Earlier this month, LaNia Roberts had a feeling that “something big” was going to happen in her life.

“I told my friend, ‘I’m getting that overwhelming feeling,’” said Roberts, a freshman painting major. “‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to happen.’”

But Roberts wasn’t talking about the campus-wide fame she’s received from her “Weather by LaNia” Snapchats that appear on the social media app’s Syracuse Campus Story.

Roberts’ feeling was in reference to a motivational speech that she’s giving in Grant Auditorium Tuesday night, entitled “Motivation by LaNia: Loving Yourself Unconditionally.” The event, which will start at 8 p.m., is free and open to everyone.

Roberts’ speech will touch upon her previous experiences of coming to college, finding unconditional self-love and its importance in people’s lives. During her speech, Roberts said she’ll share “happy stories, sad stories, funny stories and even throw in some sassy stories.”

“We — ourselves — are the only thing that is guaranteed we’ll have for the rest of our lives,” Roberts said. “If you spend the rest of your life not loving what you have guaranteed, then what are you doing?”

Preparing for the talk, particularly booking a place for it, presented Roberts with some challenges. Because she isn’t representing or affiliated with a student organization, it was hard for her to be able to reserve a space for her talk.

About two weeks ago, Roberts was in the library when she asked two girls to watch her belongings before going to the restroom. One of them recognized her as “LaNia from Snapchat,” so Roberts began telling them about the motivational speech she wanted to give.

“But I didn’t even know where it was going to be, I had no clue,” Roberts said. “I just wanted to give a talk even though I didn’t even know what it was going to be about.”

It turned out that one of them, Chanae McKinnie, was a part of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, a recognized student organization on campus. When Roberts told McKinnie that she was looking at Grant Auditorium but had problems that kept her from booking it, McKinnie reached for her laptop. McKinnie booked Grant Auditorium for Roberts, who was thrilled.

“As a motivational speaker on campus, me, myself and the organization is just all about that,” said McKinnie, senior electrical engineering major. “We just believe in the message of empowering people.”

The trend continued for Roberts when she met Sana Alseayed. Roberts asked Alseayed for directions to Chase bank, and Alseayed recognized Roberts as “the girl on Snapchat.”

Meeting Alseayed ended in an offer to print the flyers for the event, Roberts said.

Malcolm Ransome, a freshman industrial and interaction design major who met Roberts through a class, designed the flyer for Roberts’ event. When Roberts called Ransome around 2 in the morning asking if he would design the flyer, he agreed and the two met up to discuss what Roberts wanted on it.

“I think it’s cool,” Ransome said of Roberts’ speech. “And I’m wondering what it’s about — I mean, I know what it’s about, of course — but I really want to see it.”

Roberts said she has been spreading the word by telling everyone, and that her friends are doing the same thing. She’s handing out the flyers, posting on Snapchat and doing her best to make sure people will come.

“Everyone’s telling their friends, everyone’s helping me and I find it so awesome that the word is getting out so fast,” Roberts said. “I’m having no doubts in my mind that this is going to be huge.”

Correction: In a previous version of this article, the start time of the event was misstated. The event started at 8 p.m. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on April 20, 2015 at 11:20 pm

Contact Clare: clramire@syr.edu