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Annisa Charles

Journalist and Editor

The Inclusive AI •

Gender Bias Within AI

Gender Bias in AI has become a pressing issue as artificial intelligence systems increasingly reflect and perpetuate societal stereotypes. According to a June 8, 2024 article from the South China Morning Post, an AI machine called Ernie Bot, China’s version of OpenAI’s ChatGBT, provides gender-biased responses about societal roles. When a South China Morning Post reporter typed the command, “Generate a picture of a nurse taking care of the elderly,” the AI produced an image of a woman with a ste...
Tusk •

Gotta start your curly hair journey somewhere

Navigating the journey of hair is no easy task, but Tusk has got you covered.

Valdez’s hair is flatter towards the top and then springs into curls towards the middle. This caused issues for her, causing her to straighten her hair all through middle school. She later learned to love it after having dreadlocks and chopping it all off.

She uses two products depending on the day and her hair length. Hairspray with a 3-4 hold is her go-to when her hair is longer, and pomade is for when it is shorter
Orange County Register •

My YouTuber grandmother recommends this simple, inexpensive gardening tip

For those who want to grow plants but lack a yard or landscape to dig into, there are options.

For some, that might be a top-of-the-line planter or a made-to-order plant bed, but that doesn’t work for everyone. What if you, to be blunt, are looking for a cheaper option?

Try this: Head to your local store and grab a plastic tote – essentially a durable plastic container, often with handles. Then get seeds or a starter plant, and soil and you are ready to grow. Best of all, this option is afford
CSUF •

Garden flea market is bigger and better - Department of Communications | CSUF

Cal State Fullerton’s communications class, Event Planning and Management, hosted the second annual Garden Flea Market on Thursday, Apr. 18, at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Admission to the event was free, attracting a diverse crowd of students eager to explore the offerings of their peers and enjoy a day of art, entertainment and community. “Arts at the Arboretum” showcased a vibrant array of student-run small businesses offering pottery, jewelry, art, clothing, baked goods, flowers, foo
NBC •

Tracking 5 years of shootings by federal law enforcement agencies

National data about the use of force by law enforcement officers, particularly shootings, is limited and nearly impossible to compare. But few law enforcement shootings are shrouded in more secrecy than those by officers who work for or with the Department of Justice’s four main law enforcement agencies — the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

Since the 1990s, the DOJ has investigated local police departments for civil rights violations and forced them to reform through court-ordered consent decrees. In recent years, those mandated reforms have often included requiring the release of detailed data on police shootings and other uses of force.
CSUF •

New ETC board announced during Bridgerton-themed Annual Mixer

On Apr. 24, on the patio of the Fullerton Arboretum, the Entertainment and Tourism Club (ETC) at Cal State Fullerton held their Annual Mixer, their most significant event of the year.

The Annual Mixer brings over 25 working professionals from respective industries out for club members and students to network with the professionals. This is to facilitate real-world connections between students and professionals to provide them with valuable insights into the industries they are pursuing. The eve
CSUF •

NABJ and BlackCommUnity COMM Week: Navigating the entertainment industry while Black

“Being Black is dope. We move culture. We move trends globally and as long as you have that kinda confidence, I’m gonna say ride with it,” said Chrystina Woody Train, founder of Buckshot Marketing, during Cal State Fullerton’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and Black CommUnity’s COMM Week panel, “Black Success in Entertainment Communications,” on Apr. 24.

Panelists discussed how they made it in the entertainment industry, their struggles, their favorite parts of their field an
CSUF •

Spring 2023 COMM Week: CSUF alumni from LA Lakers interns to full-time employees

In their COMM Week panel, “Breaking into the sports industry: Los Angeles Lakers interns to full-time employees,” Cal State Fullerton alumni Madison Fessia and Thomas Dunne and their co-worker Jose Ledesma explained how they each went from being interns for the Los Angeles Lakers to be full-time employees.

Fessia, who graduated from CSUF in 2020 with a bachelor’s in public relations and a minor in marketing, said she works as the box office coordinator and operations.

She said the most challen
CSUF •

CSUF’s PRSSA take on Angels Stadium

Cal State Fullerton’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter held an Angels Night Bonding Event on Apr. 24.

CSUF’s chapter of PRSSA invited USC, Long Beach State, Biola University and Vanguard University’s chapters of PRSSA for the bonding event to celebrate the end of the semester and commemorate those who will be graduating this semester.

PRSSA looks to potentially assemble an event similar to this one in the fall 2023 to bond and network with each other and other chapte
CSUF •

Spring 2023 COMM Week: AAJA and NAHJ’s Politico and NPR talk about modern journalism

Cal State Fullerton’s Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA) and National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) hosted a joint COMM Week panel on Apr. 26 called “Modernizing Journalism.” Panelists discussed the ever-changing nature and modernization of journalism.

Melanie Nguyen, the president of AAJA, said this was AAJA’s first time hosting a Comm Week event. Nguyen brought her two mentors from the summer AAJA Voices event to sit as panelists. One of the panelists was Nicholas Wu, a
CSUF •

Spring 2023 CICC x CCOMM Convergence: Networking and opportunities

On Apr. 11, Cal State Fullerton’s Communications Inter-Club Council (CICC) and the College of Communications (CCOMM) held the “CICC x CCOMM Convergence” in the Titan Student Union.

The event aimed to promote community and support among students, staff, administration, clubs and organizations affiliated with the College of Communications.

