To conform is to abolish innovation, but even so we conform. Innovation is the key factor leading to progress, but even so we conform. Our system of education is currently at a very traditional state where it is forcing individuals to conform to the way they want us to think. They are conforming us in such a way that by the time we reach high school (or possibly even middle school) we have been robbed of our innate desire to be creative. That being said, all children are born creative or have talents, but sadly most of them lose their abilities. This creativity and curiosity in children is why they have no fear of being wrong which is what pushes them to try new things thus making them creative. The problem lies not only in the fact that breaking tradition would be a huge, huge change in the way we learn (which is something that everyone is afraid of), but also that we don’t give artistic classes the same status, the same respect as we give our core classes. What I propose is a shift in the way we treat our arts. I suggest that if a student has a passion for a certain art, something that they would want to do for the rest of their life as a career or as a hobby, to be able to take that class for 3 periods consecutively instead of taking 3 separate electives. What I would also like to suggest are honors art classes, and providing all students with extra credit to attend at least one school based art event per year. This last suggestion would promote the arts and possibly even invoke the creative sides of some, pushing them to participate. With my suggestions implemented, it is my hope that creative and core classes will be given the same respect and status. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” I hope that with the passing of this petition and others like it, creativity will not continue to be abolished by conformity, and that more students will find being themselves easier.

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