Loneliness in the United States was declared an epidemic recently by the Surgeon General. Finding community on campus – especially post-pandemic – can be a challenge for students coming to college their first year. The purpose of the lonely campus podcast is to let students who are feeling lonely know that they are not alone, and features students who are willing to talk about experiencing loneliness. Students then share the steps they took to find their community and a sense of belonging. The podcast seeks to bring hope and reassurance to the listener, as well as provide concrete steps to take to find community. This podcast is sponsored by Syracuse University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and produced by Amy Messersmith, an ODI Administrative Fellow.
Publisher
Amy Messersmith and Syracuse University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Episode 15: lonely campus podcast with Michael Mazzaroppi
Please note that all podcast episodes were recorded and produced prior to July 31, 2025. The Office and Diversity and Inclusion has since closed.
Episode 15 of the lonely campus podcast focuses on Syracuse University staff Michael Mazzaroppi. Michael is an Access Coordinator in the Center for Disability Resources, as well as part-time faculty teaching American Sign Language (ASL) courses. In this podcast, he opens up about his identity as a Deaf, openly gay male, as well as his journey to Syracuse University. Michael grew up in Solvay, New York and then attended Gallaudet University, which is the only higher education institution that serves Deaf and hard of hearing students exclusively. From there he worked professionally supporting Deaf and hard of hearing students in Japan and Manhattan Michael opens up about his experiences in these various locations as well as periods of loneliness and isolation. He also shares strategies he's used to remain active and connected with others. We greatly appreciate Michael sharing his story so that others can gain insight from his experience. Transcript available upon request.
28 Jul 2025
Episode 14: lonely campus podcast with Alex Shaffer
Episode 14 of the lonely campus podcast focuses on Alex Shaffer, a Renee Crown Honors Program scholar and sociology major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with minors in political science and psychology. As a high school student, she earned a Girl Scout Gold Award for founding the Purple Pantry, a food pantry in her local community of Cortland, NY. While at SU, she's been active in the Food Recovery Network, which distributes leftover food from university dining halls to local communities in need. She's also been president of the Disability Student Union and Syracuse Abroad Global Ambassador. Alex talks about her extensive community activism and the importance of giving back. She also speaks openly about being a college student living with a disability. Finally, Alex shares insights on her experiences of college loneliness and provides helpful suggestions on how to find community on campus.
21 Apr 2025
Episode 13: lonely campus podcast w/Prof. Christopher Perrello
Episode 13 of the lonely campus podcast features Prof. Christopher Perrello, an Assistant Teaching Professor at Syracuse University in the School of Information Studies. He also teaches in the Communication and Rhetorical Studies Department in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Prof. Perrello started as a high school social studies teacher and then came to SU to earn an MS in Communication and Rhetorical Studies in 2013. Since then, he has made a positive impact at the university in multiple roles, including Career Counseling, online curriculum development, and, most recently, teaching. In this podcast, Prof. Perrello opens up about going to college in the 1990s, his subsequent career journey, and navigating his identity as an openly gay man. We greatly appreciate Prof. Perrello sharing both his personal and professional growth in this podcast. His powerful story stands as an example of how Syracuse University has been able to retain a valuable campus member by supporting his professional development. Produced and edited by Amy Messersmith. Transcript available up request.
8 Sept 2024
Episode 12: lonely campus podcast with Claire Perrott (Postdoc Episode)
Episode 13 of the lonely campus podcast focuses on postdocs and features Claire Perrott, a Professional Development Postdoctoral Fellow in the Office of Research. Claire educates the listener on what it means to be a postdoc, with the goal of familiarizing the campus community with the unique postdoctoral experience. Claire talks about many positive aspects about being a postdoc as well as some of the challenges that come with the role.
One of the possible challenges postdocs might face is loneliness. Postdoc positions are transient by nature and postdocs may feel isolated given the intensity of producing high-quality research while preparing for the next step in their careers. Claire also shares her personal journey, transitioning from tenure-track faculty to administration, and her efforts to support postdocs in building community and professional development. She emphasizes the importance of intentional efforts to find connection, whether through hobbies or university resources. Claire’s work in the newly established Office of Postdoctoral Affairs focuses on creating opportunities for postdocs to come together, to share experiences, and to foster a sense of belonging during their time at SU.
Hosted and edited by Amy Messersmith. Transcript available upon request.
