All Cal Poly students are familiar with the tasks of senior project, but it’s not often that a group of students use their project to impact social change. However, students Jacob Corsaro, Camille Clark and Marie Campos are using their COMS project as a way to increase campus inclusivity by creating “Poly POV.” Poly POV (Point of View) is a collection of monologues inspired by anonymous stories and responses from various Cal Poly students. Students were asked to share their experiences as they relate to the lack of diversity on campus, and the final monologues will be performed by a volunteer cast of Cal Poly students ranging in gender, ethnicity and personal experiences on campus.
We sat down with director, Jacob Corsaro, who told us about the inspiration for this project and what he hopes people will gain from it.
HC: What was the inspiration behind this project?
Jacob Corsaro: Two years ago I went to see a Cal Poly Gender Equity Center production of The Vagina Monologues. I knew generally what the show was about, but had never seen it before. I was fascinated by the impact these stories had on the audience. Women were able to relate or at least empathize with the various monologues, where as a man like me was able to gain some insight into the female experience. It didn’t matter if you had ever personally experienced any of the things in the monologues, because you knew that somebody else had and that made it worth understanding.
I experienced a similar effect in my Performance of Literature class with Dr. Blau. We often discussed the power of taking something not meant for performance and adapting it to the stage. He had mentioned COMS students in the past who had interviewed SLO locals and transcribed them into a performance to show the history of the city as their senior project. As a COMS major with a theatre minor, this interested me. I loved the idea, but wanted to make it about something I felt was important. Cal Poly’s lack of diversity has been discussed and debated for quite some time. We seem to have students who recognize or have experienced the effects of this and students who don’t understand the ramifications of it. I remembered The Vagina Monologues and how the show impacted both people who could relate directly to the content and people who could not. I wanted to create this same effect regarding the lack of diversity at Cal Poly so students can begin to understand that there are experiences and perspectives out there other than their own.
HC: What part of the show do you think is the most powerful?
JC: “There is a hate crime every month, it seems like. And all that ever happens is that we get an email from Armstrong talking about how this is not the Cal Poly way. Apparently it is if it’s always happening.” Its just a small part of one monologue of the show, but it is a very potent one that I feel really holds a mirror up to the school and asks us to take an honest look.
HC: What is the thing you most want people to take away from it?
JC: Everyone experiences Cal Poly differently. We all have different backgrounds perspectives on things. You cannot invalidate the way someone is affected by the school’s climate because they’re coming from a different place than you. I want people to leave the show with a small insight into a few of the many, many perspectives that exist on this campus to promote a dialogue for further inclusivity and understanding.
HC: When can we see it?
JC: The show will be December 5th at 7pm in Chumash Auditorium upstairs in the UU. The show is totally free so we hope as many people can share in these experiences as possible.