You, just like almost every other Riverdale Upper School student, are probably thinking about college, your transcript, and forming a well-rounded application. For many of you that includes participation in the arts. Riverdale requires every high schooler to complete three years of art courses, whether that be music, performance, or visual art.

This year, students meet with their art classes three days a week, the same amount as English, history, math, and science. I would say all of these classes are of equal importance and value, but logistically this was not always the case.

I have taken two music classes each year since I came to Riverdale as a freshman, and this year I am partaking in an independent study in music theory. I have a deep passion for music, and I work just as hard in these classes as I do in my academic courses because they are the classes I most enjoy. However, it was always unfortunate when arts classes only counted for a half credit, despite being as much of a commitment as classes considered “more academic.”

I continued to take these arts classes because I enjoyed them, but it only seemed fair that we were appropriately credited for our work. We should all be aware of the significant new change that gives us artists the credit we deserve. Less than a year ago, the administration made a change to award arts classes by increasing their credits from half a credit to a full credit. The administration acknowledged that this change needed to happen because art classes not only provide a valuable form of education but also can improve your academic performance and mental health.

For example, research conducted by Swylia Holmes and Susan Hallam of the Institute of Education in London has proven that the study and intake of music can improve your spatial-temporal reasoning skills.

This engagement in art improves your ability to take in and use the academic information you learn and apply it to all of your studies. The arts can also serve as a form of therapy. Engaging in art on a daily basis eases the mind, allowing our brains to remain as sharp as they need to be in order to take on rigorous classes.

The arts provide just as much intellectual value as our other classes. This is why I was so pleased to learn that we are now being rewarded fairly for the amazing work we produce in our arts classes. With this new system in place, students will no longer face the repercussions of the former system.

Due to the lack of calculable value, students did not always take the arts as seriously as they should have or would have if they were set at the same value as academic courses. Despite it hopefully being an enjoyable part of every student’s schedule, it is not always given the drive and focus it deserves, solely due to its former lack of significant value. Students are all swamped with so much work that when given a reason not to put as much effort into something, some would not.

I met with Dean of Faculty, Mr. Richard Lapidus, to discuss the new change. After expressing my thoughts on the former system, Mr. Lapidus agreed and stated, “The old system made no sense; [arts classes] met just as often, and they deserved to be equal.” It was great to hear that the arts are important to not only the faculty in the art department but also to the administration as a whole. Even if it meant I never got proper credit for my work, I would still dedicate myself to the arts, because it is what I love to do.

We should all put effort into the things that we enjoy, but since that may have not always been enough incentive for everyone, it is great that art classes will now be equally weighted on our transcripts. Many schools throughout the Ivy League use the same system we used to, and our peer schools’ art classes sometimes meet less frequently, making them a smaller commitment.

Since at Riverdale we get to dedicate the same amount of time to an art class as an academic class, it is fantastic to know they are all valued equally.

Riverdale is leading by example, and hopefully, this change will show initiative to our peer schools to make this important change as well. Arts have always been vital to the value of the mind and character of our community at Riverdale, and it is great to know that colleges will now see that too. The new system is a triumphant win for the arts and all Riverdale students.