4 Blueprint
OPINIONS
Feb. 24, 2017
There’s no right or wrong when grading creativity Danielle Prazak, Print Opinions Editor There is no limit to what an imagination can hold. Creativity has helped our world progress in so many different ways. Gregor Mendel, The Beetles, Stephen King and Walt Disney are just a few of the many success stories who have been criticized for their creative thinking. By now, we should be able to realize that creativity cannot be graded. I have been in several fine art classes including photography, various drawing and painting classes and creative writing classes. While teachers do their best to be open to ideas and evaluate the works of their students, it is often hard to avoid personal bias and preferences in these categories. Typically, there are other factors considered when grading artwork, such as participation during class, composition, and technicalities. Most students can appreciate teachers trying to acknowledge the other efforts we put into our work. It is much more difficult to grade art projects than it is a math test. There is no right answer with art due to the significant room for interpreta-
tion. Teachers can’t simply hand out A’s because they don’t want to hurt student’s feelings, but it’s challenging to put a percentage on someone’s artwork. We also recognize that their feedback should help us grow and develop as artists. However, these categories simply cannot be judged. Regardless of what any teacher says, every piece of created art or writing is beautiful and unique in its own way. By enforcing certain rules or guidelines, the creativity is not expressed
shut down their willingness or ability to create freely without fear of disapproval. Certainly I would advocate that students take art classes. The way you are required to think in a creative setting challenges the mind and pushes boundaries. However, I would suggest that we change the way students are evaluated in these courses. Instead of grading being based mainly on creativity, it should be based on the time spent both creating the idea and final product. In order to change the current methods of grading, students should be required to do each project twice. They would finish their first draft and then evaluate their work, pointing out Photo illustration by Marisa Kasher any flaws or portions they as greatly. People should would like to change. After not be taught how to create art. It this process they can recreate their happens on its own. Every person project, and the teacher can reevalugoes through different experiences ate based on how well they believe in their life, and the way that they the student recognized weaker points express themselves through various of their work. forms of art cannot be improved. The way our world progresses is When students are told that their based solely on those who can think artwork is not good enough, or not outside the box, creating new and worth an A, it discourages them. Con- innovative ideas. We can’t put a grade tinuing to scrutinize student’s creativ- on someone’s thoughts, feelings, or ity will prevent us from progressing. ideas. Imagine telling Walt Disney he It can both offend a person, and got a C-.
The stigma of sex affecting uneducated teens Gabrielle Bartkeviciute, Print Editor-in-Chief Living in the land of the free may seem great, until the taboo views on sexuality and sex education start affecting the way we treat one another. The lack of open talk has created an awkward view on anything involving sex, making healthy and safe lifestyles harder to achieve. If America had more comprehensive sex education at earlier ages, people would treat each other with more respect. Currently, many groups are affected by the stigma surrounding sex: teens, LGBTQ+ and survivors of sexual assault. The lack of comprehensive sex education affects teens in America, and they are suffering because many school offer abstinence-only sex education. According to USA Today, America’s teen pregnancy rate is three times higher than France’s. This may be because France hands out condoms to eighth and ninth graders according to alternet.org. American teens lack knowledge on safe sex, while France talks openly about it. Talking openly about sex and sexuality is not something that teens in the U.S. are accustomed to, making it challenging for kids coming out about their sexuality. The LGBTQ+ community is suffering from stigmatized relationships because of our Congress’s inability to pass a bill in their support, according to The Huffington Post. Our government is playing into the taboo
of sexuality by not allowing people to express how they feel on the inside, further leading society to believe that they need to be uncomfortable with the topic of sexuality. According to RAINN, every 98 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. and only one third are reported to police. This means that out of 1,000 sexual assaults committed in the U.S. only six offenders are put in jail. The unwillingness victims feel to speak out about what has happened to them is rooted by the issues our society has when talking about sex. Victims of any sex crime, the LGBTQ+ community, kids and young adults are all living in a society where their experiences and questions about sex and sexuality are being put under the radar. Instead of pushing this issue under the rug, we should create an open conversation about sex and sex education to address these problems. Many of the uncomfortable and awkward emotions surrounding sex are because of society’s decision to ig-
nore any topic involving sex. Ending the taboo on anything involving sex begins with the education system. If society wants a change for the better in the future, then it begins with teaching the younger generation about sex education, sexuality and what sexual abuse is. Teaching kids about such sensitive topics at a young age may seem too early, but the majority of sexual assaults in America are between the ages of 12-17. Having the domestic and sexual abuse presentations at DGS during junior year is not effective because most kids are already
Photo cuourtesy of Ivy Bukowski.
17. Abuse needs to be talked about earlier in the education system so students understand what can happen to them, how to prevent it and will feel comfortable to speak up if they have gone through a serious sexual offense. The stigma behind any idea involving sex is making discussion of important topics in society taboo. America needs to change, and it starts at the education level for the next generation.