Iris St. Meran to Emcee Sunday’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Iris St. Meran, news reporter for NewsChannel 9, will serve as emcee for the 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, to be held at the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, Jan. 22. “Iris St. Meran is a respected journalist, trusted community member, inspirational storyteller and thought leader,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “As we prepare for our first in-person King celebration since January of 2020, Iris St. Meran is the right person for this important time, and I am excited that she accepted the invitation to participate.” The featured speaker at this year’s celebration is Rev. Phil Turner, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church. Turner’s theme is “Civil Rights and the City of Syracuse.” Syracuse University’s celebration is the largest of its kind on any college campus, featuring performances, dinner, and the presentation of the Unsung Hero Awards. Registration for the event is free and open to all on Syracuse University’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration website. Iris St. Meran has created a special connection with Central New York and Syracuse as a television news reporter at NewsChannel 9 and, previously, as anchor at Spectrum News. St. Meran pursued her degree in journalism at Emerson College in in her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. She started her career as a desk assistant and web producer at New England Cable News. St. Meran quickly immersed herself in the local community after moving to Upstate New York in 2008. Throughout her career, St. Meran has covered several impactful, life-changing stories. She earned a first-place award from the New York Associated Press for her series “Addicted: Heroin’s Hold.” That series is an example of St. Meran’s passion for telling stories that make a difference in the lives of her viewers. In another multipart series, “Troubled Water: Crisis in Flint,” St. Meran found inspiration in that community’s ability to come together in the midst of crisis. St. Meran serves on the boards of the Gifford Foundation and the YMCA of Central New York. She also co-hosts a podcast called “The Ladies’ Room,” which features women making an impact in their communities. St. Meran loves animals and has two rescue dogs. She has run the Utica Boilermaker 5K. She also enjoys the area’s vibrant history. She has spent her time here meeting the people, participating in the activities and exploring the places so special to Central New York. Hendricks Chapel, the spiritual heart of Syracuse University, is the student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life. Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and place for all people, the chapel hosts nine chaplaincies, 25 student-led religious and spiritual groups, and sponsors over 1,000 programs for more than 500,000 annual attendees. Hendricks Chapel employs student workers, supports musical ensembles, offers support through the Student Opportunity Fund and Food Pantry, and partners throughout the campus community to advance academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. As a central contributor to holistic life and learning at Syracuse University, Hendricks Chapel helps to prepare engaged citizens, scholars, and leaders for participation in a changing global society. For more information, visit chapel.syracuse.edu.
