Senator Leahy Introduces BREAKAWAY Panel

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Senator Patrick Leahy introduces the BREAKAWAY panel at Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam on Friday, October 15. Following his speech, students from the Emergent Media Center discussed the development of the game, from research and pitching at UN headquarters to crunch, launch, and beyond.

Vermont 3.0 Success

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The EMC was involved heavily with the Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam this year: Students presented about the BREAKAWAY game development process, MFA students talked about their choice in program and outlook on emergent media, Ann DeMarle talked about the future of education and technology, while Tech Jam visitors could try out EMC student created media and games!



The EMC at VT 3.0:

Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam!! Fri & Sat Oct. 15-16

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Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center is proud to be a part of this year’s VT Tech Jam presented by Dealer.com! It is the Vermont 3.0’s 3rd annual fair and is described as “the ultimate job fair.”

The idea behind Vermont 3.0 is to raise awareness and promote opportunities in the technology field in Vermont. Hosted at the Main Street Landing building (on the Burlington waterfront), Vermont 3.0 is an excellent way to introduce students and professionals to the potential of a tech career in Vermont.



The EMC will be presenting Breakaway and showcasing a wide array of other video games and media, while offering an exciting and interactive experience for everyone. Senator Patrick Leahy will be giving opening remarks at the BREAKAWAY panel on Friday morning at 10:30am. A panel of current MFA in Emergent Media students will also speak about their choice of graduate program, while Ann DeMarle will speak on the future of technology and eduction. Our full schedule of programming is as follows:

Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam, Fri. & Sat. Oct. 15-16, Main Street Landing, Burlington

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Ongoing programming (Fri. 10a-5p, Sat. 10a-3p ongoing, except when other EMC sessions in progress):

Emergent Media Showcase - hosted by the MFA graduate and undergraduate students at Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center. Discover, interact with, and imagine: play electronic games that provide more than entertainment value; “fly” through Burlington in 3D with Google Earth; explore the “guts and bolts” of technology. Showcased projects are the creation of Champlain College’s undergraduates, MFA students, and faculty engaged at the Emergent Media Center.

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From Zero to Hero: the Process of Game Development (Friday, October 15th 10:30a – 11:15a and 1:00p – 1:45p)

Champlain College Emergent Media Center student developers led by Creative Director and Project Manager Lauren Nishikawa.
How do you go about creating a game changer? Where do you start? What talents do you need? How does everyone work together? Explore the process of game development with the Champlain College students developing the game, BREAKAWAY – a game about preventing violence against women, which has been played by young people all over the world.

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“Shifting Paradigms: An exploration of the exponential change brought about by technology” by Ann DeMarle, Professor and Director Emergent Media Center at Champlain College (Saturday, October 16th 10:30a – 11:30a)

A look at the rapid speed of change in technology and media. How is the Emergent Media Center redefining education to positively impact careers and community?

Target Audience: Professionals/Adults/Career Changers (1:00p – 2:00p) “Why an MFA in Emergent Media?”

Panel discussion of current MFA students, led by MFA Assistant Director and Instructor Ken Howell. Graduate candidates reflect on their choice to pursue and their thoughts about innovation in communication technologies.

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For more information visit the Vermont 3.0 Homepage

See you there!!

"There's more to the game than just playing soccer..."

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We are excited to share with you a news clip about BREAKAWAY, produced by Channel One News.  Channel One is the leading television news network for teens nationwide. Their mission is to "inform, educate and inspire by making news relevant and engaging for young people and sparking discussion around the important issues impacting youth today."


Chapter 2 of BREAKAWAY is now live!  Don't worry, if you haven't played Chapter 1 yet, you'll play that first so you don't miss any of the story.  Head on over and see what all the buzz is about!

Job Opportunities Fall 2010

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The Emergent Media Center is now accepting applications for a number of job openings for the Fall 2010 semester.  Applicants MUST be Champlain College students.  There are Work-Study positions, as well as Non Work-Study and Internship positions.

Please use the links below to reference full job availabilities and descriptions, as well as specific application procedures.  Note: a cover letter, resume, and often times a portfolio of work is required to apply.

All questions and applications should be directed to Lauren Nishikawa, EMC Project Manager: lnishikawa [[at]] champlain [[dot]] edu.

Work-Study Job Openings
Non Work-Study/Internship Openings

We receive a very large number of applications and will not be able to interview everyone who applies.  Interviews will be conducted throughout the beginning of the semester. Please submit your application documents early to be considered for a position.  Do not wait!

A list of our job openings (many have multiple openings):

• Project Manager Assistant
• Administrative Office Assistant
• Event Planner
• Communications Assistant
• Digital Video Producer
• Digital Video Editor
• Conceptual Game Designer
• Prototype Engineer
• Web Designer
• Web Programmer
• Nonfiction Writer
• Communications Lead
• Quality Assurance Lead
• Quality Assurance Tester
• Game Design Lead
• Fiction Writer
• 3D Artist
• 2D Story Artist
• Marketer
• Video Editor/Producer
• 3D Modeler

Goodbye to Ray!

