The Charleston City Paper again welcomes Syracuse University journalism graduate students as the backbone of the newspaper’s amplified arts and news coverage during the 2025 Spoleto Festival USA and its Piccolo Spoleto counterpart.
“Thanks to the 30+ stories already penned by Syracuse students, plus those from our staff and freelance writers, the Charleston City Paper has the best and most comprehensive coverage of Spoleto Festival USA and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival,” said Andy Brack, the newspaper’s editor and publisher. “For the fourth year running, these graduate students have provided valuable insights and information as part of a living journalism laboratory.
“We all should be thankful for their expanded, locally produced news stories about the festivals and what’s happening in the area.”
- To keep up with coverage daily, check out the special Piccolo + Spoleto 2025 section online or sign-up for daily emails to enjoy the latest.
Putting study into practice
Eric Grode, director of the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications Program at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Communications, said the students’ reporting during the arts-rich festivals allows them to put into practice what they’ve been learning all year.
“They shed their Syracuse snow boots and walk the peninsula armed with sunscreen, a notebook and endless curiosity,” he said. “They interview cellists and acrobats, griots and ballerinas, tenors and tap dancers.
“And then they embark on their post-college lives, stuffed with too much ice cream and the memories that will position them to better make sense of the beauty and the complexity that awaits them.”
This year’s contingent of festival journalists include five who are studying arts journalism and two on a news-related track. This year’s cohort of students (in alphabetical order) include:
Ankit Bandyopadhyay is an Alabama native and graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He said he hopes to become a news reporter after receiving his master’s degree from Syracuse. His interests lie in community journalism and exploring underrepresented issues.
Madey Lynch is a style and pop culture writer from the West Coast. She is passionate about fashion and beauty, including how pop culture influences society and the world around us.
Olivia Meier, a reporter from Hellertown, Pa., said she is drawn to human stories, subcultures and the complexities of life. She focuses on deep reporting and narrative storytelling.
Henry O’Brien is a film critic and sports writer from Pittsburgh, Pa. He has two degrees from Syracuse University and said he passionately tries to understand film and pro sports as much as possible.
Mathilde Refloch, a movie lover from France, is ardent about culture. She said her goal is to make art appreciation inclusive by infusing humor and accessibility into critiques.
Emily Rutkowski is a feature writer from Arizona who enjoys spending time outdoors and telling compelling stories. An avid runner, she said she is especially interested in the intersection of sports and politics, exploring how athletics reflect and influence broader social issues.
Ally Watkinson is an arts and culture journalist from Stamford, Conn. who covers theater, music and the intersection of pop culture, social media and celebrity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a theater minor from the College of William and Mary (’23) and will complete her master’s degree in arts, style and culture at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School in June 2025.
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