Leadership Institute Focuses on Campus Community

Leadership Institute Focuses on Campus Community

For its second consecutive year, the Colgate Leadership Institute brought 156 students and faculty members together in an effort to promote a community of leaders. The Institute, which took place from August 17-19, included workshops and speakers that concentrated on three specific themes: On the first day, attendees focused on themselves (“The Individual”), looking at their personal qualities and how they could build upon their character. Day two focused on “The Group” and day three emphasized “The Community/Society.” Dean of First-Year Students Beverly Low stressed the importance of Colgate students using their leadership skills on a more global level.”The underlying purpose of the Institute was collaboration across campus,” Low said. “Students were able to see themselves as a larger staff.” Sophomore Link leader Sarah Kruse supports the revision of the Institute to combine all of the leaders on campus. “I thought it was a positive experience because I was able to branch out and meet other leaders on campus,” Kruse said. “It was a good opportunity to compare and contrast my leadership style and morals with other students’.” As an opening to the workshops, keynote speaker Brendan Tuohey ’96 set the stage for the next three days. Tuohey, co-founder of Playing for Peace, spoke to students and faculty about his global organization based in Washington D.C. that “uses the game of basketball to bridge social divides and develop future leaders in conflict and post conflict regions.” It allows children to build positive relationships in hopes for a better future. Tuohey, with his brother Sean, began Playing for Peace in 2001 and has received many awards and acknowledgments since then, including former United States President Bill Clinton’s praise of the organization and plans for incorporating Playing for Peace into other nations such as Israel and West Bank, as part of the Clinton Global Initiative. “Brendan Tuohey spoke about how his Colgate education lead him to be inspired to make change in the world,” Assistant Dean of the College and Acting Director of Residential Life Jennifer Adams said. “Like the women who lectured last year about revitalizing neighborhoods in Utica, Brendan addressed how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.” Adams heard positive feedback from the students who attended. Although some of the exercises forced students to reveal personal information in unfamiliar situations, group members began to bond with one another. One such exercise, the Life History Timeline, asked members of the group to write who or what had influenced the person that they are today. “It was really helpful to meet the other leaders on campus,” sophomore Ann Redpath said. “Especially working in SGA, it’s important to network and meet a lot of people.” Adams believes the Institute proved even more successful than it did least year. “I have never seen a group of student leaders so engaged in each other and the material,” Adams said. “This year, everyone was even more positive and focused. It was spectacular.”