23 Aug 2024
Episode 11: lonely campus podcast with Alyssa Sutherland (Part 2) featuring Natalia Pedraza and Nacy Woods
This episode of the lonely campus podcast was originally recorded back in spring 2022, so we are retrofitting this podcast into lonely campus. However, because the podcast falls squarely under the theme of "inclusion and belonging," we think that this 2 part series is a valuable addition to the lonely campus podcast.
This episode is part 2 of a 2 part series that features Syracuse University undergraduate student Alyssa Sutherland, who is a Biology and Neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Back in spring 2022, Alyssa was a first year student who had just completed the Panhellenic rush process. She wanted do this podcast series for two main reasons: create a resource for incoming women of color who might be curious about rushing Panhellenic sororities and start a dialogue to get sororities thinking about how they might become more inclusive.
Part 1 focused on Alyssa's story and her reasons why she wanted to record a podcast on this particular topic. Part 2, also recorded in spring 2022, was produced and hosted by Alyssa herself. In this episode, Alyssa invites two other students to join the conversation. Natalia Pedraza is a undergraduate chemistry major at Syracuse University who, back in spring 2022, had just completed rush. Alyssa and Natalia are joined by Nacy Woods who at that time was the Panhellenic Council's Recruitment Chair. Produced by Alyssa Sutherland. Edited by Amy Messersmith. Transcript available upon request.
23 Aug 2024
Episode 10: lonely campus podcast with Alyssa Sutherland (Part 1)
This episode of the lonely campus podcast was originally recorded back in spring 2022, so we are retrofitting this podcast into lonely campus. However, because it falls squarely under the theme of "inclusion and belonging," we think that these podcasts are a valuable addition to the lonely campus podcast.
This episode is the first part of a 2 part series that features Syracuse University undergraduate student Alyssa Sutherland, who is a Biology and Neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences. The focus of this 2 part podcast series is being a woman of color rushing Panhellenic sororities (which tend to be predominantly white). Back in spring 2022, Alyssa was a first year student who had just completed the Panhellenic rush process. She wanted to record this podcast for two main reasons: create a resource for incoming women of color who might be curious about rushing Panhellenic sororities and start a dialogue to get sororities thinking about how they might become more inclusive.
Part 1 focuses on Alyssa's story and her reasons why she wanted to record a podcast on this particular topic. Part 2, also recorded in spring 2022, was produced and hosted by Alyssa herself where she invites two other students to join the conversation: Natalia Pedraza, who had also just completed rush, and Nacy Woods, the spring 2022 Panhellenic Council's Recruitment Chair. Edited by Amy Messersmith. Transcript available upon request.
20 Jul 2024
Episode 9: lonely campus podcast with Jennalyn Williamson
Episode 8 of the lonely campus podcast features Jennalyn Williamson. Jennalyn is a first year student from New Hampshire enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences studying psychology and health humanities. Jennalyn talks openly about her struggle to find community her first semester and the various attempts she made to get involved and connect with others. She then talks about her decision to rush Panhellenic sororities at the beginning of spring semester and the significant impact joining Kappa Alpha Theta has had on her first year. Finding Theta shifted her campus experience from negative to positive because she finally found a true sense of belonging on campus.
12 Jul 2024
Special Episode: Preview of lonely campus podcast episodes for FYS 101
Recently, loneliness was declared an epidemic by the United States Surgeon General. Finding community on campus can be a challenge for students. The lonely campus podcast shares the experiences of Syracuse University students who have learned to navigate campus, which can be lonely at times, and make it their own. The podcast seeks to foster a sense belonging for all students as it outlines the steps they have taken to build their campus community. lonely campus is produced by ODI Administrative Fellow and Associate Director, TRIO Student Support Services Amy Messersmith.
For students in FYS 101, this track features snippets from podcast episodes 1 through 8 to help students figure out what episode they might like to focus on for their assignment.
12 Jul 2024
Episode 7: lonely campus podcast with Student Veteran Andrew Hooper
Episode 7 of the lonely campus podcast features student veteran Andrew Hooper. Andrew is a transfer student studying Communication and Rhetorical Studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts who comes to Syracuse University from SUNY ESF and Onondaga Community College. In this podcast, Andrew opens up about his time in the United States Army and the transition from active duty to being medically retired. He shares his experiences navigating new environments and exploring various coping mechanisms and support systems as he navigates pressures related to the service and the transition to life after the service. We appreciate Andrew taking the time to sit down and open up about his life experiences. Transcript available upon request.
