High school is not what it used to be.  The once popular students and sports activities, are experiencing a shift in the definition of “cool.”

Students who took part, and showed pride in the arts programs before 2009, were thought to be committing “social suicide,” explains Shawnda Hudson, color guard instructor and marching band assistant at Arroyo High School, in San Lorenzo.

However, the more traditional sports are no longer the “cool” thing to do in high school, according to Hudson. Activities like choir, dance, color guard and marching band, are now taking high schools by storm. Hudson explains participation in these activities is at its highest levels since she began at Arroyo in 2006.

“Since 2009, choir at all schools have changed drastically,” said Hudson. “The 15 kids class, has now become a 45 member choir class, and putting on musicals and shows for the student body, as well as performing on big stages around the area and promoting the arts programs.”

High school student bodies are viewing the arts programs in a more positive light, notes Hudson. Arroyo in particular once flourished in baseball and football, but no longer does, she said.

The student body praises and congratulates the arts programs on competitions they compete in as they bring home the “gold.”  Posters and video presentations are shown supporting programs, such as marching band and color guard.

The 2012 remake of “21 Jump Street” depicted this shift.  Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill’s characters return to high school at a later date to find that the so-called “geeks” and “nerds” are now the popular kids.

Students are moving away from traditional thinking and now want to be a part of the arts.  Arts programs are flourishing to the point that they are becoming elective classes, because of the increased popularity.

“Students at the high school I teach complained so much, that the district added extra music classes, marching band activities, dance and drama classes to the school curriculum,” explained Hudson. “Most students now have seven or eight classes in their normal six-class schedule, in order to take everything that they want to take.  Forty-five percent of students at Arroyo High School are at school an hour early taking art and music classes.”

Competitions and performances take place outside of school time.  The students dedicate tremendous amounts of time and effort to the programs.  The increased following of each program shows how seriously the students take the arts and how much they truly enjoy doing them.

Arts programs at Arroyo are helping students in all classes.  Hudson explained that the majority of students take school seriously, and work just as hard in the classroom as they do in preparation for a competition.

This is due to the fact that students must meet certain academic criteria in order to participate.  As extra curricular activities participation increases, more students have something to work for in the classroom.  Students do not want to be dismissed from choir, marching band or color guard, because they have found their passion for it.

Arts students flourish in other classes, such as, math, English, history and science.  According to Hudson, this is how music and the arts stimulate and enhance the brain.  This kind of development and training is crucial at a young age, and can set the tone for the rest of a person’s life.

“Experience with music at a young age can ‘fine-tune’ the brain’s functions. Musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is linked with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, mathematics and IQ,” said Hudson. “Being a part of the music, and art programs in school helps with discipline, teamwork, coordination, lifetime skills, accomplishment, self-confidence, responsibility, creativity, improves self-esteem, social development.”

Many people, who attended high school before 2009, would not have the same high school experience as students currently in high school. The increased popularity in arts programs makes for a new high school experience.

This is not your parent’s high school experience.