This article discusses the lack of a pottery club at PHS and explores whether one could be started at the school. To gain insight, I interviewed two pottery students, the pottery teacher, and the vice principal.
First, I spoke with the pottery teacher, Stephanie Ard. I asked her if students had ever approached her about starting a pottery club. She replied, “I do not know if students have asked me about a pottery club in the past; no one’s asked me about it.” This indicates that there hasn’t been any recent interest in establishing a pottery club.
Next, I inquired about the challenges that might arise from running a pottery club. She mentioned, “One of them is materials, and one of them is leadership. An ASB club needs to have a president, a vice president, a treasurer, and a secretary; otherwise, it can’t be a club.” Therefore, the club would need dedicated members to manage finances, activities, and meetings.
When I asked her about the materials required for a pottery club, she responded, “You need clay, water, equipment, and space.” Since the school has all of that, the materials necessary to start a pottery club are available.
I then interviewed two students currently enrolled in the pottery class. I asked them what they thought about having a pottery club at school. Yasmin said, “I think it’s cool! It’s a way to be creative and make your own designs.” She believes it would be a fantastic opportunity to create pottery according to one’s preferences without following classroom criteria.
Yey-Dee commented, “It will be nice and fun because pottery is enjoyable.” He thinks it’s a great idea.
I followed up by asking what types of activities or challenges they would like if a pottery club existed. Yasmin suggested, “Competitions, races, admiring other designs, and giving people extra time to finish their pottery after school.” She envisions a space where students could work on their projects outside of class and have fun.
Yey-Dee proposed, “A contest about mugs.” He is interested in a “battle of the mugs.”
Next, I interviewed Mr. Domingo, one of the vice principals. I asked him about the process of starting a new club at the school. He responded, “The first step is to go to the ASB window or see Mr. Lamb. You pick up a club packet, fill it out, and submit it. The ASB council will then review the packet and either approve or decline it.” This process can be lengthy, and students need to be prepared to manage the club. It can be ASB-approved or independent, but there must be a funding plan.
I asked what requirements a new club must meet to gain approval, and he stated, “Some of the requirements include creating a constitution, having interested students, and finding someone to supervise you.” Essentially, you need a core group of students who are genuinely interested in joining the club; without that, it won’t succeed.
When I asked if anyone had previously tried to start a pottery club, he confirmed, “No, so no one has shown interest in starting a pottery club.”
I concluded by asking him about the main reasons clubs might get declined for approval. He said, “I haven’t heard of any club being declined.” Thus, it appears that clubs are rarely, if ever, turned down.
No one has attempted to start a pottery club at PHS. It will take a student with a passion for pottery to initiate one and complete the necessary paperwork for approval. With any luck, a pottery club may be established in the years to come by someone who truly loves the craft.
