The SENSES Project AAPI Heritage Month Podcast Series

This podcast focuses on stories and perspectives from international students at Syracuse University. Yna Talento is a first-year international student from the Philippines studying Marketing Management in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism in the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications. Yna is also a member of the AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee representing the Filipino Student Association.

Yna sat down with her friend Biying Wang who’s an international student from China. Biying is studying Public Relations at the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications and Information Management and Technology at the School of Information Studies. By highlighting the international student experience, the goal of this podcast is to help others understand what it’s like to be an international student on campus.

Edited by Merci Sugai and Amy Messersmith. Transcript available upon request.

Hyejun Yoo is a senior studying Advertising in the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications and Information Management and Technology at the School of Information Studies. Hyejun is a huge Japanese Breakfast fan and is also the student chosen to interview Michelle Zauner for the 2022 AAPI Heritage Month Keynote.

In this podcast, Hyejun sat down with SSS Associate Director Amy Messersmith from The SENSES Project. They first talk about Hyejun’s love of music and how she came to be an avid concert goer - whether she had someone to go with or not. Going to shows alone might be unusual for an Asian American female, but Hyejun realized that if she doesn’t go, not only would she miss out on seeing some of her favorite artists, but there might not be any Asian American representation at the shows she attends.

Hyejun the talks about her experience of seeing Japanese Breakfast live in October 2021 in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, live shows were put on hold in 2020, so this show holds an extra special place in Hyejun’s memory because it was the first live show since the pandemic started. Hyejun takes you there - from lining up outside the venue, to getting to the barricade, to the balloon drop that ended the show. This show was a significant experience for a young Korean American woman who loves live music and the band Japanese Breakfast.

Intro music is "Road Head" by Japanese Breakfast. Introduction by Merci Sugai. Edited by Merci Sugai and Amy Messersmith. Podcast was recorded in spring 2022.

This podcast was recorded in spring 2022 and features Asian American international adoptees at Syracuse University. Christian Buonadonna is a senior in Sport Management in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, as well as a member of the AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee. He sat down with 4th year architecture student Lia Margolis and sophomore student MaryKate Keevins, who is studying in the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

With courage and honesty, Christian, Lia, and MaryKate share their adoption stories so that others can learn more about their particular journeys as it relates to their identity and understanding of what it means to be adopted.

Edited by Merci Sugai and Amy Messersmith.

Isaac Ryu is a senior in Broadcast Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and also a member of the AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee. In this podcast, Isaac sat down with Sehjin Kim and Shirley Chen. Sehjin is a senior studying in the College of Visual Performing Arts at Syracuse University and Shirley is a sophomore from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Isaac, Sehjin, and Shirley shared their experience of being a part of “Generation C.” Generation C is what we’re calling the current group of undergraduate students whose college experience was impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic.

This podcast was recorded in spring 2022. Edited by Merci Sugai and Amy Messersmith.