By Lauren Young

Staff Writer

On July 7, Syracuse University graduate and Associate Press award recipient Andrea Cale held a book signing at the Barnes & Noble on Erie Boulevard for her first novel, “The Corn Husk Experiment,” which explores the interconnectivity of strangers with one common dominator — college football.

Published in May, the novel was heavily inspired by Cale’s experience as a Syracuse University student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and as a graduate student at Boston University’s College of Communication. The story features five main characters— a photographer, cheerleader, two football players and a talented but shy child — as their lives unknowingly collide in one stadium for a Syracuse University versus Boston University football game.

Dining with her husband and their 10-year-old and seven-year-old sons for lunch at Tully’s Good Times before her meet and greet, Cale was reminiscent of the times she had eaten there as a student after every SU football game at the Carrier Dome.

The concept of a stadium itself is symbolic in her novel, representing “the concept of how our paths start out separate then collide, where unexpected things can happen,” said Cale.

The book’s theme of interconnectivity with strangers is an especially “important message” today, she said.

“10 or 11 years ago, that theme wasn’t as prevalent as it is today,” said Cale. “I think today it’s kind of a divisive time, no matter what side of the political aisle people are on — we just have to try to understand one another, especially in this social media age. Taking the time to get to know one another, I think we’d be in a better place.”

After graduation, Cale worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper in North Country in which one of her stories about a tragic apartment fire was recognized by the New York State Associated Press Association and received an award for spot news reporting.

After going to Boston University to receive her master’s degree in public relations, Cale landed a job as a PR officer at a top 10 U.S. commercial bank holding company.

After discovering she was pregnant with her first son, Cale took a break from her hectic lifestyle and started drafting what would become her first novel — now published after nearly 11 years later. Upon finishing the novel, Cale was inspired to embark on her next “experiment” — The Good News Experiment.

The idea was conceived when Cale was developing her website with her publisher Morgan James and considered starting her own blog, as most authors do. When Cale thought about what she truly enjoyed writing about most, she knew that giving recognition to those often unrecognized was one of her true passions.

“I’m really passionate about, especially as a parent, caring about what’s happening in our world,” said Cale. “I was really passionate about sharing the news of the unsung heroes and everyday people doing these amazing things.”

Emphasizing the connections strangers have with one another, The Good News Experiment recognizes “neighborhood innovators” through recommendations sent by emailed submissions or recommended by the initiative’s partner, and Cale’s friend, Monalisa Smith, founder and president of Mothers for Justice and Equality in Boston.

Smith’s knowledge of community work allows her to gather ideas about potential honorees across a range of service areas while Cale’s background in journalism allows her to write and share feature-style stories of each honoree, even sending a press release to their local newspapers to acknowledge their achievements.

There has been a total of five rounds so far with the first honoree announced last December.

“So far every one of [the honorees] has gotten recognition in the paper,” said Cale. “I really love it; I get to meet the most inspiring people.”

The duo began recognizing innovators in their home state of Massachusetts but are now welcoming nominations from across the nation.

One of the last honorees, for example, included Tyler and Karla Young — two married potato farmers who had donated a million meals over the course of 12 years to their local Rhode Island food bank.

Another honoree from inner city Dorchester, Massachusetts, Lola Alexander, had lost two sons to street violence but despite her losses, dedicated her life to giving back to others.

After Cale told her story and was reported in the local Dorchester Reporter newspaper, a Northeastern University professor read the article and invited Alexander to speak at the college.

“It’s a win-win, I’m writing about doing what I’m passionate about and I’m giving [honorees] press they weren’t expecting,” said Cale. “I thought that was a really unique opportunity [for Alexander]. It just makes me so happy to see the ripple effects of everything, it’s been really cool.”

A purchase of “The Corn Husk Experiment” will do more than benefit a bookshelf — it’ll benefit others in need.

Cale partners with Massachusetts-based Loaves & Fishes to donate five percent of her earnings from “The Corn Husk Experiment” to address hunger needs. The publisher, Morgan James, will also donate a percentage of revenue from all the books to Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

To learn more about Andrea Cale, to read stories from the Good News Experiment blog or to submit recommendations, visit Cale’s website at andreacalebooks.com or email her at [email protected]

“The Corn Husk Experiment” can be bought at the Barnes & Noble on 3454 Erie Blvd East in DeWitt or on Amazon.com