By Michael Otero
Sports Editor
The bi-campus retreat, an annual event that brings together stu- dent club leaders from both LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, was cancelled in late August. The retreat is geared towards student leaders who will try and find ways to improve their clubs and organizations on campus.
The rescheduling occurred because there were “some new initiatives and practices on each campus, and we felt like it would be more beneficial for us to meet with our own respective campuses [in order] to conduct train- ing that was more campus specific,” according to Michael J. Berthel, the Director of Campus Life at LIU Post. Berthel went on to say that the LIU Post club training will be held in mid-September.
The event, which combines student-leaders from both schools, typically draws about 200 students. Senior Broadcasting major Natalie Villanueva, who is the President of the Cultural Group as well as the News Director for Post TV (PTV), has attended the retreat for the past two years. “The retreat has been interesting with excellent keynote speakers,” Villanueva said. “I really felt like I made a connection with students on the Brooklyn campus. We still keep in contact with one another.”
The purpose of the retreat is to “provide student leaders with an opportunity to exchange ideas and collaborate university-wide,” according to Berthel. In addition to trying to build leaders out of students, the retreat also devotes time to specific issues such as goal- setting, time management, self-esteem, and alcohol abuse.
The event is coordinated by the student life organizations of both campuses. There is no word yet on when or if a bi-campus retreat will be held, or whether there will be guest speakers. Typically, keynote speakers and members of the administration participate and cover topics from teambuilding and conflict resolution to leadership styles and ethics.
In years past, the retreat has attracted the attention of nationally acclaimed presenters such as Tanya Odom and Arel Moodie. Odom is a Global Consultant and executive coach, while Moodie is a motivational speaker who focuses on student success and leadership skills in her lectures.
Berthel stated that he hopes to have the annual retreat rescheduled sometime in early 2015. The planning of the event will be ongoing during the first semester of 2014.
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