Students stress over art credits

Imagine it’s senior year, you’re sitting in your car, looking at the credits you’ve collected throughout your time at Staples over the past four years. You know you’re close to graduation and can easily tick off most of the remaining required credits. But wait… what’s a visual art credit?

According to the SHS handbook, every student must garner 26 credits to graduate, and while some requirements, such as English or math, can be achieved by simply following the normal class progression, others require enrolling in specific classes. Some students leave completing these credits for last, which can cause issues when they’re forced to fit them into their upperclassmen years. And while some students find earning the practical and fine arts credits a burden, others see the classes as opportunities to explore new interests. 

“I didn’t take art classes in my first two years of Staples. It’s actually hurting me because I have an art credit that I’m going to have to do,” Troy Kudrjavtsev ’25 said. “Now, I’m going to have to take an art class next year and I think that these credits shouldn’t be required.” 

Others, like Devon Patel ’23, appreciate the arts requirement but would prefer a different focus. 

“As a professional violin player who does a lot of violin stuff outside of school,” Patel said, “I think that we should focus more on the arts in terms of music and less on the physical arts.” 

But some, such as Holden Dalzel ’23, think that the current requirements can be beneficial for students. 

“I think it’s good to have a mix of classes where you can find out what you want to do,” Dalzel said. “It’s much better than just having a bunch of science or math credits.”