Class of 2020 Commencement events to be held Sept. 17-19

Syracuse University will host a Commencement ceremony—delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and other celebratory events for the Class of 2020 during the weekend of Sept. 17–19.  

Commencement will be held Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Stadium. This University-wide ceremony, where Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud will formally confer degrees, is for all undergraduate, graduate and doctoral candidates. Doors open at 8 a.m.

Following Commencement, all 2020 Newhouse graduates and their families are invited to join Dean Mark J. Lodato and the faculty and staff for a celebratory reception. The event will include a dean’s welcome, recognition of participating graduates and an opportunity to reconnect with faculty. A precise time and location will be announced soon; stay tuned for details.

For more information about Commencement activities for the Class of 2020, see the event listing.

Covering the 2024 Campaign

Newhouse School students covered two of the biggest events of the 2024 presidential campaign, reporting and writing stories from the nominating conventions for media outlets across the country. 

Nine students traveled to Milwaukee in July to cover the Republican National Convention, while 10 students visited Chicago the following month to cover the Democratic National Convention. 

Led by Joel Kaplan, associate dean of graduate programs at Newhouse and a former political and investigative reporter, the students gained invaluable experience working side-by-side with political journalists from around the country. They built up their résumés while providing or supplementing content for local media outlets by writing and reporting stories for broadcast, social media and news platforms. Students also created packages for airing and conducted interviews.

The Newhouse contingent was even featured in a CBS News Chicago story about the DNC. Among those interviewed was Luke Radel, a junior broadcast and digital journalism major who produced stories from both conventions for WKTV NewsChannel 2 in his hometown of Utica, New York. 

“[I was] pulling back from the national picture and finding local stories that matter to people in my community, my hometown and my friends and neighbors,” Radel told CBS News Chicago. “It’s been really cool to hear from them about what it means to have someone on a national stage talking about issues that matter to them.” 

Newhouse Advisory Board

Donor Honor Roll

The Newhouse School gratefully acknowledges the alumni, parents, employees, organizations, students and friends who supported the school each year. The following list recognizes those who have contributed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. We have respectfully removed those donors who asked to remain anonymous.

Class Notes

60s 

Dan Schlossberg ’69 authored the book “Home Run King: The Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron.”

70s

Genie Abrams ’70, G’71 published a poetry book, “Pretty Nearly All Natural.”

Jan Hickman ’71 has retired after a long career in newspaper and corporate communications.

Larry Elin’s ’73 book “The Cinder Drop: Murder in the Steel City” was featured in the July issue of Kirkus Reviews magazine.

John G. Clemons ’76, G’14 was named Southeast District director for 2024-25 of the Public Relations Society of America National Board of Directors.

Thomas Fensch Ph.D. ’77 published his 47th book, “Between Author and Editor: Exceptional Collaborations During the Golden Age of American Book Publishing.”

Dave Bohman ’79 is celebrating 45 years in television news and his fifth year as an investigative reporter at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida.

80s 

Tom Coffey’s ’80 new novel, “Special Victim,” was published in November.

Irene Keene ’81 is a professional actor whose credits include “The Gilded Age,” “Manifest” and “Full Frontal.”

Fred Sternburg ’81 was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Ellen J. Meany ’82 was named executive director of the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. 

Lisa Fontenelli ’86 was the Whitman School of Management Class of 2024 convocation speaker. 

Adam Zand ’87 launched the PR and marketing agency SharpOrange.

Brian Levine ’88 is the chief executive officer of Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors. 

90s 

Steven Latham ’91 is creator and producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series “Shelter Me,” which aired its latest season in 2024.

Samantha Critchell ’93 is head of corporate communications at e.l.f. Beauty.

R. Lance Holbert G’93 has been named research professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and director of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics.

Mitch Messinger G’93 launched the PR consultancy Messinger Media Management. 

Ada Agrait ’94 was honored with an Alumni Award at Syracuse University’s Coming Back Together reunion.

