Pages of the Press offers immersive learning experience for CMU students

When the Center for Learning through Games and Simulations launches Pages of the Press this fall, it won’t just be creating a team of tabletop game enthusiasts. It will be shaping student professionals who learn by doing. 

The new immersive learning program invites Central Michigan University students to join the Central Michigan University Press team behind peer-reviewed tabletop games, gaining firsthand experience in sales, marketing, logistics, and outreach. 

“Pages of the Press is designed to bring students into every part of what we do, from learning our games to helping share them with the world,” said Veronica Gregory, coordinator of outreach for the CLGS. “It’s about teamwork, communication, and seeing how creativity and business meet.” 

Co-directed by Jonathan Truitt, faculty member in the Department of History, World Languages and Cultures, and Tracy Davis, faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature, the program builds on the CLGS’s mission to merge academic learning with industry-ready experience. 

Gregory said Pages of the Press aims to “provide students with an immersive learning opportunity in the business world of games which will equip them with valuable skills to build their résumés and utilize in their chosen career paths.” 

Building hands-on learning experiences

Each year, the CLGS takes students to Gen Con in Indianapolis, where they work side by side with faculty and game designers to sell CMU-developed games and network with industry professionals. 

For Tanner Hawley, a sophomore accounting major from Gaylord, Mich., that experience offered a rare chance to apply classroom learning to real sales situations. 

“It was hands-on, requiring adaptation and improvement in real time instead of reading a concept from a textbook,” Hawley said. “This experience gave me the opportunity to find what worked for me and what didn’t in genuine sales situations, which many business students don’t get out of a classroom environment.” 

Connecting business and creativity

The program’s success at national conventions highlights how CLGS merges creative design with business operations, from marketing to logistics and sales. 

Rachel Meininger, a senior logistics management major from Kalamazoo, Mich., said working with CLGS expanded her understanding of what business looks like in a creative industry. 

“Being a business major, the gaming industry isn’t something I find myself in often,” Meininger said. “But working with CLGS at Gen Con taught me so much, not just about gaming, but about all of the logistics and marketing that go into planning such a large event.” 

She added that the program encouraged her to explore new fields and grow her confidence in professional communication and event coordination. 

Learning the full process

For Lauren Bonomo, a logistics management and marketing major from Grand Rapids, Mich., her time with CLGS and CMICH Press was a deep dive into the entire supply chain from product creation to final sale. 

“CLGS provided an unparalleled, hands-on look at the entire supply chain for a creative product,” Bonomo said. “From calculating order quantities to seeing someone pick up a game I helped ship, it made all the complex planning feel incredibly worthwhile.” 

Bonomo, pictured at GenCon below, said that experience helped her bring real-world logistics insights back into her coursework at CMU and apply those lessons to future business challenges. 

Expanding opportunity through playtesting

Pages of the Press will meet every other week following student interviews on Oct. 31, and the CLGS expects to welcome four to six students in its inaugural group. 

Students can also get involved through Break Our Games Fridays, monthly playtesting sessions where participants try games in development and offer feedback. 

Upcoming Break Our Games events  

• Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, 3–5 p.m. in Park Library Room 211