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Pen Point--A Skill Like Many Others Leadership Can Be Learned
It felt like any other morning to me — until the phone rang. Duke Bland, chairman of the school board, was on the other end of the line.
I had never heard him so excited. "I'm on the National Mall," he exclaimed. "There are people everywhere."
Listening to the school board chairman's excitement at reaching his destination, I became excited, too. I began looking forward to my visit to Fauquier High School to watch Obama's inauguration and speech on the school auditorium's big screen.
I arrived at the school moments before classes were released to watch the historical event. I sat on the back row of the 1200-seat auditorium and watched the first group of students file very quietly into the room.
As more students entered, they became slightly more animated, but there was still an air of decorum. It was a day of respect , a day of unity.
As the lights dimmed and Obama appeared onscreen, the students cheered and clapped. I was prepared for the students' reaction, but not my own.
I started to choke up; my eyes began filling with tears. All of a sudden, the historical significance hit me like a ton of bricks.
When Obama spoke of "who we are and how far we traveled," years of personal experiences quickly confronted me. I thought of my youth in the South where public signs were posted everywhere distinguishing restrooms, water fountains, restaurants, and bus seats between races.
I thought of all of the sit-ins of the 60s for recognizing civil rights and not recognizing the Viet Nam war.
As I looked at the student body now sitting before me, it struck me how little they understood Obama's references to "who we are" and "how far we've traveled."
But at the same time, as I listened to his speech, I felt a hope I didn't know I was missing; I felt inspiration I didn't know I needed. And I found that even the young people around me felt the same way.
"It was really inspiring, really uplifting," senior Kenna Day said, after the viewing. "It gives me a lot of hope for the future."
Tre Paige, a freshman, said of Obama, "He spoke some true words. A lot of people believe in him. I think he can make a difference."
As I left Fauquier High, I reflected on what the students had said. There are some people who can and do make a difference in our society, and often become our leaders.
But can we teach our young people to become leaders? John F. Kennedy seemed to believe so when he said, "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
Just a few days before seeing the Inauguration at the high school, I had visited Highland School, where headmaster Hank Berg and a team of four teachers have initiated a "multifaceted" Leadership Development Program for its seniors.
Part of the program requires a practical application of leadership styles, skills and ethics.
"The practicum is a true [leadership] experience...not just talking abut doing something, but actually executing it," Berg said.
Some students considered community-wide projects, such as publicizing the Farmer's Market, while others looked outside the county's boundaries for a mission-oriented trip.
Two seniors, Megan Cassidy and Candace Pearson, decided to look closer to home. They planned a school unity day on Jan. 9 for the entire school, both students and staff.
Cassidy came up with the idea to offer a variety of games to the student body, mixing up the players from all grade levels K-12. As Highland is divided into lower, middle and upper schools, all of the students rarely have a chance to interact.
"I was onboard for the idea," said Pearson. "It was like a different school. It was cool to see who is in one larger school community.
"We had the opportunity to interact in a low-key way, very casual, and it made it more fun."
"Here's two seniors," said Berg, "who became responsible for the time of 600 people."
Not only did they have to choose or create games, the young women had to mix age groups and schedule the events.
"I actually didn't think it was going to be constructive, but as it developed, I saw how much it meant to the smaller kids [to interact with the older students]," Pearson said. "It was important."
But the student players were not the only ones who benefited from unity day. Cassidy reflected on her own experience,
"It's the first big thing I've actually accomplished. The day actually happened and everything went smoothly.
"If you work hard, you can do good things."
It is certainly a leadership lesson Obama has learned. Let's pass it on.
E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.
Felts covers education for the Times-Democrat. She also writes an occasional column titled "Next Question."
Newspaper reporters ask questions. We often get asked questions, too.
The Times-Democrat newsroom gets letters, e-mails and phone calls all the time from readers who are looking for help in solving a problem with government, the school system, business, even their neighbors.
And that is the basis for "Next Question," an occasional feature that sets out to investigate some of these complaints and attempt to mediate selected disputes between our readers and the county's businesses, organizations and institutions.
If you are having problems that might be appropriate for "Next Question," contact Alice Felts at (540) 347-4222 or by e-mail at afelts@timespapers.com.
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