On college and what matters most

Listening to Govs seniors these days , I am hearing much about the common application and college applications in general. In conversing with you all about your choices and why, I like to ask students about what really matters most for college. The general response entails quite a bit about desirable locations, great sports teams, the reputation of the programs, and of course, how your parents weigh in on the matter. Last week, I read an article in the New York Times by Frank Bruni that revolved around this very subject. While going to a reputable college is a wonderful accomplishment in and of itself, can one school give you things like fulfillment and happiness whereas another can not? 

Check out Bruni's article here and let us know what you (really) think about higher education and what matters most.

How to Measure a College's Value

Surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly) a name brand college doesn't amount to much of a differential in terms of overall satisfaction from any other college. The reality unfurled is this  - it is up to the individual to push him/herself. 

As Bruni writes, “What college gives you hinges almost entirely on what you give it.” So keep that in mind, young Jedis and know that there is always room to grow.

And if you're still contemplating the virtues of one school or another check out these library books to set your course straight:

The truth about getting in : a top college advisor tells you everything you need to know / by Cohen, Katherine.

Harvard, schmarvard : getting beyond the Ivy League to the college that is best for you by Mathews, Jay.

Alma mater : unusual stories and little-known facts from America's college campuses by Betterton, Don M.

The everything college survival book : from social life to study skills--everything you need to know to fit right in--before you're a senior! by Rich, Jason.

Believe it or not?

Do you sometimes receive "news" via email, facebook or twitter that you just can't quite believe? Sometimes I worry if young people (or older people!) are getting the story straight. You know when you play telephone and the story just keeps getting more and more convoluted as it makes its way round the circle? It seems more and more that the information we receive on the internet is trickling down to us in a similar fashion. So, what's my point? My point is that we don't know what or who to believe anymore. Are you familiar with the  Pig Rescues Goat video? 

I admit that I thought it was sweet and authentic when I first watched it. Fortunately, I did not embarrass myself by perpetuating the myth and forwarding it on to family and friends, but still, I bought it! I do love heroic (and talking, but that's another story) animals and perhaps the video is just slightly unbelievable, as we all know how socially intelligent pigs are, but where has our innate sense of telling fact from fiction heading? Down the drain, I say, or in the bottom of that man made feeding pond where the whole video was staged with multiple animal trainers and videographers on hand! There is so much raw and unfiltered information on the ether, how can we teach our students to navigate and search for truth in 2015? 

To begin with, make your librarians happy and check out the following sites to fact-check what you read:

• FactCheck.org
• Snopes.com
• Politifact.com
• The Washington Post Intersect | What Was Fake on the Internet This Week
• Gizmodo | Six Easy Ways to Tell if That Viral Story Is a Hoax

Last week on the N.Y. Times Learning blog they covered this very topic.

Below you will find the article from the link:

NYTimes Learning blog

Yours in truth,

A Pesky Librarian

Tools and Strategies: How to Tell Fake News From Real News

Worst Twerk Fail EVER — Girl Catches Fire

Mexican Red Rump Tarantula Missing in Brooklyn

Post a Facebook Copyright Status to Protect Your Information

These stories all went viral on social media, but if you click the links, you’ll see all of them turned out to be hoaxes. And yet, sometimes something that sounds fake — like this story about West Point cadets who “weaponized” a pillow fight — isn’t.

How can you tell? Before you hit “share,” what questions should you ask?

First, suggests Chad Lorenz in a piece for Slate that explores the need for news literacy curriculums, consider the places from which you routinely get information:

Today a tour through your social media news feed might take you to Mental Floss, Dadaviz, Colossal, Cracked,Dangerous Minds, Uproxx. How is a reader to know what from this assortment of blogs and webzines can be trusted? What about a site like Inquisitr? (Approach with caution.) What about Before It’s News? (Trick question: That one is definitely not to be trusted.) While it might seem easy to distinguish real news from fake news, many people, including experienced journalists,get suckered more often than you would think. Students, as heavy users of social media, where fake news and hoaxes proliferate, should think about their own responsibility to share reliable information and not perpetuate misinformation.

