Hello everyone!

Update: I MADE IT TO CALGARY! I have only been in Calgary for about 3 hours now and I have already met some people from other countries. It has been hard hunting down the printers from other countries… Hopefully I will meet them at dinner tonight.

When I got off of the bus in front of the competitors village, I saw a crowd of people sitting outside smoking cigarettes. I decided to go and say hi. It turns out that they are from the Netherlands (or Holland, whichever one you want to call it). When I told them I was competing in “Offset Printing” they immediately told me that I probably won’t win because their competitor is a 2 time Netherlands champion in printing and is also #1 in Europe. They also proceeded to tell me that he has been training for 3 months with Heidelberg.

I am NOT discouraged. I think I have a good chance of winning, just like the guy from the Netherlands does. I give him a lot of respect for getting to WorldSkills and I’m sure the competition won’t be easy. My secret weapon is time. We are allotted 4 hours to do the competition and I can do it in 2 and a half if I am focused. You get bonus points for finishing early. I also don’t know if he has had any training on the SHOTS simulator. Did anyone notice the computer from the pressroom missing?

I am going to go to dinner soon. All of the competitors eat dinner in the same place so I am hoping to meet all of the printers. I want to make lots of friends while I am here. Maybe exchange ideas on how printing is done in Europe. Should I try and talk to them about going to Ferris State University?

As for tomorrow, we are going to Banff! It is this super awesome place in the Canadian Rockies. It is a national park. They have hot springs and spas that I want to dip into. Lots of beautiful scenery. I forgot to bring my camera so you all will have to wait for pictures until James gets here. He is going to be here tomorrow!

I hope everyones first week of classes goes well. Keep me posted on GAA activities and such.

I am sitting at the airport in Grand Rapids getting ready to take off to Washington DC for a team building exercise. We are going to tour DC as a team and meet Senator Mike Enzi. On Saturday we will be leaving DC to head to Calgary, Alberta. That is where the competition is being held this year. I will be going up against 14 other competitors from different countries. These guys are the best of the best and the competition is NOT going to be easy. Just last night I had a dream that when I got to the competition, the press was a manroland, the other competitors all beat me at the print simulator, and I came in last. Oh well… At the end of the day, my friends are still my friends and they will accept me if I win or lose.

I am a little nervous about running 100# text through the feeder since that is the ONLY kind of paper I haven’t run on the Heidelberg SM-52. I guess I’ll just put all of the settings in the middle and see what happens. I really wish I could have brought my own ink. Grand Rapids Printing Inks was going to send me off with 5 lbs cans of CMYK inks but we weren’t sure how we were going to get it across the border and through airport security. We also weren’t sure if I was allowed to bring my own ink; it might give me a competitive advantage. I think it would be cool if the students in the paper and ink class come down to GRPI’s facility to mix some ink. Or maybe do a GAA tour/ink mixing session? What are your thoughts on this idea?

I think I blabbed enough about the competition for today. Off to Washington DC!

I am super excited that this airport has FREE WiFi

Keep checking the website for updates on my trip to WorldSkills 2009!

-Amela Mujkic

This year, the Graphic Arts Association is placing a greater emphasis on connecting with people not only within the print industry, but new-comers and potential student recruits. To accomplish this, the GAA is establishing a presence across social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, while launching a brand-new website. The new website will become a central hub for its members, as well as any industry leaders, students, or other people interested in learning more about the GAA’s activities; the site will feature podcasts and talkcasts (podcasts recorded live, similar to a radio talk show), blog posts from members on current topics, and much more.

Beginning in September, the GAA will hold monthly events dedicated to some of the hottest topics in print and new media. These will cover topics ranging from graphic design and web development to marketing and photography. The events will be presented by enthusiastic students, knowledgeable professors, and perhaps the occasional guest speaker, sharing their tips and tricks that GAA members and others would like to learn about.

Events will be recorded into podcasts that can be listened to on our website or downloaded to your iPod or other favorite media device. Students as well as people in the printing industry can listen from anywhere, discuss the topics on our website, and even “call in” to live talkcasts to partake in the discussion live.

The Ferris State University Graphic Arts Association is a professional student organization dedicated to helping its members connect with the printing industry, promoting Ferris State’s printing program and aiding the students in their studies.

The GAA is Going to Graph Expo Print ’09

Join us for the largest print expo in the Western Hemisphere!

PRINT ’09 is MyPrint

PRINT 09 became the graphic communications industry’s top international trade exhibition by producing exhibitor leads, sales and profits. It has remained number one by strategically driving in new directions. Digital printing. Creative services. Mailing and fulfillment. Wide format output. In these and other areas, PRINT 09 has understood the business model, identified the opportunities for exhibitors and customers alike, and delivered creative new solutions.

Always a powerhouse “selling” show, PRINT 09 today is also so much more. It’s a community, a place where productive partnerships are formed. Attendees won’t be at PRINT 09 just to buy, and you won’t be there just to sell. But everyone WILL be there working together to build something new – forging a creative new path into the future of the graphic communications industry.

For more information, please visit the Official Print ’09 Web Site.

The expense budget is listed below and includes the essentials to get to the expo. Please also bring money for food and any additional activities.

You will have to buy a ticket at the door if you want to attend the Expo (tickets will be approximately $55). You can pay for the rest of the trip online (below), or contact any of the E-board and pay by check. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

For orders placed online, there will be a $3.00 non-refundable processing fee.