Dear Editor:

With such an amazing art room, an incredible variety of materials available for use, and an extremely enthusiastic art teacher, it is surprising to me that so few students are participating in art classes this year at Chilton High School. Not only is art a fun experience, but it also provides benefits for the average high school student in the long run. I propose that, in order to benefit students through the arts in the Chilton School District, students be required to take at least one .5 credit of an art class throughout their 4 years of high school.

Expressing creativity through art not only obviously benefits our artistic abilities as students, but also has been proven to cause improvement in grades and test score throughout college and high school levels. According to the College Entrance Examination Board, students who studied arts and/or music in high school scored significantly higher than the national average on the SATS and ACTS.

Along with grades, students also worry about stress, a prominent ailment for today’s teenagers. It is very important for the average high school student to be able to manage this stress in an appropriate manner. Without the right outlets, a student’s stress can often be turned into self-destructive and disruptive attitudes and actions.

According to the United States Departments of Education, students enrolled in art classes not only show an improved understanding of concepts, but also a great improvement when it comes to behavior in classes, showing that harnessing one’s creative ability can serve as an outlet for anger, sadness, and lack of self- confidence.

The improvement in grades and behavior from enrolling in art classes in high school certainly would be better students’ futures academically. A required .5 credit of an art class, along with these recorded advantages, can also teach us, as students, how to control our emotions in the long run, whether it comes to a fight with a boyfriend/girlfriend now or a midlife crisis later in life. Art has the uncanny ability to teach a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us, knowledge that will help us throughout our entire lives.

Sincerely,
Kelsey Schaid