Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Touro Communication Club Notes #74
Tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com
Communication Quote of the Week
“Eloquence is thought on fire.”
William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) U.S. reformer, orator, and lawyer. Three times the losing Democratic candidate for president, he advocated bimetallism, notably in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech (1896). As the winning prosecutor in the Scopes trial (1925), he upheld the right of the states to ban the teaching of evolution.
This Week!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2 pm – Room 223 – Midtown
Student Poetry Reading
Students of Professors Charles Borkhuis and Brenda Coultas will share their writing. A discussion of their experiences will follow.
A Note for Communicators:
Strategy: Disagreeing without being disagreeable.
Tactic: Know your facts and anticipate selective use of the facts.
In back-to-back speeches in two different locations, President Obama and former vice-president Dick Cheney clashed this week on national security. Obama promoted his agenda while Cheney justified the Bush administrations efforts. Each was forthright in his views.
For our Communication purposes, we need to examine disagreement as a fact of life in all communication. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that we have disagreement in our lives. We are all different people with different points of view. But often we are.
For many, a disagreement means a confrontation. A confrontation20means an argument. An argument means our emotions get all out of control. And that means a fight – yelling, screaming, physical attacks. So we sit on our disagreements. And it festers – like a cancer.
That’s why many of us avoid arguments as if it were the swine flu. We hate to confront because we think that is the only option we have when we are faced with a disagreement.
In the political arena, politicians learn to expect disagreement. They prepare for it. It is likely that Cheney will never persuade Obama and vice versa. Obama doesn’t need to persuade Cheney because Obama is now president. However, in a stalemate, the only resolution is power. Power of words is primary in a diplomatic resolution. When diplomacy breaks down, military power dominates.
Too often, in an argument, people have an opinion or a position and stick to it without var iation. Their feet are stuck in cement. The argument is so fraught with emotion that reason quickly vanishes. For the Communicator, there are many tools to be used. One is the question. Another is the request to understand the position. But all this needs presence of mind. And who wants that?
Contrary to the popular perception, the goal in any argument is light, not heat. People are more persuasive when they are calm and assume a “rational” approach. But who wants to be rational in a juicy argument?
Learning to disagree without being disagreeable is very difficult. It takes much preparation. It requires a thorough knowledge of the entire issue, an understanding of all sides and being able to take an opposing view
UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:
June 3 – Impromptu Speaking –Speaking without apparent preparation on your feet is an acquired skill. We rarely think about what we are going to say in conversation, yet in a formal situation our brain freezes on us. Practicing this skill makes it possible to present oneself professionally at all times. In business, it is called the “Elevator Speech,” one which captures the essence of who you are what you do in 30 seconds or less, the time to travel in an elevator to your next appointment. Great fun!
June10 – Interviewing Strategies – One of the most practical communication skills is to be able to make a positive impression in a job interview. Questions are important, but preparation is crucial. Bring your resume and cover letter as we role play the applicant and the interviewer.
June 17 – “The Anatomy of Freedom” – This topic derived from the civil rights discussion after the Carvell program. Other ideas included “Is freedom really free?” Freedom is a fascinating universal subject which every person faces in some way all the time. Among many other authors, Erich Fromm, a well-known psychologist, wrote an influential book, “Escape from Freedom” The cartoonist Jules Feiffer wrote that we exchange one jail for another…Much to talk about.
What happened on Wednesday, May 20, 2009
“Talking to Women”
A dedicated group of Communicators were drawn to “Talking to Women.” Evenly divided between men and women, the primary information sources were Lorinda Moore, Anna Indelicato, Gena Bardwell, Meggy Lindsay and Pamela Sheppard. Waiting impatiently to respond were Brian Brown, Markus Vayndorf, James Millner, Carlisle Yearwood, Drani Gabu and Charles Mason. Hal Wicke led the discussion until he had to go to a Graduation Committee meeting; then Lorinda Moore took over, creating more interest in the topic.
