Students should have access to speaker series
By Editorial
On Monday, Jane Goodall treated the university to an inspiring lecture about her time living with chimpanzees in Africa.
Too bad most students missed the message.
Patrons packed into Mayer Theatre on Monday evening to listen to Goodall speak, but most of the attendees were far past their college years. There weren't more than a handful of students in attendance.
Now that's not to say that students wouldn't have been interested in hearing Goodall speak. In fact, it's safe to say that Goodall, as one of the most interesting people that we'll see visit Santa Clara this year, could have packed Mayer full of students.
That scenario never had a chance to play out, however, because tickets for the show went on sale in August -- a month before students returned to campus. The show had sold out before anyone had attended a class or written a paper this fall.
While it's true students were able to compete with the general public for the tickets before they were snatched up, most students are blocking out all school-related functions during the summer months, and it's likely that few knew about Goodall's appearance here until it was too late.
Goodall is the latest high-profile speaker to come to the university for the President's Speaker Series, which started last year and included "The Kite Runner" author Khaled Hosseini and Islam expert and author of "No God, but God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam," Reza Aslan.
The university has committed $25,000 toward the speakers out of its operating budget, and uses fundraising to cover the rest of the cost. It's not a cheap endeavor, but it's a good investment to help raise the university's profile.
This investment also needs to benefit the people who primarily populate Santa Clara's campus -- the students.
The university struggles to find things for students to do at night aside from drinking, but why does the administration waste an event that could potentially be one of the most popular draws for students?
The President's Speaker Series is for students, too. And the university should be committed to ensuring that students have priority access to tickets.
When Santa Clara holds concerts in the Leavey Center, students get first dibs on tickets. Students should also have a chance to get tickets when speakers come to campus without worrying about outsiders snatching them up.
It's perfectly fair that the university sells tickets to alumni and donors, and these events should not become just for students. But the university should create a student section for big, high-profile events. Like basketball games, where the Ruff Riders are guaranteed a certain section of the Leavey Center, students should have a guaranteed spot in Mayer for Jane Goodall.
The school lets students into the speaker series for free right now (if you can get a reserved ticket), but they could even charge admission into a special section, making back in ticket sales whatever they might lose by cordoning off part of the auditorium.
The university is taking a step in the right direction by bringing prestigious and interesting people to our campus. However, they can't forget that the biggest audience these people should have is not outsiders, but the students at Santa Clara.
So guarantee that students will get a chance to hear these amazing stories, and guarantee students seating at these events. While there won't be the Leavey chants of "Go Broncos," there will be a sizable body of young, interested college students -- something alumni and donors would surely be happy to see.