COMS News | May 2024
Happy May COMS Mustangs!
This newsletter is designed to 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 COMS community.
Announcements
COMS Club & LPH Officer Recruitment
Want to get involved in the leadership of either COMS Club or Lambda Pi Eta for the next academic year? Reach out to the current board members to find out how! For information about becoming an officer for COMS Club, please reach out to current Co-Presidents Bailey Kulesza and Madison Vernon. For information about becoming an officer for LPH, please reach out to current President Prema Yousuf.
LPH Induction Ceremony
New members of Lambda Pi Eta who joined during the 2022-23 academic year will be taking part in an important rite of passage where they’ll be officially welcomed into the honor society by the LPH Exec Board and fellow inductees. The Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 9, 11am-12pm in 22-212 (English, Room 212). Congrats to all of our new LPH members!
Summer COMS Classes
Summer COMS class enrollment is open! Summer can be a great time to pick up a class or two and take care of a few more requirements or explore a subject that has been of interest to you, but you weren't able to fit into your schedule during the academic year. For a list of class offerings, you can visit the following summary page and check out the Cal Poly class registration page to see what spaces are still available!
COMS Spring Social
We are busy planning an exciting spring social event for the Communication Studies community. The Spring Social is a great time to connect with your peers and professors for a fun evening of food, conversation, games, and prizes. Watch for more information soon, including details on how to RSVP for this fun end-of-year celebration.
COMS Awards Ceremony
Join us in honoring the accomplishments of our amazing students during the afternoon COMS Awards & Recognitions Ceremony. This event will be held to announce student achievements in areas such as academic excellence, research, service, and DEI efforts. Snacks & refreshments will be served.
- Thursday, June 6, 2024, 11:10AM - 12:00PM, Building 33 Room 286 (Clyde P. Fisher Science Hall)
- Click here for RSVP Link (RSVP by June 3rd @11:59pm)
CSU Social Science Student Symposium (S4)
Students presented the results of their class research projects at the annual CSU-Wide Social Science Student Symposium (S4) at CSU Sacramento, May 2, 2024. Congrats to the following students who represented the Media & Comm Research Initiative & COMS department with their fabulous research. Also, double congrats to our students who won the runner-up award for the Best Undergraduate paper!
- Cameron Bader and Kate MacPherson (with paper collaborators Prema Yousuf and Nicole Douglas) presented their co-authored paper titled: The Effect of Punctuation on Communication Competence, Appropriateness, and Annoyance Within Professor-Student Communication.
- Kendall Baebler presented her paper titled: He’s the Man: Traits of Toxic Masculinity in New Girl.
- Hannah Goudz (POLS) presented her paper titled: Guns, Lazers, Aliens, and Murders: The Negative Effects of Violence in Rick and Morty.
- Brenden Jacoby presented his paper titled: Who Benefits? Charting How Global North States’ Utilize Technology in Asylum Cases.
- Bridget LaPorte, Kaley Scheppler, and Olivia Thomas (with paper collaborator Jonah Storey) presented their co-authored paper titled: The Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Credibility, Instructor Immediacy, and Future Student Investment.*Recipient of the "Honorary Mention" (Runner up) McCall Award for Best Undergraduate Paper ($100 award)
- Bridget LaPorte presented her paper titled: Exploring the Potential Effects of Aggression in 90210.
Debate News
Congrats to the Cal Poly Debate team! Students Araceli Aronin (BMD Major, Minor in Spanish) and Andrea Valle (COMS Major; Minor in Sales and Spanish) triumphed at Legados 2024! They achieved a 1st place victory exploring issues and proposing solutions within the area of Agricultural Sustainability. Special thanks to Dr. Victoria Zamora, Lu Arocho, Dr. Fernando Sánchez, and all the other faculty and staff who have generously volunteered their time and expertise to mentor and prepare students for these tournaments during much of the academic year.
Student Spotlights
We're proud to share the amazing stories of our current students and alumni! This month, we're spotlighting the work and leadership of students, Brenden Jacoby, Wendy Miyazaki, and Lilianna Rivas!
- Congrats to Brenden Jacoby who was the recipient of two CLA awards this spring! He won the Contributions to the Objectives and Public Image of the College Award and the Outstanding Senior Award in COMS. Brenden is a senior COMS major who has served as the debate team captain, won multiple titles in debate tournaments, co-founded the SLO Tenants Union, interned with Assembly-member Dawn Addis, presented at the Cal Poly Research and Creative Activity Competition, and was accepted into the prestigious 10-month Capital Fellows Program in Sacramento.
- Congrats to Wendy Miyazaki who was the recipient of the CLA Service to the Community Award! Wendy is a senior COMS major who has served as a volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center, an intern at Calaveras Big Trees, a member of the Surfrider Foundation, and a research assistant for two locally funded projects involving the creation of a VR program that spotlights Keys for Trees and a program that tests QR code effectiveness at SLO Botanical Garden. She is also planning to continue her work in environmental conservation in future internships and graduate school.
