By Stephanie Sonksen
Freshman David Shaha might not know what he”s doing with his life, but he does know his current events.
The undecided major from Hawaii answered all three of his questions correctly as the first contestant in the “Who Wants to Burst the Bubble?” contest hosted by the Current Events Student Association Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Terrace of the Wilkinson Center.
“I think everyone should be aware [of current events],” he said. “It”s part of being a citizen.”
Questions posed to the contestants ranged from politics and government, to world news and geography.
The event was set up as a game show with BYUSA President Dave Johnson as the host, taking volunteers from the audience to answer current event questions. Each contestant was asked three questions; prizes included cookies, a CESA T-shirt and a copy of the New York Times.
“Mostly we just want to let everybody know that we are here,” CESA President Abe Gong said.
Johnson said he was happy to be involved with CESA and host the event.
“It”s an exciting chance to test the students” knowledge and see how well-informed they are today,” he said.
This was the first big event for the club, which began last fall.
Gong said he thinks students know it”s important to be informed but don”t have the time or the means to stay current.
The club”s goal is to make it as easy as possible for students to keep up with the news. The only thing students need to join CESA is an interest in what”s going on in the world.
CESA Vice President Gloria Gong said she hopes the club continues to grow in number but its main purpose is to help people understand the importance of staying current.
“My ultimate goal is to help the BYU students be more informed,” she said. “I hope people take whatever they get out of the club and make more informed decisions.”
She said the club hopes to show people all sides of issues and let students draw their own conclusions.
“I feel like it”s something people need and would use if it was offered,” she said. “We want to help people be informed.”
Steel Wagstaff, from Idaho, also volunteered to play “Who Wants to Burst the Bubble?” He said he enjoyed the activity and it was a great way to publicize the club.
“All of us have to make decisions in our lives,” he said. “The more knowledge we have the better we can make decisions.”
Another participant included Michael Smart, BYU professor and media relations manager.
“I think it”s a great idea to introduce the CESA to the campus and remind students how important an understanding of current events is for them,” he said.
Smart said he thinks the event attracted the kinds of people who are interested in current events.
The club has more than 250 members. Abe Gong said he hopes to have recruited more people after the event. Membership is free; for more information see the Web site at: http://clubs.byu.edu/currentevents/aboutUs.html.
