lonely campus podcast

Episode # lonely campus podcast with Christopher Perrello 1.30.25 (1) (1)

Amy Messersmith 00:00
Just a quick message for our listeners. The following podcast discusses issues of substance abuse, please use discretion when listening. Following the podcast, we will provide some campus resources available to students.

Mary Grace Almandrez 00:21
Hi, I'm Mary Grace Almandrez, the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. Welcome to the lonely campus podcast as presented by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This show is hosted by our administrative fellow, Amy Messersmith. And features students just like you who share stories about the challenges and triumphs that come with trying to find your place on Syracuse University's campus.

Amy Messersmith 00:54
Hi everybody, this is Amy Messersmith. I'm an Associate Director for TRiO Student Support Services here at Syracuse University. And I am also an Office of Diversity and Inclusion administrative fellow. And my project is a pop-up podcasting studio where I go out to campus and record people's stories. And the project that I'm working on is called lonely campus. And so the purpose of lonely campus is to collect stories of community members on campus who are willing to share their experiences of loneliness and learn the steps they took to eventually find their sense of belonging or place. And so in the past, we've interviewed students, and we've gotten graduate student stories as well. We've also interviewed staff, and I believe this is the first time that we're going to interview a faculty member, and so I'm super excited to be sitting here with Professor Christopher Perrello. Welcome Christopher,

Christopher Perrello 01:51
Hello. Thank you so much for having me today. I appreciate this.

Amy Messersmith 01:55
Awesome, and so I was thinking, as starting off, do you mind talking a little bit about just your role at the university?

Christopher Perrello 02:04
Sure. So I am an assistant teaching professor. My main college that I teach for is the School of Information Studies, but I also teach for the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies and VPA. My main role is to teach business communication classes. So IST 344, I also teach our Data and Society large lecture with the 200-plus students. It's always fun, exciting to do that. And then the class I teach for CRS is interviewing, so I'm not evaluating you today. I want you to know that, and hopefully you're not evaluating me as well. So that's my main role for the university. I also work for SU Project Advance. I do some liaison work for SUPA, and work with high school faculty and high school students as well.

Amy Messersmith 02:48
Wow, that is interesting. Do you mind if I ask a little bit about your teaching experience? (Christopher: Sure). I'm just curious. (Amy: When you have to go in front of 200 people and teach a class, what is that like?).

Christopher Perrello 03:04
Yeah, well, let me say, I'm going to be totally honest with everything I'm saying today. It is exhausting, right? There's something about the energy that goes into one of those lectures, and they're only an hour and 20 minutes, so it's not like it's, you know, really a long time. But there's, there's something about the energy that goes into one of those lectures, where afterwards, you're just totally drained and you just want to take a nap, but looking out at all those pairs of eyes is exhilarating, fun, exciting. I love it. For me, it's a part of the labor that I do love about it. The content that comes is just second nature. So that's what that's like.

Amy Messersmith 03:44
Is it like a performance?

Christopher Perrello 03:47
Yes, it's very much a performance. And I don't think there's any shame in admitting that. There's rehearsal, practice time that goes into it. I look at it as a performative space in action. And I also think students are looking for that to some extent as well. They're looking to be, quote, entertained a little bit, and brought into a space that's really exciting and exhilarating for them to learn.

Amy Messersmith 04:10
I think that's really interesting, that you embrace that. Yeah, and I imagine that there's just this incredible exchange of energy that happens between a room full of people, like all focused on one message.

Christopher Perrello 04:23
Yeah, and they're not supposed to have their laptops out, so they are focused on you, yourself, and every word that's coming out of your mouth, which is scary, but it's part of the experience. And, I think when it goes to prepping for one of those lectures, you do prepare for it, like a speech or like some sort of presentation. You know, I get up and I do the motions, I do the muscle memory thing. I practice my lectures as if I was practicing a speech or presentation.

Amy Messersmith 04:53
Is it, how sometimes they describe, like a peak flow experience, like, do you find yourself getting into that space sometimes?

________________

Christopher Perrello 05:02
Yes, there is something where you just kind of hook yourself on and you carry yourself along, and then you have this beautiful moment at the end of the lecture where where everything comes to a resolution, and you feel this sort of sigh of relief that everyone's learned now and mastered the art of whatever content it is that you're explaining up there for the time being.

