The Theater, The Theater. What Happened To The Theater?

I entered middle school as an insecure, but loud-mouthed 6th grader. I hardly knew anyone, until I went out on a limb and went to a drama club meeting, already aware that I had no friends from my old school who were going. Attending that meeting might have been the best decision of those 3 years. The people I met through  clubs I joined changed me so much as a person.

Drama club made me feel like I was really a part of something special. I would be feeling left out one day,  then I would come to drama club.  I was surrounded by people that were like me —people that actually wanted to hear what I had to say and liked who I was. I learned to be fearless speaking in front of people and to be proud of who I am, no matter where I go.

Choir taught me to love making music, and that I'm my own worst critic. I learned so much about working together for something larger,  I also learned how to go about different styles of singing, and the difference between singing by alone and singing with a group. Even though I was only involved for a year, I gained so much more than I thought.

It's the most amazing thing to see people that come from all different backgrounds to join together and make something incredible out of hardly anything. By the end of the year, every student involved felt special. Both of these activities made me feel wanted, like I could really make a difference, and because of that I gained a lot of self esteem that I still carry with me. Because of its effect on kids, art unites what is usually a very divided and cliquey middle school.

I know that are always going to be kids that were like me, unsure and insecure, that are going to come into middle school more or less alone. It would break my heart if people like me didn't have those teachers and classes to help them with self esteem and confidence. Without the drama class, there's no teacher to run the drama club. Without choir and drama as separate classes, someone like me would have nowhere to turn to.  Is the solution really a "musical theater" class? What's going to happen to my 12 year old brother, who wants to try acting, but hates singing?

My middle school's arts program changed me in a way that I am still grateful for, even in high school. I don't know who I would be without them. Sometimes, drama club and choir were the only two reasons I got out of bed in the morning for school. If the drama and music program merge, and the clubs are gone, I wonder how thats going to hurt my little brother.