Photo By Summer Fonseca
By Summer Fonseca
Hushed whispers in the darkness, and the nervous flutters of butterflies that accompany opening night. The lights come up on stage and the house is…nearly empty.
All too often this has been my experience as a performer and theater enthusiast at this school. This is not a local phenomenon. Whether it be California, thousands of miles away in New York, when budget cuts happen, the arts are the first to go, according to huffingtonpost.com.
But is that really the only reason? Why is it the arts that are always the first to go? In order to answer that question, we’re going to have to take a closer look at the mindset of most people in regards to the performing and visual arts and how that mindset needs to change if we are going to see any support for and funding of these fields in the future
Some may say that the arts are not core academic classes and should take the back seat. That may not be a wise decision when considering America’s student performance on a worldwide scale. In top ranking countries like Japan, arts education is a mandatory, core program of study, like Math or English, according to dosomething.org. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) puts forth a means of evaluating countries and their student performance via the Program of International Student Assessment(PISA). According to this index, the United States is ranked below such countries as Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea which tend to institute the arts as core programs.
If America wants to increase its world standing as far as education, our national and state governments need to put some actual time and money into the arts programs. If a grant is given or a donation is made, funds should be distributed evenly across programs. Heaping millions into one program and neglecting the others cannot continue to condoned and supported.
Another possible reason some arts programs do not see a lot of participation is the school or individual student mentality. Let’s face it; schools are all about what brings in the big bucks. And theatre shows just don’t stack up next to football games. A lot of schools are very athletics centered. Since students are encouraged to join sports teams, a majority of students are in sports. This could lead to the mentality that things like drama are not “cool”, so teenagers that are concerned with their image and popularity may avoid this form of enrichment completely. As a student, I see this sort of behavior every day. As a performer, I have seen the empty house and the packed football stadium and have been subject to being labelled as a weirdo for being in drama. This psychological aversion could be prevented if students were exposed to fine arts and taught that they are enriching and rewarding, just like sports and athletics.
One way our school could encourage the appreciation, funding, and participation in the arts is by adding dance, band and theatrical performance to the ASB card which allows students access to sports events. The stickers is $25 a student. Being able to attend a performance for free would allow for more accessibility to students.
Individual teachers could also do their part by offering extra credit for going to see a play or a dance. Such was the case several years ago when the Drama Department put on the play “The Crucible”. This play was part of the curriculum of various English classes; therefore, many English teachers offered extra credit to those who went and saw it.
According to Escondido High School alumni and former drama student, Kristen Iacuaniello, 21, “Every night, the house was packed. Sold out even. In my four years in drama, I’ve never seen the PAC that full. It was great to actually have an audience.”
If the arts continue to be a sideshow in academics this generations appreciation and contribution to our nation’s culture and art will be minimal, if nonexistence. In exposing children to and encouraging the arts, schools and teachers can ensure the security of the arts as well as promote creativity, imagination, and individuality.
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