Hal suggested that the group – women first – describe the behavior they regard as important in communication. Then the group could look for patterns in the behavior. From these patterns, we would look for productive strategies to talk to women.
“Respect” was the primary behavior that the women present expected in their communication. In her list, Anna included “no cursing,” “no angry tones,” “courtesy,” “some small talk as an ice breaker, but not a waste of time,” “expectation to learn,
Gena commented that she valued “cooperation,” conciliatory actions,” while looking for patterns of listening and responding. She is an “observer,” because “I can control only my own actions.”
[At this point, Meggy Lindsay took over the extensive note-taking. Hal has reconstructed the session from Meggy’s notes]
Lorinda always expects to initiate a conversation. She considers “mothering” to be important, likes to tell a story, values courtesy and is still open to other options.
Pam expects smart conversation where opinions are well-spoken, not “ghetto. She values “eye contact, “no cursing, is goal oriented and accepts her nurturing qualities.
Carlisle reiterated a concern for respect – a mutual respect according to how the other party is confronted. In his conversation with women, he expects the women should be sure of themselves. He looks for things in common.
Markus asked a series of questions: “Is the meeting [between two people] random or designated?” “Is the conversation formal or social?” He is looking for shades of individuality with educational benefits. He prefers an ability to communicate effectively.
Drani asks “Is the person judgmental?” “Does this person have an opinion and is self-assertive?” “Is the person cultured, able to relate to a variety of people without fear and not afraid to express opinions.
Lorinda observed that not everyone has the same set of values. What is “respect” to one may not be “respect to another.
Gena brings up the book, “They Just Don’t Understand,” by Deborah Tannen. Both men and women want the same things but may not express themselves in the same ways.
Mostly all the expectations were gender neutral. We are alike in a lot of ways. Everyone agreed that we all want the same things, but go about getting them in different ways.
Lorinda noticed that the men were more specific than the women in their comments. The women appear to be more tolerant than the men. Gena felt that women are more picky. Men seem to believe that respect is automatic. Men want the same things from their male friends as they do from their female friends.
Messages are interpreted differently. Drani noted that men interpret and misinterpret women’s and men’s messages differently,
But why? Is it how the message is delivered? Drani says that women are not specific. Men say, “I think.” Women say, “I feel.”
Lorinda asked if the group thought that the emotions of women have to do with differences that are not obvious? Carlisle said these have to do with culture and society.
Lorinda asked “Do the ladies feel deprived of anything because of gender?” Gena responded that many opportunities are gender-based which create “glass ceilings” in a male-dominated world.
Meggy interjected “I have no limitations on my part. I’m going to take on the world!” Pam felt that women are disrespected because of their limited compensation combined with racial issues.
Gena responded that Meggy does not feel that she has any limitations because of her age. Markus agreed that women are deprived of job opportunities as well as socially deprived.
Carl isle observed a gender bias in society in general. Drani commented on the work opportunities for women and the cultural differences in women’s roles in the family. Carlisle noted that society makes demands and controls certain behavior patterns while society reinforces those patterns.
Carlisle urged that men and women have to look for common ground. We must filter out cultural differences and social demands that diminish ourselves.
The Lorinda questions: What did we learn?
  • Males and females desire the same things when it comes to relationships.
  • Men send mixed messages and do not express themselves clearly.
  • Women have more expectations than men.
  • “I do not like to deal with emotions that are more like males.”
  • We can still find a common ground.
  • Women are more emotional than men.
  • Some things women are not ready to give up for equal rights.
Hal’s observation on the notes he has just reconstructed: The discussion was quite riveting. So many issues were brought up and not challenged. So many opinions were stated superficially and not explored in some depth. In short, we have much more to do in exploring “Talking to Women.”
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Let’s not forget Carlisle Yearwood’s IDEA several weeks ago. He suggested we develop a 3x4 index card with basic Touro information on it. We’ll talk more about this in the future.
As always, these sessions are open for everyone to attend. Bring a friend and join the excitement. See you next time.

