Loyola hosts Take Back the Night Event

Last night I had the opportunity to spend an hour or so with a group of Loyola students, staff and friends to listen to several stories from survives of sexual and partner violence.  I was a really moving evening and I wanted to pass along a link to you all so you can find out more about this powerful program.

Here is a link to the website run by the Take Back The Night Organization -

http://takebackthenight.org/stories/

If you are a survivor you are not alone.

If you are a supporter keep helping as much as you can.

Loyola Greyhounds Leadership Academy - email to members

The semester has finally come to an end.  You have finished up your finals and now you have some time to take a step back and reflect.

I spent a little time that last couple days thinking about the Loyola Greyhounds Leadership Academy.  What are we trying to accomplish with the leadership academy and how are we doing?  I don’t have all the answers but I do know that each member of the academy brings something unique to the table.  We are all given the tools to grow our leadership skills.  I enjoy getting to work with you all and hope we can continue to build the program.

One area that I want to focus on is helping Leadership Academy members grow from being a Leader By Example to a Vocal Leader. Many young leaders have no problem leading by example. If fact, for many people it just comes natural, it is part of your DNA.

But what about that next step? Sometimes young leaders are a little nervous to step up and be the enforcer on the team, to be the person who vocally encourages and sometimes challenges teammates. Often times, especially in team sports, the junior and seniors on the team fill the role of Vocal Leader.  They not only enforce the rules and keep the team on track but they by their use of encouragement have helped build a stronger team.  There is often a learning curve to move from Leader By Example to Vocal Leader.

The leadership model that Jeff Janssen presents shows that the core of leadership is having the commitment, confidence, composure and character needed to be a guiding light to your team.  You are not telling (or yelling) the way, but rather showing them the way. You have heard coaches talk about doing things a certain way (maybe call it the Greyhound Way!)

The move from being the hard-working and diligent Leader By Example to the Vocal Leader takes time to develop and can seem daunting at times.  So what the Leadership Academy is doing is giving you the tools, the background and support to develop your Vocal Leadership skills.

Talk to your coach and get some feedback on what your coach is looking for from you as a Vocal Leader.  It might just be the role of Encourager.  Giving your teammate some praise after a great practice.  Giving a little pep talk on the side to a teammate that is struggling.  If you need some practice, watch this great pep talk by Kid President - http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o.  Pass this video along!

So your first assignment as a Vocal Leader is to talk to your coach, get some feedback and then start using your leadership to build your team up. 

A team ebbs and flows during the season. What can you do to keep the team afloat and racing towards success?

Have a great break and I look forward to seeing you in January.

Just a reminder the next session of the Loyola Greyhounds Leadership Academy is Sunday January 25 in the afternoon.

Oh – and since we are talking about

Best wishes,

Dave Gerrity

Associate Athletic Director

PS – Kid President mentioned Robert Frost so I thought I would throw this in –

The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is an email I sent to our leadership academy today....

Campus is really quiet today.  It is raining and slowly I can see the snow starting to mix in.  I hope all of you that are travelling over the thanksgiving break are safe and are or will be with the ones you loves soon.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year.  I enjoy seeing old friends and spending some quality time with family.  I hope you get a chance to express your thanks and gratitude to the people you have received so many blessings from during the year.  I want to thank you all for the work you are doing within the Loyola Greyhounds Leadership Academy.  I have two things I wanted to share with you all.

I wanted to gather as a group and enjoy a nice meal and have a chance to talk about being a leader and what we have learned during our time together.  I will send an invitation so please RSVP to that invite.  It should be a nice get together.

The other item I wanted to share was the Campus Ministry #Gratitude campaign.  If you get a chance send a tweet out to to recognize those who you are thankful for—and as the staff from Campus Ministry said - to use the month of November as an opportunity to "bring a little joy and delight to the ones who have meant so much to us." If you did not see the video  click here to check it out -  video from Felisa Velasco, '15, and Paul Lozowicki, '16.  After you share who you are thankful for, Campus Ministry encourages you to invite someone else to share his or her person of #Gratitude.  Use the hashtag and @LoyolaCampusMin.

And what would one of my emails be without a poem, I think this is perfect for gratitude and thanksgiving.… Enjoy your weekend…

Prayer for the Great Family

by Gary Snyder

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day—
        and to her soil: rich, rare and sweet
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing, light-changing leaf
        and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind
        and rain; their dance is in the flowering spiral grain
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and silent
        Owl at dawn. Breath of our song
        clear spirit breeze
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,
        freedoms, and ways; who share with us their milk;
        self-complete, brave and aware
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers;
        holding or releasing; streaming through all
        our bodies salty seas
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through
        trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where
        bears and snakes sleep— he who wakes us—
                            in our minds so be it.

Gratitude to the Great Sky
        who holds billions of stars— and goes yet beyond that—
        beyond all powers, and thoughts
        and yet is within us—
        Grandfather Space.
        The Mind is his Wife.
                            so be it.

                                                        after a Mohawk prayer

Gary Snyder, Turtle Island
New Directions, New York, 1974, pp. 24-25

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Dave