Arts programs including the Drama department, Color Guard and Cheer participate in year-round fundraisers in order to obtain enough funding for additional costs not covered by the school.
Students selling food or items for their program isn’t a rare sight to see around campus, but for many arts programs it can be a deciding factor on their funding for the entire school year. Arts programs use their funding on a variety of important supplies such as silks or equipment for Color Guard, Cheer uniforms and stage props.
However, some forms of arts related classes in Walnut have found limited relief from their fundraisers and are working with a tighter budget. Without a sufficient amount of money to work with, it’s harder for students to thrive in their enrichment. A lack of accommodations like bus rides to competitions or out of date equipment could negatively affect students’ performances.
“We do a lot with what we can but we can make things better like our show because what would enhance our show more would be props and we don’t get that funding,” Color Guard member junior Amanda Chan said. “It’s difficult for us to win and make our show even better if we don’t have certain silks or equipment, especially since we’re sharing it and it’s the school equipment.”
The recent sports addition of Walnut’s Stunt Team has empowered Cheer to participate in more fundraisers so they have enough money to participate in both sports and arts. Most arts programs including Cheer are able to aid their budget by selling items such as hot chocolate and baked goods or by offering service back to the community. Color Guard hosts Applebee’s fundraisers for extra support and during the summer Cheer prepares for the year with a carwash fundraiser.
“Without the money we can’t really do things that would allow us to express ourselves even more and a lot of the time [we] raise money for ourselves,” varsity Cheer captain senior Estrella Gallegos said. ”Every sport needs money, [and] we need uniform stuff so everyone can be equal.”
Showing support and financial aid for arts is vital to students because of the opportunities it presents for students to explore their interests and build a connection to the school. Without funding, it’s difficult for these aspirations to be fulfilled.
“[Drama] gets more kids out of their comfort zone and being in their own bubble. They’re able to show their emotions out to other people but I don’t think [drama is well funded] necessarily,” Advanced Drama student senior Jonathan Crawford said.
