From: Michelle Gotto Date: October 5, 2022 Subject: GCAS October Newsletter
Fun Things to Do in Cleveland in October!
We're already six weeks into this semester and Fall has arrived! We're all already tired. So, in between the studying and endless political ads, let's have some fun! We've rounded a few things to break up the monotony:
Saturday, October 15th: 12 Hours of Terror at The Capitol Theater! Starting at 2pm, watch classic horror movies, including Carrie, The Mist, and more. Tickets are $30 in advance, and include free pizza!
Friday, October 28th:The Weatherheadless Ball Open to all grad students! Put on a costume, eat, drink, dance, and check out this weirdo building dressed up as a (sort-of) haunted house. 7pm-11pm. Tickets $20 in advance, $40 at the door.
Tuesday, November 8th: VOTE. For the love of whatever god(dess) you believe in, VOTE. Get off your a$$, get to the polls, send in your absentee ballot, drop it at a drop box, early vote, whatever. Just vote. Vote like your future, your bodily autonomy, and the planet, and democracy depends on it. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE.
Building a GCAS Community
This year, the Graduate Council for Arts & Sciences aims to build a stronger community across disciplines. It's not a secret to say that the last few years have been, well, a dumpster-fire. As we emerge from hiding and play our favorite seasonal game of "Is it allergies or is it Covid?," maybe we can also forge new connections and collaborations, and find ways to support each other.
First, please create a GCAS account on CampusGroups! It's the most effective way for us to reach you and for you to keep up with what's happening. Next, if your department has a great colloquia speaker coming, let us know! Tell us about your upcoming art show or theater production! Defending your dissertation and want some friendly faces in the crowd? We'll be there! We spend a lot of time in our own bubbles - let's branch out and support each other. Email Michelle at gcas@case.edu and your upcoming event will be in the next newsletter or special email!
Send a Student Rep to the GCAS Board Meeting!
GCAS will hold it's next Executive Board Meeting Thursday, October 13th from 5pm-7pm in Classroom 134B at the Tink.
We hope to have one student representative from each CAS department in attendance for these meetings--the goal is for that rep to report concerns to us, and to then report back to your fellow students/graduate group any updates from us!
We will be reaching out to as many student reps as possible in the coming days!
Meet Your GCAS Executive Team!
We think it's important for you to get to know who we are! So, over the next few months, we'll be telling you a little about ourselves. First up, our co-presidents!
Hey y’all! My name is Ray Garner (he/him/his) and together with Cameron Griffith, I am one of the Co-Presidents of GCAS! I was born in Las Vegas, but raised outside of Atlanta, so if you talk to me, that’s where I got the southern accent from. I went to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina for my undergrad, where I got a degree in physics. Currently, I’m a fifth-year PhD student in the Astronomy Department where I study star formation and galaxy evolution by investigating the Pinwheel Galaxy. When I’m not busy doing that, I’m usually doing other nerdy stuff. I’m a big Star Wars fan, and I’ll talk about it with anyone who will listen, so you’ve been warned! I also really enjoy doing nature photography, and you can find a few pictures over on my Instagram. My goals for GCAS this year are to continue to make it as inclusive and open as it can be. As a gay man myself, I know how important it can be to be able to voice your opinions and be truly listened to. To that end, I want to encourage as many people as possible to get involved with GCAS! I hope to see many of you there!
Hello CAS. I'm Cameron Griffith, one of the Co-Presidents of GCAS along with Ray Garner. I spent my early childhood years in Charleston, South Carolina, before moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana from grade school all the way through college. I earned my chemistry degree from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne. I then spent a couple of years working for Nestle Dryers/Edy’s ice cream division as a quality assurance technician. But now I’m working through my fifth-year in the PhD program in the Chemistry Department, working on the photophysics and photochemistry of polycyclic aromatic compounds. Outside of research, I enjoy going on adventures with my wife and playing rugby with the Cleveland Rovers. When I first joined GCAS last year I worked to provide better communication throughout the College of Arts and Sciences. With communication on the up and up, this year along with putting on collaborative social events between the humanities and sciences I would love to try and improve resources that help graduate students outside of graduate responsibilities. With that being said this only happens with the involvement of the CAS community.
In case you missed the seminar on How to Fund Your Good Ideas, check it out here! The 2nd session is linked below.
Here's the 2nd seminar in the series, How to Write a Funded Grant. Don't forget to sign up for the final session Who Decides What Gets Funded, on Monday, October 10th. Details below!
GCAS wants to hear from you and how you're doing. We've created a four question survey to try to assess how you are coping during the first couple months back on campus. This is completely anonymous and meant to give the College of Arts and Science a rough idea on how you're handling things. Click here to take the survey.
Curious about what to do in and around Cleveland?
Two great resources we recommend isThis is Clevelandand International Student Services (ISS) Bucket List. This is Cleveland gives a list of all the events happening in and around Cleveland. So if you're looking for a concert to go to or a touring art exhibit they will have all the details. ISS Bucket List gives a list of some things to do and places to visit before you graduate.
The University has launched CWRU Care, a 24/7 service to connect quickly online with counselors regarding specific issues free of charge. Additional therapy sessions and support spaces are also available to all students
The mission of the Office for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity is to provide support and guidance and to promote equitable and fair treatment in employment, education, and other aspects of campus life. The office serves as a resource to the university in the interpretation, understanding, and application of federal and state equal opportunity and affirmative action laws and regulations.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) works to develop an inclusive CWRU community, one that supports all students, respects and celebrates their identities, and facilitates their success.
“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.”
ÔÇò Eugene Victor Debs
Trivia Question
Congrats to Stephanie Egler from the Dept. of Mathematics, who correctly answered that the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels F/A-18s get within 18 inches of each other while reaching speeds of up to 700 mph. (YIKES)
October Question: What former U.S. President is buried in Cleveland, and in which cemetery is he interred?
The first person to send the correct answer to us at gcas@case.edu will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The winner (and the answer) will be announced in the November newsletter, along with next month's question. Good luck!
Our team represents the needs and concerns of the Arts & Sciences graduate students to both the Graduate Student Council and the A&S administration. We host professional development events, publicize news you would like shared beyond your department, and provide a forum for discussion on ways to improve graduate student life. Email us at gcas@case.edu
This workshop will provide an introduction to grant/fellowship application reviews as well as basic-level training for all CAS graduate students interested in serving on the review panel.
This is a part of the GCAS Professional Development Writing Group Learning Community and is aimed to help those who are applying for the GCAS Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Endeavors Grant, although all CAS students are invited to attend!
