Jose Mario Lopez tagged a photo of you: We’ve all gotten the notification. Although those who don’t know Jose personally may not be aware of how dynamic he is, the ambitious Material Science/Biomedical Engineering major makes time for it all: he is a founding father of Phi Delta Theta, holds the challenging position of Greek Sing Chair, and snaps photos at virtually every CMU event. Not to mention, he’s a talented cook and loves to dance. It’s safe to say that this Puerto-Rican raised artist is one eclectic guy.
Jose accredits his interest in photography to his mother, who loved to snap pictures of her son despite his reluctance to pose. In fact, it was Jose’s aversion to posing for photos that catalyzed his decision to “take the camera instead”. Since then, photography has been a hobby of his, yet it wasn’t until last summer that Jose bought his first DSLR camera after a fellow pre-college counselor taught him photography techniques. The most interesting aspect of photography, Jose says, is figuring out which settings work best for particular types of lighting; an issue that pertains to any event where CMU’s AB Tech is involved.
Jose’s favorite event to photograph thus far was the NCAA men’s and women’s soccer tournaments because “taking pictures [of the soccer game] at night was a challenge.” Lunar Gala stacks up as a close second because Jose enjoyed capturing the “[work of the CMU] artists who do such amazing things”.
Jose’s appreciation for creative arts stems partly from his having been “in love with musicals and dancing” since he was a child. Thus, it’s natural that he’s known Greek Sing would be a good way to foster his passion “ever since [he] saw it last year.” Yet the prospect of running a show for the first time is enough to make any GS chair quake in their boots. Jose says that the biggest challenge is ensuring that the story “really shines through without sacrificing any of the exciting musical numbers.” Nevertheless, he is optimistic since he is working with his “wonderful brothers”, who he calls “amazingly interesting people”.
Although Jose says there have been obstacles in helping to orchestrate CMU’s newest fraternity, the prospect of “knowing that we are leaving a legacy for future brothers” keeps him going.
So, what’s Jose’s secret for relentless passion and a cheery disposition? For starters, he claims that “CMU has taught me how to organize myself”, which is certainly key to time-management. But his best advice is that “there is always time to do the things you love”.