Open Forum

Hello! My name is Josh Munden, over the summer the Director of Fine Arts for my school district contacted me and ask me to write and essay and the topic is  "Arts Getting Noticed" So I said "Ok!" and wrote it, I submitted it when school started but I have always been working on it and today I can say it's done. So I would like to share it with you all! I hope you enjoy!

---------

" My name is Josh Munden, I am a Senior at Liberty High School, and I am heavily involved in one of the schools most accepting, caring, judge free, bully free and free over all department, and it doesn't even get recognized that much in today's society, and that department is theatre. The sad thing is that most kids or parents don’t acknowledge what theatre really does.. We aren't just putting on fun colors and speaking in different voices or singing and dancing just for the heck of it, we are doing something great, something this world needs, that is “Creativity.” Not only are we putting hours and hours of work in for a show that will only been seen 3 times, but we are getting prepared for the real world outside of high school and college. Theatre teaches us to not be afraid of who we are as people, to be able to scream from the top of roofs THIS IS WHO I AM. Theatre gives kids confidence that most high schoolers don’t have. We have always been told by Teachers, Parents, and Administrators that we should accept people, and not bully. Well if you look around you can only find one place in highschool where you can walk in, be accepted by a family of peers and teachers, and just be who you are and not be scared. That is the theatre. Now as a society shouldn't we acknowledge and recognize a place like this more? Not only is it a judge free safe family zone, it teaches you life lessons in public speaking, hard work, dedication, on the spot thinking, creativity, grammar, a better understanding in literature, proper diction, and encourages healthy habits and that grades come before anything. Now i think that’s pretty Important in high school and should be shared who those who think theatre is a waste of time and money.

Now ask me what i’ve done with theatre, My first year in high school i spent 60+ hours on weekends working on the set for our musical and plays. I was President of Thespians (The High school Drama Club) I was in all the shows memorizing lines, queues and dance numbers along with songs. I would come into school 2 hours too early to work, then do 8 hours of school then 4 hours of rehearsal and then I would stay after that just to help. All while keeping a 3.5 GPA. Did I have to do any of this?? NO! I chose to! And i'm not the only one 30-40+ kids do the same all year round, all this work for 3 Shows that each get 3 performances. I feel like this should be acknowledged! Kids are doing so much work just because they want to, they’re doing what they love, if you ask anyone of them if they are “working too hard” they would say they’re not working at all because when you’re doing what you love, it’s not working.

Theatre has this magic power to take away the stress of normal life, and to open a new world of thinking, emotion, and creativity. It teaches us that we are human, acting is taking everything from our life that is pointless, like drama, social media, stress, work, home life, and throwing it away and just be raw, and not being scared to be vulnerable. Acting is to remind us that we are all human, with real emotions. Not robots who watch from a screen of a smartphone or laptop. It’s a chance for kids who are stressed to forget everything about the real world and let it slip away and be a whole different person. and at Liberty, the magic is real and not just on stage, but the people behind it all. The Teachers. These teachers put hours and hours of extra work in for no money, they don't get paid for the 20 hours a weekend they come in, or they 3-4 hours everyday after school, and do you think they care? No. They do this no just because they love it, but for the kids. Mr Johnson, Mr Turpin, Mr Money, and Mr Houltus are the most dedicated, and caring theatre goers we know at liberty. Here's why I say that.

My first year in high school my  grades were slipping a bit, but I was scared to say anything because I didn’t want to let these people down. Mr Turpin and Mr Johnson found all my teachers, emailed them asking what I could do, and to email them back every week my progress, then set up a plan with me so i could get back on track. I want you to name one school department who has one teacher who would do that just for one student they meet that year.

All of these great things are happening from Acceptance, Judge Free, Life lessons, real world preparation, Dedication, a caring community, a family, and overall watching each other's back. but no one knows anything of this because Theatre in not acknowledged enough! As a society we should be supporting theatre, because it does so much for kids. and all of this is coming from ONE high school student. think about the hunderds and thousands of others who feel the same way about this even more so. And in today's world people say that we shouldn’t leave anyone out. well i can name a group of kids who are left out, Theatre kids. In high schools all across america they are forgotten in yearbooks, school newspapers, school events, School assemblies and sometimes there show dates aren’t even announced to the school. But you know what is always recognized and acknowledged? Sports. Now the question i'm asking  is, if we put as much work in as the sport people, shouldn’t we get recognized too? Now although i mentioned sports this has nothing to do with the kids involved in sports. I think it’s great if a kid can find their calling, I also understand that department brings in more money for the school. All im saying is, shouldn’t we all be recognized for our hard work, dedication, and drive to do something more?  So let's do it. Let's start recognizing and acknowledging Theatre! Lets encourage kids that it’s ok to be who you are in a safe environment and learn life lessons. Let's teach people that there is more to life then screens, and its called emotion. It all starts with one voice, then that voice turns into 10, then 50, then 100, then 1,000. I'm ready to take the stand for Theatre and every other school department that goes unrecognized and not acknowledged. So there you have it. Voice one.

Let's make a difference.

