..sEntimEnt Of a studEnt vAnGuaRd LeaDer..part 1..

..First Leaders and Student Organizations Summit..

..iamaleader.iamacarolinian..

"Striving for excellence is an act of faith.
God is not honored nor glorified with mediocrity."

Day 1

I can only but begin to tackle the enormous task of defining in words the kind of feeling that is coursing through my veins, as I made my way home fresh from the conclusion of the First Leaders and Student Organizations Summit brought to us by the University of San Carlos-Supreme Student Council. For I find the feeling definitely out of the context of definable literature, except in the strictest sense that it is the medium by which such emotions are communicated. Having said such, I try as I might to put it in tangible and readable terms not only to create an accurate representation of the sentiment that I keep, but also to create a existing written manifestation for the events that had passed and my existence and disposition to such events and situations. This is not only dedicated for me and my fading memory, but it is also in memory of all the inspirational speakers, exceptional officers, and the first batch participants, who in one way or another share a similar if not the same sentiment and emotion with regards to the event and how that event has molded deep within us the identity of the kind of leaders and the indivisible bond we keep that are the products of such an event.

T'is dedicated to all who became;
my constructive instrument of change,
my new-found acquaintances of a lifetime,
and my genuine inspiration for transformation.

Initially, in its gathering of participants time-frame, the event had little significance and minimal influence over me. I was only but another busy officer tending to the multitude of my responsibilities as I was, and had not given attention to the kind of 'leader' I was nor importance to my growth as such. Or I may have paid little attention, but in the end I was not willed to better understand and identify as to what the event was all about and all other details concerned with it. It even reached a point when I was totally passive and negligent of whatever details and information was disseminated about the event to a point that the idea of the event starts to fade and becomes vague in my perception. I really came that much as close to not being there, and writing about an experience that I would have exchanged for nothing else. It took a blessing in the from of my colleagues and friends for me to have just brushed that thin line between being one of us, and someone totally unaware of our existence, and in doing so has inculcated me as to how blessed and beloved I am to have been there.

I could actually imagine what I would have been doing had I not joined,
but now that I did, I couldn't see myself doing anything else then.

..my C.L.S.O.S. Kit/ Memorabilia..

Simply defining and looking at leadership and the pillars and person that personify such from a distance is genuinely different than living with and within the confines and realms of leadership manifested in yourself and the people around you. And amidst the presence of such discrete and diverse set of individuals that have their very own definition and principles of leadership, one can truly realize and look at one's own and begin to juxtapose it with others, and in so doing creates a network of ideas and principles that became the atmosphere of the first ever Carolinian Leaders and Student Organizations Summit 2008. Individuals coming from different student organizations and groups with their own beliefs and niches towards leadership acquainting with each other, creating a vague but clearing picture of what was to come, one that I myself was naively unknowing and totally unprepared for. The journey of the summit was an adventure, one that is heart-kept in memories.

An adventure worth blogging and sharing about.

Though I actually wanted to beautify much of the events using false pretenses and desperate attempts at poetry, I came to realize that the events past are in themselves beautiful and self-transforming. Ok, maybe coming early and asking the teacher where the Buchcik Hall was, and having mispronounced it very well, isn't such a beautiful event but nonetheless it made me learn a few things. Like for one, I don't really know much about the geography of the south campus, nor the proper diction as to which such of its buildings are to be said. And another, that it is never a crime nor a shame to ask someone something you have totally no idea of, because in the end that's most likely the way you're going to find out. I'm just really lucky to have been there early, as I had already predicted getting lost and wandering around looking for a building I never expected would be where it was. But I found it and made my way to the Buchcik Hall, still don't know how to pronounce it.

I actually pronounced it as Boo-chi-kik
that made the teacher I was asking laugh.

The arriving, registering, by-standing, and waiting for the others was for me an opportunity and a way to get to 'preview' a preview of whatever or whoever the people I'm going to be with in this two-day summit. Though we were actually fewer than I had thought or expected, most of the participants arrived just in time as the first activity would start. And an icebreaker it was as we got to enjoy the joys and pains of following funny and whatever it was we were told to do not only for the sake of breaking the ice, but having a good time that paved way for a good start of the activity. Another plus was the Human Bingo game that we played, although I couldn't imagine how we could have done it if we were more than the number of participants already there. It was great getting to thicken your face a little asking others if they knew how to sun dance or ate kwek-kwek or has two cellphones or the one I signed most for, knows an Erap joke, which became my summit social introduction.

Well, it wasn't the most funny of all Erap jokes
but I'm sure it was one of the corniest,
considering that I said it.

Talk 1 was about 'Leadership Bare Essentials', which was a timely and well-placed topic in the set of different topics to be discussed and experienced throughout the summit. Defining Leadership and all the large and small-scale details about and within it paints the backdrop to which our ideas and principles towards leadership are to be placed in for refining and transforming. With it was also our first group activity, where we got to merge with the others in groups and discuss about our ideal leader, and for our group as I am proud to say and announce it, was Jesus Christ. A transcending embodiment and everlasting depictment of what leadership is and the legacy by which such leadership is made known by mind and most importantly be heart. Followed by Talk 2 the '18 challenges of Leadership' which bleached and stained our leadership portrait with the realizties and facts of the anomalies and circumstances that face us in painting our very own art of leadership.

Leadership is the ability to influence other people to be better toward the attainment of goals.
The right to lead is not gained by election or appointment, by age, title, rank, nor position;
but contrary to popular belief, the true and genuine right to lead can only be earned.

After Talk 1 and 2, I had my very first experience of a 'coffee break', even though I actually didn't drink any coffee but instead munched my way into pure milo goodness. Which actually got me into the limelight for a while when the organizer of the event took my picture while I was biting away at a closed pack of milo, as I while show later. I couldn't have been more prepared for Talk 3, having my bladder empty and my stomach full that is. Talk 3 was for me the best talk of them all, considering that it took a fully written page to sum up everything that I learned, realized, and instilled in me throughout the talk. It was about 'Creating Your Own Brand of Leadership' with my new-found idol Mrs. Sol, and it became to me a turning point towards my outlook of leaderhsip and my own brand of it. I could have stayed there for forever and listened away at her talk, because not only was it transformative and inspirational, it was witty and timely which for me was perfect.

Always remember; To whom much is given, much is expected in return.
Never forget; There is nothing worthwhile in life that comes easy.

Having slept my way through lunch, I still longed for another lesson at Branding 101, which was Mrs. Sol's way of defining her talk. I still wanted to hear more from her, to be inspired, to be changed. It was a great talk, but it is true that many great things come to an end. Furthermore, they come to an end in order to pave way for a new beginning, and that beginning was for our Talk 4 which was all about 'Win-Win Solutions'. A radically new way of looking and creating solutions for problems facing us day to day. With all those acronyms to guide us, we will eventually be able to use and live with the win-win idea in our living. Then we had our case study which brought our color coded grouping together, thus giving birth to the group 'In the Flesh'. After a barrage of discussions and planning we had our case-study presentation that was both enriching and fun as we had a great time presenting and watching. Then we had our Day 1 pictorials which brought the day to a wonderful close.

You can't be everything to everyone;

..in the Flesh Group..

But you can become your thoughts,

..Day 1 participants group pictorials..

and you can become your friends.