Editorial: Justice Alito visits

This past Wednesday night, the Bishop Pilla Program in Italian American Studies hosted one of the lectures in its ongoing series. The program, “Remembering the Story of Italian Americans,” featured Supreme Court Justice Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.

This event was successful not only in drawing a large student crowd, but also people from the community. The sponser should be commended on a job well done in producing a quality program that brings important cultural and intellectual topics to the forefront of discussion. This is successful for several reasons because it enhances the University’s image, provides financial benefits and attracts alumni attention.

It’s important that organizations and clubs continue to do their best in securing top notch figures. Doing this not only enriches students and citizens, but also showcases JCU’s ability to produce the same high quality events as other prestige universities.  

Also, hosting these prominent societal figures financially benefits the University. Prospective students and families are able to see how well various clubs on campus work to expose students to top-rated speakers. This in turn can influence students’ decisions to come to JCU.

Alumni who see these organizations working well will be more apt to donate money in order to ensure that events like these will continue.
And one more point: Although there has also been criticism of bringing one more conservative public figure to campus, students and members of the community should keep in mind that above all else, Justice Alito was confirmed to the highest court in the United States. Therefore, his opinions and experiences are worth listening to.