Hal Wicke

Monday, May 18, 2009

Touro Communication Club Notes #73

Communication Quote of the Week

“Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
Rudyard Kipling, was one of the most popular English writers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.


This Week: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
2 pm - Room 223 – Midtown
“Talking to Women”

Some of our communication difficulties arise when we talk to the opposite sex. In this discussion, we will focus on what women expect in a conversation – women talking to women, men talking to women. We will have an open discussion about what women expect when they talk with men – and women. (A follow up “Talking to Men’ will be scheduled.)


A Note for Communicators:

Strategy: Finding models to emulate.
Tactic: Observe and analyze how people can turn difficult communication situations to their advantage.

As I was watching President Obama’s first commencement speech at Arizona State University on CNN (5/14/09), I was struck by how he used his rhetoric to transcend a difficult situation and turn it to his persuasive advantage. Perhaps Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” was his inspiration.
A little context is necessary. When Arizona State University invited President Obama to speak at their commencement exercises, the board of regents in their supreme wisdom voted not to give him the ritual honorary degree because Obama “has not done enough to merit the honorary degree. His body of work is yet to come.” To reduce the sting of the insult, the university named their existing extensive scholarship program after him

President Obama didn’t miss a beat as he opened his speech, “I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t achieved enough in my life…Michele concurs with that assessment. She has a long list of things I have not yet done waiting for me when I get home.

He continued, “But more than that, I come to embrace the notion that I haven’t done enough in my life. I heartily concur. I come to confirm that one’s title, even given the title like the title, president of the United States, says very little about how well one’s life has been led – and no matter how well one’s life has been led –and that no matter how much you’ve done, or how successful you’ve been, there’s always more to learn, and always more to achieve.”

I thought Obama’s unusually crisp articulation of his words at the beginning betrayed some level of anger or annoyance. He leaked his anger in a humorous barb at the university, turning to look at the dignitaries, and saying, “President Crow and the board of regents will soon learn about being audited by the I.R.S.”

Over 70,000 people, enduring 100 degree heat, gathered for the event. Obama moved beyond the awkward opener to inspire the graduates to exceed themselves. He returned to his opener in an ad lib by commenting that “A whole bunch of [people] didn’t get honorary degrees, but they changed the course of history, and so can you.”

Obama continued, “That’s what building a body of work is all about. It’s about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up over time, over a lifetime, to a lasting legacy.”

Now the possible inspiration; In Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Act III, Scene 2), Mark Antony’s funeral oration over Caesae. We know by its famous title, “Friends, Romans and Countrymen, lend me your ears.” In the next line Marc Antony states his intention, “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.’ Obama’s opening line is similar.

On four separate occasions during the speech, Mark Antony recognizes Brutus, Caesar’s murderer, by calling him “an honorable man.” The repetition of the phrase begins to transform a positive interpretation into a negative one. The speech is imaginatively laid out and is a classic of cleverly communicating the reverse of it obvious meaning.

Perhaps Shakespeare was President Obama’s inspiration to employ rhetorical strategy to turn a political embarrassment to his advantage while presenting an aura of eminent control of the situation

UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

May 27 – Student Poetry Reading – Students of Professors Charles Borkhuis and Brenda Coultas will share their writing. A discussion of their experiences will follow.

June 3 – Impromptu Speaking –Speaking without apparent preparation on your feet is an acquired skill. We rarely think about what we are going to say in conversation, yet in a formal situation our brain freezes on us. Practicing this skill makes it possible to present oneself professionally at all times. In business, it is called the “Elevator Speech,” one which captures the essence of who you are what you do in 30 seconds or less, the time to travel in an elevator to your next appointment. Great fun!

June 10 – Interviewing Strategies – One of the most practical communication skills is to be able to make a positive impression in a job interview. Questions are important, but preparation is crucial. Bring your resume and cover letter as we role play the applicant and the interviewer.

June 17 – “The Anatomy of Freedom” – This topic derived from the civil rights discussion after the Carvell program. Other ideas included “Is freedom really free?” A fascinating universal subject which every person faces in some way all the time. Among many other authors, Erich Fromm, a well-known psychologist, wrote an influential book, “Escape from Freedom” The cartoonist Jules Feiffer wrote that we exchange one jail for another…Much to talk about.


Professor Carvell will share his experiences as a Touro Communication instructor who h as parallel careers as an actor, director, sculptor and voice-over specialist for television and radio commercials.


What happened on
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
“Presenting Jason Alan Carvell”

An enthusiastic group of communicators joined together to hear Jason Carvell talk about his work and the connections between his first love, sculpture, and his parallel careers in acting, directing and voice-overs for television and radio. As it turned out he was between recording sessions for three Subway Sandwich commercials where he plays a chicken.

Newcomers Gypsy Matos and Jill Page, and faculty member Sara Tabaei were joined by Meggy Lindsay, Pamela Sheppard, James Millner, Lorinda Moore, Gareth (Musa) Bryant, Brian Brown, Drani Gabu, Alexandra Serebryanikova, Anna Indelicato, Geovanny Leon and faculty members, Gena Bardwell, Carlisle Yearwood, Lacy Shaw, Jose Dunker, Marcus Vayndorf and Hal Wicke.

In his introduction of Jason, Hal mentioned that this Communication professor has theatre degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the famed Moscow Art School On the side, Jason edits his father’s scientific papers before they are submitted.

