There are a number of advantages that come with living in a college town, whether or not one actually attends classes. However, some of these perks are not taken advantage of like they should be. One of these is the opportunity to attend events where notable speakers are brought in by the university.

Over the past few years, there have been several impressive speakers who have made appearances at the university thanks to the Distinguished Lecture Series, including such big names as former President Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, and most recently Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner Kersee, who spoke on March 24 here at the university.

With such well-known speakers making appearances, one would expect to see most of the community packed into whatever venue is chosen to house the event. However, although a great number of people do attend these events, it is not as many as one would anticipate. Why would that many people not take advantage of such a big opportunity? While it is hard to understand why those who choose not to attend stay home, it is far easier to say why one should go hear what these distinguished speakers have to say.

First of all, every one of the speakers who come to campus helps to educate their audience on the important issues of the present day. They present the facts of the issues, as well as how it affects the students of the university. They also speak on how it is possible to have a positive impact on the important issues as well. Many times, those who attend the events are not familiar with the information presented to them, and leave with a better understanding of the world around them.

This leads to another reason that attending these events is beneficial. The speeches presented are highly educational and are undoubtedly valuable to anyone’s education experience.

This is not to say that only those who are in school can benefit from these events. Rather, the point is that no matter where one is in their journey in life, it is possible to learn something at these events. The learning opportunities presented by these events are great and should be taken advantage of.

Lastly, where else is it possible to attend speeches by so many influential people? The opportunity to see all of the speakers brought in to the university is one that is highly unlikely to ever happen again. Once one graduates and moves away from Canyon, the chances of seeing the likes of Bill Clinton will be few and far between. The best course of action is to take advantage of the opportunities while they are available.

The reason for why one chooses to attend these events put on by the Distinguished Lecture Series is not important. What is important is that one takes advantage of such great opportunities while the chance is there. Such opportunities can play a big part in one’s learning experience, and can help to create a community that is educated on social issues.