One Dedicated SU Tour Guide

One dedicated tour guide from Newhouse School J-Camp on Vimeo.

By Jamal Reed

As a tour guide at Syracuse University, Auyon Ghosh answers all types of questions.

Some are simple, just asking about the SU campus. Others, in his opinion, are just borderline weird.

“There was a student who was a junior or senior in high school and I was giving a tour and he came up to me. I had just given this talk about Greek life and he was, like, ‘So, do you have to be Greek to be part of Greek life?’” Ghosh says.

“And I looked at him and I said, ‘Clearly, you don’t. It’s just a name.’ ”

Ghosh explained that fraternities are named for Greek letters.

Ghosh has been a tour guide since last summer. A senior next year, Ghosh will graduate in 2010 majoring in physics and economics in the college of Arts and Sciences.

“Turns out, it was a really great summer job and I continued doing it throughout the year,” he said. “I love this university. Learning all about it is something I really enjoyed.”

Being a tour guide has opened up a lot of doors for Ghosh. He’s met people from all 50 states and several different countries across the world.

In the beginning, Ghosh found it challenging to get used to all the questions parents now ask.

“A lot of times somebody is going to expect you be an expert on everything,” he said.

Ghosh was on a journey to success from the start. Getting the job to pay his way through school has helped him a lot, but also put him a few steps ahead of many students.

Ghosh’s parents are from India. But he is a first-generation American and was raised in the Syracuse area. He had visited several different colleges, but he chose the university – SU – in his hometown.

Ghosh is a pre-med student at SU. He is planning to go to SUNY-Upstate Medical Center next year when he graduates. Looking forward to the future is the best thing for him, Ghosh says.

Being at Syracuse University has helped him become a better person, he said. He views life differently now that he has learned about the world at SU. He now hopes to help change what’s wrong about his community.

“When I’m done getting my career started,” said Ghosh, “I would love to come back to Syracuse University to give my special care and attention to those who need it.”

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