Here are some photos from Gamma Epsilon Tau’s annual pig roast celebration and softball game.

The School of Print Media requires their students to complete two semesters (20 weeks) of co-ops to further their education and career. Students are given the chance to work almost anywhere and with any company, but very few experience working on a cruise ship. Our school yearly recruits a few students to work aboard the world famous Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2. James Wegner, James Kase and, soon to deport, Crystal Pavlak were able to enjoy this experience and travel the world while pursing their career.

James Kase (4th year New Media Publishing) has cruised the seas, and soon to return, as the Assistant Printer aboard Queen Elizabeth 2, The Most Famous Ocean Liner in the World. Crystal (Graphic Media Student) will soon being on The Queen Elizabeth as well, come fall quarter 2008. James Wegner (3rd year New Media Publishing) is also on the seas as the Chief Printer on the Queen Victoria.

As a freshman I was intrigued by this opportunity and wanted to really see what all it entailed. I personally hope to travel one day and see the world, and I knew this co-op provided that chance. As for Crystal, Wegner and Kase they also shared this desire. Wegner commented, “One of the reasons why I chose to come to RIT was for this co-op. The main attraction for me was not just seeing the world, but also knowing I would be learning priceless life lessons, along with obviously gaining hands on experience in the print field.” Kase added, “It gave me a feeling of accomplishment, knowing that I printed something that would be used the same, or next day.”

The process begins in fall quarter every year. You fill out an application and sign up for an interview. The interview is usually ran by a few staff faculty along with current and/or former Chief Printers for Cunard. They make their decision and hire the best candidates. I asked Crystal how to prepare, and what to expect from the interview, “I think the main thing they are looking for are mature people, with a strong work ethic. The passengers on the ship pay a huge portion of money to be there, and they want to have people working that can handle themselves well. You also have to work everyday under deadlines, so if you don’t work hard, you probably won’t do well.”

As the associate or chief printer, the hours are long and you have complete control and responsibility over the printers. Both Wegner and Kase found these aspects one of their favorite characteristics of the job: “I love the fact that I know that I am in complete control. Not too many places in this world would place this amount of responsibility into such a young persons hands,” Wegner stated. But with work, comes play and not to mention you are aboard a gigantic cruise liner: “You may work 10-12 hours a day. Even though I worked so much, it didn’t seem like it because I was having just as much fun” (Kase). Spending six months on the ship allowed Kase and Wegner to develop many long lasting relationships. Kase spoke out commenting on this aspect, “My other favorite part of the job is the people that you meet. You learn a lot about a people by the way they are instead of the place where they are from. I try to stay in touch with them as often as I can.”

I was curious to find out where both Kase and Wegner have traveled, to me this was one of the most interesting aspects of the co-op. Wegner is currently on the World Cruise and has been to ports in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, South Asia, and will be heading back to Europe shortly. Kase has visited Egypt, England, Iceland, Norway, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Turkey,and Canada.

Both commented that this experience has taught them more about their selves: “I’ve learned that there is more to the world than Long Island and upstate New York. Getting to know people from other countries is a lot of fun and you learn a lot” (Kase). Wegner added, “Just being away from everything and everyone that you know for 7 months can do that to a person.” Along with creating their own self-identity, both gained valuable time management skills and independent thinking. Kase confirmed, “I learned that you have to schedule your fun around your work. There is time for everything; you just need to make time for it. This also attributed to my work ethic. I work until everything is done, so I can relax as much as possible. The sooner you get the work done, the more time you have to plan what you want to do at the next port.”

“Don’t think twice about it. I think that no matter who you are or where you come from, you stand to gain a lot from this (Wegner). This isn’t one of your usual co-ops. The work you do is seen and used the next day. You do make a difference and make an impact on the place where you work. It’s a lot of hard work at times, but it is definitely worth it for the memories and experience you get from it (Kase).”

To conclude, I think James Wegner sums up the opportunity the best—“This is the experience of a lifetime, and a story that very few are able to tell.”

RIT is an academically rigorous school and as one knows it stresses the importance of time management. For several students in the School of Print Media, they found time between all the schoolwork and classes to participate on a Varsity team.

Eileen Hennigan, a 2nd year Graphic Media student and a member of the Women’s Varsity Lacrosse team stated, “I decided to play lacrosse in college because I love the game and I love being apart of a team. I knew it would be a great way to get to know a lot of people and some of the girls on my team have become great friends.”

Being a team member allowed Eileen and others to gain friends and memories during the long haul. For others, RIT allowed athletes to purse the major of interest while also continuing their love for the sport. 3rd year New Media Design student and Varsity Baseball member Matt Austin commented, “When I looked at schools, I wanted to go somewhere that had the major I was passionate about, as well as the opportunity to play baseball. RIT fit both of those criteria to a ‘T.’”

Time management became a must for these students. They had to make it through their season all the while balancing the work of their classes: “Between practice and tournaments I am occupied over 40 hours a week during season and 10- 20 hours in the off season. Design assignments take time to develop and refine, needing at least 25 hours for each project,” Heidi Little said, a Varsity Volleyball member.

The athletes quickly learned the system and grew accustomed to their hectic schedule. “I’ve learned how to do all of my work to the best of my ability with the time I’m given. My professors preach doing work the best you can within the scope of time you have, and I’ve learned to do that with all of my work. Baseball only solidifies this stance,” Matt said.

“As for benefits, the lessons I’ve learned about life and time management are priceless,” said Matt about his career as an athlete. Being a team member allows you to learn life lessons, make great friends, and purse a passion. Eileen concluded, “I love playing lacrosse in college. It has given me a chance to make friends with all sorts of people, especially those on my team. The benefits are definitely the fun you get out of it, the people you befriend, and the extra connection you feel to RIT.”

The Open Publishing Lab (or OPL for short) is a new research group based out of the School of Print, where students and faculty from all over campus work together to create new publishing applications and tools.

And it finally has a physical home!

Over break OPL students and faculty worked to renovate the Kodak Approval space* located next to the SPM student lounge. In less than two days, they applied multiple coats of paint to the walls, and assembled and moved in all the furniture (with the help of a pickup truck and a Subaru Outback). The space was ready on the first day of classes, just in time to start working on projects for the RIT Innovation Festival coming up on May 3rd. More on that as we get closer to it — we promise that SPM will have a strong presence there!

* - the Approval’s still at the school, just in a new location