Faculty Strike Authorization at CPP Sparks Student Uncertainty

The CFA’s upcoming vote to authorize a strike can be found on the Poly Post’s website, noting an authorization process estimated to continue until mid-November, nearing the end of the fall semester.

The idea is circulating among all faculty members of the union, yet it’s the student’s concern regarding their futures that weighs heavily on their education.

After four years of hard work and dedication, chemical engineering student Kiana Martin is more than ready to graduate. All her long hours of project building and study sessions will finally pay off at the end of this semester. Eager to begin her career, Martin was offered a full-time job in the spring. Yet, her ability to graduate college might be put on hold.

Martin, along with other students, question how the strike and its timing may affect the outcome of final grades.

“It is coming close to the end of the semester,” said Martin. “I can’t imagine what would happen if we had to compact the rest of our courses into a few weeks if we miss out on a good portion of the semester.”

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/news/2023/10/31/cfa-votes-for-strike-and-cpp-students-express-concerns-about-possible-repercussions/

Real Estate Prices Hinder Homeownership Among Young Californians

This year, average housing costs in California have reached close to $750,000, reported by real estate sites. According to Zillow, even the in-state median rental market is closing in on $3,000 and steadily increased since last year.

The upcoming generation of Californian homeowners faces the struggle of establishing their foothold in the door, figuratively and literally, given the challenges of affordability and availability of in-state housing.

When economics student Ethan Majid was asked on the probability of a college graduate finding ease in America’s current real estate market, he discouraged the idea.

“On top of the housing cost increase, most graduates will probably leave college with student loan debt and the job market is not the best right now,” said Majid. “I just don’t think it’s realistic.”

Heavily-populated cities in California with a demand for living, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, have more than half of its listed homes now surpassing $1 million. Economics Lecturer Edmond Wu touched on this topic and the harsh reality of seeking home ownership as a young adult in California.

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/news/2023/10/10/million-dollar-price-tags-pose-as-a-obstacle-to-cpp-students/

Starving Artists: CPP Musicians and Their Path for Sustenance

Student Chris Bridges sat in a seat of the music management department at Georgia State University in 1996, with just a No. 2 pencil in his backpack and dreams of becoming the next big artist. Just three years later, the world knew him as Ludacris.

Much like worldwide icon Ludacris, young Cal Poly Pomona music artists work hard to produce hits in hopes of gaining talent recognition.

Music industry studies student Joaquin De Castro is a producer, songwriter and solo musician who takes influences rooted in the J-Pop, or Japanese Pop, and rock genres. Switching from studying English his first year to Agricultural Business to Music, De Castro can be found sharing his newly focused passion for the gift of musical composition to his campus peers.

As president of the CPP Music Entertainment and Industry Club, De Castro has worked hard to not only hone his own work but to share his gained knowledge amongst other local aspiring musicians.

“That feeling I had when I was able to get it right and have my music sound good — I want every musician to have that feeling,” said De Castro. “That feeling of, ‘This is possible, and this could be great.’”

Courtesy of Michael Arteaga

Music industry studies student and hip-hop composer Jacob Tejada, or “JT of NGK,” shares a similar love for his own song production.

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/arts-and-culture/2023/09/12/starving-artists-cal-poly-pomona-musicians-path-for-sustenance/

CFA Highlights Counselor Shortage at CPP

The ratio of students to counselors at Cal Poly Pomona’s Counseling and Psychological Services department is out of compliance with the International Accreditation of Counseling Services standard.  

Cal Poly Pomona currently stands at 2,900 students per counselor despite the mandated ratio of 1,000-1,500 students per counselor by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services, according to the university’s California Faculty Association Union chapter. In practice, this results in a lower quality of care for CPP students.  

Due to understaffing, the CAPS organization admitted to struggling with meeting student demands. Current attempts to make the process of seeking help more efficient are still in  development stages. 

“One thing that we can do to improve is to be fully staffed, and that is the goal,” said Hallie Lewis, the interim director of CAPS. 

The department has expanded its services in collaboration with the Care Center. Lewis guaranteed students seeking help will be seen by either someone from the CAPS department or someone from the Care Center on campus. 

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/news/2023/05/16/according-to-the-cfa-cpps-student-to-counselor-ratio-is-out-of-compliance-for-a-student-body-of-its-size/

The Broader Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Daily Life

The current generation of internet users are now using generative artificial intelligence to relieve themselves of mundane, everyday tasks. 

AI companies such as H2O.ai and ChatGPT have come out with their own technological advancements designed for human assistance, such as driverless vehicles and unrestrictive chat bots.  

The general functions of AI technology operate using provided keywords and topics for context, which is then used to generate content based on its imputed knowledge. 

Internet consumers might recognize that AI is no longer a novelty and has been incorporated into many of today’s most popular online sites. Ericsson Santana Marin, computer science assistant professor and director of the Cyber Adaptive Learning Systems Laboratory at Cal Poly Pomona, teaches a number of courses on the subject of AI and recognizes its rapid developments. 

“There’s no way to not use AI technology anymore,” said Marin. “If you use Google, you’re using AI. If you search something on YouTube, you’re using AI. If you click on something your phone recommends to you, you’re using AI. Everything that uses data input to make decisions designed to be faster than humans is considered AI nowadays.”  

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/news/2023/05/02/the-social-impact-of-new-ai-technology/

Exploring Hallyu: A Night of Korean Culture at CPP

Korean-pop fanatics danced the night away to their favorite songs during K-Pop Night, a collaborative event hosted by ASI and the Everything Hallyu club on campus. 

With the rising popularization of K-pop media in the United States, fans from diverse backgrounds came together to appreciate music from Korean artists New Jeans, EXO, BTS and BlackPink. 

The night was promoted to attendees as a fun, cultural get-together for students to enjoy Korean food, crafts and popular Korean music. 

When first entering Ursa Minor, students were greeted by a dim room with neon lights flashing and dance music blasting. Many participants joined the dance floor and were even able to mimic routines they’ve learned from K-pop music videos. 

The catering was provided by Mochinut, with different versions of Korean corn dogs served, including their fried potato and Hot-Cheeto dogs. For dessert, mochi-filled donuts were a hit amongst guests, with flavors such as strawberry funnel cake, passionfruit and churro. 

For the full length article, visit https://thepolypost.com/arts-and-culture/2023/05/02/asi-draws-students-in-with-korean-music-and-culture-at-k-pop-night/