Jason came to NYC 12 years ago straight from graduate school, fully expecting that the theatre would open upon for him and fame and fortune would shine upon his adventures. He quickly learned differently. He learned that he had to generate his own inner and outer life. He showed a video of his very first commercial when he was 16 in high school.

Jason’s sculpture occupies a major portion of his life outside his Touro teaching. He has not taken any art classes and resists training.. He showed the wax bust of Adam, a Sudanese boy, one of the infamously tragic “Lost Boys,” who became a friend of his family in Pittsburgh. Jason likes working in wax since the process is never frozen as it is in clay and marble.

“When I make a piece I love to control the process. Soon I am lost in the process, and it controls me,” Jason commented. He tries to find a rhythm to his sculpting process, analogous to a walking rhythm.

Carlisle, himself a poet, commented, “Through the creative process, energy re-generates itself. Gena, herself an actor, observed that Jason seemed to like being in the unknown, often where the mind leads the heart to its opposite.”

The ability to handle language differently in commercials, as an actor and as a director requires different approaches. In a TV commercial, language is very direct, short and concrete. In Shakespeare, the language is poetically demanding. As a director, Jason has to be conscious of all the play’s language plus many other production demands.

Hal asked Jason to compare his preparation for performing in a commercial vs. a role in Shakespeare. He finds that television commercial “acting” is just a “sketch” of the character whereas he is asked to make a portrait in a Shakespearean character. When he played “Othello” in 1999, he thought he should copy verbatim the performance of Anthony Hopkins. He found that he had to invent his own Othello, not try to be a carbon copy of someone else.

He spoke about his voice training, telling an anecdote of yelling at a 7th grade class without effect. He found that if he modulated his voice he could produce the behavior he desired.
Jason observed that there is a megalomania about directing that is similar to teaching. Both are responsible for delivering the material in a comprehensible manner. Perhaps that would be a possible future program for Faculty Development Day.

The audience seemed to be entranced by Jason’s presentation. Lorinda observed that the questions broke the trance. That observation needs further exploration.

As Jason had to leave for his second recording session, the group raised issues for future programs. Jose Dunker suggested that the “Alabama Experience” program be sent to President Obama, since Touro’s visit was the first ever by a college group. Hal suggested that such an undertaking would be more appropriately handled by an administrative group. Some suggested, “Teaching at Conversation.” We finally decided to schedule a discussion “Anatomy of Freedom” at a future date. (See above.)

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Let’s not forget Carlisle Yearwood’s IDEA several weeks ago. He suggested we develop a 3x4 index card with basic Touro information on it. We’ll talk more about this in the future.
As always, these sessions are open for everyone to attend. Bring a friend and join the excitement. See you next time.

Hal Wicke

Monday, May 11, 2009

Touro Communication Club Notes #72

Communication Quote of the Week
“Everything has been said already, but as no one listens, we must always begin again.”
Andre Gide, an influential French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947.


This Week: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
2 pm - Room 223 – Midtown
“Presenting Jason Alan Carvell”

Professor Carvell will share his experiences as a Touro Communication instructor who has parallel careers as an actor, director, sculptor and voice-over specialist for television and radio commercials.

