Weekend Champloo, March 9-11

by Emily

Image from www.wikipedia.org

It looks like a beautiful taste of spring is coming our way this weekend, so why don’t you get out and frolic in the sunshine? Try some of these outdoor activities and soak up some rays!

Make an AWESOME paper airplane: You can find some pretty nifty paper airplane designs and instructions online, but this one in particular caught my eye. The materials are easy to find around your home, and after construction is finished on your plane, you can go fly it in the park! And here’s a collection of other airplanes, if you get really into it.

Make a Makedo giant wind ball: Got some cardboard sitting around doing nothing? Make it do something . . . like blow around a park as a giant ball. Sound ridiculous? Well, it sort of is. But it looks like tons of fun to chase around, whether the chasing is done by you, your younger siblings, or your dog.

Fly a kite: Ok, so this one involves possibly purchasing a kite…or you could make one, if you’re feeling crafty. In any case, this was one of my favorite springtime activities as a kid, and you might just see me flying one this weekend!

It’s Time to Lego.

by Emily

Photo from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience

It seems that as people who grew up playing with Legos become adults, more and more examples of AWESOME Lego sculptures (seriously, works of sculptural art) dance about on the internet. Take this recent article from the Wired blog, “Wired Science.” Generally when you stumble upon a Lego creation, it’s an incredibly intricate sculpture of Barad-dûr, the Fortress of Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or an actual working printer constructed out of those small plastic pieces. However, Wired’s article compiles a collection of models and structures of scientific origin: the DNA molecule, a human kidney, and the ATLAS detector (that huge installation used to study fundamental particle physics in Switzerland) are all fodder for Lego creativity. There are many more fascinating sculptures on the article page, so go check it out! Or create a sculpture of your own!

Weekend Champloo, March 2-4

by Emily

We made it to March! Get out and do some stuff in Iowa City! There’s plenty of options this weekend:

United Action for Youth Gallery Walk Exhibit Friday, March 2, 2012 at UAY Youth Center, 410 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, 5:00-8:00 PM. As posted on their Facebook page, “Stop by the UAY Youth Center between 5-8pm this Friday during the Iowa City Gallery Walk to enjoy an art exhibit featuring 20 skateboards painted and designed by Tate high school students. Say hello to UAY staff and enjoy free refreshments!” Free food! Painted skateboards! Woo!

Movie Option: The Lorax Opens Friday, March 2, 2012. Showing at the Sycamore Mall Theater and the Coral Ridge Mall Theater. It’s another Dr. Seuss movie, and although The Lorax is my favorite of his books, I’m a little worried about the quality of the movie. With such an environmental message, you’d think the folks in charge would avoid using car commercials to advertise the film. In any case, the animation looks pretty, and I’ll probably be visiting a theater to see it this weekend. :)

Spring Show Choir Showcase Sunday, March 4, 2012 at City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City. Shows start at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Cost is $5 for students and $10 for adults. Venue phone: 319-688-1040. Like singing and dancing? Then head over to City High to see the Spring Show Choir Showcase! According to the Iowa City Events website, “The Iowa City High Music Department will present its Annual Spring Show Choir Showcase at City High’s Opstad Auditorium. There will be two performances featuring the Fourth Avenue Jazz Company, City Lights and Sound Express, show choirs and the City High Jazz Choir.” Sounds like fun!

Maureen Johnson: The Queen of Twitter

by Emily

Until recently, I spent a fair bit of time on Twitter. However, as a full-time graduate student in the University of Iowa Library and Information Science program and a part-time intern at ICPL, my time of late has been spent learning, reading, and dreaming about libraries. But when I do manage to stumble back to Twitter, I always check in on the antics of one Maureen Johnson.

Ms. Johnson, the author of such young adult novels as The Name of the Star and 13 Little Blue Envelopes (both available in the young adult fiction area at ICPL), spends an abnormal amount of time in the world of tweets and hashtags, but in so doing, manages to be one of the most entertaining people on the internet, in my opinion. There is something of a learning curve to her tweets: she writes about “Monday dragons,” “flying monkeys,” and what she calls “danubing” (I imagine it’s a dance suspended somewhere between a waltz and hula), but after this short adjustment period, one can’t help but follow along. Although the majority of her tweets are silly in tone, she does occasionally post articles about young adult literature, often inspiring discussion about controversial issues. She frequently travels to the United Kingdom to write, and often offers advice and suggestions to aspiring young adult authors. Be sure to check her out; she’ll put a smile on your face. :)

You can find her on Twitter, and you can follow her blog on her website.

