The All Things Equal radio show has aired weekly since 2007 as part of Cayuga Radio Group’s morning news programming. What began as a locally focused interview segment has grown into a long-running and award-winning program exploring community issues, resources, and quality of life in Tompkins County and beyond. 

The program was launched by Gary Stewart, then Director of Cornell Community Relations, to explore issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the local community and region, and at times, the broader world. Through thoughtful conversations on both universal and uniquely local topics, Gary highlighted the people, organizations, and ideas shaping our shared experience. Gary was a guest on the program in January of 2024 after he retired from his position. During the interview, he reflected on the origins of All Things Equal as well as his local career, which included serving as the opinion page editor for the Ithaca Journal and over twenty years with Cornell Community Relations.  

In 2016, the program expanded to include additional interviewers from Cornell Community Relations: Susan Riley and Kate Supron. Drawing on their regular work with community members, organizations, and municipal partners, all three hosts brought a personal and informed perspective to conversations about local stories, events, and issues.  

“When I’ve been asked to identify a favorite guest or story, it’s difficult to pick just one”, said Deputy Director for Community Relations Susan Riley. “It was an honor to be able to speak with Kimberle’ Crenshaw, alumna and leading legal scholar and civil rights advocate, when she came to campus as the 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Lecture speaker. “When we had a few technical difficulties at the start of the interview, she was patient and jovial – and so thoughtful and honest during the conversation.”  

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the focus of the program shifted to address urgent community impacts, new collaborations, and critical information-sharing efforts. The combination of additional voices, evolving community needs, and deeper collaboration further broadened the program’s scope and storytelling approach – well beyond the pandemic. 

”In recent months, Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s Mark Bordeau helped us understand food insecurity in our communities and how the food bank supports pantries and community kitchens across our region (July 2025); Cornell students Lilah and Radyah shared their experiences creating enrichment programs for at risk youth at the William George Agency (March 2026); Ben Sandberg from the History Center in Tompkins County highlighted HistoryForge, an open-source platform developed by the History Center that integrates historic demographic data on period maps layered over a current Google map (December 2025),” Cornell Campus-Community Liaison Kate Supron reflected. “Sharing these stories fosters community.” 

To mark the 1000th episode and the expansion of the program focus, the April 28th episode will be the last aired under the moniker “All Things Equal.” Moving forward, WHCU and Cornell are rebranding the program as All Things Local, reflecting the program's evolution over the past 19 years and allowing for continued exploration of community-centered stories. Past broadcasts are available on the 607NewsNow website. 

“We are grateful to Cayuga Radio Group and WHCU for their years of dedication to producing this program, and to sponsors Cayuga Health, Community Foundation, Ithaca College, Tompkins Chamber, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Wegmans for their support over the last two decades,” said Director of Community Relations Jennifer Tavares. “And kudos to the Cornell staff – past and present – in Community Relations and University Relations, who have done a tremendous job delivering this quality program in service to our community.” 

All Things Local will continue to highlight synergies between higher education and the broader community by featuring key people, partnerships, local issues, and the strong connections that link them. Reach out to the Community Relations team at community_relations@cornell.edu with suggestions.