Touro Communication Club

2011-12-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #151
FYI - Comm Club #151 - "Conflict and Emotion" - Tuesday, 12/20/11 - 2 pm - Room 314 - Midtown - Last Conversation of 2011

1. This week’s conversation – “Conflict and Emotions” – LAST CONVERSATION OF 2011

2. 12^th Speech Contest results – Club meeting #150

3. The next conversation – The 2012 Election

4. Last week’s conversation – Student Showcase – Antoinette Miller, Class of 2010

5. Upcoming conversations

This Week

1. The Touro Communication Club #151

Last Conversation of 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011- 2:00 p- 4:00 pm

Room 314 – Midtown

“Conflict and Emotions”

Although both topics are studied and applied by specialists, neither topic is often

part of general conversation. Yet each day we often find ourselves in

emotional states because of one or more conflicts.

Since conflicts and the resultant emotional turmoil are part of our daily communication life, we will try to dissect the interaction of both from

a layman’s viewpoint.

This conversation will be neither a psychological nor a philosophical examination We are looking at conflict and emotions through a practical Communication lens.

By the way, we are having some spectacularly interesting conversations. Some people have commented that they feel comfortable enough to share their feelings without a fear of judgment or reprisal. We hope to continue to create a supportive Communication atmosphere.

Join us! Bring a friend!

Observe what we are all about!

Best of all, share your thoughts!

2. Touro Club Meeting #150
12^th Speech Contest –Fall, 2011

December 15, 2011

Name	Title of Speech	Instructor	Course/Site	Rank
1.Lauren Siletsi	“The Wonderful Skill of CPR”	Prof. Bakeoff	GCA 100 Midtown	First Prize
2. Precious Coleman	“Illicit Blood Diamonds”	Prof. Bakeoff	GCA 100 Midtown	Second Prize
3. Violetta Ostarkhova	“What is Love/”	Prof. Cline	GCA 100 Midtown	Third Prize
4..Vera Buniak	“Alcohol”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Midtown	Honorable Mention
5. Kerry Castellon	“Male Breast Cancer”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 100 Midtown	Finalist
6. Orel Dolev	“Body Language”	Prof. Cline	GCA 100 Midtown	Finalist
7. Tricia McPherson	“”Domestic Violence”	Prof. Wicke	GCA 215 Midtown	Finalist
8. Anasia Maison	“Child Abuse”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 100 Midtown	Finalist
9. Lygia Mitchell	“Trafficking of Children in U.S.”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Midtown	Finalist
10. Soon Sarah Park	“Street & How to Deal with It”	Prof. Gaffigan	GTA 215 Flushing	Flushing
11. Fatema Rahman	“Am I in Control of Street or is Stress in Control of Me”	Prof. Cleveland	GCA 100 Midtown	Finalist
12. Nydia Soto	“ADHD in Children	Prof. Wicke	GCA 215 Midtown	Finalist
13.Michele Waugh	“Sexual Harassmant”	Prof. Gaffigan	GCA 215 Flushing	Finalist
14. Edward Hu	”Martial Arts”	Prof. Gaffigan	GCA 100 Flushing	Finalist

Judges: Dr. Marcella Bullmaster-Day (Graduate Education); Dr. Robert Fardon (Physics); Mr. Ian Smith (Advisement).

Next Week’s Conversation

3. The Touro Communication Club #151

Tuesday, February 14, 2011- 2:00 p- 4:00 pm

Room 314 – Midtown

Progress report on

The 2012 Election

This blurb is being written in December. Who knows what will have happened when we next meet in February?

There are now six Republican candidates arguing with each other with lots of noise from Donald Trump. In the latest yo-yo polling, Newt Gingrich is leading the pack. There is talk of a third party candidate. President Obama is counterattacking Republican charges.

In short, everything is mess. mixed up. Who is leading the Republican horse race

will become clearer toward the summer.

You might think that a Presidential election is far away from your experience.

