It’s no secret that Cornerstone’s student body doesn’t have much school spirit.

Everyone finds their own niche to be part of, whether it be theater, sports, the multicultural organization or something else. But few support other events outside of that niche. Basketball junkies go to basketball games. Theater majors attend plays. But so few attend other activities outside their comfort zone. And that is why most Cornerstone activities turn out such lousy crowds.

The fine arts department is not immune to this problem. Each semester countless plays, recitals and concerts go completely unnoticed.

Do you know how discouraging it can be to command the stage at a play, only to see empty seats in the audience?

“We don’t get as many students as we would like to have,” said Jennifer Hunter, associate professor of theater. “I think people just walk by posters, and they’re tired of CUBE announcements.”

Some students really are too busy. With final exams coming up and the year winding down, it’s easy to avoid these programs.

“It’s difficult because students are so busy already,” CU senior Donny Irving said. “There’s a lot expected out of students with volunteering and having jobs. It’s just hard to get out of student and work mode.”

But what if that changed? What if athletes supported student musicians at their recitals, and those musicians turned around and cheered in the front row at athletic events? What if theater majors reached outside of their group to support Cornerstone’s chancel, and the chancel returned the favor?

One Herald editor was told not to ask what-if questions by CU commuter Chuck DeLoy, but we would like to counter that advice, because this is not that far off of a dream. It is realistic to think Cornerstone could actually be a community full of students eager to support one another — just like other normal schools.

People just need to get up off their butts and start doing something about it. If we had a dime for every excuse we heard …Well, how about we just tell you what excuses we’ve heard instead:

I have to work. The boss won’t notice if you’re late, right? I’ve got class. Come on, who doesn’t want to skip class every now and then? I’ve got a ton of homework! That’s the most overused excuse at Cornerstone. Everyone has homework. And everyone seems to make that excuse each time they want to avoid a play or recital. But do they really finish their homework when they’re not attending the play?