Graphic design, one of the most popular pathways on campus, gets new upgrades in technology used for printing and all other kinds of graphic arts.
It’s nearly impossible not to feel awestruck when you walk into room 413 these days. A pug stares you down from one corner while the inspiration of Superhero posters cheers you on from the next. Lo-fi music plays quietly from speakers around the room, putting students arriving to class at ease. From behind one of the 40 brand new Mac computers, teacher Michael Pedersen circulates the room helping students who are experimenting on Photoshop while watching video tutorials posted by Pedersen.
The best part hasn’t even hit you yet, you walk behind a table of Macs and open a massive red door wondering what is behind it. You open the door wondering if something is going to pop out and scare you, nothing does, but big motion censored lights turn on and outline big tables, posters, and machines. The walls are lined with the most interesting past work from students, and the main table has the March Madness Jordan Edition bracket covering it. About 10 spinny chairs surround the table. These colored lights in the photo studio next door are flowing through the blinds, you wonder what is in the photo studio and why the lights are green. As you open the door, you see everything you could ever want in a studio, about 8-10 lights line the ceilings.
This year, the graphic design pathway has been given a lot of new technology to take the pathway to the next level; the new $2 million building has been in the works for a couple of years but now this once dream is now a reality.
Ranging from two monitors per student, a brand new photo studio, and a brand new machine to help print on skateboards, this new equipment just for the graphic design pathway is looking to take things up a notch. This brand new photo studio has about 12 Hollywood style hanging lights, a green screen, and a video recording aspect that will change the video production and photos taken at Canyon Hills forever.
Mr. Pedersen, the head of the graphic design department here at Canyon Hills, has been waiting for this equipment to finally be done being assembled. It’s taken two years but over the summer this new section of campus was completed and has been very popular amongst students. Now students can make stickers, they can do a complete photoshoot for a sports team, they can now finally print on their phone cases and that is just a couple of the things that these machines are capable of.
“I’m so incredibly excited that it’s finally here, it’s been 5 years in the making. We’ve already done some very cool things in the past, but with this new equipment we are able to do even better things.” Stated Mr. Pedersen “I am super excited to see what the kids can do with this new technology.”
Not only are staff at Canyon Hills excited about this new technology, students are just as excited because it brings a whole new aspect of customization to them and they may have to pay a small price, but in the end it will be worth it.
“Definitely builds more opportunities for students, provides more creativity for our ideas and it can open up new things for students to do around campus,” said Junior Nathan Spellerberg,
So far there hasn’t been a large use of the new tech, but that’s only because Mr. Pedersen needs to get his students ready to use that tech by knowing how to use photoshop and all of the basics of this new technology. His hope his that by early November that his students will be ready to use the tech and create some very cool things around campus, such as stickers, prints for the outside of the doors and so many other things around campus.
