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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

International student enrollment drops; RPD overtime price tag; Super Bowl commercials

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published February 6, 2026 at 3:54 PM EST
Two men wearing headphones and glasses sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at left has short brown hair and is wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt with white lettering on the chest; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue button-down shirt.
1 of 3  — Brian Sharp with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"
Brian Sharp with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, February 6, 2026
Julie Williams / WXXI News
Two men wearing headphones and glasses sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at left has a brown beard and is wearing a green knit cap and plaid button-down shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue button-down shirt.
2 of 3  — Gino Fanelli with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"
Gino Fanelli with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, February 6, 2026
Julie Williams / WXXI News
A smiling man with a dark beard wears a beige knit cap, glasses and grey shirt and sits in front of a microphone.
3 of 3  — kyle-green-podcast-sociology-20220930-11.jpg
Kyle Green
Provided
WXXI News

We bring you the top local stories of the week with WXXI News staff.

First, the University of Rochester and RIT are seeing a significant drop in international student enrollment. Investigations and enterprise editor Brian Sharp discusses the impact of Trump administration policies on college campuses.

Then, reporter Gino Fanelli has been investigating the price tag for Rochester Police Department overtime shifts. He explains what he learned and what it means for the community.

And finally, from "Mean" Joe Green sharing a Coke, to Apple's "1984" computer, to the Budweiser Clydesdales, what are the Super Bowl commercials that stand out in your mind? A local sociology researcher explains why certain ads stick, what to look for when it comes to trends, and the cultural significance of Super Bowl commercials.

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams