by Sophie Nahorski
For students interested in pursuing a career in design, joining the Batavia High School graphic design club is an opportunity for students to further develop skills necessary to make that interest a reality.
As you walk into the graphics room, one will see the walls covered in all of the previous students work. The atmosphere is inspiring and intriguing, the glow of the computers light the ambitious students faces. The graphic design studio provides many resources available for students to use, such as a screen printer, heat presses, poster printer, sticker printer, a dark room, a typography station, and a wood engraving station. Also, there are many different mac computers available for students to work on their designs.
“I started the graphic design club because I wanted to create a space where students at Batavia High school could take advantage of different equipment and software that are offered in the graphic design studios,” said Zach Nahorski, the founding student of the graphic design club. “Normally you have to take a graphics class to use them. I wanted to make that more readily available to students.”
The club is an inviting place where club participants are able to work on new projects out of school for fun, or use the time to work on their projects for graphics class. It allows students a chance to experiment with different ideas, that are not following the schedule of the class, where you have to stick to a specific task. This provides a time for students to try out these new ideas, and put them to the test.
“The main reason I started graphics club was because when students love this class, sometimes they can not take another graphics class due to their schedule and I wanted students to have access to the lab and to be able to come in and work on personal projects and have fun throughout the 4 years,” said Kathleen TieriTon, the graphic design teacher at BHS. “We have such great resources here so I wanted to make sure students had access to that even when they were not in class.”
There is also a digital art camp offered during the summer for kids grades fourth through twelfth, offering an environment for kids to experiment a new form of art that they might not normally have access to. There, graphics students at Batavia help out the kids and teach them how to do new things. Students can make things like t-shirts, buttons, tote bags, stickers, and water bottles. Here, current BHS students can volunteer to help at the club too, and inspire the younger students in grade school to continue to stay involved in graphic design.
“I have known about graphics club since before I came here because I did the digital art camp,” said Bella Muetze, a junior graphic design student at Batavia. “She told everyone when they come to BHS to join it!”
As you walk into the graphics room, you will notice the air filled with the sound of student recommended music, clicking of mouses, keyboard tapping, printers buzzing, and fun chatter. This serves as a great environment for participants of the club to collaborate with each other, and create positive art for the community.
“My proudest moments are when we get to collaborate on something for the community,” TieriTon said. “it is great to have the extra time and opportunity to work together.”
Students are encouraged to ask their peers for advice on their designs, so that they can give new ideas and a new direction that they may have never considered before.
“My favorite part about the club is the people,” said Remy Panek, a current senior in the club. “It is nice to hang out with people who understand your vision, and can give you advice on your concept.”
This club allows art students to express themselves through different forms of art. Many of the members are involved in other forms of art besides just graphic design like 3D art, video production, fashion design, and interior design. The club encourages students to pursue art if they wish.
“Through graphics design at the high school, through that graphics club, you have the opportunity to get your foot in the door and try to make really cool things and develop your style, and over time build upon that all and potentially make a career out of it,” Nahorski said.
This club provides an environment of students that all have similar interests. It is an encouraging setting to explore your interests. It is a warm and welcoming space for the future of designers.
“This club contributed to my decision to pursue a career in design because I was around students with similar interests as me, and I had a mentor like Ms. T who encouraged me to pursue it,” said Sasha Nahorski, a former member of the club, who has pursued design
The graphic design club at Batavia High School is a great place to freely express yourself, and turn every creative idea you have into a reality.