You avoid these issues at your peril. Health care is a hot issue. Immigration

issues are on our doorstep. And voter registration affects whether you or your relatives can vote. And there are many more than these three issues.

Our conversations are never boring. We surprise ourselves at how many different opinions we have. Share yours and change someone’s mind – maybe.

Last Week’s Conversation

4. The Touro Communication Club #149

SPECIAL TIME!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011- 3:30 pm
Room 314 – Midtown

Student Showcase

Antoinette Miller, Class of 2010

“My Journey”
The Communication Department’s first Work Study, Antoinette returns to share her adventures since graduation from Touro as a Human Services major.

Antoinette is currently employed as a CASAC-T Substance Abuse Counselor in training at the Methadone Clinic at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. She is pursuing her Masters of Social Work in the Touro Graduate School of Social Work.

As a Touro undergraduate Ms. Miller graduated Magda Cum Laude and was a Work Study for the Communication Department where she produced Touro’s first Jazz Concert.

Her appearance is jointly sponsored by the Touro Communication Club and the Human Service Department, :Professor Cynthia Bangura, Deputy Chair. Refreshments will be served.

5. UPComing Conversations

Films –“The Great Debaters,” “Wag the Dog,”

Student Showcases – T.B.A

Faculty Showcases – Prof. Gary Sheinfeld, Prof. Carlisle Yearwood

Student Clubs - Science, Namaste

Topics – “Leadership,” “Gender Communication”, “Political Speech”

Current Events – The 2012 Election updates

Communication Skills – Presenting Literature, Interviewing, etc.

Communication Strategies – “Getting to YES,” “Shooting from the Lip”

Plus your suggestions!

Hal Wicke

2011-05-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #139

Contents:

1. This week’s conversation - “Conspiracy Theory & Critical Thinking”

2. The next conversation – until Fall, 2011 “Your Summer Communication Lesson Plan”

3. Last week’s conversation - postponed until Fall, 2011

This Coming Week – Final program for this semester

1. The Touro Communication Club #139

Tuesday, May 24, 2011- 2:30 p- 4:00 pm – Room 223

Midtown

“Conspiracy Thinking vs. Critical Thinking”

The assassination of Osama Bin Laden on Sunday, May 1, 2011, has produced the inevitable outbreak of people who don’t believe that bin Laden still lives. In recent years it has always become a predictable “fact” that some people will deny any facts that are presented in support of an action or a position.

To be simplistic, for a change, let us group these kinds of people as “Conspiracy Theorists.” The basic pattern of this thinking is to deny any set of facts as untrue. Examples abound: .

· “The end of the earth will arrive on Saturday, May 21, 2011” is only the most recent, or

· President Obama’s birth certificate has been a favorite or

· Global Warming (or climate change as it is now called for the politically correct), or

· Was Lee Harvey Oswald President Kennedy’s killer? or

· Unidentified Flying Objects, or

· and, most dangerously, the Holocaust.

Other everyday circumstances of the denial of factual evidence show up when

· Someone calls you a liar, (Congressman Joe Wilson to President Obama) or

· Someone continues to lie despite the evidence (a current court case), or

· A student shouts at a teacher, “You’re wrong!” among others.

We will attempt to identify these and other issues which are conducive to “Conspiracy Thinking” and examine how “Critical Thinking’ can aid in understanding what and why this occurs. Perhaps a bit of Freud might help, too.

Join us in Thinking Outside the Box!

(Or Just Thinking!)

The Next Conversation – Until Fall, 2011

2. Your Summer Communication Lesson Plan

During the summer, you are on your own to develop your repertoire of communication skills. It’s a 24/7 job – if you want to sharpen your mind. “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste, according to the iconic slogan of the United Negro College Fund.

Keep in mind “You cannot not communicate.” Some messages are obvious. Many are not.

There is much to “look” for with your eyes, ears and the pit of your stomach (that’s Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Crap Detector.”) Watch and listen to the language people use. Watch and listen to their gestures and body language.

