At Mahtomedi High School (MHS), students have a daily 35-minute period called Flex time. Students can choose from a variety of options during Flex, including academic support, wellness activities, or they are able to attend special interest area gatherings and club meetings. Flex also offers the opportunity for many new clubs to develop at MHS.
One new club that started during the 2023-24 school year and has continued to grow is the Mahtomedi Hawaiian Culture Club. The Club was started by Ali Lum (Class of 2026), who has Hawaiian ancestry. Ali participates in a Minnesota-based Hawaiian Hula (hālau) dancing group called Kaleiokapilialoha and visits Hawaii every summer to volunteer and support local communities.
Ali wanted to start the MHS club after the 2023 Lāhainā fires as one way she could help keep the Hawaiian culture alive. Students who join the club gain ‘ike kūhohonu (deep knowledge) about Hawaiian culture. Ali organizes monthly meetings that start with research about that month’s topic, presenting a slide presentation that is later shared on Instagram (@maht_hcc). After learning about the importance and cultural connection of the topic, the group then engages more deeply, which in the past has included playing ukuleles, constructing candy and flower leis, and making Lauhala weave bracelets. The group also does cooking activities that include making Mochi and SPAM Musubi.
“The Hawaiian Culture Club’s main principle is to remind everyone that we are the keiki o ka 'āina (the children of the land), no matter where one’s from,” shared Ali. “Even if you’ve never stepped foot in Hawai’i, we, as a Mahtomedi Community, can all experience the beauty of the Hawaiian culture through the enduring foods, traditions, and language of the 50th state.” Ali also expressed her appreciation for Flex time, not only because it has allowed her group to meet and grow but also so she and her peers can “explore and express their interests through the many and diverse amounts of clubs available at MHS.”
Click here to learn more and see photos of the Hawaiian Culture Club.