One night in November last year, it was just after seven p.m., and the second-floor hallways were nearly as crowded as the Townsend Harris High School auditorium. Shouts filled the air and students ran back and forth, costumes dangling from their hands, frantic in their search for a place to change. I dodged a table tennis player and continued down the hall, the same goal on my mind. 

The reason for this commotion was none other than S!NG, a musical production that takes place every year here at THHS. In the production, which is completely student-written, freshmen and juniors (Freshiors) compete against sophomores and seniors (Semores) to see who can produce the best show. Time was tight in between scenes, but manageable, thanks to the pacing of the main actors: five freshmen making their high school musical theater debut.

Although S!NG is a very popular program, some might argue that during freshman year, establishing good study habits and focusing on academics is more important than participating in an arts program like S!NG upon entering the school. At a school like THHS, they might say, where the jump from middle to high school is challenging, higher grades grow more difficult to obtain and more pressure is placed on the students. Due to this, it can be argued that freshmen shouldn’t join S!NG because they have their academics to worry about.

Last year, though the acting department was full of freshmen, I noticed that fewer of THHS’s newest students signed up for some of the other departments. Perhaps, many freshmen take the above advice and avoid commitments like S!NG in the fall of their freshman year. I would argue, however, that S!NG is worth the commitment for freshmen and as this year’s freshmen get ready to start at THHS, they should consider the benefits of joining.

First,  S!NG is a fantastic way for freshmen to meet new people and build friendships, experience types of art and music they might not get to otherwise, and gain more confidence in their own lives.

Through tri-weekly meetings, freshmen get to know a variety of people who they will collaborate with during S!NG, in turn they are able to form valuable connections. Being able to form connections like these is very important for students, and teaches them valuable traits like trust, kindness, and empathy, which will ultimately be invaluable to students in the future.

Furthermore, as well as being able to meet new people, S!NG is a great way to get further involved in the arts at THHS. S!NG has a no-cut policy, meaning that anyone who tries out for a specific department will get in. This is very beneficial for students who wish to participate in the arts at THHS, as some art programs THHS may offer are not always available to Freshmen. For example, Siddhini Singh, a rising sophomore at THHS, who was heavily involved in dance programs in middle school, found herself doing Modern Band last year because dance is not an arts course offered  to freshmen. However, through S!NG, she was able to become heavily involved in both the dance and stunt departments. THHS offers several arts programs, but they may sometimes not be what students are looking for. S!NG, however, may have these programs, and freshmen should take advantage of these easily accessible opportunities.

 For students worried about their academic careers, data collected by the College Board shows that music and arts students scored higher on the SAT exams than students who spent considerably less time in arts programs. This is due to the fact that arts programs like S!NG teach students behavioral and cognitive abilities that are valuable when it comes to academics. 

In order for freshmen to reap the benefits of S!NG, better advertising must be employed to properly inform new students about the positive payoff of this experience. S!NG is exciting, creative, and innovative, and it is an excellent way to spend the first few months of freshman year at THHS.