We report the winners, but what does it take to build a winning Baja car? Ask Chris Jones, project manager for the RIT team. Watching him and Mike Gebrian (among others) tweak the RIT cars—and then watching the cars take top 10 placements—shows that the teams don’t just tinker, they are pretty intense….

Cars from 89 colleges took to the track with nearly 20 of them from around the world…The Venezuelan team arrived in NYC on Tuesday prior to the competition, made it up to Rochester a day later and had to begin re-assembling the car. Many of the students had never been to the US before and enjoyed their adventure in Baja Rochester.

They were among the many fan favorites. Our neighbors from MCC and the University of Rochester, and from down the thruway, at Cornell, all had big cheering sections.

But, the feel-good story of the event came as people learned more about the entry from James Madison University. This two-man team drove from the college in Virginia to Rochester, alternated drivers in each of the events over the three days and cheered each other on throughout the competition. By the awards dinner on the last day, they were tired but still having a great time—and they received the first standing ovation of the evening for their grit, determination and can-do attitude.

There were more stories like that at the event—from the favored teams being towed after a mishap to the underdogs biting at the heels of the big dogs, from the loud and proud fans to the alums who used to be team members and went on to the big leagues of Honda, Toyota, Briggs and Stratton…this gig had it all under the hood, in the water and over the hills…

Check out UNS photographer Sue Weisler’s photo gallery on the RIT Facebook site.

Here’s a preview of one of her amazing action photos:

WHEW! But wait, not so fast…top-selling author Margaret Atwood and keynote speaker at RIT’s three-day Future of Reading symposium last week said: “People read e-books because they are cheap and can reach you immediately. But would you put your will in e-form? Only if you have the brains of a squirrel.”

In agreement was Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson, who said “Kindle is not a superior reading service; it’s a superior delivery service.” And UCLA professor Johanna Drucker who said tablets and the Web are simply “competition for the eyeballs” and offer a discontinuous, less immersive reading experience.

A bevy of RIT experts joined the fray including Amit Ray, professor in the College of Liberal Arts who discussed the Wikipedia community, which has almost become the 21st century archival bible in more than 270 different languages; Rachel Gootnick of the RIT Open Publishing Lab who led an interactive session on self-publishing basics; and Scott McCarney of the RIT School of Print Media who discussed books as objects and bookbinding tools and techniques.

As a wordsmith, I was totally engaged with Richard Lanham, professor emeritus from the English department at UCLA. He showcased an animated video from 30 years ago, “Revising Prose,” and it left a strong imprint.

Business professionals, college professors and students, politicians, everyday people are all guilty of this kind of writing: “The blah, blah, blah factor that makes the reader feel like they are sitting in a penalty box.” Lanham recommends removing all prepositions, using active verbs and cutting the prose to half the original.

Or as he comically says, “Reduce the lard factor to 50 percent and get rid of the verbal diarrhea.”

All that was missing at the end of the symposium was a talisman. We needed an animated crystal ball where we could slide our fingers left to right to read the words that would spell out the future for the next generations of readers and writers—before we reach the 22nd century in 2101.

But again, Atwood beat us to it—and it becomes stranger with fiction.

In her book, The Handmaid’s Tale, the epilogue itself is a “transcription of a Symposium on Gileadean Studies written some time in the distant future in 2195.” The end result: Concubine Offred was about to be escorted away in a van to an unknown fate.

And so it is with reading. It’s not the end of story, but a new beginning.

Since the start of the academic year, the team has known it would host one of the biggest regional events for SAE Baja. After months of prep and planning, more than 1,000 engineering and engineering tech students, supporters, families, friends and fans have arrived on campus.

And, oh by the way—the cars are pretty awesome, too!

Teams lined up vehicles at 7 this morning and the inspections that launch the event have begun.

The technology incorporated into the cars is as interesting as the technology being used to record all parts of the event—from Twitter to Facebook, from websites and blog posts…the event is news all day, and the news comes to you by way of ‘official’ news people like UNS to the teams representatives…

But, nothing beats being here. Drop by the RIT Field House, check out the cars, visit with teams from as far away as South Korea and as close as MCC, the U of R and of course the Tigers!

Here’s a quick look at the start of the competition.

