The Touro Communication Club Notes - #101 –January 13, 2010 Tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com

We’re back in business after the holiday recess. The Club continues to meet during intercession before the second semester begins February 1^st. Hope you are having a productive intercession.

Four Communication Quotes of the Week

“To act is easy, to think is hard.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 17^th century German writer

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”

Voltaire, 18^th century French philosopher

“Thought is a sculptor who can create the person you want to be.”

Henry David Thoreau, 19^th century American author and philosopher

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.”

Oscar Wilde. 19^th century Irish playwright and poet

The Touro Communication Club

2 pm - Wednesday, January 6, 2010– Room 223

“Current Events”

When we are in preoccupied with school, it seems that the rest of the world disappears. Major events are happening all the time that have an impact on your life. The question is “Do you care?” Communication is the invisible thread that connects us to the world. We’ll talk about what’s happening in the world and in America and whether you care about ANY of it. Your opinions on health care, immigration, jobs, Obama’s one-year record, Afghanistan and Iraq, the underpants bomber, international terrorism, the political parties, or something else. This is the time to behave like talk radio.

A Note to Communicators:

Critical Thinking and Communication

The term, “critical thinking,” is thrown about a lot at Touro. The phrase has become part of the Touro ethos since the college is in an aggressive college-wide push students and faculty alike to sharpen our assessment of everything,

But what is “critical thinking”? Judging by our recent session on “Thinking,” the responses range from “I don’t know” to “sometimes” to “all the time.” No clear agreement.

My guess is that everyone would also disagree about “critical thinking.” Sure, there are academic definitions of the phrase. Here is the official definition as defined by The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

Clear? Full of $1.98 words that depend on your knowing a 100 other words and issues. For our purposes, my question is “How do we recognize ‘Critical Thinking’?” And, more importantly, how do we recognize it in oral communication.

I feel like I’m going to digress throughout this piece so bear with me.

I have come to the conclusion that many people throw around words and phrases that they cannot define or use in any other than a generic way.

Politicians are famous for this. And voters believe every word they say during the campaign and are disappointed and disillusioned when their fantasies of the candidate are not realized when he is elected.

President Obama’s campaign slogan “Change You Can Believe In” is a current example of a mirage that has vanished. Candidate Obama was perceived by many to be a Savior (intentionally capitalized) who could and would walk on water when elected. The hyperbolic nature of voter perception of Obama during the campaign could not possibly have been brought to fruition.

So where’s the critical thinking? Certainly, not with the voters who are disillusioned. As in a marriage, the rose-colored glasses of the honeymoon vanish quickly. But that is another topic.

Critical thinking is vital in ORAL communication. Listening is primary. You only hear the message once. And while you are trying to listen, you have many things happening simultaneously in an ORAL communication transaction.

The oral decoding process is fraught with so many missteps.

· You are listening for the denotative definition of the all the words,

· You are listening for any connotative connections to the words.(Semantics)

· You have to listen for the context of the words. (Semantics)

· You have to listen for any multiple audiences that the speaker may include.

· Your have to be aware of the various types of external and internal that may interfere with the comprehension of the message.

· You are observing in a face-to-face ORAL communication the non-verbal clues to support and/or contradict the message. (Attitudinal)

· In a telephone communication, you have only the paralinguistics of the voice to rely on.

And all of this decoding happens in a nanosecond. But two are extremely important.

Paralinguistics and ethos affect the perception of a message more quickly than any other factor.

I can see you go “Yawn.” Your eyes are glazing over. I’m caught in my own trap of throwing #1.98 words out with defining them.

Here are two definitions:

#1 - Paralinguistics are the ways the voice is manipulated to create meaning. The elight elements of paralanguage include

1, Rate of speaking – fast, slow

2. Volume of the voice – loud, soft

3. Pitch of the voice – high, low

4. Quality of speaking – full, nasal, thin, breathy

5. Articulation of the sounds – the clarity with which the words are spoken

6. Pronunciation - accuracy in the way the word is said, accented English

7. Vocal variety – too much, too little, monotonous

8. Verbal disfluencies – excessive pausing, nervous habits, extra words, sounds or phrases.

(from a handout for ED529 – Communication Skills for Teachers, Touro College Graduate School of Education, by H.W.)

#2. - Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, argues there are three ways to persuade someone: Logos (logic), Pathos (Emotion) and Ethos.

Ethos (Greek for 'character') refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or speaker. We know it as “Character.” Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and through the way the writer or speaker refers to differing views. It can also be affected by the writer's reputation as it exists independently from the message--his or her expertise in the field, his or her previous record or integrity, and so forth. The impact of ethos is often called the argument's 'ethical appeal' or the 'appeal from credibility.'

(Compiled from the Forensics programs of the University of Arizona and Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, NY.)

