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Should School Arts Be Funded as Much as Sports?

Thesis: School arts programs should receive more funding because many students participate in

them, they provide academic benefit and it is an essential part of a school's curriculum.

I. School arts programs should receive more funding because many students participate in

them

A. School arts programs are open to everyone, whereas for school sports, you must

audition

1. There are only about 35 to 40 students on the football team

2. School arts are a lot more open to students, more welcoming

3. Arts are gender inclusive

4. Arts bring in critics and businesses

II. School arts programs should receive more funding because they provide academic benefit

A. Strengthens critical thinking

1. Students in the arts have a higher GPA

2. Critical thinking is involved when listening to a piece of music, observing

a piece of art, evaluating a photo

B. Strengthens verbal skills

1. In any art, having to display and explain your art helps strengthen your

verbal skills, much like having to read a speech in front of people.

C. Strengthens confidence

1. Having to compete, perform, or display your art gives you confidence and

builds character
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D. Strengthens concentration

1. You have to be able to concentrate to march, to draw, to perform a show,

to sing a piece, to take a photo

2. In band, having to play the right notes and keeping pitch requires you to

concentrate

3. You must concentrate hard when trying to take the perfect photo

E. Sparks creativity

1. In art, band, theater, or choir, you have improvisation. In improv,

creativity is sparked. You are basically on your own, you can do whatever

comes to your mind. Whether it’s playing a solo you made up on the spot,

free-hand drawing, writing a piece to sing in choir, or acting your own

scene.

F. Strengthens Dedication

1. Students in art are dedicated to what they do

III. Counter Argument: Sports do these things too.

A. Sports strengthen critical thinking, verbal skills, confidence, and concentration,

but at what cost?

1. Arts are more expressive than combative. When’s the last time you heard

of someone dying while playing an instrument or painting a picture?

2. Sports also teach “winning at all costs”.

3. Winning at all costs inspires cheating

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IV. School arts programs should receive more funding because it is an essential part of a

school’s curriculum.

A. At least one P.E. is needed to graduate

1. Sports are not needed to graduate

2. Forcing arts into curriculum helps students to learn how to creatively think

3. This increases job and college chances

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Hannah Cooper

AP English III

David Cullen

April 27, 2018

Should School Arts Be Funded Just As Much As Sports?

“We need people who think with the creative side of their brains—people who have played in a

band, who have painted…it enhances symbiotic thinking capabilities, not always thinking in the

same paradigm, learning how to kick-start a new idea, or how to get a job done better, less

expensively” (Annette Byrd​).​ School arts in American schools are being cut from curriculum and

lack in proper funding. Say there is an art student named Chase, and there is a football student

named Michael. Chase is a dedicated student who has participated in art classes all throughout

high school, but in his senior year the school cuts funding for arts. Chase intended on majoring in

musical education, so without the proper funding for his class, he cannot take it. Michael is not a

dedicated student or athlete, but he enjoys playing football. All of the art funding goes toward the

football team’s new uniforms, even though Michael has no intention of playing football in

college. Whether school sports should get proper funding whereas school arts do not is highly
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debated. “If the fine arts needs materials, they shouldn’t have to go into their own pockets to buy

what they need” (“Fine Arts vs. Sports”). Why school arts should be funded is failed to be

explained in depth. School arts programs should receive more funding because they are open to

anyone, they provide academic benefit and it is an essential part of a school's curriculum.

School art programs are open to everyone, whereas you must audition for school sports.

Students do not have to worry about not making it into marching band, or a photography class.

Students in fine arts are pushed to be more open and confident people, which helps welcome new

people joining. As well as being an audition, sports are gender exclusive. Art programs have a

“gender inclusiveness” (“Football or Music?”). It is very unheard of for a woman to play

football. Even then, there are separate teams for men and women. Fine arts do not categorize

men and women into two different groups, which helps push the idea of a team. Being gender

inclusive helps push young men and women to work together, rather than saying marching band

is a man’s class, or photography is a woman’s class. In fine arts, a man does not have to worry

about not being able to join band. A woman does not have to worry about not joining a theater

class. Everyone is welcome and is seen as equal in fine arts. Not only do school arts welcome

participating students, but art critics as well. “​ ​Arts travelers are ideal tourists, staying longer and

spending more​ to seek out authentic cultural experiences” (Reasons To Support The Arts).

Bringing in art critics help show art from high school students around the world. Having the

ability to emotionally move someone who is a professional in fine arts just by your art is an

amazing opportunity to the student. Fine arts express a gateway to the rest of the world. A

student can express or voice a message through art that is so powerful, it impacts someone from

across the country. Rarely do fans of football come from around the world to watch a high
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school football team. Football players cannot convey a message to the government about helping

the poor, by playing football.