Teams tweaked and prepped all gear and equipment then were inspected by pros from Polaris, Briggs & Stratton. Even the on-board fire extinguisher gets checked.

Ritchie Faces the Nation

RIT mascot Ritchie the Tiger was interviewed by CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent and “Face the Nation” host, Bob Schieffer. Among the topics they discussed, Schieffer grilled Ritchie about his “unmascot-like” conduct at the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four men’s hockey tournament, and Ritchie has a lukewarm reaction to the idea of Tiger Woods as a potential commencement speaker:

Happy Memorial Day Weekend from RIT University News!

One of the most universal questions of Bob Schieffer’s generation is “Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?”

A 26-year-old night police reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Schieffer still lived at home with his widowed mother and siblings. His teen brother told him the grim news and Schieffer scrambled to work. Editors assigned him to the phones to assist the veteran reporters who were calling back from Dallas with details of the tragedy.

And then the young reporter took the most important phone call of his career. On the other end was a frantic woman who wanted a ride from Fort Worth to Dallas. It was the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald, who moments earlier had been named on the radio as the chief suspect in the Kennedy shooting.

Schieffer drove Oswald’s mother to the Dallas jail and picked her brain along the way about the assassin’s background. Once at the jail, Schieffer fooled law enforcement authorities, and they simply assumed he was officially escorting Mrs. Oswald. Schieffer spent more time with the mother and eventually Oswald’s wife in a special holding area. Later, the family’s request to speak with Lee Harvey Oswald was granted by police. And the young Schieffer was positioned to get the scoop of the century. An FBI agent finally asked the reporter for identity and Schieffer was promptly booted to the media circus outside the jailhouse …

I had the pleasure of escorting Schieffer back to Washington after the veteran chief White House correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation gave his commencement speech at RIT. I was invited on the jet flight (provided by Rochester businessman and RIT friend and trustee John “Dutch” Summers) by Tim Busch, WROC-TV, Channel 8 (executive vice president of Nexstar Broadcasting Group) and RIT’s Barry Culhane, executive assistant to President Bill Destler. (In the photo above, Schieffer and I are shown chatting on the flight to Washington, D.C.)

As a former newspaperman and history buff, I was like a kid in a candy store listening to Schieffer enthusiastically talk about his news encounters over the past four decades, as well as where he sees the future of journalism.

Schieffer genuinely loved his day at RIT. He loved that we embrace our “inner geek,” as Student Government President Matt Danna put it, and the diversity of thinking on our campus. Schieffer commits to three commencement addresses per year. This year, along with RIT, he addressed The Citadel and Georgetown.

On the 45-minute flight down to D.C., Schieffer engaged the Rochester contingent as if he were telling his behind-the-scenes news stories for the very first time – like he was breaking a news story to the nation. Here’s a sample of Schieffer’s commentary, insight and personal style on the flight:
• LBJ: Standing 6’4”, President Johnson was an imposing man, who apparently had no problem cursing at reporters. And when he addressed the nation on live TV in 1968, LBJ astonished the world and the media with his decision to not seek another term as president.
• Gerald Ford was Schieffer’s favorite president from a personal standpoint because Ford could easily transform into “one of the guys.”
• The current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a story that is only going to get bigger, he predicts.
• He believes a stronger business model is needed to support journalism. You need a strong revenue stream to support having a professional reporting staff.
• Newspapers are still Schieffer’s number one source of information. He believes they will continue to rely less on print, and find new ways to deliver the news. Media that innovate will be the winners.
• Schieffer owns and enjoys reading a Kindle.
• Schieffer understands the value of Twitter, but leaves the Tweeting to his 24-year-old assistant.

With all due respect to all my former history teachers and professors, my 45 minutes with Schieffer was the history lesson of a lifetime.

Among the 10 most-viewed RIT news stories in April, eight were related to the Tigers first-ever berth in the tournament. Plus, each of last month’s most popular news videos and podcasts also featured stories related to the team—and its fans—that captured the college hockey world’s fascination and admiration.

The most-read story for the month was the April 8 semifinal game story—written by John Follaco reporting from Detroit and filed within minutes of RIT’s 8-1 loss to Wisconsin.

For the complete list of last month’s top stories, videos and podcasts, see Top RIT News Stories, Videos and Podcasts for April 2010.

