Sami Smith
English 1102
FINAL
Communication Studies Student Association
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to be a doctor or maybe
a first grade teacher? For some people, they know exactly what they want to do for the
rest of their life at the age of three, and for others that dream changes a billion times. As
a high school graduate, the two questions that everyone first asks are: where are you
going to college and what is your major? Deciding to come to UNC-Charlotte was the
easy decision but choosing Communication Studies as my major was the tough choice.
As of now, I am not quite sure what I want to do for the rest of my life but I do know that
I want to earn my degree, successfully. For this assignment, I originally decided to
research a national society for Americans that worked in Public Relations but then I
discovered the Communication Studies Student Association (CSSA) here on campus.
After looking into CSSA, I have learned that if I were to become a member of this
student organization, that it would best prepare me and get myself better acquainted with
the professional Discourses that I would strive to become a part of once I graduate.
The Communication Studies Student Association was created as a
communicational resource for all students at UNC-Charlotte. CSSA’s main goal is to
serve as a guide in communication tools such as public speaking and interview skills. By
understanding this goal, it helps others to predetermine the activities of the community
such as the resources its members have the opportunity to utilize. The CSSA also
presents opportunities for students to meet with faculty members and other professionals
from the five fields of Communication Studies: Mass Media, Health Communications,
Organizational Communications, Communication and Public Advocacy, and Public
Relations. These opportunities to meet with faculty and professionals give students the
chance to network for either potential jobs or internships. In these situations, students get
to meet with the faculty and professionals in a more relaxed setting such as a career fair
so that students have a higher chance to set up future job interviews.
Now how does one become a member of CSSA? The most common
misconception for the Communication Studies Student Association is that you have to
either be a Communications major or minor, but that is not true. CSSA is open to all
students at UNC-Charlotte and could be beneficial to everyone, Communications major
or not. New members are required to fill out a short application when they first join
CSSA and all members both new and old are required to pay an annual due of ten dollars.
There are also informational meetings about twice a month that all members and potential
members are encouraged to attend. For the meeting that I attended, it took place in a
classroom in Colvard. There were light refreshments and the meeting started with an
icebreaker activity. We were all given a paper that had a list of personal fun-facts and we
had to go around the room and meet someone whom one of the fun-facts matched up to.
Once the activity was done, the current members introduced themselves and told
everyone about future meetings and goals of CSSA.
The Communication Studies Student Association is a relatively new Discourse
community here on campus. The best way for new members to become more
comfortable with this Discourse is by getting involved as much as possible. CSSA offers
leadership opportunities for its members on the Executive Committee that consists of
roles as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, and
Programs Chair. Each officer has its own specific role of helping CSSA grow and
succeed. Officers in CSSA have their own separate meetings where they discuss planned
events for CSSA. CSSA also has information tables set up around campus to give older
members the chance to reach out to unaffiliated students that may be interested in joining
CSSA.
For members of CSSA the greatest form of discourse is through email. Executive
Committee members communicate with other members either through a mass email or on
the CSSA Facebook page. I had the opportunity to interview the President of CSSA,
Sydney Moorehead, and she explained that, “All of us have our email sent directly to our
phones so it is more like a form of texting, which is why email has become the next best
way for us to keep each other up to date.” When there are upcoming events such as the
Communication Studies Mid-Term Mixer with faculty or the Communication Studies
Internship Fair, CSSA utilizes its email access to encourage members to participate.
One of the greatest incentives of joining the Communication Studies Student
Association is the access of having firsthand practice with communication skills.
“Acquisition and learning are differential sources of power: acquirers at talking about it,
that is, at explication, explanation, analysis, and criticism,” (Johns, 21). Members of
CSSA practice acquisition when it comes to communication skills. They go beyond the
classroom to practice the skills they learn with each other to help better their chances of
being successful in their future jobs. A common goal for every student here at UNCCharlotte is to get an amazing job after graduation. An impeccable resume is one thing
but to have the greatest interview can be what gets you the job. Getting tips off on the
Internet of how to have a successful interview can be helpful, but there is nothing better
than having help practicing for an interview with a real person. Members of CSSA may
have to “mushfake” an interview by using each other, but they have the opportunity to
acquire these interview skills by communicating one-on-one with a real person.
The CSSA administers several workshops throughout the year for its members
such as Mock Interviewing Skills, Career Path Presentation, Resume Writing, and Guest
Panels. Even though CSSA was created to help students with their communication skills,
it was also designed to help students achieve success in the professional world. The
majority of CSSA members are taking the same courses and hope to find a career in the
Communication field. With the guidance of these workshops, members have the
potential of gaining skills and opportunities that they would not have been introduced to
otherwise.
CSSA may be a Discourse community with a professional motive but just like
with all other communities, the results of being a member become much more personal.
CSSA is a Discourse that allows its members the opportunity to develop friendships and a
support system that many students struggle to find. The Communication Studies Student
Association is the first student organization at UNC-Charlotte to appeal to students within
the Communication departments. For several years, other departments have student
organizations designed to focus on subjects from their department and CSSA is the first
for the Communications department. When you are a part of CSSA, there is always
someone who is either going through the same obstacles as you or has been through those
same obstacles at some point. Whether it entails trying to help a younger member take
the right courses for their major, or just helping each other overcome that nightmare of
public speaking, it is those reasons why becoming a member of CSSA is so rewarding.
As Sydney Moorehead puts it, “My favorite part about being a member of CSSA is the
people that I have the opportunity to meet, such as alumni, peers and professors. All of
these people help me in some shape or fashion to push myself beyond my limits…that I
otherwise would have not considered.”
For many students like myself, I have yet to figure out which track of
Communications I want to follow. Looking into becoming a member of CSSA and
joining that Discourse Community would only benefit my college career. When students
are only as far as their general education courses, it is difficult to get to know students
within your major. Becoming a member of a student organization such as CSSA, helps
students not only stay successful in school, but helps them to enjoy college a lot more.
Some students come to college without knowing a single person other than the people
they live with. Members of CSSA do not just become your colleagues but they become
your friends. As I continue to learn more about the Communication Studies Student
Association, the more excited I am to become more familiar and hope to some day
become a member of this organization.
Cited Works Page
1. Gee, James Paul. “What is Literacy?” Journal of Education, 1989. Print.