Amy Messersmith 05:26
That is so powerful. And that's what I imagine college is like. One of the questions I ask undergraduate students is, what did you imagine college to be like? And when I think of learning, like, those are the moments that I think that you think about college.

Christopher Perrello 05:40
And, yeah, It's like the classic college experience, too. Like sitting in a giant lecture hall with, 200 of your peers, looking up at this giant screen with PowerPoint slides. There's something effective about that, and being in the sort of college learning environment, that's exciting.

Amy Messersmith 05:56
So that's fantastic. Do you mind talking a little bit about your identity, and, of course, whatever you're comfortable sharing, but do you mind going into a little bit about who you are?

Christopher Perrello 06:08
Yeah, well, the most basic fundamental part is, I'm a human, right? I make mistakes. I have sad days, I have good days, and all that stuff. But, I am, I do identify as a gay male. So I've been out of the closet to my friends and family since 2002. Coming out is an experience that I think is different for everyone, and was an experience that I look back on with some regrets, to some extent. When I came out of the closet to my mom, it was a tumultuous time in our relationship. When I was at college, there was really a misunderstanding of what my parents' perspectives were and what they thought I should be doing in college. And I think they were worried about me. At the time, it was HIV AIDS was the stigma with gay men, and so that was very hard. I will never forget this. When it came out, I finally told my mom that I was gay, and the first thing she said to me is, “I don't want you to die from AIDS,” and then stormed off. And that's how she processed those feelings at the time. And so, you know, I'm sharing that story because it was, this was a moment in time where gay people were heavily stereotyped and ridiculed because of potentially having HIV AIDS. And that was sort of the thing at the time. My mom was from a generation where she didn't understand HIV AIDS. You know, we lost family members to HIV AIDS in the 1980s. And so there was real misinterpretation about what HIV AIDS was and how it was realistically impacting gay men at that time. I have been able to repair my relationship with my parents over the 20 years that I've been out of the closet, and we've come full circle now. And there's a real understanding about my sexuality and my partner and my family as it is today, as a 42-year-old adult. But the coming out process is never easy. It's sort of a strange feeling that you have to proclaim who it is that you're affectionate for, but that's just how we do it in society.

Amy Messersmith 08:30
Do you mind talking a little bit about that decision and the timing? And it's interesting that it happened while you were in college?

Christopher Perrello 08:41
Yeah. At the time, I felt shame about being gay and you're hiding this feeling. Especially as someone who I grew up in the Catholic Church, and really struggled with my religion, religious identity when I was adolescent and coming of age. But that decision to really come out, you start to tell friends that are close with you, and then it starts to become normalized. Like, “Oh, this person knows that I'm openly gay, and this person knows that I'm gay.” And so you slowly start to let the floodgates open, and you start to tell more people, and you become more comfortable with it. And others will react in different ways, maybe that you weren't expecting to, but I have to say that I was really lucky that my friends were very supportive of the time, my siblings were very supportive of the time, and really it was just my parents were the last people to know. And, I also wonder what that must have been like for them to be like, “Oh, we were the last people that you shared that with.” You know, that says something about that relationship. And it's taken a really long time for, like I said, that relationship to be repaired and for us to come full circle to where we are today, to really embrace and have empathy. But it took a long time for that and a lot of explaining and awkward conversations and weird moments, and, you know, sharing my partner with my parents.

Amy Messersmith 10:08
We're both here at Syracuse University in different roles, but we ended up in the same place. It's kind of interesting. But can you talk a little bit about your path to get to Syracuse?

Christopher Perrello 10:18
I've had an interesting path. I'm going to use the word interesting. In a previous life, my first big role outside of college was a high school teacher. And so I taught high school social studies, ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade for about five years in a rural district in upstate New York, and loved it so much that I left. No, the job was suffocating. I was experiencing some challenges in the role. I had sort of been there, done that, and was experiencing my own mental health challenges at the time. I figured it was best that I transition into an environment that was more supportive. I couldn't be out of the closet as a high school social studies teacher in a rural district at the time. I remember a Board of Ed member finding out I was teaching a new teacher, and he ran because he didn't want to see people like me teaching there. And I knew of this guy, and I knew that he was rising up in the ranks. And I thought, it's best. Maybe I just get out of here. And it worked for the best. I transitioned here at Syracuse University. I started taking graduate classes here, and then enrolled full-time in the master's program in Communication, Rhetorical Studies, found my passion.And so if it wasn't for me leaving the high school setting, I don't know where I would be right now, I probably would be miserable, or maybe rose up through the ranks and become a high school principal and even more miserable.But that's how I ended up here at Syracuse, and I entered through graduate enrollment management, where I was a temporary applications processor for a brief period of time, and sifted through applications and did all that jazz. And then up one day, I applied for a job as a career counselor at the School of Information Studies. And that's how I got into the school. And then I became Director of Career Services. And then after Career Services, I figured I wanted to teach. So the school said, “We're going to let you teach; you don't want to be in career services anymore; we'll support you.” And so the school has been phenomenal with supporting me in my transition from Career Services to full-time teaching.

