Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð

Established	1966
School type	Gymnasium
Dean	Lárus Hagalín Bjarnason
Location	Reykjavík, Iceland
Campus	ca. 30000 m²; 7.5 acres
Website	[http://www.mh.is/ MH.is]

Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð or MH (Hamrahlíð High School) is a gymnasium (menntaskóli in Icelandic) in Reykjavík, Iceland, founded in 1966 by the Icelandic Ministry of Education; the first graduating class occurred in 1970. The school was based on the traditional class system from 1966 to 1973, when a points-based system was adopted, which allowed students to choose their own courses and earn points towards graduation. Each course awards points relative to its difficulty, with students averaging 17–20 points per semester. Graduation requires 140 points, so it typically takes four years to complete the entire program of study. This system was soon adopted by several other schools and is widespread in Iceland today. The points system has advantages: it gives students more control over their schedule and the order in which they take their courses.

MH was the first school to offer evening classes catering to older students, and the first and only school in Iceland to offer students the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program, which is a three-year program. The school's first rector was Guðmundur Arnlaugsson.

The School Building

The building that houses MH was built during the cold war and was therefore also designed to be an emergency shelter and a civic emergency center during a crisis situation. When the volcano Eldfell erupted on January 23 1973, the school was opened for refugees from the Westman Islands, and the school was open until the eruption had ended. During that time more than 1,000 people stayed in the school.

The school is divided into several different areas, each with its own name, history, culture and social structure. The areas are:

Matgarður

Matgarður is the school's central dining and leisure area, serving more than 600 students a day. The cafeteria is known as Matsalan (The Grocery), and often, during lunch breaks, the members of NFMH will announce upcoming school activities. Many famous bands and artists have played in MH, including Bookashade, Damien Rice, Rage Against the Machine, Mínus, Ampop, Coldplay and many more.

Miðgarður

Miðgarður (named after the realm of men in Norse mythology) is on the second floor and has seats and tables for around 200–300 students. It also houses a large percentage of the school's computers. The biggest landmark in Miðgarður is undoubtedly Miðgarðsormurinn, a large knitted serpent named for the one who circles Miðgarður in Norse mythology. It has been in creation for many years and is now about 200 metres long and still growing.

Mikligarður

Mikligarður (an older Icelandic name for Istanbul) is the school's grand hall, used for graduation, debating competitions (Morfís), and choir practices.

Norðurkjallari

Norðurkjallari (Northern Cellar) is one of the student lounges which also serves as the main social venue for various events. Norðurkjallari (NKJ) houses the meeting room of the students body council, archives office, and the photographers' dark room. NKJ is also the only place in the school that does not have a wireless network connection, the theory being that students do not study there, the connection would not be used for academic purposes, and therefore it is not justifiable.

NKJ is divided into different areas, all given historical names. The main entrance hall is called Búlgaría, where students are able to buy soft drinks and coffee. This area leads into Texas and Helvíti (Hell), a corridor which leads to Himnaríki (Heaven), Mararþaraborg, Nemó and Atlantis. Further inside, Bessastaðir's entrance hides behind a sofa along with the mysterious always-locked door to MH's Undirheimar.

Undirheimar

Undirheimar ("the Underworld") is a place hidden beneath Miðgarður and has been shrouded in mystery for many years. Formerly used as a concert space and student lounge, with a full-size Viking ship on the south wall, because of the low ceiling and lack of proper fire exits, the entrances are now locked and the janitor uses Undirheimar as a storage room. The locked doors to Undirheimar can be found in NKJ, next to Bessastaðir, and next to the yellow lockers beneath Miðgarður's north staircase.

Útgarður

Finally, Útgarður is a natural haven located in the central section of the school building. This garden often serves as a venue for courses doing outdoor experiments. It also creates a soothing backdrop for the classrooms surrounding the area; indeed, one entire wall of Miðgarður is a window into the world of Útgarður.

Gym

The students' gym was finally finished in 2006.

Library

The library was also finished in 2006, and is located on the 2nd floor of the new building.

NFMH

One of MH's biggest attractions for new students is its renowned social life, which is mostly the responsibility of the Nemendafélag Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð ("MH Student Association", usually abbreviated NFMH). The NFMH is one of the largest and most active student associations in Iceland, including various smaller internal clubs and leagues with specific roles and agendas, commonly known as Stórfélagið ("the great alliance").

The Choir

The school choir, Kór Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð, was founded by Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir in cooperation with the rector, Guðmundur Arnlaugsson, in 1967, a year after the school's opening. Students who are members of the choir normally leave the choir upon graduation, but many alumni join Hamrahlíðarkórinn, also conducted by Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir. Hamrahlíðarkórinn was established in 1982 by members of the school choir who wanted to continue to work and perform with Þorgerður after graduating from MH.

Mararþaraborg

Mararþaraborg is a little store run by members of the choir to finance various choir activities. Its reputation for excellent noodles and other snack food is celebrated throughout the school. The manager of the store is always known as the "Mayor of Mararþaraborg".

External references

* [http://www.mh.is/ MH's website]
* [http://www.nfmh.is/ NFMH MH student council website]