My weekly schedule for the semester, balancing IMC, The Orion, and my classes
I’m entering my eighth semester at Chico State. I’m past the part of college where the whole experience is new and exciting, and not yet to the point where it’s exciting because I’m nearly graduated (I still have another year after this semester). I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I’m still in the middle-gray zone as far as school goes.
I’m lucky; my major is interesting to me and I know I’m studying what I really want to study, so my classes haven’t bogged me down too much. On the contrary, they’ve actually all been pretty damn interesting. So as I begin the twilight of my collegiate life, things are still looking up.
The New Internship — IMC Productions
But talk about busy! This semester will probably be my most diverse and most busy yet. A year and a half ago, I added The Orion to my workload. This semester, I’m adding another graphic design internship at IMC Productions. IMC is an on-campus production facility, and actually a pretty diverse organization; tackling everything from video production, website management services, public relations, and print & design. That’s the category I’ll (presumably) be working with. And I can’t wait!
I have my orientation for the new position tomorrow, and I’ll put up a pretty lengthy post and keep everyone updated. As of now, I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be doing.
The Orion, or, There and Back Again
Plus, I’m staying at The Orion, as sports designer for the talented sports editor, Allie Colosky. I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty with editorial design again. The last year I’ve had to pinch hit for my staff occasionally but I haven’t had a regular, consistent section to design. And it’s going to look goood. Sports (Section B) will be competing with another high-octane editor-designer duo: another former art director, Mark Rojas, and hotshot editor Ben over in the features section (section D, for those of you who are wondering).
But Allie and I have this in the bag. I’m looking forward to a stake-raising design game.
Oh yeah, I’m taking classes too.
I’ll no doubt be up to my neck in design this semester. For the first time, I have a chance to really immerse myself in design work, with The Orion and IMC such big parts of my week. I’m also taking three different creative classes! I’m finally taking Advanced Typography, something I avoided as Orion art director because I could never get enough sleep, and it’s an 8 am class. But type has always been one of my favorite design subjects, and I’ll be glad to go back to it.
I’m taking Packaging as well, with Chico State design legend Gregg Berryman (he started the design school!), another class I’m looking forward to. The best part of this class is that it’s something I’ve always wanted to get my hands on as a designer but never had the chance to. I get to think in three dimensions! Oh, and Samantha‘s in class with me.
The other class Samantha and I share is probably the most unique class I’ll take this semester: Fine Art Photography. I’m a little apprehensive, because although my foray into photography (high school) was a fine art style, I’ve been studying the less traditional forms of photography during my time in college. My favorite classes so far have been photography classes, and I’m looking forward to getting back into it on a regular basis now.
I’m also going to get a little more exercise, with a 2-day a week Softball class. Nothing exciting, but I figured it was time to take P.E. classes again (I used to, but life got busy).
Finally, there is the enigma that is Men, Women & the Land. It’s an upper division honors theme class; something I need to complete for my upper division theme. I have very little knowledge of what the class will cover, but I’m interested. It’s these kind of classes that usually surprise me by broadening my perspective.
The Smörgåsblog 