What do Ben of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Jose Tapia of MTV’s “The Real World,” presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, a potential “Saturday Night Live” comedian, and the man who actually ran Hotel Rwanda have in common?

They have all been speakers for Iowa State’s lectures program.

“[Attending lectures] is such an opportunity to personally meet people; this isn’t television, it’s live,” said Patricia Miller, program manager for the lecture program.

Every year, Iowa State brings between 100 and 150 lecturers to entertain, inform and enlighten students and community members alike.

Miller mentioned some unique experiences she has had while working with the lectures program.

For example, when Helen Thomas, correspondent to the White House, spoke in April 2007, a male audience member requested that she autograph his boxer shorts.

“To be able to have Helen Thomas autograph your boxer shorts; where else would you have this opportunity?” Miller said.

During the 2006-07 year, students had the opportunity to hear lectures on many topics. Jodie Sweetin, most commonly known as Stephanie Tanner from the ’90s hit show “Full House,” spoke about her road to recovery from drug addiction.

Speaker Mike Leahy also spoke to a packed crowd as he delivered his lecture “Porn Nation,” about the increased problem of pornography addiction and a hyper-sexualized culture.

“It’s impressive that this many people would show up, so I suppose [the lecturer] will be pretty good,” said John Dicke, junior in accounting, before attending “Porn Nation,” which packed the Great Hall of the Memorial Union in March 2007.

“We try to be all things to all people,” Miller said.

One of the most enticing components of the lectures program for thrifty college students is that every lecture is absolutely free.

“I’ve attended several lectures this semester, mainly because the subjects seem pretty interesting,” said Andrew Dust, junior in economics, at the lecture “Africa and the Curse of Foreign Aid.”

The lecture was given by Andrew Mujuni Mwenda, an award-winning Ugandan journalist.

Glancing to the future of Iowa State’s lectures program, Miller said this next year will hold a wide variety of speakers once again.

The 2007-08 lineup includes John Oliver, comedian and correspondent on “The Daily Show” and Richard Florida, economist, urban theorist and best-selling author of the book “The Flight of the Creative Class.”