Suzanne Ayello ’94 is a managing partner at McCann New York, leading the L’Oréal U.S. business. 

Josh Barnett ’94 was named managing director for editorial at Sports Business Journal. 

Cheryll Ocampo Forsatz ’94 is U.S. chief client officer at Ketchum. 

Tom Scheck ’96 was selected as a fellow for the Poynter Institute Public Media Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative.

Andrew Siciliano ’96 is the play-by-play announcer for the University Hospitals Cleveland Browns Radio Network.

Pia Rogers ’98 gave the keynote address at the 2024 Maxwell School master of public administration convocation ceremony.

Sari Hitchins ’99 has been promoted to senior news editor for the publication Parents.

00s

Gina Laughlin ’00 was promoted to vice president and head of global communications at Delta Air Lines.

Kelly Clements ’02 joined the board of directors of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. 

Allyson Mandelbaum ’03 started the hat company Shady Lady.

Adam Ritchie ’03 owns Adam Ritchie Brand Direction, which was the PR agency for the Masters of Scale Summit, whose speakers included Bill Gates, Tyra Banks and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Amanda Raus ’04 is media relations coordinator for Bridgeport Hospital.  

Brian Goldman ’05, CEO of Big Blue Bug Solutions, won the Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year award.

JaNeika James G’05 was honored with an Alumni Award at Syracuse University’s Coming Back Together reunion.

Weijia Jiang G’06 delivered the keynote speech at the Newhouse School’s 2024 convocation ceremony.

Karen Ryan ’06 was a producer for “Nimona,” which was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Jane Khodos ’07, vice president of communications at Early Warning Services, was named to the 2024 PRWeek 40 Under 40 list. 

Liza Robbins ’07 became the creative operations lead at Crocs, Inc. 

Christine Giarrizzo G’08 launched the podcast “Momming as a Millennial.” 

Kevin Kane G’09 was a 2024 inductee into the PRSA College of Fellows.

10s 

Justin Sondel G’10 is a public safety reporter at The Buffalo News. 

Kevin Brown ’11 extended his contract as the play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles’ television broadcast on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Sadé Muhammad ’12 was honored with the Young Alumni Award at Syracuse University’s Coming Back Together reunion.

Kelundra Smith G’12 was named director of publishing for TCG Books and American Theatre magazine. 

Nick Brown ’13 served as senior features producer for the League of Legends Worlds Final broadcast that earned a 2024 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage.

Rachel Fawkes ’13 was honored with an NYC TV Week 40 Under 40 award.

Amanda Quick ’14 was honored with the Generation Orange Award at Syracuse University’s 2024 Alumni Awards Celebration.

Rachel Somerstein Ph.D. ’14 published her first book, “Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section.”

Patrick Hosken G’15 was named Rochester City Magazine’s new arts writer. 

Lis Webber ’15 is the founder and executive director of Syracuse Community Fridge.

Ted Gioia ’16 was promoted to director of sports and portfolio programming at NBCUniversal. 

Jordan Horowitz ’16 won an Up Next award in Variety magazine’s 2024 Legal Impact Report. 

Alex Kline ’16 is the new general manager of the Syracuse University men’s basketball program.

Julia Naftulin ’16 is an editor for Business Insider’s special projects division.

Caroline Soss ’16 was named manager at Artists First management and production company. 

Brooke Taylor ’17 joined Fox News as a national news correspondent. 

Kaitlin Pearson ’18 is the co-anchor of “Today in Central New York” on WSTM (NBC3) in Syracuse.

Jerald Pierce G’18 was named managing editor for American Theatre magazine. 

Kayla Burton G’19 joined NBC Sports Boston as a multiplatform host and reporter. 

Noah Eagle ’19 won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent.

20s

James Corrigan G’21 is a reporter at WPMT-FOX43 in York, Pennsylvania. 

Samantha Croston G’21 was named sports director at CNY Central. 

Hattie Lindert ’21 took on the role of news editor at electronic music publication Resident Advisor. 

Chris Bennett’s G’22 short film “Level One” was selected to screen at over 20 film festivals and won at the Cayuga Film Festival.