Curious about Twitter? Wondering how to compose a thought in 140 characters or less? Stop by the Teen Tech Zone on Thursdays from 3-5 PM and Saturdays from 1-4 PM, and I’ll help you write your first tweet!

Weekend Champloo February 24-26

by Emily

It’s a grab bag of activities on the Champloo again this week, since it seems Iowa City is saving up it’s awesome for when the sun decides to stick around for more than 3 hours at a time. I plan on hunkering down in my apartment again and rewatching seasons of Mad Men (the first trailer for the new season came out yesterday!!) in anticipation of the fifth season, starting in March. But if staying in isn’t for you, here are some options for exploration:

Troop 250 Spaghetti Supper Friday, February 24, 2012 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 2675 E. Washington St., Iowa City, 5:00-7:00 PM. Contact number: 354-5595. Cost is $6.00 per person. Troop 250 is hosting their “All You Can Eat” Spaghetti Supper, providing food from Zio Johno’s including spaghetti (duh) and garlic bread (yum). Also, there will be fresh veggies, dessert, and drinks. Sounds yummy!

First Tech Challenge-Iowa Championship Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Iowa City Memorial Union,125 N. Madison St., Iowa City, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Contact number: 335-5706. It’s free! According to the Iowa City Events website, “For the third consecutive year, the University of Iowa College of Engineering will host the Iowa Championship Event of the FIRST Tech Challenge Program, a robotics competition involving high school teams . . . The top 32 teams from Iowa have been invited to compete in the championship, based upon their performances at one or two qualifier tournaments held across Iowa. Individual teams are composed of five to ten high school students.” A robotics competition HAS to be a good time!

84th Annual Academy Awards Sunday, February 26, 2012 on ABC, 7:30 PM-10:30 PM. It’s the Academy Awards! I haven’t had a chance to see many of the Best Picture nominees (I’ve seen “Moneyball” and “The Tree of Life”), but I always like watching the pomp and circumstance of the Oscars. Fancy dresses, high emotions, and this year, Billy Crystal is hosting. . . none of that awkward James Franco and Anne Hathaway terrible-ness. Hooray!

Music Game!

by Emily

I found this lovely little game last year, and I’ve shared it with every person I can. It’s simple: just start clicking on the boxes. You can create chords, make smiley faces or flowers, or just go crazy and click every box. You can stop a particular note/box by clicking the box again. So go ahead: make some music!

(Link from the tumblr account http://mandaflewaway.tumblr.com/)

Stuff You Missed In History Class

by Emily

I do a lot of walking around Iowa City since it’s good exercise and parking is CRAZY. Although I know it’s not exactly sociable, I generally put my earbuds in and listen to podcasts as I walk between home and the library. Recently, I’ve gotten into a series of podcasts called “Stuff You Missed in History Class.” It’s from the blog HowStuffWorks.com, which is a division of the Discovery Channel. The two hosts, Deblina and Sarah, research and explain a topic of historical interest, generally suggested by a listener. Topics like John Dillinger, Vincent Van Gogh, the Christmas Truce, the Book of Kells, and historical hoaxes are just a sample of the wide variety of topics discussed. Each podcast is between 15 and 30 minutes long.

I often find myself telling friends and relatives about the fascinating facts I learn from this podcast. Be sure to check it out! And if you need help subscribing to a podcast, stop by the Teen Tech Zone Thursdays from 3-5 PM, and Saturdays from 1-4 PM.

Weekend Champloo, February 17-19

by Emily

Hello again from Emily! Valentine’s Day is over, and mid-February is as dreary as ever (although the sun today has been nice). I usually spend my February weekends huddled indoors watching a movie or devouring a newly-discovered television series on DVD (my recent obsession is Community). Looks like there are a couple of interesting events around the area this weekend, but mostly it looks like a good opportunity to pull out your craft supplies, grab your nearest video game controller, or drive to the movie theater. Here are some suggestions for activities this weekend!

