The spring semester has started at the new Lehigh Carbon Community College campus and the verdict is favorable.

The site, located in the west wing of the Jim Thorpe Area High School, 1100 Center St., is now a hub for college students and provides more flexible space and opportunities for additional classes that weren't available before.LCCC's Carbon campus moved from its former location along Locust Street in Nesquehoning, just after finals ended in December.When students walk into the building, they are now greeted by a full-time security guard, as well as secretarial and admission offices.This week, students began classes in their new home and the consensus is that the location is ideal for college learning.Natasha Fonseca of Albrightsville, who used to take classes at the Nesquehoning site, said she likes the new campus."I think it's nice," she said. "They did a good job at accommodating us. There is more space and it feels more like a school."Fonseca added that the new location is more convenient to areas such as Albrightsville because it is now centrally located.Jacob Harris of Lehighton agreed."It's an improvement," he said, noting that it used to be hard to hear in the classrooms in Nesquehoning when it was raining because of the way the building was constructed.Student: 'I thinkit's awesome'Sebastian Mystkowski of Lehighton, who formerly went to Bloomsburg University, said the Carbon campus was convenient for him because it wasn't an hour away, like main campus."I think it's awesome," he said, noting that he actually likes the site better than Bloomsburg. "You get to know the staff, the student lounge is cool and it is just a welcoming place."Even the professors are happy.Andy Harvan, an assistant professor of math at LCCC and a resident of Lansford, who was teaching courses Thursday morning, said that the new building is "much more professional.""The setup is good and is accommodating," he said, adding that all they need to do now is build up the number of students attending. Currently, approximately 250 seats have been filled in the classrooms.A prospective student and his mother were also impressed as they visited the site."It's very nice," Colton Black of Lansford said. "It seems like there is more space."Black, who is a Panther Valley student, plans to attend LCCC in the fall as a criminal justice major.His mother, Lori Zonca, added that she was happy that the site was convenient, close to home and provides her son with the courses he needs to complete his major.Smart classrooms,Wi-Fi accessThe new site features six smart classrooms during the day, Wi-Fi Internet access, a fully-furnished student lounge, computer lab, and off-street parking. After hours, Jim Thorpe High School classrooms turn into LCCC classrooms, where students can take labs and additional classes; as well as shared library space.Jeanne Miller, director of Carbon and Schuylkill County Educational Services at LCCC, said that it was a challenging, yet fun project, figuring out a layout that works for the site, which is still shared with Jim Thorpe Area High School. There are two partitions that create the boundary between the schools and so far, there has not been any issues with students crossing the boundaries when they weren't supposed to.Miller also noted that the new site, which is smaller in square footage than the Nesquehoning site, feels larger and more collegiate because of the planning and use of available space.She credited Jim Thorpe Superintendent Dr. Barbara Conway, high school Principal Tom Lesisko, and the staff at Jim Thorpe Area High School for all their help in making this new arrangement work."They have gone above and beyond to make this a very student-oriented place," Miller said. "It truly was a team effort with the students in mind."LCCC has had a presence in Carbon County since 1994, when its campus was located the Carbon County Vocational Technical School, now known as Carbon Career & Technical Institute.LCCC moved to the Nesquehoning site in 1999.More than 2,000 students from Carbon County attend one of LCCC's six campuses for credit and noncredit classes.