A six-member panel discussed methods of effective leadership with a crowd of approximately 30 students at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house last Wednesday night.
"Up until the time I became mayor of my city, I never looked at myself as a leader," said New Jersey State Assemblyman Paul D'Amato, who was formerly mayor of Linwood City, New Jersey. "I had the tendency to surpass the speed limit on highways."
Now, needless to say, he keeps a close eye on the speedometer.
The forum, entitled "Meet and Eat: Fostering Leadership in the Growing Penn Community," allowed students the opportunity to ask questions of local leaders and learn more about how to become leaders themselves.
The panel featured four professional and two student speakers. Panelists included the vice-president of the Campbell's Soup Company, the director of a Philadelphia health clinic and a Wharton MBA student.
"I was trying to get somebody that would tap into every possible interest," said Anne Hankey, a College senior and the event's organizer. "We were primarily targeting anyone interested in educational or professional spheres."
And interested students received advice and inspiration from the panelists. Audience members listened intently, laughed at the humorous anecdotes and questioned the leaders on their life experiences.
College senior Rebecca Brian had perhaps the most pointed question for the panelists, asking why people should be leaders.
While every panelist had a somewhat different view, the consensus was that everyone is a leader, and people just have to maximize their potential and take opportunities.
"Have no fear," Campbell Soup Vice President Jeremy Fingerman said. "Experiment and learn."
Fingerman proudly donned a large Campbell's soup can pin on the lapel of his business suit as he described his successes in the business world and the importance of balancing a personal and professional life.
That balance seemed to be a central topic in the minds of everyone at the forum.
"I take 25 hours off a week to observe the Jewish Sabbath," Fingerman said. "I don't work, and I don't take phone calls, and it's the only thing that has saved me."
Nearly all the panelists echoed the need for time out of a busy schedule, along with sleep, exercise, strong relationships with friends and family and the ability to say "no" in order to remain both motivated and sane.
The advice may seem simple, but the panelists did not dwarf the significance of it. In fact, they all expressed the importance of leading a normal life.
But they emphasized that people should not forget their roles as leaders.
"If I forget that I'm playing this role on campus, someone will be there to remind me," said Undergraduate Assembly Chairwoman and College senior Dana Hork, one of the panelists.
Hork said she sees setting an example for all undergraduates and fostering leaders for the future as part of her role after she leaves Penn.
The panel was sponsored by the Undergraduate Assembly, the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society and the Jewish Heritage Program.
