It was the last day of the first quarter of the year, and as colleges/universities in the United States gathered to participate in the International Student Leadership Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) was well represented.
The weekend of March 31st to April 2nd was short, as usual, but interestingly, this was a unique one that will always be remembered. It brought together students from different American colleges and universities, who posses different cultural values, beliefs and lifestyle, to participate in the Sixth Annual Student Leadership Conference. The conference took place at the James Madison University.
The theme of this year’s event was “Connecting the Pieces of A Leader”, an essential topic that is set to create a difference in not only the lives of the 200 participants, but also those they interact with.
Participants were quick to familiarize themselves with one another during the first night at the first event – Mix & Match Group Activity – which followed a pizza party. The next event was a “Drumming Circle”, where well-fed-with-pizza participants entered an emphatic drumming session, which kept the hall trembling for more than thirty minutes. A dance party sealed up the night after which everyone returned to their respective hotels.
Perhaps, the most remarkable moment was during the “Brunch and Keynote” session on Saturday morning. While many seemed exhausted from the long journey and the events of the previous night, keynote speaker Salorne McDonald was quick to get the attention of the audience as he stepped on stage.
McDonald who traveled from his native country, Trinidad & Tobago, a night earlier to grace the event, jokingly greeted everyone with a ‘Good Afternoon’, although it was just passed 11AM, a mistake he blamed on the time difference to that of his home country.
During his thirty minutes address, the enthusiastic, but calmly spoken McDonald, talked on the theme of the event with special emphasis on ‘Communication, Wellness, Identity and Skills’.
Communication is essential in our everyday lives and McDonald stressed on the “YOU” part of us as individuals, stating that we are always responsible for our actions. “Whatever you do, you are communicating something and what you communicate is very critical in leadership,” he cautioned.
Many people are sometimes faced with the common dilemma of time management, which is just a norm for them, while others are sometimes faced with unforeseen contingencies. McDonald cited an example on the correlation between communication and time management saying: “If someone invites you to a programme which starts at 9AM and then you show up around 10:45, then you are communicating something.”
Laying emphasis on wellness, McDonald said: “The promotion of wellness is critical in leadership, and wellness promotes a healthy environment and a healthy relationship.”
Of course, if one cannot identify who they are or their potentials and ambition, then a rather more challenging future lies ahead. McDonald said: “It is important to know your identity and determine what you will do with it.” He further advised students that as adults in colleges and universities, they should be more responsible individuals and maintain a healthy relationship with their colleagues.
The last part of his keynote address focused on the role of effective management/skills. He stressed on how to handle a leadership role in a team, and also how to adequately manage time. “How you inform, educate, provoke… determines how effective your leadership skill is,” he said noting that as leader of a group, conflicts do arise sometimes but that is where the qualities of a leader become a key.
“You can have good qualities as an individual or be a very talented person in your team but if you cannot use your management function as a leader, the team will fail.”
He further stated that there are ways one could influence others on a positive note saying: “You don’t just motivate people but you can get them to realize that they have the ability to execute a certain task.”
After the Brunch & Keynote session, the workshops continued with various essential topics such as Leadership, Immigration, Religion, Etiquette, Multi-cultural Settings and HIV/AIDS.
Having traveled to countries like South Africa, a country severely hit by HIV/AIDS, McDonald is also involved in creating awareness on the deadly disease. I was fortunate to attend his workshop – HIV/AIDS Awareness – and his techniques in getting participants involved was instrumental in putting his case across, as he raised awareness on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and stressed on the need for safe sex.
The closing stage of the conference was marked by a Semi-formal Dinner, which indeed was my favorite. Having a knack for eating a lot with no-weight-gaining effect, at least for now, is what describes me, and I wasted no time in living up to the occasion – taking on a plate full of well-baked chicken, among my favorites, followed by deserts.
There was also entertainment, and BCCC students Ashley Brown and Antoinette Walters, who are also members of ‘St. Veronicas Youth Orchestra’, took to the stage and moved the audience with their steel pan instruments while performing ‘Footprints’ by T.O.K. On stage also was the impromptu call on Joy Kitanga from BCCC to feature in a play that was being performed by participants from James Madison University. All participants were handed certificates to mark the end of the conference.
Also representing BCCC at the conference were Deneen Dangerfield (Director of International Student Services and Veterans Affairs) and William Hug (International Student Counselor).
On a closing note, participants are encouraged to put into practice what they learned from the conference, and whatever the case may be, BCCC will always stand out and create a difference that others will admire and emulate.
—Ibrahim is a member of the International Students Club (ISC), Kappa Beta Delta (KBD) – International Honor Society for ACBSP accredited Business Programs, BCCC’s Student Government Board, and involved in a number of campus activities.
This article was first published on Ibrahim Dabo’s unofficial website – Idabo.com.com – on May 03, 2006.