Then connect the dots. What does this individual data mean? What does it mean in context? Ask yourself, “Is that the only intended meaning? Or are there other possibilities?” This is not being paranoid. This is analysis.

That was the easy part. Now do the same for what comes out YOUR mouth. Words. Gestures. Body Language. Your dress. This is more difficult because you have to be pro-active, not passive. Think before you speak. Pause a fraction of a second before reacting.

Your Communication Tool Box begins with awareness – inside and outside. As you gather data, look for patterns. Verify the patterns. Once you’ve observed the general outlines, then begin to look for nuances.

Then give your mind a rest. Until the next time.

Last Week’s Conversation – postponed until Fall, 2011

. The Touro Communication Club #138

Tuesday, May 17, 2011- 2:30 p- 4:00 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Student Showcase I – Ms. Lorinda Moore

Anyone who has been around the Midtown site will know Lorinda Moore. Officially, she is Dean Perkal’s Administrative Assistant in Room 301. But she brings a lot to the table besides her million-dollar smile and her helpful, gracious manner. Lorinda is a 2010 Touro graduate who received last year’s Special Recognition Award. She’s now working on her MBA degree at Touro. But there’s much more that you can discover about Lorinda on Tuesday when the Communication Club presents its first Student Showcase.

Discover the inspiring accomplishments of Touro students!

Hal Wicke

2011-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #137

Contents::

1. This week’s conversation: Debate

2. The next conversation – “Conspiracy Theory & Critical Thinking”

3. Last week’s conversation: “Abbott and Costello” & list of attendees.

This Coming Week:

1. The Touro Communication Club # 137

Tuesday, May 10, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Debate – What is it?

Plus a few useful skills

As an example of what is expected in debate, Michael Zacharias, Junior in Political Science and a Finalist in the Speech Contest, will demonstrate a 3-part legal brief. He will portray the Judge, the Prosecutor and the Defense in a property damage suit. You will be the jury

At the recent Speech Contest, the idea of having a debate team was mentioned. If you are interesting in finding out more, come and have some fun.

If you like to argue, this session is for you! Learn how to argue effectively and not just shout over the other person.

Academic debate has been called “intellectual combat.” Compared to what is called “debate” in the political arena, academic debate is exacting and challenging. In politics, you can shoot your mouth off without evidence. In academic debate, you will regret that.

Academic debate teaches every academic skill you need plus the excitement of thinking on your feet in the moment. The old debate adage is that “A debate is won in the library.” That means you’d better do your homework or you’ll be shot out of the water.

We’ll experiment with instant SPAR debate we often use in our classes and then switch sides.

Work out at the Brain Gym with Debate!

The Next Conversation

2. The Touro Communication Club #138

Tuesday, May 17, 2011- 2:30 p- 4:00 pm – Room 223

Midtown

“Conspiracy Thinking vs. Critical Thinking”

To be simplistic, for a change, let us group these kinds of people as “Conspiracy Theorists.” The basic pattern of this thinking is to deny any set of facts as untrue. Examples abound:

· President Obama’s birth certificate is the most recent, or

· Global Warming (or climate change as it is now called for the politically correct), or

· Was Lee Harvey Oswald President Kennedy’s killer? or

· Unidentified Flying Objects, or

· and, most dangerously, the Holocaust.

Other everyday circumstances of the denial of factual evidence show up when

· Someone calls you a liar, or

· Someone continues to lie despite the evidence, or

· A student shouts at a teacher, “You’re wrong!” among others.

Join us in Thinking Outside the Box!

(Or Just Thinking!)

Last Week’s Conversation

3. The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, May 3, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Critical Listening Institute III: Comedy

Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?”

For those who don’t know this famous comic routine, you are in for a treat!