Once you’ve done that, you might next consult the Newseum’s popular Believe It Or Not? lesson plan that walks teachers and students through basic news literacy. Students learn to ask these six “consumer questions” when vetting a story:

• Who made this?
• How was this made?
• Why was this made?
• When was this made?
• What is this missing?
• Where do I go from here?

Another method for questioning sources of information is the mnemonic the students at Intermediate School 303 in Coney Island use: IMVAIN.

• Independent sources are preferable to self-interested sources.
• Multiple sources are preferable to a report based on a single source.
• Sources who Verify or provide verifiable information are preferable to those who merely assert.
• Authoritative and/or Informed sources are preferable to sources who are uninformed or lack authoritative background.
• Named sources are better than anonymous ones.

Watch a video and learn more about how they use this technique, from the Center for News Literacy, here, then try it yourself with this checklist.

Finally, here are some guidelines specifically about breaking news from NPR’s On The Media:

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Still Growing Up

I'm a big fan of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Ever since they put out Same Love, I listen closely to what they produce and say in their music. Their recent single Growing Up has me emotional and grateful for another beautiful piece they have co-created. Growing Up is a letter to Macklemore's daughter Sloane, that he wrote a month before she was born. It's a reflective and emotional ode to parenthood, childhood and the path in between.


I've been thinking a lot about the culture of Govs and the boarding school community in general, and how easy it is to get caught up in the ups and downs of our shared experiences (like what we all went through last week). And although we may go through them together, independently, or on very separate terms, in the end, we come together as a community - somehow. So, if you are harboring some pain or ill feeling towards elders, authorities, parents or peers, listen to this song and know that we are all groping our way through the dark spots of life. The truth is, we're ALL still growing up and have miles to go before we sleep.

Here are a few of my favorite parts:

They say boys don't cry
But your dad has shed a lot of tears
They say I should be a strong man
But baby, I'm still filled with fear
Sometimes I don't know who I am
Sometimes I question why I'm here

Get back to community that raised you up
Read Langston Hughes, I suggest A Raisin in the Sun
Listen to Sam Cooke, a change gon' come
You put the work in, don't worry about the praise, my love
Don't try to change the world, find something that you love
And do it every day
Do that for the rest of your life
And eventually, the world will change

I'm still growing up

I recommend that you read The Alchemist
Listen to your teachers, but cheat in calculus
Tell the truth, regardless of the consequence


Don't wake your mom up,do yoga, learn 'bout karma
Find God, but leave the dogma
The quickest way to happiness is learning to be selfless
Ask more questions, talk about yourself less
Study David Bowie, James Baldwin and 2Pac
Watch the sun set with best friends from a rooftop
Wear a helmet, don't be stupid,jaywalk, but look before you do it
If it snows, go outside, build a jump, get some help
Get a sled, thrash the hill with your friends, 'til it melts
Go to festivals, camp, fall in love and dance
You're only young once, my loved one, this is your chance
Take risks, 'cause life moves so fast
You're only young once, my loved one, this is your chance

Times are changing, I know, but who am I
If I'm the person you become
If I'm still growing up.

And if music is not the anecdote for you, perhaps a book that Macklemore suggested can offer a similar remedy. You can find the following in our stacks!

The Langston Hughes reader, by Langston Hughes. [810.81 HUG] 

The alchemist, by Coelho, Paulo.  [FIC COE] 

Another country, by Baldwin, James. [FIC BAL] 
Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust : off the record with the Beatles, Bowie, Elton & so much more, by Scott, Ken; Owsinski, Bobby. [620.209 SCO] 

Awe Some!

This week in the library we have been polling students, faculty and staff about the "little things that make life awesome." You gave us some fantastic answers!

Here are some of my favorites:

• CHOCOLATE (obviously!)

• Throwing something from far away and it lands in the trash (So true - feels more like a slam dunk than a slam dunk!)

• Jade & Aya  (no explanation needed)

• Iced coffee on a Monday morning (start the week off with a bang, but PLEASE do not take into the library!)

• Sleep-ins (even the thought of a sleep-in is dreamy)

• The Library (Fist bump!)

• Life on Mars (because hey, if things don't work out as planned in Byfield, we will have options)

• Always having someone who cares (perhaps the biggest smallest thing)

Don't just be awesome yourself, but make someone else on campus feel awesome. It's Thursday, Hurricane Joaquin is going to hammer us with wind and rain for a few days and there is no kale salad in the dining hall, so take this as your call to awesomeness!

