Columnist Cynthia Tucker (right) with SU’s Newhouse School Dean Lorraine Branham
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Cynthia Tucker shared her views, opinions and forecasts for the next stage of journalism during a talk at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School last night. She was joined on stage by Newhouse Dean Lorraine Branham during the conversation.
DaJuan Coleman, JD Red Rams
The Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams High School basketball team continued their dominance and won another State Title, beating Newark High over the weekend. Sophomore center Dajuan Coleman was named MVP.
John Izzo
John Izzo is staying true to his roots. He is the son of an Italian immigrant and describes bittersweet memories of getting his hands dirty in the family garden as a child.
As he came of age however, his trade became engineering. But he didn’t let that work bury his dreams. These days wine is his passion.
In about a year Izzo purchased land in Cayuga County and co-founded White Barn Winery with his wife Lorraine. They both hope to transition someday (soon) to have the winery as their full time pursuit.
In the sound clip below Izzo suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs assemble a Dream Team to help start, support and sustain their business/vision. One of his mentors is Chris Scholomiti at CJS Vineyards.
Izzo was the latest presenter for the Start-Up NY Extraordinary Speaker series held at the Southside Innovation Center (SSIC) earlier this week.
Syracuse Center of Excellence (Syracuse CoE) Building
Above Midtown Syracuse
I have lived or worked in the Midtown section of Syracuse since I arrived in the early 1990s. It remains one of my favorite parts of the city. The construction shown here (on the former Kennedy Square site) is not too far from my office.
Emil Wilbekin, managing editor, Essence.com
Essence.com Managing Editor Emil Wilbekin says that the future of journalism will be more like a conversation than the typical dictating monologue that’s been the better part of the history of magazines and newspapers.
Wilbekin says a lot of the change will be driven by technology.
He encouraged students at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications to take their interests and use digital media to change the game. But he added that the standard journalistic rules and standards will still apply.
Wilbekin was a founding editor at VIBE and recently headed Giant Magazine before coming to Essence.com in June.
The talk was sponsored by Syracuse University’s Magazine Department and the Black Communications Society.
5th Annual Cora Thomas Gospel Extravaganza with guest Richard Smallwood
Dr. Steve Perry
For too long the education system has fostered schools that are failing and according to Steve Perry, principal and education activist, failure is no longer an option.
“We can’t call a school a school if it doesn’t educate,” he says. “We have to create schools that are designed to be successful.”
Perry gave a lecture Saturday at Bethany Baptist Church that was sponsored by the Say Yes to Education program. He heads Hartford Prep (CT) and was featured on the CNN series Black in America 2 with Soledad O’Brien. Perry has also been interviewed often by New Inspiration for the Nation’s George Kilpatrick.
For Perry education is a calling, not just a profession. He drives several of his students to school each day and says 100% of the students at Capital Prep go on to college.
Perry says that he has no problem getting this across to his staff, and because you have a degree doesn’t mean you are a teacher. “I’ve fired some great people, they just weren’t good teachers,” he said.
Citing the McKinesey Report, Perry said that a child without an education will be a challenge for society. He said parents, teachers and entire community’s share responsibility for schools that don’t work.
“I love kids too much to care about grown people’s feelings.”