A Wall of Traditions Showcasing 50 years of Mililani High School

Since H Building’s opening in 2011, visitors have been greeted with the sight of a plain, blank wall as they entered. However, on January 11, 2023, the wall was finally decorated with the newly unveiled mural that kick-started the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Mililani High School. After an opening oli, a hula performance and some remarks from principal Fred Murphy and the president of the Associated Students of Mililani High School senior Emma Olsson, the wall was officially revealed. Faculty and staff were able to attend, and Hawaiian food was provided for them after the ceremony.

“I think it gives me a greater appreciation of the tradition and the practices and the beliefs that we have here regarding education and the kind of experiences we provide,” said curriculum coordinator Jeni Miyahira. “And while we always think it’s important to do that, I think there’s a renewed sense of pride when you can see that it’s part of a 50 year history, that you’re following in the footsteps of people that have done this for a very long time.”

The concept for the wall was inspired by the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which has a similar display honoring Duke Kahanamoku. The mural was created with this design in mind as well as a focus on creating a timeline of MHS, honoring the years that had passed while welcoming the years that would come. From this idea, discussion and planning for the project began as early as 2021.

“When they walk into H-Quad now and basically see that, and they can see the early years to the most recent. It gives them a kind of timeline of the past of Mililani High School,” said MHS weightlifting instructor James Millwood.

The pictures exhibted on the wall are organized by decades, with older years on the left side and the more recent years on the right. Accompanying the pictures are summaries of each time period that reflect on the ways MHS has changed throughout the years. Those who created the wall hoped people viewing it would feel a sense of pride for the school by seeing it progress through a course of 50 years. However, students were also able to gain a greater understanding of the history of the school as they reflect on its past.

“The most impressive part to me was just to see the campus itself, how it grew from basically two buildings. I think it was B and C. I forget, but just to see how it grew from such a small campus to what it is now and also the community, it kind of grew with the community itself as well,” said MHS Projects Coordinator Kara Adan. “So growing up here, because I went to school here too, I grew up in Mililani, it was almost like I was watching the community grow as we did the research and it’s kind of amazing to see how thousands of people have gone through this school and grew up to do amazing things.”

The wall was designed by Adan, who worked on aspects such as picture placement, color choices and installation coordination, while the descriptions on the wall were written by Miyahira. Principal Murphy also had a hand in some of the decisions surrounding the wall by choosing some of the photos. Faculty like Millwood, Shellie Kato, Daniella Reyes and Shaina Kubota also contributed to the wall’s creation by providing additional photos or research to showcase MHS’s growth. Many pictures and stories on the wall came from other teachers, the library, yearbooks, alumni or the Trojan Times.

“If you’re not careful, school can be very transactional,” said Murphy. “And when you think of the thousands of students, gosh, well over 30,000 — possibly even closer to 40,000 — well over 30,000 people have graduated from Mililani High School since it opened its doors in 1973. And I can’t even begin to guess what the number of faculty have been and staff that have come through our doors. But each person has a story. And this place is made up of people. And hopefully when you look at that wall, you get a sense of the heart and the fun that has occurred here over the years.”

Those who worked on the wall had to sort through and find photographs that captured the brightest moments of MHS throughout its 50 years. There was some difficulty in bringing together information from different sources since many of the pictures and stories came from a variety of places. However, this allowed those working on the wall to learn more about the history of the school. From homecomings and pep rallies to bonfires and football games, those involved with the wall’s creation were able to see MHS evolve over time through the pictures and stories shared.

“I think the biggest thing that was heartwarming to see is that the support that has always come from faculty members here for our student activities, whether it was athletics or homecoming, it seems that there has always been that support here for our students,” said Miyahira. “The opportunities were always provided.”

The picture in the center of the wall was specifically chosen by principal Murphy. It displays the class officers of 2021 at their graduation, which was the last one MHS held at the Aloha stadium. Due to the emphasis placed on high school graduations in Hawaii, principal Murphy wanted to highlight this occasion by making it the focal point of the mural.

“It’s one of my favorite pictures, it just to me, it says everything about our graduation, and everybody’s jumping in some way, it’s just a very happy picture,” said Murphy. “It’s one of my favorite pictures. So we took that and made that the centerpiece. It just made sense.”

The wall is the start to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of MHS, which is planned to last throughout the entire year of 2023. Another event coordinated for this celebration is the inaugural Golden Gala Fundraiser, which will take place on Jul. 7 at the Hawaii Okinawa Center Legacy Ballroom. Entry tickets that are to be purchased by gala attendees will further aid in financially supporting a chosen student organization that has had an impact on MHS. While the funds only go to one organization, the money ultimately goes back to the school as a whole, aiding students and faculty.

“The golden gala will definitely be something that stays,” said Miyahira. “And hopefully in conjunction with the wall, it’s something that reminds us of, you know, where we come from what we’re working towards, where we’re providing these kinds of opportunities.”

Along with updating MHS’s learning environment via art installation, other plans to continue modernizing the school include improving the gym’s entrance and interior spaces. The mural in H Building inspired principal Murphy to look back at the gym space as a possible place to improve. While it won’t be transformed in the same way the wall in H Building was, both were done with the goal of instilling a sense of pride. The creation of pride spaces around campus was important to principal Murphy, as he wanted students to feel proud of the things that were occurring around school.

“Pride is not just about being boastful. It is about you having that internal feeling that this is a place of quality, that your experiences were wonderful,” said Murphy. “And we want people outside of our school to be proud of our school, so providing these sort of spaces around campus helps people to touch in with that proud feeling that we have of our school, its accomplishments and the people who’ve been here.”

The mural is planned to remain up forever as a testament to the school’s 50th anniversary milestone. To find more information on other 50th celebrations, visit https://sites.google.com/ k12.hi.us/mhs50thanniversary/ home.