By CONNIE NOLEN / Community Columnist

“Why do you have that skinny camera?” asked a fellow preschool parent.

“It records my images on 3×5 discs,” I replied.

“Why not use a film camera?”

“Because saving images on computers is more efficient. Soon, everyone will save photos on computers,” I insisted as the other parent snickered.

This snippet of conversation from a dozen years ago reveals the truth about my technological nerd status. I confess to being an epic technology nerd—which increases the thrill of having Literary Magazine students showcased along with many other technology-driven students and classes from Pelham’s schools.

In addition to literary magazine, theatre and film-making, digital design, photography, broadcast, moon buggy, biomed, engineering, sports medicine and law were also featured in the PHS portion of STEM night.

STEM stands for Science, Engineering, Technology and Math. A second glance at PHS featured programs reveals that many of technological tracks emerge from the arts.

“It was great to be a part of STEM night and wonderful for my theatre students to realize that their use of technology matters,” said PHS Theatre teacher Jamie Stephenson. “I push the idea of STEAM with my students because adding the A of arts into the mix accounts for the creativity needed to master technology, think critically, and emerge with new ideas, inventions, and cutting-edge projects.”

Adding the A of arts to create STEAM is a powerful concept catching hold nationwide.

Indeed, in 2013, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici asked witnesses about the importance of STEAM education before a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology in 2013 revealing that companies, like NIKE and Intel, look for employees with a “mind for science and an eye for design.”

Literary Magazine’s is in the Communication Academy which also includes classes in Yearbook, Creative Writing, Competitive Writing, Speech, Debate and Broadcast.

The final Communication Academy class is slated to be Online Media and Newspaper. Communication, Art and Technology intertwine—just as they will in our students careers.

Pelham High School looks to the future again with College and Career Night on Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 6-8 p.m.