APIA College Leadership Training
By JOE NGUYEN, staff writer
April 5, 2004

This past weekend, the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and State Farm held their annual APIA student leadership training program at the DU campus. College students from across Utah and Colorado were in attendance to develop their leadership and organizational skills.

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The program started at 8:30 AM on the gloomy Saturday morning. Students were placed in exercises to learn about one other and more importantly themselves. One activity involved the subject of privilege where the students either moved forward or backwards depending on whether or not the question pertained to them. Surprisingly, I found myself toward the back of the room, even though I thought I grew up with privilege myself. It was a real eye-opener to see where everyone stood.

After lunch, the topic matter shifted gears toward leadership. One activity that stood out in my mind was the pros and cons of various leadership styles. The students went off to the style that resembled them most and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of their traits. It was a significant activity as it opened our eyes to seeing how we should deal with the other various styles. Often times, internal problems occur in groups when the members don’t understand where the others are coming from.

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After dinner, a small showcase of talent was performed by each one of the students to end the day. They ranged everywhere from dances to skits to songs. One of the more memorable pieces was a recital of the Hawaiian Pidgin language performed by Chris Kobayashi. The Hawaiian Pidgin language was derived primarily from English and Hawaiian with bits and parts from the languages of other ethnic groups in Hawaii. It was initially created to form a common language for the people who lived there on the sugar plantations.

On Sunday morning, the program continued on with the topic geared more specifically on how the students can apply what they have learned to their various clubs and organizations. Everyone split up into groups and was given a case study to simulate an actual situation. At the end of the conference, everyone came out with a better knowledge of leadership to bring back to their respective clubs as well as new friends.

What is APIA U: LEADERSHIP 101? The interactive college leadership training program will involve hands-on exercises, small group discussions, and presentations led by two qualified APIA facilitators. The 1.5 day training will assemble 60 students from each region to focus on self-awareness, team-building, and direct action organizing. Participants will be asked to challenge themselves, share their experiences, and develop leadership tools in order to effectively serve as catalysts for change.

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