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Hard to believe it! But I am writing you today with mixed emotions, I am both very proud and very sad to announce that Ray McCarthy-Bergeron, the EMC Project Manager since its inception, has applied and been accepted to an MFA program in 3D Animation. This summer, he will be moving to Rochester, New York to pursue his long held dream.

I still fondly recall the day 10 or 11 years ago, when Ray (having just learned to walk) "interviewed" me as a prospective student applying to the MMG program (the reason he has served as lead interviewer of all prospective future EMCers since becoming Project Manager at the EMC).

Though I know I'll see him again as a dear friend, I will sorely miss having him as a student, a mentee, and as a colleague. I could go on and on about what Ray has contributed to the college and to the EMC. However, we announced Ray’s departure to the student’s yesterday and their notes are pouring in so I would like to share this written by alumni Max Nichols:

“I don’t remember when I first met you, really; whether it was the original Info Lit brainstorm sessions, back in 2007, or the America’s Army project. Actually, I think it was the IBM Game Tomorrow flash project. Whatever the case, you’ve been at the EMC for as long as my (sometimes unreliable) memory can recall. The Emergent Media Center has been, for me and for so many of us, a place of unrivaled growth, boundless possibility, and great fun. It’s a community of like-minded people, a celebration of diversity in background and skill, and a place where awesome things happen. And you have been at the center of it, working hard to keep it running for all of our sakes.

You were there to organize the America’s Army projects, and sort out the thousands of little details (phone conferences, remember those?) that made that possible. You were with us at Learning 2008: helping us research, joining us on the dance floor, helping us stay focused on that last night when we were exhausted. You played Frisbee and volleyball at Ann’s house, kicked my ass at Street Fighter 2, joined in on the fun at Spring Meltdowns and beach barbeques, wrote recommendations, gave phone recommendations.

We, and the EMC, were profoundly affected by you and your efforts, and I am hugely saddened to see you go. It definitely won’t be the same without you, Corinn’s cookies, and your goofy-ass haircut. But at the same time, if you weren’t the sort of person with goals to pursue and dreams to live, then you wouldn’t have been the same Ray, so: good luck, have fun, and keep in touch!”
- Max Nichols

We will be hosting a Farewell Lunch celebration Wednesday the 21st from noon to 1:30 at the EMC. Please RSVP to Sarah Jerger ( sjerger@champlain.edu ) so we can estimate the pizza count – a favorite fuel of the EMCers. Come join us Wednesday to say goodbye and good luck!

Keeping Up!

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So admittedly it has been a long pause since I've posted here last. Yet it has also been a long time since I've gotten serious friend, vacation, or exercise time (not a habit I recommend). Which in some sort of internet way means, I wish I had been sharing all that has been going on at the Emergent Media Center with our EMC followers!

Often these days, I wonder if it would be simpler if I just put a stop to our collective creative thinking—then keeping up would get so much simpler. But truthfully there is much that needs doing, so many that can benefit by what we do, and so much that is worth doing! If we hold our collective breathe then the speed of change will make us obsolete. Likewise the value of the education we are creating would be less so.

Our EMC students (over 200 in two years) such as Kate Baxter walk out the door with classroom learning but also a fuller understanding of how their classroom knowledge applies to the world and with the skills to make visions reality.

It has been a very busy semester.

We progressed forward on or concluded a long list of projects this semester:

• Google Earth mapping of Burlington and the campus (which continues on this summer) driven by Ray McCarthy-Bergeron and Alex Keyes,
• the Virtual Vermont Archeology Museum project with star student now grad Mike Fowler,
• two projects driven by amazingly creative teams of students: 1) conversion of the Information Literacy game for the iPhone and 2) the movement of data from our Polhemus Motion Capture device to Maya and our game engines,
• and moving the United Nations game to end violence against women from concept into beta Breakaway.

Overwhelmingly the students reported that these projects were among the most valuable of their educational experiences—providing portfolio experiences, tying together classroom learning with real world outcomes, providing relevance that they could recognize, and pushing them beyond their comfort zones into accountability onto a formerly unknown scale.

We traveled to Saint Lucia, New York City, and Milan, Italy presenting, testing, and recording with the poorest of poor and with some of the most influential. We brainstormed with groups and thinkers such as the likes of Ben Cohen on concepts that could impact ways of viewing actions. We built upon classroom learning and applied it to sponsors' projects with real world goals—projects where failing or non-complete's were simply not an option.

