Art Grant

Mac Computers (Phases II and III)

Students in Graphic Design and Photography found new Macintosh computers and Apple LED Cinema Displays in the labs when they returned to school this year. These newly equipped labs, which previously operated with a PC platform, were made possible by a grant from the LFHS Foundation.

The Mac platform is well regarded as the industry standard in Graphic Design and Photography applications as it has faster processing speeds and is specifically designed to handle image-editing and page layout software. “The new platform will allow students to take their work to a higher level,” said Carolyn Bielski, a faculty member in the Art Department. “The faster processing speeds will allow us to complete more projects each semester.”

“In the Photography Lab, students will find that the intuitive nature of the Mac makes it easier for learning. Photoshop also runs more efficiently,” said Deb Zare, one of the photography teachers. “The larger monitors will allow students to make more accurate color adjustments to their photographs. What the students see on their screen will now be what they see on their prints.”

The value these new computers add to the Art classes does not represent the full value of the grant. According to Cornelius DuBose, Technology Director at LFHS, the personal computers previously being used in the lab were redeployed throughout the high school to replace some of the oldest equipment being used by other faculty and staff. “We were able to retire an incremental 31 computers from the back-end of our inventory saving us approximately $30,000.”