Skip to main site navigation Skip to main content

Virtual Tour | Visit Campus | Contact Us | Apply Now

Utica University Logo
  • Academics
    • Programs
    • Online Programs
      • Online Business Programs
    • Honors Program
    • Graduate Study
    • International Ed & Study Abroad
      • Study Abroad
    • Exceptional Faculty
    • Research & Experiential Learning
      • Experiential Learning Courses
    • Student Support and Success
    • Schedules, Catalogs, and Resources
    • Institutes and Centers
    • Utica University at Florida
      • Tuition and Fees: ABSN Program
      • Accepted Students
    • Current Offerings
    • Program Details
    • Themed Pathways
    • Planning Sheet
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Understanding Financial Aid
      • Value
      • Excelsior, Explained
      • University Scholarships
      • Annual Awards
    • Applying For Financial Aid
    • Tuition and Fees
      • Utica Campus Programs
      • Online Programs
      • ABSN Program
    • Net Price Calculator
    • Pioneer Passport
  • Admissions
    • First-Year Admissions
    • Transfer Admissions
      • Articulation Agreements
    • Graduate Admissions
      • Graduate Inquiry Form
    • International Applicants
      • International Inquiry Form
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Visit
      • Utica University Campus
      • Virtual Tour
      • Why Not Fly?
    • Apply Now
    • Contact Us
    • Accepted Student Info
    • High School Counselors
    • High School Bridge Program
  • Community
    • Living on Campus
      • Res Life and Student Living
      • Campus Engagement and Student Activities
    • Satellite Locations
    • The Utica Area
      • Hotels and Restaurants in the Utica Area
    • Utica Stories
    • About Utica
  • Athletics
    • Intercollegiate Athletics
    • Esports
  • News & Events
  • Alumni
  • Giving
  • Apply Now
  • Directory
  • About
  • Library
  • Logins
Utica University

From a Social Distance: UC Faculty Recommend Books, Music, Movies, Podcasts

  1. Utica Community
  2. Utica Stories
  3. From a Social Distance: UC Faculty Recommend Books, Music, Movies, Podcasts
Social distancing

What UC faculty members are reading, watching, and listening to as we practice social distancing and transition to online learning. 

Today, March 23, 2020, marks the first day of Utica College’s virtual semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. Just like UC students, faculty members are finding ways to connect with others and stay productive at home as the College transitions to online learning. We asked three favorite professors for their recommendations---and some wise words about making the best of these uncertain times.

Communications Professor Ariel Gratch

Ariel Gratch, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts

What are you reading? I recently finished Parable of the Talents and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (especially if you're interested in dystopian futures... or presents?), and This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins; Currently re-reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (especially good if you want to laugh and lose yourself in fantasy for a bit), and Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell (part of the Saxon Tales). Many libraries now use Overdrive to virtually check out e-books and audiobooks!

What TV and movies are you streaming? As a communication professor, I suggest Buffy for a series that tackles some really complicated interpersonal relationships, and Dead Poets Society for a classic movie about why literature and performance matter.

What are you listening to? I have a small kid, so we've been listening to Disney radio on Pandora. We have a game where we each guess a Disney movie and if a song from that movie plays next, we win a prize (either stickers or those who guessed incorrectly have to do one of our chores :-)

Other activities you’re enjoying? Lots of walks and spring cleaning! We've been using Facetime a lot to have virtual playdates for our son and are using Zoom to have a "happy hour" with friends.

 

Gary Leising

Gary Leising, Assistant Professor of English

What are you reading? Apeirogon: A Novel by Colum McCann. The title refers to a shape with infinitely countable sides, which is symbolically apt for this book about fathers of lost children in the Israel-Palestine crisis. It's available as an e-book. And I'll recommend indiebound.org—a website to connect readers with independent bookstores, as small businesses need support at a time like this.

What are you listening to? The podcast “Six Minutes.” We started listening to this on road trips with my kids, as the story is aimed at a young audience. It's good for families, it's a compelling drama in small bits with cliffhanger endings that drive you to the next episode.

Other activities you’re enjoying? On Twitter, novelist Rebecca Makkai (@rebeccamakkai) has been sharing daily writing prompts all year. Some a pretty weird ("Describe eating a scented candle" or "There are thirty tiny polar bears living in the refrigerator") and could provide a fun, imaginative journaling exercise, or maybe a story or poem you'll want to try publishing somewhere. I've also been following, on Twitter, the hashtag #InternationalPoetryCircle. Poets around the world are recording themselves reading their own and others' poems. I love the "live" connection with others here, and since they're mostly under three minutes long, it's easy to fit into a quick break.

 

Brett Orzechowski

Brett Orzechowski, Associate Professor of Management and Business Analytics

What are you reading? It's appropriate for the current times, but I finished The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact two weeks ago. You can get it on Kindle or free from Audacity if you sign up. It will resonate with everyone -- faculty, students and administrators -- and allows you to think about the promise of the future.

What TV and movies are you streaming? If you have Apple TV or Firestick (or your phone), get the Bloomberg app. As I watch my retirement disappear via real-time stock updates, they have some phenomenal short documentary programming that you can binge. They have a section on innovators that focus on global entrepreneurship. There's a team of scientists rebuilding coral reefs via recyclable materials in Tel Aviv and a former gamer in Oregon who's mass producing a three-wheel electric vehicle called the Arcimoto. Watch one a morning or binge.

What are you listening to? They've been around for a while, but I discovered the Hot 8 Brass Band in New Orleans in January when I attended a conference. They covered everyone from Snoop Dogg to Joy Division to Marvin Gaye while staying true to New Orleans jazz roots. You can't beat horns. Make sure you turn it to 11.

Other activities you’re enjoying? I've shifted my distance running from late afternoon to the early morning, right around sunrise. It's getting warmer. The moon is still out. Long-distance running is very much a solitary pursuit, but even when you pass other runners, you know they're thinking the same thing. We keep our six-foot distance, but say good morning in a more appreciative way. It feels different -- perhaps more important.  

How about some words of wisdom? Be a mensch during these times. Karma is pretty powerful.

 

Need help making the transition to online learning? Reach out to a Student Success Coach via their direct lines here. Tutoring also is available online here. 

For more on Utica College's response to the coronavirus pandemic, visit utica.edu/coronavirus. 

More Stories

Shelly Nunno Evans conducts orientation with DPT Students in June 2025.
On Campus

Physical Therapy doctoral students keep things moving

Though Commencement ceremonies bring the Spring semester to a close in May, the Utica University campus doesn’t stay quiet for...
John Cormican, with gray beard and hair down to his shoulders, wearing black glasses and a blue sweater, stands in front of book shelves and smiles.
Faculty

The World According to Cormican

He taught his first class when he was a freshman at Jefferson Township High School back home in Indiana. Not...
Utica University
Student

Utica University Announces Spring 2025 High Honors and Dean’s List

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Stephanie Nesbitt today announced the Utica University Spring 2025 semester High Honors...
All Stories

I would like to see logins and resources for:

For a general list of frequently used logins, you can also visit our logins page.

Utica University Logo
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube
  • Academics
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
  • Admissions
  • Community
  • Athletics
1600 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY 13502
Map & Directions
(315) 792-3006
Contact Us
  • Institutional Effectiveness
  • Bookstore
  • Disability Learning Support
  • Student Right to Know
2025-2026 College of Distinction2025-2026 Private College of Distinction2025-2026 Business College of Distinction2025-2026 Education College of Distinction2025-2026 Nursing College of Distinction2025-2026 Career Development College of Distinction2025-2026 Equity & Inclusion College of Distinction2023-2024 Military Friendly (Silver)