Public speaking spans all ages, majors

These words usually spawn fear in the average student-even those who want to speak for a living. When some speak in front of an audience they may experience a number of unwanted physical responses including sweating, heavy breathing, sickness…you know the feeling.

At ECU, almost every student in every major has to take some form of a public speaking class, and according to Pamela Hopkins, instructor and coordinator for public speaking and business and professional communication in the ECU School of Communication, most don't like it.

But Hopkins is trying to start a new chapter of Toastmasters International at ECU, which she hopes will warm students up to the idea of public speaking.

"I am hard pressed to think of a career where anyone will not have to do at least a few presentations," said Hopkins. "I want students to see that it [public speaking] can be fun."

Toastmasters International is a worldwide non-profit organization aimed at promoting good public speakers as well as good leaders.

Beginning in 1924 at a YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to service almost 300,000 members in 92 different countries around the globe.

According to the Toastmaster's Web site, the organization "offers a proven-and enjoyable-way to practice communication and leadership skills."

Hopkins is an active member of the Greenville chapter of Toastmasters; she originally joined the local chapter because she believed that learning about public speaking never stops, even though she is a professor on the subject.

Toastmasters operates through a manual of speeches that members give during meetings; each speech builds in complexity from the last one, and members critique each others' speeches at weekly or monthly meetings.

According to the Toastmasters Web site, meetings are "a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere."

Hopkins has wanted to start an ECU chapter for some time because "students get a pretty limited amount of speaking time in public speaking classes," she said. "I think that it is an important skill to have, and I think there is always room to improve."

In order to begin the chapter at ECU, 10 students must become involved. This way, the chapter will become an official club at ECU and get funding from SGA.

Although the club will be student-run and led, faculty members and staff are welcome to come. There are no instructors at Toastmasters meetings, which Hopkins thinks will be a selling point to students.

"Students and staff would be on equal terms during the meetings," Hopkins said. "It wouldn't be [like] 'I'm a student and you have a PhD,' we will all be Toastmasters members."

Hopkins feels that an ECU chapter of Toastmasters will be beneficial to not only students but faculty and staff as well.

"Even if you don't us public speaking professionally, you will certainly use it personally," she said. "Whether that is a toast to your retired boss or a eulogy, you will speak in front of an audience."

The ECU chapter of Toastmasters will be open to students of all majors, and if enough students are interested, will be up and running this fall semester.

If you are interested in the ECU chapter of Toastmasters, contact Pamela Hopkins at hopkinsp@ecu.edu.

For more information about Toastmasters International, visit toastmasters.org.

This writer can be contacted at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.