Students benefit from leadership assembly

Sometimes too much leadership in one place is a bad thing.

But not on Monday, Sept. 15, when the 2008 Olympic Conference Leadership Assembly was held at the Milan Community Center. It was hosted by Rockridge High School.

Fifteen Orion High School seniors were chosen to attend by their teachers and staff.

The criteria for students to be invited included strong leadership qualities, along with kindness and respect for themselves and others. At the assembly, those students were able to showcase their leadership abilities.

The schools that attended were those that the high school would normally play against in a football or softball game. The Olympic schools include Farmington, Knoxville, Macomb, Monmouth-Roseville, Rockridge and Sherrard.

One point of the gathering was to show that the conference schools are about more than just competing against one another. 

Upon arrival, students were given name tags and a folder with activities inside. Students were split up so each table had one student from every school. The first task was to complete a sheet of brain-teasers. The table with the most points was awarded lunch first.

After that, a personal scavenger hunt took place. Each student had a sheet listing activities and requirements that could apply to many different students.

Students then had to introduce themselves to others in the room and find out if they fit any of the criteria.

Some of the criteria included varsity athlete, student government member, honor member, lives on a farm. The first five students to turn their sheets in got candy bar prizes.

Following this activity, students listened to a motivational speaker, Dave Sheffield (The Shef). He gave the students tips on how to better themselves and start preparing for life after high school.

To reflect on the speech just given, students were given paper and markers to write with. They were asked to write with their non-dominant hand, and to answer the following question: “What would you do if you knew you would not fail?”

After lunch, the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) gave a presentation on their purpose in the community. They also encouraged the students, as leaders in their schools and communities, to be conscious of these things and help people realize right from wrong.

The afternoon did eventually come to an end. Students went home with many new friends, and an afternoon of experiences that helped them become better leaders in their schools and communities.