The Importance of the Arts
Kurt Shima
LA 202
Helen Klonaris
April 17, 2013
The Importance of the Arts Math was always my least favorite subject in school. I always had difficulty remembering the formulas and all the different rules. I didn’t do well in all the other core subjects either. With no motivation and no interest, my grades quickly suffered. I was always watching movies and television instead of doing homework. So when I saw that I could take acting class as an elective in high school, it was obviously my first choice. Acting class came a little more naturally than math class did. Memorizing lines to a monologue was much easier for me than formulas to some equation. It made me come out of my shell more and communicate more effectively. I began to look forward to tests, which were usually performances, because I would be adequately prepared from all my practices. After taking acting class, I decided to take more performing art classes. Luckily the high school that I went to was the top public school for performing arts in the state. It allowed me to take chorus and dance along with acting. With so many classes I enjoyed taking and doing well in, my grades improved drastically. Taking all these performing art classes quickly became the salvation I needed and taught me many other important lessons. But towards the end of my high school years, funds were cut from schools again. The performing arts department in my school struggled to keep the program strong with the budget cuts. By the time I graduated, a few classes were cut and the ones that were left couldn’t afford the same things. These cuts affected other schools as well. For most schools across America, art programs were first to be cut. An article written by the Education Fund states that, “during these difficult economic times, arts programs are the first to be sacrificed. In addition, in many schools where classroom space is limited, art "studios" are now only contained in a cart that is wheeled by teachers from room
LA 202
Helen Klonaris
April 17, 2013
The Importance of the Arts Math was always my least favorite subject in school. I always had difficulty remembering the formulas and all the different rules. I didn’t do well in all the other core subjects either. With no motivation and no interest, my grades quickly suffered. I was always watching movies and television instead of doing homework. So when I saw that I could take acting class as an elective in high school, it was obviously my first choice. Acting class came a little more naturally than math class did. Memorizing lines to a monologue was much easier for me than formulas to some equation. It made me come out of my shell more and communicate more effectively. I began to look forward to tests, which were usually performances, because I would be adequately prepared from all my practices. After taking acting class, I decided to take more performing art classes. Luckily the high school that I went to was the top public school for performing arts in the state. It allowed me to take chorus and dance along with acting. With so many classes I enjoyed taking and doing well in, my grades improved drastically. Taking all these performing art classes quickly became the salvation I needed and taught me many other important lessons. But towards the end of my high school years, funds were cut from schools again. The performing arts department in my school struggled to keep the program strong with the budget cuts. By the time I graduated, a few classes were cut and the ones that were left couldn’t afford the same things. These cuts affected other schools as well. For most schools across America, art programs were first to be cut. An article written by the Education Fund states that, “during these difficult economic times, arts programs are the first to be sacrificed. In addition, in many schools where classroom space is limited, art "studios" are now only contained in a cart that is wheeled by teachers from room
Cited: 2002. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. The Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.