Creighton University prides itself on its dedication to education, service and respecting the value of all persons. Many organizations on campus try to instill these values in students by bringing in films, speakers and events designed to stimulate students’ minds outside of the classroom.

However, most of these events are poorly attended except by those hosting the event or students wishing to gain extra credit promised by some professors.

As a campus focused on student involvement, leadership and academics, it is disheartening at the number of events Creighton hosts that are pushed under the carpet and forgotten.

With the exception of Wednesdays After Class, the CSU Program Board brings roughly 16-18 events to campus throughout the year, which are designed to enhance a Creighton student’s life outside of the classroom through the intellectual, social and recreational aspects.

Creighton students recognize the CSU Program Board as the one of the main organizations that brings fun events to campus, such as the fall and spring concerts, movie nights and Wednesdays After Class. Many students look forward to these events throughout the week as a way to unwind and build a community with fellow students in a Creighton-sponsored environment.

While the program board may seem like an organization only for entertainment, CSU also brings events to campus that are structured to enhance the intellectual side of the Creighton student.

This past week alone, CSU Program Board sponsored “The Game of Life,” an interactive game showing students the struggles many minorities face in American society.

Thursday, CSU Program Board also sponsored “Same-Sex Marriage: A Civil Debate,” having two scholars discuss that very current and heated issue from both sides.

However, these more intellectual events do not have near the attendance record as do the concerts or free-prize give-aways.

Monet Schrodermier, CSU vice president for programming, says the attendance at events tends to vary and sometimes for the worse. She believes that “students should take advantage of the programs we bring because they are very interesting and can be very interactive.”

To take a larger part in these events, students have to pay attention to the many reminders that surround their daily lives. They can check out the Creighton Calendar, which is posted on the university’s Web site. Numerous fliers for events are also stuck to bulletin boards throughout campus. Students can also join list-serves for organizations, which can allow students to take part in the planning of some events. Table tents are also found all over the dining halls advertising these events.

While some events may seem more interesting than others, students do have the freedom to give suggestions to the program board; however, voting for the individual programs is done by the Program Board itself. Comments and thoughts on the programs CSU brings to campus can be e-mailed to [email protected].

While Creighton organizations and CSU program board do a great job of bringing a wide variety of programs to campus, if the students do not attend, the programs go unnoticed.