Manhattanville College Leadership Conference: A Look Back

My name is Melat and this is my blog.

I remember the first time I heard about the Manhattanville College Annual Leadership Conference. As a person that enjoys organizing, and as a student who is still trying to learn the ins and outs of the game, the Leadership Conference seemed like a wonderful idea. So, the next year, I joined the Leadership Conference Committee.

Last year, we all had a wonderful time. In the morning, we all had the chance to get together and meet other fellow students. And throughout the day, we enjoyed presentation from students, faculty and staff. We spiced our day with some lunch and relaxed with yoga. To say the least, our day was nothing short of fun.

And now, only a few months away from the next Annual Leadership Conference, the excitement is building and we are all working hard to meet the high expectations. Passing on my rather late thank you to all those who attended last year’s conference and gave us their comment, on behalf of the Leadership Conference Committee, I would like to invite you all to join us for the 7^th Annual Leadership Conference.

-Melat Gebremichael, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee Member (since 2009)

Welcome Back to the Manhattanville College 7th Annual Leadership Conference Blog

Hi All!

Welcome, or for some of you, welcome back to the Manhattanville College Annual Leadership Conference blog page! This page was created to keep all of our followers up-to-date on conference happenings, hear candid insight from the members of the Leadership Conference committee and give readers the opportunity to share information with conference planners and other student leaders on the topic of leadership. This will be a go-to hub of information about all things leadership. And don't forget to save the date for this year's conference which will take place on the campus of Manhattanville College on Saturday, February 18, 2011 at 8:30AM in Reid Castle.

This year as we began planning the conference and explored topics and themes of interest to student leaders at Manhattanville and beyond, we did some deep soul searching to determine what we thought every student leader needed to know to be successful during and after college. The answer was very clear and very simple....you need to know YOURSELF! So this year, our theme, “BE A SHOWSTOPPER: Finding Your Leadership Voice” will address the age old question, "Who am I, how do I share who I am or 'find my voice' within the world?" Let us help you find out! From exploring topics of career choice to self-advocacy in the community to resolving conflict in the classroom/workplace, we will explore all things that will encourage you to be a better leader by encouraing you to be your "authentic self" (Thanks Oprah!). 

This blog will be updated each week, featuring a special guest blogger from the Leadership Conference committee, who will update you on the current happenings of the committee, offer exciting updates for the conference and their own personal reflections on how they are "finding their leadership voice." We encourage everyone to feel free to leave feedback, ask questions and utilize this space to connect with other student leaders from all over the world. We hope that this blog will become a great platform to share ideas, answer questions and help every student become the best student leader that they can possibly be.

Keep an eye out for information regarding how to get involved in the Manhattanville Leadership Conference as well as information on how to register for the conference in the next few weeks. And as always, if you are interested in getting more involved by presenting on a topic related to our theme, "BE A SHOWSTOPPER: Finding Your Leadership Voice," feel free to contact anyone on the committee or reach out to us at our email leadershipconference@mville.edu. We are looking to have everyone get involved!  

I'm so excited to be a part of this great event and I hope everyone will be inspired to come out and get involved -- by presenting, by volunteering, by attending or just by commenting on this blog. There is no time like the present to "Find Your Leadership Voice." I hope you will join us on Saturday, February 18, 2011 ! Have a relaxing break and wonderful holiday season and we’ll be seeing you soon!

-Kia Brown, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee Co-Chair

Thank You to All for Your Participation in the Manhattanville College 6th Annual Leadership Conference!

            It’s been a few weeks since our 6^th Annual Leadership Conference, and as the committee is busy sifting through the evaluations to determine the success of the conference we all wanted to give a major thank you out to the following, without whom the conference would not have been as great as it was:

Ada Gallo, Director of Business Affairs & Conference Services

Adelphi University

Adventures in Advertising/AIA Team Sports

Campus Safety & Security

Chartwells

Copy Center

Crestline

Dr. Doug Geiger, Vice President of Student Affairs

Duchesne Center

Information Technology

Joshua Fredenburg, America’s Generation Y Leadership Expert

Media Services

Mercy College

Office of Residence Life

Office of Student Activities

Physical Plant

President Molly Smith

Purchase College

Queens College

SMG

Syracuse University

Touchstone

WMVL

And finally, all of our presenters!

            The conference has received amazing overall reviews, so a special thank you to those who attended and provided feedback, it really means a lot to the committee that you enjoyed the conference.

            We are now getting ready to begin preparations for next year’s conference, the 7^th Annual Manhattanville Leadership Conference! If you have any more feedback you would like to provide the committee with as we start looking to the future, please email the committee at leadershipconference@mville.edu.

            Thank you again to all who were able to make the conference such a success! It would not have been so great without you!

- Nina Wladkowski, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee



Oh, The Things I've Learned So Far

The other day, my doctor prescribed me some medicine and told me that I should get it right away.  The thing is, this medicine is pricey without insurance and my insurance card was still on its way to me, so obviously I did not have a personal insurance card. Well, I was given a temporary insurance card and told that it should work until my personal insurance card arrived in the mail.

