With McCallum having some of the top fine arts in the city, students are drawn to the school to pursue creativity and the arts. Here, they are allowed to major in their personal interests, such as dance or theatre, prioritizing this as a part of their schedule. For some, sports and other extracurricular activities do not allow time for them to major in fine arts, even if they are interested. In order to allow as many students to participate in these classes as are inclined, most fine arts classes are open for non-major students to enroll in.
Junior Julia Van Houten is in Ceramics III, and after taking art classes for the past few years, she looks forward to keeping them a part of her schedule.
“Being in a fine arts class has benefited me because it’s something I’m able to look forward to in my day,” Van Houten said. “It is not like a typical class, and I’m able to be creative.”
In the class, Van Houten and other classmates make different projects and learn how to utilize clay in varying ways.
“I love being able to make all sorts of pots and vases,” Van Houten said. “Especially because we get to glaze them uniquely.”
Similarly, junior Shayla Allen appreciates the opportunity to take fine arts within the school day, especially because her busy schedule makes it hard to make time for it outside of school. Allen has been playing piano for a while on her own, but this year she has enrolled in Piano II.
“Being in a fine arts class has benefited me in so many meaningful ways,” Allen said. “This class has helped me continue improving my piano skills. It has also given me the opportunity to perform on stage. I had never played piano in front of an audience and being able to gain that performance experience has been really exciting and rewarding.”
With each fine art class, there is a teacher who works with the students every day to try and help them improve and grow.
“My favorite part about piano is the people and, of course, our teacher, Ms. Wiley,” Allen said. “She brings incredible energy to every class and pushes all of her students to grow and do their best. I truly feel like I’ve improved so much as a pianist just from being in her class over the past few months.”
Being a part of fine arts classes is a choice that students get to make, which helps develop different communities within the class. Junior Natalie Cross is also taking Ceramics III and enjoys the environment of the class.
“My favorite part is working on projects while talking with my friends,” Cross said. “It is a fun, calming class with a great teacher.”
Allen agrees with Cross that the community within the class helps with building relationships based on similar interests.
“Everyone in the class is supportive, respectful, and encouraging,” Allen said. “I’ve made many new friends by being in this art class.”
Sophomore Owen Fronk is a dance major who is required to take a ballet class that consists of majors and nonmajors. This allows her to work alongside people she doesn’t normally dance with daily.
“I enjoy getting to have a class with majors and nonmajors because it lets me work alongside different perspectives,” Fronk said. “Everyone has a different amount of dance experience, making the classroom environment fun to learn in.”
In her piano class, Allen looks forward to learning new skills she is unable to learn outside of school.
“My favorite thing I’ve done in this class is learning songs I never thought I’d be able to play,” Allen said. “It’s such an amazing feeling to start a song that seems impossible at first and then to hear yourself actually playing it the way it’s supposed to sound. It’s definitely made me a more disciplined and motivated pianist.”
With core classes taking up a majority of the students’ schedule, electives and fine art classes offer a break.
“If I didn’t have dance classes, my day would feel so long,” Fronk said. “I look forward to the time of day when I get to focus on creativity and my passion, while working alongside some of my best friends.”