By Cari Phillips, Staff Writer
Seconds after his death was announced, social media websites flooded with comments about Steve Jobs’ life, achievements and the impact he had on Apple customers.
Jobs’ innovations have revolutionized the technological world. He spearheaded a movement characterized by a sleek and minimalist design. Pushing every limit for more features and more functionality, he made intuitive technology available to all.
Apple changed its home page to a simple black and white memorial. The page read, “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius and the world has lost an amazing human being…Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
Starting with a simple idea, Jobs’ determination led him on a journey that would send him to the top of the technological world. “He let nothing get in his way, believing that everything is possible with hard work and and proved that crazy things can happen in a normal world,” said Luke Pruett, Resident Director.
Jobs’ ability to see what the people want before they want it has given many customers a trust in the products Apple produces. Few other CEO’s are as widely known as Jobs. Time stopped the presses to feature his face on their cover for the ninth time.
Many frequent Apple customers feel a personal connection to him because he kept himself closely tied to all he created. His death saddened many because he did not just sign off copyrights and pay the bills for things to be created. He had the ability to see things a certain way, and then create a product that reflected the way he believed things needed to work.
“It was really hard for me to hear about Steve’s death,” said Rob Alvey, senior art major.
“Even though I never knew Steve personally, he had a profound impact on my life.” Alvey said he remembers being introduced to his first Apple product, and how it encouraged him to purse a career in the creative arts field. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Steve Jobs.”
Ashley Blair, assistant professor of communication arts said, “Some families bond over sports. Our family bonded over video streams of Steve Jobs’ keynotes, and our kids went to Apple Camp. But, it didn’t really hit me until yesterday how much Steve Jobs had affected how we work and play.”
One of the most vivid pictures of Jobs’ innovation is the picture of a 1-year-old child knowing how to work his mother’s iPhone by simply pushing the button on the front of the phone, and sliding the bar across the screen. He took the most complicated technologies and simplified them in such a way that children and businessmen could enjoy equally.
“Steve Jobs left behind a legacy that was not confined to himself,” said Stephen Capps, senior biblical languages major. “Though he built Apple, he was humble enough to admit that he was unable to fulfill the duties of CEO when he resigned a month and a half ago.
“He shared a vision with the Apple team, and even Apple fans, that he was able to pass on to the new leadership – a vision combining aesthetics with power and ease of use. There is something fundamentally basic and cognitive about using an Apple product that just makes sense.”
Classrooms across Union’s campus use technology fingerprinted by Jobs and serve as a reminder of his originality in creating, his courage in pioneering and his unwillingness to settle for normality.