Miles Hood G’22 is a reporter for WVEC News Now in Norfolk, Virginia. 

Lea-Ann O’Hare Germinder G’23 is a second-year doctoral student at the University of Missouri.  

Gannon Nolan ’23 is a technical associate for PGA Tour Entertainment.  

Alexandra Siambekos ’23 won the Best First Time Director, Documentary award at the Berlin Indie Film Festival’s January 2024 competition. 

Nicole Aponte ’24 won a 2024 Edward R. Murrow Award for her 2023 story “Beating the Odds, Taking the Reins.”

Marlana Bianchi ’24 and senior Molly Egan won a Future Lions Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Zachary Goldman ’24 is a PR and communications associate with the Windy City Bulls.

Adam Lewis ’24 joined NFL Films as a seasonal producer.  

Peyton Spellacy ’24 joined KOAT as a reporter for Action 7 News in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. 

Ireland Walker ’24 is a news reporter for WTEN-TV in Albany, New York. 

An Enduring Mission

The origins of the Newhouse School trace back to a conversation at the Hotel Syracuse in the late 1950s.

There, during a half-hour meeting that began at 7:30 a.m., publisher Samuel I. Newhouse committed $15 million to then-Chancellor William P. Tolley to help Syracuse University fund the building of a premier journalism school. Newhouse 1 opened its doors in 1964.

Six decades later, the founding mission of providing the best journalism education in the country endures. 

“I can think of no better way to honor the extraordinary vision of  S.I. Newhouse and his family for the Newhouse School’s 60th anniversary than to recommit ourselves to excellence in journalism education,” Dean Mark J. Lodato said. 

Headwinds face newsrooms. Technology continues to change the way news is reported and consumed. The industry is seemingly in constant churn and reinventing itself.

The Newhouse School embraces these challenges. 

Faculty maintain close ties to the industry to keep tabs on the latest trends and help students build career connections, while the school continues to invest in the latest equipment and technology.

“Our goal as a faculty is to help our driven journalism students move seamlessly into newsrooms after graduation,” said Anthony Adornato, associate professor and chair of the broadcast and digital journalism department. “As the industry evolves, Newhouse will evolve with it to ensure our graduates are prepared to work and lead from Day 1.” 

One of the school’s latest efforts is a reenvisioned journalism curriculum, beginning in fall 2025, which puts emphasis on ensuring students are skilled in the art of storytelling across multiple platforms. It’s the result of years of discussion among faculty and school leadership. 

The bachelor’s in journalism program formalizes in writing what professors had already been doing in the classroom: training aspiring journalists to meet audiences wherever they get their news, whether on their phone, a social platform or their favorite podcast. 

Students will still be able to select a track in either broadcast and digital journalism or magazine, news and digital journalism, allowing them to focus on a specialty.

“Teaching the core fundamentals of reporting, writing, communications law and ethics will never go away,” said Greg Munno, associate professor and interim chair of magazine, news and digital journalism. 

“What the new curriculum does is equip all journalism students with the skills to tell stories across multiple media formats and prepare them for tomorrow’s newsrooms,” Munno said.

Among the school’s other journalism initiatives or priorities: 

• Continuing to recruit, develop and encourage students who will work in newsrooms seeking to ensure that the diversity of their staff and leadership reflects the communities they serve. This commitment traces back to 1994 and the start of the Newhouse Diversity News Fellowship.
• Applying for grants that foster partnerships with journalism organizations to fill news deserts, and collaborating with media outlets to find ways to keep local communities informed, especially in rural areas. An example is how Newhouse students cover Central New York news for public radio station WAER.
• The Newhouse Sports Media Center’s newly expanded home in Newhouse 3 serves as a hub for students pursuing sports journalism as a focus within the broadcast or magazine, news and digital journalism tracks. 
• Working to strengthen trust in news media, governance and society through the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC), the partnership initiative with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The opening of the new University center in Washington, D.C., also allows for expansion of the Newhouse DC program and related internship and experiential learning opportunities.

