Gunn administrators seem to have forgotten the old idioms that they learned as children. Or maybe they have completely overlooked the morals of those idioms.

The phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” quickly comes to mind. The gift horse in question is Focus Cinema, the non-profit organization responsible for Gunn’s Spangenberg movie program. Despite its old, independent and often original films, school administrators made the unfortunate decision to shut down the program and completely remove it from the school.

Spangenberg’s movie program should not have to leave the school and seek a home elsewhere. The contract between Gunn and Focus Cinema rewards the school with many benefits. The program itself was designed to raise money for the theater, and the money the program earned was used to maintain and upgrade the theater. After the costs for posters and fees for renting movies, the remaining money was used for high-end theater equipment and carpeting Spangenberg. After four years with Focus Cinema, Gunn has ended up with an improved theater that adds to both the school’s atmosphere and reputation.

In addition to the benefits of new equipment, the movie program was also a source of revenue for Gunn. Focus Cinema paid rent costs of $1000 a month, amounting to a total of $12,000 a year. Over four years, the cinema has earned Gunn $41,000 in additional income. Although the cinema only produced $6500 of revenue last year, it was due to increased school use, not a decrease in attendance. With a school district supposedly awash in debt, canceling any source of income—no matter how small—is not a wise decision.

The reason school administrators gave for getting rid of the program is especially of concern. The official excuse is because of a dispute over the theater’s general appearance and usage. Although Spangenberg had movie posters, they did not detract from its appearance—they only made it look more authentic.

Another major reason the administration provided was that the posters covered up student work. However, Spangenberg is not even the best place for student work display. When students go into the building, they do not pause to examine the walls for pictures. Rather, they tend to try to get inside the actual theater as fast as possible. A much better place for displaying student art would be the library and the Student Activities Center, where students actually go and spend time on a regular basis.

Gunn has become accustomed to seeing Spangenberg Theater as a well-maintained and high-standard place of entertainment. Without revenue and upgrades from Focus Cinema, the quality of the theater will start declining. Although there is sometimes trash in the theater as a result of the movies shown, cleanliness and sanitation are not Spangenberg’s real goals.

Theaters are traditionally centers for entertainment, and Spangenberg should not be an exception.