This semester, my friend convinced me to attend an event called “Creating Knowledge in a Fragmented World,” featuring Jonathan Haidt and Jonathan Rauch. While both speakers were unfamiliar to me, I’m glad I was able to hear their thoughts on the importance of unconventional viewpoints on campus.

Students should make an effort to start off the next academic year by attending on-campus events to expand their worldviews, take advantage of the University’s resources and engage with opposing viewpoints.

UT offers students free entrance to its events, giving them greater access to speakers and enabling them to meet like-minded peers. Since many seminars are expensive to attend in person after college and lose their luster when watched online, attending them now is worth the effort. In-person experiences like live question-and-answer sessions encourage audience participation and allow students to tangibly engage with the ideas being presented. 

UT’s many events are often hosted by centers, institutes and programs, each with its own philosophy of inviting guests to learn about its intended mission. 

For example, the talk I attended in February was hosted by the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center. 

“We promote scholarship, academic conferences, student endeavors, debates, dialogue, thought, on all things related to the First Amendment,” said Steven Collis, a clinical professor of religion and law and director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center.

Dave Junker, an associate professor of instruction in public relations, advertising and communications and director of the Moody College Honors Program, often invites guest lecturers based on the topics he wants to tackle in class. 

“I try to find the issues and speakers that are relevant and maybe even carry a sense of urgency for student audiences,” Junker said. “Now, it’s not always the case. Sometimes what I feel students should be paying attention to, they may not be, and in some cases, I might try to introduce a topic that I think is important for them to be thinking about.”

Not every opportunity for learning and growth has to be about getting a job. Instead, students should look at events and talks as breaks from their academic obligations and ways to understand the world a little bit better. 

“Being a CS major and business major you’re not going to get a lot of interactions with history majors,” said Hemant Kanwar, a computer science and business honors sophomore. “That doesn’t negate the fact that I’m interested in history nevertheless. And so I go for my own personal satisfaction.”

Since students and faculty are constantly discovering new things through their research, attending one of these talks could even help you find a new passion that pays dividends down the road.

Furthermore, attending campus events gives students the opportunity to engage with ideological opposition in a controlled and civilized manner, as opposed to the single-minded worldview often delivered by social media algorithms online. When going to these talks, students should put aside their egos and seek to understand where the guest lecturer is coming from and the experiences that shaped their worldview. 

Although students are often pressed for time, spending a few hours participating in campus talks could produce outsized gains for their long-term intellectual and personal growth. Moreover, doing so could contribute to a more cohesive and less polarized campus community. 

Chandran is an advertising sophomore from Plano, Texas.