Additionally, Newhouse is committed to leading the way in the research and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in reporting the news, as well as collaborating with the news industry and educating students to root out misinformation.

Perhaps most importantly, the success of the Newhouse School is embodied in the generations of alumni who have graduated with journalism degrees and gone on to write, report, edit, produce and lead newsrooms across the country. 

At the school’s 60th anniversary celebration, S.I. Newhouse’s son, Donald Newhouse, recalled how his father beamed with pride when Newhouse 1 formally opened its doors on Aug. 5, 1964. 

“My father expressed his vision that day … ‘In the end, it is the quality of persons who choose to make media a career that counts. We hope … that the brightest possible young men and women will be found at this school,’” Donald Newhouse said. 

“In the 60 years since that dedication, through unprecedented upheaval in the media field, the Newhouse School has carried out that vision and mission that he and [Chancellor Tolley] agreed to during the memorable half-hour meeting at the Hotel Syracuse.”

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The Long View

Claudia Strong and Ken Harper, members of the visual communications faculty, curated the photo galleries that adorn the walls of Newhouse this year in honor of the school’s 60th anniversary. Here, Strong recounts the work behind assembling the commemorative exhibits. 

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I’m not sure I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I agreed in the spring to contribute to the 60th celebration in the form of exhibits, but Ken Harper and I knew it would be a tough climb, especially given that the bulk of the work would occur during the summer while I worked abroad and Ken tackled his new post as the graduate program director for visual communications.

After reviewing thousands of images provided by various departments, our strategy was to lean into vintage visuals while weaving disparate images into meaningful stories that reveal a relevant but mostly unknown history to the people now benefiting from it—whether student, faculty or staff. We sought to engage them with imagery that felt at once familiar and not quite so.

This decision led quickly to four of the eight exhibits: one for the dedication of Newhouse 1; one for the school’s pre-Newhouse history; one for the construction, remodeling and dedication of each of the three Newhouse buildings; and one that recounts the history of the television, radio and film department and Newhouse 2.

We pinpointed ideal spaces for exhibits based on size and editorial relevance, also accounting for traffic patterns, celebration plans and the official Newhouse tour route. Still there was additional content to display and, significantly, a few prominent spaces to fill.

Most pressing was how to populate the school’s official gallery on the second floor of Newhouse 1. I dubbed this space, which includes the digital alumni wall, the “People Gallery” for easy reference.

It is a large space with high traffic, and we had little idea of what to put there. Then, I remembered we had staff and faculty photos from the past couple decades. We also had a beautiful vintage catalog from the 1950s of Newhouse faculty that was perfect for the overall concept, but, as you might imagine, it did not feature a diverse group of people, and I hesitated to use it without other content for balance. Many of the more recent staff and faculty pictures were of people who’d come and gone and who’d each left an indelible mark on the school and the people in it, so combining these “Newhousers” and legacies—separated by decades and seismic societal shifts—seemed like a solid solution for the space and a way to honor both their contributions and our progress as a school.

To round out this gallery space, anchored by four beloved Newhouse deans, we included an exhibit of books published by Newhouse faculty and staff. To round out the exhibits in the complex overall, we added a mural of candid images from throughout the school’s history as well as a visual timeline of milestones.

Upon my return to town and after I’d finished most of the exhibit designs, Ken and I spent the final two weeks leading up to the Aug. 28 anniversary event in a mad dash to usher these as-yet pixel-only exhibits into their real-world destinies. It was time to print and install. This required that we first prepare all the final images for printing, which involved meticulously checking and setting file sizes, resolutions and color profiles for each of the more than 350 images now on display.

Given that many of the files we received were too small to print at target size, Ken dove into the brave new world of artificial intelligence-driven image upsizing, which in most cases worked quite well. Meanwhile, I finished the exhibit designs, wrote copy, created signage and recruited helpers for the installation phase.

