VIPs Light Up Syracuse University Gala

(From The Syracuse Post-Standard -- By Nancy Buczek)

The gala scholarship fund-raiser for SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY'S S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Tuesday in Manhattan had all the makings of a Hollywood event.

A red carpet stretched to the street from the entrance of the MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL.

Metal barricades sequestered the paparazzi next to the carpet.

And common folk stopped on the street to see what all the buzz was about.

"We were on our way to dinner and saw the red carpet and all the media," said JOSEPH MAIJALA, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He and two friends stood on the edge of the gathering crowd. They were rewarded with glimpses of TROY AIKMAN, retired DALLAS COWBOYS quarterback; actor TOM CAVANAGH, who starred in the television show ED; and STEVE KROFT, of 60 MINUTES.

The event, thrown by THE NEWHOUSE SCHOOL advisory board, honored 39 NEWHOUSE alumni and one spouse and celebrated the NEWHOUSE SCHOOL's 40th anniversary. About 500 people attended.

NEWHOUSE program offerings were represented by the alumni honored, such as MICHAEL TIRICO, host and play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ABC SPORTS; MAUREEN GRISE CAVANAGH, deputy picture editor for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and wife of TOM CAVANAGH; and JIM MORRIS, producer/production executive for PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS.

Besides raising money, the board wanted to hold an event that would create a buzz about the school, catching the attention of potential employers for graduates, said LYNN VANDERHOEK, NEWHOUSE's Director of External Communications.

One way to do that was to draw people whose names are recognizable in the communications industry, such as LORNE MICHAELS, executive producer of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE; JOHN SYKES, president of network development for MTV; and RICHARD D. PARSONS, chairman and CEO of TIME WARNER.

It didn't hurt that many of the advisory board members have connections in their particular industries and drew upon them to bring some star power to the event, such as singer JOHN MELLENCAMP and actor SEAN PENN, Vanderhoek said.

Even a former president, BILL CLINTON, showed up briefly. Clinton, who knows Sykes through the SAVE THE MUSIC FOUNDATION, which supports music education in school, presented Sykes with his alumni recognition award.

This was the first time the board tried a scholarship fund-raiser on such a grand scale, Vanderhoek said. Tickets to the New York City gala ranged from $1,000 to $50,000.

The advisory board hoped to raise about $250,000 for merit and need-based scholarships, Vanderhoek said.

The amount actually raised won't be known until the costs of the event are taken out of ticket sales, but Vanderhoek said the goal had been surpassed.

She estimated the fund-raiser took in about $500,000 gross.

SU Chancellor NANCY CANTOR Cantor said the event was exactly what she expected from NEWHOUSE and it's something other SU schools and colleges could mirror.

"Look around this room. There is an amazing array of creative talent. We are a world-class institution. We define all kinds of fields," Cantor said.

[Typical Syracuse...]