Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/246730
Background: Lower school students performing Alladin. Doo Kim poses with her work. "My freshman year was a big turning point. I was in the computer graphic design class with Mr. Haverland. Toward the end of the year, he suggested that I submit works from the class to an art competition. I ended up winning within the school and eventually placed second at the statewide level. I wouldn't have thought about entering an art competition without Mr. Harverland's encouragement, and the experience is what got me thinking about art as my future career for the first time." – Doo Kim '12 writing and improv, Baer has been shifting the theater program toward encouraging more student-generated work through improv, playwriting and directing classes. The essential goals of the program, however, have remained much the same since Hartdegen's days, according to Baer. "Latin's theater program gives you the freedom to choose what you want to do, perform what you want to perform," he said. "It encourages personal creative expression. The teachers also set high expectations for students so that they can use their freedom to do something creative, but do it really well." Arts opportunities in the middle and lower schools also have evolved and continue to grow. The middle school building, which opened in 2007, has its own art room and dedicated exhibit space. Two middle school performing arts productions are staged each year. In the lower school, every student is exposed to performance and art-making from the start. In 2006, music teacher Manju Durairaj developed a musical theater and chorus program in which about 90 lower school students participate each year. These days, a walk through the halls of the school confirms that Latin students have no shortage of media to use for their art making. Opportunities abound. Whether through classes, extracurricular activities, local excursions, overseas trips or iPads, creativity at Latin has few limits. As technology and student interests change, the arts at Latin continue to be reinvigorated by cultivation of meaningful connections, within and beyond the Latin community. n Lower schoolers performed 101 Dalmations in 2009. 92 L AT I N M AGAZINE