12:00: CITY Magazine's 2026 'Rochester Ten'
1:00: 'Connections Summer Sessions:' What do local high school students think of the bell-to-bell ban?
"They always come back home." That's how CITY Magazine editor-in-chief Leah Stacy describes CITY's 2026 "Rochester Ten" cohort. The annual list celebrates community members whose work and passions are creating positive change. As Stacy writes, some are Rochester natives, some are transplants, and some live in several places, but the Flower City is where "they want their work to be felt most." We meet some of them this hour, and we welcome the team from CITY to discuss this month's issue. In studio:
- Leah Stacy, editor-in-chief of CITY Magazine
- Jacob Walsh, art director for CITY Magazine
- Rafael Rodriguez, photographer and filmmaker
- Leaphe Ferm, musician, artist, and caregiver
- Jenna Manetta-Knauf, owner of Bella Events Group
- Max Kelley, station manager at WAYO 104.3FM
- Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, artistic director and founder of Borinquen Dance Theatre
Then in our second hour, "Connections Summer Sessions" continues with special rebroadcasts about how kids see a changing world. K-12 students just finished their first year under a smartphone ban during the school day. The ban was intended to remove the distraction from technology that many students experience. In this episode, we welcome a group of local students to discuss their thoughts on the ban. Our guests:
- Helena Dixon, senior at Fairport High School
- Eli Fybush, senior at Brighton High School
- Norah Kirkebye, junior at Pittsford Sutherland High School
- Carter Markowycz, freshman at Greece Arcadia High School
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
