The creative arts are often overshadowed by athletics, and it’s time to change that. While athletes receive adequate funding, scholarships and nationwide recognition, artists categorically haven’t received the same treatment.
Without attending a school that specializes in the creative arts, student artists do not receive the same level of support as student athletes, who often gain widespread attention in most schools. Educational institutions frequently prioritize athletic success at the expense of student welfare, resulting in athletes receiving special treatment to maintain revenue.
Art and music programs are usually the first to face budget cuts because they’re not recognized as essential curricula in foundational learning. However, the creative arts have been proven to stimulate cognitive and motor development, enhancing memory and pattern recognition skills.
A common opinion associated with creative arts is that aspiring to be an artist or a musician is unrealistic and therefore not worth supporting. For example, acting and singing are competitive fields, ones that often require networking before even establishing a career. Performers are also not guaranteed financial stability or steady work after entering their profession.
The same can be said for aspiring athletes; professional sports also require recruiting and networking with successful leagues and coaches. Athletes are not guaranteed financial stability or steady jobs either. Professional athletes are subjected to short-lived careers, with the average retirement age for male athletes being under 30, resulting in financial burden and hardship after retirement. A Sports Illustrated article from 2009 revealed that 60% of former NBA players have spent their earnings only five years after retirement.
Another Sports Illustrated article published in 2019 said this statistic was no longer accurate and that the NBPA, NBA and the National Basketball Retired Players Association “have since instituted organizational structures and initiatives to combat what was once considered a financial pandemic.”
Given the widespread support and admiration for professional sports, athletes were able to acquire adequate financial resources needed to succeed long after their careers, which still hasn’t happened in the arts.
Even though neither field ensures financial stability, artists and musicians usually sustain longer careers. Some of the most famous actors and actresses are in their 60s or 70s, and they still remain relevant into old age.
If those pursuing careers in the creative arts are more likely to have longer careers compared to athletes, why aren’t people providing artists with the same amount of time, money, effort and acknowledgement as they do sports? Universities prioritize athletic programs to secure funding and increase national exposure to the point where they become the source of controversy.
In 2011, an 18-year-long scandal at the UNC-Chapel Hill came to light. It was revealed that two faculty members created fake classes to boost athletes’ grades to ensure students could remain eligible in their athletic programs. Between 1993 and 2011, at least 3,100 students were enrolled in these fake classes.
Failing to provide proper guidance to students who might not excel academically in favor of promoting their athletic success is an act of disservice in any academic setting. Fostering an environment where students are expected to prioritize their athletic careers can be incredibly toxic, especially because they’re tasked with representing their school.
The world of sports is already a highly intense environment. Athletes are pressured to push themselves beyond their limits, causing mental and physical constraints, all while schools profit from their successes.
App State had its own controversies in 2024. Wey Hall, which is home to the art department, was forced to shut down due to safety hazards. At the time, the university was holding classes in Wey Hall during active construction, making it an unsafe and disruptive environment for students.
Hundreds of students peacefully protested the dangerous learning conditions in March 2024, with signs reading “This is NOT the education we paid for” and “I’ve given my all to App State. What am I supposed to get back?”
At the same time, it had been announced that App State’s expression tunnels — spaces where students traditionally spray paint graffiti on the walls — would be removed.
After receiving backlash from students, the tunnels were returned to their original conditions in May 2024, allowing students to continue expressing themselves in the form of visual art. It’s clear that when students speak up, change can actually happen.
Additionally, students are automatically sent a weekly update via email titled “This Week in App State Sports.” Both the art and music departments have newsletters that students can sign up for, but they’re not nearly as promoted as the athletics newsletter. Why are students automatically signed up for the App State athletics newsletter but have to find the “Monday Medium” and “Keeping Time with the Hayes School of Music” on their own?
There are so many performance opportunities on campus for students to either participate in or watch. These communities would garner much more attention and support if App State did a better job highlighting these events. Some opportunities the university could spotlight include performances or concerts in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, local art shows, plays and musicals hosted by the theater club, movies shown at the Appalachian Theater of the High Country and auditions for music clubs.
The university is responsible for promoting community engagement and creating equal opportunities for all students. A consistent email that students are automatically enrolled in, intended to update them on these events, would foster community involvement, secure endorsements and allow artists and athletes to exist on an even playing field. It is time to take the creative arts more seriously and recognize students’ accomplishments.