Most people listen to the music of the oral conversation or lecture rather the words. Our brain focuses on the face and voice to determine the character and validity of the speaker’s words

· In any popular song, we know the tune before we remember the words. (Exception: Rap where the words are more important because there is no melody and the rhythm is constant.)

· An old sales adage; “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

What kind of listening is demanded EVEN BEFORE you get to thinking critically.

HALT!

This feels like a drunken conversation where one topic triggers another. There are too many ideas going on simultaneously. So much basic information needs to be developed before I move the any kind of analysis.

I’m boring myself with this drunken behavior. I’ll stop for now. I haven’t even scratched the surface. So the topic of “Critical Thinking and Communication” will return. I have to rework this entry again. Sorry

UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

January 20, 2010 - “Cynicism”- It has always been cool to be cynical, especially in college. You know all these good ideas, but stay apart from them. It’s safe to be AGAINST something, but uncool to be FOR something. To show any passion, except for pop music, is just not cool. Why is that? Is being positive about ANYTHING –except pop music –turns you into a social outcast? We’ll try to dig under the surface.

January 27, 2010 -“Leadership” We are surrounded and led by people who have titles, but are they “leaders”? Advertising tells us if we buy their product, we can be “leaders.” Are you a “leader” if you are a single working mom with three kids who’s going to Touro? Are leaders the ones who are on TV? What is a leader? How do you get to be a leader? We’ll explore this topic and Professor George Backinoff’s favorite version of leadership he calls “Followership.”

February 3, 2010 - “Student Needs” On this first week of class, it is appropriate that we focus on what students need. This topic came up during one of the Club discussions. It was unclear which direction it could go – personal needs, school needs, needs for the past, present or future. We’ll start with a “tabula rasa”(a blank slate) and see where we go.

What about one of these topics?

“How Do You Fire Someone?”

“Asking Questions in Class”

“Cold Calling in Sales”

“Rodney King: ‘Why Can’t We Get Along?”

“Repetition”

“Meaning”

“The Seven Heavenly Virtues”

“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”

“Heroism”

“Concentration”

“The Power of No”

“Coping with Adversity”

“Distraction”

Dean Donne Kampel on “Women & Leadership”

James Baldwin Dialogue featuring two Touro faculty members,

Student Poetry showcase

And dozens of others!

What happened on Wednesday,

January 6, 2010?

Compare the notice of the session with what really happened

“Rap and Hip Hop – What’s the Message?”

When Lorinda Moore leads this session, it won’t take but a second to get into a lively discussion – even an argument – over this topic. Everyone has an opinion about rap and hip hop. Academic Michael Eric Dyson supports it. Musician Wynton Marsalis calls “ghetto minstrelsy.” Most importantly, what is rap and hip hop saying to YOU. Come and share your “attitude!”

This workshop was filmed courtesy of Professor Richard Green

Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 -The Workshop on “Rap and Hip Hop – What’s the Message?”

There was a symposium consisting of Ronald Johnson, Olushile (Shile) Akintade, James Millner, Professors Carlisle Yearwood, Charles Mason, Richard Green and newcomer Financial Aide Associate Leunam Ramirez. The workshop was facilitated by Lorinda Moore

 The questions posed were:

What is the difference between Rap and Hip Hop?

The consensus of those who felt they held the truth from their actual involvement was that Rap is the talent or gift of lyrically collaborating with a beat while Hip Hop is a culture, a way of life that is inclusive of the skill known as rapping.

Hip Hop consists of rapping, DJing, sampling, scratching, beatboxing and breakdancing.

There was a pretty equal split in the field of experience concerning Hip Hop and Rap as 2 parties having been born of a different culture had limited experience and exposure to either concepts. 

 Professor Yearwood shared his experience growing up and his passion for singers such as Frank Sinatra.

Professor Yearwood and Professor Green were pleased to find that there even was a difference between Hip Hop and Rap and that the origin of Hip Hop was not negative but it was a way of coping and expressing the substandard conditions in the poverty stricken neighborhoods.

 Hip Hop told the stories of the people who made do with what they had and how they grouped together to ward off attacks and robberies of devious perpetrators lurking in the streets.  Hip Hop also told stories of the types of food we ate and the places we lived, the projects or the tenement buildings. It also showed how we made fun of each other like James said, "We played the dozens" which strengthen our lyrical prowess by trying to hit a sore spot harder than the person verbally inciting you to respond.

 Ronald Johnson told of his personal experiences growing up during the period of Hip Hop and his involvement with many of those considered Founding Fathers still today. The contribution has been exploited over and over again and many founding Fathers of Hip Hop are recognized but none of them were rewarded to the extent that Rappers are today.

