Anonymous TikToker ‘Syracuse Greg’ films SU’s beauty to Taylor Swift score
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Somewhere on Syracuse University’s campus, someone is sneaking around, filming a slow, cinematic pan of campus landmarks like Crouse College at golden hour and the JMA Wireless Dome in the rain — thinking of the perfect Taylor Swift song to pair with the video.
Within minutes of posting the clip, there will be multiple reposts, likes, shares and comments, with users speculating about SU Greg’s identity. And they’d prefer to keep it that way.
“I don’t want it to be about me,” Syracuse Greg said. “I want it to be about showing campus around and the beauty of it all.”
Syracuse Greg wanted to remain anonymous — because it’s “more fun that way,” and they want their account to be solely focused on SU’s campus.
The Syracuse Greg (@syracusegreg) TikTok account is part of a growing wave of college-related spinoffs of the original @gregory.nyc page. The Greg trend began with Greg Marzinsky’s picturesque videos of New York City accompanied by Swift songs.
The trend has grown from NYC to include slow-motion videos of a city or campus scored to Swift, which are usually posted anonymously. Syracuse’s version has built a small yet devoted following in just a few weeks — its first video was posted on Sept. 6.
Syracuse Greg’s account has sparked much conversation about its owner, including Yik Yak attention and a handful of imitator accounts.
It all started when Syracuse Greg, who’s followed the original Greg for about a year, saw a Virginia Tech Greg account on their TikTok “For You” page.
“It really inspired me to make a Syracuse one because I just love the campus,” Syracuse Greg said.
Walking around campus one day, listening to Swift in their headphones, Syracuse Greg thought “this is such a Greg moment.”
With the help of their friend Bella Gold, an SU freshman sports management major, Syracuse Greg filmed their first video of Crouse paired with Swift’s “seven.”
“I encouraged (them) to go with the idea,” Gold said. “I thought it was such a good idea on how to bring (Syracuse Greg’s) personal interests to Syracuse and intertwine them with the culture here.”
The clip picked up more traction than either of them expected. It wasn’t necessarily viral, but there was enough engagement — over 3,000 views and around 400 likes — to feel like a genuine response. Comments and direct messages from former and current students appreciating Syracuse Greg’s work kept them motivated to continue posting.
Joshua Paul “JP” Fabella Jr., an SU freshman and friend of Syracuse Greg, saw the first video on TikTok and was shocked by the traction it garnered.
Fabella added that when one of the videos popped up on his feed, he was surprised by how many followers and likes the account accumulated in such a short time.
The account has attracted fans, like SU freshman April Milewski, beyond the creator’s immediate circle. Milewski followed Syracuse Greg after her roommate showed her the account. A “Swiftie” herself, Milewski has been hooked ever since, occasionally commenting specific song requests.
One video, featuring the ivy-covered Steele Hall and the Swift song “ivy,” stuck with her since it’s one of her favorite songs.
“That one was really, really cute,” Milewski said.
Milewski spotted comments on the account that suggested some followers already knew the creator personally. But Milewski doesn’t have a clue herself, she said.
The account is a frequent conversation on Yik Yak and in group chats. When Milewski found Syracuse Greg, she noticed similar accounts at other schools — including a Tulane University Greg and Dartmouth College Greg — which made her realize the trend’s reach.
Gold said watching the page grow from the outside was its own kind of surprise.
“I had a feeling it would gain traction, but I didn’t know it would be impactful enough for people to spark conversation outside of social media,” Gold said.
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The account’s secrecy has become a running joke between Gold and Syracuse Greg.
“They’re Spider-Man and I’m Ned, a.k.a. ‘the man in the chair,’” Gold said, referencing the Marvel superhero’s best friend and confidant. “It’s the same dynamic, but instead of a superhero and his best friend, it’s an anonymous TikToker who posts Taylor Swift-centric videos and (their friend).”
While running the account mostly for their own entertainment, Syracuse Greg films SU’s campus, emulating how an everyday walk through campus feels.
“I feel like it’s not really represented so much on TikTok and social media,” Syracuse Greg said. “When you look up Syracuse University, there’s not really much showcasing what the campus really looks like. It’s more just tips and tricks.”
Syracuse Greg strives to offer something closer to the real Syracuse: a true representation of SU’s beauty, they said.
For Fabella, the videos are more than just for amusement. They serve a practical purpose, too.
“In a sort of ironic way, it actually does show off how beautiful our campus is,” Fabella said. “It’s actually important to have something like that. When I was searching for colleges, I would have loved to have an account that showed what the buildings actually look like.”
As speculation spread, including a wave of Yik Yak posts trying to guess Syracuse Greg’s identity, the attention became more than the creator wanted. Because the discourse stressed out Syracuse Greg, they decided to delete Yik Yak soon after.
Still, Syracuse Greg has no plans to give up the TikTok account — or the secrecy that comes with it.
“To sneak around campus and take videos when nobody’s looking and then hoping nobody calls me out in the comments, it’s kind of the fun of the game,” Syracuse Greg said.
