Robert Kaminski panics. It鈥檚 late Saturday night, and the Thistle鈥檚 editor-in-chief is using a photo program that will help the yearbook staff easily access thousands of photos they鈥檝e taken. Kaminski鈥檚 photo editor just installed the program and spent the day painstakingly labeling and organizing each photo. In trying to figure it out, Kaminski pushed a button, and the labels disappeared. He sends a flurry of emails and text messages, hoping friends can help, but it鈥檚 too late at night. He leaves the yearbook鈥檚 University Center office. Problem unresolved.
Adversity is nothing new for Kaminski. The senior policy and management major is in charge of rescuing the Thistle from near oblivion. During the past few years, the publication dates would come and go. The 2004 book came out after the 2005 edition, and while the 2006 Thistle was on time, the 2007 version was months behind.
Last summer, Kaminski was approached by the student activities coordinator to recruit a photo staff for the Thistle. Kaminski had been the photo editor of The Tartan, and he and his newspaper photographers had contributed most of the photos in the 2006 yearbook, so he was familiar with the problems. After agreeing to help, he learned there was no yearbook staff. 鈥淵ou need an editor in chief?鈥� he asked. 鈥淚鈥檒l just do that.鈥�
And he did. Kaminski quickly pulled together a team of photographers and designers. At the fall Activities Fair, his charisma helped him amass more staff, including a copy editor, business manager, and editorial team. Then he cleaned the decrepit office, which was filled with broken cameras, trashed computers, and invoices from the early 鈥�90s. 鈥淓ven our stapler was broken,鈥� he says.
After scouring decades of yearbooks to come up with the 2008 edition鈥檚 design, he found inspiration in the books from the mid-鈥�60s鈥攁 clean, simple look he calls 鈥渃lassy mod.鈥� He organized the office, laying out deadlines and assignments on a massive whiteboard鈥� the last deadline being the delivery date in August.
Knowing he can鈥檛 make the deadlines by himself, he is quick to praise his staff of 15 and keep them motivated. When his photo editor showed him the computer鈥檚 new photo organizing system, Kaminski wanted to give him a hug, though the editor preferred a firm handshake.
That euphoria was replaced by panic hours later. Kaminski was able to cajole two editors into spending their Sunday morning at work. Sure enough, they discovered an operating system bug. Once it was removed, the system rebooted, keeping every photo labeled. Kaminski smiled. The Thistle remains on schedule.
鈥擝RITTANY MCCANDLESS (HS鈥�08)
