OUR VIEW: An assignment for ASUSU — a free hour

A great deal of money is spent each semester to bring engaging, motivating and informative speakers to Utah State University. They run the entire gamut of genres.

This year, Spike Lee will grace USU’s campus.

These speakers, who are invited to USU as part of Arts and Lectures, are usually very well-attended. The Taggart Student Center Ballroom easily fills with eager listeners who come away better than when they arrived.

However, many other speakers come to Utah State who are lesser-known, but still have valuable information to impart to students. But many students are unable to attend. It’s a crying shame so many empty seats are available in the Sunburst Lounge for political debates, talks about rape and other such topics.

More students should be able to attend these events without fear of falling behind in their classes. Indeed, most of these speakers are scheduled to talk during one of the busiest class times of the day – early afternoon.

Can there be a way to arrange class schedules so one hour is free for the university to convocate and be enriched? There is the challenge. Don’t let what speakers have to share go to waste on row upon row of empty chairs. Sure, the first purpose of the university is to educate. But, there is more education to be found besides what is shared in the classroom.

Students should talk to their college senators and send e-mails to student leaders to let them know how they feel about this issue. Leaders must listen to students’ voices. Surely one hour isn’t too much to ask for the chance to make lives run a little more efficiently.

Make the money spent on these speakers worth it for everyone.