Spring Break
Editorial: Taking the lead
Issue date: 4/14/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
04/14/09 - If you happen to be in the Memorial Union this evening, you might notice a crowd of sharply dressed students shuffling into the Ballroom. While they all appear to be normal college kids on the outside, inside the Ballroom they will be recognized for their roles as leaders.
Tonight marks the 21st year in which the Robert A. Rainville Awards will be presented to deserving students, student employees and campus teams for their efforts to make the campus a better place for students.
To be nominated for a student leadership Rainville Award, a student has to log serious hours into a campus extracurricular, while juggling good grades (the minimum gpa is 2.5) and a course load - which is often easier said than done.
While many leaders appear to just sit there and look pretty, for the most part they're not just sitting around with their feet up, eating bon bons. In their spare time they're coordinating events, making phone calls and arrangements for the benefit of their peers. With demanding schedules, looming assignments, part-time jobs and the rest of life's little surprises, there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure on those brave souls that manage campus organizations.
These students, likely armed with a supply of caffeinated beverages, somehow manage to cram it all into a day's work.
Why, you ask? Because they know that others depend on them. After all, not everyone is cut out for leadership. It takes patience. A lot of patience. But for students willing to make the time commitment, leadership roles prove invaluable in gaining all types of skills.
What comes from the experience of being a leader are many life lessons. Not only do student leaders learn about responsibility, time management and communication, they get real life experience. Take Student Senate for example. Students interested hoping to pursue a career in the political realm can get a sneak peak of what is similar to a Town Council meeting at their weekly sessions.
The Fashion Merchandising Society recently hosted a fashion show in which students designed their own clothing lines. This is another example of good practice for future career endeavors.
With more than 80 student senate-recognized groups, dozens of club and team sports and an array of campus activities, the opportunities to become a leader are endless. Proof of this exists in the more than 100 students nominated in the different categories, and with all the groups on campus, certainly there are dozens more that escaped recognition.
Tonight marks the 21st year in which the Robert A. Rainville Awards will be presented to deserving students, student employees and campus teams for their efforts to make the campus a better place for students.
To be nominated for a student leadership Rainville Award, a student has to log serious hours into a campus extracurricular, while juggling good grades (the minimum gpa is 2.5) and a course load - which is often easier said than done.
While many leaders appear to just sit there and look pretty, for the most part they're not just sitting around with their feet up, eating bon bons. In their spare time they're coordinating events, making phone calls and arrangements for the benefit of their peers. With demanding schedules, looming assignments, part-time jobs and the rest of life's little surprises, there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure on those brave souls that manage campus organizations.
These students, likely armed with a supply of caffeinated beverages, somehow manage to cram it all into a day's work.
Why, you ask? Because they know that others depend on them. After all, not everyone is cut out for leadership. It takes patience. A lot of patience. But for students willing to make the time commitment, leadership roles prove invaluable in gaining all types of skills.
What comes from the experience of being a leader are many life lessons. Not only do student leaders learn about responsibility, time management and communication, they get real life experience. Take Student Senate for example. Students interested hoping to pursue a career in the political realm can get a sneak peak of what is similar to a Town Council meeting at their weekly sessions.
The Fashion Merchandising Society recently hosted a fashion show in which students designed their own clothing lines. This is another example of good practice for future career endeavors.
With more than 80 student senate-recognized groups, dozens of club and team sports and an array of campus activities, the opportunities to become a leader are endless. Proof of this exists in the more than 100 students nominated in the different categories, and with all the groups on campus, certainly there are dozens more that escaped recognition.
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