Ken worked full days at Light Work to print the largest images, 60- and 42-inch prints, while I tackled the remainder on the smaller-format printer in the Steele Center long into the nights at Newhouse 1. We managed to print enough after the first week to begin the surprisingly time-consuming process of installing an adhesive exhibit, made trickier by the enormous size of some panels that would have been ever trickier without help from a cadre of mostly tall volunteers.

Now on the other side of deadline, having experienced the response to the exhibits and hearing about the happiness it brought to the Newhouse family, what once seemed like an insurmountable task has become a moment of joy that I get to experience daily as I see students, faculty and staff engage with the school’s story as they help write the next chapter.  

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A special thank you to the following Newhouse faculty and students for their invaluable assistance with installing the galleries.

Faculty:  Dennis Kinsey, Bruce Strong and Jason Webb 

Students: Jacob Bergh, Rio Harper, Matt Hoffman, Tyler Slavicek, Surya Vaidy, Maxine Wallace and Joati Zobayer 

University Unveils Newhouse Family Plaza

Donald Newhouse smiled as he gestured toward the metallic letters, now permanently attached to a wall outside the Newhouse School, that recognize his family for the generosity that has helped Syracuse University educate generations of students.

The renaming of the plaza that serves as a formal entryway for the Newhouse complex and gathering space for students was a small act of gratitude during the school’s 60th anniversary celebration.

“I am fortunate to have the chance, in the same month that I celebrate my 95th birthday, to look back with overwhelming pride at the record of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. It is one of the great joys of my life,” Donald Newhouse said at the Aug. 28 event on the steps leading up to what is now known as the Newhouse Family Plaza.

The podium from which Newhouse spoke was situated not far from where his father, Samuel I. Newhouse, delivered his own remarks for the dedication ceremony of the Newhouse 1 building on Aug. 5, 1964. On that day, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the keynote address.

“For me personally, this was a day I would never forget, for besides [it] being my 35th birthday, my 4-year-old son was sitting on my lap, threatening to take the microphone away from the president,” Donald Newhouse recalled at the 60th anniversary celebration.

Six decades later, that 4-year-old son, Michael Newhouse, was among the crowd of hundreds gathered on the Einhorn Family Walk to celebrate another school milestone. His older brother, Steven Newhouse, sat nearby, as did other distinguished members of the Newhouse family. 

As the owner of Advance Publications, which was founded by S.I. Newhouse in 1922, Donald Newhouse is the patriarch of one of the first families of American publishing. The dedication of Newhouse 1 in 1964 set the foundation for the establishment of the Newhouse School as one of the preeminent communications schools in the country.

Today, the Newhouse family is one of the largest-ever donors to Syracuse University. The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation’s $75 million pledge to the school in 2020 was the single largest gift in the University’s history. 

“There are so many amazing alumni of this school that I’ve met all over the world—editors, broadcasters, leaders in print, cable news and network newsrooms. They’ve founded and led radio stations, PR agencies, advertising firms, countless ventures in the business, digital music and entertainment industries,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said before unveiling the plaza’s new name.

“All of them amazing people, all made possible because of the transformational gifts of Donald Newhouse and the Newhouse Foundation,” Syverud added. “You’ve really, in a meaningful sense, shaped the trajectory of the University, the Newhouse School and, most importantly, the careers of tens of thousands of our students and our graduates and faculty.”

The 60th anniversary festivities included a celebratory luncheon and a special tour of the school for the Newhouse family. They walked through what has grown into a three-building complex on a busy midweek afternoon during the first week of class.

They surprised students with a stopover at a COM 107 class, toured the Newhouse Sports Media Center’s new home in the Newhouse 3 building and took in new photo galleries looking back at the school’s history that will adorn the walls of Newhouse in 2024-25.

The visit culminated with the ceremony and reception as students, faculty, staff, alumni and University leaders and trustees celebrated with the Newhouse family on the newly named plaza. 

In thanking the University, Steven Newhouse shared with the audience that he, too, was at the 1964 dedication ceremony, at age 7.

