Up the stairs, through the hallway, around the group of lost freshmen, past the office, and up two more flights of stairs; 256 steps. This is the path that he must take to his art class.
Every.
Single.
Day.
Every time this class rolls around, he finds himself staring out the window and daydreaming as the teacher lectures in the front of the room.
After days of instruction, they begin their first project. Now, at least he can do something to keep himself occupied.
As days go by, something changes. Each addition to the project is carefully planned and executed so he won’t mess up his masterpiece.
Finally, his project is done.
Instead of the relief that he expected, he felt a new sense of pride. He was certain that he would receive an A+ and was actually excited to begin the next project.
“I realized that art is really fascinating,” said senior illustration and design II student Brenan Lasala. “The fact that I can actually make something out of all of the random things that I’m thinking about is really cool. I’m glad that I took an art class early because I realized that I enjoy it a lot.”
As students get closer to their senior year and graduation, many find that the only required credit that they are missing is in the fine arts category.
According to the official Carlmont website, all Carlmont students are required to take classes in the categories of fine arts, physical education, and foreign language in addition to their core classes, such as history, English, math, and science.
The goal of this requirement is to create more well-rounded students who have a bit of experience in a wide variety of career fields.
This allows students to be better prepared for their lives after high school, whether they choose to go to college or straight to a career.
“Each class teaches students about a new aspect of their minds,” said Carlmont art teacher Julia Schulman. “Art, for example, gives students a venue for self-expression, teaches students creativity, and stimulates intellectual, yet abstract thinking.”
According to The New York Times, Ellen Winner, a professor of psychology at Boston College, believes that this self-expression and abstract thinking can benefit students in many ways.
“Students who study the arts are taught to envision, to persist, to learn from mistakes, and to make critical judgements,” said Winner.
Despite the benefits of taking an art class, many students resent this class requirement. These students think that the class is simply a waste of time and takes their focus away from what they are truly passionate about.
Junior Rhea Subramanian chose to take Art I as a sophomore and quickly realized that she did not have any hidden passions for that subject.
“I won’t start doing art on my own any time soon, but I didn’t hate the class,” said Subramanian. “I thought it was nice because I had an hour each day where I wasn’t stressed. However, I did find myself wishing that I could use the time to do homework or study for tests in my harder classes.”
Other students, such as junior ceramics student Maddy Meier, discover something while completing these class requirements.
“When I first started Ceramics, it was my easy class that I didn’t have to pay much attention to. I thought it would be fun and I was glad to be getting my art credit taken care of. However, as the days went by, I found that I actually enjoy it a lot. I was surprised and I wish that I could spend more time in the class or had taken it in an earlier grade,” said Meier.
Melinda Meier, Maddy Meier’s mother, also believes that arts hold hidden gems for students.
“I think art classes help students by serving as an outlet for their stress and creativity. They allow the analytical parts of the brain to rest while the artistic parts get a chance to work,” said Mrs. Meier. “The classes also allow students to express themselves freely, instead of doing only what they are told.”
Whether students enjoy fulfilling their class requirements or not, many agree that they became a more well-rounded person by learning about the different career options that they will have after their high school years are over.
“I definitely recommend going into required classes, like art, with an open mind. They could help you later in life or you might find something that you really like and want to keep doing throughout your life,” said Lasala.
The Highlander, September 2016
Up the stairs, through the hallway, around the group of lost freshmen, past the office, and up two more flights of stairs; 256 steps. This is the path that he must take to his art class.
Every.
Single.
Day.
Every time this class rolls around, he finds himself staring out the window and daydreaming as the teacher lectures in the front of the room.
After days of instruction, they begin their first project. Now, at least he can do something to keep himself occupied.
As days go by, something changes. Each addition to the project is carefully planned and executed so he won’t mess up his masterpiece.
Finally, his project is done.
Instead of the relief that he expected, he felt a new sense of pride. He was certain that he would receive an A+ and was actually excited to begin the next project.
“I realized that art is really fascinating,” said senior illustration and design II student Brenan Lasala. “The fact that I can actually make something out of all of the random things that I’m thinking about is really cool. I’m glad that I took an art class early because I realized that I enjoy it a lot.”
As students get closer to their senior year and graduation, many find that the only required credit that they are missing is in the fine arts category.
According to the official Carlmont website, all Carlmont students are required to take classes in the categories of fine arts, physical education, and foreign language in addition to their core classes, such as history, English, math, and science.
The goal of this requirement is to create more well-rounded students who have a bit of experience in a wide variety of career fields.
This allows students to be better prepared for their lives after high school, whether they choose to go to college or straight to a career.
“Each class teaches students about a new aspect of their minds,” said Carlmont art teacher Julia Schulman. “Art, for example, gives students a venue for self-expression, teaches students creativity, and stimulates intellectual, yet abstract thinking.”
According to The New York Times, Ellen Winner, a professor of psychology at Boston College, believes that this self-expression and abstract thinking can benefit students in many ways.
“Students who study the arts are taught to envision, to persist, to learn from mistakes, and to make critical judgements,” said Winner.
Despite the benefits of taking an art class, many students resent this class requirement. These students think that the class is simply a waste of time and takes their focus away from what they are truly passionate about.
Junior Rhea Subramanian chose to take Art I as a sophomore and quickly realized that she did not have any hidden passions for that subject.
“I won’t start doing art on my own any time soon, but I didn’t hate the class,” said Subramanian. “I thought it was nice because I had an hour each day where I wasn’t stressed. However, I did find myself wishing that I could use the time to do homework or study for tests in my harder classes.”
Other students, such as junior ceramics student Maddy Meier, discover something while completing these class requirements.
“When I first started Ceramics, it was my easy class that I didn’t have to pay much attention to. I thought it would be fun and I was glad to be getting my art credit taken care of. However, as the days went by, I found that I actually enjoy it a lot. I was surprised and I wish that I could spend more time in the class or had taken it in an earlier grade,” said Meier.
Melinda Meier, Maddy Meier’s mother, also believes that arts hold hidden gems for students.
“I think art classes help students by serving as an outlet for their stress and creativity. They allow the analytical parts of the brain to rest while the artistic parts get a chance to work,” said Mrs. Meier. “The classes also allow students to express themselves freely, instead of doing only what they are told.”
Whether students enjoy fulfilling their class requirements or not, many agree that they became a more well-rounded person by learning about the different career options that they will have after their high school years are over.
“I definitely recommend going into required classes, like art, with an open mind. They could help you later in life or you might find something that you really like and want to keep doing throughout your life,” said Lasala.
The Highlander, September 2016