Junior Kelly Morali is currently an officer of Ohana and has been a member since her sophomore year.
“On a regular basis, we meet twice a month, in groups during lunch and play games.” Morali said “We take a moment to debrief and connect with the kids.”
Senior Spencer Sullivan-Hayes initially found out about the club from a special needs student named Michael who was in his ceramics class in his freshman year. Sullivan-Hayes started sacrificing hours of his already slim schedule to Ohana during his sophomore year. Sullivan-Hayes, now vice president of the club, feels that these lunch game sessions are helpful in maintaining and building relationships between the special needs students and other students.
“Basically what we’re trying to do is to have everybody on a leveled playing field and have them interact with each other regardless of any disadvantages,” Sullivan-Hayes said. “We accomplish that by mentally separating ourselves and the students from the world of academia and just society through our games sessions. We set time aside to nurture these relationships.”
Ohana members aim to create a safe and social environment where the special needs students have nothing to fear and can focus on interacting with the outside community, without judgment or discrimination, according to Sullivan-Hayes. MVHS Ohana is currently trying to push for more interdistrict events such as last year’s talent show. Advertising is also a main focus of the club this year, as their numbers are not high enough to initiate larger magnitude plans.
“Last year the best part was when we had the huge, multi-district talent show, and we hope to have more this year,” Sullivan-Hayes said. “[Last year’s officer team] really powered through and stayed on schedule for everything and that’s why it was able to happen. This year we really hope we can accomplish something like that again.”
Morali also believes that this club alleviates some of Monta Vista’s pressure by moving focus away from academics, allowing her to actually enjoy a good balance between academic and social life.
“Through being in Ohana, I learned that it isn’t just about school and academics, it is about trying to integrate everybody into our community and make them feel just as welcome,” Morali said. “It’s very nice to have a non-academic place to go to at school, because I feel like I am more a part of the school.”
Ohana not only benefits the special needs students, but also broadens member’s perspectives and opens them up to new, valuable personal experiences. This club ignores disabilities, creating a friendly and positive environment for the special needs students and club assistants alike.
