With so many controversial issues today, it seems people believe strongly one way or another; whether it involves race, political standpoint, gender, class, etc. The first step to overcoming these issues is through education. For college students, going to campus events aid you in your journey to a higher education and are just as important to attend as the classes you sign up for. Paying tuition includes these events and they are worth taking advantage of.

For example, last Saturday Carol Anderson, José Cruz, Juan González and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc spoke as panelists at my school, SUNY Albany. Moderator Gilbert King asked important questions about race, class and the future of democracy.

The topics discussed shone a light on many controversial issues faced today in the United States. Starting off the event, King asked a question regarding Donald Trump’s slogan, Make America Great Again, “When was America great?” Although the audience laughed as if this question could never be answered, Anderson gave the best answer possible to this question. She discussed how the slogan is referring to the period in the United States when women had no rights, Jim Crow laws were in place and blacks were kept as slaves.

“It is a promise to deal with the democratic shift that is happening in America and to then pull the resources back into the hands of whites...” she concluded.

Personally, I have heard people ask this question and I have never heard anyone answer in such a way. Going to this event introduced a new wave of thoughts on these issues and helped me better understand different points of view.

This kind of material is the stuff your professors can’t say in class. It is not right or wrong, therefore you cannot be taught it. Hearing multiple people discuss issues allows you to form opinions on these topics. If you agreed with Anderson, maybe it gave you new ideas, thoughts or something to connect to. If you did not agree, hearing this makes you think strongly about your opposing opinions and maybe even allows you to play devil’s advocate in your head or with peers. These types of thoughts are crucial for succeeding in college and becoming the person you are. Not only do they help you as a person outside of school, but you can apply these thoughts and concept in class. I was able to relate these topics to my Race and Ethnicity class and also to some of the books I am reading.

If there is any advice I have for a college student, it is to go to the events your school has planned. Usually, your school’s website will have a list of future events and speakers available. So, go to an event and try it out. The worst that can happen is you learn something.