Making the City a Classroom

By Grace Collins '22, November 18, 2022

IC in the City—Reunion and Cortaca ’22 offers students a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity.

Music, Theatre, and Dance students perform live at Friday night’s “IC on Broadway: South Hill State of Mind” event. (Photo Credit: Steve Hockstein)

The 63rd Cortaca Jug at Yankee Stadium presented a blockbuster opportunity to bring practice to performance–not just for players on the football team, but for countless Bombers across Ithaca College’s academic disciplines. Students had the chance to bring their classroom learning to life at one of the most iconic stadiums in the country.

Between the Bombers defeating Cortland 34-17, the crowd of 40,232 was the second-largest to ever attend an NCAA Division III football game, and special events full of alumni reunions and student performances, there was something for everyone to celebrate during IC’s weekend in the city.

Spreading the News

Mead Loop’s Introduction to Journalism course, which largely consists of first-year students, took a deep-dive into sports journalism through their largest assignment of the semester - coverage of the 2022 Cortaca Jug. Designed to mirror the environment and expectations they’ll experience as journalists post-graduation, students worked together to form a press pool and faced a quick deadline of midnight following the game.

“At Ithaca, when there's something this big and significant happening, we get our students to cover it,” said Loop, professor of journalism and director of the sports media program.

“This game is such a rare opportunity for a journalism student. It’s a historic game in a massive stadium, and we’re all very lucky to be a part of something so significant in our first semester at Ithaca. This project is a chance for everyone in the class to gain quick and thorough experience in an area of journalism they might not be inclined to touch otherwise. That’s the most terrific part of assignments like this: they give you a chance to test the waters in a very professional way.”

Ray Milburn ’26

Between attending a pre-game press conference, researching players’ stats, and gathering commentary, each student had a role to play in getting the draft over the finish line. Ray Milburn ’26, a first-semester journalism major, covered the pre-game press conference and worked with his peers to share notes and resources.

“This game is such a rare opportunity for a journalism student. It’s a historic game in a massive stadium, and we’re all very lucky to be a part of something so significant in our first semester at Ithaca,” said Milburn. “This project is a chance for everyone in the class to gain quick and thorough experience in an area of journalism they might not be inclined to touch otherwise. That’s the most terrific part of assignments like this: they give you a chance to test the waters in a very professional way.”

Cortaca coverage was also on the syllabus for students in Chrissy Guest’s Live Event Production class, a senior-level course in the Television and Digital Media Production (TVDM) program tasked with broadcasting, live streaming, and amplifying key Ithaca College events. After producing the broadcast of the inauguration of 10th IC President La Jerne Terry Cornish earlier this semester, the students quickly pivoted to get their heads in the game for the Cortaca Jug.

Other experiential learning opportunities for students in the Roy H. Park School of Communications included covering the game on WICB, IC’s student-run radio station, and working paid student roles assisting with IC’s social media coverage. (Photo Credit: Lori Kramerson)

Working closely with the Ithaca College Division of Philanthropy and Engagement, the class chose to focus their efforts on the Cortaca Giving Challenge, another faceoff between the two schools to determine which could rally the most donors in support of the institution’s annual fund.

“We decided that Cortaca would be a great format for testing something shorter-format, and with the Giving Challenge, we thought doing something in a telethon-inspired format would be a really cool opportunity,” said Guest. “What we got to do was teach the students how to engage with an audience and get them to take some sort of action, whether it be sharing the content or donating to IC.”

The class spent weeks mapping out the broadcast, contacting alumni, and pre-recording skits for the show, which was livestreamed to Ithaca College’s YouTube channel on the morning of the game. Students in the class each took on a unique role – every student had to bring one live and one pre-recorded skit from ideation to execution, and many had behind-the-scenes responsibilities as well.

The production came to a culmination at Stan’s Sports Bar, where over 2,000 Ithaca College community members stopped by for the Bomber Bash Cortaca Jug Pregame to share their Bomber pride. Members of the student production team were on site at the Bronx bar adjacent to Yankee Stadium to conduct live interviews with fans and capture clips of the excitement to drum up support for the IC Annual Fund.

At the other end of the borough, the rest of the class was working out of a television studio at Bronx Community College, a partner in the Ithaca College-founded New York Film and Television Student Alliance (NYFTSA). Student roles on set included running the cameras, overseeing live audio production, and engaging with the virtual audience.

“I’m so thankful for my colleagues at Bronx Community College,” said Guest. “This has been a definite learning opportunity for my students, because we have had to shift and adjust nearly every idea they’ve had. They're really seeing that with live events, you can have the best plans and end up having to pivot and hope for the best. It was really a triumph of will to make the show happen, and I'm super proud.”

Gabriela Cohen ’23 served as the audio engineer on-set at Bronx Community College during the Cortaca Jug. (Photo submitted)

Gabriela Cohen ’23, a senior TVDM student participating in the class, got experience both in front of and behind the camera while working on the production. Prior to arriving in New York City, Cohen created a pre-recorded fan video, which included shoutouts and well-wishes from students, faculty, and staff for both the football game and the Giving Challenge.

During the broadcast itself, she served as the audio engineer on-set at Bronx Community College and curated a live social media feed during the telethon.

“This opportunity was a unique, practical, and hands-on learning experience that gave me critical insights into the industry of which I hope to be a part. It was, in a sense, a preview of what my world could be like after IC, both the good and the bad,” said Cohen. “It was also another perfect example of Ithaca College’s educational philosophy of theory, practice, and performance in action.”