Amy Messersmith 12:40
Your path is, oh my gosh, like even starting from the temporary enrollment processing graduate school application to, oh my goodness (Christopher: Yeah).

Christopher Perrello 12:51
It's been a unique path, and I've been really lucky. I've been blessed to be in the right place at the right time, and have supportive mentors and supervisors who are willing to foster their faith in me. And I do owe a lot to the Information Studies School, so thank you for helping me out and believing in me and allowing me to make this transition.

Amy Messersmith 13:17
It's interesting because I started in SSS in 2006, and so one of the narratives that I've seen is that we have a lot of talented people. But for whatever reason, we can't keep them, and they are here, and then they go and find other opportunities. And you know, it's their journey, it's their path. It's interesting how your story is a story about how we kept you.

Amy Messersmith 13:44
Yes, you're still here.

Amy Messersmith 13:49
Yes, you were able to grow. And the university kind of nurtured that growth.

Christopher Perrello 13:52
Yeah, I owe a lot to this university, because they've done so much for me. Just getting my master's degree in Communication, Rhetorical Studies. I thought it was the highlight of my time here at SU, but they saw something in me and believed in me, and they fostered that sense of nurturing. And here I am. That's amazing.

Amy Messersmith 14:12
I think it's important to hear these stories because it kind of rounds out the picture. It shows what's possible. If other schools or colleges, or departments, see that there's a path to nurture somebody's growth, they’ll understand that those individuals will give back. And the university is going to benefit from their growth.

Christopher Perrello 14:31
Yeah, Amen. I don't know what else to say to that.

Amy Messersmith 14:37
So this is obviously a podcast called lonely campus, and so one of the goals that we want to do is acknowledge that sometimes students do feel loneliness in a new environment, not just Syracuse University, but any new environment. One of the goals of the podcast is that we want to reassure students that they are not the only ones to go through this. Because once they hear that, I think it provides a sense of relief, like it's not personal. You're not the only one who went through this. And so, if you're willing to share, can you think back to your journey and path and maybe speak to any periods where you can remember experiencing loneliness yourself? Were there times where you felt that you were experiencing a lack of sense of belonging?

Christopher Perrello 15:20
Yeah, so I have a classic loneliness case. When I was in college, I made the decision to transfer. So I was at a four-year school. I was at SUNY, Purchase in Westchester County, and I was miserable there, like I didn't like it. 9/11 had happened, and it kind of made things really awkward and uncomfortable around campus. So I made the decision to transfer. So I transferred to SUNY Oswego, and I will never forget that first weekend. I was up there, right? Like I had my friends group at SUNY Purchase, I had the people that I could count on, and then I transferred, and all of a sudden, I had no one.
I'll never forget this is dating myself right now, but I'll never forget going down to the main lobby area of my residence hall and using the pay phone to call my sister. My sister went to Oswego, and I was like, “April, can you please hook me up with some of your friends? Like, can you introduce me to your friends? Like, and she was like, Christopher, I've graduated from there. My friends don't really go there anymore.” And I just remember feeling so lost and empty and so like, I didn't have anyone. And I was panicking, frustrated, anxious, and tense about this, and then I realized: you gotta show up to things, Christopher. Like, you've gotta, like, go out there and be proactive and put yourself out there. And it wasn't until I started finally putting myself out there and, like, showing up to things and going to events and popping up at potential extracurricular activity meetings, that I realized like, Oh, this is how you're supposed to meet people. Like, this is how you're supposed to be introduced to others. And it took me a while to find my group of people at Oswego. It was gradual, and it took a transition. But that was the moment I remember feeling lost, empty, and panicky about not having a group of people I could depend on, who were right there for me in close proximity.

