Just by glancing at the walls when walking through the gym foyer and hallway near the main office, it is obvious that Antioch Community High School is proud of the accomplishments of its students. From headshots of countless state qualifiers in athletics to plaques displaying the names of those who performed well on the ACT, students are constantly being reminded of and praised for their hard work.

However, academics and athletics are not the only areas in which the students of ACHS are excelling. Students of all grade levels involved in the fine arts—whether it be art, drama or music—constantly strive to put their best work forward. It seems to me that this talent often goes unnoticed by those not involved in these activities. For this reason, this issue of the Tom Tom is dedicated to the many aspects of the fine arts and the ACHS students involved in them. This issue is our salute to creativity.

Just like the diversity seen in the individuals that take part in fine arts, there are various activities and components to this broad heading. The Tom Tom staff chose to explore the difference between the left and right hemispheres of the brain and how these differences translate into the preferences of those involved in fine arts. Furthermore, we wanted to highlight how many different areas the fine arts encompass. Our reporters spoke with all kinds of students that choose to express themselves through music, dance, art and other activities.

Though these students may not always be recognized for their work by plaques or trophies, they are deserving of recognition both for their performance and for their dedication. It can be hard to justify putting hours of work into an activity if others don’t always seem to care or be appreciative. On behalf of the Tom Tom staff, I would like to encourage all the fine arts students out there to keep up the good work. Though recognition may not always be forthcoming from peers, I for one am constantly in awe of the work produced by drama, art and music students.

I hope this issue inspires our readers to think about the importance of creativity in our society and to realize the impact it can have on students and our community. This being said, one of the best ways to show appreciation is to attend events featuring our fine arts students. Right now, many students are preparing to take part in various activities including the Variety Show on March 15, the spring musical “Oklahoma” which runs from April 24-27, a choir concert on May 6 and a band concert on May 8. Keep tabs on tomtomnews.com for information and stories about more of these events.