The Team
Every year, CINSSU is run entirely by dedicated undergraduate students who volunteer their time to the organization. They have a wide range of interests and expertise, finding common ground in the love of cinema. Meet our team for the 2024/2025 year!
Farrah Liu
President
she/her
Cinema Studies Specialist
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The Heart of the World by Guy Maddin. Cause we all need some eschatological resolutions
Samantha Delicata
Vice President Internal
she/her
Cinema Studies and Industrial Relations: Work and Organizations
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The show Once Upon a Time is a good representation of my life because the characters are always in a state of chaos for the full 7 seasons
Alex Docherty
Vice President External
she/her
Architecture and Cinema Studies
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Rewatching HBO Girls for a sense of reassurance that no decision I make in my 20s will be worse than the ones they’re making.
Lily Ahari
Secretary
she/her
Cinema Studies/Classical Civilizations
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The piece of media that best represents my current state in life is Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, because I stay spying on my neighbors.
Karina Pandurangadu
Treasurer
she/her
Economics, Mathematics, Cinema
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The Devil Wears Prada because I'm growing into a new environment and community.
Sophia Gaber
Promotional Director-in-Chief
she/her
Music
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
the cat returns because i’m always dreaming especially of cats
Ava Derro
Promotional Director
she/her
Cinema Studies Specialist
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
My name is Ava Derro and I am an actress and aspiring filmmaker. My biggest goal in life is to write, direct, and star in my own films. I like to think of my life as a movie and I'm the star of the show. Like the movies, life is full of beauty, emotion, unexpected twists and turns, and most importantly, lessons to be learnt. I am beyond excited to be apart of the CINSSU team, and I look forward to the wonderful year we have ahead!
Jenny “Jo” Nguyen
Promotional Director
she/her
Cinema Studies Specialist & Computer Science Major
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Currently, I identify the most with the Sanrio character, Pompompurin! As someone who is always running outside between classes and loves meeting new people, I can relate to being a golden retriever that loves to take naps :D
Yasmine Alm
Art Director-in-Chief
she/her
Cinema Studies & Sociology
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
"Phantom of the Opera", the stage musical. "Phantom" is all about the epic highs & lows of following your passions. ("My" photo is Sarah Brightman's.)
Neehla Andrea-Luz Pal
Art Director
she/her
Major in Cinema Studies, double minor in Visual Studies and French Language
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift because one of the main characters has the same name as me.
Karen Meng
Art Director
she/her
Cinema Studies
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The piece of media that best represents my current state in life is Inside Out 2, particularly the cat character introduced at the end of the film. I love its chaotic, whimsical, and unpredictable nature, and yet, so peaceful.
Vicky Huang
Camera Stylo Co-Editor-in-Chief
she/her
Poli Sci/ Cinema Studies
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Cecil B. Demented (2000) because I hold similar views about Hollywood and arthouse cinema.
Astrid Yap
Camera Stylo Co-Editor-in-Chief
she/her
Cinema Studies + Book and Media Studies
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Everything Everywhere All At Once, because if bagel is not the answer to life what is?
YY Man
Special Events Coordinator
she/her
Cinema Studies major
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
The performance of Defying Gravity in Wicked. Its idea of “I don’t care, I’m going to fly high now no matter what” really resonates with me and is an attitude I strive to have.
Arjen Karaoglan
Special Events Coordinator
she/her
Cinema Studies specialist, Sociology major
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7 best represents my current state in life, as I’ve recently begun aimlessly wandering around the city more frequently.
Shuhruh Akhand
Filmmaking Coordinator
she/her
Sociology and Cinema Studies
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
A piece of media that best represents my current state in life is the TV series Severance. Although my memories haven't been surgically divided by work and play like the characters of the show, once I leave campus, I truly have no recollection of my day.
Joy Xu
Filmmaking Coordinator
she/her
History and Cinema Studies double majors with a minor in English
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Moonrise Kingdom because I am a fan of whimsy melancholy
Soren Stancliff
Programmer-in-Chief
he/him
Cinema Studies Specialist, Religion Minor, Philosphy Minor
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
My debut feature film, Home Movie, which is currently the process of being edited, is a highly autobiographical film about my childhood in my hometown and my departure to college.
Also Twin Peaks the Return because it’s “goated”
Burak Batu Tunçel
Programmer
he/him
Cinema Studies Specialist
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Knightriders (1981) - Trying to live life by my values while building an environment of friends I can trust in, inside a world which tries to cash-in on everything… This film is about modern knights on motorcycles by the way.
Isabel Hua
Programmer
she/her
Double major in Political Science and Cinema Studies, minor in Philosophy
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Recently, I've been thinking about The Bear a lot, probably because my life is getting pretty busy now that I'm entering my fourth year. I both relate to show's frenzied energy and am relieved that my life isn't nearly as stressful as it is!
Vince Woodford
Newsletter Editor
he/him
Cinema and Political Science
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. I think it represents moving on to new situations, letting yourself be open to change, and embracing new experiences.
Addisa O’Brien-Thompson
Director of Partnerships
she/her
Cinema Studies and Political Science Double Major
Which piece of media best represents your current state in life?
Zima Blue- Love, Death & Robots ep 14. For Self-reflexive purposes.