Many of the extracurriculars I did in high school have come to define who I am today – Art, Orchestra, Journalism, Debate, Spanish Honor Society, and oh yes, Knitting Club. When I was in high school, I was constantly frustrated by the lack of funding for these activities that were so integral to who I became as a person – in Texas, all of the funding goes towards sports such as football. I put a ring outside my former debate coach’s classroom to represent how much I valued these teachers and activities in my life, but I also wonder, beyond just the metaphorical act, could we possibly use this idea of the ring and financial value to agitate for real, significant funding of arts education?

—Carol