Idle outcry
A lack of interest and attendance at CMU's museum of Cultural and Natural History is another example of how apathy reigns supreme among students and faculty members when it comes to seeing things through.
The university basically was hours away from suffocating funds to the museum and shutting it down about a year ago.
But student and faculty criticism came quickly, and it came in great volume. They lambasted the university, saying the museum was invaluable to a student's education at CMU, and if closed, it would be detrimental to CMU's museum studies program.
The public outcry was tremendous and it quickly became too much for university officials to handle. They announced the museum would be open and that it would be a permanent fixture in CMU's budget because of a collaborative budget plan involving the Colleges of Communication and Fine Arts, Science and Technology and Humanities and Social Behavioral Sciences.
A year ago, students, faculty and staff banded together and saved an important part of CMU's campus, while at the same time finding funding for it to stay open for years to come.
It showed how determined and passionate the CMU community can be when faced with a controversial issue. It really was an incredible accomplishment.
But that was a year ago.
While the museum remains open, nothing has changed. Sure, the $100,000 budget is being used for student employees and graduate assistants, as well as supplies and equipment to maintain the museum. But that really is the only difference.
Basically, the only people who utilize the museum are the 60 or so students who are in the museum studies program, as well as a few students in ornithology and vertebrate biology classes and members of the anthropology department, said William Pretzer, co-curator of history at the museum and history faculty member, in a Friday story in Central Michigan Life.
This is the exact reason why the university wanted to shut the museum down in the first place - no one uses it. And a lot of people don't even know it exists.
So many people fought so hard to keep the museum open. But nothing has been done since to increase foot traffic.
And the worst part of it all is the museum's director at the time, Lynn Fauver, was let go to make room for the museum to be written into the budget.
So for what the museum gained in money and the ability to stay open, it lost in a 30-year faculty member. And it still struggles to attract interest.
It will continue to struggle unless something is done to promote the museum's existence. Visiting the museum should become a part of freshmen orientation every summer. It should be a stop on all student-led tours for prospective students. Professors in a wide range of studies should spend one class per semester at the museum. These are just some ways the university can pique student interest.
Reviving the museum a year ago was only half the battle. But nothing can be done if those passionate people become dormant over time.
If your voices were heard a year ago, chances are university officials aren't going to ignore you the next time. And next week's Board of Trustees meeting is the perfect opportunity to show them your passion.
Because if you don't, people will keep walking right past Rowe Hall without so much as a glance.