Amy Messersmith 17:25
Thank you for sharing that and describing it, because I can feel it when you're talking about it. It's a scary place to be. And I feel that doing this podcast, I’ve realized that a lack of sense of belonging is because, you know, we're social beings, and community is important because when we lack that sense of connection, it does feel like our existence is threatened in some way.

Christopher Perrello 17:57
I think it's almost like you're in a battle or war against yourself in a way. And then you have to realize too, that there's this feeling of connecting with people that you don't you forget what it's like to connect with people. And so when you finally do that again, it's like, Oh, why have I shoved this feeling away? Why haven't I made the attempt to connect with others lately?

Amy Messersmith 18:20
Yes, because in your solitude. You can take yourself to all these different places in terms of worst-case scenario or catastrophic thinking. You're already vulnerable, so making yourself more vulnerable by putting yourself in situations could be scary. Yeah. And so it’s a tough place to be. That's why I'm drawn to at least talk about it, you know?

Christopher Perrello 18:45
Yeah, well, and I can't imagine what it's like for transfer students who come here to such a big campus. Like, I just think back to when I was going to college. I didn't want the big, huge college experience, you know, because I knew it would envelope me and eat me up and spit me out. And so I do feel for those transfer students who come to Syracuse, and they're looking for their group of friends that they had at the previous institution, and they're not finding that. And hopefully, they're showing up to things, so that way they can find their people.

Amy Messersmith 19:17
Your realization that it's not gonna happen unless I go and put myself out there. I mean, that makes complete sense.

Christopher Perrello 19:29
Yeah, you have to put one foot in front of the door. It's painful and so uncomfortable and awkward. Showing up to things and not knowing who's gonna be there, that's panic attack 101. You have to just accept the fact that you're going to feel uncomfortable, and it's going to be a little awkward. But you'll get over it. You're an adult.

Amy Messersmith 19:46
I feel like my brain goes on how we can make those moments safer for students? Because I think we do a great job of creating events that students can attend. But sometimes it's like, Oh, there's an ice cream social show up and try to meet people. And it's like, is there something that we can do to facilitate once students? Are there conversations or connections?
Because you could be standing next to somebody that you are so aligned with in so many ways, but unless those conversations start, you're never gonna know.
So I keep thinking about if loneliness is an epidemic in those moments that you're describing. While we're here those of us who have gone through this and have a role at the university. I keep wondering: are there little, subtle ways to help facilitate those conversations, so students might be more willing to go, knowing that it's going to be a little bit safer?

Yeah, and I don't know what that is, but, like, not a completely structured activity. I just feel like if there's a purpose, or you have a role to play, then you're occupied in some way, and you have a reason to be there. You might have topics to talk about, but I feel like maybe there's something more that we could do to help students connect.

Christopher Perrello 21:11
I agree, because there has to be that magic of conversation happening in the moment. And like you said, if that's not happening, then you're not going to move forward and build those relationships.

Amy Messersmith 21:22
What was it like for you? Did you just start conversations?

Christopher Perrello 21:27
I'm kind of weird and extroverted in a way. Where I just sometimes can't keep my mouth shut, and so I just say stupid things. I get that from my mom, but I remember trying to impress people in my residence hall. Like, I tried to woo them with a bottle of wine. I’d be like, “Look, I have a bottle of Cabernet in my room. Do you want to come?” and they were not having that at Oswego State. Like, that was not cool. You weren't like, going room to room, being like, “Hey, would you like a glass of wine?. I was 21 at the time that I will, but yeah, I think the point is it’s okay to be uncomfortable in those moments. It's a small price to pay for building those relationships.

Amy Messersmith 22:20
I mean credit to you for putting yourself out there. I would have taken a glass of Cabernet.

Christopher Perrello 22:25
Oh, thank you. See, I know I would find my people.

Amy Messersmith 22:29
I remember thinking, like, what music we played loudly out there to see, who might have the same vibe kind of thing?

Christopher Perrello 22:41
Yeah, I remember people writing specifically on my dry-erase board to turn down my music. I was blasting the Pet Shop Boys. Nobody wanted to join me in listening to the Pet Shop Boys back in 2003.

Amy Messersmith 22:58
So, from your perspective now looking back, what did or does a sense of belonging feel like to you? How might you describe it, and what do you imagine students are looking for when they seek a sense of belonging?

