SU alum Taye Diggs surprises Rochester school with $82,500 donation

Good News Notes: “Syracuse University alumnus Taye Diggs never forgets his roots. The award-winning actor surprised the School of the Arts (SOTA) in Rochester with a $82,500 donation on Wednesday, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. Diggs, SOTA’s most famous graduate, appeared in a video call to tell faculty that they would each receive up to…

Yale drama school to stop charging tuition after receiving $150 million donation

Good News Notes:  “Yale University’s drama school will stop charging tuition for its students starting in August after receiving a $150 million donation. The donation came from philanthropist David Geffen, the drama school said in a statement. It’s the largest donation on record in the history of American theater. The donation also makes the school the…

Alanis Morissette Is Helping Us Meditate. Want to Join?

Good News Notes: “Alanis Morissette knows a thing or two about being mad. When the Canadian singer’s album ‘Jagged Little Pill’ debuted in 1995, it quickly became the soundtrack for angry girls everywhere. Her songs were raw anthems, vibrating with frustration and defiant power. (The New York Times’s pop music critic Jon Pareles described her as…

James Taylor and his wife donate $1M to Boston hospital

Good News Notes: “Grammy-winning singer James Taylor and his wife, Kim, have donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to help with its battle against the spread of the new coronavirus. The gift announced Tuesday will help the hospital direct resources where the need is greatest, whether purchasing supplies and equipment, repurposing space,…

Celebrities provide coronavirus pandemic relief with donations

Good News Notes: “Bunkered down at home or not, celebrities all over the world are stepping up to do what they can to combat the coronavirus pandemic by making charitable donations to those in need. As the numbers of those infected with COVID-19 rose to over 200,000 worldwide as of Wednesday morning, the world’s biggest…

Celebrity livestreams during quarantine: Miley Cyrus, John Legend, more

 Good News Notes: “With a growing number of entertainment venues closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, from movie theaters to concerts and festivals, more and more stars are going out of their way to still give us what we want.” “EW has compiled a list of stars like Miley Cyrus, Keith Urban, John Legend and more who are hopping on Instagram…