Students attend leadership conference

We always say today’s children are our future leaders. Two of them just may be Oxford students.
Oxford High School freshmen Adam Rainey and Rachel Blattel spent January 4-7 at the National Young Leaders State Conference in Ypsilanti.
Sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, hundreds of students from all across Michigan attended the leadership development program.
During their 14-hour days at the conference, Rainey and Blattel, who are also good friends, participated in workshops involving seven basic leadership skill groups, such as group dynamics, appreciating diversity, conflict resolution, project planning, leadership techniques, presentation skills and responsible decision making.
During the different workshops, Blattel said the class leaders had creative ways to help them learn like creating a song about a certain topic, such as conflict resolution, or creating strong teamwork by giving them tasks to complete together.
Both Blatell and Rainey agreed that the presentation skills workshop helped lessen their fear of public speaking.
‘They gave us questions and we had to answer them in front of the class,? Rainey said. ‘They (video) taped it too so we could see what we look like.?
To help the students work on annunciation, Blatell said they had to hold a pen between their teeth and read lines without ‘messing it up.?
Both students said they would like to participate in the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. someday.
‘It was a good experience,? Rainey said.

Students attend leadership conference added by Casey Curtis on January 17, 2007
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We always say today’s children are our future leaders, and two of them just may be local Oxford students.
Nick Hadorn, an eighth-grader from Oxford Middle School, and Chase Tucker, a ninth-grader from Oxford High School, spent March 30-April 2 at the National Young Leaders State Conference in Lansing.
Sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, over 200 eighth and ninth grade students from all across Michigan attended the leadership development program.
During their 14-hour days at the conference, Hadorn and Tucker participated in seven basic leadership skills such as group dynamics, appreciating diversity, conflict resolution, project planning, leadership techniques, presentation skills and responsible decision making.
The conference taught the students to focus on their leadership strengths and weaknesses. Each was put into a group of 24 students lead by two faculty advisors.
In the appreciating diversity program, Hadorn said his group created different cultures and languages and had to observe their opinions on the group.
‘We found out that the different things that we had thought about the cultures weren’t accurate because we didn’t get to know them,? he said.
In his conflict resolution group, Tucker studied the stages of a conflict and had to act certain parts out.
Throughout the four days Hadorn and Tucker attended the conference both said they really learned how to speak out in public and work with groups better.
‘I learned a lot,? Hadorn said. ‘It’ll help me in the future because from (going to this conference) you know what you need to build on.?
Hadorn said the most exciting part of the trip was meeting new people and the debates students held on Friday night.
Tucker said losing ?90 percent? of his fear of public speaking was one of the best things to come out of the conference. ‘I never liked presentations, but now it doesn’t bother me anymore,? he said. ‘I also learned how to speak my mind more and show my opinion.?
Meeting people just like him at the conference made it more exciting for him because he thought he was the only one with a fear of public speaking.
Both students want to take part in the national and international conferences later in their education and want to join student council next year.

Students attend leadership conference added by Casey Curtis on April 19, 2006
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