Art is supposed to be about creativity, freedom and expression. But how can we be expressive when our administration continues to censor our Fine Arts department?

Censoring art that addresses problematic social issues is supposed to make these issues… what? Less problematic? By censoring this type of art, you directly play into the stigma that these issues shouldn’t be talked about.

Too many times has our administration prevented us from seeing the truth of everyday life expressed through art. For example, last year a student did a project on menstruation. However, it was muted by being put in the diversity office and covered with a white sheet. But why shield us from things we already experience daily?

An argument I’ve heard in favor of art censorship is that we have Middle Schoolers, but who says they’re too young to be educated about these issues? By the time my friends and I were in Middle School, we’d already been exposed to sexism, racism and rape culture.

But we weren’t exposed through education, but through experience. Because in second grade we were told we couldn’t play dodgeball at recess because we were girls. Because in fourth grade we were told we were smarter than our best friend because she was black. Because in sixth grade we experienced our first cat call but were told to ignore it because standing up for ourselves might offend the offender.

How can we be socially responsible citizens of the world if every time we bring light to social issues, something we’ve been encouraged to do, our administration says no?

By Sydney Hurst