It’s that sudden moment of revelation. You discover that you’ve completed almost all of your A-G requirements, except art.
Suddenly you’re overcome by random emotions: anger, fear, and frustration. “Why didn’t I take it sooner?” and “how will I ever get into college?” are two common questions that consume students when they arrive at this terrifying discovery.
Well, don’t think you’re alone in this fiasco. I found myself in the exact same situation in the first week of my junior year, alongside a handful of my peers.
Having devoted myself to the core subjects and making my transcript as impressive as possible, I paid little attention in any course involving art.
“I’ll do it later” or “I’ll take it during the summer” were the thoughts that raced around my head every time I thought about the topic. Now here I am, one year away from college applications, coming to school at 7:00 a.m. to fulfill one year of “fine art.”
Now, it isn’t because I have to get up early, or because I’m a horrible artist that I dislike taking art. As a matter a fact, I think it’s a great course. It enhances my creativity and allows me to view things in a different light. However, I see no point in making it necessary for college admission.
These higher institutions of education proclaim that students must be “well rounded” upon college admissions and for that sole reason they must partake in at least a year of fine art. But in the long run, will this craft aid us?
Will acquiring this knowledge be pivotal for our interaction for society? Will our future employer ask us to explain the difference between a form and a shape? Will we be asked to draw a three-dimensional shape before registering to vote?
The answer is no.
The reality of the situation is that we won’t use art unless we have the intention of pursuing a career in that department. It almost seems hypocritical to force a year of a fine art on students when it is the least funded department on campus; this year it received $300.
If we are being made to take this course the least that can be done is to supply it with the proper equipment. I’m constantly having to create a work of art with pencils that have been used to the nub and erasers that look as if they have been chewed by five year olds. Our school, government, and society puts so much emphasis on English, math, and science that it seems logical for students to focus more on these subjects rather than those which receive less attention.
We as students should be given the opportunity to choose whether or not we take art – without facing any penalties such as not being eligible for college admission at state universities.
Instead of having a mandatory year of a fine art, we should have an additional year added to the subject of our choice. That way, even though we might end up retaking the class in college, we would have added knowledge on a subject that will personally benefit our academic career. And having a year added to the subject of our choice may help us choose a major, giving us an advantage over those indecisive college students that account for most of the student body.
