The Loop
School of Leadership Studies Kansas State University Issue 10, Fall 2009
Editor Bridget Howland
WELCOME TO THE NEW LOOP
Faculty & Staff, Fall 2009
Now delivered online and more frequently to keep us all better connected
Mary Hale Tolar Director, School of Leadership Studies What does it mean to be “in the loop?” It means you have access to information, but more importantly it indicates a connection – a sense of belonging to a larger group – nurtured by communication and shared purpose. The School of Leadership Studies is a learning community of students, faculty, staff and colleagues across the campus and community engaged in the study and practice of leadership. Inside this edition, you will hear from students who have committed time and energy to exercising leadership,
who have demonstrated the capacity and willingness to lead as they enter the next stage of their professional and civic lives. This is at the heart of our work. If we expect new generations to lead us through our diverse and changing world, we understand that we must commit to opportunities for their intentional leadership development. That is what K-State has done – that is what our faculty does – and that is what continues to appeal to students – currently over 1300 enrolled in our courses this fall. We invite you to join us in our mission: developing knowledgeable,
ethical, caring, inclusive leaders for a diverse and changing world. Welcome – and many thanks for being in the loop!
Want to be part of SLS History? Look for an opportunity early in the new year to give and be recognized for support of our new building! Plans for how donors will be recognized in the new building will be sent out electronically to alumni and donors in January. Stay tuned!
the loop contents
Page 2 Building Update Intro to Leadership Classes
Page 3 Asante Touring Company SLS Ambassadors
Page 4 International Service Teams Volunteer Center
BUILDING UPDATE
During the month of October, the new School of Leadership Studies building was host to over 250 students and faculty. “Opus has gone above and beyond our expectations in allowing our architectural engineering and construction science students an opportunity to get up close and personal with the first LEED-certified building on campus under construction,” commented Ray Yunk P.E., Architectural Engineering and Construction Science.
Save the Date!
The new School of Leadership Studies Building on October 22
Building Dedication Friday, April 16, 2010
Campus and Community Connections
Introduction to Leadership Concepts classes participate in community service food drive and hear from President Schulz Mike Finnegan Instructor, School of Leadership Studies The large lecture goods for the Flint Hills Justine sections of Introduction Breadbasket. small group to Leadership Concepts Wallis’s over seven welcomed two new collected team members to assist hundred lbs. leading the with the instruction of charge. Larry Mitchell, in political approximately seven freshman hundred first semester science, was one of the freshmen. Trish Gott, hundreds of students Cats former K-State Admissions involved in the Cans community Representative, co-taught for seven sections with service project. Mitchell Hy-Vee, Mike Finnegan. Candi approached Hironaka took the lead where he has been role in organizing and employed since June, training the class leaders. to see if they would be in helping One of the interested with the project. class’s first activities was out participating in the Cat’s Hy-Vee said yes and for Cans community donated 500 paper bags service program. to Cats for Cans to be used As a whole, the for collecting canned goods classes collected over from the community. They 10,000 lbs. of canned food also provided a booth
Back: Marisa Howell, Megan Kirtland, President Schulz, Chloe Salman, Jeffery Norris, Tanner Rohrer. Front: Taylor Schmidt, Kelsi Dean, Erika Williams, Heather Stos.
for them to use to accept donations from shoppers at the store. On October 29, the Introduction to Leadership Concepts classes had the opportunity
to attend a lecture given by President Kirk Schultz. The President discussed his sixteen key principles of leadership to a packed house in the Union’s Forum Hall.