Christopher Perrello 23:13
Yeah, that's a great question. When I think about a sense of belonging, it's about whether I have my people around me that I need? Do I have my peers and my people nearby that I can count on and I can trust to help me out if I need something? And I feel like it, that takes time to find that group of people, those peers that are there for you. That doesn't happen overnight, and it does take some awkward conversations, some uncomfortable moments to build those relationships. But there's something really satisfying about being stressed out and in a sort of situation where you can reach out to someone and count on them for their help and support.

So that's what a sense of belonging would look like to me, is having my people around me that I can count on to support me in moments when I'm stressed or if I need something. And again, like I said, that looks different to different types of people, and that takes time to build those types of relationships. But there comes a point where you realize, like, Oh, I've got some people that I can count on. And that's, I think, a satisfying moment of knowing that you’ve built that, and that you’ve committed to a sense of belonging.

Amy Messersmith 24:21
So when you have those moments of frustration or doubt or sadness or anger, it's like you don't have to deal with it all by yourself. And we kind of talked about this a little bit before, but the next question is: how did you cope with your feelings of loneliness and lack of a sense of belonging? And you know, whatever you're comfortable sharing, and you did go into this, but is there anything else that you want to add in terms of the experience of loneliness?

Christopher Perrello 24:46
Yeah, I would say that I had healthy and some unhealthy coping mechanisms. The healthy coping mechanisms, I specifically remember at this time, it was early on in the fall semester, when I had just transferred. I had all these new classes that I was taking at Oswego State, and I remember channeling that frustration, anxiety and tension into focusing on my schoolwork. I remember going to the library and focusing and, you know, staying on top of my studies, and that was something I was able to really compartmentalize and focus on. The unhealthy coping mechanism was I started taking diet pills. (Amy: Oh, wow,”) Yeah, they were these at the time. There were these pills called stackers, and they had at the time it was legal. It was called ephedra, I believe, or ephedrine, and it was almost like a speed feeling. I remember taking these diet pills to, like, cope with not having any friends, or not having my people around me, or not feeling a sense of belonging. The diet pills would help me focus on my schoolwork, and would get me hyped up for my schoolwork, but then at the end of the day, I would feel totally like I've lost all my energy, and like, I've hit a wall totally depressed. All those endorphins had been pumped out into my brain and then all gone.
So I had to learn this was not okay, and so I had to stop taking those diet pills and instead focus on healthier ways of coping. But that crash at the end of the day was enough to push me beyond taking diet pills. Honestly, I kind of laugh at that, because there is a Saved by the Bell episode, like, from way back in the day. I'm dating myself again here, but on a cheesy TV show called Saved by the Bell, where one of the main characters is abusing diet pills, and, like, that's like the big, controversial drug episode. I don’t want to give the impression that I'm trying to inspire students to take diet pills or try to do that, but there are serious health risks with that. Who knows what those pills did to my heart, right?

Amy Messersmith 27:04
And it's interesting, because any kind of artificial joy or pleasure or easy, quick fix comes with a cause. And you recognize pretty quickly that this doesn't come, quote-unquote, for free.

Christopher Perrello 27:21
Yeah, and it was taking a toll. I realized there were potential ways that the diet pill mishap could have turned into something more serious and more problematic, but I was lucky, like a little angel was looking over my shoulder that day.

Amy Messersmith 27:36
So wow, yeah, I can see how when somebody is in that kind of isolated state of vulnerability, how a distraction, like focusing on something external that promises relief, can be tempting. Whether it's diet pills, or whether it's a particular or something that ends up to be a pyramid scheme, or something nefarious like that promises what you’re desperately searching for outside of yourself, something you want to give yourself to. I can see how, in those moments of vulnerability, in loneliness and isolation, it becomes incredibly enticing. And so I think those are really important conversations to have to say, like, in those vulnerable moments, be careful. (Christopher: Oh, yeah) because you might be extra susceptible to something that's not helpful.

Christopher Perrello 28:29
Absolutely. I agree with that, and looking back at it, there were decisions that I made where it could have turned really badly. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

Amy Messersmith 28:41
So thank you for being open about that, because it's so real. Yeah, it's so understandable. It makes sense, in a way, even though it's an unhealthy choice. You can understand the steps that you know students might take, so I think it's really important to talk about. And you kind of talked about on this before, but if we could dig a little bit deeper, looking back on your journey, can you talk a little bit more about the steps you took to figure out the spaces and places on campus where you did find your sense of belonging? Whether it was on campus or not. Do you mind describing those spaces and the people who provided you with a sense of community? And how do you go about maintaining those relationships once you find them?