Something caught your eye? Has it impressed you? Did you just meet somebody interesting? For goodness sake, don’t keep it to yourself. Let us know!

That’s the spirit here at University News as we take the wraps off ImagineRITlive. Our exhibit at Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival is an experiment in social media—and we’re looking for your help.

University News staff members, armed with mobile devices supplied by Verizon Wireless, will fan out across campus tomorrow to provide live reporting—including photos and video highlights—of Imagine RIT activities. While that’s happening, visitors to our exhibit can share in the adventure of instant news coverage, learning how they can participate by sharing festival observations using their own devices.

The ImagineRITlive website has already been activated and serves as the venue for our reporting. Festival-related insights will be added in advance of the event and right on through the festival. Keep tabs on what’s happening by visiting www.rit.edu/ImagineRITlive.

You’re invited to contribute observations by using your Twitter account. Just include the hashtag #ImagineRITlive to your posts. Or feel free to e-mail your festival-related comments, photos and video clips to ImagineRITlive@rit.edu. We’ll make sure they get included on the website.

The ImagineRITlive exhibit will be located in the Gordon Field House. Stop by and meet the University News staff, witness a live podcast, and pick up copies of our most recent publications.

We look forward to seeing you at Imagine RIT. Enjoy the festival!

I hope that you, in some way, took advantage of the opportunity to revel in the spectacular performance of the men’s hockey team as it secured a berth in the prestigious NCAA Frozen Four tournament, which takes place April 8 and 10 in Detroit. What the Tigers have accomplished within merely five seasons of Division I hockey is truly amazing, and it’s a legitimate source of pride for our university.

I had the pleasure on Friday to join coworkers in the RITz SportsZone to witness the Tigers’ stunning upset over the East Region’s top-seed, the University of Denver. The camaraderie shared by students, faculty and staff—particularly as we sweated out the final few minutes of a one-goal contest—was something to behold. All of us left thinking that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something great.

Over the hours that followed, I spent a lot of time online watching Tiger pride swell across the Internet. Forums like Facebook and Twitter were lighting up with colorful commentary. More and more followers were flocking to the men’s hockey Facebook page. If you haven’t done so already, become a ‘fan’ at www.facebook.com/RIThockey.

Then, on Saturday, I received the treat of a lifetime. My son and I made the trip to Albany to be inside the Times Union Center and watch the Tigers make history. How spectacular to be engulfed in a sea of orange—a brotherhood of fans—watching the guys put on a clinic against the University of New Hampshire. I anticipate it will always remain one of the greatest memories.

But it’s not just RIT. The Tiger are clearly the talk of the town. The Rochester community finally finds itself at the epicenter of high profile, athletic achievement. No more trying to share in the accomplishments of teams from Syracuse or Buffalo. This one is all ours, Rochester! You’re Tigers too!

So that’s why I say this is all about community. Regardless of how this all ends, let’s enjoy the opportunity to share in something that is truly first rate.

Photo: Tigers fans await the team’s return from Albany early Sunday morning (Ron Goldberg, RIT Alumni Relations)

1) A student with mental health issues is despondent and is threatening to hurt himself.
2) Another student has had too much to drink and may need hospitalization due to alcohol poisoning.
3) Another student is distraught and is suicidal. A Monroe County 911 operator has information that tells you this student may have a weapon. You have other details from authorities that tell you this is a dangerous situation that may escalate.

Instinct and professional training kicked in for RIT Public Safety Wednesday morning. And they activated the RIT Alert notification system.

The language was blunt, as it should be for a credible threat: “R.I.T. Alert! Take Cover. Possible Armed suicidal person on campus. Go into nearest room. Lock or barricade the door. Follow instructions from authorities.”

When the crisis was resolved about an hour later, another alert went out detailing that the incident was over and all was clear. The distraught student was safe and in proper care (as were the other two students).

There were some glitches to the RIT Alert system and emergency communications that we have already outlined to the community. We will continue to tweak and improve our system.

We heard from some of you who live off campus and were “inconvenienced” by losing some sleep. We heard your complaints and will use your feedback.

But you will get no apologies!