Asante Touring Company Performance
“MLK in a Hip Hop World” inspires students during Cultural Harmony Week Emily Salzman Nonprofit Focus Leadership Studies Student
Last January, students from American Humanics Student Association (AHSA) attended the American Humanics Management/ Leadership Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the conference the students had the pleasure of seeing Asante Touring Company (ATC), a subsidiary of the Asante Children’s Theatre of Indianapolis, IN and absolutely loved the performance. They were
so impressed by what they saw in Indianapolis and wanted to bring the performance to Kansas State so more could share in the experience. Arrangements were made and grants were received to bring ATC to Kansas State during Community Cultural Harmony Week. ATC performed their show “MLK in a Hip Hop World” which is part of the progressive hip hop movement and was conceived and directed by
Deborah Asante, Founder way to educate young and Artistic Director of people about an important Asante Children’s Theatre. historical figure in a way The raps, poems, songs that they can relate to. I and beats were written and honestly walked away performed by Cleo House, from that performance David Orr, Vincent Jordan knowing more about and Jocque Carey. All of the Dr. King than I had ever performers have been learned through any class.” involved with Asante Children’s Theatre and are members of the ATC. The performance took place in the Union Grand Ballroom and had an attendance of around 445 students, faculty, and community members. The performers did an incredible job of educating and entertaining the audience. There was a great response from the students such as Chris Lund, a freshman in engineering who said, “The men of the Asante Touring Company ATC & Deborah Asante truly found an effective
School of Leadership Studies Ambassadors Jessica Gradert President, School of Leadership Studies Ambassadors The School of Leadership Studies Ambassadors have taken on several new projects this year. The latest and biggest of these was the Homecoming float and SLS t-shirts. Ambassadors wanted to find a way to unite all of the students of the minor in spirit of the new building. The SLS shirts, whose sales contributed to the Flint Hills Breadbasket, have been increasing in popularity, partly because of the students’ personal interactions with the Breadbasket in the Intro course. The shirts will be sold again in the near future, with proceeds going to another service organization. Our first-ever Homecoming float was a hit, and took first place in the Student Organization float contest. Ambassadors and outstanding volunteers from the minor represented us well in the parade, singing the fight song and their own Leadership Studies chant! We hope to make this an annual tradition for years to come. Ambassadors are anticipating an exciting spring semester promoting the beautiful new building. With selections now completed, Ambassadors will soon welcome a large group of new members who will double our current number!
A Tradition of Global Service INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TEAMS Trisha Gott
Instructor, School of Leaderhip Studies
DeAnna Coughlin with students in Kenya
This past summer the K-State International Service Teams continued a twenty year tradition of sending student teams to developing communities around the world to serve. Summer 2009 was exciting for the program as students returned to sites in Puebla, Mexico and Gaborone, Botswana. Additionally, 2009 began the establishment of a new site in Nyeri, Kenya.
In continuing relationships with Puebla, the program sent two teams of students, one working primarily in the local school system and the other working with surrounding rural communities. In Botswana, students continued work at Old Naledi Education Centre and the Tlamelo feeding project. New to 2009 was a dynamic site in
Nyeri, Kenya. As a new to welcome back a site in site, students embraced Jacunda, Brazil. At this the opportunity to establish site, students will have new projects and build the opportunity to work relationships in Kenya. with the PRAY orphanage Four K-State students lived in Jacunda. Projects will and worked at the Children include lessons with the and Youth Empowerment children, extra-curricular Centre, a home for street clubs, support at the children and other local clinic, as well as vulnerable youth. The determining needs of Centre teaches students the local community. life skills and educates youth using a selfsustainable model of development. The team was able to develop projects that involved teaching classes during the day and creating after-school clubs for the students. These clubs consisted of reading, choir, nature, art, and indoor and outdoor games. In 2010, International Service Teams are extremely excited to Jamie Schendt in Kenya return to all 2009 sites and
Making a Difference
The K-State Volunteer Center of Manhattan
LeAnn Meyer Program Coordinator, K-State Volunteer Center of Manhattan The school year began with a volunteering boom, as the K-State Volunteer Center of Manhattan asked volunteers to “fall into service” and participate in the 2009 Community Service Week. Nearly 300 KSU students donated their time and efforts to achieve 700 hours of service in the Manhattan community. Following the holiday season, the volunteer center will be inviting students and community members to “Make it a day on. Not a day off,” on January 18, 2010. It will be a day of service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” Community Service Week 2009
New Faculty and Staff
Trisha Gott, Instructor Dorothy Smith, Executive Assistant Paula Phelps, Administrative Assistant Sara Weber, AmeriCorps VISTA Angela Deckard, AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
Tanner Banion, Kansas Campus Compact Program Associate Maura Mills, Graduate Research Assistant