The potential harms of social media are in the spotlight with a federal trial against Meta now underway. The company stands accused of purposely designing its platforms to be addictive, harming the mental health of young people, as well as collecting data in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

, a communications law professor in the , says the outcome of this trial will hinge on the interpretation of a 1996 law.

“A big question here is going to be if Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act will shield platforms for liability over their addictive design features,” Ingber says. “In other words, is design a form of speech for which platforms are shielded from liability?”

A Meta spokesperson denied the allegations in a statement, arguing that it has created strong protections for teens. But Ingber believes that Meta won’t be able to buy its way out of legal liability in this case, and that there will be consequences for other companies as well.

“I think that the negative harms are so clear and companies are going to have to be held responsible legally,” Ingber says. “There will also be implications of this case on how much data platforms should be allowed to collect to support their algorithms that reel in users. I think the case results may challenge these companies’ entire business models.”

Hundreds of high school students spent their summer at Syracuse University. They experienced life as a college student—taking a university-level course, living in a dorm and eating with friends—before starting their higher education journey.

Syracuse University’s have been giving high school students the chance to explore potential majors and careers since 1965. Today, students get the option of attending , or at the University’s Manhattan and Los Angeles academic centers for the Summer College program.

“Students not only learn what it’s like to be a college student, but they leave the program feeling confident, enthusiastic and ready for college,” says , executive director of the Office of Pre-College Programs in the .

This year, 1,275 students attended from across 38 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; Guam and 28 countries.

What It Offers Students

The on-campus program gives high schoolers as much of the undergraduate experience as possible: living in residence halls, eating in dining halls, attending evening and weekend social events and field trips, and taking a college-level course taught by a faculty member.

“Being away from home in the environment Summer College provides is a transformational experience for many students,” Cofer says. “Students and their parents often report how the Summer College experience was the most significant factor in preparing the student for applying to, and then leaving home for, their undergraduate career. ”

Students can confirm the major they want to pursue—or discover it is not what they want to study in college. Those in credit classes receive a Syracuse University transcript with a letter grade, and credits may transfer to other institutions.

Many also seek and secure a letter of recommendation from the professor to include in their college applications.

“Attending a pre-college program can be a transformational experience and not just here,” he says. “The transition (the gap) from high school to college is larger than most realize and attending a pre-college program provides a low risk experience where students go back home to process it while finishing high school and before they begin their college applications.”

Students who attended in recent years say it helped solidify their plans to attend Syracuse as undergraduates.

What Students Say

Evan Gohil ’29,
Attended on-campus Summer College in 2023

Evan Gohil learned about Summer College during his sophomore year of high school and attended for free through a partnership between the University and the Syracuse City School District. He says the program, where he studied neuroscience, convinced him that Syracuse University was where he belonged.

The program clarified the college experience for Gohil.

“Going through the program, I gained memories and a clearer idea of what to expect,” Gohil says. “In retrospect, the first few weeks of college were very similar to what Pre-College was.”

Learning to manage on his own and being given a level of freedom in the program was eye-opening, he says. Taking the neuroscience course, he also learned that he could pursue a pre-med track in areas beyond just biology.

The entire experience was invaluable for students with no reference for what college will be like, he says.

“This is especially important with first-generation students like myself,” he says.

Talia Klein ’27,
Attended on-campus Summer College in 2022

Talia Klein attended the program because she wanted to experience what college life was like before making “such a big decision,” she says.

“Being able to spend time on campus, take a real college course and meet current students made everything feel much more real,” she says. “By the end of the program, I could genuinely picture myself at Syracuse, and it confirmed that it was the place where I wanted to spend the next four years.”

The course gave her a glimpse of the creative, collaborative environment at Newhouse, reinforcing her excitement to pursue media and entertainment.

What also stuck with Klein was how independent she became in a short time, navigating campus, collaborating with classmates and balancing assignments.

“It was the first time college felt less intimidating and more exciting,” she says.

It also showed her how welcoming and supporting the Syracuse community is.

