By Joanthan Moniz, Staff Writer

Now, I’m going to preface this with the value of arts and the musical programs are never to be understated — they aren’t something to laugh at.

While my title may or not be a more humorous take on the situation, I do believe this isn’t a big deal.

Now why? Why isn’t it a big deal?

Well, the reason is we go to UMass Dartmouth, a university that prioritizes financial aid.
Well, how is that related to the Spring Concert? Can the university not afford a spring concert?

Not really. We sold the book store, now the radio station, and no one batted an eye, really.
We barely heard anything, and only about thirty people consecutively showed up to both meetings and public forums that the university put together after the deal was signed.

One guy literally showed up to ask if he could use the space to run his YouTube channel.

Shout-out to that guy.

So, back to financial aid.The concurrent theme this semester is that the student populace of UMass Dartmouth is not entirely apathetic, though a case could be certainly made for that, but instead are just too busy.

Many of us, at least a third of the population, are commuters.

With late night events, work we need to get to, buses we need to catch, or simply wishing to drive home before it’s dark, there’s a lot of incentives to leave campus early.

To address one of the responses to apparent dismay over the concert being dropped, it was that students don’t care.

This is one of many situations now in which something’s been canceled or let go, and no one has really said or done anything.

I do not know what to make of that, and I usually believe situations are too complex to be solved by one easy answer.

And I don’t believe in type-casting people into what we believe to be the answer.

Most times is, with meetings at such late times, and with an abundance of jobs, classes, work, academic studies, and then homework to do on top of all that, there simply isn’t time.

UMass Dartmouth prioritizes financial aid and affordability simply because many of us would not be able to afford it otherwise.

I know I wouldn’t. So in addition to needing financial aid, there’s still a necessary function to make ends meet — which is picking up another job.

Many people pick up two jobs, not to mention seasonals they’ll pick up in addition over the summer, fall, and maybe even spring break.

It’s a lot of work, stress, and extremely hard time-management to fit all that into one schedule a semester.

Most people don’t have the time, energy, nor resources to devote their time and ability to a task that is not going to benefit them.

Unfortunately, it is the simple reality of the situation — it’s not that there is a lack of community spirit here due to students not caring.

The lack of community spirit, which results in events like the spring concert, is due to lack of time.

We have a lot to deal with, and trying to juggle all that is nigh on impossible on a normal basis.

Expecting any large number, right now, to become easily invested in something other than classes or work is unfortunately impossible.

Arts are what keep us alive — but just like our grim exterior full of concrete and pseudo-military dystopian architecture, we don’t really have any space for it.