“I’m really excited by the naming of the Newhouse Family Plaza for two reasons. First of all, beyond S.I. Newhouse—my grandfather— and Donald Newhouse and his brother, Si Newhouse, it’s the entire Newhouse family who are proud of the amazing record of this school,” Steven Newhouse said. 

“And second, the Newhouse School is like a family itself. It looks after recent graduates as they make their way in the work world and as they advance their careers. So, on behalf of the extended family of the Newhouse School, thank you so much.”

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First Year Seminar Peer Leaders: They’re the Connectors in an Innovative Program

When members of the Class of 2025 graduate in May, many will have spent four years as instrumental components of a unique program designed to acclimate new students to life at Syracuse University.

These seniors have been involved as students taking the course in their first year of college, then as peer leaders for First Year Seminar (FYS) for three subsequent years. The one-credit, 15-week required course engages students in conversations, activities and assignments about making the transition to life on campus. It not only serves as an introductory course to Syracuse University, but also actively builds community, connects students to faculty/staff and each other, and encourages a positive transition to a new environment. Within that setting, students explore the topics of belonging, interdependence, wellness, development of identity, socialization, discrimination, bias and stereotypes.

Since the program began in 2021, more than 500 faculty, staff and students have participated in FYS in various roles. They’ve served as lead instructors (faculty, staff and graduate students) or as peer leaders (undergraduate students). Lead instructors partner with peer leaders to guide seminar discussions for class sections. With some 4,000-plus new students in first-year classes, and with sections capped at 19 students to create an intimate, seminar atmosphere, 225 students were needed to fill the peer leader role in 2024.

Peer leaders are the embodiment of FYS and they are the connectors that are integral to the program, say Shannon Hitchcock Schantz, FYS director, and Jimmy Luckman, associate director. Peer leaders work in conjunction with lead instructors to guide discussions that are anchored around increasing students’ sense of belonging on campus.

“The program isn’t advanced only by faculty and staff; peer leaders are a big part of the FYS experience. They are connectors for FYS participants and they’re conduits who facilitate discussions on many issues while sharing the kinds of University resources that are available. They connect students where students want to be connected. Through discussions, they can transform the classroom experience, providing a space for sometimes difficult conversations, and that’s been a very strong thing,” Luckman says.

The past four years have been a time of growth for the program, as the previous FYS leaders, Schantz and her team have built “a great foundation,” she says. “Now, we are looking ahead and seeing how to enrich the peer leader experience.”

In addition to monthly leadership development meetings for peer leaders, Luckman says the team is considering creating a peer leader development model and potentially expanding leadership opportunities for the students.  They are also conducting focus groups to obtain feedback on the peer leader role and may form a peer leader alumni group. They also hired a coordinator to supervise peer leaders and manage the myriad details of hiring and tracking a 200-plus student workforce.

While hundreds of peer leaders are needed each year, Luckman says it has not been difficult to recruit for those roles because students love working with fellow students and they understand the value community-building work adds to their background and experience. Many also recognize the role as a chance to develop leadership skills and want to take advantage of that, Luckman says.

The team asked for peer leader feedback to continue to enhance the position and the co-facilitation model the course follows. Schantz says the responses showed the importance of the lead instructor and peer leader in creating a positive atmosphere in the course. Another factor that influenced peer leaders returning to their roles in subsequent years is the respectful environment that peer leaders form with their students.

Four students who took FYS their first year on campus and then stayed on as peer leaders for the next three years are set to graduate this spring. They shared with SU News their reasons for deciding to remain in those roles and what the program has meant to them since their earliest days at the University.

Mariana Godinez-Andraca, a dual public relations/psychology major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences, is an international student from Mexico City. She likes that FYS embraces “uncomfortable” conversations, such as discussions about cultural awareness, microaggressions and learning to have empathy for others, she says.

