What’s really happening in Egypt? How is migration affecting our planet? Are there real ways in which students can help combat world hunger? And what, exactly, is the world’s perfect pig?

All of these questions, and many more, will be answered this year during the university’s Lectures Series, a program co-driven by the Government of the Student Body and the Office of the Provost. The program is designed to bring in speakers from all fields and all walks of life, in order to inform, entertain and inspire. Last year, the program brought in “134 internationally recognized scholars, artists, policymakers, performers, and professionals,” said Pat Miller, coordinator of the Lectures Program.

With the quantity of homework students have and the number of extracurricular activities they are involved in, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. When we’re dreaming of our next broomball game and getting lost in the depths of the Internet, we sometimes find it difficult to stay current on the happenings of the world outside of Ames.

But students should take every opportunity to attend these lectures; after all, they’re completely free and accessible to all — generally hosted on weeknights at the Memorial Union.

Talks like “What’s going on in Egypt?” offer students an easy way to glean information; there’s no reading involved, no clicker questions — and certainly no homework. It’s simply an opportunity to sit down and learn something, and there’s always the chance to ask questions and create a passionate dialogue between the audience and the presenter.

And usually, there are free snacks.

Last year, audience sizes were between 250 and 700, on average, but when the program brought in speakers like Bill Nye the Science Guy and “Mythbusters”’ Grant Imahara, numbers rose to nearly 3,000.

On Sept 12, there will be a panel of professors and faculty members discussing the U.S. Supreme Court and issues of race and same-sex marriage. On Sept. 18, there will be a lecture by author Moustafa Bayoumi on the challenges of being Muslim in America. And Rocket City Rednecks’ engineer Travis Taylor will make a visit on Sept 20, to show film clips and perform experiments live at Stephens Auditorium.

You just can’t get that stuff in a classroom.

Without attending lectures, students will also miss out on the unique opportunity to network with scholars, authors and big names in the media. From the Washington Post, columnist Eugene Robinson (Sept 18), to travel writer Bill Bryson (Oct 28), speakers always leave extra time to meet with students after the lecture, take pictures and sometimes even share contact information.

There’s something for everyone at the Iowa State’s Lectures Program. World famous author and economist Paul Collier will be visiting campus in October, to share his wealth of knowledge on the topic of migration and global prosperity, and as a lecturer for the Women in STEM series, Daisy Ginsberg will be coming to campus in the spring to discuss design in synthetic biology.

A wide variety of topics will be covered this year in the Lectures Program, and every student should take the time to go at least a few times each semester. It would be a shame for students to miss out on such a phenomenal opportunity — to network with scholars and experts from around the world, explore a diverse range of topics and, most of all, learn a little something new.