A Note for Communicators:
Strategy: Finding models to emulate.
Tactic: Observe and absorb productive communication behavior.
No matter how far we look, we will inevitably find communication models in the news. In Sunday’s New York Times (May 10, 2009), Listening was the most important leadership lesson that James J. Schiro, CEO of Zurich Financial Services, learned. “It’s the ability to listen, and to make people understand that you are listening to them. Make them feel that they are making a contribution,… You’ve got to have a sense of inclusiveness. The other most important thing is making people understand the strategy and the message.”
If Mr. Schiro can provide a direct Communication lesson, two world figures lead their constituencies by their communication examples.
Pope Benedict XIV is in the midst of a major trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. He will be delivering 32 speeches at some of the holiest sites in the world for Muslims, Jews and Christians. Many people are worried about what will come out of his mouth, including Archbishop Fouad Twal, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, according to the New York Times (May 8, 2009). “One word for the Muslims and I am in trouble. One word for the Jews and I’m in trouble. At the end of the visit, the pope goes back to Rome and I stay here with the consequences,” Archbishop Twal said.
This concern stems from the enormous verbal blooper Pope Benedict made in 2006 when he offended many Muslims with a speech in Regensburg, Germany, in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who said Islam encouraged violence and brought things “evil and inhuman.” Many Muslims argued that even by quoting this Turkish emperor, Pope Benedict was endorsing the position. The Muslim world exploded in reaction. The Pope later went to Istanbul to make amends, but even today, many remain wary of what the 82-year-old pontiff will do when he opens his mouth.
At the other end of the verbal spectrum are the inarticulate skills of Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is “spectacularly” unpopular these days, according to the same issue of the New York Times. But it was “still shocking to see the mauling Mr. Brown suffered in the House of Commons during last week’s half-hour grilling called Prime Minister Questions.”
This uniquely brutal British convention occurs weekly when the Prime Minister is required to stand before his opposition and respond to questions from the opposition. (Can you imagine this verbal slugfest occurring in the American Congress?!?) Similar to bear-baiting or cock-fighting, both sides cheer or jeer or boo, trying to gain a tactical point for their side. This sporting event is the epitome of the worst communication behavior between adversaries. Twisted logic, ad hominum attacks, interruptions by the mob are the norm in this paradigm of parliamentary democracy. Watch it yourself weekly on C-SPAN.
Where Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair were able to acquit themselves effectively during this ordeal, Gordon Brown is “a notoriously poor debater.” His opponents know “he hasn’t got a light touch, that he’s not quick on his feet, that he is dour and heavy.” More to the point is that Gordon gets angry at the his inquisitors.
During a recent session, Brown “grew increasingly angry, refusing to answer any of the questions directly.” One of the questions designed to embarrass and demean Brown was “Don’t you agree that you are a total failure?”
Although the British parlor game of “Slicing the Prime Minister” may be amusing for the bullies in the House of Commons, what is the lesson to be learn for our communicators/
Being able to respond effectively and elegantly while under pressure is a skill that is prized by every Communicator. What looks simple has taken years to polish. Yet even a most skilled Communicator, President Obama, can put his foot in his mouth. When Obama appeared on the Jay Leno show recently, he was trying to be funny, calling his ability to bowl below the level of the Special Olympics. The proverbial sludge hit the fan and proved to be a week-long distraction for the White House.
Once we become aware of the power of Communication, we quickly learn to respect its unforeseen impact, despite our most scrupulous efforts to be “fair and balanced.” We can only hope that we shorten our reaction time when we recognize that we have made a mistake.
One of the Communication axioms says a lot, “Communication is what people hear and feel, not what is intended."
UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

May 20 – “Talking to Women” – an open discussion about what women expect when they talk with men. (A follow up “Talking to Men’ will be scheduled.)
May 27 – Student Poetry Reading – Students of Professors Charles Borkhuis and Brenda Coultas will share their writing. A discussion of their experiences will follow.
June 3 – Impromptu Speaking –Speaking without apparent preparation on your feet is an acquired skill. We rarely think about what we are going to say in conversation, yet in a formal situation our brain freezes on us. Practicing this skill makes it possible to present oneself professionally at all times. In business, it is called the “Elevator Speech,” one which captures the essence of who you are what you do in 30 seconds or less, the time to travel in an elevator to your next appointment. Great fun!
What happened on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 “The Alabama Experience”
An enormous crowd of 61 people witnessed an historic event at Touro – the moving visual portrait of a group of Touro students and faculty retracing the sites and events of the Civil Rights movement in Alabama during the 1960s. As we watched the slides taken by Alan Mildor and Orville Vernon, we heard the voice of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Refreshments were served.
The program was introduced by Hal Wicke who remarked on the historic nature of the trip. Professors Charles Mason, Jose Dunker and Carlisle Yearwood shared their thoughts about the trip. Cynthia Leguerre and Gareth/Musa (aka “Moses”) Bryant presented riveting performances of their own poetry that captured their view of the Civil Rights issues.
The slide show will be repeated for the entire Touro faculty on Thursday, May 21st at 2:30 pm with Professors Mason, Dunker and Yearwood sharing their experiences of the Alabama trip.
Among the students who attended their first Communication Club session were Gail Williams, Angelic Thomas, Chritian Preus, Frankie Eloi, Marie Guinard, Jauncia Birch, Rajitha Roy, Pranita Rai, Ramesh Lama Gole, Abayami Adeniya, Martiza Estrella, Erica DeJesus, Angel DeFranco, Simmone Joseph, Olorunfemi Bengbose, Tracy White, Felicia West, Pamela Sheppard. Ronald Johnson, Jill Page, Idazel Caleb, Starr Mercado, Natasha Spady, Roody Felix, Munur Tunca, Asif Aziz, Vannessa Linnen, Supath Sitaile, Jackie Simmons and N. Johnson.
Other students who have previously attended a Communication Club meeting included Grace Gibson, Cedric Flemming, Marie Delmas, Ravi Patel, George Goodwine, Meggy Lindsay, Lorinda Moore, Brian Brown, Jerusalem Abraham and Jazzment Campbell.

