Scholarship, fellowship, and award recipients in The Hugh Downs School of Human...
Communication Graduate Student Association
The purpose of the CGSA is to foster community among graduate students in The Hugh Downs School Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and any other ASU graduate student on any campus interested in the Communication discipline. The CGSA also promotes interest in the academic, professional, and social well-being of all organizations' members in an effort to prepare for post-graduate school careers. The organization also represents the graduate students' needs and wants concerning their experience in HDSHC, the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), the ASU administration, and other groups in the University and/or the local community.
The CGSA balances social, professional, fundraising and service events every academic year. Whether it's bowling, collecting clothing for homeless youth, or promoting professional events, the Communciation Graduate Student Association (CGSA) knows how to stay active. With five officers and four liaisons, CGSA has worked hard to meet its goals of fostering community; promoting academic, professional and social wellbeing of graduate students; representing graduate student interests; and oh yeah, having lots of fun!
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2012-2013 CGSA Officers:
President: Megan Fisk
Vice President: Suzanne Pullen
Treasurer: Matt Nolan
Records Officer: Roberta Chevrette
Recruiting Officer: Margaret Hinrichs
2011-2012 CGSA Officers:
President: Shawna Malvini Redden
Vice President: Megan Fisk
Recruitment Officer: Lauren Amaro
Secretary: Gino Gianinni
Treasurer: Leslie Ramos-Salazar
Liaisons: Casey Leier, Roberta Chevrette, Tara Hack
The Communication Graduate Student Association, CGSA, demonstrates their commitment to community service by organizing a fall service day each year to benefit students and staff of Crockett Elementary school in Phoenix. The Hugh Downs School's faculty and instructors and the undergraduate student organization, the Association of Human Communication (AHC), also participate with CGSA in the project.
Crockett Elementary is an under-funded elementary school in downtown Phoenix that serves African refugees, homeless, and under-privileged children. Crockett has a student population of 485 with 100% receiving free breakfast and lunch.
The spring 2013 project was to design and paint a mural inside the cafeteria/assembly room to create a cheerful atmosphere for the students. The CGSA, AHC, and faculty volunteers spent two weekends in March cleaning, preparing, and painting the mural on the wall. Hugh Downs School instructor, Karen Stewart, created the design and color scheme for the project.
Often, the families receive financial aid for food, but household items and clothes are not funded. In October 2012, the two projects selected consisted of organizing the resource room for the school’s clothing and household items it provides to families in need and conducting a clothing and household item drive to collect items for the family resource room.
The school currently has a large room filled with donations but the room needed to be organized to better assist families in locating items. The group also collected hangers for the clothing and purchased clothing racks to display and store the items.
The CGSA also organized a spring service day in March 2012 to benefit students and staff of Crockett Elementary school in Phoenix. The first two projects selected were painting an 86 foot long mural, designed by HDSHC graduate student Karen Stewart, and helping inventory and organize the teachers' resource room. The Hugh Downs School's undergraduate student organization, the Association of Human Communication (AHC), also participated in the community service project providing supplies and volunteers. The AHC also collected children's books to donate to the school's library.
CGSA held a fundraiser in December 2011 and local retailers donated some materials such as paint, supplies, shelving, etc.
The relationship between the Hugh Downs School and Crockett Elementary is an investment in kids who will be future ASU students, helps get undergraduate students into the classroom, and opens doors for research.
Calendar for CGSA events