If You Build it, They Will Come

Jennifer Iler

April 16, 2014

One public school’s arts academy is offering students a real chance to be the artist they want to be.

In a fiscally conservative state like South Carolina, arts are often one of the first things vetoed from state budget proposals every year. Gov. Nikki Haley is notorious for striking down funding for The South Carolina Arts Commission and education. School boards across the state are penny-pinching, pulling money to be used for teachers’ school supplies and allocating it elsewhere just to keep their programs running. Despite this, Goose Creek High School (GCHS), a public school located 25 minutes outside of Charleston, has a unique, blossoming arts program designed to give students specialized training in their desired field. And with no money in the budget set aside for the Berkeley Center for the Arts (BCA),  its success is astounding.

This is a stickup — Drop the punctuation!

“News, notes, stories, announcements, what do we got?” Nick Geary hollers above the dull roar of his freshman BCA creative writers. He slicks his shaggy brown hair behind his left ear and leans over his podium, carefully selecting which voice gets to pipe up first. A barrage of teen angst, drama and comedic accounts follows. Good writing, as Geary will tell you, doesn’t  begin when the pen touches paper. It stems from the gift and practice of telling stories, which is why every creative writing class he teaches, BCA or not, begins with story time.

The walls are covered by white boards and papers full of quotes by famous people, historical figures and original student words. His white board hasn’t been used for teaching in years; it’s covered in rainbow words that form the creative writing logo. 

During multiple writing exercises, Geary encourages each writer to vary the lengths of his or her sentences and attempt ignoring punctuation. He pushes them outside of their comfort zone by making them pick topics for each other to write about.

On the computers against the wall, senior BCA creative writers type away diligently on independent study projects. Geary spends significant amounts of time with each of these seniors to help them develop writing skills to his or her specific areas of interest — journalism, political writing, creative writing, screen plays, and others. Although time consuming, this one on one time is beneficial to the students, especially before graduation and declaring college majors.

The sight of them working is slightly different from what’s in Dorothy Smith’s freshman BCA drama class. Geary plays “Pale Blue Eyes” by The Velvet Underground softly in the background while his students work, but just one hallway over, Smith is rambunctious, loud, and everywhere at once.

A Doll’s House and a jacket pillow

Dorothy Smith is a teacher, actress, director and mother. Her high energy and melodic way with words inspires her students, BCA and regular, to appreciate the art of theatre and even  become thespians themselves. 

With two young kids and a “giant, man-child” of a husband, there’s no doubt she enjoys a good moment to sit down and soak in good theatre. What better way than to show her students clips of Patrick Garland’s 1973 version of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. Her students finished reading the play aloud and could analyze the different techniques Garland used as a director. 

They adjusted themselves across the room, getting comfortable as the lights dimmed and folded jackets to prop up their heads. Throughout the scene, a few students pointed out actors they’d seen before and scene changes that had been made.

Meanwhile, a group of five senior BCA students walked through the door, returning from the library after doing research on a makeup assignment. Senior Adriana Magalhães picked Frida Kahlo and her famous unibrow for her historical makeup transformation. Unfortunately, Magalhães admitted to having little makeup training, saying Smith’s attention is often split between the freshman and the seniors. 

“It’ll turn into a situation where I have to give my BCA students minimal instruction and then let them work on it on their own without my help, because I have 25 other drama kids and only four of those BCA kids,” Smith said.

The academy, however, has helped Magalhães realize that her original dream of directing doesn’t suit her as well as the stage. She now has experience in both fields, as well as costume and set design — everything colleges might expect of an incoming theatre major. This is exactly what the BCA is here to help students achieve.

From a “next step” program to a $2.1 million success

It all started rather quickly. Howe Hall AIMS (Arts Infused Magnet School), an elementary school near GCHS, was one of the first schools in the area to focus on arts programs to “enrich” students’ learning experience. Shortly after, Marrington Middle School of the Arts became the next step for arts students to continue their education. When those students transitioned to high school, however, there really wasn’t a place for that type of education. GCHS Principal Jimmy Huskey wanted to be the first arts academy in the area to offer them somewhere to go.

New GCHS athletic director Cynthia McBride served as the BCA advisor from the very beginning. She gathered the teachers to be involved in the academy, had them design curriculums for the multiple arts sections and placed it in front of the school board. Teachers pulled ideas to create programs and classes based on what colleges expected from arts students.

“It went like that,” she said, snapping her fingers.

In auditions, students tried out for dance, strings, choir, band, visual art, theatre and creative writing. The first class of BCA students attended Goose Creek in the fall of 2009.

This group of artists set the bar tremendously high for the next few classes in the program. They graduated last year with a total of $2.1 million in scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious universities in the nation. Not only is that stand-alone number astonishing, let me put it in perspective for you: Out of 346 graduating seniors with a total of $5.3 million in scholarship offers, 30 BCA students were offered almost half of that amount. With the only money for the program coming from McBride’s numerous fundraisers, the BCA’s success is somewhat of a Cinderella story. 

