In seemingly every high school movie, there are cliques that separate students. The jocks, the popular kids, the goths…and then there’s the theater kids.

These are the kids in the hipster-esque clothing, always carrying a script and bursting into song at inappropriate moments. Kids who, to the annoyance of others, always try to find a deeper meaning in the color of the curtains or the breed of cat their character may own.

While this may not be the most accurate representation of those involved in theater, there are definitely a few truths to their on-screen portrayal, such as their overwhelming passion for what they do despite the challenges they may face.

For many schools, one of the main challenges is budget. The budget of the Wahlert drama department has never been one to gawk at. Understandably, a private Catholic school does not have the loose funds some other schools may have access to, so there can be plenty of forgiveness in that respect. However, when it comes to the appreciation of separate activities, the theater department has never been at the top of the list.

Last year when the department put on its spring musical, The Phantom of the Opera, audiences flooded through the doors to see how in the name of all that is holy a high school could pull off such an elaborate show. The answer is: through a lot of hard work and passion. Those students do it because they love it and because the community loves them.

The theater department is a representation of Wahlert that the entire community sees. People from all around Dubuque, and even some of the surrounding cities, come to see the shows going on at the local theaters.

Besides the overall community, the actual Wahlert community benefits from being involved in theater. According to the American Alliance for Theater and Education, “Students involved in a drama performance, coursework or experience outscored non-arts students on the 2005 SAT by an average of 65 points in the verbal component and 34 points in the math component.” Involvement in drama activities is also proven to improve reading comprehension and both verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Artistic activities such as theater, dance, show choir and so many more have benefits such as these that not only get students interacting, but growing academically. Of course, athletic activities have their own benefits as well. So should the arts not be shown the same level of appreciation?

At Wahlert, when there is a large sports events there are spirit days, constant announcements, and encouragement to go support the team. Where is that support for the arts? Perhaps there might be a single mention on the afternoon announcements or WCTV. Perhaps there could be a possibility for Wahlert classes to go see the musical during the school week as a community, or enjoy multiple performances from the dance team at the pep rallies.

Students of Wahlert are involved in the activities they have a passion for. Why not allow them to share that passion with the rest of the school at an equal amount to other programs?