The Andrews University Office of Student Involvement, Leadership and Activities (SILA) hosted a Leadership Conference that offered five co-curricular credits, two of which counted toward valuable dorm credits, on Oct. 4. The event, which was required for club leaders but open to all students, kicked off in Buller Hall’s Newbold Auditorium, with welcoming remarks from Darius Bridges, assistant dean for student leadership, involvement and activities.
Attendees could select from seven group sessions such as “S.C.A.M.M.E.R.S.,” “What Even Are We?,” “Who Are You Trying to Impress?” and “Boss Up” to attend during the conference.
In “S.C.A.M.M.E.R.S.,” Bridges revealed that the acronym, which stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Mold, Eliminate, Reverse, and Solve, exists to help leaders adapt to unexpected challenges. He emphasized the importance of wisdom and discernment because each situation requires a unique approach.
In “What Even Are We?,” Ethan Jasper, assistant dean for student development, presented the “Pyramid of Team Success,” which emphasizes five foundational elements: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and results. Those in the session discussed common challenges to these elements and practical strategies to strengthen them.
In “Who Are You Trying to Impress?,” Chaplain Prescott Khair introduced various leadership styles, from laissez-faire to authoritarian, emphasizing servant leadership—rooted in humility and service, modeled after Christ—as the most effective approach.
In “Boss Up,” Joydel Trail, career services director, highlighted the importance of professionalism, explaining that both attire and behavior should match your work environment. Trail gave examples, such as wearing a suit as a zookeeper or wearing a lab coat in an office, to show how everything has a place and time. Trail also shared advice on navigating difficult team dynamics. When there are conflicts, she said, it is important to remember our humanity and always try to be proactive in making the workplace better.
Many students who attended the conference left with distinct impressions and new skill sets.
Hannah Harris (junior, architecture) said, “I attended for the credit, but I ended up learning a lot about collaboration and teamwork. The most memorable part was during ‘What Even Are We?’ when we had to figure out how to escape an island using just a sombrero and yogurt.”
Aldrich Mongkau (senior, speech-language pathology and audiology) said the most memorable part of the conference “was that whenever the speaker talked about individuals who couldn't be cooperated with or were hard to deal with, you could look around and find people quietly whispering or [mouthing] names to their friends and making frowny faces.”
Finally, Byron Victoriano (junior, aviation) said, “I learned a lot of things about being a leader … one of the biggest things about being a leader, and my role as a leader, is to not make everyone happy … but to lead. the most memorable part for me was learning different things that could cause dysfunction within a team and that things may not always have the results that we as a team may want.”
The Leadership Conference promoted leadership at Andrews University, strengthened leaders, and called others to lead.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.