CSArts is becoming a star school, attracting many students around LA because of its arts programs and welcoming community.
A recent survey asking why students were attracted to CSArts reflects why the school shines brightly. Out of the 40 respondents, more than 80% applied to CSArts because they genuinely enjoy art, and half see the enjoyment of the arts as the most important reason for somebody to apply.
Pearleen Chu, a sophomore in the Instrumental Music Conservatory, shares this view. “There’s a lot of classes such as composition and conducting that you can’t really take at other high schools,” says Chu. “So, I was really interested in those classes when I came to CSArts for a preview day. So, that really inspired me to come to CSArts.”
Many on the survey also desire a deeper dive into the arts. “I was like a very artsy person,” says Angelina Sun, a junior from the Visual Arts Conservatory. “And my previous high school did not have the most outstanding visual arts program.” She finds the art program to be the most appealing thing about the school initially.
This is only one piece of the puzzle for students’ reason to continue to attend CSArts. Though many agree that a genuine enjoyment of the arts is important to their initial reason to attend, more than half of the respondents say that their favorite thing about CSArts is the community. From the unique perspectives to the welcoming environment, students express a love for the feel of this school.
“I think the environment and the community is very, very different from every other high school,” says Jaigh Fajayan of the Integrated Arts Conservatory. “It’s very accepting.” Fajayan finds that even if he doesn’t intend to do art as a future career, he still enjoys attending the school because of its welcoming environment.
Chu finds that outside of the inclusive community, she also enjoys being surrounded by others who feel passionately about art. “Everyone here is really passionate about their specific art form,” says Chu. She finds the way that people care for each other as well as their enthusiasm for art to be very inspiring.
In spite of the many reasons students enjoy attending CSArts, there are also some parts of the school that they feel aren’t as stellar. “I feel like the lunch time–it’s really short and I just feel like I don’t have enough time,” says Eli Perez, a freshman in the Creative Writing Conservatory. “I don’t really have enough time to do stuff I want to do.” Sun expresses similar concerns, saying that after waiting in the lunch line, she only has about ten minutes to eat every day.
Additionally, students say that the commute to the school is also a concern. “My previous high school was like a 10-ish minute walk, but going to CSArts every day is like a 30-ish minute drive,” Sun says.
For many, however, the positives far outweigh the negatives. “I think that even though it takes a long time for me to come here and to get home, I think that like all the different things we can learn here are worth it,” says Chu. She finds that the community and resources CSArts provides are more valuable.
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