- Congrats to Lilianna Rivas who was the recipient of the CLA Outstanding Achievement in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award! Lily is a senior COMS major who has served as a Resident Advisor of the Culture and Identity Residence Hall in yakʔitʸutʸu overseeing the APIDA and Latinx/e communities and is also a member of LPH. In her senior project, she created a podcast that explores intersectional identities and issues within the Latine/x community. These listening sessions premiered in the Latinx/e Center for Academic Success and Achievement (La CASA).
Events & Opportunities
COMS Student Scholarships
Coms Scholarships are available for the 2024-2025 academic year! One application allows you to be considered for both major specific and university wide scholarships. Each year, Cal Poly gives thousands of dollars to COMS students just like you, so it is worthwhile to spend the 15-20 minutes it will take to complete your application! You can apply through the Cal Poly Portal by just clicking on “Scholarships” in the menu. Apply by Monday, May 6 at 5pm!
APIDA FSA Student Scholarships
The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Faculty Staff Association (FSA) will be awarding one or more scholarships totaling $1,000. For more information, you can apply online at this link. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated need and who have made significant contributions to the APID community. Apply by Monday, May 27 at 11:59pm!
COMS Student Assistant Job
We're hiring! The COMS department is looking for a student assistant for the next academic year (starting Fall 2024). Want to level up your professional admin and social media skills in a vibrant collegiate environment? Join the Communication Studies Department team! We're looking for a reliable and creative student assistant to handle front desk duties and help curate our social media presence. If you're a social media master, have strong communication skills, and want to work on exciting projects, apply now! Applications are due Friday, May 10, 2024 (by 5:00PM). For application information, visit this link.
Mustang Media Group
Interested in on-campus media-related work opportunities? Mustang Media Group is opening applications for the upcoming year! Students have the opportunity to work on the business slide (marketing & PR, sales, advertising, etc.), on Mustang News (broadcasting, photography & videography, reporting, etc.) or KCRP (radio, DJ, podcasts, etc.). This is a great Learn By Doing opportunity - Find out more and apply online! Mustang News applications close May 8, 2024.
CSU Entertainment Alliance Workshop
The CSU Entertainment Alliance and PIPELINES are proud to announce a wonderful opportunity to receive insider tips from HR experts on how to make your job applications stand out and break into the entertainment industry! The virtual workshop takes place Friday, May 10, from 10am-12pm. For updates about the event, follow CSUEA on Instagram.
CIE Videographer
The Cal Poly CIE Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is seeking a motivated,
energetic and highly-organized individual for a videographer position. The Ideal candidate is an art and design, graphic communications and/or marketing major in their freshman, sophomore, or junior year of college. Must have videography experience with Adobe Premiere Pro. Must also have an inherent sense of structure, style, and creativity. This position will serve as a primary videographer, producer, and editor, for all events, programs, resources, and marketing materials for the CIE SBDC. This requires a time commitment of 10-20 hours per week during school and must be able to work full-time (in-person) during summer quarter 2024. Apply at the link!
Career Content Production Interns
Advize is hiring Career Content Production Interns who will support the company in building out their video library that documents the experiences of early to mid-career professionals across industries and functions via virtual Zoom interviews. Interns manage scheduling, filming, and editing of their content. Advize is a career exploration platform where students can access thousands of videos of recorded informational interviews from early to mid-career professionals (“Advizers”) across industries and functions to unlock career insights. They are looking for interns with Verbal and Written Communication, Video Editing, Professional Interviewing, and Organizational skills. Find out more information and apply online by Friday, May 10th.
Event: Recognizing & Responding to Hate Crimes
A special guest speaker, Deputy Attorney General Britton B. Lacy, will be delivering a talk titled “Recognizing and Responding to Hate Crimes in California” on May 8th at 6pm in Science Building, Room E27. Britton Lacy is a Deputy Attorney General in the Appeals, Writs, and Trials Section of the Criminal Law Division at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, and she has served as the department’s statewide hate crimes coordinator since 2022. This event is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Social Sciences Department. For more information, visit the event flyer online. *Update: This event has been canceled as of 5/7/24.
Faculty News
Dr. Darrian Carroll
Dr. Carroll is scheduled to present a workshop at the Public Interest Communication Summer Institute. The Institute will be held in Denver from May 28-30th. The Summer Institute is for faculty, graduate students, researchers, and administrators interested in leveraging the power of communication for social good!
Dr. Carmen Navarro
Dr. Navarro has been engaged in a variety of service work for the National Communication Association serving as a 2024 research reviewer committee member for multiple divisions including the Peace and Conflict Communication Division, Nonverbal Communication Division, and the Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division.
Dr. Leslie Nelson
Dr. Nelson's research is scheduled to be presented at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) in Oahu, Hawaii on May 31. Her presentation is titled Understanding (White) Privilege and Dismantling Oppressive Systems: A Hands-On Approach.
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Two COMS faculty were selected for funding sponsored by the CLA Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). SURP is designed to promote diverse and equitable engagement for CLA students in faculty-led research and creative activities.
- Dr. Victoria Zamora & Dr. Marion Hart will be collaborating to lead a project that explores barriers to voter participation within the Latina/e/o communities of San Luis Obispo County to develop strategies to enhance civic awareness and turnout. Through this project, students will contribute to meaningful social change while enhancing their research, communication, and project management skills.
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