Support arts programs

While Sen. Bart Hester may not approve, dance and arts education programs are instrumental for encouraging and enhancing communication, expression, critical thinking, and other skills that benefit both artists and communities.

I hold a minor degree in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Hendrix College. While I have no delusions of grandeur about making it big onstage or surviving off writing poetry, I could not be more grateful for the life skills I have gained while studying my passions.

Seven months post-graduation, I work two jobs to support myself: part-time cashiering and full-time room service. I don’t support myself through dance, but I believe that I couldn’t do my jobs if not for the personal growth I experienced through the arts. I have become a more open, communicative, sociable person with a better understanding of myself and others. I know how to work collaboratively, hold my own in a discussion, and think critically on my toes to adapt in the workplace.

No, a degree in the arts doesn’t guarantee direct entry into a successful career in that particular field, nor does it necessarily indicate the desire for it. However, it is by no stretch of a narrow-minded imagination useless.

The arts have just as much of a place in today’s society as math and science. Corporations like Apple or Amazon may not be looking for dance majors, but they surely can appreciate the skills the arts foster. Additionally, the arts impact the scientific and medical communities Hester and his ilk would champion. They foster a greater awareness of one’s physical, spatial, and emotional states, as well as a strengthening of one’s body and mind. This has already proven effective in treatment of conditions like dementia through alternative medical practices like dance therapy.

All told, our lawmakers should be lauding arts programs for their unsung benefits, not demonizing them and pushing them to the wayside. AMANDA AYERS

Conway