Better yet, awe someone with a new book. See what's red hot here!
New Books at Pesky

Back to School is Cool

The second week of school is upon us ladies and gentlemen, and like you, we are waking up way too early, trying to finish our summer reading and sharpening our #2 pencils. So what better time to remind you of the wonderful staff and resources in the Library to ease you along your academic way!

Pesky Library Home

Catalogs and Databases

Classrooms on Elm Street

ebooks

Library Hours 

Monday - Thursday: 7:15 am - 10:00 pm

Friday: 7:15 am - 7:00 pm

Saturday:  9:00 am - 12:00 noon

Sunday: 12:00 noon - 10:00 pm

Contact Us

Front desk: (978) 499-3136

email: libraryrequests

 Academic Support @ The Learning Center

 Hours: - 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 

Friday - 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. 

*Ninth grade and sophomore boarders may request a note from a teacher or dorm parent to be excused from their dorms during evening study hours. 

We love seeing your sunny faces - again, and for the first time!

 

So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh

"I've sung this song, but I'll sing it again,
Of the place that I lived since way back when,
It's the month of May, and you're going away,

So long, it's been good to know yuh

This dusty old dust is a-chokin my song,
And I got to be driftin' along.

So long, it's been good to know yuh."

These are the varied lyrics of the Woody Guthrie song that we sang when graduating from my alma mater, Buckingham and Browne and Nichols. I sometimes reminisce how singing these words made the whole affair light hearted and easier to say farewell to friends and teachers. Saying goodbye is never an easy thing and we have begun to bid some Govs seniors well, even though they mostly respond, "I'll be back! I'm not leaving right NOW!" But having lived a few decades more, we know that you might not be. We hope you will, but know you may not. And a great life lesson is knowing how to say goodbye, even though you think you cannot. I must confess, I am terrible at it. People generally think that I hang up on them whenever I am on the phone because I refuse to utter the 8 letters. Goodbye. 

I am comfortable with, "see ya", "ciao", and "Take care". I am learning though, and seeing you all walk in and out the library door this week has been like watching a sad film strip in slow motion. And when you do stop to chat I cannot help to quote Mother Theresa or Shakespeare or Rumi. I want to give you any last bit of reference help to life that I can, including any shortcuts I know to wisdom and happiness! Forgive me, I have watched you grow and I cannot help but wonder how you will continue to do so, outside of the Byfield biosphere, away from our nurturing eyes and ears. Just remember that if you get lost along the way, that time spent in the wilderness is not lost. That is when you find authenticity and beauty within your self.  I leave you with F. Scott Fitzgerald, for the efficacy of his words will always outdo my own...

So long, it really has been GOOD to know you!

Thank You Tech Connectors!

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to our awesome team of tech connectors! These students have been such a wonderful addition to the library and the school in general this year. We are so grateful to have you near us to avert a technological crisis! You can often find the tech connectors sitting behind the Mac at the end of the circulation desk, handling inquiries or more likely unlocking the secrets of the universe with their own developed software. This year the team has created a web site and blog that reviews apps, answers tech problems and highlights tips and tricks for students and faculty. You can see more at http://blogs.govsacademy.org/techteam/ or better yet, come in for a visit!
I can't tell you how many times one of the tech connectors has helped me out of a jam, so I wanted to give a sincere thank you to all.
This year's team was comprised of :

Chester, Wil, David, Tyler, Taha, Simon - 17
Tianyun, Nicolas - 16
Spencer - 15

We look forward to strengthening our bond with you in years to come!

