The Times-Delphic

Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Tyler O'Neil Keynote - Will Kiem addresses students at the Donald V. Adams Leadership Academy Spring Leadership Conference. He motivated students to make positive changes, unite and be all-accepting. A diverse group of students attended the event to gain valuable leadership experience and advice.

Using hope and peace as the cornerstones of his presentation, internationally recognized inspirational speaker Dr. Will Keim challenged the attendees of the eighth annual Don Adams Spring Leadership Seminar last Saturday to make the differences they want to see.

"The only people in Iowa that no longer have any problems live in the same place: the cemetery," Keim said to the assembled group of 226 resident assistants, Adams Academy participants, Greek community members and other Drake student leaders.

"You cannot wait for Washington to fix your problems here at Drake. You need to start now by being nice to each other," Keims said.

In Keim's keynote address and subsequent breakout sessions, he stressed the importance of helping others and being able to accept the help of others.

He also spoke later in the day for a Greek-specific session. In his work, however, Keim said that his message is to have individuals "focus on actualizing their full potential and then help others to do the same."

Keim first started touring in 1986 after working as a campus chaplain in Oregon, and since the beginning, he has lectured on 2,000 campuses and spoken to over two million people. When he first started doing his program, he spoke quite a bit (and still does) on accepting and helping others, regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender. Originally, this did not make him very popular.

"I've had a lot of people say I look through rose-colored glasses," Keim said. "And I ask them, `Do you want to join me?'"

There were few critics of Keim's views and approach.

"He was very appropriate for the crowd," said Ben Koenig (B2).

"Dr. Keim was right," said Calli Copoulos (E2). "The Greek community really should come together."

"We liked the things he was saying and the way he was saying it," said Director of Student Leadership Jan Wise. Wise and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Chris Juhl decided to have Keim as the workshop's keynote speaker.

The workshop also had a larger turnout than anticipated.

"I was worried about lunch because more people came than we were expecting," Wise said.

In addition to the keynote address, participants in the workshop were also given the opportunity to go to various breakout sessions. Keim hosted two sessions while others were designed by Drake alumni and staff. Topics ranged from networking tips to analyzing leadership through music. The keynote speech started at 9:30 a.m. while the breakout sessions started at 11 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m.

"I was pleased with the students who came out, in the cold, early in the morning on a Saturday," Wise said. "People are really wanting to improve themselves."

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