“I will not let it die,” she said. “You can’t cut a program where 30 students made $2.1 million.”

Bringing down the house

The 2014 Spring BCA Showcase Flappers and Fedoras was the perfect chance for a lot of new faces from the academy to shine. Guests packed the auditorium for the free show, which included live music, dance, theatre skits, and more. 

“We had people two-three deep along the back wall and all along the sides. It was unbelievable. It was packed.” McBride recalled. 

With the fire marshall turning guests away, McBride and the teachers realized that the next showcase could be a potential source of money for the program. Even charging just a few dollars for showcase tickets would help to put a little extra cash behind the academy.

“It’s hard not to recognize that we don't have the 'financial fortitude' that we'd like,” Geary said. “But we do know as a program that if we continue to work harder and continue to produce results, the gap between what we have and what we want will continue to shrink.”

It’s as if the first batch of artists got the ball rolling, and the second batch of artists picked it up and pitched nine innings with it. Showcases like Flappers and Fedoras can not only raise money for the academy, but also recruit new talent.  

The lack of applicants in certain areas of the BCA means that teachers like Smith and Geary have to split their attention between BCA students and regular ones. Once they have enough students to fill a single class, and the groups can be separated, life may get a little easier for all of them.

McBride thinks recruiting students for the academy and providing transportation for students who live outside of the GCHS zone are two ways to improve the program.

The BCA offers students a niche. Geary refers to the environment as “family like” and says the most rewarding part of the BCA is developing close relationships with the students. Magalhães agreed that “sense of community” and the development of skills for working in groups are two things the BCA offered her that she wouldn’t have found anywhere else. This formula will continue to refine the talent that comes through the program and is destined for success. McBride mentioned other areas of academic study may one day all be placed in academies similar to the BCA. Student success at the public school level could be redefined by such a movement.

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*This article was posted on a website used by my magazine article writing class. The website has since been taken down so I've placed it here on my blog.

7 Things Only Girls with Guy Roommates Understand

Jennifer Iler

March 6, 2014

Living with a guy roommate isn’t as taboo as it used to be, but it’s still a little socially awkward. It’s a completely different experience than living with roommates who are girls, and the list of seven things only girls with guy roommates understand is sure to point out what kind of experience it can be.

1. You will become his fashion advisor.

It’ll be an unspoken rule of the house (or apartment). Expect him to knock on your door at all hours of the day as he gets ready just to ask, “Do these pants go with these shoes?” Sometimes you’ll catch him wandering over with two different colored button-ups in his hands, questioningly raised in your direction. At first it’s really adorable, but after a while you’ll just wish he could dress himself.

2. You won’t have to take the trash out… ever.

It isn’t very hard to come to some sort of compromise about the household chores. Odds are that he hates doing the dishes just as much as you hate taking out the trash. So if you ask him nicely to split up the chores, there’s a large chance he’ll jump at the opportunity. And don’t hesitate to ask him questions about your car.

3. ENDLESS TOILET PAPER!

Girls go through a lot of toilet paper. With all of the eyeliner wiping, lipstick patting and other awesome uses for it, toilet paper runs out often - and usually when you desperately need it. Have no fear! Your guy roommate’s toilet paper will always be there, because guys just don’t have to use as much as girls do. 

4. People will think he is your boyfriend.

IT’S UNAVOIDABLE. In the multiple instances where you ask your roommate to drive you to Starbucks, to class or to wander around the mall with you, many people will assume he’s your boyfriend. Most of your friends will ask if there’s anything going on, what the deal is or if you’ll get married one day. The best thing to do is take a deep breath and laugh it off.

5. You really can get ready in 30 minutes.

Girls can take hours to get ready, which really cuts down on spontaneity. All guys have to do is throw on a pair of shoes and grab their keys when they get random cravings for ice cream or tacos. When your guy roommate asks you to take an impromptu trip to the store or to grab lunch, you won’t have the luxury of spending an hour on your hair. And the more these sporadic outings occur, the more you’ll realize you don’t need all of that time to get ready.

6. You’re always cooking for two.

GUYS EAT. And eat. And eat and eat and eat. Some girls are like this as well, but no one is going to put a dent in your freshly baked cookies like your guy roommate is. When you’re making lunch, dinner, or even a snack, it’s just much safer to make more than you’ll eat. Trust me, he’ll eat the rest.

7. You learn to let things go.

It can be really hard to live with other people, no matter what gender identity they are. But the way guys handle arguments and conflicts is much different than the way girls do. We tend to hold things in until they eat us up, and we stay angry for FAR too long. Guys are more easy-going, and they’ll be willing to laugh at you or with you only a few minutes after fighting over whatever-it-was. Life gets a lot easier when you pick up on this habit, and you’ll only have your guy roommate to thank for it.

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*This article was originally published on a website shared by my  magazine article class. That website has since shut down, so I've moved it to my own blog.