By Michael Harman
Elm Staff Writer
Our world is filled with different types of people. There are those who want to help others, those who want to fulfill their duty to society, even those who search for a better tomorrow. Out of all of these people, many believe they are meant to do great things in life. In order to achieve certain greatness, one has to have a little something extra, that tiny edge over the rest, a quality only fit for those who work for it: leadership.
At the 75th Omicron Delta Kappa induction ceremony on March 5, Washington College recognized the campus’ top student leaders. This honor society is a group based on the importance of leadership and the qualities that it brings out in a person. Established in 1914 by a group of students at Washington and Lee University, ODK and its founders “wanted to bring together individuals who look for the general good of the institution and are leaders in the various phases of college activities,” said senior Molly Leach, vice-president of ODK.
The Alpha Psi circle of ODK reached WC in 1937. According to Dr. Donald Munson, faculty advisor of ODK and biology professor, inductees represent “an honest moral conscience, are fair, and are never afraid to change, think, and evaluate.”
The ceremony inducted 11 new members and welcomed speeches from Dr. Munson, WC President Mitchell Reiss, senior and President of ODK Eshan Patel, and WC Chief of Staff Joseph Holt.
The evening began with a heart-warming yet comedic speech by Dr. Munson. He has shown time and again his dedication to ODK and said that, of all of his honors, it is his ODK membership certificate that is displayed in his office. It is easy to see how much he prides himself on being a part of ODK, a quality which he hopes will become instilled in the lives of all of the members here at WC.
Toward the end of the ceremony, the crowd was left with a few words from Holt. He described three instances where leadership had made its way into the lives of individuals who attended WC and then continued on to do great things. His stories were given with the intent to inspire the students sitting before him to take their lives as far as they can, achieving everything they ever imagined. In short, he showed how great futures start with humble beginnings and how “life, necessarily, is not fair, but you can be.”
Being a leader propels individuals far in life. It is not something that demands a larger context in which it can be made useful.
“I really believe that leadership skills are really important in everyday activities,” said Leach. “You never know when you might be thrown into a situation in which you have to take charge.”
Students at WC have surely proven themselves strong leaders both in and out of the classroom.