Josh Munden

Liberty High School

Hello! My name is Josh Munden, over the summer the Director of Fine Arts for my school district contacted me and ask me to write and essay and the topic is  "Arts Getting Noticed" So I said "Ok!" and wrote it, I submitted it when school started but I have always been working on it and today I can say it's done. So I would like to share it with you all! I hope you enjoy!

---------

" My name is Josh Munden, I am a Senior at Liberty High School, and I am heavily involved in one of the schools most accepting, caring, judge free, bully free and free over all department, and it doesn't even get recognized that much in today's society, and that department is theatre. The sad thing is that most kids or parents don’t acknowledge what theatre really does.. We aren't just putting on fun colors and speaking in different voices or singing and dancing just for the heck of it, we are doing something great, something this world needs, that is “Creativity.” Not only are we putting hours and hours of work in for a show that will only been seen 3 times, but we are getting prepared for the real world outside of high school and college. Theatre teaches us to not be afraid of who we are as people, to be able to scream from the top of roofs THIS IS WHO I AM. Theatre gives kids confidence that most high schoolers don’t have. We have always been told by Teachers, Parents, and Administrators that we should accept people, and not bully. Well if you look around you can only find one place in highschool where you can walk in, be accepted by a family of peers and teachers, and just be who you are and not be scared. That is the theatre. Now as a society shouldn't we acknowledge and recognize a place like this more? Not only is it a judge free safe family zone, it teaches you life lessons in public speaking, hard work, dedication, on the spot thinking, creativity, grammar, a better understanding in literature, proper diction, and encourages healthy habits and that grades come before anything. Now i think that’s pretty Important in high school and should be shared who those who think theatre is a waste of time and money.

Now ask me what i’ve done with theatre, My first year in high school i spent 60+ hours on weekends working on the set for our musical and plays. I was President of Thespians (The High school Drama Club) I was in all the shows memorizing lines, queues and dance numbers along with songs. I would come into school 2 hours too early to work, then do 8 hours of school then 4 hours of rehearsal and then I would stay after that just to help. All while keeping a 3.5 GPA. Did I have to do any of this?? NO! I chose to! And i'm not the only one 30-40+ kids do the same all year round, all this work for 3 Shows that each get 3 performances. I feel like this should be acknowledged! Kids are doing so much work just because they want to, they’re doing what they love, if you ask anyone of them if they are “working too hard” they would say they’re not working at all because when you’re doing what you love, it’s not working.

Theatre has this magic power to take away the stress of normal life, and to open a new world of thinking, emotion, and creativity. It teaches us that we are human, acting is taking everything from our life that is pointless, like drama, social media, stress, work, home life, and throwing it away and just be raw, and not being scared to be vulnerable. Acting is to remind us that we are all human, with real emotions. Not robots who watch from a screen of a smartphone or laptop. It’s a chance for kids who are stressed to forget everything about the real world and let it slip away and be a whole different person. and at Liberty, the magic is real and not just on stage, but the people behind it all. The Teachers. These teachers put hours and hours of extra work in for no money, they don't get paid for the 20 hours a weekend they come in, or they 3-4 hours everyday after school, and do you think they care? No. They do this no just because they love it, but for the kids. Mr Johnson, Mr Turpin, Mr Money, and Mr Houltus are the most dedicated, and caring theatre goers we know at liberty. Here's why I say that.

My first year in high school my  grades were slipping a bit, but I was scared to say anything because I didn’t want to let these people down. Mr Turpin and Mr Johnson found all my teachers, emailed them asking what I could do, and to email them back every week my progress, then set up a plan with me so i could get back on track. I want you to name one school department who has one teacher who would do that just for one student they meet that year.

All of these great things are happening from Acceptance, Judge Free, Life lessons, real world preparation, Dedication, a caring community, a family, and overall watching each other's back. but no one knows anything of this because Theatre in not acknowledged enough! As a society we should be supporting theatre, because it does so much for kids. and all of this is coming from ONE high school student. think about the hunderds and thousands of others who feel the same way about this even more so. And in today's world people say that we shouldn’t leave anyone out. well i can name a group of kids who are left out, Theatre kids. In high schools all across america they are forgotten in yearbooks, school newspapers, school events, School assemblies and sometimes there show dates aren’t even announced to the school. But you know what is always recognized and acknowledged? Sports. Now the question i'm asking  is, if we put as much work in as the sport people, shouldn’t we get recognized too? Now although i mentioned sports this has nothing to do with the kids involved in sports. I think it’s great if a kid can find their calling, I also understand that department brings in more money for the school. All im saying is, shouldn’t we all be recognized for our hard work, dedication, and drive to do something more?  So let's do it. Let's start recognizing and acknowledging Theatre! Lets encourage kids that it’s ok to be who you are in a safe environment and learn life lessons. Let's teach people that there is more to life then screens, and its called emotion. It all starts with one voice, then that voice turns into 10, then 50, then 100, then 1,000. I'm ready to take the stand for Theatre and every other school department that goes unrecognized and not acknowledged. So there you have it. Voice one.

Let's make a difference.

Josh Munden

Liberty High School