Campus leadership comes in many styles and emerges across many areas of campus, and Hillsdale’s Rho Beta chapter of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honorary Society is seeking leaders in the class of 2019 for membership in next year’s leadership circle.
Each year, the ten student members of Hillsdale’s ODK chapter select ten rising seniors to continue leadership work. Current juniors in good academic standing who intend to graduate with the class of 2019 are encouraged to apply for next year’s leadership circle, senior Allison Deckert, ODK secretary, said. Applications are due Feb. 28.
“Anyone who has been involved in student leadership on campus — whether that’s in athletics, greek life, dorm life, volunteerism, any of the student publications — if you’ve been part of an organization that’s active on campus and you’ve been part of making that succeed, you’re eligible to apply,” Deckert said.
The ten members of the leadership circle, five men and five women, are chosen from all areas of campus to help promote student leadership and improve the relationship between the college and the surrounding community, Deckert said. This year’s ODK members helped organize a luncheon and roundtable discussion with Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts on campus.
This spring, the leadership circle plans to hold a practical leadership seminar, senior Jonathan Anderson said.
“Rather than focusing on leadership theory, it’s really going to be about what we call practical leadership: how to effectively run a meeting, how to set forward guidelines or bylaws efficiently, how to conduct an organization to accomplish its vision and goals,” Anderson said.
Later in the semester, ODK members will organize a book drive for Hillsdale High School’s English department, Deckert said. The leadership honorary will also co-sponsor a luncheon on education with the career services office.
The previous years’ ODK members secured a $500 grant from the national ODK organization on behalf of A Few Good Men, according to senior Charlotte McFaddin, ODK treasurer.
The members also choose to recognize other student leaders on campus through the Leader of the Month award.
“It’s fun to look around campus and see the different types of student leadership on campus and what student leadership can look like,” Deckert said.
Senior Maria Theisen, an ODK member, said she almost didn’t apply to join the honorary, but ultimately found the time commitment to be manageable and enriching.
“Getting a group of people recognized for their leadership together in the same room is really cool,” Theisen said. “I think it’s been especially great because we don’t really overlap a lot; I’d never really worked with some of the people on the circle because we all lead different things. Brainstorming ideas together with other leaders, who have the same mindset as you in terms of improving campus, is really cool.”
