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By Rebecca Greenspan The doors of SCAD-Atlanta officially opened March 21. As students gathered in one of SCAD-Atlanta’s four computer labs for a last-minute e-mail check and to print out schedules, the excitement was palpable, even for 9 a.m. on a Monday. The nearly 75 students who are part of the inaugural quarter at 1600 Peachtree St. N.E. came for many different reasons. The list of perks is long, and they include ample parking in a garage attached to the building, a supervised workout facility, an on-site food service shop, a centralized location in the middle of a major metropolitan area, and college housing a quick two blocks away. Assistant Director of Recruitment Erin Bennett Banks has been working in the building for nearly a month, and she said she definitely sees a change. “Now that the students are here, there’s so much energy and life in the building. It’s almost as if this building was designed to accommodate them.” Dewayne Martin, a first-year student in broadcast and motion graphics design from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., said he is enthusiastic about the possibilities that a world-class city offers those looking for careers in digital media. “In Atlanta, there are a lot of different companies you can intern with, and there are so many opportunities for growth,” he said. “Here, you can just walk into a company and see what they have to offer.” Erin Hebbe, a sophomore art history and broadcast design and motion graphics major originally from Atlanta, is able to return home to the city she loves and missed while in Savannah. “I missed Atlanta a lot,” she said. “I’m so excited to be back — family stuff was happening and now I can be here for them. I was able to walk down to Borders today, just down the street, and I’m looking forward to more concerts and other things to do in Atlanta.” Reading, Pa., native and painting major Jesse Beamesderfer is spending his last quarter as an undergraduate at SCAD-Atlanta. When asked why, he immediately answered that he likes being in a larger city with more and larger galleries. “I needed new experiences, a fresh start, and I’m taking advantage of the opportunities SCAD is providing — like free housing this quarter,” he said. The benefits of the city of Atlanta mesh perfectly with the college’s reputation, and the students at SCAD-Atlanta recognize the benefits. Beamesderfer said the facility makes him feel more professional, and he hopes to transition from school to career while in Atlanta. Martin notes that students who work with computers especially have many career options in Atlanta, with a variety of both large and small companies. He believes that Atlanta is the place for him to excel professionally, and he’s glad to be able to do it through SCAD. “This is where you want to be!” he said. Greenspan is assistant director of public information. |
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