Students Learn New Skills At Graphic Design Boot Camp

By Steve Bonanno

In Newtown High School’s graphic design room, which is equipped with computers and a dark room, T-shirts imprinted with student’s designs hang from the ceiling, and prints decorate the walls. For the last two weeks, this room has been the home of what has been called, “Graphic Design Boot Camp.”

Here, every weekday from 9 am to 2 pm, a group of 13 students learned the art of graphic design under the skilled guidance of David Defeo, the high school’s graphics technology teacher, in Newtown Continuing Education’s Graphic Arts and Print Production program. The students ranged from graduated fifth graders to graduated eighth graders.

Mr Defeo explained that the students learned to use programs like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, which they then used to put designs on T-shirts, stickers, and notepads.

 “This is a really energetic and enormously productive bunch of kids,” said Mr Defeo. “Every day they really hit the ground running and get a lot done.”

The room was filled with incredibly enthusiastic students on Wednesday, July 11, with just two days left for the course. Some of the students enjoyed the program so much last year, they took it for their second time this summer.

Graduated eighth grader Courtney Demeglio was one of the students taking the course for her second summer. Courtney was wearing a T-shirt that said, “Ms. Happy” with a yellow smiling face design, which she had made in the class.

“I really like making T-shirts, and the teacher is really cool,” said Courtney. “I encourage people who like art and computers to take the class.”

Courtney said that she plans to take the class as an elective this upcoming school year when she attends NHS.

Georgia Filer-Calvo, a graduated fifth grader, took the class for her first time this summer. She wore a shirt with the Dr Seuss characters Thing 1 and Thing 2 that she too had made in the class. By Wednesday, Georgia said she had already made nine shirts and planned to finish four more before the class finished on Friday, July 13.

“It’s really fun,” said Georgia, “and everyone can come together as friends.”