We all know how much tuition has gone up in recent years. Even between fall and winter quarter of this school year, tuition has jumped a few hundred dollars for a full course load and our educational benefits aren’t exactly increasing with the price tag.
If you’re coming to school for the education however, instead of just the certificate, there is a silver lining to the dark cloud of student financial strains: some of the extra money goes to events on campus that can be not only incredibly enlightening, but can even be useful in job-searching and career networking.
The businesslike performance of a lecture by Nancy Koeper, NW Regional CEO of the United Postal Service, not only gave business and marketing students an insight into the mentality of leadership in a major company, but it offered more subtle pointers on public speaking skills to communication students. A series of presentations for veterans offered education about the requirements and benefits of a variety of work opportunities, as well as a chance to talk to and exchange contact information with potential future employers.
Some talks were of a more personal nature. The philosophy lecture series provided new perspectives on major issues and new ways of thinking that students might not otherwise have ever been exposed to.
Perhaps the most powerful guest-lecturer, was Alan Colinge. Addressing the student loan crisis, Colinge finished his shocking and eye-opening presentation by advocating direct student action, saying that if students were to storm the president’s office, the story would go national, and added “Hell, I’ll be right there with you.”
I myself never bothered with extra-curricular educational opportunities provided by Bellevue College before having to report about many of them, and in hindsight, it’s a regrettable loss. While I was busy socializing or relaxing at home (let’s face it; for most of us it’s not homework that’s holding us back from attending), I was essentially throwing away money I’d already spent.
While we don’t know precisely where all of our money goes, and I’m sure that some of it goes to programs that any given student might disagree with, the presentations in D-106 and N-201 are incredibly underrated and under-attended. Students would get much more educational value from their money (or parents’ money) by taking advantage of the fascinating and frequent programs put on by our clubs and faculty. They’re free, after all.
Most of the lectures are over for the quarter, but for students returning next year, keep an eye on the bulletin boards. We can almost certainly count on another philosophy lecture series, and the Business Leadership Club’s goal of providing at least one speaker per quarter will no doubt provide something as insightful and educational as this quarter’s presentation by Koeper. Don’t waste your hard-earned money, and see if you can attend at least two or three of BC’s excellent guest-speaker events. In terms of intellectual stimulation, they rarely fail to disappoint.