This summer, students are fulfilling their Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) requirements via an Art 1 class taking up one of the two rooms normally dedicated to the subject. 

Inderkum sophomore and Summer Art Student Joven Sandhu said, “I’ve gained a lot of skills I otherwise wouldn’t have learned and the class has been very fun and flexible. But I don’t think that art should be a requirement.” 

At Inderkum High School, there was only a single option for Summer Art, and since it is a requirement that otherwise takes two semesters of school to complete, spots filled up quickly. 

“I really like the class itself and I believe that having a VAPA requirement can be very beneficial, but there aren’t enough viable options for students to take and just getting into this summer Art class was a struggle,” said sophomore Benjamin Burt. 

Student made sketch from the Summer Class) 

A common concern among students was the lack of opportunities to fulfill the necessary classes, especially ones that had such limited space for students looking to complete the requirement in a shorter time period. 

Sophomore Breahn Flood said, “There needs to be more alternatives for students to complete the VAPA requirements and those options should be available during the summer so there is more choice for students (during) the school year.” 

While students expressed some distress over the strenuous process of getting into a Summer Art class the sentiment was largely positive about the content of the course. 

“I’ve learned the principles of art and how to apply many interesting techniques I otherwise wouldn’t have known how to do,” said Flood. 

Burt said, “This class has given me another way to express myself and I think it offers a lot for students to gain and grow from.”