“It made the transition to Syracuse so much easier because I already felt connected to the campus and community,” she says.

Elena Pantoja ’29,
Attended online Summer College in 2023

For Elena Pantoja, taking an online nutrition course through Summer College was the biggest factor in her decision to return to Syracuse for her undergraduate degree. Now majoring in , she’s taken classes again with Jane Burrell, associate teaching professor in the Falk College.

Pantoja says the online experience surprised her with how productive the learning environment was. One moment she still remembers is the course’s final assignment.

“My professor had us go to a farmers market and purchase one item of our choice, research the process the farm took to get that product to the market and cook it,” she says. “I appreciated my professor’s dedication to getting us off the Zoom meeting and into our community.”

Pantoja encourages high schoolers to consider Summer College.

“Even if you can’t take a class for your major, take one that interests you just to get an idea of what your classroom expectations will be in upcoming years,” she says.

High school students and families: the 2027 Summer College application opens in mid-December, but it’s never too early to start planning ahead. Visit����for more information.

From July Fourth Weekend to Labor Day Weekend at , just before the horses load into the gate, a single trumpet call cuts through the chatter of the grandstand. It’s the Call to Post, a tradition as old as thoroughbred racing itself.

For the past few years, that sound has come from Carson Gambaro ’22, an alumnus and four-year member of the Syracuse University Marching Band (SUMB). He plays it alongside the person who taught him almost everything he knows about music: his dad, Tony Gambaro.

Carson picked up the trumpet in elementary school, discovering along the way that he’d been born with perfect pitch, a gift he says he’d feel guilty not using to its fullest.

His musicality helped point him toward Syracuse, though not because he had a clear plan.

“I knew there was a lot of potential there,” he says, and joining the SUMB felt like a way to find out what that was.

Lessons and Memories From Marching Band

As a band member, pre-season camp meant 12-hour days, which bonded him not just with his trumpet section but with the entire ensemble.

During his freshman season, Syracuse played in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando and the marching band was there. Gambaro remembers the trip fondly, including riding Disney World’s Space Mountain twice to make up for missing it on a high school trip.

More than any single moment, though, the marching band taught him how to perform with what he calls “nonstop passion,” a lesson that has followed him well beyond his playing days on the field.

During the pandemic, while running solo workouts on the practice track behind South Campus, Gambaro reconnected with another lifelong passion: track and field, a sport he’d competed in throughout high school.

Paired with his time at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, his interest in athletics propelled him toward a career in sports broadcasting. He’s now an announcer who covers track and field regularly and has done play-by-play at prestigious events including the Penn Relays (the oldest running meet in America), New Balance Nationals and the New York State Championships. He served as a color commentator for American Grant Fisher’s 5,000-meter indoor world record (12:44.09) at Boston University in 2025.

Gambaro also launched his own interview podcast, “In Full Stride,” and engaged in networking opportunities with top broadcasters at the USA Track and Field National Championships in New York City in July.

A New Tradition at Saratoga

But it’s Saratoga where two of Gambaro’s worlds, music and sport, collide most visibly.

Growing up not far from the track in Saratoga Springs, he wasn’t especially familiar with it as a kid. That changed when his father, a professional trumpet player, was asked to take over Call to Post duties from the track’s longtime bugler, Sam Grossman (known as Sam the Bugler), in 2022. Tony’s schedule meant he couldn’t cover every one of the meet’s roughly 40 racing days, so father and son began splitting the job.

What was supposed to be a primary-and-backup arrangement turned into something more during a sound check, when an audio engineer suggested they try playing together. The reaction from track marketing staff was immediate. Interviews, and a new tradition were born almost overnight.

Now, the Gambaros take turns and sometimes combine playing the Call to Post before each of the day’s races. In between races, they entertain the crowd, taking requests from wedding songs to rap hits.

Off the clock, the father-son duo also perform together in Tony’s 10-piece group, Ten Most Wanted, playing weddings, clubs, corporate events and in summer concert series around the Albany area.

What’s it like to work with his dad?