Christopher Perrello 29:20
Yeah, that's something I thought about during my transition to Syracuse University. Although I didn't have the traditional student experience transitioning to Syracuse University, I still had to find my spot and find my sense of belonging. Part of the community I found here is certainly the School of Information Studies. Also, my high school friends and family they've been great support, a supportive system, helping me grow and fostering a sense of belonging on campus.

But I also want to give a shout-out to Communication and Rhetorical Studies. When I first arrived at Syracuse University, I didn't know people, and I didn't have the connections. By volunteering and helping out with the department, hanging out with Communication Rhetorical Studies. I was able to meet more people and become more exposed to the faculty, staff, and students there. And I found that to be an amazing community of people. It’s kind of a small, hidden program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. So over the years, becoming involved in communication, Rhetorical Studies, and their grad program, and then eventually teaching for them. I’ve able to give back now, so that's really been nice as well. And then one other they don't really exist anymore on campus, but back in the day, it was the LGBT resource center when they had the house, yeah? And I used to go visit the LGBT Resource Center all the time. Yeah? Tiffany, Chase Catalano and Amy (Amy: yes. Oh my gosh, wow.) (Christopher: Yeah. Blast from the Past). And I remember going to the LGBT Resource Center and feeling like that was a great place for me to just hang out and meet people. And now, obviously, that's no longer. We've transitioned into a different LGBT resource center, but those were my people as well back in the day. They were awesome, and I still keep in contact with some of them.

Amy Messersmith: 31:20
And Jorge

Christopher Perrello: 31:23
Yes, oh my gosh. And then, of course, I remember being out at drag shows, and bumping into all of them out in the community. And, Oh, I miss, that as I remember being like, “Jorge!”, yeah.

Amy Messersmith 31:40
That’s awesome. The last question is: Do you have any words of encouragement or advice for incoming students who might be experiencing similar feelings of loneliness and isolation? and if you don't mind, speak directly to them and give them your words of wisdom.

Christopher Perrello: 31:55
Ooh, my words of wisdom straight from the professor's mouth to the microphone. So I haven't been shy about saying that you need to show up to things, like that's part of it. And I know that there's a real hesitation to put yourself out there and make yourself really uncomfortable and feel awkward.But realizing that the feeling is temporary, and knowing that it's just in the moment, and that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train. And making yourself, first of all, seek out those resources. And become best friends with your academic advisor. Go to career services, start early in looking at professional opportunities, because that'll get you to think more holistically about your academic endeavors. But also, really making sure that you know what's going on in your circle, so that you can show up to things. And I think that that's so important: by putting yourself out there and making yourself feel uncomfortable and showing up and then meeting people that way. Because there are other people in those uncomfortable positions too. They don't necessarily want to be there either, but they're there to make an effort to meet new people. And so that's my biggest piece of advice for incoming students.

Amy Messersmith 33:09
I think that's so powerful. And it's like Dorothy with the red slippers, it's within them to find it. But they have to get out of their comfort zone.

Christopher Perrello: 33:21
Yeah, they have to click their own heels. No one can do that for you. But how else are you going to meet people? I mean, I think back when I transferred schools, I felt so lost. In the moment, I just want to hang out with anyone. I would have hung out literally with anyone. But realizing now that was just such a temporary feeling and such a temporary space.

Amy Messersmith 33:46
What a relief to know that it's temporary. (Christopher: Yes, it is awesome). Yeah. Professor Perello, I can't thank you enough for being willing to share your story and to open up. I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and have this conversation.

Christopher Perrello 34:02
Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been a great trip down memory lane, even though some of the conversations might have been a little traumatic. I'm here to share my story, and if it helps even one person out there, that's the difference that I'm willing to make.

34:16
Amy Messersmith: Fantastic. All right. Bye, everybody.

Amy Messersmith 34:34
Before we end this podcast, we wanted to let you know that 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 Barn Center. These include counseling, substance-free programming, and group therapies. For more information, please call 315-443-8000.

Armando Martinez 35:04
Thank you for listening to this episode of The Lonely Campus Podcast. I'm Armando Martinez, Director of Inclusion and Belonging. If you found this podcast helpful, let us know, and feel free to share other ways we can make campus more welcoming and inclusive to all. Thank you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai