This is the pro argument on the effects of the new chorus class on students. To read the con click here.

I have heard others complain about the new chorus program since the beginning of the school year. The time change and commitment, the strict atmosphere, and the  grading system and short quizzes have sent some students into a frenzy.

Personally, the time change is helpful for both my morning schedule and my voice. Who sounds good at 7 in the morning?

Because Chorus is at the end of the day, we are also given more time, 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes, which lets us get more work done.

It has been a common problem for students that they will have to miss club meetings that occur between 2:45 and 3:30. However, if you have a valid excuse, your Chorus grade is only affected minimally and can easily be made up by taking advantage of the plethora of extra credit opportunities offered. I participate in a variety of clubs and activities and have found that I just need to plan ahead and manage my time wisely to make the time change work.

Yes, Chorus is more relaxed than any other class of the day, but is still is and always has been a class. The institution of easy quizzes and a grade out of 100 instead of a pass/fail grade have only been put in place to ensure that students are taking the class seriously and actually learning something.

The drastic shift in the program is not so directly related to the change in teachers as it is to the overall structure of the program. As a new teacher, Julie Parrish has had the opportunity to bring with her these structural changes and has been a wonderful addition to the program.

Students who view Chorus solely as a fun, social event where they can spend their time absentmindedly singing may be dismayed by these changes. But in my opinion there is one very obvious solution: if you are not interested in learning about music, enhancing your own abilities, and having the Chorus sound as good as possible, then quite simply you should not take Chorus.

Karly Horn is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.