2017Compass

A Journal of Leadership and Service at Birmingham-Southern College Volume XVIV Spring 2017 Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Faculty Advisor S ean M oran M ary C aroline N ewman K aty S mith During the past year, the word leadership was thrown around by numerous pundits and media personalities as the nation and world witnessed the unprecedented events of 2016. Too often people focused on the lack of leadership displayed by an individual or small group of individuals rather than on examples of successful leadership by everyday people. I saw people become swept up in a fervor that blinded them from seeing how they could be leaders and make substantial and meaningful differences in the world. Instead of seeing the similarities they shared with each other, many people just saw the differences. Whether through fear, hate, or ignorance, many people closed themselves off from seeing the world in a different light. But even with all of the negativity associated with last year, I’ve seen many other people respond with renewed enthusiasm and vigor to spark positive change. They’ve taken it upon themselves to stay informed and involved in the projects and causes they’re passionate about; to learn from others; and to develop their own leadership skills. Though there’s no telling what the future holds for us yet, I feel more confident that we will be able to weather through any storms. This year’s volume of Compass features student papers analyzing displays of leadership and service in many different aspects of life and history. Mersedes Engle explores the leadership style of the Executive Group of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women here at BSC and discovers that many of its chief problems arise from miscommunication and conflicts between member satisfaction and national evaluations. In her paper analyzing the leadership of Alpha Omicron Pi, Jordan Porter discusses its issues with identifying and enforcing officer responsibilities. Clifford Poe analyzes the leadership style used by a local bank CEO and tries to determine what strategies make him and other business leaders successful in a competitive field. After volunteering at a women’s shelter, Margaret DuVall analyzes an important exchange she had with one of the women there. In her paper about Vietnam veteran Blaise Bergiel, Kathleen Kassis recounts his service experience and efforts to improve the lives of veterans after they returned home. Finally, Mirella Dankova tells the story of Lewis Hine, a photographer who documented the miserable conditions of child labor and was critical to its eventual end in the United States. Putting together a journal like this is not easy and would be impossible to do without help and input from others. First I would like to thank Dr. Kent Andersen and all of the people in the Hess Center for their support and willingness to answer questions, give feedback, and guide us through this entire process. I want to thank the SGA and Robby Prince for their continuing finanial support of this journal and other BSC publications. I would especially like to thank Katy Smith for her tremendous work and assistance in her first year here at BSC. I also want to thank my assistant editor, Mary Caroline Newman, for her work and fresh perspective on this year’s volume. I know she will be able to make next year’s volume even better. With all of that being said, I present to you the 2017 edition of the Compass and hope you enjoy and learn from it. Editor-in-Chief, Sean Moran Class of 2017