To lead is to go before and show the way: To guide, to influence and give direction to someone. In many ways a leader takes a risk to be the head or main influence of a group, event or action.

There are many leaders at Simpson College.

Leaders are found all over campus. From education majors making a difference everyday in schools around the Indianola area, students with biology and environmental emphases “greening” our community and members of CAB finding new and fun ways to entertain all of us.

We have leaders in the classrooms, in the community and on the athletic fields. We have leaders in dormitories, apartments, sororities and fraternities. There are leaders in SGA, intramurals and RLC.

There seem to be almost as many groups recognizing them as there are leaders.

From Omicron Delta Kappa, a National Honor Society to the newly-minted President’s Leadership Scholarship, there are groups all over campus recognizing students for their hard work and accomplishments on campus.

And now we have one more. You may have seen their posters on campus, or maybe they were even recognized in your classroom. Students are being “Storm struck.”

So what’s the deal with this new Storm Struck phenomenon? It’s a good question, and it’s one that a lot of people seem to be asking. When we bring it up in conversation, we seem to receive a lot of blank stares. Though the message, is well intended; we have to ask if it is necessary. We in no way want to discredit the work of those students who’ve received the title, they are in fact great leaders – but whose responsibility is it to recognize them?

Is it necessary for Simpson to spend money for a program such as this? We’d like to see the school find a more efficient and reasonable way to do so.

Or better yet, leave it to the programs that are already taking to the task of honoring some of Simpson’s finest.