WARNING: The following podcast discusses issues of substance abuse. Please use discretion when listening. If you are a Syracuse University student who is or knows someone who is struggling with substance abuse, there are a variety of resources and services available at the Barnes Center, including counseling, substance free programming, and group therapies. For more information, please call (314) 443-8000.
15 May 2024
Episode 6: lonely campus podcast featuring Jalyss Agosto
Episode 6 features Newhouse graduate student Jalyss Agosto, who is studying Broadcast and Digital Journalism. Jalyss is of Puerto Rican and Peruvian descent who was born in the Bronx but grew up in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Jalyss comes to Syracuse from Westchester University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Media and Culture. Jalyss talks openly and honestly about the struggles of getting settled at Syracuse as a graduate student and finding her network of support. Her story speaks to the importance of self-advocacy and reaching out to find that support on campus when you feel isolated and alone. A special thank you to the Intercultural Collective (IC) for being gracious hosts to ODI's Pop-up Podcasting Studio.
24 Apr 2024
Episode 5: lonely campus podcast (Special ODI Campus Forum Edition)
Episode 5 of the lonely campus podcast was recorded live at the spring 2024 Campus Forum, an event sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that took place on Monday March 4th in the Sheraton's Regency Ballroom. Each semester vice president for diversity and inclusion Mary Grace Almandrez holds a forum to share information about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work being done throughout the Syracuse University community. Attendees were invited to sit down at the pop-up podcasting studio and asked to share why they came to work or study at SU, where they found on campus the most sense of belonging, and any suggestions that they had to continue to create sense of belonging on campus. Featured guests include DEIA Learning and Development Specialist Christina Papaleo as well as School of Education graduate students Kendall Taleah Edwards, Weijun Zhang, and Rose Mostafa-Shoukry. Transcript available upon request.
17 Apr 2024
Episode 4: lonely campus podcast with Julian Barrios (Special Posse Edition)
Episode 4 features Julian Barrios, a first year student studying film in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Julian is a proud Posse Scholar from Miami, Florida. In this podcast, he talks about the vigorous selection process of becoming a Posse Scholar and how the program has supported his transition to Syracuse as a first year student. With openness and honestly, Julian talks about how he navigates the challenges of being a first generation college student of Hispanic descent at a predominantly white institution. He also shares how socioeconomic background has impacted his experience and strategies to navigate the financial pressures of student life. Overall, Julian's first year has been an overwhelming success and the Posse Scholars Program has played a significant role in his experience. A special thank you to the Intercultural Collective for being such gracious hosts to ODI's Pop-up Podcasting Studio. Transcript available upon request.
20 Mar 2024
Episode 3: lonely campus podcast with Nate LaForme
Episode 3 features Nate LeForme, a transfer student studying philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. Nate grew up on Six Nations Territory in Ontario and currently lives on Seneca Territory. Nate talks openly about the positives and negatives of adjusting to life at Syracuse University. He describes the challenge of encountering unspoken assumptions and expectations during the first few weeks on campus, and where he found support to navigate this new environment. Whereas some students find the pace and culture of SU to be comfortable and familiar, other students learn the culture over time through observation and asking questions. Nate is now thriving at Syracuse, where he has successfully built meaningful friendships as well as a strong campus community. A special thank you to 113 Euclid for being gracious hosts to ODI's Pop-up Podcasting Studio.
21 Feb 2024
Episode 2: lonely campus podcast with Trinity Jennings-Pagan
Episode 2 features Trinity Jennings-Pagan, a first year student from Staten Island, New York. Trinity talks about how she ended up at Syracuse University and her experience navigating SU's social landscape. She delves into her first few days on campus, when she realized that she was "seeing my people, but I'm not with my people." Trinity then details how she figured out how to make introductions and ended up creating some great memories and quality friendships. A special thank you to the Barner-McDuffie House (previously known as 119 Euclid) for being gracious hosts to ODI's Pop-up Podcasting Studio.
17 Jan 2024
Episode 1: lonely campus podcast with Nate Brown
Episode 1 features Nate Brown, a first year business student from Rochester, NY. Nate talks about his journey to Syracuse University and his first few days on campus where he watched other students bonding around him but not necessarily with him. His story highlights the importance of geographical difference and how that can complicate they way students experience categories of difference, such as race. He also talks about the spaces where he’s found a sense of belonging as well as ideas to help students get to know one another in more meaningful ways. A special thank you to 119 Euclid for being gracious hosts to ODI's Pop-up Podcasting Studio.
Reach and audience
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Spotify
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
9
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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