Thirteen Baker University students and two staff members left Thursday for the 30th annual Big XII black leadership conference in Lincoln, Neb.

“We’ve been going (to the conference) for several years now,” Multicultural Affairs Coordinator Ron Holden said. “The main intent is to learn about leadership, how to effectively lead and create change, and promoting minority leadership and diversity.”

Mungano officer Nicole Baumgartner said she is attending the conference to bring new ideas back to Baldwin City.

“Basically, black student governments come together for workshops on leadership and how to grow as an organization,” she said. “I’m hoping to come back and be better able to educate all of our students and staff members and make them more aware of the diversity that we have on campus.”

Holden said the students are responsible for paying their way to the conference, which makes it a more valuable time for them.

“Students pay for their own registration and fees, along with any events they want to attend,” he said. “That’s why you don’t get students who just want to go somewhere. These are students who are serious about it, who invested their own time and money.”

Sophomore Kendra Scarbrough said paying for the opportunity made it more important to her.

“When it’s your own money out of your own pocket, it’s important,” Scarbrough said. “It’s your chance to go talk to people and network, to get ideas and advice on being a minority on a majority campus.”

The 12 universities that make up the Big XII athletic conference are the core schools that will be at the leadership conference. Other colleges from around the country are invited to attend as well. Washburn University and the University of Missouri- Kansas City are a few local schools that were scheduled to participate.

Scarbrough said bigger schools have the same problems Baker does.

“It’s the same culture,” she said. “They have 26,000 students and maybe 100 come out to their meetings, and here we are at Baker with 900 to 1000 students, and we have maybe 20 or 30 come to ours. It’s the same challenge of getting people to come out and support your organization.”

Scarbrough, who is attending the conference for the second time, said she benefited greatly from the first experience.

“It definitely gave me a better sense of what we’re a part of,” she said. “We have to make sure that we’re known on campus. We don’t need to be separate to keep our identity. Everyone here, we all come from different backgrounds. (The conference) taught me that sometimes to be a leader you have to be a follower. You have to be willing to listen.”