And among ourselves we struggled with: our ideals of leadership and transparency; balancing productivity and insight in a learning/productivity structure; pipelines for production; continually changing teams/workforce; cohesively managing and producing as a cohort of millennials, next gens, and baby boomers; and producing work with professionals and world leaders on world impacting projects.

So it was a very busy 4 months. The summer looks even busier.

Our game, Breakaway, with the UN has found an international soccer star, Samuel Eto'o as its champion and launches in three weeks for the FIFA World Cup, the Google Earth project continues with the city of Burlington, other projects are in the pipeline to include internal Champlain College web projects, projects such as the Governor's Institute of Vermont in Information Technology for teens,

and the launch of the MFA in Emergent Media—bringing an entirely new dimension to learning within this real world, multi-dimensional format.

So much to look forward to—and if I'm lucky I will keep our readers informed and I'll schedule in some friend and exercise time!

Seeking Web Design & Marketing Specialist for EMC project

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The EMC is seeking a Web Design & Marketing Specialist for a summer project.  This would be a part-time position (or positions, depending on applicant skills sets) for some or all of the summer semester, and possibly into the fall if needed.  Applicants must be Champlain College students.


Here are all the details:

Web Design & Marketing Specialist

Number of Openings: 1-2 (might be split into 2 positions depending on skill set of applicants)
Pay Level: $9.00/hr
Term: June 1 - through summer semester, possibly into fall if needed
Majors who might be interested:  Marketing, Web Development, Graphic Design & Digital Media, Communications, Public Relations, Game Programming
 
Job Responsibilities:

• Collect, edit and create website content (visuals and copy) for the Division of Communication & Creative Media website
• Learn the Champlain College content management system.
• Create graphics and perhaps video for the website.
• Create interactive gallery/showcase of student work
• Maintain website presence
•  Apply marketing/branding strategies throughout

Job Requirements:

• Must be able to work during regular business hours, at least 10 hours/week for part or all of the summer semester.
• Must be able to use and/or highly motivated to learn the following programs: Champlain CMS, Photoshop, Illustrator, possibly Flash.
• Must be highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently, but also with collaborators. Effective communication is a must.
• Must be a creative thinker with new ideas and have the ability to listen and incorporate others’ ideas.
• Leadership experience is a plus.
• Samples of work (marketing plans, website design, flash animations, graphic design, writing samples, etc) welcome for submission.  Please include work you feel best shows of your skills.

Ways to Apply
Email your resume and cover letter to supervisor email address below OR
Drop off your resume and cover letter at the Emergent Media Center.
DEADLINE for submission: Wednesday, May 26^th

 
Send resume and cover letter (along with sample work if applicable) to:
Sarah Jerger
EMC Operations Manager
E-Mail:  sjerger@champlain.edu
Phone:  (802) 865-5479

Location:
The Emergent Media Center
3^rd floor in the Champlain Mill, Winooski
(Located across from Spinner Place main entrance)
 
www.champlain.edu/emc
Find all of our social networks at: http://card.ly/EmergentMediaCenter

Job Openings on Empowering Play Project

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Join our team!  The Emergent Media Center is hiring for late Spring/Summer 2010 positions on the UNFPA/Empowering Play project.  You MUST be a Champlain College student in order to apply.

Click HERE for a listing of open positions.

Hurry!  Resume, cover letter, and deliverables (if required) are due by Friday, April 16th!

MFA in Emergent Media is Seeking Creative Folk Eager to Learn!

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Finally you can learn all about it!!!! We will be hosting an Information Session about the new Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Emergent Media that will launch in Fall 2010!!!! Anyone interested in finding out more about the program may attend this information session. You will get to hear from Mark Milne of graduate admissions on the ins and outs of applying, Ken Howell and myself on what the degree offers, the structure and classes, the faculty, and from advisory board member Coby Brownell of JDK on where media is headed. The program is awaiting NEASC approval but all other lights are green! Here is a link to the program: http://mfa.champlain.edu/

Join us for the MFA in Emergent Media Information Session at the Champlain College Emergent Media Center, located at 20 Winooski Falls Way in Winooski, Vermont. Join other Champlain students to hear an overview of the program and meet some of the faculty.

Then head over to the main Champlain campus, where you can hear a talk by a leader in this field. Heather Kelley, a game designer and advisor to our EMC's United Nations project will be at the Alumni Auditorium from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. as part of the Burlington City Arts program on Game (Life): Video Games in Contemporary Art.

A shuttle back and forth from the main to the EMC will be provided. To RSVP or learn more email Mark Milne: milne@champlain.edu 866-282-7259.

And a little bit of information about the MFA:

This innovative program has been designed to appeal to creative and collaborative minds, helping you develop and build technical skills while immersing you in the business, cultural, and aesthetic contexts of those skills.
Whether you want to create the next cool app, design a game that makes the world a better place, or write the next chapter of human innovation, this is your starting point.