Leadership honorary reaches out to high school students

By: Jeff Ventrella

Posted: 4/23/09

Omicron Delta Kappa, the campus leadership honorary, hosted 20 local high school students for a three-hour seminar on leadership training last Friday. ODK members considered it a step toward restoring the honorary to the active role it once played on Hillsdale College's campus, ODK president and senior Ryan Walsh said.

Seven students from Jonesville High School, six from Reading High School and seven from Hillsdale Academy attended. The seminar began at noon with a luncheon in the Knorr Student Center's snack bar.

Provost Robert Blackstock gave a speech about the three basic pillars of leadership: personal beliefs, learning and self-investment, and choosing to act as a force for good; since leadership can serve evil purposes as well as good ones, he said.

"You might not change the world, but you can brighten your corner," he said.

Afterward, each ODK member led a small group through discussions about leadership.

Professor of History Paul Moreno and Assistant Professor of Religion Donald Westblade gave closing speeches.

Walsh said the high school students participated in open discussion with Moreno and Westblade, which Walsh called the ultimate goal of hosting the event in the first place.

He said members hoped sponsoring the seminar would be the first in a series to steps to elevate its profile on campus. The group will publicly select next year's members in the next two weeks, he said.

Walsh said that while ODK members, all of them seniors, might never see the long-term effects of this event, they hope the lessons will stick.

"Realistically, all we can hope is that the ideas can stick or enforce prior notions. If it hits home with one person, that's success," he said.