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By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Decision to cut TRU’s Fine Arts program is a blow to city’s ambitions

Apr 26, 2023 | 4:46 AM

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY makes for a pretty dull life. That’s a modern interpretation of the “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” proverb that’s been around since the 1600s.

It means, basically, if we focus too much on work and the day-to-day necessities, we become both bored and boring.

The remedy is work-life balance, and one way of achieving that is to seek enjoyment in leisure pursuits, to take time to stop and smell the roses.

All of which brings me to the news that Thompson Rivers University intends to phase out its Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. That program includes theatre and visual arts, though the university will continue to offer a theatre major.

Undoubtedly, there are financial and practical reasons that make the decision logical to those who keep the books at TRU but it’s a major blow not just to the Kamloops arts community but to the community at large, a community that dreams of becoming an arts hub.

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Some first-class artists in all fields have come out of the TRU program. Many others have had their lives enriched by an appreciation of the importance and joy of the arts. And have used that knowledge and appreciation in their employment, too.

An online petition defending the BFA program is rapidly gaining support. One petitioner comments that “the arts are so crucial to the emotional and spiritual health of a community — never more so than now!”

Another writes, “Education should challenge and engage individuals with different experiences.”

A former student says, “I am a graduate of the BFA at TRU and it absolutely changed the course of my life for the better…. I developed so many art skills but also skills for life.”

They and others confirm that a university should be about teaching the great diversity of life, including its creative side.

Surely, TRU should reconsider.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.