Most people attend a university because it is a place of learning.

It is at our university that we gain knowledge whick allows us to adequately compete in a global market as individuals and as a collective community.

But a university setting does not simply provide job training.

Many life-enriching avenues that have very little to do with making students competitive workers can be pursued while being affiliated with a university.

Theatre 106 will not get you that exciting engineering job.

An African-American history course will probably not directly affect your chances of getting into medical school.

Trying out for the next musical at Fisher Theatre won’t land you a job with General Motors as their chief designer.

But these opportunities available to students as both active participants (such as taking a class) or as an appreciative audience (attending local concerts) enrich us as whole people, not simply as potential employees.

The benefits of immersing ourselves in art, theatre, music, history or philosophy may not translate into a big paycheck, but we will be richer for having pursued those areas.

Keeping this in mind, it is with a concerned eye that we look upon the recent difficulties of ISU’s dance program.

Due to recent budget cuts in the health and human performance department, a dance accompanist and two adjunct coaching positions were eliminated.

Fifteen years ago, there were five dance positions at ISU in aid of providing students with the opportunity to explore dancing.

Now, says Janice Baker, assistant professor of dance in the health and human performance department, two people are attempting to do the job it once took five people to do. By cutting the accompanist and adjunct coaching positions, the university will not have to cut any course instruction.

“We have tightened and tightened our belt and it’s no longer excess baggage we’re cutting into; we’re cutting into the core of our program,” she said.

Students and faculty alike have been concerned about the funding cuts the dance program has faced, and worry about any more that might come.

The university community should attempt to protect its dance program, as it offers something to students and faculty that cannot be placed on a paycheck or a budget estimate.