University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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LEADERSHIP. Above, Leslie Adler finds her way up the three- story climbing wall during an excursion of the Leadership Certificate Program. The object of the climb was for stu- dents to learn to over- come their fears and to try new things. Right, Cristie Pecoraro and Mark Trowbridge teach an Emerging Leaders dass. FEATURE829

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EILEau CUKIEII The Leadership Certificate Program was designed to help students develop awareness and understanding of themselves and others With- in their leadership roles, learn and practice essential skills for effective communication and applied decision making as well as exploring var- ious dimensions of group leadership from individual and team per- specdve. The Classes offered, Emerging Leaders and Leaders Leading Leaders, meet two times a week and are taught by both students and administrators. Issues discussed include women in leadership, men in leadership, marketing skills, ethics and reflections on leadership by graduating seniors. 11 learned a lot about teamwork and working With others in order to overcome Obstacles? said sophomore Leslie Adler Who participated in the Leadership Certificate Program during her freshman year. Students may be nominated by faculty, administrators and other students to participate in the ten-week program. Students are also encouraged to apply themselves. ttAnyone Wishing to participate in the program can be in 1th said Cynthia Nolan Patey, Director of Orientation and Leadership programs. ttWe make a special effort to reach out to new students Who bring leadership experience in With them, as opposed to people WhO are already leaders on campus? said Patey. ttthey bring With them enthu- siasm, excitement and Vision that people WhO are already leaders sometimes lose? In the fall semester, four Emerging Leaders sections ran With 15-21 people each. The Leaders Leading Leaders Class had 12 people and was taught by Patey, Mike Gage, Residence Coordinator for Pearson Residential College and senior Adele Tanelus. ttAfter the Emerging Leaders Classes, students come out With basic leadership skills and knowledge of how to use those skills. They have many resources available to them. Most importantly, they come out With the opportunity to learn from peers about leadership experi- ences? said Patey. photos by Debbie Posner 28 FEATURES

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EilEBll Bukier As a resident assistant, Karla McPherson must not only be concerned With her own life in Mahoney Residential College, but also With those of thirty resi- dents on the singles Wing of the second floor. A second year student, McPherson decided that being an R.A. was something that she wanted to do because she felt she had the right skills to fill the position. If you asked McPherson how she can handle all of the demands of being a resident assistant, her response would be, tiit's all a matter of time man- agement. Being an R.A., you learn how to do everything in an organized manner? ttAs a resident assistant, you are given things that have to be done, but you have the flexibility to decide When you are going to do these thingsj, said McPherson. Aside from being a resident assistant, McPherson is also an architecture major. Although her major demands a lot of her time, this arrangement actually works out to her advantage. tWhen I'm on duty, I'm one of three or four R.A.s on call from 5 p.m. to 8 am. I can get a duty call any time during those hours, so my room becomes my studio. On those nights, I tend to sit at my desk doing sketches for my architecture Classes. It all works out very wellf she said. 30 FEATURES photo by Debbie Posner But McPherson doesn't do everything by herself. There are nineteen resident assistants in Mahoney, Who, along With the resident masters, residence coordinator, and programming assistant, work together to plan pro- grams and other special events for nearly 700 residents. iiWe work together on program teams and substaffs so that we can plan more events for the residents? she said. McPherson : says that work- ,3 ing on a team :5 With the other ' staff members has given her ideas for her own programs, as well as taught her intera personal skills. llOne of the most important things I have : learned is that you have to : respect other : people's cul- 3 tures, Where a they're from, and their mind- setsj, McPherson said. llEven if you personally don't agree With someone else, you have to have respect their beliefs? It is her goal to make all her residents understand this. She feels that if everyone can respect each other, then living together Will be a pleasant experience. tThere are a lot of people Who come to school with preconceived ideas about certain types of people. This is a large problem and can lead to conflict, WhiCh is something that we try to avoid? she said. Something that McPherson says she cannot avoid is her daily nap. Between Classes and her duties as a resi- dent assistant, she needs to have some time to herself. iiI have to nap everyday. It doesn't matter how long or short, I always know, I'm going to sleepj, she said.