Students feel the Magic
Brady Tackett
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: News
Earvin "Magic" Johnson, former NBA star turned HIV/AIDS activist, will speak 8 p.m. Thursday at Barnhill Arena as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series. The speech will be free and open to the public, but students are divided on whether they will attend the event, which is funded in part by student activity fees.
Sophomore Emily Arnold found trouble relating to the speaker, noting that the promotional information was too vague.
"I didn't see a lot of publicity for the event, and I'm still not sure what it's really about," she said.
Others cited a busy schedule as their main reason for missing the lecture.
"I'm busy studying and honestly not very interested," senior Alyson Kaltenbach said.
Sophomore Grant Bearfield expressed the same worries.
"I will go if I've gotten all of my studying out of the way," he said.
While some students remained unaware or uninterested in the event, many were intrigued and excited at the mention of it, particularly men.
Freshman Tim Taschner showed interest, saying, "I would definitely attend a free event like this. It's an honor to be able to say that you heard Magic Johnson speak live."
Bearfield had similar thoughts, marveling at the surreal aspect of seeing the athlete in person.
"I mean, it's Magic Johnson!" he laughed.
Other students were encouraged by university organizations to attend the lecture.
"As a Chi Omega pledge, I am required to go," freshman Elizabeth Fizer said. Despite the forced attendance, Fizer seemed genuinely excited for the lecture.
Regardless of attendance, the lecture promises significant glimpses into Johnson's life. The star certainly is no stranger to community service. Long before his foray into HIV/AIDS activism (he announced that he was HIV-positive publicly in 1991), Johnson explored the role of businesses in providing aid to poverty-stricken urban regions with the founding of the Magic Johnson Enterprises in 1983.
More recently, Johnson has improved the public's view of HIV/AIDS victims through repeated efforts to publicize and endorse safe sex.
Sophomore Emily Arnold found trouble relating to the speaker, noting that the promotional information was too vague.
"I didn't see a lot of publicity for the event, and I'm still not sure what it's really about," she said.
Others cited a busy schedule as their main reason for missing the lecture.
"I'm busy studying and honestly not very interested," senior Alyson Kaltenbach said.
Sophomore Grant Bearfield expressed the same worries.
"I will go if I've gotten all of my studying out of the way," he said.
While some students remained unaware or uninterested in the event, many were intrigued and excited at the mention of it, particularly men.
Freshman Tim Taschner showed interest, saying, "I would definitely attend a free event like this. It's an honor to be able to say that you heard Magic Johnson speak live."
Bearfield had similar thoughts, marveling at the surreal aspect of seeing the athlete in person.
"I mean, it's Magic Johnson!" he laughed.
Other students were encouraged by university organizations to attend the lecture.
"As a Chi Omega pledge, I am required to go," freshman Elizabeth Fizer said. Despite the forced attendance, Fizer seemed genuinely excited for the lecture.
Regardless of attendance, the lecture promises significant glimpses into Johnson's life. The star certainly is no stranger to community service. Long before his foray into HIV/AIDS activism (he announced that he was HIV-positive publicly in 1991), Johnson explored the role of businesses in providing aid to poverty-stricken urban regions with the founding of the Magic Johnson Enterprises in 1983.
More recently, Johnson has improved the public's view of HIV/AIDS victims through repeated efforts to publicize and endorse safe sex.
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