            When I got to the pharmacy, they told me that the temporary card wouldn’t work and that I needed to have my own card.  Long story short, the pharmacy ended up only filling half of my prescription and it ended up costing me $72.50. The whole way home, I just kept wondering where the hell I was supposed to learn this stuff. Was it in a class that was hidden away in my college’s course catalog? Where was I supposed to learn these things that everyone expected me to know but no one would teach me?

            I’ve been a part of the Leadership Conference Committee since September and when we were discussing our theme for this year’s conference, these things came up. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one concerned about how we’re supposed to know things that nobody teaches. Turns out, it’s not some magical thing that happens. You don’t just graduate or turn 22 and automatically know how to interview for a career or what “snappy casual” means as a dress code.

            It didn’t take much discussing for us to land on this as our theme. We decided that since nobody else was willing to teach us the things we needed to know, we would take matters into our own hands.  So, if you’re interested in learning about all of these things so you don’t feel like you’re graduating college with no actual knowledge of the things you need to know for the "real world," you should attend our conference.  It’s not magic, but it will be helpful.  At the very least, you’ll have a better idea of how you should and should not dress for a “snappy casual” work event. And no, I’m not making “snappy casual” up. It really does exist.

- Naomi Wallace, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Making a Difference Through Leadership

Throughout our lives, we will be confronted by ethical dilemmas that question our role as leaders.  Our choices throughout these moments will not only define us; our actions will speak louder than our words, sometimes threatening the stability of our moral compass.  Nevertheless, the effect these instances have upon our own personal development does not even remotely come close to the difference we may make in the lives of others simply by offering our help and guidance as they experience adversity.  It is during these times of adversity that acquaintances and strangers seem to most readily ignore and resist confrontation, as demonstrated by the show What Would You Do?  Verbal abuse is then perceived as a private matter, physical fights become too dangerous to intervene, and stereotypical remarks and racial slurs slide by simply for the sake of keeping the peace.  Yet, through silent conformity, the real victims experiencing psychological, physical, and emotional pain fail to be helped.  As leaders, it is crucial that we have enough confidence in our own judgment and enough compassion in our hearts to help others in need.  Undoubtedly, that’s why we’ve chosen the jobs that we currently hold as resident advisors or other student leaders.  Even moreso, this is why we are leaders striving to further educate ourselves as to how to be the best leaders we possibly can – to make a difference in the lives of others and encourage others to do the same.

- Alyssa Reardon, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Transforming into a Leader

Hey Everybody,

A true leader is one that can transform a follower to a leader. As we approach the leadership conference, it is imperative to realize that we cannot avoid being leaders in our lives. What we can avoid, however, is being effective leaders. I doubt if there is anyone who aims to become a mediocre, let alone, poor leader.

The internet is full of articles that define the traits of a good leader. Just type “leadership traits” on any search engine and you will be showered with a plethora of well- articulated articles that define how a leader ought to behave. It therefore seems that we have no reason to have unskilled leaders, at least not in a technologically-savvy world. Lack of information is not an excuse.

So what is the missing link? Given that leaders thrive under the same conditions, with no competition amongst them, what differentiate a fruit-bearing leader from a barren leader?

I believe the ability to transform a leader’s followers into empathic individuals is what separates a successful leader from the rest.  This task has been accomplished once the followers are able to experience the burden and eagerness of the leader, in turn, becoming leaders themselves. As we prepare ourselves for the conference, let us prepare in a way that will enable us to become transformers. Transforming is very closely and strongly intertwined with the application of what we learn. So, regardless of what we acquire from the conference—from the do’s and don’ts to short and long-term goals—let us make it our sole desire to make them an integral part of our lives.

- Geoffrey Rugarabamu, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Leadership Conference Connections

As a conference co-chair I am wrapped up in the big picture and small details all at the same time. However, there are moments when that is put aside and I can focus on what the conference can bring.  There was one such moment last week when my friend and former co-worker called me with a question.  Immediately I was transformed, I had a chance to connect with a friend and professional in the field.  We chatted about the conference but then quickly turned to playing catch up, talked about the holidays, recent snow storms and mutual friends that we’d had contact with. 

The friendship I have with her started many years ago when our work overlapped for two years at the same institution.  The relationship started like many others you might have, as professional.  She was a hall director with me and we needed to rely on each other for duty issues, programming questions, student follow-up, and consistency.  As an RA I am sure this sounds very familiar, you rely on your staff members for many of the same things. 

But as the semester and year went on we began to develop a stronger relationship, learning each other’s goals, pushing each other to achieve them, listening when the other had a bad day, offering to cover duty and not ask for the same in return.  This is when you know you have a solid team, when you are connected to the whole person and looking to make sure that everyone is taken care of, not just yourself.  It is this connection that will make sure your friendship lasts even when you are no longer working at the same school or even in the same state.

I want each of you to take a look at your fellow staff members, either in your building or as a whole.  Who have you connected with?  Are their friendships that can be strengthened?  What do you know about your floor partner or senior staff member aside from their year, major and that they are a student leader?  Take the chance to learn more.  That connection will bring you closer together and will help to ensure a friendship past your time on staff together.  You never know when you’ll get a phone call to reconnect and end up taking a stroll down memory lane.

You may be wondering how the call ended with my friend, we have tentative plans for the Sunday after the conference for lunch and shopping in NYC. 

- Michelle Eichengreen, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee Co-Chair