was finally finished in 2006 and is located in the new building. It has three separate areas: a gym hall, a fitness center and a multi-purpose room (used for various things like ballet, yoga, etc.) Library The library was also finished in 2006, and is located on the 2nd floor of the new building. It is currently the largest school library in Iceland, containing around 12.000 books. Education The school was based on the traditional class system from 1966 to 1972, when a credit based system was adopted, which allowed students to choose their own courses and earn credits towards graduation. Each course awards credits relative to its difficulty, with students averaging 30–35 credits per semester. Graduation requires 205 credits, so it typically takes three years to complete the entire program of study. The credit system has advantages: it gives students more control over their schedule and the order in which they take their courses. MH was the first school to offer evening classes catering to older students, and is the only school in Iceland to offer students the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program, which is a two- to three-year intensive program taught in English. MH is known for its amount of different and versatile subjects. It is thought to be the most diverse gymnasium in Iceland in terms of education. Languages available to learn include Icelandic, English, Sign language, Japanese, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Latin and recently Chinese Student union One of MH's biggest attractions for new students is its renowned social life, which is mostly the responsibility of the Nemendafélag Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð ("MH Student Association", usually abbreviated NFMH). The NFMH is one of the largest and most active student associations in Iceland, including various smaller internal clubs and leagues with specific roles and agendas, commonly known as Stórfélagið ("the great alliance"). NFMH is also the publisher of the famous newspaper Fréttapési which is well known in Iceland for its crude humor and lack of morality. In 2006 Fréttapési was a subject in the award-winning news magazine Kastljós because of their article "10 songs to rape to", which caused a public outrage in Iceland. Choir The school choir, Kór Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð, was founded by Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir, in cooperation with the rector, Guðmundur Arnlaugsson, in 1967, a year after the school's opening. Students who are members of the choir normally leave the choir