staff, and ...
Oct 28, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 18
What started with a surprise gift from his grandfather led to quite the career for Ben Clymer '05 , the founder and CEO of Hodinkee. After receiving his grandfather’s OMEGA Speedmaster watch, Clymer began blogging about vintage watches in 2008, and he quickly discovered there was a tremendous market out there for content about watches. Today, Hodinkee has grown from a one-man shop to a company with more than 60 employees. Hodinkee buys and sells new and vintage watches as part of its growing e-c...
Oct 20, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Since its founding in 1987, the Our Time Has Come Scholarship has changed the lives of more than 1,500 Black and Latino students at Syracuse University. On this 'Cuse Conversation, current scholar Sofia Rossi '22 shares how the scholarship has made an impact on her life, helped her find her community at Syracuse and cultivated her leadership skills. Rachel Vassel '91 and Maria Lopez '05, G'12 with the Office of Multicultural Advancement provide historical context on the scholarship, discuss why ...
Oct 15, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Hattie Taylor '17 felt lost living in Melbourne, Australia on her gap year between high school and college when she was approached by a women's rowing coach from Syracuse University. Intrigued by the recruiting pitch, Taylor, a native of the United Kingdom, went on to earn a political science degree as a four-year member of the women's rowing team. An All-American, Taylor credits rowing with bringing purpose and direction to her life. She uses those lessons of resiliency and overcoming adversity...
Oct 07, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 15
When it comes to your favorite films, the actors and actresses deliver memorable performances, and the screenwriters put together an entertaining script. But before you see the movie, Selena Saldana’s '05 job is to market these films to a wide audience. Saldana, the vice president of publicity for FilmNation Entertainment, has promoted films at the Oscars and nearly every major film festival from Sundance and Cannes to London and Toronto. Saldana shares her fascinating career journey, which has ...
Sep 25, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Whether you’re trying to land a big business deal, angling to get a raise or just trying to get your teenager to do some chores, you can probably pick up a few tips from Joshua Weiss, a 1991 Syracuse University graduate. Joshua’s latest book, “ The Book of Real World Negotiations ,” breaks down strategies that will help you get through those often difficult discussions. From high stakes matters of global policy to dinner table debates over who’s going to clean up the dishes, there are some surpr...
Sep 21, 2020•40 min
Orchestrating the Daytime Emmy Awards is difficult enough during a normal year. But in a world grappling with COVID-19 pandemic, David Parks '83 , the Executive Producer and Director of the Daytime Emmy Awards, responded to the challenge by planning and executing large-scale, live awards shows to honor television's best. Parks — whose 25-year career in entertainment and broadcast production has included live events, network TV news and sports, motion pictures, reality television, documentaries, ...
Sep 07, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 12
People have lost loved ones, their jobs, their sense of security, and even their sense of purpose during COVID-19. Brian Konkol , Dean of Hendricks Chapel, says there is another side that can be nearly as devastating: the damage done to our mental and spiritual well-being. Social distancing has changed how we interact with our friends and family members. We’re all learning to live through this unprecedented period of uncertainty, shock, sorrow and fear. Konkol discusses the healing “power of pre...
Aug 27, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Charity Purchas '13, G'19 is passionate about two things: providing assistance to vulnerable residents, and Syracuse University. In her role at the Huntington Family Centers under fellow alumna and executive director Mary Lou Sales G'93, Purchas helps people in need get access to essentials like food, water, clothing, personal hygiene items and diapers. Purchas shares her passion for service, why it's important to always show love to people in need, advice for people considering a career in soci...
Aug 24, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 10
For 17 years, Keri Potts '98, G'99 guided strategic communications efforts around ESPN's college sports businesses, created engaging promotional content for the network's NFL and NBA coverage, the 30 for 30 documentary series, the ESPY's awards show and more. But her true passion was advocating for women's empowerment issues, and this summer, Potts became vice president of external relations with the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, DC. Potts earned both her bachelors and mas...
Aug 17, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Everything Flose LaPierre '14 does is driven by a desire to make society better. After graduating from Syracuse University with dual degrees in sociology and public relations, LaPierre worked to help Miami-Dade County adopt affordable housing policies while learning first-hand the important role community organizing plays in bringing about change. As the world grapples with issues of racial injustice and police brutality, LaPierre is rallying her fellow Los Angeles residents to stand up and spea...
Aug 13, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Ruth Colvin '59, H'84, the founder of Literacy Volunteers of America (now ProLiteracy), has traveled the world in pursuit of knowledge. She is a proud lifelong learner, the recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom and a member of the National Women's Hall of Fame. At 103 years old, Ruth still golfs and walks 2,000 steps a day, as tracked by her iPhone. She recently published a memoir: My Travels Through Life, Love and Literacy . In this 'Cuse Conversation, Ruth shares some of her stories, secr...
Aug 07, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Andrew Lunetta G'14 is the founder of A Tiny Home for Good, a not-for-profit organization in Syracuse that designs and builds single-resident houses for homeless people in and around Syracuse. Since its founding in 2016, they have built 21 homes from the ground-up for homeless tenants across Syracuse, with half of the homes going to our nation's veterans. Lunetta discusses why he's passionate about addressing the problem of homelessness, how receiving the gift of shelter has helped these people ...