 Leunam asked the question “Why does society blame most of its ills on Rap?” He then stated that there is an even bigger difference now as Rap has taken things in a negative direction as evidenced by its disrespect of women and the promotion of sex and violence. Professor Yearwood concurred that this negative attitude is one of the perspectives that both Hip Hop and Rap disseminate and added that there is always the choice to be led or to become a leader in the fight against the negative

 We’d also like to wish Leunam a safe journey and a safe return as he will be leaving us on January 22, 2010, to go back to Iraq and our sincere wishes go with him. This is the first time Leunam attended one of our sessions and we hope to have him back soon to attend some more. 

 James Millner chimed in with “No matter how negative and degrading the language is, there is such a thing as freedom of speech and poetic license.” He also reminisced about a time when Hip Hop was uplifting, empowering and a statement of our condition but now it seems to be a cause of our condition”

 A little later Shile, a Touro graduate, former club member and supporter of Touro, expressed the same thoughts about the negativity associated with the arts.

 Another question posed was “Who is more important? The person on stage or the person behind the stage or the person in the audience?”

There are so many stereotypes affecting Hip Hop and Rap performers today that this new generation is being inaccurately influenced and missing the dynamic behind support in the industry. For example, the person behind the stage that helps the show to come off will work more often and make more money than the artist on stage because he can work for every artist that performs on that stage through the union where as the artist either has to book the place to perform or convince the club to hire them to perform. As far as the person in front of the stage - Chubb Rock said it best.

Artist: Chubb Rock

Album:  The One

Song:   Treat 'Em Right

Typed by: piercez@sonoma.edu

Kids in the crib want dibs on the big man

"Can he come out? Can he come out and slam a jam?

"I'm his number one fan, yes I am"

All these kids realize that I'm the man

Six foot three and maybe a quarter of an inch bigger

Than last year, but still a unique figure

Rob Swinger, Doc No, Dinky, and Hot Dog know

That I'm a man who was born to have a mic on

Next to me at all time; ready to kick a rhyme

That will keep me out of financial bind

That's why when it comes to fans I'm never mean

Kids on St. James between Gates and Greene

Always say hello, cause I'm a modest fellow

Never try to play a super star that's hollow

Cause if these kids don't go buy our records

We'll be has-beens - and plus naked

So we owe them, to pull out your pen

Sign an autograph; you might make a new friend

So just get your boys and bring the noise and just swing it

And party people in the house, sing it

We also discussed the pros and cons of technology as this affects the Hip Hop and Rap scenes. .Shile, being a former Touro IT department technician, felt that technology offered the opportunity for more people to have access to music without proper compensation, whereas, by the same token, it also allowed people without big money the opportunity to create musical masterpieces affordably.

The final leg of our discussion was posed in the question, “What significance do you have in the music industry?” As a consumer the big Wall Street executives want o make money off of the backs of those who have created an appeal and if we don’t buy, they can’t sell. We have more power than we think and need to exercise it to show what we will and will not stand for. CD sales are down and MP3’s are being downloaded into the ears of our impressionable youth when will be take a stand?

The Nation of Islam Muslims used to speak out against such degradation of our women and they also would stand as security for Hip Hop events so where is the influence now? Have the people that strove with us in the beginning left us behind or have they found more important things to concern themselves with? Who’s watching the boiling pot on the stove? Where is the leadership? Is this what Disco King Mario had in mind?

Disco King Mario was a pioneer of Hip hop. In the 1970s Mario was a prominent DJ of the New York Bronx. At the time, he lived in the Bronxdale Housing projects. The Bronx was famous for its block parties at which the DJ's were the most prominent personalities, the masters of ceremonies who garnered most of the attention.

Together with his crew, known as Chuck Chuck City, he published several mixtapes. He loaned Africa Bambaataa the technical equipment for his first appearances as DJ, and Bambaataas first DJ-Battle took place in 1976 in the New York junior High School 123 against Mario. Well-known DJ Jazzy Jay had his first appearances as well with Mario. Together with Bambaataa, Mario controlled essentially the entire southeast Bronx. Both were originally members of the street gang Black Spades and DJs had to either get permission from Bambaataas Zulu nation or from Mario, before they could safely DJ publicly.

Disco King Mario never released any records. His pioneering role in the genesis of Hip Hop did not lead to the nation wide celebrity as either a performer of a producer, which a number of other early rap and hip hop performers enjoyed.

After his death, a concert and celebration was held in his honor on August 18, 2001, at the Rosedale 'Big Park' in the Bronx where he had thrown many of his early gigs.

We always have a great time exploring these issues. So often our daily life never focuses on these Communication issues. If you have something you want us to discuss please let us know and we’ll add it to the list.

Next time bring a friend. The Communication Club is always an open discussion, limited only by time. Everyone gets a chance to speak. All opinions are welcome. Here is an opportunity for students to challenge professors’ views outside the class without any homework or assignments. You just have to show up and listen and talk if you want.

Hal Wicke and Lorinda Moore