Stella's Student Leaders

From CUWiki

Stella's Student Leaders (SSL) is a senior honorary organization founded in September 2007 by Elan Greenberg, Adam Gay, Jonathan Feldman, and CJ Slicklen to bring together campus leaders for discuss, debate, and "good clean fun". The concept for the group was generated after a lunchtime meeting.

Since its inception, the group has grown exponentially and has welcomed not only student leaders, but individuals who have aspired to be leaders or who are capable of saying "student leader" in a foreign language. A level of humor is certainly present in the creation of the group as evidenced by its literature and Facebook group.[1]

[edit] Leaders

The founding members of the organization have developed the following personas:

• The first gentleman, whom the others dub as "Papa Bear," is reportedly finance-oriented and a Recovering Democratic. He has been seen throughout Cornell without footwear, but at other times, wearing a suit.
• The second gentleman, is reportedly involved in Greek Life and charity organizations. He excels at using auspicious vocabulary words in professional settings.
• The third gentleman is a member of the military in some way. Whether it be the CIA, FBI, or Army, we are unable to confirm. He has been involved in a number of headline news stories recently, but there has been no revelation of his true identity.
• Lastly, the fourth gentleman, whom the others call "The Big Guy" is believed to be the brains behind the operation. His involvement in the rest of campus is unknown at this time. Some judge his core competency to only being able to deliver keynote addresses at useless conferences.

[edit] History and References

The following text forms the basis of the group. It contains references to Collegetown, the Cornell Daily Sun's Heros and Villians weekly editorial, Stella's Café, an assortment of student groups which the members are associated with, and the drinking habits of college students.

In the October 18th edition of The Cornell Daily Sun, the column "Heroes and Villains" most clearly references the drinks which the Founding Fathers consumed: "We’re HEROIC second semester seniors who plan on taking such esteemed School of Hotel Administration classes as Wines, Beers, Jagers, Jagerbombs and Patron shots. After all, it’s senior year! (Ever heard of it?)"[2]

A long time ago, back on a rainy, fall day in a tiny fishing village nestled in the foothills of upstate New York, four men dressed to "work at Goldman," pondered the thought of breaking bread together.

"Shall we go to the Regent?" asked one of the men to his comrades. "No, for it is closed," replied another. "Shall we go to Rulloff's?" the one questioned again. "No, for we go there all the time," replied the other yet again." "Fine, we shall go to Stella's," the first man stated very cheekily. "Yes, we shall go to Stella's," the others replied. ...and it was good.

So the four men, wandered into the barron land of Collegetown, surrounded by strip-clubs, all-you-can-eat burger joints, and adult video stores. Subtly placed within the foothills that were referred to earlier, and between a pizza place and a FedEX store lay the foundation for an institution that the four men had one day dreamed about.

The men sat down and quickly ordered egg-white omelettes. (Though, one ordered a hefty helping of pancakes). ...and it was good

To celebrate (and to this day, we still do not know what was celebrated), one suggested that a round of drinks be purchased...

...and another...

...and another...

...and another...

...and they were good, too...

With a panaromic view of the fishing village, one of the men spotted a friend and invited the friend to break bread, drink, and be merry. As other friends passed by the prodiguous window, the men invited them, too, to join the celebration of life.

Boy...was it good...

After many drinks, jokes, and fine spirits, one of the men then suggested that this become a weekly habit.

"Whom shall we invite?" remarked the man the others had dubbed "The Big Guy."

"People from the SA?" remarked the President of the SA.

"People from the IFC?" remarked the President of the IFC.

"No, no," remarked the esteemed gentleman from Albany. "We shall invite all leaders..."

And so it was born: "Stella's Student Leaders."

Now, in existence for over a decade, Stella's Student Leaders continues to promote leadership, conversation, and good clean fun.

So whether you're the leader of your fraternity, the Vice Chair of the Chess Team, an editor for a local newspaper, or a representative on the VILLAINOUS Student Assembly, (or if you're not really a student leader, but you aspire to be one, or you can say "student leader" in another language) you are a student leader, and you are invited to apply for admission into "Stella's Student Leaders..."

[edit] Representation

• The Puffin is the official bird and mascot of the group.
• Gold and purple are the group's colors.
• The motto and poem of the group is derived from the Cornell alma matter:
  Far Above Cayuga's Waters
  We Bring Our Minds to Bare
  The Stella's Student Leaders Gather
  To Break Bread, Drink, and Share
• One of the signature drinks of Stella's Student Leaders is the consumption of Patron shots.