CNN Student News Transcript Special: Leadership Unplugged

(CNN Student News) -- July 14, 2008

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hey there. I'm Carl Azuz, and you've found your way to the newest summer Webcast of CNN Student News. Thanks for taking a break from the beach or the pool or whatever you're up to this summer to check us out!

Leadership Unplugged

AZUZ: Our special summer programs each focus on different topics, as you now know. This week we're examining the issue of leadership, specifically tomorrow's leaders and this program that gives some of them a chance to really stand out. It's called Leadership Unplugged, and every year, it brings together about a hundred high school students from across the state of Georgia. They move into the dorms at Georgia Tech University for a week over the summer, and they develop their leadership skills and learn about the news industry by taking part in activities and working with some of our colleagues here at CNN.

Now, leaders are all over the place. We're talking presidents, prime ministers, corporate CEOs, captains of sports teams. But what does it take to be one? The students in this program are future leaders, so we asked some of them for their opinions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART ZELLERS: President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said leadership is getting people to do what you need done because they want to do it.

J.B. DESSELLE: I think a leader is somebody that people can look up to... somebody that provides inspiration to others.

ZELLERS: A leader is able to motivate and inspire people as well as take charge if needed.

DANIEL GUERERRO: They can work with others, understand others.

MARCUS KERNIZAN: A leader must be diverse, because without diversity they will not be able to fully comprehend different perspectives from other students that they're working with or associates.

AUTUMN PRATER: I think a leader has to have patience and compassion. Someone who's able to give other people a chance.

SIRI YELLAMRAJU: You should be able to stand up for people, and you should just be a really strong person. Take the blame, take the heat; But also be able to connect with whoever is following you.

GEORGIA WANG: I think a leader is someone who people respect, because a leader has to be relatable.

SHANNON GADDY: A leader is someone that not only can lead a group, but can take help from other people and won't be afraid to ask for help.

VICTOR AUSTIN: Be intelligent and take initiative upon themselves to be a leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I.D. Me

JIM RIBBLE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. us! We're both U.S. citizens, and we're both at least 35 years old. That means we're both eligible to run for president, which is good, since we're the presumptive nominees of our political parties! That last clue probably gave it away. We're Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.

Race for the White House

AZUZ: Four months from now, American voters will elect one of those two men president. There's been a lot of news coverage surrounding this year's election, and this huge crowd of young voters has turned out to take part in the process. So, we asked that same group of rising leaders we've been telling you about why they think the upcoming election is so important.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TAYLOR BROOKS: I think this election is important because our future leader will have to take care of all these problems and concerns the people of the United States have.

GADDY: We're in a time, like, almost turmoil. And like, the next president that we have, either John McCain or Barack Obama, we're going to see how they get us out of that turmoil.

ARIELLE PARNES-KATZ: The election is the most important, because the outcome of it will in the end effect the economy, the ecology and many other issues based on the different stances of the presidential candidates.

MARQUITA GAINES: Whoever is elected president, they will be taking on a war, high gas prices, high food prices.

DESSELLE: I just got a license and a car and this gas is killing me. I can't pay $4.50 per gallon. If it gets like that, it's going to be crazy.

BROOKS: I want to be sure I have enough funding to finance my education.

CAITLIN LEDFORD: Social Security. I want to be sure that I have that when I'm old enough to retire, that I don't have to work until the day that I die.

ROBERT HONEYCUTT: The economy.

CARLTON GLENN: The election.

EMMA TRACY: Ecology.

WANG: They're all going to impact us, because the world we live in right now, we're going to be the people who change it.

PARNES-KATZ: I think we need a candidate who's strong and will be able to handle all of the issues they are faced with.

(END VIDEO)

Student Projects

AZUZ: The students at Leadership Unplugged are certainly paying attention to this year's presidential election. They better be; it was the focus of their week-long project. They were challenged to pitch a news story to a panel of CNN executives, which was a little bit intimidating. It had to be about the election and how to make it interesting or relevant to 16-to-21 year olds. The pitches were judged on things like creativity, interactivity and balance. After 15 impressive presentations, the panel picked a winner: a group that surveyed its peers to see if the students' views on the issues actually matched up with the views of the candidates that they supported. It was a great project. Nice job, guys!

Shoutout

RIBBLE: Time for a Summer Shoutout! Who became the youngest person to serve as U.S. president? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Theodore Roosevelt, B) John Kennedy, C) Bill Clinton or D) George W. Bush? You've got three seconds -- GO! John Kennedy was the youngest person elected to the presidency, but Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the youngest to ever hold the office. That's your answer and that's your Summer Shoutout!

Web Promo

AZUZ: We've been talking about what one group of students was up to this summer, but we want to know what you are doing. Traveling around the globe or just hanging out at home; nothing wrong with that. Stop by our blog and tell us what you're up to while school's out. Better yet, show us how you're spending your summer in an iReport. You can do it all at CNNStudentNews.com.

Goodbye

AZUZ: That's gonna wrap things up for this edition of CNN Student News. But before we leave you today, we want to let you know about a special program that's coming up on CNN. "Black in America" looks at the real lives behind the stereotypes and statistics that often frame the discussion about African-Americans. This special, two-night documentary explores the experiences of black men and women in America. It airs at 9pm July 23rd and 24th on CNN, and it's going to be the focus of our next summer Webcast of CNN Student News. Little teaser there, so be sure to check it out, and then look for our next program online and on iTunes. We'll see you then.