MACGYVER CLUB MEETS THIS MONDAY 1:30

When was the last time you looked at your wallet, backpack, or inside the skinny door of your locker and thought, "I've got to get organized, but this thing isn't built the way I want it to be." Come learn some basic duct taping skills to recreate your world and make your life and the life of others easier. 

Macgyver got around many difficult situations with duct tape and a Swiss Army knife. Come create what you need , become a MacGyver thinker who learns how to use your own ingenuity to fix or remedy a problem using only the tools (or skills) at hand. The next Macgyver skill that we'll learn is paracording.

 For more info on club philosopy and activities, go to the MacGyver Reading Club tab on the Media Center blog at lphsmedia.blogspot.com. Contact Miss Mayne or Steven Song for signup and meeting info! You must be signed up to start a project. There is no fee to join.

MIA: Where Have All the Chess Players Gone?

"I'm gonna kill you," One player says to another, and means it.

It all started about three years ago; a golden king chess piece came up missing on one of the expensive chess boards in the Media Center. Someone found it in the Baseball Armory and told Miss Mayne about it. He promised to bring it back but made the mistake of putting it on the metal ledge on the front window outside the Media Center after hours, where it was stolen a second time.

MIA King

The chess sets bought for the Media Center are hand-made, heavy, and highly decorative. It took years to buy them; they are pricey and difficult to replace. We had no choice, they have to be checked out now, and held in the Periodical Room when not being used. Miss Mayne loved the convenience of leaving them on the table and letting kids just "drop and play" whenever they wanted to. But alas, as is typical, one person ruined it for everyone else. Now, the chess players have disappeared too.

Should we put the sets out again, hoping nobody will lift pieces and take them for a permanent walk? They're here if you want to come play. (Look around, see if anyone has a golden king like the one in the photo sitting on their bookshelf at home. It could even be a person who has already graduated.)

YEARBOOKS AS OLD AS YOU ARE 

Homecoming means a lot of things to a lot of people, but until I pulled out all the yearbooks to give to Mrs. Bromley for a nostalgic faculty display, I honestly didn't realize how much time had gone by. I have been so focused on getting this library built up for student and teacher use, the time when by in a hurry. So to me, the student theme this year IT'S TIME really hit home. IT'S TIME, because that's all we've got that really matters, IT'S TIME because this particular point in time will never come by again (so ask the girl or guy out you want to be with on Homecoming night, don't stand on ceremony), IT'S TIME because noticing the people around you, not the things, is really what is important. "People first, then things," as Suzie Orman says, trying to get us to focus on the most important elements in this span of time. So be brave! Have courage! Even if the person you ask is stupid enough to say "No", you have tried and used your time well. No regrets. IT'S TIME!

That's 16 yearbooks, going on 17.
Miss Mayne and Mrs. Bromley are both amazed at how
many years are reflected by the yearbooks that LPHS has
been around .  You can find these yearbooks at the Media
Center in the Archive cupboard for viewing.

WHAT'S THAT---- Seeing Double?

What does Halloween and the Girl With the Pearl Earring have to do with the Media Center--- and what about that weird looking spider in his web, is he a jumper or not ? Where did Halloween come from and why do we celebrate it? What kind of scary books are out there for you to read to get you in the mood for that one last, dark night in October? Come to the Media Center to answer all of these questions in less than a minute.

THE KITES ARE DOWN &

 IT'S BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL!

Welcome back to LPHS Media Center and to all of the things we offer you! We're hoping to see much more reading this year since more English Teachers are becoming involved in the Thirty Book Challenge with their classes. Our current book count is over 16 thousand books---there ought to be 30 books of interest to you somewhere in here!

A CANOPY OF KITES !

Just as soon as the daffodils break through the snowy earth, chemistry teacher and kite nut, Rachel Wentz comes to the Media Center and hangs over 40 kites for student enjoyment and information. If you haven't been in yet, even if you have seen them in years past, it's time to become acquainted with the new additions, the fighter kites --- read on my friend, there is more.

Students study quietly beneath a canopy of kites

Fighter kites have been around for centuries, particulary in Asian and East Indian cultures. All ages fly them. Contests abound and the winners are considered a type of hero.

Fighter kites may look pretty harmless when you first look at them, but just like in real life, it's the little guys you have to watch out for. In the hands of the right handler they can be lethal in a battle of" winner take all. " Yep, the winner walks away with the loser's kite.

"I suck at kite fighting," Wentz comments, remembering a kite she lost last year in battle , " but I really like the challenge of developing my skills."

There are a couple of ways to prevent your competitor from winning: You can block the wind by  his kite and cause it to drop, or "slice and dice" it with a ground glass impregnated string attached to your kite. 

Miss Mayne has samples of the ground glass string on a large spool on the counter in her office, "I'm not apt to give out samples, but it's real cool to carefully run your fingers on the line and imagine the damage it could cause."

It's not the cotton kite string of your childhood. Miss Wentz calls the string "the old tendon cutter" referring to the finger damage experienced by fliers who don't properly protect their fingers.

There is a great deal to know about kites and we have plenty of the best kite books available in the Media Center for your use. Thanks for all your hard work Miss Wentz!

FINI !

Finally, the Media Center painting project has come to a close. In reality, it was painted three times in some spots. When the school was first built they painted it with oil-based paint, which yellowed over time. In order to put latex paint on oil based it had to be covered with a white primer first. That's why Joe the Painter became somewhat of a fixture here - white base, color, second coat.
Miss Mayne really threw a complication in by asking him to paint dark grey on ductwork and columns to turn them into architectural features. (Lotso taping on Joe's part), Given grey and white as her only choices, it was her version of jazzing things up a bit.
 Next step wall hangings in the form of a Pottery Barn hanging system for the photo and ceramics classes above the backpack cubbys. Stay tuned! The Media Center is an evolving place! 

New Media Center Paint Job Adds Sophistication