By Elizabeth McMullen, staff writer
More often than not, people see hobbies as fun little activities to do in their spare time and are generally just time killers and don’t really have an impact on life, however, that may not be entirely true. In some cases, people can also take their hobbies to a whole new level when they’re older, such as a violinist becoming a classical musician, or a gamer becoming a game developer
Mr Cecil, the art teacher, believes that it also helps the students’ mental state, stating, “Yes, working in an environment where there is not only one right answer and that embraces failure is very refreshing.” He brings up a point about how art embraces mistakes. Compared to the environment of normal classes and the cycle of getting something wrong means points off, there is no true wrong or right way of doing art. This is a good lesson to teach students. Not everything needs to be perfect and it is fine to make mistakes as long as you at least try.
One of the math teachers, Ms Walker, also agreed, “100%. Many students express to me that listening to music helps them focus when working on their classwork.” Music is a big part of most peoples’ lives, and teenagers are no exception. Music is a good way to pull through an assignment and have it done relatively quickly, if not only to the one doing it. Music is a great way to relax and unwind before and after homework, as well as stay sharp and focused during work.
Both teachers expressed that they believe music and art are as important as academic subjects like math and science. Unlike what some parents may believe, art related classes may be just as important and good for students as standard core classes.