Art is at the center of human life—it’s no wonder the Renaissance is synonymous with rebirth. It has been the driving force of human understanding and achievement since the very beginning. However, students today seem not as involved in the arts as they should be.

While FUHS does have the reputation of being the “art school” in the district because of our many incredible programs, some students are still missing out on all of the wonderful joys that art brings to one’s life.

According to the A-G requirements for graduation, a student must complete only one course of visual or performing art. Senior Adam Ritter, a triple threat, believes that students should be required to take at least two art classes to graduate.

“If you are only in one art class you don’t know every art. You only have experienced one type of art,” Ritter said. “I mean, what if you are good at something else?”

Students have a wide array of art classes to choose from, especially here at Fullerton. FUHS offers everything from theater, to band, to visual arts, to speech and debate.

Senior Lauren Fu has competed in speech and debate for four years and has been extremely successful her entire high school career. She strongly believes art, especially speech and debate, allows freedom of expression

“Speech and Debate specifically allows you to express yourself through public speaking and interpreting a multitude of pieces,” Fu said.

According to the Art Education Association, students who actively study art are four times more likely to be honored with academic achievement awards and three times more likely to be recipients of attendance awards than students who do not study art.

“I am always looking forward to going to theater, choir and dance. It makes my day better,” said Ritter.

Senior Isabella Schwimmer has been involved with the arts as long as she can remember and has a passion for fine art, painting, drawing and sculpting. Like Ritter, Schwimmer believes that art makes her school day more enjoyable.

“Art class is definitely the best part of my day,” Schwimmer said. While making a student’s school day more entertaining is a very positive result of studying art, the experiences one gains from immersing themselves in the arts are priceless.

“Having your art displayed publicly is a really humbling experience, but at the same time it can make you stand out and feel special. You have the chance to see what other students your age and skill level can produce, and you can see how different you are from them,” Schwimmer said.

Do not be fooled; sustained learning in arts, such as music and theater, not only conditions students to excel in creativity, but also directly correlates with high achievements in math and science.

Senior Sofia Duran-Kneip, trombonist and four-year member of marching band, believes art does not only aid students in their academic endeavors, but also assists in mitigating anxiety and other attention problems.

“I’ve managed to alleviate some of the stress and problems that plague me during the school day. The arts are a key element of schooling and I feel many people treat it like it’s a lesser subject to the core classes.”

FUHS does a fantastic job of giving students artistic options, so take advantage of all its resources. There are so many welcoming arts programs, so pick a few and allow them to enrich your educational experience.