San Marino High School is a school that takes pride in the high academic achievement of its students. However, it’s important to also consider the other aspects of a holistic development that an education here can offer—including the arts, which is often neglected in favor of academics and other activities. As the Fall Play Night of Titan Terrors came and went this year, many students chose to not attend. While lack of enthusiasm for our school’s activities—and in the arts in particular—is a wider issue that should also be addressed, it is evident that there is another reason—the lack of offers of extra credit given in classes for students’ attendance.
Many teachers have debated on whether to provide extra credit in return for students’ attendance of plays and other events on campus. Some teachers prefer to help students raise their grades whenever possible, but others choose not to. However, I believe that it would be beneficial for both teachers and students for teachers to provide extra credit for attending school plays in every class.
Some teachers believe that awarding extra credit only serves to increase grade inflation and allow students to receive a grade that they would not deserve. However, extra credit given is typically only raises any grade only by a slight amount—If a fraction of a percentage point can raise a student’s grade from C to B, would it really be that unfair to everyone else in the class? Also, it resolves the issue of different teachers’ grades being worth different amounts when some teachers provide more leniency and more extra credit than other teachers in the same course. If anything, every teacher giving extra credit to their students would only promote fairness, not remove it.
One must also consider the great lengths our school takes to promote school spirit. With assemblies, sports games, the annual luau, and other grand events like them, it is evident that our school considers student participation in events to be an utmost priority. Giving extra credit for students to attend the play would motivate students to take time out of their busy lives to show their school spirit with little cost and few consequences. It would also be a great step in allowing our outstanding arts programs to get the attention that they truly deserve.
