Economic & Community Impact Analysis

5.3 - Hosting a Center for Lectures, Arts, and Performances

HSU plays host to community events and educational conventions. One such example is the Sustainable Speaker Series. Established in 2005, the series, sponsored by the Environment and Community Program and the Schatz Energy Research Center, is open to members of the public. The series facilitates discussion and collaboration around community issues related to energy, the environment, and society. Another conference recently held at HSU was the Zero Waste Conference in early November 2018. The conference aims to reduce waste, promote resource recovery and conservation, and minimize landfill-bound waste. One of the key speakers at the conference was a local official, Ted Ward, the Director of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority.116

HSU also plays an essential role in attracting artists and performers to the region. The HSU Center Arts hosts numerous musical guests and speakers including five-time Grammy nominated pianist Ursula Oppens117, Grammy winner Rosanne Cash, and the Russian National Ballet to perform Swan Lake. In the 2017-2018 academic school year, Center Arts hosted 40 seasonal/special events for 26,808 participants. Additionally, there were 10 Associated Student events at Center Arts for over 5,700 participants. Associated Student events are HSU student-centered, but are also open to the public. Finally, Center Arts also hosted 9 Artists & Schools events, which are performances for local elementary school children. These 9 events had over 5,600 participants.118

KHSU Public Radio, a community-supported, non-commercial radio station is licensed to HSU, and often highlights the activities of the University and its students.119 The KHSU broadcast reaches approximately 135,000 people across Northwest California and Southwest Oregon. Through it’s innovative, high quality programming, KHSU hopes to educate, enrich, enlighten, and entertain its listeners on local, national, and international issues.120