Zoey Dennis (284)

Even though I am wholeheartedly a STEM person, I believe everyone should take an art elective at some point in their high school career. Personally, I have never taken an art elective, but I wish I had. Central offers many interesting art electives such as Photography, Sculpture, Costume Design, and even Theatrical Production Design. Art electives bring in an element of creativity and provide a chance to take a break from all the hard classes and do something fun. Just taking plain, academic classes makes you smart, but you don’t always get a chance to build creativity and appreciate the beauty of art. 

Adelaide McGlothlin (284) agrees with this. She took Art 2 and praised how stress-free the class is and how much creative freedom is given. McGlothlin says, “There’s no wrong way to do it.” This breathable form of education allowed her to improve in art and be more creative in all aspects of life. She also mentions, “It’s a nice break from the rest of my classes.” Christopher Stone (284) also agrees with this. He takes sculpture and explains that it’s very stress-free and “just chillin.” Stone doesn’t really get homework, and the only assignments he gets are building sculptures in class. He says this class has “expanded his creative horizons” and is a highlight in his day. Everyone should have at least one class that brings them joy, and taking an art elective will most certainly do that.

Clara de Groot (284) feels that it’s a break from her other very stressful classes. She took architecture, which was a legitimate interest of hers. Art classes are not a piece of cake, though. De Groot says, “It wasn’t that much work but it really made me think.” 

Another thing that sets apart art classes from normal classes is the final. Everyone knows that finals season is the worst time of the year and can be stressful. De Groot mentions that her architecture final was to sketch and design your own house. This seems enjoyable, even for people who don’t have an actual interest in architecture, and is much better than taking a test that makes you cry halfway through. 

Everyone knows the prep for AP tests is grueling and stressful. Nobody likes it. It’s even worse when all that hard work could lead to a bad score. Personally, AP Art looks like the most fun exam. You create a portfolio, and you can choose the theme. I’ve seen pictures of what people drew on TikTok, and it’s so interesting, not as boring as solving math problems. Having a balanced education that includes art classes makes school more enjoyable and expands your mind.