Meloetta23

As I've said before, school has been painfully uneventful. Considering this is my senior year, you would think that it would be at least a little more exciting. But unfortunately, it isn't, so I've haven't had much to blog about as of late.

However, here's something you might be interested in. I'm currently taking a writing class that will prepare me for writing essays and such in college. I really like the class so far; the topics we discuss are fascinating, and the teacher is hilarious. She openly admits that she isn't afraid to embarrass herself, and she tells a lot of jokes and gets off subject often.

Right now, I'm working on my first essay that I have to write for the class. It's an argumentative essay. Last week, everyone had to choose one topic from a list. For anyone who is curious about this list, here it is:

1. Recycling
2. No Child Left Behind
3. Head Start
4. Homeschooling
5. Distance learning/online courses
6. Year-round schools
7. Global warming/climate change
8. Rainforest conservation/development
9. Bilingual education
10. Immunizations
11. Genetically-engineered/genetically-modified foods
12. Censorship
13. Book banning
14. Standardized tests
15. Foreign languages required in kindergarten and elementary/middle school curricula
16. Social Security reform
17. Physical education classes/recess
18. Fine arts classes

While there were quite a few topics that I would've liked to write my essay on, the last one (fine arts classes) spoke to me the most. Since I am a very active and dedicated member of my school's choir, obviously I support having fine arts classes in schools. They give kids something fun to do so they're not doing only math, science, english, and other academic-related things all day. Students need to express themselves, so the arts give them a chance to do that in a healthy manner. Also, studies have shown that students who participate in a fine art tend to have higher grades and standardized test scores than those who don't. This can probably seen most easily in musicians and actors, since one has to be able to count beats and intervals in order to read sheet music, and acting requires good memorization skills to learn lines.

But since I will have to do this in my essay, I will take this opportunity to present the opposing side, just to be fair. Some people think that fine arts classes are a waste of money and time. In this economy, we need more financial advisors and economists to help relieve countries of their financial burdens. Also, people think that school should strictly be about academics; if kids want to participate in fine arts, they should do it on their own time, like people do with athletics. Very few colleges produce music, art, and theater majors, and some schools don't even offer fine arts classes at all. Throughout history, fine arts programs have flourished when the economy was strong, and likewise they have suffered when there was an economic slump. And while there is a trend of students performing better in school if they participate in a fine art, some argue that it is because families who support the arts tend to support high academic standings as well.

All in all, I think fine arts classes are a very good thing to have. They can be somewhat expensive at times (there are costs for buying sheet music and gowns/robes, paying accompanists, and registering for competitions), but they can generate revenue through concerts and charity events. And it is true that it is hard to have a successful career as a musician, songwriter, artist, or actor, but anyone who is lucky enough to get a big break can be blessed with fame and fortune beyond their wildest dreams. I do agree that academics are important, but school should be about more than just that; it never hurts to learn anything new or discover something that you like. Students should be given a chance to embrace the arts, even if they do not take it or stick with it in the end. Sometimes it is important to think less about the practicality of something and more about pursuing and supporting something for its own sake.

I am a music geek to the end, and I am proud of it. If you have an opinion about this topic or any of the other topics from the list I provided, feel free to tell me! Just keep these things in mind:

1. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so NO hateful responses to anyone's messages. Also, NO rude or uncalled-for comments to try to make people support or reject the subject in question! If I see any, I WILL report it to a Mod!

2. If anyone chooses to discuss any of the other topics, keep in mind that not everyone is familiar with it (for example, I know very little about No Child Left Behind and Head Start, and I know people who have never head of year-round schools or homeschooling and how they work). So just for everyone else's reference, please put a brief, unbiased description and/or example of it in a spoiler tag so those who don't know can read it and those who do know don't have to read it.

Just follow these two simple rules and everything will be okay! I am eager to hear what you all have to say!

~LovePeaceMusic~