Sydney Martin

About Me

Current journalism transfer student at Ithaca College with experience covering a wide array of events and topics. Passionate about political and international coverage, as well as supporting local journalism! In Dec. '25, I graduated from the University of Glasgow with a three-year bachelor's degree in European Culture and Civilizations.

When I am not reporting, I enjoy tabletop games, baseball, volleyball and playing bass guitar.

Recent Articles

Recent articles I've published over the last few months. For more articles, you can visit my print portfolio. The portfolio contains articles spanning all three of the publications I've worked at during my time as a student. 

The Ithacan •

Revision of private lesson times sparks frustration among music students

The Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance announced revisions to private lesson times in an email sent to music students March 23, sparking frustration among students. 
The new system divides students across 30-minute, 45-minute and hour-long lessons depending on the major. The changes will take effect in Fall 2026. 
Bachelor of Music students who are performance or composition majors will receive 60–minute lessons. After their first year, Bachelor of Music students enrolled in the...
The Ithacan •

Izzy Fest brings independent media to students

The Park Center for Independent Media brought together independent journalists and media scholars from across the country to Ithaca College’s campus for the first Izzy Fest, a two-day event focused on independent media and press freedom.
As part of Izzy Fest, the PCIM presented the 2026 Izzy Awards, which celebrate “outstanding achievement in independent media.” This year’s honorees were Abby Martin and Empire Files; Gwynne Hogan and Haidee Chu of The City; and the Texas Observer. 
Though the Iz...
The Ithacan •

Ithaca protesters demand ‘No Kings’ in third wave of nationwide anti-Trump rally

Hundreds of protestors came together on The Commons on March 28 to protest United States President Donald Trump and his administration as part of the nationwide “No Kings” rallies. Many in attendance held signs that called attention to issues in the Trump administration like the Iran war and the president’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, while others protested rising gas prices and crackdown on immigration. 
This is the third wave of the “No Kings” protests, whose organizers claim that 8 million...
The Ithacan •

Ithaca College professor awarded for combining music with social justice

Baruch Whitehead, a professor of music education in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, was presented with a New York State Senate Commendation award from Sen. Lea Webb’s office Feb. 19. The awards, given in honor of Black History Month, celebrated the work of five local community leaders from the Southern Tier. Whitehead was honored for his work with the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers, a choir named after civil rights activist Dorothy Cotton. Assistant News Editor Sydney Martin sat down wit...
The Ithacan •

Lack of area coordinators leaves RAs unguided

A lack of area coordinators has left resident assistants at Ithaca College with a lack of guidance and sparked concerns over points of contact and resident safety.
In Fall 2024, there were eight ACs, at the time referred to as residence and community directors, split across eight different clusters of housing. By Spring 2026, only one AC remained, with a second one announced as recently as Feb. 16. During the Spring 2026 semester, RAs have been navigating a decrease in reliable communication and...
The Ithacan •

Hundreds in Ithaca rally against ICE after Minneapolis crackdown

This story was updated Feb. 4 at 12:50 p.m.
Over the past week, Ithaca residents came together as a community to protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. From an anti-ICE rally on The Commons, to a general strike on the Ithaca College campus and fundraising programs by small businesses, Ithaca has been mobilizing. 
Sparked by the Jan. 6 deployment of 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, activist groups across the country have taken...
The Ithacan •

Museum of the Earth avoids foreclosure through community support

The Museum of the Earth in Ithaca has avoided a looming foreclosure after its parent organization, the Ithaca-based Paleontological Research Institute, raised millions of dollars in donations.
The museum had to pay a $3 million mortgage by Dec. 31, 2025, to remain open. The $3.7 million in donations came after the organization turned to media outlets to cover its situation and allowed the organization to avoid having to rely on unstable federal funding. Now, the organization is seeking ways to d...
The Ithacan •

IC to discontinue the communication, strategy and design major in Fall 2026

Ithaca College students in the communication strategy and design (CSD) major and minor received an email Oct. 20 explaining that the program would no longer be offered or accept new students starting Fall 2026. In the place of CSD, the school will offer a revised advertising, public relations and marketing communications (APRMC) major and minor.
Over 20 majors across the college have been “sunsetted” over the last five years, for a number of reasons, many relating to the college’s budget deficit...