Communication and Debate Club Meetings

Touro Communication Club #14

Now that school has begun, I’m sure it is a struggle to get back into the swing of things. Juggling is the name of the game for everyone - your classes, your work and your family obligations – and then trying to remember to include a meeting of the Touro Communication Club! We are doing some very interesting things and would love to have more of you share in these experiences.

Richard Green suggested at our TCC meeting last week that we consolidate our meetings to Wednesdays, alternating between the Club activities and the Debate team. So, from now on, we will have our meetings on Wednesdays in Room 610 or 611 across the street @ 50 West 23rd Street.

Next week is an interesting week. Two events on the agenda.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 – DEBATE TEAM WILL MEET AT 1 PM IN ROOM 610 @ 50 WEST 23rd STREET
Our next challenge is to identify the basic documents which will be the foundation of our affirmative and negative cases for Gun Control. These documents include: the U.S. Constitution and all its amendments (particularly the 2nd amendment) and the current New York State law on gun control. From the NYS law, we’ll frame the Resolution and then share our collected evidence for both sides and begin to build our cases.

Richard has downloaded the campaign speech of Michelle Obama which she presented in Delaware on January 31st. If we have time we’ll play the speech for analysis. In this Presidential campaign we are not taking sides, but since there have been some excellent “stump” speeches (the standard speeches the candidates – and their wives and husband – give)., both the Club and the Debate Team will be fascinated to watch a “pro” in action. We’ll look at how she structures her speech, what kinds of examples and evidence she uses and how she relates to her audience. I guarantee you will come away from this kind of analysis with a much sharper ear for her message, the “spin” of the message (manipulation of information with language) and speaking tips. Michelle Obama is really good at what she does.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 – ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY READING FROM 1-2:30 PM IN ROOM 223 @ 33 WEST 23RD STREET. – a Valentine’s Day Treat!
We heard about this faculty reading via the grapevine, but we are pretty sure that Professors Charles Borkhuis, Brenda Coultas and Jan Castro are among the presenters reading their own works. This is very exciting since so many of the Touro faculty have artistic and professional lives outside their classes. What they do on the outside enriches what they do in their classes.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2008 – THE COMMUNICATION CLUB WILL MEET AT 1 PM IN ROOM 610 @ 50 WEST 23RD. By popular demand, this will be our 2nd session on “Reading Aloud.” We will start with reading the telephone book in an exciting manner. Then we’ll turn to reading of published short poetry and prose (no original writing this time) to discover how your voice can make the words come off the page. Bring a couple of your favorite poems and short prose pieces to experiment with. Hal Wicke will get you used to sounding silly and stretching your voice by having everyone read from the telephone book.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008 –COMMUNICATION CLUB MEETING?
James Millner welcomed newcomer Kristina Stone to the “Read Aloud” session. Kristina was the lst Prize winner of the 4th Speech Contest with her speech on “Domestic Violence.” Drani Gabu and Johnny Celestin joined the group after their classes. Richard Green and David Nussbaum supported the session led by Hal Wicke.

Hal handed out a check list of various aspects of the delivery of the speech. Then he wrote the vocal aspects on the board Then he went through a list of seven characteristics (“paralinguistics” is the technical term) which the speaker (or singer) can use to vary the words and/or sound. They include:

Rate(Speed)
Normal speaking rate 125 w/p/m;
Normal thinking rate: 400-600 w/p/m
Volume (Loudness):
Pitch (High/Low):
Quality (Timber):.
Articulation (Sound formation)
Consonants.
Vowels
Pronunciation (Words):
Vocal Variety (Variation)

Kristina, who is a singer who has performed at the Apollo Theatre, was amazed. “I didn’t know all this was going on. I just sang my songs!” she exclaimed, while taking lots of notes. Hal said that a singer and a speaker can sharpen their speaking ability if they practice these elements. We offer GCA 112 – Voice and Diction which focuses on articulation, the formation of the sounds. David and Richard, who both teach the course, offered comments during the session.

Hal then asked all four of the students to read from the telephone book in their most interesting manner. After each read in their most brilliant manner, one of the other students began to analyze what he/she heard. With more listening practice, everyone will be able to identify how each of the paralinguistic elements.

Before Kristina left, Hal read his version of “Jabberwocky,” a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll from “Alice in Wonderland.” He tried to show how a speaker could play with his voice using the various paralinguistic elements.

This kind of concentrated mental practice is very fatiguing and everyone needed a break. There was much more to do with the telephone books as well as the reading of the literature we brought. Hal wanted to read a section of “Mr. Silly,” a series of children’s books on which his son learned to read in Kindergarten. This is such a fun session because it is so different from the other courses we teach and take.(But then Hal is prejudiced.)

The group felt that we should continue for another session on “Reading Aloud” which will be on Wednesday, February 20 @ 1 pm.

Then we got into a discussion of a variety of topics, including the inevitable Presidential campaign

Drani Gabu was asked to be the Captain of the Debate Team. He accepted, not fully knowing what the responsibility meant.

Remember our meetings are now on Wednesdays @ 1 pm.

See you next time. Bring a friend!

Hal Wicke