“It’s telepathic,” the younger Gambaro says. “We can look at each other and say a word or two before playing a song, and then we’ll just play it.”

Months could pass between bugling gigs, he says, and they still pick up exactly where they left off.

For the second year running, Syracuse University is claiming an entire week on “,” the nationally syndicated program that brings university research to NPR stations across North America and to international listeners worldwide.

Five scholars will each take a turn during “Syracuse Week,” Aug. 17–21, sharing work that spans food policy, artificial intelligence, architecture, political science and marine biology:

Monday, Aug. 17: , professor of public administration and international affairs in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, examines how new SNAP work requirements will restrict benefits for adults ages 60–64, increasing food insecurity and ultimately costing taxpayers more through Medicare and Medicaid.

Tuesday, Aug. 18: , research professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, explores whether humans can still distinguish real people from AI-generated ones. In a study co-authored with Gina Luttrell, participants identified synthetic profiles correctly only 54% of the time—barely above random chance—while an AI detector hit 88% accuracy. (Related article)

Wednesday, Aug. 19:, associate professor in the School of Architecture, argues that architecture shapes not just space, but time itself. From Rome’s stone-inscribed calendars to today’s airport priority lanes, he traces how buildings have long organized whose time is valued—and whose is not.

Thursday, Aug. 20: , professor of political science in the Maxwell School, draws on his book “” to argue that American secession, however appealing to the polarized, would almost certainly turn violent.

Friday, Aug. 21: , research assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, describes how suction-cup tags and remote-sensing technology help identify whale foraging hot spots in Massachusetts Bay—with real-time alerts pushed to mariners to prevent deadly ship strikes on endangered right and sei whales. (Related article)

Each segment airs on NPR-affiliated stations and is posted online at following its broadcast date.

Syracuse University students majoring outside the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications can now add journalism skills to their degree through .

At the dedication of Miron Victory Court on Nov. 8, 2024, Robert J. “Bob” Miron ’59 told the crowd that he was “blown away by the whole thing,” as he and his wife Diane were able to experience and enjoy the fruits of their philanthropy.�� It was a powerful moment for Miron to truly feel the impact of his vision and generosity. Now, the impact of his passing on July 29, 2026, at the age of 89, is being felt across campus, Central New York and beyond.

The man who shaped the cable television industry was also seen as its moral conscience in transforming the way Americans received news, information and entertainment.

“His judgment was thoughtful, his ethics unwavering and his word absolute,” according to his

Generosity and Service to His Alma Mater

Miron’s judgment, vision and trust also helped shape his beloved alma mater, which became the primary beneficiary of his generosity. His connection to Syracuse University spanned more than six decades, beginning with his 1959 bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the . Miron went on to serve the University as a voting trustee from 2002 to 2014, vice chair from 2005 to 2009 and life trustee thereafter. He was twice named the Dritz Life Trustee of the Year, in 2015 and 2024, and received the highest alumni honor, the . He was also longtime member of the Newhouse Advisory Board.

“Bob’s impact on Syracuse University will endure for generations,” says Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “He was far more than a generous donor. For decades he served as a trusted adviser to University leaders, and he never stopped showing up for this institution. Bob’s own experience at Syracuse shaped a lifelong commitment to giving back, and that commitment touched countless students and programs across this university. He was kind and humble and generous with his time, and Syracuse is better for having known him.”

“Bob and his wife Diane have been extraordinary champions of the University through both service and philanthropy,” says Board Chair Jeff Scruggs. “As a trustee, Bob brought the same judgment and integrity to Syracuse’s boardroom that defined his career in the cable industry. He asked hard questions, he listened carefully and he always kept the University’s best interests at the center of every conversation. Bob’s generosity, wisdom and devotion to the University leave a legacy that will endure for generations.”

