SHPE - Fall 2007 - (Page 38) REGIONAL CONFERENCES leadership among others who also have that need can give you a renewed spark for leadership. This is what RLC provides.” REGION III ‘Your Destiny, Your Choice’ Leaders are measured by their decisions, and every decision shapes their futures as well as those of their team members. As a result, Region III’s RLDC at Kansas State University equipped 30 student leaders with practical tools and plenty of practice toward making them more confident in their decision making abilities. The program included workshops such as “Leadership vs. Management,” “Managing the Project” and “The Decision Making Process.” It also addressed career preparation, offering mock interviews and workshops on effective networking. Decision making on the finer points of the student-to-professional transition was the subject of a keynote address by Gabe Hernandez and Larry Close of Burns & McDonnell. In addition to making sure that the position matches their interests, they also advised students toward making wise decisions as to where they live, how far they commute, how much they will save or invest and how quickly they’ll pay off debt. Otherwise, a seemingly “luxurious” income can be reduced to mere peanuts. The keynote was followed by tours to the Baking Institute EE Lab, Bio-Security Research Institute, Advanced Manufacturing Institute, NanoScale Materials Inc, Jeffrey Energy Center and KSU’s Wind Tunnel. Region III leaders got plenty of practice making decisions during various teambuilding activities. Some were simply team sports such as soccer and dodgeball; others were a little 38 more extreme. During one group activity, each team had to replicate a Lego structure. The catch: only one member was allowed to see the sample structure and without touching the pieces, had to explain to the other team members how to build it. Gerardo J. Belmont, a mechanical engineering sophomore and Boise State University SHPE president, found that RLDC’s teambuilding activities made him a stronger leader because “they forced everyone to get to know each other and to actively participate through different activities.” Everyone got his or her hands “wet” during the final test. Each team designed and constructed a boat from foam board sheets and duct tape that could hold one or two passengers. Then two-by-two they raced down the length of the KSU pool. RLDC chairman Carlos Rodriquez said that the sponsors and students were impressed by the designs and how well the boats held up during the race. Some were very sturdy; others were more fragile. “In fact everyone made fun of one last-minute design because it was so flimsy and wasn’t sealed very well,” Rodriquez said, “but it won the competition. All the designs were very unique and the races were matched well, one being decided by just a tenth of a second.” During this last competition, some professionals coached the student teams, while others competed along side them. For Alejandro Gauna, a process engineer with Procter & Gamble, this year’s RLDC was his first chance to participate as a professional. When asked to identify the most valuable aspect of his participation this year, the past RLC chairman replied, “More and more I realize the importance of helping others in SHPE and the exceptional talent that soon will be entering the industry.” REGION IV ‘Leave the Ordinary Behind’ Although she initially feared that students from colder parts of the region would take one look at the beach and forego 6 a.m. wake up calls and a challenging RLDC curriculum, chairwoman Gretchen Molina described the 138 student participants as eager to be fully immersed in the process. In fact, at the end of its second visit to the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, RLDC left participants wishing for more time to absorb the intense leadership and team training. For student leaders, RLDC held its traditional format of planning a calendar of events, soliciting corporate funding and preparing an End of Year Report – all in a weekend’s time. This year instead of producing a 50-page report, each team gave an oral presentation allowing the students more time to interact as a team. In addition to the presentation and teamwork, each team had to roll the HardSHPE dice and solve problems commonly faced by chapters. For example, if the team were presented with the situation in which its treasurer was caught stealing money, its funds were reduced and the individual was displaced onto another team. In addition to serving as mentors for student projects, Region IV professionals included in RLDC 2007 had the opportunity to network and attend specially prepared workshops. Local members also built enthusiasm to reactivate the SHPE professional chapter on the island. Another RLDC first was the participation of 25 local high school students. Their workshop track included information on applying to college and seeking scholarships and financial aid. A bridge-building competition gave students a rudimentary introduction to engineering and the satisfaction of working with a team to see a project from design through completion. Teamwork was what distinguished RLDC for first time participant Fernando Ramirez, an electrical engineering sophomore and SHPE historian at the University of Maryland. “I learned a lot about myself and the dynamics of working with a group during this process,” he said. “This conference made me realize that I can be a good officer/leader and that I can be part of a successful SHPE chapter if I and the rest of the team put in the time and effort.” Alejandro Guzman, an electrical engineering and computer science junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also enjoyed the Region IV leaders simulated a year’s worth of chapter activity during RLDC in Puerto Rico. This included soliciting company representatives for funding. SHPE R Fall 2007
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