There is a lack of participation on our campus. After many failed attempts at setting up concerts and other campus events the last four years, I’ve noticed who might be to blame. Upper administration.

Their policies and miles of red tape that organizations and clubs have to go through to get anything accomplished are the problem.

We have a game room. On any given day at any given time, the game room has a total of 15 people and there isn’t an organization or club on campus that can use it for an event. When you ask why, you’re told that administration thinks it will be too distracting to students playing games and studying. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a bigger-name artist do an acoustic set by the rainbow lights? How about a local artist even? There are talented students and non-students around campus, playing local coffee shops and venues, that you’ll never see at CMU.

I partially blame the University for the lack of music and art scene in Grand Junction. When students are giving millions back to the local economy, don’t you think it’d be possible to let local musicians tap into the college crowd? At CMU, to perform on campus, you have to have a $1 million liability insurance policy. A local musician won’t have this coverage, and when each organization willing to pay these artists attempts to book them with their dwindling budgets, the artist is going to barely break even if they attempt to find the coverage.

I’ve also noticed inconsistency within the upper administration and clubs and orgs. When organizations and clubs are planning these events they start months in advance and usually are still signing contracts a week before the performance. It’s irritating to see new clubs and even companies walk onto campus, march into Lowell Heiny and walk out with an event approved for two days later. All of this while expecting student media and organizations to accommodate them with no warning and for no charge. I just watched Powderhorn set up an event in a week and I wonder why I can’t have a table downstairs to promote a cause. God forbid you hang a poster any where on this campus.

I’d like to see better communication between upper administration in Lowell Heiny and student leaders because, as one, I know we are willing to talk. We have new ideas, we have new solutions. Most of us are upperclassmen who, after graduation, want to do just this. . .communicate and set up events. They have nothing to do with interfering with your policies and they will improve student involvement. There’s no reason an awesome game room shouldn’t be used for other events on campus, there’s no reason local artists shouldn’t be able to pick up their guitar and play for one of the clubs and have to worry about millions of dollars worth of liability insurance. We’re preventing the very thing which you are trying to accomplish, making this place feel like home, keeping students here and keeping them involved before they transfer to CSU or Boulder.