The weekend of Aug. 19 was an important one for new students to Newman University. During the two-day event, called Jet Days, students participated in team building activities, attended their first of many Traditions and Transitions classes, and heard some important messages to help them be successful their first year at Newman.
One of those messages came from keynote speaker Bill Cordes, who explained to the students, YOGOWYPI — you only get out what you put in! Cordes is a former teacher and coach who has been speaking to students for more than 20 years, spreading his inspirational and motivational message to college universities and businesses around the county.
As students were finding seats, Cordes started energizing the room immediately by playing a game of “Name That Tune.” Students were eager to jump out of their seats as soon as they recognized the song to shout out their answer.
He kept the energy level going throughout his keynote, leading the students in a game of “Simon Says,” asking questions and getting responses from the students, and using interactive methods to keep them engaged and focused.
Throughout the presentation, Cordes switched gears between humorous and inspirational stories, while getting his message across that students can be truly successful in college if they live purposefully and consciously. He talked about how sitting in the right place during class and having the right kind of engagement will yield positive results. He talked about developing the right kind of habits to help students get the most out of their education. And he talked about taking ownership and responsibility of personal actions and behaviors.
On the subject of responsibility, he told the audience, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself . . . and responsibility is about focusing on what can you do the next time to make it better.”
