Ukiah High School has many clubs for Wildcats to express themselves in various ways. One of these clubs is Club Grandma. Club Grandma was introduced this school year and allows Wildcats to further embrace their creativity exploring the arts and crafts typical of grandmothers while getting to meet familiar as well as new faces.
Katrena Dursteler, the club’s advisor, says, “the only contribution I have given to the club is a space where they can meet.” Dursteler expresses that she does not knit or do any of the sorts “but I have been thinking about asking them to teach me.” She shares the purpose of the club is for Wildcats “to teach each other techniques and share their creativity.”
Dursteler adds, “I have observed students having a wonderful time with each other sharing their ideas and talents. They are extremely creative and full of positive energy.” Dursteler also says that the Wildcats that are part of Club Grandma “are simply the most amazing group of humans!”
“The club helps people embrace their crafts, have an outlet and a place where they are welcome to practice their crafts embrace the old lady in them,” says 10th-grade Wildcat Lucille Shakman. She adds that Wildcats involved in the club, “can come and do whatever, depending on what your looking for you could learn about it or learn a new talent.”
Shakman says she hopes “to learn some of the knitting and embroidery.” Shakman joined Club Grandma because she believes it would “be nice to have another artistic outlet at school, I really love the atmosphere and the crafts of the club so I just kept coming back.”
President of Club Grandma, 10th grader Laila Tyler, reveals that she drew inspiration to start the club from her freshmen advisory class. Tyler, having a lot of creative hobbies as well as friends who are also interested in those hobbies, “I have a lot of creative outlets, a lot of my friends also do a lot of creative things I just wanted everyone to have a creative outlet and I love teaching people stuff, it’s one of my favorite things.”
Tyler said the purpose of the Club is to “teach people how to do ‘grandma things’. And if you already know how to do those things then it’s a fun place to hang out during lunch.” The name of Club Grandma originated because Tyler “wanted to really embrace the whole grandma thing because I never thought my hobby was weird, I like my ‘grandma stuff.’”
Tyler says the club is very inclusive to all, especially Wildcats who are “crafty people. You can come to learn a new craft and if already you know how to do the stuff then you hang out and you just have fun either way.”
If you are interested in preparing for your golden years as a grandma, go to J8 every Friday at lunch for arts, crafts, and fun.
