This year, JDHS added many new and different clubs. The newly added Mahjong club has attracted a lot of attention from Asian students in our school community.
Many Asian students are familiar with Mahjong, especially those who grew up in China. Even those who don’t know how to play should have some understanding of the game.
The Mahjong club brings together students of all skill levels, providing them with more opportunities to experience the game and learn about Chinese culture.
JDHS has many different clubs, but very few focus on Chinese culture. Ms. Gao learned that many Asian students at our school were interested in Mahjong, so she created this Mahjong club. Many students didn’t know how to play Mahjong at first, “but they came here and learned how to play, while also developing their logical thinking, memory, and adaptability,” said Ms. Gao.
Ms. Gao is one of the new teachers who have joined our school in recent years. The Mahjong club has allowed more students to get to know her and become friendly with her.
Students learn about and join the club through various channels. Junior Selina He learned about the club through a friend who knew about Mahjong, and then joined to learn how to play. “I joined this club because I wanted to learn about Mahjong culture,” said Selina He.
Mahjong is a very traditional table-slapping, intellectually stimulating game. It involves strategic thinking, judgment, and adaptability.
Junior Derek Jiang learned about the Mahjong club at his school’s club fair. Later, after a friend’s recommendation, he discovered that Mahjong is more than just entertainment; it tests logical thinking, memory, and judgment. “I’ve been participating for a long time to improve my thinking skills and enrich my high school life,” said Derek Jiang.
Jiang was interested in logical thinking activities and also wanted to make more friends after school, so he joined the club.
Because each round has different hand patterns and situations, Mahjong players are consistently engaged during each phase of the game. Different regions also have different ways of playing Mahjong.
What began as a simple idea has grown into a vibrant community at Dewey- where students gather around the Mahjong table to learn, improve their thinking skills, and build new friendships.