Aug 04, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Alex Kline has always had an eye for talent on the basketball court. When he was 16, Kline started his own recruiting website, The Recruit Scoop, earning a reputation as a scout with reliable and useful intelligence. While earning his undergraduate degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Newhouse, Kline landed a job with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, first as a basketball operations assistant and later as an intel scout. Now, Kline's a scout with the New York Knicks. With the NBA seaso...
Jul 30, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
2015 Miss Rhode Island Allie Curtis '14 is more than just a former Miss America contestant. A second lieutenant in the Rhode Island National Guard, Curtis graduated from the U.S. Army’s Field Artillery Basic Leadership Course, becoming the FIRST woman field artillery officer in Rhode Island. A public affairs officer, Curtis will help integrate more women into combat arms, part of her mission to empower women and girls for a brighter future. Curtis discusses her passion for elevating women into l...
Jul 27, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 4
If you’re a fan of baseball, you’re familiar with Jayson Stark ’73. He’s the senior baseball writer for the Athletic, an MLB Network studio analyst and a Baseball Hall of Famer - the 2019 J.G. Taylor Spink Award recipient. In this ’Cuse Conversation, Jayson talks about his lifelong connection to Syracuse University, shares stories from his career and previews the 2020 MLB season, which is certain to be the most unusual of our lifetime.
Jul 23, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 3
From the moment he stepped on campus, Ian Wishingrad ’08 recognized that Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications was where he belonged. The marketing pro’s career path hasn’t been traditional, but it has led to success. Wishingrad is the founder and creative director of a marketing and advertising firm , the creator of a cereal brand and recently reunited some of the original cast members of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory . In this ’Cuse Conversations podcast, ...
Jul 21, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
From an early age, Doug Robinson '85 envisioned a career in the entertainment industry, preferably as a producer. Robinson worked his way up from the Creative Artists Agency mailroom to become an agent, and eventually he was a partner and co-founder of the talent division at Endeavor Talent Agency where he represented Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Will Smith, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Ashton Kutcher and more. After these successes, Robinson reinvented himself as a television producer, and hi...
Jul 13, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Growing up, Sarah Kamya '17 loved to read books, but she struggled finding stories and characters she could identify with as a Black child. Today, Kamya is the creator of the Little Free Diverse Library Project, which aims to amplify Black voices while supporting Black authors and Black-owned bookstores. Kamya has raised more than $10,000, purchased more than 500 books written by Black authors from Black-owned bookstores, and received more than 400 books through her Amazon Wish List. These books...
Jun 30, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 35
During COVID-19, churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship have been forced to transition their services online. Shayna Postman '95 is the cantor (prayer leader) and a teacher and counselor at the Town & Village Synagogue in New York City. Working with the rabbi, Postman has helped bring the synagogue's services online. Postman leads daily Zoom services for the congregation, teaches religious education classes for children and adults, has delivered supplies and resources to e...
Jun 16, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Sam Blum '16 reports on Southern Methodist University athletics and the Texas Rangers for the Dallas Morning News, but recently, his duties changed to include covering the impact of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter protests in and around Dallas. Blum has faced tear gas and had guns drawn on him while covering the protests. A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in newspaper and online journalism, Blum describes the chaos that was his first few days on hi...
Jun 11, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 33
As Kieran Pickering '07 watched the COVID-19 news coverage depicting overwhelmed New York City-area hospitals, he had an idea: to fuel these front line health care workers with healthy snacks and beverages. Teaming up with Founders Give, Pickering used his company, Mitchell’s New York Logistics, to deliver more than two million products to 51 hospitals since the initiative launched two months ago. Pickering discusses why he chose hospital workers and first responders, how this cause has taken of...
Jun 03, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 32
As communities around the world search for solutions to COVID-19, Tito Bottitta '03, Jared Novack '06 and Mike Swartz '06 are using their company, Upstatement, to design three initiatives to contain the spread of this disease. Collaborating with doctors at Brigham & Women's Hospital, COVID Protocols created guidelines for treating COVID-19 patients. COVID Safe Paths is a contact tracing app that allows people to find out if they've been exposed to the disease while mapping out a digital reco...
May 28, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Always the creative type, Joy Cho '01 founded the Oh Joy! blog in 2005 to market her work as a graphic and product designer. Cho combined her social media savvy with captivating content to launch her own lifestyle brand, Oh Joy!, and she has become a trailblazer in the world of personal style. A home design expert, Cho was one of the first users on Pinterest, and with more than 13 million followers she is now Pinterest’s most popular creative influencer. An accomplished entrepreneur and author, ...
May 20, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Lyric Lewis is an accomplished actress, hilarious comedian, and history buff who plays history teacher Stef Duncan on NBC’s hit show "A.P. Bio." Lewis, who earned a drama degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has also starred on "MadTV" and Comedy Central’s "Drunk History." Lewis says she always wanted to make people laugh, and she is one of the funnier alumna you’ll hear from on this podcast! As Hollywood continue to deal with COVID-19, Lewis shares how this pandemic has impact...
May 07, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 29