The Diane and Bob Miron Fund for Academic Success supports academic and student success initiatives within , including the Blackstone LaunchPad, student services, technology enhancements and student spaces. The in Newhouse 2 is named in their honor and is dedicated primarily to news, talk and magazine-style production, with multimedia capabilities, a contemporary news set, a green screen, state-of-the-art lighting systems and cameras. The Miron Learning Commons on the first floor of Bird Library was dedicated in 2022, and the Miron Victory Court, the space connecting the JMA Wireless Dome and the Barnes Center at The Arch, was dedicated in 2024. The Mirons have supported many initiatives in the , the , and Syracuse University Libraries.

Mark J. Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School, says Miron mentored students, supported leadership and helped to transform programs and facilities at Newhouse. Even last week, Miron participated in a virtual advisory board meeting, encouraging others to support the school’s future.

“Bob was someone you could always pick up the phone and have a genuine conversation with,” Lodato says. “He was optimistic and kind, always looking for the positive in a difficult situation. It was wonderful to have someone like Bob in your corner.”

“Bob Miron loved Syracuse University in action, not just in words,” says Chancellor Emeritus Kent Syverud. “For more than six decades as a Whitman School graduate, a pioneer who helped build Discovery Channel into a global powerhouse and a devoted life trustee, he gave Syracuse University his time, his generosity and his belief in what it could become. Miron Victory Court, where thousands of people pass through each year for some of the University’s most seminal academic, social and athletic events, stands as a lasting testament to that commitment. Syracuse is stronger because of Bob Miron, and I’m grateful to have called him a friend.”

A Distinguished Career in the Communications Industry

Beyond Syracuse University, Miron had a distinguished career in the communications industry. He joined Advance/Newhouse Communications and its predecessor companies in 1966. He led the company’s cable TV interests for more than 50 years, pioneering improvements in customer service, expanding programming through early microwave distribution, helping fund and guide C-SPAN and promoting Cable in the Classroom and other educational initiatives. He retired as chairman and chief executive officer in 2010. He also served as chairman of Discovery, a global leader in real-life entertainment reaching billions of viewers, and as non-executive chairman of the board of directors of Discovery Inc.

He chaired the board of directors of C-SPAN and served two terms as chairman of the board of directors of the Internet and Television Association, formerly the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), where he led numerous committees and oversaw the Music Licensing Committee for more than 25 years. He also served as vice chair of the board of directors of the Cable Center.

His industry honors include induction into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2002, the CTAM Grand TAM Award in 2009, the Cable Television Public Affairs Association’s President’s Award in 1995, NCTA’s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership in 1991, NCTA’s President’s Award in 1990 and the New York State Cable Television Association’s Chairman’s Award in 1987. He was the inaugural recipient of The Cable Center’s Bill Bresnan Ethics Award, recognizing the qualities colleagues believed defined him more than any title ever could: integrity, humility, fairness and ethical leadership.

Miron also served on the board of directors of Crouse Health in Syracuse, as president of the board of directors of the Jewish Community Center of Syracuse and as vice president of Temple Adath Yeshurun, which named him Citizen of the Year in 2000.

Miron is survived by his wife of 64 years, Diane, their children, Trustee Nomi Bergman G’24 (Neal), Steve Miron (Jackie) and Lisa Sidel (Jaret Seiberg); grandchildren Becca Hayworth (Justin), Jimmy Miron (Elizabeth Hodges), Dori Bergman (Brandon Hacken), Danny Miron (Shay), Rachel Sidel, Anna Sidel, Allie Bergman, Ellie Sidel and Josh Sidel; great-grandson Solomon Hayworth; his sister, Mitzi Miron Shure (Jerry Wische); and many nieces, nephews, and cousins, including fellow Trustee Michael Newhouse.

Several factors shape how people bond with a beloved place, whether it’s a childhood hometown or a vacation spot. Usually those locations are physical ones, but with increasingly realistic digital and online worlds that can be accessed from almost anywhere, virtual spaces can easily keep pace in creating those deep connections.

That’s why some people feel so gratified playing a favorite video game like , become immersed in Gotham City streetscapes watching a movie, or get caught up in living out an assumed persona in a online community.

Those concepts reflect an arm of ongoing research by Professor , who oversees doctoral and master’s programs in and at the .

