At the start of this semester, graphic design students were met with a new classroom setup when they returned from winter break. The graphic design lab had been outfitted with 20 of the latest colorful iMacs waiting to be used. The computers are cleverly matched to the school colors, green and gold, and also have matching keyboards. They are running the most recent Apple software update, macOS 14 Sonoma.

According to graphic design professor and art department chair, Santanu Majumdar, this update has been a long time coming. “We actually were technically seven or eight years behind in terms of technology,” said Professor Majumdar. “Our computers were sluggish, … so it was time to get it changed.”

Professor Majumdar expressed that the old Macs had trouble running the Adobe Suite programs, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Apple computers, as well as the Adobe Suite, are industry-standard among practicing graphic designers, so having computers that function well was a huge motivator. 

“We want our students to use the latest technology,” he said, citing that as more software updates come out for tech products, the harder it is for older equipment to run the new software. “Buying the right hardware is the key to running a successful class,” remarked Majumdar. 

The new computers seem to be a hit with the students. Professor Majumdar explained that the screens are smaller than the old computers, but he hasn’t received any explicit complaints. 

Unfortunately, though, they are having issues getting the computers properly set up with the software that IT uses to monitor the content on them. “I guess that is the frustration that we have right now, but we will overcome it,” Majumdar said.