Club builds confidence

The Toastmasters Club is a group dedicated to encouraging and supporting students to become better public speakers and having fun doing so.

Emphasizing the practice of impromptu speaking, the club has been meeting every Tuesday in varying on-campus locations for a little more than a year now.

Club President Elizabeth Vega, who joined the club in March last year, said roughly 250,000 members make up 12,500 Toastmasters clubs that span over 108 countries globally.

"This is a learning experience outside the classroom, and it is a very positive and supportive environment," Vega said.

At first, before joining the Toastmasters, Vega said her verbal skills were not too strong.

After joining the group, however, she began to enhance her communication skills.

Over time, she started to mature as a public speaker, becoming more comfortable with talking in front of large crowds, Vega said.

She said the Toastmasters provide a very informal setting that is relaxed and laid back, so members do not have to be shy or intimidated. Toastmasters members are there to help each other out to achieve their public speaking goals, Vega said.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to join the club.

There is a membership fee of $20 for the first months plus the cost of manuals, and then the price is cut into two payments of $27 every six months, Vega said.

"The main goal of the Toastmasters is to build and develop public speaking, organization, and leadership skills," art department Chairman Richard Akers said. "And it teaches you how to run a meeting very effectively."

One of the benefits of going to Toastmasters meetings is getting to know one's colleagues.

"I knew faculty on campus, but I didn't know a lot of classified staff," Dr. Akers said. "Since joining Toastmasters, I have had the time to meet classified staff, which I think is really good."

He said Toastmasters is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to self-improvement.

Its aim is to strengthen a student's ability to be able to speak in front of crowds, becoming open to the idea of being a public speaker and helping to relinquish the fear of public speaking, Akers said.

Police Services Chief Charles Gibson said Toastmasters has helped him a lot.

"(The club) has made a major impact on some of the experiences I have had down the line," he said. "It has helped me to be a better communicator."

Vega said the will to improve her verbal skills has always been there, but Toastmaster has given her the means to help her get to where she wants to be in terms of her public speaking or even personal conversation skills.

She said one only gets better with time.

"I like Toastmasters because it gives you time, and it is fairly different from a (speech) class," Vega said. "The atmosphere is just different, and you gain a sense of support from the other members because you are working closely together with them."

Vega said students are not judged in Toastmasters, but instead are given feedback and constructive criticism.

"Six years ago, I came (to this country) with little communication skills," Vega said. "I wanted to be able to speak as well as a native, so I am taking the necessary steps to reach my goal."

Contact Lamar James at ljames.advocate@gmail.com