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By Iris Serrano
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18)

If you somehow missed the announcements about the College of Media, Communication and Information’s second annual Involvement Fair, there were two things you couldn’t miss coming from the CASE patio—the smell of fresh popcorn and the sight of bubbles floating around. 

200 students attended last month’s fair, which showcases many of the college’s clubs, organizations and academic opportunities, including study abroad options unique to CMCI. 

Many students were crowding around the Adobe Creative Club table, asking questions, snacking on some popcorn and signing up for the group’s next meeting. The fairly new student-led club offers an open space where students of all experience levels learn to improve their skills in Adobe applications, such as Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. 

“We just want to create a space to make Adobe less overwhelming and give some creative inspiration,” said sophomore Paige Michael, a strategic communication major and co-president of the club. 

Michael was eager to recruit new members to her club and be a part of an event that helps others find their place on campus.

“Coming to the fair allows new students to be aware of opportunities that this college brings us,” she said. “Even if you don't have time to join every single thing, it gives you a bigger sense of belonging, knowing all the communities you can be a part of.”

The event gave students opportunities to both follow their passions and discover new ones. 

“Before coming to ��«����Ƶ, I knew I’d be involved in student media—but I just found out from the tables that they do a lot of things I'm interested in,” said Colby Wyatt, a first-year student majoring in media production. “I won't be just writing articles, I'll get to work with cameras. And I get to commentate on sports and, of course, meet new people and learn new skills.”

As a college, CMCI teaches a diverse range of skills that can be applied across different fields, such as computer science, the arts, marketing and political science. As such, the fair got visitors from different colleges at CU ��«����Ƶ. Lesley Vazquez, a sophomore majoring in creative technology design with a minor in media production, was among the crowd at the Adobe table. 

“I’m in a design foundations class where we had to buy Adobe—and since I have it for the year, and I want to go into a creative field where Photoshop may be used, I want to get more experience in it,” Vazquez said. 

Students said they appreciated CMCI’s commitment to hosting events that help them feel at home in the college. 

“All you have to do is walk up to the table, write your name and email on a sheet of paper, and, boom, you're in a new club,” Wyatt said. “It's nice to just have these tables out like this—it’s hard to miss and it’s an easy way to get involved.”