At the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments' annual year-end banquet Saturday night in the Eisenhower Chapel Frizzell Room, guest speaker James Ryan said discipline, dedication, compromise and teamwork distinguish a good leader.

Ryan, vice-president for continuing education and a former chief executive officer at the Wilkes-Barre campus, said "These are skills that can be learned much easier on a Commonwealth campus."

Ryan said a sense of humor, enthusiasm and unwarranted optimism are also important leadership characteristics.

"Those of you who tend to see the glass as half-full can see there are options and will tend to work on them," he said. "Those who see the glass as half-empty will see a challenge as a problem and tend not to work on it."

Ryan also said Commonwealth campus students do make a difference.

"The shape of a campus is made up of faculty, staff and students," he said. The only part of a campus that changes on a regular basis is the students, he added. "Students are what make a campus special."

Brian Suwalski (sophomore-industrial engineering), outgoing Hazleton campus student government president, said the banquet was a time for sadness as well as excitement.

"It's a hard time of year for all of us," he said. "You may not see some of the people that are sitting next to you again."

Outgoing CCSG coordinator Brian Donaldson also reflected on the past year.

"This year we have been seen as a very professional organization and I've heard a lot of good things," Donaldson said. "It's been wonderful serving on the council these past four years and I hope that next year's staff will do even better."