Leaderstang is an annual on-campus conference held for students involved in Stevenson clubs and organizations. This year’s theme, “Power of The People,” was held on Sept. 16 and 17 in Rockland Banquet Room.

The conference was sponsored by the National Residency Hall Honorary (NRHH), and the Office of Student Activities. The goal of Leaderstang is to better prepare students to help run an on-campus program, and learn to take action and be leaders in their everyday lives.

Leaderstang is one of the largest events at the university, designed specifically for students in leadership positions.

The two-day event included keynote speeches by Stevenson’s president, Dr. Kevin Manning, and alumni Colin Lyman. In addition to speakers, students had the opportunity to participate in several breakout leadership sessions. Some of the featured sessions included Self-Advocacy, Event Planning, Club Financing, Being a Lagniappe and many more.

“Power of the People” was organized off of previous years feedback in an effort to the make sessions more efficient and beneficial to the students. The idea of student service learning, and its importance within leadership, was also incorporated.

Daniel Schwartz, the assistant director of student activities, said the theme “Power of the People” was selected by students in NRHH, and was based upon the topics students wanted to discuss.

Schwartz added that this was a topic extremely relevant to the United States with its upcoming election, making it a subject to which all students could relate.

“It was exciting to see student leaders actively involved by leading sessions to inspire their peers,“ said Caroline Izzi, a junior NRHH member.

Students not only had the chance to improve their leadership skills, but also had the opportunity to network with other student leaders and participate in team-building activities.