Approximately 140 student leaders joined University President John Bravman in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts Lobby for the first annual Student Leadership Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 10.

The event was hosted by Leadership Education Alumni Donations (LEAD), a student organization that raises awareness for alumni contributions through donations and honors student leaders on campus. The event was hosted to formally achieve the group’s goal of recognizing both current student leaders and the alumni still active in supporting student groups on campus.

Leaders represented a wide array of groups on campus, ranging from academic and cultural groups to athletics and Greek organizations.

“We thought the Thanksgiving season was the perfect time to capitalize on this message of giving thanks to our leaders, our Bucknell experience, and alumni support,” LEAD President Brandon Neale ’15 said.

The night opened with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar and drinks. Student leaders had the opportunity to speak candidly about their experiences and goals with other students with similar levels of involvement.

Arriana Sajjad ’15, an Executive Intern with the Office of the Provost, found many commonalities between her goals and those of other on-campus leaders.

“Overall, I realized we all share the common interest of giving back to Bucknell everything that it’s provided for us,” Sajjad said.

Following the period of casual conversations, Neale formally opened the night with a brief description of LEAD and the goals of the event. Bravman spoke next, opening up his speech by not only thanking the student leaders and the supporting alumni, but also urging present leaders to look past their current roles and reflect on what they can do to help the University continue to grow.

Bravman asked students to reflect on the culture of the University just a decade ago and recognize how much the school has evolved, pointing out how the change did not inhibit University culture but rather helped it progress. This growth as a campus, he said, is what will ensure the University will be around for our 70th and 80th reunions.

“Bravman, in his speech, gave me so much confidence that Bucknell will be here forever. His emphasis on change was refreshing as many higher education institutions have a problem doing this,” Bucknell Student Government Vice President of Finance Walker Brady ’15 said.

Following Bravman’s speech, attendees had the opportunity to help themselves to a Thanksgiving dinner buffet and continue their earlier conversations.

“It was definitely a unique opportunity that I would feel honored to attend again in the future. I had the pleasure of meeting and fraternizing with a diverse population of leaders on campus with different backgrounds and ideas,” women’s volleyball team captain Katie Price ’16 said. “It was a treat to be surrounded by ambitious students who can collaborate together on ways to further empower the Bucknell student body and future.”