Prom in the Library

Although prom might not be an association you make with your school library, we at the Pesky Library like to shake things up and always keep it real for the Govs' student body. And let's be real, Prom is this Sunday!! So what could we possibly be offering here that could totally enhance the prom experience, you might be wondering?  A professional makeup demonstration and offering by yours truly here. Jill of many eclectic trades I am, from teacher librarian to makeup artist to the stars. (I tell you, if anyone ever tells you you can't be whatever you want to be in life, send them my way, please.) This Sunday, May 17, from 11-1:30, I will offer a free makeup demonstration to complete your prom look for the evening festivities. I will select 2 guests to serve as my models and even if you are not one of the lucky two, I promise you will leave with enough tips and tricks to get you looking fab for pictures and beyond. Truth be told is that you are all such beautiful darlings of the universe and do not need an iota of paint on your face. It just so happens that this is a skill set I have and would love to share with you, and if it in any way makes you feel more glamorous for the event, then fantastic! Please email nmasterson@govsacademy.org if you plan on attending the session and we will begin promptly at 11:00. Hope to see your fresh faces!

In addition to offering glitz and glam in the library we also have a fun display of prom themed reads and films on the display tree in front of the circ desk.We have your prom topics covered - from romance to horror, the classics to the downright weird! (i.e. Girl Gives Birth to Own Prom Date)

Have a safe, fun prom and take care of each other!

How Do You Bookface?

For those of you not familiar with the new, quirky and bookish art trend called bookfacing, check out the New York Times article on it here.

NYTimes Bookface

Bookface entails aligning parts of the body with the cover of  a book so that reality becomes art and art, reality. It is very fun and addictive once you get going and there is plenty of evidence on social media to prove it. Librarians and other fun, bibliophile folks are posting their creations using #bookface on Instagram. Check out theirs and check out ours!

Take a Peep at this Year's Winners!

The winners of the 2015 Peep diorama contest are as follows:

Best Class Diorama: The Principles of Physics

Best Student Group Diorama: Barbie and Ken Get Married

Best Faculty/Staff Diorama: The Amazing Graced

Best Governor's Family Diorama: The Lord of the Peeps

If you did not get a chance to see the dioramas, they are on display in the library.  Thank you to all who voted and participated in this year’s Peep Contest!

Deep Librarian Thoughts

Deep Library Thoughts that I am finally putting into print....

- The book you seek is seeking you.

- "You had me at Chapter 1, Gabriel" (Garcia Marquez)

- "Indifference kills the soul. Reading can restore it."
                                                     -me (and hopefully humanity)

- "The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library."
                                                                           -Einstein

- Books and Led Zeppelin will teach you "there's still time to change the road you're on"

- Treat yourself like you would treat a child. Feed yourself good food, play outside a lot, get to bed early, and always read before sleep.


- Librarians are, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution man. I wouldn't mess with them.

                                                                                            -Michael Moore 

- If you are looking for the answer, open any Rainer Maria Rilke book to page 22.

- You might be heartbroken, destitute and hard out of luck, but at least you can get a library card.

National Poetry Month in the Pesky Library

In honor of national poetry month, we are showcasing some new arrivals on the poetry scene alongside some of our long time favorite poets and collections. Our poetry display is set up right in front of the circulation desk for ease of browsing and all of the books are available to be checked out. At this time of year, when everyone seems to be putting final touches on papers or studying endlessly for AP exams, the comfort of poetry can make all the difference. Sometimes just knowing that someone else has experienced a feeling or moment that we too have experienced can make the world seem a bit smaller and much more connected.

The National Poetry Month official website has a lot of great resources as well, including a poem a day, Dear Poet project, poem in your pocket day, and more!

A Night in Brooklyn, Poems by D. Nurkse

Dizzy in Your Eyes, Poems by Pat Mora

The Complete Poems, Edgar Allen Poe

 

Marbles in the Cookie Jar, Poems by Tony Marino

Bicycles, Poems by Nikki Giovanni

 

 

Also, don't forget to keep working on those Peeps dioramas!

 

 

Submissions are due on Monday, April 27

 





Calling all our PEEPS!

The Library is holding a Peep Diorama Contest !

Your Mission: Use Peeps to create a diorama inspired by your favorite book. 

Details:

·         Visit the library to pick up your Peeps.

·         Submissions will be accepted until April 24th.

·         Winners will be decided by popular vote on April 27th.

·         We will give away $25 gift cards to the:

Best Class Diorama (example, English class or Art class)
Best Student Group (advisee group, groups of friends)
Best Faculty/Staff Diorama
Best Govs Family Diorama 

·         All students will receive a prize for participating!

Check out the Prezi featuring peep dioramas from last year's competition.  

Questions?  Come ask the librarians!