Spring — 2006

James Mager

Interior Architecture

“I was brushing three feet of snow off my car one day and I thought, ‘That’s enough of this for a while!’ ”

It’s true. At certain times of the year in Upstate New York, it looks like nothing so much as Siberia. “So I came out here to get as far away from all that as I could,” says James Mager. “I thought I’d be going to the beach every day. But that just hasn’t happened at SMC.” James reports, “I got lucky in my first semester here because I had all really great instructors. And I was pleasantly surprised,” he continues, “because a lot of these professors come from really strong backgrounds in prestigious universities. And they’re not only qualified, they’re dedicated as well.”

Already armed with an AA in Graphic Design, James plans to go into Architecture and try to improve people’s lives by improving their dwelling spaces. “I want to own my own business and create pleasant, healthy environments for people. I think you can always improve the way people feel about the places where they live and work.” And James has certainly found one place on campus that seems to him something of an ideal. “The library here is incredible!” he says. “Even though the interior is concrete, it’s a very beautiful building. And when I go there, I always feel like I’m walking into some kind of ‘temple of learning.’”

But in addition to the ‘nuts and bolts’ studies he works through on his quest to become an architect, James also takes the time to expand his thinking as a human being. “I had an excellent Philosophy class with Professor Jones, and I actually looked forward to getting there. Whenever it’s a real pleasure to be in a classroom,” he adds, “you just know that whatever you’re learning is going to come in useful in life.”

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