Two weeks ago I attended the first “Between the Lines” speaker events for this quarter at CSU East Bay as a reporter for The Pioneer, where Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), addressed issues such as racial inequities, economic injustices and crime in America.

As The Pioneer reported in the Oct. 18 article, “ACLU Director Discusses Civil Injustices, Race,” there were roughly 40 people at the event. That equates to roughly .03 percent of the student body.

It was deeply upsetting and embarrassing to see such poor attendance at an event where one of the most influential and powerful leaders in our country flew in to provide our community with an hour of thoughtful discussion and knowledge. It was difficult to look Romero in the eye from the front row knowing full well there was hardly anyone sitting behind me.

Why are the students of our university not taking education seriously? At a time when higher education, public opinion and big, new ideas are valued in both professional and cultural realms, the CSUEB community is not taking full advantage of the resources that are available to them, such as the “Between the Lines” speaker events.

Romero is the first openly gay Hispanic leader of the 92-year-old organization, which fights to protect rights and liberties of Americans, including First Amendment rights, equal protection, privacy and due process rights.

They have also historically focused on issues affecting those whose rights have been ignored, including people of color, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community and prisoners, to name a few.

He spoke on issues that affect all Americans, such as our economic systems, crime and justice, civil liberties and racial inequities. Not seeing the room in the New University Union filled to capacity was a huge disappointment, as its hard to understand how my fellow classmates are not interested in hearing from such a powerful and prominent political leader.

The university pays between $8,000 to $10,000 on average for speakers. Last year, one speaker was paid $17,500. That’s some serious cash.

With such high prices being paid to figures that are influential, intelligent, powerful, talented, or otherwise significant to come speak to the members of the CSUEB community, it’s unfortunate the events are not being taken advantage of.

On Tuesday Oct. 23, Facebook’s co-founder, and editor in chief of The New Republic magazine, Chris Hughes, visited CSUEB as the second edition to the “Between the Lines” series. He is also the young man largely credited with getting Barack Obama elected president in 2008 through his work as director of online organizing in the successful grassroots campaign. He took his education and his potential seriously.

When Hughes arrived to speak on new media, journalism and to share ideas with the audience, only 130 students showed up. The capacity in the Multipurpose Room is 300. This means that only 1 percent of the student body attended. Worse still is the knowledge that had the room been filled to capacity, 98 percent of our student body would still have been excluded from the presentation.

When Cornel West came to the campus to speak last November, the university theater was filled, and there was even overflow rooms with video monitors showing his speech.

With a community of students roughly 13,000 strong — a faculty and staff of hundreds — not to mention the countless East Bay residents who can also attend these free or cheap events, they should always be held in the theater, and they should always be sold out completely. Why are we showing ourselves to be closed off to new and different ideas, ways of thinking, or even just traditional education via orator.

These speakers have worked hard, educated themselves, stood up for their beliefs, achieved their goals and dreams, attained financial stability and continue to lead or advocate for others. Which of those qualities is driving the crowds away?

“We’re under the impression that students were more responsive to our Facebook advertising, to our event pages, than they are now,” said Jonathan Stoll, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) events and program manager, referring to the recent bombardment of event invites the average student receives every day through social media from various sources. He said ASI is searching for new and more efficient methods to spread the word about these events.

However, a lack of creative and effective advertising methods cannot be the only scapegoat. While ASI needs to step their game up, students have a responsibility to themselves to seek out opportunities for learning.

College should be a time for students to use every resource and moment at their disposal to enhance their knowledge and education. Attendance at CSUEB events have been historically low, with Cornel West being an exception due to the large amount of community members present.

It has never been more important to be educated in a comprehensive, well-rounded manner. Competition for good careers is stiffer than ever, and a simple degree will net you almost a zero advantage over the pile of résumés that are sitting next to yours. The country is in dire need of bright and energetic self-starters who can continue our tradition of innovation and ingenuity into the next generation.

During an election season, when issues and rights are at stake at all levels of government, dedication to a complete and quality education is paramount. If any CSUEB student has hopes of becoming so successful and knowledgeable that they too may be asked to speak at universities across the country, the education they are receiving must be committed to and strengthened every day.

For the good of our university, our community, our country and for your own good, the CSUEB community must take full advantage of the myriad educational opportunities that college presents. Let’s take this seriously.