Students flock there in the morning, during study halls, and sometimes, even during their lunch periods. What is the name of this strangely alluring location? Why, it’s… the media center!

Maybe it’s not so exciting to you, but the media center is probably one of the most useful places in the school. Appropriately located in the atrium, the center of the school, most students have to visit it at least once in a while–or, for some, multiple times a day. According to Dr. McNally, the director of the media center, “Our hours are extended hours—open from 6:45AM to 4PM each day.”

Being the school library, the media center has books of all sorts, from popular teen novels (check out the ones featured at the front of the room!) to reference books for research. Conveniently, the media center also keeps practically all the textbooks you could need behind the front desk, perfect for doing homework or last-minute studying.

But perhaps its most sought-after feature is the multitude of computers, lined up at the side, back, and center of the room. They’re all connected to the media center’s color and black-and-white printers, and have a speedy Internet connection for when the school’s Wi-Fi just doesn’t cut it. If you need a computer in the morning, get to the media center fast; the seats get taken quickly!

Here’s a tip: Dr. McNally says that due to the popularity of the media center, “We’ve opened [Room] 413 in the morning for kids to use computers. I think use is taking off!”

Students have a number of reasons for visiting the media center. The most urgent one – when students start mentally pleading for a free computer or a spot on the study hall pass – is when a student has to complete or print an assignment that’s due the same day. While it’s better to avoid these situations in the first place, the media center is there if you just remembered a deadline or ran out of printer ink at home. Similarly, it’s also the place to go to study for an imminent test. Optimally, though, you studied the night before as well!

The media center isn’t just for emergencies. Saisuki Putumbaka ‘16 states that, in the media center, “I do homework, I’m productive, and I get a head start on work that I would normally procrastinate at home.” Several aspects make the media center the perfect “home”-work location. It’s relatively free of distractions – there isn’t a pantry filled with snacks, and the school’s computers don’t have access to social media sites like Facebook. The textbooks and computers provide the resources to do any assignment, whether it’s on paper or online. It’s also easy to get together with friends to study or do work (if you stay on task, of course).

On that note, the media center is a good place to see friends for any purpose. Its central location makes it a hub for students in the morning, and students who are in different rooms for study hall, or have study hall and lunch at the same time, can meet up there. Catch up, maybe play a game of cards, but just remember to keep the volume down for students at work!

A school library might not seem like the “cool” place to be, but whether it’s saving students from missed deadlines or boring, unproductive study halls, Ridge’s media center is truly the unsung hero of the school.