School arts provide many academic benefits. Critical thinking is involved when

sight-reading a new piece of music, observing a piece of art or evaluating a photo. When

sight-reading, students are forced to comprehend rhythms that they have not yet heard. By doing

so, students must use math to comprehend the exact rhythm of the notes. Roman poet Horace

once said, “A picture is a poem without words.” Art can offer the same amount of thinking as

reading can, just without the words. A painting can have a powerful meaning, but you really

have to look into it to understand the meaning. ​Pawel Kuczynski​ is a Polish artist who paints

pictures that make you really look at them. One has to think about the meaning to truly

comprehend what he is trying to say. A study was conducted to show that “students with an

education rich in the arts have ​higher GPAs and standardized test scores, and lower dropout

rates​” (“Reasons To Support The Arts”). Sports do not higher the GPA of students, or even keep

them dedicated in their schooling. Melissa N., a previous art student says, “I am quite lucky to

live in a school district that takes art and music programs seriously; they have had such a positive

influence on me in terms of my attitude in a competitive setting, how it affects my behavior, and

ultimately how that shapes my future​.” ​Art students around the world who are lucky enough to

have funding for their art programs show an advantage of art through their school work. Students

who are able to participate in arts are shown to be much happier coming to school. Fine arts are a

way for students to cope, even if they hate their school. Art not only improves verbal

communication, but non-verbal communication as well. In theater, students learn how to

communicate different emotions through body language. When playing a character in a play,
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students must examine the body language of their character. To effectively portray body

language helps the student nonverbally communicate the personality of their character to the

audience. The ability to portray the body language other than that of your own to perform a

character takes effort, good attitude and brains. It is not easy to act like someone completely

opposing to your personality. Art students and musicians also have the opportunity to

nonverbally communicate through their artwork or a piece of music. Art or photography students

are often given assignments that able them to voice their opinions on current issues. Photos have

been taken around the world that have given a powerful message across. For example, there is a

photo of a lady at a rally holding a sign with a Tupac quote written on it. The quote states, “They

got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor”. This photo has a great significance around the war,

and is a great example of a photo giving a powerful message. Matt Christenson, an art teacher,

has created an assignment to bring powerful messages into his students’ artwork. A

“brainstorming sheet” that states issues going on in the world (politically, environmentally, or

personally) is given out to students as a guide to what they can have their art represent.

Christenson states, “Getting students to make authentic, powerful pieces can sometimes be

difficult. Students may not want to share their deep feelings or may not be excited about the

amount of work required to make a strong statement piece. However, requiring students to

practice this important skill can have powerful, long-lasting effects for their future artwork”

(“Powerful Painting Project”). Music gives a student the chance to express emotions through

their instrument. Playing a sad piece can help a student show solemn emotions through their

playing. Having to compete, perform, or display their art gives students a sense of confidence

and builds character. In band, having to play a solo in front of an audience helps strengthen
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confidence and comfort in a student’s playing ability. When given a solo, a student is inspired to

practice hard for playing the solo in front of an audience. Confidence is gained through a student

working hard on their solo, and being able to play it beautifully in front of their audience.

Confidence can be gained through a theater student performing a show after months of hard

practice. Having to sing a piece in choir in front of an audience can build confidence. Although

students will be nervous to perform in front of an audience, students feel a sense of confidence

afterward. Building this confidence helps the student to not be as nervous in their next

performance. Confidence gained is also used in the student’s life outside of the arts. Say there is

a student named Chase, who was too shy to even speak in front of the class his freshman year.

Chase is now a sophomore has been given many solos and gained much confidence in himself

since then. From gaining this confidence, Chase is not only able to play solos in front of a crowd,

but he is able to speak in front of his class without being nervous. The confidence Chase gained

has allowed him to grow as a student. Concentration is required when marching a show,

performing a concert, taking the perfect photo, or singing a piece. In band, playing the right notes

and keeping pitch with the rest of the students requires you to concentrate. If you are ever out of

tune, the audience will know. Having to listen to the rest of the band around you to keep

intonation is very challenging, and requires a lot of concentration. In theater, you are required to

think about your role, but also how your role fits into the entire story. While getting the perfect

shot for photography, you are required to concentrate on your background, lighting, and the main

focus. If one does not focus on keeping the camera steady while attempting to take a shot, the

picture could come out blurry. If one does not concentrate on letting the perfect amount of light

into the photo, the photo could come out dark or too bright. When in the dark room, students
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have to concentrate on balancing the right chemicals into the photo solution, and keeping the

photos in the solution for the right amounts of time. In band, choir, art, or theater you have

improvisation. Through improv, creativity is sparked. The student is challenged to create on

their own. Whether it’s playing a solo you made up on the spot, free-hand drawing, writing a

piece to sing in choir, or acting your own scene. Through improvisation, students show a part of

their personality. Improvisation can be used to give a message, or to speak out without having to

use words. Lastly, school arts help improve dedication. After all the hard work students put into

their art, they get a sense of pride in what they have done. In marching band after rehearsals,

students recite a creed of “pride”. This creed represents the band, and is a reflection of all the

hard work students put into marching band because of their passion for it. Students gain a sense

of pride when they are told by their art teachers that they had a great performance, or their

artwork is great. Something as simple as an art teacher hanging up a student’s painting or

photograph can inspire them to want more recognition. In wanting this recognition, students are

dedicated to creating more amazing artwork. Having this dedication and passion can help

improve the student’s want to major in a fine arts subject, and can improve their chances of

getting into a college. An article about college admissions states, “Colleges value creativity,

whether you play the cello in the state youth orchestra, have the lead in plays, or paint your heart

out in studio art classes. The arts help brain development and they lend vibrancy to campuses​”

(“College Admissions”). ​This sense of dedication also improves the chances of an arts student

being dedicated to their job, or to their school work.

