Ever since the majority of us were little, our parents and elementary school teachers would fill our minds with the phrase “everybody is important As we grew into functioning teenagers and acquired aspirations of our own, these three words were lost as reality became more prevalent in our lives. Students of all ages can attest that there are definitive cliques that are often determined by natural talent. These athletic, academic and artistic groups often compete for a sense of fulfillment and purpose in society.
Whether it be the work of the media or some deeply-rooted ideology that has plagued humanity for the entirety of human existence, the athletic breed was victorious in the fight for social acceptance and even put on a pedestal as a shimmering model so that we may never forget just what our standards should be. It makes sense; contrary to popular belief, many issues can be resolved with violence, and the bigger man or woman does have the advantage in a vast majority of situations.
In the other corner, weighing in at a whopping 98 pounds, the full-o-phlegm students of STEM. Alright, so not all of the brainiacs of the world fit this stereotype. In fact, there has been a huge social movement protecting the image of the academically-apt over the years. Being an engineering student, I fall into this category, as well as a large portion of students at The University of Wisconsin. I am sure that the majority of us, especially those of us that did not get picked first for dodgeball in middle school even though our best friend was one of the captains, will remember being sat down by our parents and told that all of the neighborhood bullies would someday be working for us. This talk never seemed to offer much relief until the scholarship money began to roll in.
The ‘Brain versus Brawn’ debate has always played a large role in society, but there was an unforeseen contender that entered the ring donning not much more than a leotard and metal folding chair: the arts students. The graceful dancers, the jazz trombonists, the creative writers, and that one kid that took his role in Pirates of Penzance way too seriously are ready to prove themselves as active contributors to societal culture. For quite some time, these students have been beat down due to their right-brain orientation. Why in this day and age should anyone be degraded for something that they cannot help? The correct answer is that they should not.
The passion for artful expression has been all but extinguished by the heavy feet of the academically and athletically gifted. Perhaps it is not intentionally malicious, but instead the product of ignorance. There is a world built upon expression of emotion through an endless array of mediums and, furthermore, the interpretation of these acts of expression. Unlike the cold, formulaic world that so many of us are taught to cling to, there is no exact answer to the difficult questions. As a textbook math nerd, this is a scary way to exist without some sort of natural inclination to the uncertainty. For those that have powerful ambitions, however, trying to assimilate one’s self into this world is no easy task. For years, I tried to convince myself that I could be one of the “artsy types” by means of YouTube videos with instructions and tips as well as hours of practice and theory study. Vocal music composition was my white whale, so to speak. After years of intense study, it was time to come to terms with the fact that I simply lacked natural talent.
Having not been a native of Wisconsin, I used my knowledge obtained via drum corps experience to stay afloat in social situations. To my surprise, it offered little refuge as it would appear that approximately 76 percent of those I spoke with were unaware that there was a major world class drum corps centered right in Madison. The Madison Scouts were one of the original 13 groups that founded a nonprofit organization known as Drum Corps International (DCI). Briefly, the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1938, one of only two remaining world class corps that employs strictly men, and holds two DCI world championship titles. This is not a small feat by any means, yet it seems to fly under the radar of the residents of Madison. This was perhaps the most jarring example of discredit to this particular art form that I have experienced personally.
I quickly learned never to fear a social faux pas such as this again, for all it takes is an enthusiastic “Go [insert local sports team here]” to win over the approval of a large portion of your peers. A close second falls to the slightly more awkward application of credit to the local university for their academic record. Although the arts have many applications in “real” fields of study, such as therapeutic medicine, they are seen as nothing more than a hobby to most.
There is some solace to be had, though. The brave torch-carriers of the arts will continue to see the world in a light that not many others will ever get the opportunity to see. Regardless of how the other types of people put the interpretatively-inclined down, there will always be the few courageous souls that defy their parents’ wishes and take the path less traveled. When our generation’s chapter is written into the history books, the unsung heros of our culture will be credited as perhaps the most important of all societal cliques. Granted, it is not instant gratification, but there is a fulfilling life of doing what you love until then whilst the rest of us use your gift of entertainment to escape the harsh reality of our chosen career paths.
As a society, do you feel that we should move toward respecting and learning about the arts more, or do you feel the status quo should hold? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
