LEDGER FORUM
Lawrence Township public schools have a history of favoring athletic programs over the arts. Numerous Lawrence students, including this writer, have grown sick and tired of this imbalance. In fact, the general population of Lawrence Township discriminates against the written and performing arts.
In the schools, a greater importance is placed upon sports rather than the arts. Sports scores are reported, and games are advertised to the students every day in Lawrence High, but one never hears, "the play is only 10 days away so don’t miss it."
In addition, there was the student production of "Moving a Domino" on May 24 and 25, but there had been no advertising for it on the message board outside or over the announcements. The play and music programs are always on a budget with little to spend, but sports teams never have a problem with funding. As an example, the sports teams get new equipment all the time, but the curtain in the Lawrence High School auditorium is all ripped up, and the newest upgrade that it had received is when it was renovated many years ago.
Arts are just as important to the school as the sports teams are and should be treated as such. They give the school culture that it would not get otherwise. The arts also let the students expand their creativity to its fullest. They provide a good social situation for students that are not athletically inclined. All the music programs allow for developing musicians to gain even more experience and a good time for all involved. Despite all these bonuses that come with the arts in our community, they are ignored by most, and even looked down upon by some.
The arts, for many students, are far more enriching than any sport. The sports players look down upon the students who think this way. When people talk about the prejudice in schools, they think of racial prejudice and overlook the prejudice that some people have against the arts. Recently, ever since Donald Profit became an administrator again, there have been more improvements in this department, but it is only the beginning, and we as a community should do something about it.
Pine Knoll Drive
The writer is an 11th-grade student at Lawrence High School.