Scarlet & Brown Stories

Welcome to the first episode of Scarlet and Brown Stories! This month we kick things off with Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Hagi Bradley.  Hagi shares his journey to St. Lawrence and how he found his forever home in our little corner of the world. Between sharing his experiences guiding the campus through the COVID-19 pandemic, Hagi shares his hopes for St. Lawrence, and his love for North Country Waterfalls and all things Yoda.

Dzifa Yador ’11 shares the story of her journey from St. Lawrence University to Spotify Podcasts, and in her story we see part of St. Lawrence’s own journey of growth. Plus, she gave us a few podcast tips along the way.

This month we’re all about food! Sonja Jensen ’19 shares her journey through SLU PIC to her current role at GardenShare (https://www.gardenshare.org/), working with local farmers and farmers’ markets here in St. Lawrence County.  If you want learn more about the North Country and why some alumni stick around, start here!

This month Jeff Byrne ’74 joined us from Lake Placid, NY for a conversation about his passion for athletics and mentorship, and the impact that the Olympic Regional Development Authority has on the region. 

Who burned down the original St. Lawrence gymnasium?  Curious about one of a kind collections and manuscripts?  What were Fisher Hall and Laurentian Hall?   Listen to this month's episode featuring Paul Doty, Special Collections & Archives Librarian, and Paul Haggett, Archivist's Assistant, from the Owen D. Young Library's Special Collections and Archives to find out more and test your knowledge of Laurentian lore.

This month Hana Bushara ’21 shares her love for music and the St. Lawrence community all the way from graduate school in London. In addition to chatting about her memories of her time at St. Lawrence, Hana also plays a bit of her original music for us.

This month Andy Chan ’14 shares the impact Laurentians have had on his life, both professionally and personally, and his experience serving on the St. Lawrence University Board of Trustees as a McCurdy-Sprague trustee.

Andy Chan ’14 is a Director of Product Management at Avalara, a cloud-based software platform that provides an end-to-end suite of sales and other transactional tax compliance solutions.  Andy graduated from St. Lawrence with honors in economics, and went on to earn a master’s in analytics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Duke University.

Esports is relatively new to campus life at St. Lawrence University, but this athletics team provides a unique community to students, allowing them to take their passion and channel it into strategy, teamwork, and competition.  Esports Coordinator Josh Lanza and Overwatch Coach Kyle Jicha share the team's origin and what it’s doing for students on campus now, and in the future.

University Chaplain the Rev. Dr. Shaun Whitehead joined us for a candid conversation about tradition and community at St. Lawrence. Reflecting on the unprecedented events of the last two years, Shaun shares the impact that it has had on her and the broader Laurentian community, along with her hopes for the future.

This month, Lizzie Edwards '12 shares her journey as an educator, coach, and lifelong learner. A dedicated St. Lawrence volunteer, Lizzie talks to us about the Young Alumni League and what makes it a unique competition among volunteers from different class years.

You might not see a link between acting and the sustainability industry, but for Ross Gibby ’89, it’s been a very natural journey! This month Ross walks our listeners through his journey from working in the entertainment industry to working for a company finding new uses for nonrecyclable plastic waste. Join us this month to discover some surprising facts about concrete and how one Laurentian is doing what he can for the environment. 

This month Danica Cunningham ’13 invites our listeners into the world of music therapy, where she forges connections with her clients through all kinds of musical mediums. As Danica shares her love of music, she also provides some concrete ways that music can support mental health and introduces elements of the local music scene in Burlington, VT. Can’t get enough of Danica, learn more about her work on Instagram at @dcup_urgonnamissme and @asyouare.studio, and about her musical pastimes at www.thewormdogs.com and https://www.honeyandsoulmusic.com/.

Kickoff your Reunion Weekend 2022 with a conversation with two of our Reunion Chairs! Barbarajean "BJ" Schaefer Blodgett '72 and Tarrah Price ’21 joined our hosts to swap stories of their time on campus and share what being a Laurentian means to them. 

Since graduating in 1972, Barbarajean "BJ" Schaefer Blodgett '72 has spent her entire 36-year career in the classroom as an award-winning art teacher in the Watertown School District, and has been a regular at St. Lawrence Reunions. Tarrah Price ’21 comes from a Laurentian family, learning about St. Lawrence through her older sister. Inspired by the desire to keep connected to her class, even though much of her time on campus was impacted by the Coronavirus, she and her co-chair launched the idea of bringing their class back for a special, first ever 1st Reunion celebration.

The podcast production team takes a look back at year one of the Scarlet & Brown Stories Podcast and the many ways our guests have exemplified the five Laurentian pillars of Learn, Serve, Give, Connect, and Celebrate.