Does anyone else feel like we have a lot less time than everyone told us we would? Between classes, homework, clubs and activities, work study, sports, calls and texts to family and friends back home, and of course, a nap or two to keep us sane, managing our time can be difficult. With our nights spent cramming and watching the latest episodes of our favorite shows, who has time to hike out to the Quick Center and listen to a speaker? With the impressive lineup of speakers our school boasts however, the ten-minute walk is well worth the trouble.
Dr. Philip Eliasoph, an Art History professor and the director of the Open VISIONS Forum lecture series, is delighted with the quality of the speakers Fairfield has hosted, saying, “We offer a better menu of lectures and events than some of the Ivy League schools.”
New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks, Clinton’s White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, Dick Cheney’s daughter Liz, and Google Ideas’ 28-year-old director Jared Cohen are just some of the names of the impressive and renowned figures who have graced the Quick Center stage this semester. Though the speakers have lived up to our high expectations, the low numbers of students in the audience have left much to be desired.
Student tickets to these lectures are distributed by teachers, accessible at the information desk, and are given out at the box office, and yet the low attendance of students is laughable. Members of the Fairfield community are willing to pay $45 for a seat, whereas even a free ticket will not entice many students out of their dorm room.
As a student who attended two of these talks, I can attest to their benefits. I’ll admit, my original motive was solely to boost my grade. But laziness and childhood ignorance will not be acceptable excuses for our menial knowledge of current events at job interviews in the coming years. The same people who stood on our stage are currently shaping our country, and their decisions and opinions will influence our lives. Does anyone else care what Brooks, Myers and Cheney believe our country’s financial future will be during the years when we will still be struggling to pay off college debts? We need to become aware of the greater world that still exists beyond the shuttle route.
Freshman Krista Charles was also initially enticed by extra credit, but thoroughly enjoyed the lectures she attended. “These talks are as much a part of our college experience as other highly attended, weekend activities, and are important to becoming well-rounded citizens,” she said.
Aside from the long-term benefits that come with being informed and prepared for what lies ahead, what better way to impress the relatives at Thanksgiving dinner than to tell them Dee Dee Myers’ and Liz Cheney’s political predictions for the coming years? We need to prove to our parents that we are making the most of the $53,000 they struggle to pay each year.
“If students came to realize that they are in fact seriously ‘short changing’ themselves from the depth and breadth of these life enriching experiences, we might see a spike in attendance,” said Dr. Eliasoph. He believes the invaluable experience of attending these lectures will open the students’ minds “to a truly liberal arts experience, which is the cornerstone of our mission.”
No one wants to be the last to have the newest purse or coolest shoes, so why are we letting ourselves get so behind intellectually? What else is going on that we cannot dedicate two hours to listen to a nationally celebrated speaker? We are all guilty of watching endless reruns and spending hours on Facebook. But, we also know the intense competition that awaits us upon graduation. The simple act of going to these lectures can prepare us for what is to come.
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