Leadership Day 2016

On Friday Jan. 22 at 1 p.m., student-leaders gathered in Bucknall Theater for the sixth annual Leadership Day. This year’s theme was Pursuit of Happiness, and all of the day’s events surrounded the idea of finding happiness in whatever path a person decides to take.
Leadership Day, sponsored by the Office of Student Activities in conjunction with the Undergraduate Student Government Association, was planned by Shelissa Newball, the assistant director of student activities. The day included a keynote speaker and two sets of six break-out sessions that students were able to choose from.

Corey Ciocchetti, the keynote speaker, spoke to the student-leaders about doing what makes them happy rather than doing what will make them money. He recounted his own story: he majored in business and attended law school not because he was passionate about law, but because he knew that career path would provide him with the biggest paycheck. However, because he didn’t enjoy his career, he found that he was severely unhappy, and eventually quit to pursue teaching.

“You can never get enough of what you don’t need to make you happy,” Ciocchetti warned. He went on to explain that if money, looks or popularity is what defines you, then you’ll never be happy. To be happy, he said, there are three things worth chasing. These three things include: peace and contentment; solid relationships with other people; and a good moral character.

After Ciocchetti’s keynote speech, students attended break-out sessions. These sessions included “Beating the Odds and Living Your Dreams,” “Challenges To Your Passion,” and “Bringing Balance to Your Life.” The sessions tackled issues that student leaders face every day, like time management and coping in stressful situations.