In today’s world, working 9 to 5 is a thing of the past. What if you were working in a lab or office late at night? What if this had transpired at 4:30 a.m. and extended into the start of the workday while you were commuting to campus? When Public Safety activates RIT Alert, every second counts. Segmenting messages was not an option (yet).

If there is one thing we learned from the massacre at Virginia Tech, it is that it is better to over communicate, than to offer no communication or instructions. A Virginia panel blamed the university for not alerting the VT campus between the first dorm shooting and the rampage occurring two hours later.

We’ve heard from some on campus that they are now going to opt out of RIT Alert. I caution you that this is a mistake. And if you have not done so already, please sign up.

Back to Wednesday morning: University News dealt with media crews for about 90 minutes. At Virginia Tech, media camped out for a month. Due to the strong relationships University News has built with the Rochester media (many UNS staff members have held leadership positions in previous jobs with these media outlets) the coverage was fair and accurate, as you will see from Channel 13 and Channel 8.

On to social media (Make sure to read the blog post of Mike Saffran, Associate Director/Manager of New Media) … University News was criticized somewhat for its use of social media. While we did post information on Facebook and Twitter, in retrospect we could have done a better job of combating some of the misinformation that was being communicated by so-called citizen journalists. This included the irresponsible act of broadcasting “2 dead” at Colony Manor.

We live by this mantra in University News: Accuracy, clarity of message, speed. Accuracy must trump speed every time.

So we will learn from Wednesday morning and continue to improve our emergency communications plan for the inevitable next crisis.

Here is the final headline: “RIT Wakes Up Wednesday to a Safe Campus.” Tweet that.

RIT—and, by extension, RIT University News—became the targets of negative criticism on Wednesday during and after the on-campus incident that led to an arrest by Monroe County sheriff’s deputies. Ironically, RIT received some criticism for perceived communication overkill via RIT Alert (as Bob Finnerty shares in his blog post), while others criticized RIT for under communication on Twitter. Quite frankly, I feel some criticism of both is warranted (even though this incident represented the first true RIT crisis of the “Twitter era”).

First, however, I believe the decision—made on the front lines of RIT Public Safety—to activate RIT Alert and issue an emergency message was a justified, precautionary measure given the circumstances and in light of recent violence on other college campuses across the country. Some recipients, though, have questioned the need to alert people who were at home—many miles away from campus in some cases—to the late night/early morning on-campus incident. I agree, in principle, with this sentiment, and I hope the notification process is examined.

Also, a few other “bumps” in the RIT Alert system still need to be ironed out. Important questions—including ones about the number and timing of phone calls that some people received—are well addressed in a statement issued on Wednesday by RIT Chief Communications Officer Bob Finnerty (as well as in Bob’s blog post). So, I’d like to turn my focus to criticism of RIT’s use of social media—Twitter, in particular—as events unfolded early Wednesday.

As stated above, some negative criticism is deserved. For example, regrettably University News experienced a bit of an internal communications hiccup Wednesday morning. Although it is not a good excuse, the middle-of-the-night timing and dispersed staff played a role. While certain aspects of our crisis communication plan were implemented without a hitch, the plan was not followed to a tee. Clearly, we could have (and should have) had more hands on deck and done much better on Twitter (with less concern for traditional media—an opinion I expressed in my previous post).

We learned from our missteps and have already implemented changes that should mean enhanced performance in social media—including addressing misinformation by other users—in the event of a crisis-communication situation. However, we also feel that it is important for everyone—particularly those who criticized RIT for poor communication via Twitter—to understand that RIT Alert is, properly, our first priority in a crisis. Quite simply: Although it is growing, the percentage of college students nationally who use Twitter is still relatively minuscule. And today, despite the hoopla surrounding Twitter, it would be irresponsible if RIT were to not make RIT Alert its first priority for disseminating accurate information in a crisis situation. As Bob Finnerty stated in a Wednesday message to the University News staff: “The priority is as follows: Accuracy, clarity of message, speed. Accuracy trumps all, even if someone is ‘out tweeting’ us.”

University News has already held two formal follow-up meetings about our response to Wednesday’s incident and, we’re confident, is much better prepared as a result of changes already implemented. We appreciate all of your feedback—positive and negative—that contributes to our improvement, here behind the scenes of RIT University News.