Movie Theater Option #1: “The Secret World of Arrietty” (Karigurashi no Arietti) Opens Friday, February 17, 2012 at the Marcus Coral Ridge Cinema (check their website for showtimes). Written by Hayao Miyazaki, known for such movies as “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “Ponyo,” “Spirited Away,” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “The Secret World of Arrietty” looks equally engrossing and captivating. The movie features voice acting by Amy Poehler (of “Parks and Recreation” fame) and her husband, Will Arnett as the parents of Arrietty, a literal “little person” who ventures out at night to “borrow” objects from their normal-sized neighbors. If this plot sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because the film is based on a book called The Borrowers, a novel by Mary Norton, who also co-wrote “The Secret World of Arrietty” with Hayao Miyazaki. You can find the book in the Children’s Room, if you’re interested. Check out the website Rotten Tomatoes for more information on the film.

Movie Theater Option #2: “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” Opens Friday, February 17, 2012 at Marcus Coral Ridge Cinema and Marcus Sycamore Cinema (in 2D and 3D, click the links for showtimes). Nicholas Cage is back as the comic book “superhero” Johnny Blaze in this sequel to Ghost Rider. Honestly, I’m a bit inexperienced when it comes to this comic book business (this Wikipedia article helped a little), but it if the advertisements are any indication, it looks pretty entertaining (quality of filmmaking aside, of course). The Rotten Tomatoes website has more information, should you want it.

Video Game Option: “Portal 2″ Available at ICPL in the Media/Video Game Collection (right next to the YA reading area). I know I’m a little behind the times with this suggestions, but it’s totally worth it, right? “Portal 2″ is the most fun I’ve had playing a video game in a long time. Wheatley is adorable, GLaDOS is snarky and funny (and mean), and the puzzles are challenging and fun. Even better, that sense of satisfaction you get after completing a level…awesome. You can play solo or in a multiplayer cooperative mode; either has hours of entertainment. Stop by the Teen Tech Zone on Saturday, and I’ll bring my copy if you want to play. :)

Craft Option: Craft Mag Blog (http://craftzine.com/) Don’t feel like leaving the couch? This website is chock-full of craft ideas, DIY (that’s “do it yourself,” FYI) projects, and oodles of video demonstrations and instructions. I’m a bit of a crafter myself, so if you’re interested, I’m willing to show you first-hand how to crochet, knit, cross-stitch, embroider, sew, or make friendship bracelets. None of those sound interesting? I’m also a pretty quick learner, and I’d be willing to figure new crafts or projects out with you at Teen Tech Zone this Saturday from 1-4 PM.

Of course, then you’d have to leave the couch. :)

Weekend Champloo, February 10-12

by Emily

Hey! This is the first post from Emily, the new Community Services Intern! I’ll be hanging in the Teen Tech Zones (and at other teen events), so feel free to stop by and say hello. I’m the curly-haired gal in the back.

For now, here’s a spotlight on some activities going on in the area:

Photo from website: http://gamicon.org/index.php

Gamicon Phi Friday, Feb. 10 – Sunday, Feb. 12 2:00  p.m.  at Iowa City Memorial Union 125 N. Madison Street, Iowa City. Phone (319) 936-6102. $10 daily Friday/Sunday, $15 Saturday, $25 weekend. According to their website, “Gamicon Phi is Iowa’s Longest Running Game Convention. Gamicon has 200 to 300 attendees each year. There will be card, board, miniature, role playing, video and computer games all weekend long. Weekend player memberships are only $25 and children 7 and younger are free with paid adults.” Visit their website for more information. It sounds like a good time!

Anime and Manga Festival 2012 Saturday, Feb. 11 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Iowa City. Phone 356-5200, option 4. It’s our most popular event of the year, and it’s finally here! There will be manga! And anime! And cosplay! And hair design by G-Spot Hair Design! And candy sushi! Check out Jason’s post for more information.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace…in 3D! Opening Friday, Feb. 10 It feels like the parade of Star Wars movies will never end…but in this case, it sounds pretty neat. Slip on those 3D glasses and find out just how much more you dislike (or like, I guess) Jar Jar Binks when he’s coming at you in your seat. Or simply settle in for some epic lightsaber duels. Your choice…it’s fun either way. :)

Anime and Manga Festival 2012!

by jason

We’re getting excited for next Saturday’s (the 11th) annual Anime and Manga Festival for teens here at the Iowa City Public Library!  This year we’ll be showing :

  • Trigun
  • Fairy Tail
  • Shattered Angels

There will be lots of food, including candy sushi (of course).  This year we’re super happy to have the help of some of the stylists from local G-Spot Hair Design who will be here to help you craft Anime Hair! So come in cosplay dress!

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