It all started with the last presidential election.
Toward the end of the fall of 2007, I was a lowly freshman, still trying to get to know my way around SCAD. Back then SCAD’s Facebook group was less than official. It was designed for all of us unknowing newbies to put out feelers and make contacts with anyone else about to dive into the intense sea of art school. I checked in on the page every so often, even as I started to make friendships that quarter with the people around me. One day, a thread discussing the upcoming presidential primaries appeared, and I, being the current events junkie I was, clicked through.
The originator of the thread was Maken Imcha, a features writer for The Connector and a person I would grow to know as that year went by. She was asking for students to contribute their thoughts for an upcoming article for the SCAD Atlanta student newspaper, which had just recently been given independence from Savannah. I sent her a reply email, and soon I started coming to the weekly meetings, even getting the chance to write my first article over the winter break. That winter, I grew more interested — and more involved — in The Connector. (Fun fact: my unassuming mug had been in the second issue, perhaps a sign of things to come).
Soon enough, job postings for the new 2008-2009 term appeared (all positions at The Connector are reopened at the end of every winter quarter). Passionate about design and with the experience of laying out a high school literary magazine behind me, I applied with the long shot of being the next art director for The Connector, still a printed paper at that time. Amazingly, I got the job and joined a new team led by Imcha. The position was a great way to get my feet wet and develop my editorial skills in both writing and design. The inner news nerd inside of me was ecstatic.
Three years, three teams and hundreds of connections to super-talented people later, student media has been one ever-shifting family for me, even as personal friends and classmates come and go. Friday meetings are a part of my schedule just like any other class. I’ve been through four official positions, experienced a massive transition from print to online and helped launch and sustain an award-winning student magazine that gets better every quarter. I’ve been able to mentor this year’s team and share my skills and knowledge I’ve built throughout the years.
SCAD friends ask me how I know so many people. Collaborating with scores of students in this test of the “real world” has rivaled any internship. I’ve gotten to work with some of the most skilled, passionate writers, photographers and graphic designers SCAD Atlanta has to offer. Long-term connections and friendships were forged — whether we were pulling our hair out over a looming press deadline or going out for pizza to celebrate an achievement.
Because I got involved with student media early on in my SCAD career, I’ve been able to benefit immensely. But whether you just walked in the door or are about to walk across that stage, you still have a chance to be involved with your school. It could be writing articles for The Connector, or it could be helping your fellow students in any number of organizations that SCAD has established. They’re not there to fill the walls with colorful event posters for the heck of it.
I know artists are innately introverted, but by joining a group, you get to meet other talented people who you’ll stay connected with for years to come, and have fun doing it. If you’re just sitting in class and going with the flow, you’re missing out.
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Student Media
