Asnuntuck holds ribbon-cutting for state-of-the-art Mac lab

Chris Roberts shows off his work in the lab to professor Cheryl Turgeon and Alissa Thimmesh. Photo by Colin Rajala.

Asnuntuck Community College continues the push of technology in higher education, as it held a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 28 for the installation of a Mac computer lab. The $75,000 project received a third of its funding from the Asnuntuck Community College Foundation.

"The ACC Foundation is so pleased to step forward in such a meaningful way to support the establishment of a state-of-the-art Mac lab at the college. Such a move will significantly enhance the quality of learning for students at Asnuntuck and allows our board to better fulfill its mission to support student academic achievement," said Karen Jarmoc, Foundation chairperson.

The state-of-the-art lab features 28 work stations which run both the Windows and Mac operating systems, allowing students to acclimate themselves to a new operating system while also helping them become proficient in both systems. Asnuntuck President Martha McLeod said that the student’s ability to adapt and know both systems is a major perk for perspective employers.

“Looking at the smiles in the room and feeling all the energy, that’s what it’s all about,” McLeod said. “You come in here and see kids saying, ‘Did you see that?’ or, ‘Look at what I can do,’ and they all look at this as a tool to lead them to things they couldn’t do before, which makes it all worth it. They know this is the place to come to get you into the job market. We have to move ahead, and you do that by listening to the people who are going to hire your students. By giving them the tools and listening to those who are going to hire them, we set them up for a career.”

McLeod said that the creation of the lab was prompted by the continued use of Macs in many area school systems, like Enfield, making the lab a necessary addition for incoming students. The flexibility of the lab is highlighted in the multitude of classes that will spend time in the new facility, from digital arts to business, mathematics and even machine technology.

“We want them to be exposed to emerging technologies,” said Cheryl Turgeon, ACC professor and board member. “There’s a difference between education and training. They’re getting educated while they are here. They are not learning a product; they are learning creative and analytical skills across multiple disciplines.”