Tracey Turner ('00), Lisa Phillips ('03), and Sarah Fox ('02)

Tracey Turner ('00), Lisa Phillips ('03), and Sarah Fox ('02)

Author: WJPZ January 29, 2024 Duration: 48:29

Today's guests are three ladies, three years apart, who have formed an enduring frienship via WJPZ that has lasted over 20 years.

Tracey (Chilandese) Turner got to the station when Harry and Dena were running a skeleton crew, having just shepherded the station through it's second format change (back to Z89) in just a few years.   Trace joined the station as a sophomore, just as Matt DelSignore was taking over for Harry as GM and PD.  Harry provided guidance for promotions, and let his dynamic duo take over.

Sarah (Dumont) Fox had no desire to be on the air, but this Plattsburgh native soon found a love for Public Relations.  When Dena left, Sarah volunteered to take on that role, coordinating everything from alumni relationships to Banquets.

As these two ascended to station leadership, Lisa entered as a freshman.  This die-hard sports fan started doing on-air work and made fast friends off-air with Tracey and Sarah.  It was a friendship that transcended the walls of the station.

Today's guests credit their WJPZ lessons as great prepration for their careers.  Tracey has worked in music since graduation.  Sarah's been in healthcare PR, and Lisa went from NBC page to talent booker to Derek Jeter's outlet, The Players' Tribune.

In this episode, you'll hear about "Shake Your Bon Bon For Ricky Martin," a treacherous trip with a car full of balloons, and some heated moments in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.  (Poor Lisa had to share a wall with Jag one year).

But you'll also hear about enduring friendships, including Matt DelSignore joining Sarah for moral support on a week-long job interview trip to New York City before graduation.  Where did they sleep?  Tracey's couch and loveseat.

Throughout today's podcast, you'll hear about the inclusive culture of Z89 (as opposed to some more traditional classrooms).  The knowledge passed down over these 3 years are right in line with the last 50.

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

Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50

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

Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/

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

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


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


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: 100

WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
Consultant Jay Nachlis, '94, on Radio's Past, Present, and Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who understands the radio industry as well as today's guest: Jay Nachlis from the Class of 1994. Like many of us, this San Francisco native came to Syracuse with plans of being the n…
John Ferracane, Class of 2003, On the Ostrom House and More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
John Ferracane was one of the key figures in the survival of WJPZ when the station was temporarily moved to an off-campus house on Ostrom Avenue for the 2000-2001 school year. With the help of an incredibly dedicated sta…
Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:23
One of the hallmarks of any great leader is sharing the credit with his or her team. Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of '93, rose through the ranks of WJPZ to become General Manager at a very successful time in the radio…
Audacy's Corey Crockett, Class of 2015 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:06
One of the amazing things about WJPZ is how many of our illustrious alumni actually grew up listening to the radio station. This has been true for decades. Liverpool native Corey Crockett, from the Class of 2015, is no e…
Back to Z89 (and Receivership) with Dena and Harry, Class of 1999 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:17
Simply put, Harry Wareing and Dena (Giacobbe) Laupheimer are two people the radio station wouldn't have survived without. Both members of the Class of 1999, Harry first came to the station as a freshman and became a "uti…
Behind the Banquet Scenes With Eileen Spath, Class of 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:35
For several years, Eileen Spath (Class of 2014) chaired the Banquet Committee. When we all come back to Syracuse every year for one of our favorite weekends, we may not realize what happens behind the scenes to get this…
Damian/JD/Governor D Redman, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:03
You may know today's guest by many names - JD, Governor, or even his given name, Damian Redman. He talks about coming to Syracuse the summer before his freshman year, meeting Dion Summers, and finding WJPZ together.You'l…
Hall of Famers Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri, Class of 1986 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri met at WJPZ when they were working in production and promotions, respectively. Their friendship has led to a business partnership of over 3 decades, creating the first-of-its-kind software for…

«1...678910