Mays Prep Opens New Media Center

January 2010

For a school as resource-strapped as Mays Prep, we make use of all bits of assistance that we receive. For example, a recent donation of over 1000 books and materials from Barnes and Noble provided the inspiration for our new Media Center; a place where students can come to read, watch educational videos, work on the computer, and even listen to guest speakers.

Reading Interventionist Kari Detwiler says, "We are distinctly aware that today, movie theatres are more abundant than libraries – and as a result, many of our children have lopsided interests; but the purpose of this media center is to provide a place within our school where students are excited to come and enjoy themselves." As a result, describing this new room as a library is insufficient. Detwiler says, "We hope to make this a place where student’s have various learning options – whether it’s reading a book, playing with puzzles, or watching a historical documentary." Altogether, we want to see a shift in the interests of our students – moving them away from the kind of commercial stimuli that have little to do with bolstering their storehouse of academic knowledge. Our students should absolutely be well-rounded, but they should also understand that school is a place of learning – and our responsibility is to create as many opportunities for them to be engaged in as many fun and exciting ways as possible.