East Carolinian

Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Ahmet Askoy

The Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Leadership Society met with students from Coastal Carolina, Virginia Tech and ECU this Saturday for a regional leadership conference aimed at achieving collaborative leadership skills necessary to train new members and enhance current members on their campuses.

This was the first time ECU hosted the ODK regional conference.

Courtney Elliott, president of ODK, placed the bid to reserve ECU's campus in November for the opportunity to host the conference for the organization.

"This leadership conference is going to help us become a more effective organization on ECU['s] campus," she said. "It also will help us improve leadership and attributes among ECU students."

The conference began at 9 a.m. beginning with a tour of campus by the ECU Ambassadors and ended at 7 p.m. with a banquet and closing by the regional directors.

The conference consisted of activities and icebreakers by ECU's own Stephen Gray, director of Parent and Student Services, keynote speaker Peter Romary from ECU's Legal Services and sessions focusing on leadership, marketing, memberships and fundraising.

Some icebreakers included bonding exercises, such as students introducing themselves to the audience and telling one of their most painful experiences.

Sarah Schach, a junior at ECU and ODK member, enjoyed the activities that Gray put together.

"The icebreakers were a lot of fun," said Schach. "It got us to become very comfortable with each other. Overall it was very informative and enjoyable."

The conference also consisted of sessions that focused different leadership methods, including how to be a better leader in life and in the ODK organization.

ODK member and graduate student, Vladim Bobrovnikov, attended the conference.

"I want to think about the legacy I leave here," said Bobrovnikov. "This was a great way to learn good values in the role of leadership and also help enhance and produce flexible leaders of tomorrow."

ODK was founded on Dec. 3, 1914 by the leadership and foundation of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

To be inducted into ODK, students must be nominated by a member of the organization; nominations are based on GPA and leadership skills displayed during the student's junior and senior years of college.



This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.

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