A Bush policy sparks anger
in kids' Woodmere exhibit

by SOFIA BAGLIVO

I am a 17-year-old senior at Springside School in Chestnut Hill, and it has become apparent to me that I am a part of a generation characterized by our tremendous desire to be individuals. When I think about all the people I have met during the past four years of high school, I recognize that not one of us is completely the same. The way we dress, our political views, our tastes in music, our athletic abilities and our love or detestation for writing, science or math is what distinguishes us as people.

My generation is filled with strong and intelligent men and women who have concerns and distresses that should be handled with respect. Wissahickon High School students speak their mind in a display in the Millard Gallery at the Woodmere Art Museum that will continue through June 20. By means of artwork and essays, students make it clear that they will not be ignored or treated indifferently. They are crying out for recognition and reform.

All of my high school career, I have been taught to be myself, be an individual, find my talents and pursue them. From a young age, I was encouraged to play sports, enroll in art classes and learn a foreign language. High schoolers everywhere have found their niche and are now feeling threatened that that will be taken away from them. For someone to tell a child what it is he or she will excel at and at what certain rate is daunting Š It is no surprise that Wissahickon High School artists fear George W. Bush's push for "No Child Left Behind."

Art classes, music classes, clubs and sports teams that students have learned to love will be taken away from their children and future generations. The same schools that have been encouraging students for years to express themselves and to develop a personality will soon cut off all the programs that make students feel like productive people.

Students feel lost and show their aggravation through a variety of paintings and computer designs found at Woodmere Art Museum. Their intention is to make the viewer feel a sense of their own frustration or at least stir up some kind of emotional response.

Students compare the idea of "No Child Left Behind" to Nazi Germany, which symbolizes among the students an outrageous loss of control and manipulation of the citizens. Although exceptionally harsh comparisons are being made, this is the best way that the students have found in getting their points across. The students feel that this subject must be taken seriously and cannot afford to be ignored.

A depiction of George W. Bush as the devil is sure to arouse the viewers' emotions and get a response.

A subtle image of a cheerleader surrendering to conformity draws the viewers in and makes them listen to the message closely and carefully. An image of a computerized student is not only unsettling, but it accents the student's need for an identity. The thought of being able to identify words and symbols but not understand their meaning is haunting and goes along with the idea of students becoming robotic.

Scribbles of words that don't quite make sense can be seen as a cry from a student whose true emotions are being suppressed by loss of art, music and creativity. Children are trying to get a message out, but they can't express it because they were never taught how to do so. The idea of a sheep wearing a medal makes one rethink who a good test score is rewarding. The sheep, who does not even comprehend the purpose of a medal, or the schools that are bringing in the scores?

The beauty and creativity of these students' pieces are enough to make one sigh for the lost artwork of generations to come. Art gives students a voice, and without a voice they would all be the same and ignored. Not one work of art in the Wissahickon High School show in the Millard Gallery at Woodmere is the same, and to lose that individualistic creativity would be a travesty. To me, Wissahickon High School has made a successful attempt to get attention and drown out indifference.

"Voices: No One Left Behind," runs through June 20.