Several faculty attended including Markus Vyandorf, Stephen Gradman, Brenda Coultas, Lacy Shaw, Dean Leon Perkal, Dean Timothy Taylor, Dean Stanley Boylan, Gena Bardwell, Evette Dunlap and Karen Sutton of the women’s Division who went on the trip. Two friends of Professor Dunker, Gloria and Samuel Singer, were also in the audience.
The slide show documented the group’s arrival at the Union Station Visitor’s center, Dr. King’s church and parsonage, Morris Dees of the Souther Poverty Law Center, the Slavery and Civil War Museum,
While in Selma, the Touro group reenacted the ritual walk over Edmund Pettus Bridge, infamous as the site of the conflict of Bloody Sunday (March 7, 1965), where armed officers attacked peaceful civil rights.. Later in the week, the Touro group visited Tuskegee University and its historic George Washington Carver Museum.
Many other sites were part of the week long adventure. The Alabama trip made an overwhelming impact on everyone. Everyone carried away vivid memories of a violent period in America where people fought and died for the most elementary of civil rights. Touro students relived and reenacted part of a history barely 40 years ago which painfully changed the face of American attitudes toward civil rights.
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Let’s not forget Carlisle Yearwood’s IDEA several weeks ago. He suggested we develop a 3x4 index card with basic Touro information on it. We’ll talk more about this in the future.

As always, these sessions are open for everyone to attend. Bring a friend and join the excitement. See you next time.

Hal Wicke

Monday, May 4, 2009

Touro Communication Club Notes #71
Communication Quote of the Week

“No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others.”

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) is considered Germany’s greatest man of letters. His most famous work, “Faust,” dramatizes the agreement Faust makes with the Devil to serve Faust in this life in exchange for Faust serving the Devil in Hell. We know it as the “Faustian bargain.”



This Week: Wednesday, May 5, 2009
2 pm - Room 314 – Midtown
“The Alabama Experience”
Recently a group of 31 Touro students and faculty journey to Alabama to retrace the sites and sounds of the tumultuous 1960’s Civil Rights movement. Early reports of the Alabama experience have been glowing. At this session of the Communication Club, participants will recount their experiences of the trip. A slide show history of the adventure is an added attraction.


A Note for Communicators:
Strategy: Finding models to emulate.
Tactic: Observe and absorb the productive communication behavior.

In last week’s entry, President Obama’s leadership style was my focus. At the Speech Contest, I reiterated the power of Obama’s unique ability to communicate. He can write and he can speak. We can do well to observe Obama’s communication behavior as a model for our own communication leadership.

This week, Communication Professor Catherine Gaffigan brought to my attention a profile of Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Airlines, entitled “He wants Subjects, Verbs and Objects,” in last Sunday’s [April 26, 2009] Business section of the New York Times, one of my favorite information sources. Nothing Anderson talks about is new. What makes it interesting for Communicators is that Anderson talks about the value of communication as a major tool of his leadership style.

When asked about what he looks for in a job candidate, Anderson replied, “You’re looking for a really strong set of values. You’re looking for a really good work ethic. Really good communication skills. More and more, the ability to speak well and write is important. You know, writing is not something that is taught as strongly as it should be in the educational curriculum. So you’re looking for communication skills.”

“You’re looking for adaptability to change,” Anderson said. “Do you get along with people? And are you the sort of person that can be part of a team and motivate people? Do you have the emotional I.Q.?”

Anderson continued, “I think this communication point is getting more and more important. People really have to be able to handle the written and spoken word. And when I say written word, I don’t mean PowerPoint. I don’t think PowerPoint helps people think as clearly as they should because you don’t have to put a complete thought in place. You can just put a phrase with a bullet in front of it. And it doesn’t have a subject, a verb and an object, so you aren’t expressing complete thoughts.”

