Hunger Games: Blog #9 Extra

Question/Subject: Write a reflection about Dr. Casey's lecture and story. You must relate what he talked about to the content of our class, specifically to the notion of leadership in The Hunger Games.

What makes a leader? Well, for one thing, it could certainly be said that a leader requires drive and ambition. Nobody ever became a leader by sitting back and letting everybody else do everything for them. That comes after they manage to snag power, am I right? Anyway, a leader needs to be exceptional in some way. Whether this includes public speaking, philosophy, financial merit, or any other myriad of options, there needs to be something that sets a potential leader apart from other candidates. In addition, there needs to be an opportunity for this potentially exceptional person to show their followers that they are worth following.

In the case of Dr. Casey, he showed his merit by being exceptional at everything he did throughout his career, proving that he was a worthy candidate for a leadership position. He seized chances to perform above the call of duty and showed those around him that he was what was needed for the College at that time, in terms of leadership needs.

This type of scenario could be applied to Katniss, albeit with slightly altered circumstances. Substitute an academic setting for a post-apocalyptic, dystopian setting and volunteering for extra advancement opportunities for volunteering for a televised death-match and they could be the same person! Jokes aside, most leadership opportunities present themselves in the same manner, with an opportunity to prove the exceptional skills of an individual. Katniss showed the people of Panem that she could be a symbol of defiance for them when she volunteered for the "opportunity" that was the Hunger Games. She had set of skills and a temperament that made her special in comparison to many of the other tributes and had a chance to show it. This skyrocketed her to fame and a position as the symbol of the rebellion in Panem.

Katniss and Dr. Casey are but two examples of a long line of leaders that have risen to power or fame through the exact same series of events. There's Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, George Washington, the list goes on, but the circumstances will never change. As long as there's an opportunity, uniquely gifted people will rise to the occasion and show the people what they think they want.