"Cousin" Danny Corsun, Class of 1987

"Cousin" Danny Corsun, Class of 1987

Author: WJPZ November 20, 2023 Duration: 44:10

"Cousin" Danny Corsun shares much in common with many of our alumni - a New York kid who liked sports and went to Syracuse.  But as you'll hear today, his life's journey is as unique as they come.

Danny started at WJPZ doing sports, and after the station moved to FM, he found his way to the Crazy Morning Crew. There,  he and the late Larry Barron teamed up for one of the most prominent AM drive shows in the station's history.   He tells a classic story of the moment when they realized the whole town was listening, and some problematic phone calls then-GM Carl Weinstein had to field.  He also has a Mike Tirico story to share.

Danny also shares his memories of the Student African American Society sit-in at the station - protesting the musical direction of WJPZ.   With the benefit of time and life experience, his views on that event have changed greatly, years late.

Following graduation, Danny and Larry could have pursued radio full time, but eventually headed out to LA.  Danny found himself working his way up the ladder at the preeminent TV show in the country in those days - The Cosby Show.

To supplement his writing career, Danny took a substitute teaching job that would change his life.  He was brought into a special needs classroom, and found a way to connect with his students through cooking.  He broke down barriers with Gen Ed students, and a two-week stint lasted five years.

This inspired Danny to educate the kids of Southern California through his Culinary Kids Academy.  Later, he leaned into his faith and started teaching Jewish principles through cooking with the Culinary Judaics Academy.   He's shot countless videos in his backyard with his daughter, now at Berkley.

Danny leaves us with two great stories.  One involves why he should never have been running the board.  And the other is a Rick Wright classic that may have elicited the longest sustained laugh from Jag yet.

Learn more about Danny's latest venture, Culinary Judaics Academy, here: https://www.culinaryjudaicsacademy.com/

The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.

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Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:  jag@jagindetroit.com.

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Want to be on the show? Email JAG at jag@jagpodcastproductions.com

Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/


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For fifty years, the student-run airwaves of Syracuse University's WJPZ at 50 have been more than a radio station; they've been a launchpad. This oral history project captures that legacy not through dry facts, but through the voices that built it. Each episode is a conversation with a different alumnus, from the pioneers of the 1970s to recent graduates, tracing how their hands-on experience in what's called the "world's greatest media classroom" shaped careers in broadcasting and far beyond. You'll hear personal stories of late-night broadcasts, technical mishaps turned into triumphs, and the forging of lifelong bonds that created a unique professional family spanning generations. This podcast digs into the real, often messy, work of learning by doing, revealing how a campus station became an enduring institution. Tune in for a collection of fifty interviews that together form a living archive, celebrating the people, not just the programming, behind five decades of student-led radio.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
T-Bone! Programmer Mike Tierney, Class of '91 and '93 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:29
Mike "T-Bone" Tierney may have known more classes in JPZ's history than anyone - having worked at Z89 as a high schooler, undergrad, and grad student. So it's no surprise many of his contemporaries consider him one of WJ…
Ethan Charlip, General Manager and Class of 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:47
It's no surprise that Ethan Charlip ended up at Syracuse University. His New Jersey high school classmates Jacob Belotti and Shruti Marathe were already there when he arrived on campus. In fact, Shruti told Ethan he'd be…
WJPZ Legend and Radio Disney Vet B.B. Good - Class of '93 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
(Note link to additional content at the end of our show notes.)If we were to pick one alumnus who best represented the warm, welcoming atmosphere of WJPZ, it would probably be Sharon Goodman Michaels, aka "B.B. Good" fro…
Kelly Sutton, '92, WJPZ's First Female GM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:46
Kelly Sutton, '92, is the first female general manager in the history of WJPZ. And, like many of us, the station launched her into a prolific media career.This Buffalo native went to Syracuse, in part, because of the opp…
Jordan Capozzi, Class of 2019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:10
Jordan Capozzi grew up in Syracuse, and like many Salt City Natives, did not know WJPZ was run by college students. When his high school guidance counselor released how much he liked to talk (sound familiar?) she recomme…
SiriusXM Morning Mash Up Host Ryan Sampson, Class of 1999 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:06
Many of us have spent time on the air at various radio stations, but if there's one jock the current students know, it's probably Ryan Sampson, '99, the host of the Morning Mashup on SiriusXM's Hits 1.Like many of us, Ry…
Philly's Tina Stoklosa, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:42
Today's guest is one of many alumni who took the lessons of WJPZ and applied it to every job she had before and after graduation.Tina Stoklosa is a Philadelphia native who was obssessed with the news growing up. The firs…
Jeanne Schad on Making The Alumni Association More Inclusive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:22
In her current role at LinkedIn and Microsoft, Jeanne Schad (Class of 1994) specializes in employee engagement. So it's not surprising that she's part of the team that's working to make the WJPZ Alumni Association and Ha…
A Tribute to Hall of Famer Larry Barron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:52
For episode 89 of this podcast, we wanted to pay tribute to a man who sits on the Mount Rushmore of WJPZ History, Hall of Famer Larry Barron, from the Class of 1987. As we celebrate his life, career, and mentorship, we a…