Cal Poly Liberal Arts

Cal Poly Soundings presents “Music of the Spheres,” an immersive evening of new music and dance. 🎶 Soundings is an interdisciplinary program that showcases original compositions by music technology and composition students, as well as original choreography by @calpolythtrdanc students. Guided by @calpolymusic faculty director Julie Herndon and dance professor Diana Stanton, the program highlights collaborative works that merge sound and movement into a unified performance experience. “Music of the Spheres” will feature visiting artists T.J. Borden and Mari Kawamura of the Switch Ensemble, a group dedicated to the creation and performance of new acoustic, electroacoustic and multimedia works. Performances will be held on May 28 and 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Pavilion. Buy tickets at the link in our bio!

Congratulations to Izzy Martinez, who recently broke the Cal Poly Beach Volleyball program’s record for most career wins as a pair, alongside her partner, kinesiology major Logan Walter! 🏐 💚 Martinez, a fourth-year English major, has translated skills from her academic journey at Cal Poly into her career as a student-athlete. Namely, she is able to use her pattern recognition both on and off the sand court. “While English is normally associated with arts and creativity, I take on my papers with a critical and almost strategic eye, looking for patterns in the diction, syntax and imagery. The way I’ve learned to analyze passages and poems translates into my game as I try to predict what the other team is going to do and plan my defense around it,” Martinez said. Martinez has also learned that as an English student and Division 1 beach volleyball player, accepting constructive criticism is essential. “In a match, you have to constantly adapt to the other team and accept feedback from coaches, all under pressure. It has taught me that feedback is not something that should be met with resistance; criticism is meant to make me a better player,” she said. After graduation, Martinez plans to move home to Los Angeles, find a remote marketing or writing job and pursue a professional beach volleyball career internationally. “It isn’t going to be easy, but I’m not ready to give up playing just yet!” Martinez said.

The Cal Poly Dance Program proudly presents their 2026 Spring Dance Concert: AfterEcho! 💃 Featuring a diverse array of dance styles, the concert is choreographed, performed and directed by over 120 Cal Poly students from a variety of majors and backgrounds. AfterEcho aims to remind audiences of the power that experiences and memories hold throughout their lives. Performances will be held on May 20, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Spanos Theatre (No. 44). Buy tickets at the link in our bio!

Congratulations are in order for Tanner Schinderle, Cal Poly's next ASI President! 🎉 Schinderle, a third-year political science student, currently serves as @calpolyasi Chief of Staff, and previously served as the ASI Secretary of Executive Staff. Serving in student government has allowed him to apply his Cal Poly education to real world situations. "In a lot of my coursework, we talk about who is represented and who is not. Serving in ASI, I have taken this to heart [in] making sure [that] we represent all 23,000 students, across all colleges and all backgrounds," Schinderle said. Schinderle's first steps as ASI President elect will be appointing a Chief of Staff and Executive Cabinet to support him in accomplishing the goals of his campaign platform, which include adding more affordable on-campus dining venues and increasing access to public transportation. He will also meet with campus leaders to discuss these initiatives and start preparing for the 2026-27 academic year. "CLA will always be where my heart is. If any CLA students are looking for ways to get involved on campus and apply what [they] are learning, ASI is a great option, and I encourage everyone to look into it. I am grateful for this opportunity ahead of me, and if students ever have any questions or concerns, I will be here to answer them!" said Schinderle. #LearnByDoing #CalPolyProud #CalPolyNow

As an intern at Central Coast Evaluation Services (CCES), Katelyn Estrin applied theories and concepts from her Cal Poly coursework to real world situations. 🧠 Last quarter, the second-year sociology major interned for CCES, a private practice that specializes in psychological and forensic assessments for adolescents and adults. Estrin worked alongside Roxanne Rassti, a Cal Poly professor, licensed forensic psychologist and part-owner of CCES. Estrin’s responsibilities included preparing forensic reports, organizing case files and building detailed chronological timelines based on legal and medical documents. "By examining competency evaluations and legal records, I got to understand how social stratification affects people’s access to legal representation and outcomes within the justice system. Looking at crime through a social-construct lens helped me reflect on power structures and institutional responses to them,” Estrin said. 💭 Did you land your dream internship? Tell us about it! Share your experience for the chance to be featured in the CLA’s Impact Magazine or on our social media. Showcase how you #LearnByDoing to potential employers, alumni and incoming students. Fill out the form at the link in our bio!

