Speakers praise student leaders

To be a true and valuable leader, one has to leave campus and go out into the Syracuse community.

This was the lesson that approximately 200 student leaders from Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry learned Wednesday night at the second annual Leadership Banquet. Senior Director of Public Relations for the Student Association Hanif Sumner organized the banquet, themed “Making a Difference.” Attending students varied from members of the Kalabash Dance Troupe to University Union Television. They were split up at different tables in the banquet room at Drumlins so that leaders from all the different student groups could meet and learn about each other. The event celebrated student leaders throughout the university.

“The difference each and every one of you is making is unbelievable,” said speaker Cindy Eisenberg, a Literacy Corp tutor.

The banquet began with SA President Colin Seale, who delivered an address followed by short speeches from Dean of Student Affairs Barry Wells, Chief of Public Safety Marlene Hall and Eisenberg. These speeches led up to the featured speaker Julius Edwards, program director of Syracuse Partnership to Reduce Gun Violence.

Edwards delivered a passionate speech on poverty and violence. As a life-long resident of Syracuse, Edwards is familiar with and active in the community. He discussed the conditions of the youth in Syracuse, telling the audience that 23 homicides have occured in Syracuse this year. He blamed this and the continuing poverty in the community upon the conditions under which children live.

“The reason young men join gangs is because that gang represents a family, because their family at home isn’t feeding them,” said Edwards. “Nearly 20,000 a year lose their lives from gun violence — why are we worried about Iraq?”

Edwards’ comment on Iraq seemed to strike a nerve in the audience.

“I was impressed he covered so many topics I thought were poignant, like going to war when we haven’t dealt with home yet,” said sophomore broadcast major Nicole Edwards. “It really troubles me that people don’t think in terms of that.”

Julius Edwards told the audience what leadership has to do with poverty and what they could do as leaders to help positively change society.

“A moment of your time could change the face of someone else’s life,” said Julius Edwards. “I don’t care about your Ph.D.s and degrees, that’s all fine and well, but do you know how to treat somebody?”

Seale shared his own concept of leadership with the audience through an anecdote. A member of the Creations Dance Troupe, Seale related leadership to a situation in a dance where he had to hold onto the leg of a girl performing a dance move on the top of another man’s shoulders to keep her from falling. One day, however, she fell and as the instructor scolded the entire group, Seale spoke up and took responsibility.

“It taught me something very interesting, which is very important to being a leader — being able to take the heat,” Seale said. “If something happens in SA, even if I don’t have to take the blame, I will take it.”

Wells and Hall also had plenty of advice to give the large group of student leaders. Wells spoke about challenge sometimes being great and overwhelming, but also posing as opportunity.

Hall posed several rhetorical questions in her speech, asking the students, “When is it talk and when is it action? When do you become firm and when do you become humane?”

Light moments also peppered the speeches. Julius Edwards even took a brief opportunity to describe sperms competing to find the egg.

“That’s the greatest struggle you had to go through in your life and you did it,” said Julius Edwards. “Because you decided you wanted to live.”

Toward the end of his speech, Julius Edwards put out a plea to the leaders.

“You have to create the change in this world that’s going to change this world,” Julius Edwards said. “If you don’t step up to the plate, America, our community and our families are destined for failure.”