Kalani High School’s Latin Club had its first official meeting of the year on Monday, Aug. 30, to inform potential club members of its purpose and give students an idea of what joining the club entails. 

According to the club charter, the focus is to learn about Roman culture, history, and lifestyle and to do so while enjoying and experiencing what it is like to be in a club. 

“We just liked to promote… how widespread Latin is as a culture and as a language ’cause a lot of people associate Latin with the language and a lot of people say ‘oh it’s a dead language,’ but there’s a vast culture associated with the language and so I think that getting it out there in the school would be something that would be really good for the club and for the school,” Treasurer Mark Brehm says. 

The club meets every other week on Mondays in Room C-15 at 2:10 p.m.. It encourages everyone, whether or not they take Latin, to come to their meetings after school. A club fee payment of $5 per person is required to join, funding club expenses such as supplies and food. 

Club advisor Caitlyn Yoshina-Nguyen says that learning Roman culture is important because modern society is “so influenced by Roman culture” and plays a big part in modern technology and politics.

“Stuff like that has been really influenced by the Roman world, and so maybe having just a little bit of an appreciation for that is something that people would be impressed by in the future,” Yoshina-Nguyen states.  

Brehm explains that a “vast culture” surrounds the language and says he wants to spread the influence of the Romans, as well as have fun, learn new things, and give other students the same experience.

The Latin Club was initially formed in 2020 when the now 11th-grade founders were freshmen, but due to the lockdown during Spring Break 2019, the club could not meet and do activities. Nguyen said she was approached by some of her students (now club officers) to re-form this year. 

Now that the club can run without virtual meetings, President Vincent Tan says he hopes to learn more about Roman culture with his peers and friends.

More information about the Latin Club can be found on their Google Classroom (code cfmjx3k), or by asking Club Advisor Mrs. Yoshina-Nguyen in Room C-15.