One acts have been a staple of West High School for years. During Fine Arts Week every year, Theater 3 students put on these short plays after weeks of work. One acts ground fine arts week and make it the time-honored, long-anticipated tradition it is. West's Fine Arts Week is the reason its name is synonymous with excellence in the arts. Despite all of this, the administration of the Madison Metropolitan School District intends to end Theater 3 beginning in the 2022-23 school year, and in doing so permanently cripple the arts experience at West.

Students at West look forward to the one acts every year. For many young actors and directors, Theater 3, a professional-level course, is the only class of its kind they’ll ever take. The administration cites a lack of funding and the need for its teacher, Holly Walker, to teach a personal finance class instead as reasons for cutting it. But West has never cut a STEM program, let alone a pre-professional one, in such a dramatic way. The administration knows STEM is important (and rightfully so), but what makes this class so different? MMSD loves to preach the idea of “multiple intelligences,” but when it comes to the arts, a real-life opportunity to apply the concept, they shy away from offering opportunities to explore them. Theater 3 enriches the artistic lives of young directors, actors cast, and audience members; prepares its students for theater at a professional level; and cements West's excellence in the arts.

Many young actors at West are interested in theater but don’t have the time or resources to commit to more expensive community-based programs. Theater 3 provides the perfect opportunity for actors just beginning with the arts. This year, almost 100 students are involved in one acts, including many freshmen making their first foray into the arts. Both educational and fun, they connect the students involved to their peers and school. One acts are an equitable first chance for students interested in theater to connect with the arts and each other.

MMSD administration treats the arts like they don't matter. They cut program after program with no regard for the wishes of those who experience the consequences. But without art, life is dull and uninventive. Where is the funding going, if not to better the inner lives of MMSD's students? Theater 3 one acts give an opportunity to actors going on stage for the first time. What's more, Fine Arts Week is centered around them. It's liable to suffer a slow and quiet death without this class. Cutting Theatre 3 is unacceptable.

Don't let the administration be so blase about the arts. Show your voice. Show that you care about your art education and that if they intend to cut it, they'd better be prepared to face a unified opposition.