In other parts of the profile, Anderson talks about patience as a leadership quality, running meetings and asking a job candidate what they read.. He commented on Blackberrys during meetings, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to use BlackBerrys in meetings. Let’s stay focused on what we’re doing. Let’s have a really good debate, but it can’t get uncollegial. I want the debate. I want to hear everyone's’ perspective, so you try to ask more questions than make statements.”
The inclusiveness of Anderson’s statements about his leadership style is analogous to that of President Obama’s reported meeting style. Obama goes around the room asking for everyone’s opinion. When people make vague statements, he presses them. When they are confidently expressed, he moves on.

How leaders manage meetings is a subject for another discussion. Good meetings are like good classes – everyone participates and feels valued. However, the process of good communication is universal and transferable to every situation. Creating an environment for good communication is a constant challenge for everyone, especially leaders.

UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

May 13 – “Presenting Jason Alan Carvell” – a conversation with a Touro Communication professor who teaches, acts, directs, sculpts and does voice-overs for television and radio.
May 20 – “Talking to Women” – an open discussion about what women expect when they talk with men. (A follow up “Talking to Men’ will be scheduled.)
May 27 – Student Poetry Reading – Students of Professors Charles Borkhuis and Brenda Coultas will share their writing. A discussion of their experiences will follow.

What happened on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 – The 7th Speech Contest

This semester’s contest drew a number of observers who came to support their friends. They include Anil Oezlelik (Touro Berlin), Anderson Herryll, Cartier Greely, Tiffany Niang and History professor Jose Dunker as well as Communication professor Diana Thompson. The Communication staff included George Backinoff who rounded up the judges and scored the results; Richard Green who handled the video chores; Jason Carvell who coordinated the speakers and acted as certificate calligrapher; and Lorinda Moore who organized refreshments. Hal Wicke served as emcee.

The judges for the 7th Speech contest were Dean Lenin Ortega, Professor Charles Mason and graduating senior James Millner.

The 8 finalists were (in alphabetical order):
Tamika Howell (GCA 100 – Survey; - Prof. Richard Green)
“Is Communication becoming a lost art?”
Wanda Lopez (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. Richard Green)
“The History and Symbols of the U.S. Dollar Bill”
Lubin Richards (GCA 215 – Interpersonal Communication – Prof. Jason Carvell)
“Two Different Types of Friends”
Alexandra Robbins (GCA 101 –Public Speaking – Prof. George Backinoff)
“Homeless Program / The DOE Fund”
Evangeline Rudolph (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. Richard Green)
“Working Out While Pregnant”
Alexandra Serebryanikova (GCA 215 – Interpersonal Comm – Prof Hal Wicke)
“Depression in Russian Literature”
Lumina Shrestha (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. George Backinoff)
“Artificial Insemination”
Aaron Steinig (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. David Leventhal)
“Yankee Stadium – Not Just a Baseball Field”

And the 4 Prize winners
First Prize ($100.00 cash)
Princess Reddick (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. Richard Green)
“The History of HIV”
Second Prize ($75.00 cash)
Aneeqah Dinaully (Touro Berlin) – GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. Jason Carvell)
“Glass Blowing”
Tie for Third Place ($25.00 cash)
Brian Brown (GCA 100 – Survey – Prof. Barrie Cline)
“Investing in the New World”
Ana Coch̩ (GCA=2 0100 РSurvey РProf. Richard Green)
“Depression/Anxiety Disorders”

Each finalist received a Certificate of Participation while the prize winners received a Prize Certificate and their cash amount.

Congratulations to all the speakers! This contest is only one aspect of your Communication skill set. Writing and speaking for a variety of situations are twin foundations of effective communication.

By representing your class in this contest, you have set yourself apart from your colleagues. You have set a personal standard of leadership on which you can build for the future. To speak effectively before any audience is a personal skill that will always be with you, giving you a personal and professional edge over many of your colleagues. Treasure that skill. Polish it at every opportunity.

As always, the contest produced a variety of interesting speeches. The speeches are always demonstrations of the student interests. Especially noteworthy was the energy that all the speakers invested in their presentations.

With luck, you will be able to see all of this semester’s speakers on the Touro Communication Club blog.
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Let’s not forget Carlisle Yearwood’s IDEA several weeks ago. He suggested we develop a 3x4 index card with basic Touro information on it. W e’ll talk more about this in the future.
As always, these sessions are open for everyone to attend. Bring a friend and join the excitement. See you next time.

Hal Wicke