Summer arts break a sweat
May 18, 2015
Colleges these days expect more and more than the previous generation when it comes to students. They expect people to get high grades, and ACT/ SAT scores, but on top of that they expect us to be in extracurricular activities. This is fine, if they did not expect us to also be in as many programs as possible. It seems impossible to fit everything you want to do in a schedule of only 8 periods, which may cause a few issues.
At West Fargo High, it is expected to take a set amount of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, and such courses which is understandable. But oddly enough, among these required courses, there are two credits of gym that need to be completed as well.
What makes this so ridiculous is the fact that so many people are already so active outside of school, which makes the gym classes virtually useless. It is just a class that takes up space that someone could really use for more important classes. Of course, one can always take summer gym, but what is so frustrating to so many, is the fact that colleges also look at what you do during the summer. It is expected that you are also involved not only during the school year, but throughout your summer vacation time as well. What if there was a way to do summer activities, and also get gym credit?
Summer theatre is a great way to get an excellent amount of exercise, and get involved during the summer. The issue is that most of these activities, such as Trollwood, Gooseberry, and Summer Arts Intensive run during summer gym times, which makes it extremely difficult for one to complete both gym credits, and do summer activities, and complete all the classes they want to or need to do throughout the school year. The question many people are asking is, “Why does this not count as a gym credit?”
People are curious as to why we can not do that. You spend all summer outside in the hot sun doing intense dancing with professional instructors, Which give a far more intense workout, than the dance Aerobics class provided here. Many people who go through the programs can say that they get more exercise in the two and a half months out at these programs, than they get in all four semesters of gym classes they take here.
One of the arguments principals have had in the past was that many of the summer arts programs do not have legitimate teachers working at a school district, but Trollwood is part of the Fargo School District, which means that it follows public school regulations.
Overall Trollwood and other summer arts programs provide a curriculum that is way more physically exerting than most gym courses provided here, and should be counted as a gym credit.
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