I must have walked past Lincoln Center during Fashion Week a million times, but I never saw any of the celebrities or models who inadvertently cluttered my Facebook newsfeed in the form of pictures with fellow classmates, or more commonly, in all-caps statuses. Maybe I was just really unlucky.

But to not see any of the stars around our campus? Our one building campus? Either Fordham’s top story on Denzel Washington’s visit to FCLC (and all the Facebook updates that came with it) was just a cleverly constructed ruse or I just have a natural talent for avoiding the rich and famous.

Fordham has a great deal of famous alumni. I’m not disputing that. But to me they seem more like floating names rather than real people. It would be amazing if some wildly successful alumnus came in and talked to the ‘less-cool’ majors—or better yet—to any students who wanted to listen. Hearing from those who have been through what we’re going through now (and at the same university no less!) is a priceless experience.

Reading success stories is one thing, but hearing from the people themselves is completely different. The Stephen Colbert event back in September isn’t exactly the same in that he’s not a Fordham alum and didn’t touch on his education or what he did with it. However, the way in which it was publicized and the fact that whoever wanted to go could get tickets to attend is something we need to implement when it comes to Fordham’s various celebrity friends’ visits.

Washington’s recent stopover in Fordham could easily have involved more students than just the theatre majors. His initial indecision when first coming to college mirrors many a student’s current feelings and his speech had the potential to affect most—if not all—of the student body.

I understand that the stop was unscheduled — that if it was publicized around campus there would have been a mad rush to go and see the man speak. But all of Fordham’s celebrity friends can—for lack of a better term—be “put to use.” Their college experiences and the life they’ve managed to make out of their Fordham education is something all of us desperately need to hear—especially with the uncertainty of employment looming over us.

People like me—torn between majoring in math, international relations or classics—need some extra guidance. Most of the students I’ve met haven’t been completely undecided either. In some way, shape or form we know what we want to do—or at least what we don’t. Hearing from notable alumni will not only help us on our way to making that decision, but more importantly, vocalize the opportunities we’ll have once we graduate.

Just like our school has speakers come in and lecture each week, they could use their vast alumni ties to give us students both an idea of how to make the most of our time here, and life after Fordham.

The only way we can truly know what will happen after graduation is to experience it for ourselves— but until then, first hand accounts are the best thing we have. There is nobody better to point us in the direction of success—and away from drowning in student debt until our dying days—than the people who’ve made it.