Arkansas State kicks off LeadStrong

ETA GAMMA (Arkansas State) — On Feburary 1, the Alpha Tau Omega Chapter at Arkansas State began their leadership development series known as Leadstrong. Sessions hosted by speakers such as local KAIT anchor Kristina Hamilton, and ASU coatch Gus Malzahan will take place over the next seven weeks.

In an article by The ASU Herald:

“Of all the things I’m involved in this semester, this is what I’m most excited about,” said ATO President Eric Fiszer, Arkansas State ’10, when presenting LeadStrong to the SGA during its last meeting.

Fiszer, a junior political science major from Brookland, said the weekly event is a great opportunity for anyone to develop their leadership skills and walk alongside others on campus who are wanting to grow as leaders.

ASU and ATO alumnus Ben Gallant, Arkansas State ’09, started the program last semester for ATO, to give its men the opportunity to learn from leaders in the community.

“[Ben] realized it would be great to open it up for anybody that wanted to come,” Fiszer said. “Next thing you know, we had some of the football players dropping by, we had some police officers come to it, and an assortment of other people from campus and the community.”

Huckaby spoke at the first event of the semester last night, kicking off what the organization’s website calls “Seven weeks of dynamic leaders.” He talked about what leadership is and why it’s important.

Fiszer said he hopes LeadStrong will be a place that students can come to not only have fun and learn new leadership skills, but bring those things back to their respective organizations throughout campus.

“It has potential to be not only a place where people can make friends and learn leadership skills, but also have potential to be an organization that can unify people for other goals like philanthropy,” Fiszer said.

The men of ATO will be setting up a table every week at the event, where people who attend will have the opportunity to donate to a philanthropy as they arrive. “In return for that we will pass out stuff like LeadStrong wristbands and pens,” Fiszer said.

The LeadStrong logo closely resembles that of Lance Armstrong’s Live Strong foundation, which the organization’s website says is not by coincidence. ATO will be donating any money raised through this event to the Live Strong Lance Armstrong foundation.

LeadStrong will take place every Wednesday until March 14 at 8:30 p.m. in the Cache River Room on the third floor of the Student Union.

Other speakers not previously mentioned include congressman Rick Crawford, Central Baptist pastor Archie Mason and Jonesboro police chief Michael Yates.

For more information on the event visit leadstrong.net.