SUNY Potsdam

.
Anderson Cooper to address SUNY Potsdam students via live telecast

Patrick Harris
Issue date: 4/16/10 Section: College Life

On Thursday April 22, at 5:30 p.m., Anderson Cooper will address SUNY Potsdam students via live telecast. Cooper is scheduled to discuss his work in Haiti after the recent devastation. After his remarks, he will take questions from a panel of students lead by President Schwaller.

Cooper, who anchors Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN, is known for his willingness to travel to scenes of violence and tragedy without hesitation. According to his biography, Cooper has reported from Afghanistan and Iraq, the ongoing violence in Mexico, the bombings in London and the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. In 2007, Cooper moderated the CNN/YouTube presidential debates for both parties. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, The Mole, World News Now, World News Tonight, World News Saturday/Sunday, 20/20, and 20/20 Downtown. Cooper was instrumental in the creation of the documentary Planet in Peril, detailing threats to our planet's populations and resources. His book Dispatches from the Edge, a memoir detailing his coverage of several natural disasters, was a New York Times bestseller. Cooper and his program have won several journalism awards and multiple Emmys.

The question-and-answer panel for this event was assembled based on recommendations from faculty and staff, representing a broad cross-section of SUNY Potsdam's students and departments. Students on the panel include Vita Ayala, Brian Butts, Victor DeJesus, Danielle McMullen, Valerie Page, Danny Smith and Sal Sarmiento. They represent the Departments of Anthropology, Communication, Geology, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology and the Crane School of Music. The panel includes members of the student government as well as students who have witnessed firsthand the situation in Haiti, traveled to the Dominican Republic for construction projects, and fundraised for the ongoing Ethiopia school project.

Cooper's appearance at SUNY Potsdam is made possible by Class of '84 alumna Kathleen Friery, executive producer for Anderson Cooper 360°. Friery will also be appearing at SUNY Potsdam this year as commencement speaker; we hope to profile her in a future issue of The Racquette.

Anderson Cooper's address will take place in Hosmer Hall. Seating is limited, so students are encouraged to acquire free tickets from the Crane box office or the SGA office.