The annual Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS), hosted by the BCSGA, has been cancelled for the 2023-2024 school year due to lack of funding for events on campus, says Student Life executive secretary Arisve Pimentel.

“DSS has unfortunately been canceled this year because of a lack of funding,” says Arisve Pimentel, the executive secretary in the Student Life Office.

Dr. Nicky Damania, the Dean of students at BC, started the series to share the thoughts and experiences of different speakers invited to campus.

The BCSGA funded the DSS, along with other events, by implementing the Student Services Sticker Program. The sticker is available to students at the cost of $15 and gives them access to campus benefits and events.

According to Damania, this program was “the main lifeline” for funding the Distinguished Speakers Series, but when students returned to BC after the pandemic, many did not purchase the Student Services Sticker Program. Because of this, the BCSGA decided to discontinue DSS and put the funds towards other areas.

“I believe our events will suffer a bit because of the financial deficits from those who opted out of the Students Services Sticker Program,” Damania also added. “However, the BCSGA is still committed to ensuring a vibrant campus engagement.”

Catherine, a third semester BC student, when asked about the cancellation, said, “I went to a couple of speakers last year and really enjoyed them. Hopefully, they can find a way to bring them back.”

The DSS was an effort of many different people at BC, each speaker was either proposed by faculty members or a department to the BCSGA. It allowed individuals to showcase their experiences or provide insight on specific topics.

The previous school year included some very esteemed speakers such as Aaron Ralston, Rev. James Lawson, and Dr. Rosemarie Zagarri, and the events were free and open to the public.

If you or your friends here at BC enjoyed the DSS, email [email protected] for more information on listening to speakers in the future.