Bey-Ling Sha, dean of the College of Communications, spoke at the convergence that included students and faculty who are part of various majors under the Col
CSUF •

Spring 2023 Retiring Faculty: Keith Kesler

Keith Kesler of the Communication Department is retiring after teaching for nine years at Cal State Fullerton. From an Advertising and Marketing executive to an advertising professor, he has spent his time watching students grow from students in his classroom to getting jobs in the industry.

He is an alumnus of Brigham Young University, where he earned his communications bachelor’s degree. Kesler has developed many successful advertising campaigns and product branding for brands such as Kia, Ho
CSUF •

Spring 2023 Retiring Faculty: Beth Georges

After 21 years of teaching broadcast journalism in the Communications Department at Cal State Fullerton, Beth Georges will be retiring.

After receiving her master’s degree in communications from CSUF, making her an alumnus, she spent 23 years in the television news industry. Georges has been an anchor and reporter for Fox 11, the Orange County Newschannel and KDOC.

Georges has transformed CSUF’s broadcast journalism curriculum, improving the experience for students. Upon teaching full-time in
CSUF •

Communications students host first Garden Flea Market at Fullerton Arboretum

On Apr. 6, communications students invited small businesses to the Fullerton Arboretum to the Garden Flea Market to sell their items, ranging from art prints to jewelry to pottery. Titan Radio was set up at the event, providing music for everyone to listen to as they relax and enjoy the day.

Cal State Fullerton’s COMM 497T class assembled a flea market at the Fullerton Arboretum. This was the first time this event had taken place, but it did so well that this class will become an annual spring-
CSUF •

Internships and grounding: Advice from professionals during ETC panel

Cal State Fullerton’s Entertainment and Tourism Club (ETC) held a Talent and Public Relations panel on Apr. 5. The panel informed students what a talent and public relations career may look like if they decide to pursue a career in that sector.

Students networked with panelists and learned more about their possible careers. All the panelists reiterated to the students to keep themselves grounded to avoid getting overwhelmed by the job.

Holly Johnson, the director of internal communications for
CSUF •

Black CommUnity hosts alum panel

Black CommUnity (BCU) held an alum panel on Apr. 5 to help Cal State Fullerton students connect, network and feel secure in their future career paths. The discussion occurred on the first day of the Institute for Black Intellectual Innovation (IBII) Conference as a collaboration with IBII, Ujimaa Mentoring Program and CSUF alums.

BCU put this event together as a way for students to see the representation they need to help motivate them and make them feel confident in graduating and pursuing a j
CSUF •

Students learn about global entertainment and tourism at ETC panel

On Mar. 22, Cal State Fullerton’s Entertainment and Tourism Club (ETC) held a Global Entertainment Panel. The panel featured various entertainment industry professionals working in the international markets.

Students who are interested in working in the international market field were able to gain insight and ask questions, feeling more confident about their future endeavors.

Panelists included Stacey Morales from Live Nation, Grace Ryu from Universal Pictures, Adriana Darcy from Industria Wor
CSUF •

NAHJ’s NXT GEN NOW event focuses on future journalists

From Mar. 14 to the 16, Cal State Fullerton’s chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) held several panels about the journalism field to prepare students for their future.

NAHJ’s event, NXT GEN NOW, went over different topics, niches and fields relating to journalism over Zoom. NXT GEN NOW is an event where NAHJ prepares the next generation of journalists for the ever-changing field.

“This event is aimed for students who have not yet decided on a career path in journa
CSUF •

Healing: AAJA and CAPS created a safe space after constant hate

On Mar. 20, Cal State Fullerton’s Asian American Journalism Association (AAJA) and the Student Wellness Center’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) came together in light of the violence and hate towards the Asian American community.

Students gathered in the CAPS conference room from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss the hatred and racism that has surged through COVID and how to it affects their daily lives. With the uptick of hate crimes against the Asian American community because of
CSUF •

Spring 2023 Retiring Faculty: Ron Romain

Ron Romain, one of the digital media design professors for the Communications Department at Cal State Fullerton, is retiring after developing so many connections with students. Between working as a graphic designer and teaching at different colleges, Romain has taught many students what it takes to become an artist in some shape or form.

Romain has taught in the Art Departments of Long Beach State, Chapman University, El Camino College and Orange Coast College. CSUF is the only college where he
CSUF •

CSUF’s PRSSA visits Reveille for brunch

Cal State Fullerton’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) had the opportunity to have brunch and learn more about the public relations (PR) community at Reveille.

PRSSA chapters from Vanguard University, Long Beach State, Chapman University, Biola University and CSUF collaborated to put the brunch together at Reveille headquarters in Costa Mesa on Mar. 10.

Reveille is a California-based marketing and public relations agency. Vanguard’s chapter reached out to CSUF’s P
CSUF •

Students gather for Daily Titan’s spring festival

On Mar. 9, the Cal State Fullerton student-run newspaper, Daily Titan, held its Daily Titan Festival in CSUF’s Central Quad. Around 1,000 people are estimated to have shown up for the event, which takes place once a semester.

The Daily Titan advertising team and Professor Michelle Kurland’s COMM 454 class assembled the Daily Titan Festival. Daily Titan’s clients use this opportunity to better connect with CSUF students by offering promotional giveaways and demonstrations of their services. This
CSUF •

Spring 2023 Retiring Faculty: Walter Baranger

Walter Baranger is retiring after creating an extensive journalism resume. Baranger has been a journalist since high school and worked his way up to become the assistant to the editor for The New York Times. Instead of retiring when he got the chance in 2016, he decided to give back to his alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, by becoming a lecturer and adviser for the student-run newspaper, the Daily Titan.

His journalism career began while he was only a freshman at University High School. He notes
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