Join guest speaker Corinne Sugino to discuss Asian American rhetoric, racial allegory and how it shapes our understanding of what it means to be human. On May 6 at 4:10 p.m., head to the Bonderson Center (No. 197, Room 104) to hear from Sugino, an assistant professor at The Ohio State University and author of Making the Human: Race, Allegory and Asian Americans. Sugino's talk is supported by the Communication Studies and English Departments.

This past weekend, two CLA students represented Cal Poly at the 2026 CSU Student Research Competition, hosted by San José State University. 🏆 Sarah Kula and Kate Pallemaerts, both fourth-year Interdisciplinary Studies (ISLA) majors, were among ten Cal Poly students selected through an internal competition to present their projects in San José. The CSU Student Research Competition is an annual event that brings together students to showcase undergraduate and graduate research, scholarship and creative works across all 23 campuses. Kula's project, "My Little White Savior: White Purity and Saviorism in My Little Pony: The Movie" won first place in the Humanities and Letters category. Her research was completed in ISLA 355: Feminist Studies of Whiteness in Popular Culture, taught by ISLA Department Chair Emily Ryalls. Pallemaerts' project, "Analyzing the Behavioral Impacts of Educational Shifts Due to COVID-19 in a Public High School in Washington," was completed as her senior project. Advised by ISLA lecturer Brandiff Caron, Pallemaerts interviewed high school teachers about their experiences teaching during COVID-19.

This year’s CLA Ambassador applications are officially open! 🍏 CLA Ambassadors are the official student representatives of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). They conduct one-hour campus tours and lead information sessions for prospective students and supporters. In addition, they mentor first-year students in the CLA Learning Community through quarterly outreach events. Applications for the 2026-27 academic year close on Sunday, May 3 at 11:59 p.m. Apply at the link in our bio!

As a legislative intern for Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Libby Smith learned the importance of constituent relations amongst a turbulent political landscape. Smith, a political science alum and current Master of Public Policy student, supported legislative research for Senator Klobuchar’s health policy portfolio. She attended staff briefings and committee hearings, conducted constituent services and gave tours of the Capitol building to Minnesotans visiting Washington, D.C. Smith’s favorite part of the internship was meeting other interns, both within Senator Klobuchar’s office and outside of it. She was inspired to see that so many other young people are passionate about politics. “Interning with Senator Klobuchar further ignited my passion to contribute to effective governance and the creation of equitable policy solutions. It was incredibly rewarding to work for such an efficient and compassionate legislator, and I look forward to bringing the skills I gained in D.C. to my future policy work here in California,” said Smith. 💭 Did you land your dream internship? Tell us about it! Share your experience for the chance to be featured in the CLA’s Impact Magazine or on our social media. Showcase how you #LearnByDoing to potential employers, alumni and incoming students. Fill out the form at the link in our bio.

Last Thursday, Billy Bob Thornton, acclaimed actor, director and proud Cal Poly dad, visited TH 275 to discuss his experience in the entertainment industry, and to help students navigate their own journeys. "Don't be afraid to try. You aren't failing if you love what you do," said Thornton. In this quarter's iteration of TH 275: Selected Topics, industry professional Katy Dore is teaching screen acting. Students are learning on-camera skills and techniques while getting an overview of business practices and opportunities for screen actors. #LearnByDoing #CalPolyProud

To all our Poly Gives 2026 donors, we are so grateful for you! 💚 Your generosity provides vital support for high-impact student-faculty research, immersive learning experiences, peer mentoring and opportunities that prepare students for success in a complex, interconnected world. Thank you for directly supporting Learn by Doing in the College of Liberal Arts and all of Cal Poly. 🐎 #LearnByDoing #PolyGives

Happy Open House from Cal Poly English! 💚 We asked our students and faculty to share advice for prospective English majors… here’s what they had to say! #calpolyslo #calpolyopenhouse #calpolyenglish #englishmajor #learnbydoing