Back at Yankee Stadium, the coverage continued. Jeremy Goldstein ’23, Jenna Johnson ’26, Max Tanzer ’23, and Connor Wood ’22, were four sports media students who were selected to work alongside IC alum and legendary sports broadcaster Bruce Beck ’78, who announced the game.

“I have been a Yankee fan and have watched the YES network my entire life, so calling a game on that network was a dream come true. I never imagined I'd get to do that in college,” said Goldstein. “As someone who wants to get into broadcasting for a living, getting that platform does nothing but help me, and this was definitely a moment I will remember as a college highlight.”

Bruce Beck '78 with student broadcasters at Yankee Stadium. (Photo Credit: Bruce Beck Instagram)

Hitting All the Right Notes

Music, Theatre, and Dance students performing at "IC on Broadway: South Hill State of Mind” event. (Photo Credit: Steve Hockstein)

With so many students, alumni, and friends of IC gathering in New York City, the timing was serendipitous for the newly minted School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (MTD) to show its stuff, putting on performances featuring acclaimed alumni and current students alike.

The IC in the City programming was punctuated by Friday night’s “IC on Broadway: South Hill State of Mind” event. Held in the Marriott Marquis Times Square, accomplished alumni from IC’s music, theater, and dance programs — including Q. Smith '00, Eric Jordan Young ’93, and Grant Carey ‘13 — reunited for an evening of unforgettable performances.

“MTD empowers students to reimagine the parameters and the potential impact of their professional lives and their civic responsibilities,” said Anne Hogan, inaugural dean of the school in her opening remarks. “Sustaining that type of top-quality learning environment isn't always easy. It's a collective endeavor, and it's fueled in equal parts by passion and commitment. After three months and eleven days in this role, I can confidently say there's a lot of commitment and passion to the performing arts and a commitment to going the distance to connect students, faculty, and alumni.”

The Live Event Production team filming Friday night's many activities. (Photo Credit: Claire Marziotti)

The evening’s performances — filmed by the same Live Event Production team — celebrated that passion and commitment within IC students, past and present. Current students in the Vocal Jazz Studies program, accompanied by the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble, each impressed the audience with a solo performance that was the culmination of weeks of practice and preparation.

“I want to be a performer - I have always known that music is the only option. Being presented with an opportunity as huge as this, as young as I am, is a thing of hope. It is easy to get caught up with how hard the work is. That's what is interesting about going to school for something you love! Performance, progress, learning as much as you can: this event was a huge reminder of what I'm working towards,” said Nora Abshire ‘26, who performed a rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek”.

There was also the opportunity for crossover and collaboration between MTD and Ithaca College Athletics. It’s rare you’ll see an entire stadium roaring with applause for one single member of a competing football team. Nick Capodilupo ’24, offensive lineman for the Bombers and a vocal performance major, made the impossible happen with his rendition of the national anthem, just minutes before kickoff at Yankee Stadium.

Capodilupo spent weeks preparing for the performance, adding in additional voice rehearsals on top of a grueling football practice schedule and his heavy course load. He spoke of his gratitude to his coaches and professors alike for their flexibility and understanding, and what it felt like when his countless hours of work finally came to fruition on game day.

“I originally chose Ithaca because I wanted a top music program where I could also play football. Both my professors and coaches know how important both passions are for me and have supported me in every way — they are both flexible when they need to be, and I must be very disciplined to balance both,” Capodilupo said. “Coach Toerper and my teammates have really embraced my passion for performance. That meant so much to me because I’m the only music major on the team. I feel like in my own way I bring unity to two diverse groups of people here at Ithaca College, which is so important in this world today. I am so proud to represent the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and so proud to be a Bomber.”

Head football coach Michael Toerper also reflected on his pride and excitement for Capodilupo and the opportunity to perform at Yankee Stadium, an idea that was first inspired following an impromptu performance during pre-season training camp.

“We are so proud of Nick and his performance of the national anthem at Yankee Stadium. It comes as no surprise to myself or his teammates that he had this opportunity—as we practiced standing for the national anthem during training camp, I asked Nick to sing for us. We all looked around afterwards and were taken aback by his booming pipes and his masterful rendition,” said Toerper. “Nick has such a positive attitude in everything that he does and we cannot wait to see what’s next for him as he continues to pursue his singing passion.”

“This opportunity was an amazing chance to allow others at Ithaca to know who I am as a person and an artist. Because of these performances, I was able to apply my academic degree in the real world, get advice from alumni, and share my talents for others to appreciate. For me, I get to look back at my college experience and know that I achieved so many great things in the span of these four years. It means that I'm making a name for myself at IC, building connections and support with others, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.”

Shina Mitchell ’24

Musical theatre major Shina Mitchell ’24 was another student who had the opportunity to perform, both for the Ithaca College community at IC on Broadway and for the crowd of over 40,000 at Yankee Stadium.

Following a show-stopping performance of Cole Porter’s “Too Damn Hot” on Friday evening at the IC in the City event, Mitchell was back less than 24 hours later performing “God Bless America” before the fourth quarter of the game. Like Capodilupo, she spoke to the intense rehearsal schedule and countless hours of practice—but the hard work paid off.

“This opportunity was an amazing chance to allow others at Ithaca to know who I am as a person and an artist. Because of these performances, I was able to apply my academic degree in the real world, get advice from alumni, and share my talents for others to appreciate,” said Mitchell. “For me, I get to look back at my college experience and know that I achieved so many great things in the span of these four years. It means that I'm making a name for myself at IC, building connections and support with others, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.”

(Photos by Bob Wagner)