There is no doubt that one of the perks of being a Stanford student is the access to world-class speakers and events right here on campus. Bill Gates came to campus on April 4 to discuss recent trends in development in Africa, and the very same day former Treasury Secretary and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Summers debated Stanford’s John Taylor on government response to the financial crisis and recent recession. On May 19, Stanford will host its own version of the renowned TEDx conference focused on innovation and information in a variety of fields. The single biggest complaint surrounding these events, however, is that students don’t hear about them until it is “too late.” That’s not to say these events are not popular – the Bill Gates event and the TEDx conference sold out within minutes of tickets being available, and the Summers-Taylor debate was very well attended.

Instead, the problem appears to be more one of awareness and publicity. These events were no doubt publicized extensively via email and Facebook, but given the limitations of students’ networks, these would only have reached a certain subset of students who are on lists directly related to these issues (for example, the Econ majors list for the Summers-Taylor debate). At the same time, because of the sheer volume of email on lists, students are disinclined to join lists outside their immediate interests because the occasional interesting event that may come their way is not worth the hassle of the scores of irrelevant emails and spam. There is no easy solution to this. Attempts to create a central events calendar have floundered because of a catch-22 regarding usage. Students aren’t likely to publicize events on the calendar if no one looks at the calendar, but no one looks at the calendar if most events are still publicized over email.

This phenomenon is not limited to events. Many students are surprised to find that Stanford offers “Angel Grants” of up to $3,000 to “assist students in producing a finished public creative work such as a visual exhibit, film, stage production, or concert,” or that engineers interested in formal music study are eligible for an Engineers in the Arts Award to cover the cost of private music lessons. The Haas Center offers not only its summer or post-graduate public service fellowships but also a yearlong Public Service Scholars Program for students interested in writing a thesis assisting a specific community or public interest organization. These resources are not difficult to find independently – the three examples mentioned here were well detailed on the respective websites of Undergraduate Advising and Research, the Music Department, and the Haas Center – but they are not easy to find for the student who is not deliberately looking for them.

The problem again is one of students either not looking in the right place or being so overwhelmed by the extraneous information that arrives in their email inboxes that they don’t bother to look at all. A searchable, up-to-date directory, with different sections for events (both Stanford-sponsored and those run by student groups or the ASSU), funding, and other relevant material – such as community service opportunities, newly created classes, and CDC workshops – would be ideal. Once such a directory is created, having student groups and departments make a concerted effort to use it would be in everyone’s interest, expanding publicity and attendance beyond the core group of supporters.

Until then, students may feel they have no choice but to rely on imperfect email lists, but they should also better use the resources that already exist. Academic Directors associated with each residence are a tremendous resource for all sorts of academic opportunities, and department websites combine information about resources and events related to their area of expertise. For events, the ASSU Student Events calendar is a worthwhile project but appears to be limited to events that are co-sponsored by the ASSU, while the Stanford Events website lists many University-sponsored events on a given day but only a portion of student group events.

Ultimately, then, it falls on students to help one another. Hear about an interesting speaker? Let your friends know. Have a resume workshop planned? Pass it on, and let your Academic Director know so he or she can pass on the information. Be on the lookout for events or resources that you may not attend yourself and send them on to someone you know who will. The entire student body will be richer for the experience.