Just because we’re from Central New York doesn’t make us ‘zombies’

Prior to coming to Syracuse, I’ll admit I was unsure about how diverse the school would be. But as the months have passed by, I’ve seen myself exposed to a whole variety of cultures. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of student organizations intended for students of different backgrounds.

So when I heard Gregg Giannotti, host of the CBS national radio show The Gio and Jones Show, call Central New Yorkers “pale” and “zombie-esque,” I was pissed.

On March 28th, Giannotti along with Brian Jones spent time discussing how Syracuse was in the national spotlight after our basketball team made the Final Four.

“You know the thing I don’t like about them?” Giannotti said. “They say, ‘We’re New York’s team. We’re New York’s team.’ No you’re not. You’re not New York’s team. You’re Upstate New York’s team. You’re Central New York’s team.”

Instead of stopping there he added, “New York City and like Central New York. It’s a long way away,” he continued. “It’s not really this area. People talk differently there. They look differently there. It’s sort of Midwestern. They look differently. They’re all pale. They’re zombie-esque. They’ve never see the sun. When the sun comes out they shrivel up. You’ve never seen whiter people in your life.”

I’m sorry, but I disagree. As you walk around the quad, you see international students, students dawning apparel from multicultural frats, people practicing languages with each other in Bird, and Bollywood music occasionally blasting at the Junction. This is not a “white” area. What does it mean to be “whiter?” I don’t look at the colors of the people around me, because it simply doesn’t matter. When people ask me what Central New York is like, I talk about HOW they are. Not what they are. In fact, CNY embraces different cultures to the fullest. I remember performing with my dance team at two different elementary schools who were hosting multi-cultural themed performances for the students. The students were so engaged and intrigued by the different costumes and styles of dancing. It is strange to me that Giannotti can say “you’ve never seen whiter people” because these students came from all backgrounds.

Yes this is not New York City, but Central New York is just as big and just as important. When you stereotype a whole community, you make yourself seem incredibly ignorant. For someone who claims that Central New York is not as diverse as NYC, you must not be that exposed to the world around you. Just come to Syracuse and you’ll see.