Friday, October 11, 2002

Landmark: Teaching Leadership To Its 'Prefect'ion

How does Landmark Christian School plan to put a president in the White House?

It starts by training students to be self-motivated servant leaders through the school's new prefect and honor code programs, which are now in their second year. Eighteen seniors take responsibility for 10 different areas of the Landmark community, from student life and publicity to prayer and discipleship.

This is quite different from the traditional student role. "Typically schools have students involved in deciding how the student body will dress, speak and work, but seldom are students given any say in more important things," stated Landmark Dean of Students Mike Titus, who heads up the programs. He noted that Landmark prefect kids have a lot of responsibility and a lot of expectation placed upon them."

A prefect is a deputy or officer someone assigned to oversee others. "The prefect concept goes back to the Bible", Titus said, "Daniel, for instance, served in a prefect position."

Leadership and School Pride

The two main goals of the prefect program are to give seniors a real sense of ownership in their school and significant authority and opportunities to lead, "so it's not just a place they go from 8 to 3," Titus said.

"Prefect is a really good idea," said Head Prefect Melissa Johnson, "especially as a way for seniors to get involved in the school and get experience with leadership." She added the responsibility encourages students to "do things well and live right, knowing people are looking up to them."

Johnson is also a member of student government, the tennis team, and a cheerleader. She plans to major in business in college and "probably open my own business when I get out." That is where the real success of the prefect program will be able to be seen.

"One of the things we have found is that just because you give a kid a title or they get elected class president the assumption is, they must be a leader," Titus said. "Not necessarily. They have leadership potential, but they still need training. We want them to be a success, not be frustrated trying to lead their class." Leadership training is a vital part of the Prefect program. Each year, new prefects spend time with and get input from the outgoing seniors and go on a leadership retreat during the summer. There, prefects, class officers and other students in leadership roles study leadership skills and prepare for the upcoming year. Additional training opportunities are given during the year.

Leading an Honorable Life

Prefects are also in charge of training fellow students on Landmark's honor code, another new program instituted last year.

"Most honor codes have to do with a set of rules about lying, cheating, stealing " Titus said. "We have those, but we are trying to get across an inner commitment to live honorably and to model ourselves after Jesus Christ. What sets us apart is our motivation."

"When 'good' kids go off to college and go crazy," noted Titus, "it's because the rules and lifestyle choices they had in high school came from outside ­ the rules their parents and school want them to follow. In college, those external constraints are not there."

The goal of Landmark's honor code, on the other hand, is to instill in students a desire to have integrity and character, Titus said, that they take with them wherever they go.

"We don't always make honorable choices," he said, "but we can make a commitment that it is a goal in our life worthy of striving for, to make those choices."

Melissa Johnson and Joseph Register serve as this year's Head Prefects, overseeing and making sure that everything that needs to get done does. Service Prefects are Courtney Piribek and Rachel Jarrell, Campus Pride Prefects are Josh Jones and Cecil Ward, Danielle Taussig is Discipline Prefect, Publicity Prefects are Ryan Swinford and Abby Archer, Discipleship Prefects are Jeff DerCola and Jenny Cone, Carrie Wozniak is Prayer Prefect, Chapel/Focus Prefects are Emily Burslem and Alan Gay, Student Life Prefects are Eddie Solly and Ruthie Stacks, and Admissions Prefects are Caroline McKibben and Scott Emery.

Landmark's Headmaster Terry Harrison brought the prefect and honor code programs to the school last year, and visited other schools when planning them. Titus noted a lot of private schools have prefects, especially boarding schools.

"Mr. Harrison has said that we want to put a president in the White House some day," Titus said. "I have started to say, 'OK, I believe this is a worthy goal."

Through the prefect and honor code programs, Landmark Christian School students are growing leadership strength and the internal and eternal wisdom that is takes to manage success in any leadership role, including the Presidency of the United States.