Keep Marble Falls, Burnet magnets for talented youth

In their first story, found at www.thepicayunetv.com, our young correspondents profile the efforts of Marble Falls High School students to educate their peers about the political process and the right to vote.

The students behind “Rock the Vote” who are featured in the video segment are thoughtful, well-spoken and bright. Two of them even dress as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a former Democratic presidential contender.

They do a good job. A great job, in fact.

The community should take stock of these students and others just like them. After all, there is more going on in our schools than athletic events.

Too often the artistic or scholarly students’ good works — ranging from band to private theater — go unnoticed by the community at large. 

That needs to change.

Sure, there are plenty of good high school athletes around, but they get lots of press — every day, in fact.

There is more to keeping youth involved in their community and getting prepared for society than tossing a football in their hands or telling them to send a sphere sailing over a net — or through one.

There are plenty of other activities area youths are involved with that have nothing to do with sports, yet they take as much heart, dedication and perseverance.

Care must be taken not to stereotype students. Granted, the youth in the Marble Falls Independent School District, the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District and at Faith Academy of Marble Falls are often involved in a wide variety of activities that can range from football to theater and poetry.

But the artistic or scholarly pursuits deserve more recognition. This newspaper and our Internet segments do their best to showcase such efforts. But the community — churches, nonprofits, businesses, professional groups — should continue and even increase their efforts to help these creative young people grow, whether it’s through donations or mentorships.

This community is very lucky because it has an abundance of youth arts programs, which are rarities in most semi-rural regions. The Highland Lakes’ rapid population growth and proximity to Austin have something to do with this, but it is equally conceivable there are enough sponsors and caring adults in the area who want to see these programs grow.

Readers have seen recent stories about the success enjoyed by the marching bands at Burnet and Marble Falls high schools at University Interscholastic League competitions. The choirs are also doing well, and the drama departments at both campuses have either presented productions — such as Burnet’s “Phantoms of the Night”— or are getting ready to do so.

Faith Academy often partners with the Hill Country Community Theatre in Cottonwood Shores to produce youth plays, and HCCT every season normally uses talented young folks in some of its productions.

Harmony School of Creative Arts puts on some fine concerts each year, sends youthful performers to New York and even helps provide music programs for the Boys & Girls Club of the Highland Lakes.

With all the youth arts activities going on, Burnet and Marble Falls have become magnets that draw and encourage young, creative people and allow them to grow.

Let all of us make sure they stay that way.