- THE CAPITAL TIMES Thursday, October 2, 1997
Police Services releases sketch
of suspected purse thief
Journalism Students
Enter Work Force
Employers ask, how about experience?
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Leadership Workshop fosters
coordination, cooperation
By Stephanie L. Kardohely
Capital Times Staff
It's not every day you get to hear
Dr. Bruhn sing, but Dr. Bruhn along
with a talented group of students
performed their own unique rendi
tion of "Old McDonald Had a
Farm" for fellow participants in
the Leadership '97 Mini Work
shop held in the CUB on Saturday,
September 20th.
This workshop was designed to
foster team building skills in Penn
State Students. It was also the first
activity co-planned and attended
by representatives from both the
Schuylkill and Harrisburg Campus
locations. Janet Widoff, Student
Activities Coordinator for the Har
risburg Campus noted that the
Workshop was planned through
meetings at both campus locations.
The theme of this fall's work
shop was Together Each Achieves
More or TEAM. Ali Rhodes, As
sistant to the Director of Student
Affairs at the Schuylkill Campus
said, "Students were happy about
coming to see the [Harrisburg] cam
pus. A team, that's what we're
really trying to create between the
campuses."
Workshop participants were en
couraged to find and get to know
their counterparts from clubs and
organizations on the opposite cam
pus.
Karl Martz, Coordinator of Ca
reer Services at Penn State Harris
burg explains why the concept of
team building is important to stu
dents.
"Team building, team
skills...these are skills you can
learn and take with you when you
leave. Every employer is looking
Campus construction,
headaches begin with
October groundbreaking
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for team players," says Martz.
Workshop facilitator Maryann
Leidigh would second that state
ment. In addition to working as
Adjunct Instructor in Behavioral
Sciences and Education, Leidigh
does consulting for area businesses
where she addresses topics ranging
from stress management to super
visory skills to team building.
"Companies need people who
know team skills rather than just
paying them lip service." asserts
Leidigh.
Leidigh gave participants four
goals for the workshop: to have
fun, to be open to sharing ideas, to
network with other participants,
and to take one new idea away
from the workshop and apply it to
something in their lives.
Penn State Harrisburg student
Lisa Coley, a junior accounting
major will have a chance to take
the skills she learned back to her
clubs and organizations. A mem
ber of IMASC (International Man
agement Accounts Student Chap
ter), CCF (Capitol Christian Fel
lowship), and BSU (Black Student
Union), Coley says she has "learned
the importance of getting to know
what the members of a group are
about and how to play on their
strengths; and strategies to get per
sons who are not interested in par
ticipating in a group to become
involved."
From ice breakers to working to
gether to solve puzzles, partici
pants had a chance to experience
the dynamics of working in small
groups and learning to recognize
the unique strengths each person
can contribute.
Unfortunately, not all groups of
people work well together. In many
groups conflicts and misunder
standings overshadow any achieve
ment. "It is important to realize
not everyone in a group shares the
same goal. You may be there to get
an 'A' and someone else may not
care." says Leidigh. Leidigh and
conference participants discussed
ways of establishing concrete group
goals and communicating inten
tions and expectations to increase
group participation and effective
ness.
At the end of the day Leidigh
proved that teamwork can, above
all, be fun. Groups were given cups,
crayons, scissors and paper towel
rolls and asked to brainstorm in
small groups about what they could
create. From elevated highways to
playgrounds and the performance
of "Old McDonald" with voice
and cardboard instruments, each
group exhibited it's unique poten
tial.
"This is my favorite activity."
says Leidigh. "Too often we set
rigid rules for ourselves, but here,
given the same circumstances, the
same materials, they took ideas
and ran with them." Because par
ticipants were given a chance to
get to know group members during
the course of the workshop, they
were comfortable brainstorming
any number of ideas.
"Everyone came up with a vari
ety of ideas. Teamwork is out there
now and here to stay," says Leidigh.
Leadership Workshop '9B is
planned for February 7th. Con
tinuing the theme of team build
ing, community, government, and
business leaders will be invited to
speak to students about teamwork
in their careers.