Bowman studies the cognitive, emotional, physical and social demands of interactive media content and how people experience emotional connections to meaningful locations in their lives.

Below, he shares how people develop bonds to places real and virtual, and why that happens.

For more information about SPIRE and “Sense of Place,” see “,” (Poetics, Bowman and Banks.)

In “Second First Date,” the first full-length movie script from Matt Sacca ’19, protagonist Nora falls for the man of her dreams at a house party, only for her love interest, Charlie, to suffer a concussion and forget her entirely.

For the rest of the movie, Nora schemes to recreate each magical moment of their chance encounter to win back Charlie’s affection. Nora and Sacca, the brainchild behind the project, share the same personality trait to never give up on a dream.

That mentality helps explain how Sacca is now on the verge of having his script picked up by movie production company American High. It comes nine years after “Second First Date” was submitted as a project in a “Script-to-Screen” course offered through a partnership between the and .

“Who would have ever thought my thesis project would turn into my first feature film? I’m excited thinking about where this can go,” says Sacca, who wrote the original “Second First Date” script as part of a Newhouse senior thesis with Fallon Siegler ’19 and Daniel Walters ’19.

Finding a Hollywood Ending

The “Script-to-Screen” class was designed for students to develop feature-length films in collaboration with writer-director-producer Jeremy Garelick and his independent movie production company, American High, through its first-look deal with Hulu.

Garelick, along with , an assistant professor of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School, taught the course. Sacca credits that connection with turning his idea into reality.

“This has been an incredible journey,” says Sacca, who has expanded American High’s reach on college campuses across the country and mentored hundreds of emerging writers. “I wouldn’t be equipped to take this on without the experience of taking notes, getting actionable feedback and learning how to produce scripts that get made.”

‘The Idea Just Lingered’

Sacca is currently “head down” in revisions, transforming the story’s bones into something more relatable.

Sacca wants to include as many jokes as possible using “plant and payoff,” a screenwriting technique that adds depth and meaning to a few moments in a story, rewarding the audience for paying attention to a particular bit or detail later on.

Into the fall, American High and Sacca will focus on securing financing to accelerate the movie’s development and turn their attention to production.

Sacca is no stranger to the industry’s ups and downs. He was American High’s first intern. After graduating, he worked as Garelick’s executive assistant, sifting through and giving feedback on hundreds of scripts from aspiring filmmakers before being promoted to head of development in summer of 2021.

When Sacca was working as Garelick’s assistant, the project started to gain momentum when the original draft received positive coverage from American High’s script readers.

“The idea for ‘Second First Date’ just lingered. It was sticky,” Sacca says. “It didn’t just fade as soon as we graduated. I thought about this film often.”

Creating Industry-Connected Opportunities for Students

Frahm knew Garelick from their time together in a Los Angeles screenwriter’s group, reviewing and giving feedback on each other’s projects.

When Frahm learned Garelick and American High were setting up shop in Syracuse, he saw a chance to collaborate on how to “create wonderful opportunities for our students.”

“This partnership is unique to any other film program perhaps in the nation,” says Frahm, who meets weekly with Sacca and remains an integral part of Sacca’s film project. “We’re building industry-connected opportunities at Newhouse, creating classes and pipelines that connect students directly with professional filmmakers and tangible career outcomes.”

Never Gave Up on a Dream

From the fall of 2021 through December 2022, Sacca was constantly tweaking the script during consultations with Frahm, Garelick and actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee, a former Disney Channel star who was attached to play Nora and serve as a producer.

Hulu passed on the script initially in January 2023, but that initial rejection further motivated Sacca. In 2025, when American High released “Pizza Movie,” which starred Lee and held the top spot for a week on both Hulu and Disney+, Sacca, Garelick and Frahm revived the project, which was optioned in March. The film project and Lee’s involvement were announced .

“After the initial Hulu pass, I started to accept that maybe the script wouldn’t be brought to life, but this story truly never left my mind,” Sacca says.

“Matt was able to deal with the frustrations and the rejections. He kept working hard and that’s a big reason why this project is being made,” adds Frahm.