Student newspaper of the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1928 Sophomore Leadership Retreat empowers, motivates students Khaleela Zaman DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Last year, when I was a freshman student, I would always hear about how the Sophomore Leadership Retreat is so awesome. “You cannot miss it!” people would say to me. However, it always seemed like these people would stop the conversation at that, not telling me why I should not miss the event. Only now that I am a sophomore and have attended the retreat this past weekend have I realized why this event is so important for Illinois Tech stu- dents. The Sophomore Leadership Retreat is sponsored by the Leadership Academy here at IIT, and there were two weekend sessions just before classes started. The sophomores and Leadership Academy scholars stayed at Pretty Lake Camp in Michigan for only about 48 hours, but many life-changing activities oc- curred within that limited amount of time, and it was completely free to attend! The setting at Pretty Lake, surrounded by tall trees breaking into sand and meeting the cool, refreshing wa- ter, was very serene and calming. This made it the perfect place to hold the leadership retreat. When we first got off the bus in Pret- ty Lake, I had no idea what to expect, I was just going with the flow. However, I was nervous about one thing: the Comfort Circle. What was this weird-sounding thing? It sounded so strange as I kept reading it off our first night’s schedule. The same night, I learned that I nev- er should have felt nervous; I should have kept an open mind, because the activity ended up being not nearly as uncomfortable as it sound- ed. Each hour of those 48 was spent to its full potential. Our schedules were packed with physical activities done as a team: kayak- ing, boat building, high ropes, climbing walls, and more. Plus, we were able to bond dur- ing meals, around the campfire, and some of us even played amateur soccer games in our spare time. It was not purely a situation where students had to always stay in their prescribed teams--we also had free time to use as we pleased and got to spend it with whomever we wanted. ,' puttin" myself out there and trusting my team members as well as them depending on me, I learned so much about how to be a better leader. The two Leader— ship Academy scholars who led my team were amazing role models; I never before realized the incredible power of encouraging words and simple phrases like “Trust me,” “Look at me,” and “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” To this moment, I still cannot believe how much the fact that I could trust my teammates truly en- abled me to keep going and overcome the chal— lenges we faced. So, just why is the Sophomore Lead— ership Retreat so awesome? IfI had to con- dense the answer into one phrase, it would have to be because while you are there having fun and meeting new people, you are also gath- ering leadership skills and pushing yourself beyond what you had previously thought were your limits. This retreat has also helped me re- flect on myself a lot, which, before the retreat, I did not often do, and realize what really makes a great leader: planning, communication, trust, and a willingness to work outside your comfort circle, just to name a few. I cannot wait to implement what I’ve learned during the Sophomore Leadership Retreat into the real world. Thank you, Leadership Academy, for this awesome experience! Photos by Anoopa Sundararajan technewsiit.com OPINION CAMPUS 3-4 AErE 5 SLIPSTICK 6 SPORTS 7 MSI-Irfintemship Wm provides growth, opportunity toeducate others ' Kori Bowns , sorrows-CHIEF The Museum of Science and Industry (M81) is the largest science museum ' in the western hemisphere, holding over 35 thousand artifacts and nearly 14 acres of interactive exhibits and experiences The museums home is the {0‘ mar Palace of ‘ Fine Arts building from. tii 91893 WorIds demonstrations to museum guests on a daily basis. In total. the students. teamed six Interns worked aiongSide a team ' of eight-other year~round facilitators at the museum, including two lead interns, students who have already worked as summer interns ' the museum and take on a leadership role as-thé-y help the neiv interns 1mm demonstrationsand improve communication skillsfihe year-round facilitators assisted the HT interns byzobserving their demonstrations and offering constructive criticism: and feedback in regard to content, style, and delivery _ In order. to become eligible for the internship, students must first apply to volunteer at the museum over the course of the Fall or Spring semester during the academic year During the Semester, these students learnto present three interactive and hands- -on demonstrations to museum guests Volunteers work alongside lead interns to receive coaching and support as they learn more about preseming to difi'erent audiences and speaking in public. Demonstrations done by volunteers cover topics mcludmg sound electricrty, and Newtons Laws. Twelve volunteers are accepted to the program each semester Upon completion of- 20 total volunteer hours in a semester, the volunteers quaii‘fy to apply for one of the eight paid summeriiitei’nship positions, where they learn larger programs an ork full- time Demonstratio’ facilitated by summer interns include topics from across all reaims of seience, from astronomy to biology.