“What I value most is that FYS embraces these conversations wholeheartedly, creating a space where students can open up, challenge their beliefs and grow into more empathetic individuals.” She says she has appreciated “sharing my experiences and cultural background…in a space where we actively listen to each other and where everyone’s stories and perspectives enrich our understanding, broadening my own cultural awareness while giving me a meaningful platform to share my journey. I hope I leave an impression that encourages others to embrace diversity and engage more thoughtfully with the world around them.”

N​ehilah Grand-Pierre, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School, finds the give-and-take between FYS participants and peer leaders invigorating and gratifying.

When FYS participants were offered the opportunity to ask peer leaders any question about any topic, she says one participant asked how to discover one’s self-worth while in college. “I said the best way is to not define your self-worth through other people. I told how studying abroad in London forced me to stop defining myself by the activities and relationships I had on main campus, and instead define myself by my reactions to all the new things I was experiencing. I said what happens to you doesn’t define you, but how you react to those situations does. I recognized that as a senior, I had so much experience to pull from, and I saw how real experiences helped drive discussions.”

Syracuse University Teams Up with Global Organization Gen.G to Boost Student Engagement, Expand Hands-On Learning Opportunities in Esports

Syracuse University and global esports and gaming organization Gen.G are collaborating on a multi-year partnership designed to enhance student engagement opportunities and support the University’s first-of-its-kind esports communications and management bachelor’s program.

The partnership will feature participation in the Gen.G Practicum Abroad, which offers students the opportunity to take part in an intensive, three-week program to study in South Korea. The partnership will also bring Gen.G’s Campus Takeover conference and program to Syracuse to celebrate the University’s soon-to-be-completed esports hub in the center of campus at the Schine Student Center. Campus Takeover events draw students, faculty, professional leaders and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss key issues and emerging trends in the esports and gaming industries.

Syracuse University is the first major university in the country to offer an esports bachelor’s program. The degree is offered jointly by the Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

“As a leader in esports education, it is essential for Syracuse to deliver to the right mix of academic excellence and hands-on experiences to our students,” says Joey Gawrysiak, executive director of the esports degree program. “Given Gen.G’s outstanding track record of delivering educational programming that resonates with students, we look forward to building this important partnership in a growing field.”

The Gen.G Practicum Abroad program will offer Syracuse students an expansive hands-on learning experience in the heart of the esports industry in South Korea. The program led by Gen.G professionals includes custom esports programming, mentorship by industry professionals, special lectures, industry “lunch-and-learns” and professional networking, all while immersing students in Korean culture and its history in esports. Students will visit competitive organizations and gaming publisher studios.

Students will also take part in Gen.G’s award-winning Campus Takeover event, which will be hosted for the first time on the Syracuse campus in fall 2025. The free-to-enter conference will focus on supporting the esports ecosystem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, promoting academic, broadcast and competitive excellence through informative panels and seminars featuring industry professionals. The Campus Takeover at Syracuse will also be the first to feature an innovative business case study competition.

Two Newhouse Creative Advertising Students Won Communication Arts Student Showcase Awards…For Their First-Ever Ad Campaigns.

Communication Arts is one of the top publications for visual communications worldwide. Each year, the magazine honors students with Communication Arts Student Showcase Awards for outstanding advertising, design, photography or illustration work. The winners are selected based on their unique approach to creative problem-solving and for producing work at a professional level.

This year, out of 14 student winners nationwide, four are advertising majors. And two of them are from the Newhouse School.

Tori Aragi ’24 and Jordan Leveille ’24, art directors in the Newhouse creative advertising program, won for five advertising campaigns they created in Portfolio 1, the first course for creative-track advertising majors at Newhouse. One campaign by Aragi came from Portfolio III, the final course in the creative advertising track. Aragi and Leveille’s first-ever advertising campaigns were shown in the March/April 2024 print edition of Communication Arts.

“The fun of Portfolio I is that many students come in with no experience,” said Mel White, a professor of practice and Aragi and Leveille’s instructor in Portfolio I. “They tell me they’ve never created an advertising campaign before, and I tell them, ‘The work created in this course often goes on to win creative advertising student awards.’ Time and time again, this proves to be true. In my Portfolio I course, I don’t just teach students how to create ad campaigns; I teach them how to create compelling campaigns that are memorable.”