Sports also strengthen critical thinking, verbal skills, confidence and concentration, but at

deathly costs. “The effectiveness of sports as an educational tool has been steadily diminishing
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as athletic programs have become more about the end result—winning—and less about the

process (learning)” (“Football or Music?”). Teaching students to win at all costs will make them

overly competitive. Winning at all costs also encourages cheating in sports, which could lead to

cheating their way through school. An article about academic cheating claims, “Earlier this year,

the NCAA ​came down hard​ on Syracuse University for academic fraud” (“Academic Foul”).

“Arts programs like theater, dance, band, and chorus teach students to sharpen their skills while

working toward a shared goal” (“Funding for School Arts”). School arts are also more expressive

than combative. Students dying while painting, playing an instrument or taking a photo simply

do not make the headlines. Headlines everywhere include articles of students who have been

injured or killed while participating in a sports game. Going back to winning at all costs, sports

students will not hesitate to push, kick, or hit anyone in their way of winning. Sports students are

taught to think of their opponents as a target in their way of success. School arts do compete for

ratings against other schools, but even then students in arts are taught to learn from their

mistakes. If a band does not get a superior rating, they listen to the comments of the judges and

learn to improve what they did not succeed with. Sports teach students that they are either

“good” or “bad” as a team. Having this mentality could lead students into thinking they are a

“bad team”, rather than knowing what they need to work on in order to improve. School arts

students are taught to have respect for their opposing schools, whereas sports students have such

disrespect for the other team. It is unheard of for an art student to push their opposing contestant

out of their way. Rather than thinking of their opponent as a target, they take the competition as a

chance to learn and grow.

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School arts should receive more funding because it is an essential part to a school’s

curriculum. American schools from grades K-12th are “required to offer a curriculum that

includes fine arts” (“Fine Arts vs Sports”). School sports are not an essential part of a school

curriculum. Since school sports are participated in by choice, it would make more sense to have

students pay to participate in them, rather than the school funding them. Since school arts are

required to graduate, students and teachers should not have to pay their own money for required

supplies. With funding being cut, art teachers do not make enough to have to pay out of their

pockets for supplies. In marching band, students already have to pay a fee for joining. Sport

uniforms are replaced regularly, whereas marching band uniforms are replaced every ten years or

so. If the marching band can keep their uniforms in shape for ten years, funding should not have

to go to new football uniforms every year. School arts being required in curriculum also helps

push creativity if not dedication into students. Perhaps pushing creativity into the students would

benefit the rates of jobs given. The​ Ready to Innovate ​report concludes “The arts—music,

creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the 3rd millennium”

(Reasons To Support The Arts). Jobs look for creative thinking and dedication in workers.

In conclusion, school arts should be funded just as much as sports because because they

are open to anyone, they provide academic benefit and it is an essential part of a school's

curriculum. School arts help build a student in creativity and dedication. School arts are open to

anyone, and help students keep from discrimination. School arts are essential in curriculum to

create a sense of creative thinking. Sports are after school activities that are used for fun in life.

School arts provide the benefits for a student not only in high school, but in the future. School

arts should be the ones who are funded.

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Works Cited

Bonnet, Siandhara. "Fine Arts vs. Sports: The Battle of the Budgets." The Roar. N.p., 13 Feb.

2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

Christenson, Matt. "A Powerful Painting Project That Amplifies Student Voice." The Art of Ed.

N.p., 21 July 2016. Web. 19 May 2017.

Gerdy, John R. "Football or Music?" Education Week. Editorial Projects in Education, 08 Feb.

2017. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

Express-News, Roxanne Schroeder-Arce For the. "Why Do We Value Sports over the Arts?"

Heymont, George. "More Funding for School Arts Programs, Less for Sports." The Huffington

Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

N., Melissa. "School Funding in Arts Instead of Athletics." Letters to the Next President. N.p.,

31 Oct. 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.

"Paintings That Will Make You Question Everything Wrong in This World." ArtFido. N.p., n.d.

Web. 19 May 2017.

Staff, NPR. "Academic Foul: Some Colleges Accused Of Helping Athletes Cheat." NPR. NPR,

13 June 2015. Web. 19 May 2017.

White, Monica. "College Admissions." GoLocalProv. GoLocalProv, 23 July 2013. Web. 19 May

2017.
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