Offering professional advice to students, a lead lunch was hosted in the basement of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Thursday.  

This noontime event was hosted by Executive Director and Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer John Blue and lasted approximately an hour.  

Lead lunch events happen often around campus with different speakers informing and teaching the students who attend. Students get advice and conversation while getting a free lunch. The leaders go over university leadership and student engagement on campus. 

But before things could start, Blue provided some background information about himself. 

Blue has been working in diversity related roles full time since 2016, he said. Before that, he worked in retention activity advising. 

“But I did have opportunities to work in so many different functional areas at universities and colleges,” Blue said.  

Blue split the discussion up into two different topics. The first topic was how to define leadership, while the second topic was about living your own legacy.  

He went into looking at different types of leadership, breaking it down into several categories such as creativeness, being your own self and even influencing people.  

Delta Chi president and student Dalton Piercy was one of the attending students at the lunch, and he had much to say on the topic. 

“My job is to make sure that everyone is heard and seen, bringing in everyone’s ideas and how to get to the goal,” Piercy said.  

Blue agreed with Piercy. 

“That’s a good way to look at it,” he said. “I am making sure that I am taking consideration of the development of individuals that work with me and figuring out a plan of success. It helps them grow with me.” 

Blue then went into the second topic, asking what do you see yourself doing in five years?  

“I tell my staff I’m willing to try any and everything,” Blue said. “As long as it’s not going to blow my budget, as long as it’s not going to negatively affect the reputation of the institution, I’m willing to try it.” 

Blue compared his cultural background to add on to his point. His family is from Jamaica, and that means a lot to him because they all have the same type of mind. 

“Something about us Caribbeans is that we speak our minds a lot,” he said.  

He has also been nostalgic by sharing some things that he learned back in 2016. 

“Sometimes you have to have conversations that you don’t necessarily want to have,” Blue said. “I learned that I must have those conversations in order so that way I can take care business.” 

He concluded the luncheon by sharing some advice.  

“Loving your legacy is how you live your life day to day,” Blue said. “You can live out your legacy on the job when you are on the job.” 

Koria Downs can be reached at at 581-2812 or at kdowns@eiu.edu.