COMS News | December 2022
Happy December COMS Mustangs!
This newsletter is designed to help keep majors, minors, faculty, and staff up-to-date so you can learn about news, career advice, events, networking opportunities, well-wishes, and inspirational stories surrounding your peers and community.
Announcements
Finals and Winter Break
Good luck to all of our students during the upcoming finals week! Your professors are cheering you on! We hope all goes well and you have a restful and restorative break.
Coms Club
Get involved in COMS Club! Meetings in winter 2023 will typically take place on Tuesdays from 11:10am-12:00pm in Building 10 Room 222. Connect with Coms Club on Instagram @calpolycomsclub for the most up-to-date information. Here is the tentative themes for each meeting next quarter:
- 1/24 Meeting 1: Representing yourself online: LinkedIn, Handshake, and Headshots (join meeting with LPH).
- 2/7 Meeting 2: Representing yourself on paper: how to tailor your resume.
- 2/21 Meeting 3: CAREER SYMPOSIUM: 6 companies hiring for internships or full-time positions, 4 Cal Poly COMS Alumni talking about their professional development journey.
- 3/7 Meeting 4: Representing yourself during an interview: elevator pitches and mock job interviews.
LPH Lumina Alliance Supply Drive
Lambda Pi Eta’s Lumina Alliance Supply Drive was a HUGE success! As a result of the LPH members and executive board employing their awesome communication skills outside of Ralphs, a total of 258 items and $109 in cash donations were collected. Our SLO community certainly came together and demonstrated the impact of generosity! See the LPH Instagram for photos.
Debate Team Finalists
Congrats to the Cal Poly Debate team! The team finished its second competition of the year as novice finalists. Rachel Strohecker and Matthew Muren advanced to the novice final round in which they defended reproductive rights as fundamental to all people. The tournament was held in the British Parliamentary format and offered our students an excellent opportunity to develop and refine their advocacy skills in preparation for the championship in spring. Thinking about joining the debate team? Reach out to John Patrick, Chris Skiles, or Marion Hart. The Cal Poly Debate Team’s regular practices are Monday and Wednesday from 4:10 - 6 pm and all members of the Cal Poly Community are welcome to observe or participate.
Campus Health & Wellbeing
As we gear up for finals week, stress levels can run high and we can all use a little extra support. Remember that Cal Poly offers a treasure trove of resources to help you get through more challenging times and learn strategies for success. Wherever you are in your academic and personal journey, Counseling Services is here to help you take steps toward emotional health and well-being through clinical, educational, and consultative services. Find out more at the Counseling Services website.
Cal Fresh
Need money for food? Cal Poly’s CalFresh Outreach team is a student driven initiative that guides students to food resources and through the CalFresh application process. It is basically financial aid for food! CalFresh is a nutrition assistance program that provides eligible students with up to $281 per month to spend on groceries. It gives students the flexibility to buy the foods they love at their favorite grocery stores or farmer's markets (Trader Joe’s, Costco, Vons, Food 4 Less, the downtown Farmer's Market, and more)! For information, visit the Cal Fresh website.
Class Evaluations
Course evaluations are now available to complete on Portal. Your professors would love to get your feedback on what’s working well in your courses and what could be working better. Make sure to complete your course evaluations by today, Friday, December 2 at 11:59 PM.
New Opportunities
Camp Polyhacks
Check out this amazing opportunity for COMS students! Showcase your diverse skill sets and join the Camp Polyhacks Hackathon on Jan 21 and 22, 2023 in the downtown HotHouse. Here, you will assemble an amazing team and receive coaching to tackle designing inclusive digital spaces, transportation innovations, small business success, or groundwater sustainability. Build solutions, resumes, community, and friendships at this free event! With its deep roots in creative thinking, human understanding and innovative action, your coursework from the College of Liberal arts can be used to push boundaries, tell stories, and create meaningful change in our community. Sign-up for this event and learn more on the Camp Polyhacks Eventbrite page!
PIRG Jobs
The National Recruitment Director for Student PIRGs and CALPIRG Students is currently hiring students to work for a greener and cleaner future. They are promoting full-time organizing jobs for graduating seniors. Find out more about the program at their application website.
Faculty News
Dr. Darrian Carroll
Dr. Carroll was awarded funding for a 2023 BEACoN research and mentoring study called Racial Reverberations: Resistance for Voting Rights in the Rhetoric of Fannie Lou Hamer and Stacey Abrams. The goal of this project is to aid scholars and activists by investigating strategies Black people have used to attain and protect their right to vote. While working on this project, student BEACoN scholars will develop research skills, data management tactics, and an ability to practice critical analysis.
Sharing is Caring
Do you have an announcement to share with COMS majors, minors, faculty, and staff? Email Dr. Brie to find out how to share it! Follow COMS on Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn