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14 · the berkeley rep magazine · 2011–12 · SPECIAL ISSUE
INTENSELY LOCAL SINCE 1984
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Assemblymember Nancy Skinner addresses teens about the
importance of united youth voices
photo by kyle sircus
coffee assembled at the School of Theatre
outfitted in T-shirts bearing the
logo for the ClaimyourARTS initiative.
The event opened with a giant
scavenger hunt designed to help
students learn basic facts and figures
about arts education. The rooms
looked like an office-supply store had
exploded as students rushed through
construction-paper obstacle courses,
glow-in-the-dark Jeopardy boards, and
advocacy Mad Libs plastered around
the walls. Through the din of teenagers
engaged in deep competition, one
could hear the occasional gasp when a
statistic truly hit home. “My school
only sets aside 2 percent of its budget
for the arts. Are you serious?!”
The teens were helped through the
game portion of the day by several arts
experts, including Managing Director
Susan Medak and Brad Erickson,
executive director of Theatre Bay Area.
Assemblymember Nancy Skinner
joined the second portion of the day
when the morning’s information was
applied to an arts advocacy debate
where teens learned a very valuable
lesson: advocacy is not easy.
While the teens were full of
stories about the arts being a home in
times of need, a haven in a day full of
standardized testing, and a way to express
oneself in a pivotal time in their
lives, this was not enough to make a
convincing argument. Advocating for