The Award-Winning Campaigns

“Too Tired to Function” for Raycon Wireless Earbuds

Aragi’s “Too Tired to Function” campaign for Raycon Wireless Earbuds includes three print ads and was developed in her Portfolio I course. It is one of her three campaigns featured in this year’s print edition of Communication Arts. This campaign highlights Raycon’s superior battery life by showing Apple AirPods “falling asleep” during inconvenient travel times and uses visual solution advertising to tell this story, altering visuals to communicate the concept of the ad campaign.

“This was my first-ever advertising campaign,” Aragi recalled. “Professor White taught me how to blend visuals and copy to create this compelling story.”

“Hydroscape” for Hydro Flask

Leveille’s “Hydroscape” campaign for Hydro Flask, created in Portfolio I, similarly uses a visual solution approach, transforming Hydro Flask bottles into frigid, icy landscapes to represent how well the product keeps liquids cold. This concept visually links Hydro Flasks to glaciers, a recognizable symbol of cold water.

“This is a clever way of visually showing how the water bottle keeps water cold for a very long time,” said White. “Jordan is strikingly adept at using visual solution advertising.”

“Bad Hair Day” for Aveeno

Leveille’s “Bad Hair Day” campaign for Aveeno, created in Portfolio I, takes a playful approach with its visual solution. It depicts the torment of dealing with untreated, damaged hair by transforming the hair into a monstrosity. This campaign shows how Aveeno’s Oat Milk Hair Treatment can “tame” unruly hair, thus positioning the product as the solution to achieving hydrated, healthy locks.

“Fries Over Friends” for McDonald’s

Aragi’s second featured campaign, “Fries Over Feelings,” created in Portfolio I, captures the universal sting of someone swiping your McDonald’s fries. Aragi turned this everyday betrayal into a memorable ad series, blending serious undertones with exaggerated humor. Her long-form ads amplify the drama of the stolen fries by incorporating clever comedic twists.

“Professor White’s guidance on copy-based advertising was crucial in developing this idea and its comedic touch,” Aragi said.

“I’m Thirsty” for charity:water

For charity: water, a nonprofit dedicated to providing clean drinking water where many do not have access to it, Leveille came up with the idea in Portfolio I to create drinking water cans with no tab on them, making the water inside completely inaccessible. These cans would be placed in vending machines that appear to dispense free cans of water.

The can’s design is meant to give consumers a glimpse of what it’s like for people who lack access to clean drinking water, aiming to generate empathy for the 370 million individuals facing this challenge daily. The cans lack tabs, so people cannot access the water. This design gives consumers a glimpse into experiencing first-hand, even if it’s just for a few seconds, what it’s like to have no access to clean drinking water.

Each can reads, “By making this can of water impossible to open, we have restricted your access to clean drinking water. Now you can relate to the 10% of our population who lack access to clean water daily. It shouldn’t be this difficult for anyone to quench their thirst.”

This campaign is notable for its innovative use of experiential advertising, creating a powerful and original experience for the consumer.

White praised Leveille’s charity: water campaign for its social awareness: “The charity: water campaign tangibly recreates water inaccessibility through a completely sealed and visually identifiable can, allowing consumers to experience an issue that many typically don’t in their daily lives.”

“Just Let It Go” for eBay

Aragi’s third campaign, “Just Let It Go” for eBay, was created in Portfolio III. Collaborating with copywriter Kayla Beck ’24, Aragi targeted Generation Z in the United Kingdom with this cheeky campaign.

Through their research, Aragi and Beck said they found that Gen Z struggles to let go of preloved items, even when they have outgrown them. From there, the creative advertising students created a campaign that gives people the snarky shove they need to realize it is finally time to let go.

“Professor White always stressed the importance of simple ideas and cohesive campaigns, which helped me to create this project,” Aragi said.

2024 marks the sixth consecutive year Newhouse creative advertising students have won Communication Arts Students Showcase Awards.