Coming soon in the future there is going to be a new addition to LHS that students can enjoy.
A multi-purpose kiosk, known as the Perch, will be mobile and offer a range of fundamentals such as a coffee shop, popcorn shop, t-shirt shop, and even selling Homecoming or Prom tickets. Hence, this kiosk has a variety of different uses and any club member can use it for a specific use.
Last year, art teacher Carrie Middendorf had an idea for this kiosk and took charge of the whole project.
“It started when we were trying to make a living project for my graphic design class…a fake business that they coiled research and made marketing materials,” Middendorf said.
After Middendorf had the idea, she needed someone to build the kiosk.
“We made a collaboration with Benjamin Creen who was doing the engineering design and development class,” she said. “Together they decided if that class built it then they could do the graphic design on it.”
There are two students who are primarily in charge. In Creen’s class, Elizabeth Bowen (12) writes down notes and does all the contacting and email communication. The other is in Middendorf’s class – Lindsay Dendrinelis (12) – who works on the design ideas and then takes them to Creen’s class so they can bring their ideas to life.
Now that she had the idea planned out, she just needed it to come to life. Before her crew started making it, they needed to pitch it to head principal, Edgar Nelson.
“Listed criteria and stuff that they were thinking and picked three locations that they liked and let Nelson decide which location was the best so he had some sort of say in it,” Shaun Dobratz (12) said.
Now that Nelson approved the building process, they started working on a design and came up with a great idea.
The plan is that students will have a walk-up window for ordering, a service window, and a pickup window and it will have an entrance from the back that is open. In the future, they will have a lounge area right next to the structure with tree stumps to sit and hang out.
“I am going outside inside for this,” Middendorf said.
A cool feature is that anyone working there can pop up a menu in the kiosk and show what they are selling. This structure is going to be relatively big. It is a 12×80 square foot structure that can fit wheelchairs and multiple people in it. Another unique feature is that the tables raise and lower to accommodate height and ability. On the side of the kiosk, there is a desk with two chairs where students can sit with someone who has a clipboard and observe the process and check what they are doing in the shop. Eventually, this will be a pathway for special needs kids where they can have a buddy who can help them observe.
One of the builders, Dobratz, said this was harder than other projects he has done in the engineering class. He has to build a coffee shop that is mobile and structural at the same time.
“It’s a challenge, but fun at the same time,” Dobratz said. “Cutting two-by-fours into certain lengths. Drilling stuff together. Order wood panels from Lowe’s to put on the sides and put plexiglass all around the structure. We are building it from scratch.”
Creen chose the engineering design and development class to take on that project because in this class it focuses on having to engineer and build. This is what the students are building and engineering for their class this year.
Once they are done building the stand, students have to fit it through the door. To do that they have to unbolt it and take it piece by piece into the cafeteria to bolt it back together.
Starting from scratch creates a challenge that all of the builders will have to overcome. Creen’s class decided to split up their class into two groups.
“We split up the project between two groups,” Russell Haynes (12) said. “One of the groups is building the structure and the other is writing paragraphs and emails and sending them out to the clubs and all about formalities and technicalities. We’re building it in Creen’s class and then putting it out in the cafeteria at some point.”
Once they finish, the kiosk they will decorate it with themes of the season such as Halloween or Christmas, but also use it as Homecoming or Prom themes making the kiosk feel at home at Liberty. Many students are excited to have another shop to buy products.
The people that are working hard on this project are: Middendorf, Creen, Lindsey Dendrinelis, Elizabeth Bowen, Shaun Dobratz, Russell Haynes, Samuel Hollensbee, Mason Huebner, Kayden Laumen, Patrick Nolan, Tycen Reckker and Carson Scrogin.