“Who’s on First?” is a part of the rich American popular culture. First performed in the 1944 film “The Naughty Nineties,” the routine became the signature act of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Products of burlesque and vaudeville in 1930s and 1940s, the comedy team were successful in radio and over 30 movies. The routine is part of the permanent exhibit at Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

This is the third in the Critical Listening series. Martin Luther King’s “I have

a Dream Speech” was the focus of the first session. The second session was Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.”

The topic attracted an attentive and enthusiastic people of 19 with many new faces. They included: Yanchen Lama, Jean Missial, Vlad Konyshev, David Davidov, Logunshvili Nicki (sp?), Omer Gurbuzer, Bahadirhan Keles (sp?), Jean Bonne-Année, Tian Yuan Chen, Richard Green (many thanks for handling the DVDs), Nabila Ellithy, Rashmi Hirani, Lorinda Moore (thank you for the flyers), Hong Huang, Htinshu Way, Gena Bardwell, Robert Bohr, Charles Mason, Carlisle Yearwood and Hal Wicke

Hal Wicke

2011-04-30T16:40:00.001-07:00

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #136 -#2

The April 12 meeting was canceled because of a “safety incident” at Midtown which brought a dozen fire engines, ambulances and Haz-Mat trucks. All in the rain. No one was hurt – just a terrible odor. We will try again after spring vacation on Tuesday, May 3.

Contents::

1. This week’s conversation: Abbott and Costello

2. Eight Quotations about Comedy

3. The next conversation - after vacation: “Debate – What is it? Plus a few skills”

4. Last week’s conversation: The results of the 11^th Speech Contest

This Coming Week: (Attempt #2)

1. The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, May 3, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Critical Listening Institute III: Comedy

Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?”

For those who don’t know this famous comic routine, you are in for a treat!

This is the third in the Critical Listening series. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech” was the focus first session.

2. Eight Quotations about Comedy

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich,

a tragedy for the poor.”

Sholom Aleichem, pen name for Solomon Rabinovich (1859-1916), a leading Yiddih author and playwright.

“God writes a lot of comedy. The problem is, he’s stuck with so many bad actors who don’t know how to play funny.”

Garrison Keillor, American writer and broadcaster

“The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.”

Moliere (1622-1673), French actor and playwright

“In tragedy every moment is eternity; in comedy, eternity is a moment”

Christopher Fry (1907-2005), English writer and playwright

“Life is a tragedy when seen close-up, but a comedy in long shot.”

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), English silent film actor and film director

“We participate in tragedy; at a comedy we only look.”

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), English writer, best known for his novel, Brave New World

“Comedy is tragedy plus time.”

Carol Burnett, American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer

“Life is a comedy for those who think…and a tragedy for those who feel.”

Horace Walpole (1717-1797), English art historian and man of letters

The Next Conversation

3. The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, May 10, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Debate – What is it?

Plus a few useful skills

At the recent Speech Contest, the idea of having a debate team was mentioned. If you are interesting in finding out more, come and have some fun.

If you like to argue, this session is for you! Learn how to argue effectively and not just shout over the other person.

We’ll experiment with instant SPAR debate we often use in our classes and then switch sides.

Work out at the Brain Gym with Debate!

Last Week’s Conversation

4. Touro Communication Club

This Week’s Conversation:

The 11^th Speech Contest

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

2:30-4:30 pm – Room 314 – Midtown

The Speech Contest is Touro’s longest running student event, now in its 11^th semester since Spring 2007. Finalists are chosen from three Communication classes to represent their classmates. The quality of the performances is consistently rather impressive. Cash prizes ($100, $75, $50) await the top three winners chosen by a panel of judges who are made up of Touro staff. Refreshments are available during the wait for the judges’ decision.

The judges for this contest are Mr. Richard Jong (Advisement), Ms.Sharon Little (Compliance), Mr. Robert Babsky (Operations)

Discover The Future Leaders of America Here!

11^th Speech Contest – Spring, 2011

April 5, 2011

Name	Title of Speech	Instructor	Course/Site	Rank
1 Dena (Tira) Bluestone	“Learning the ABC’s of Yoga”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 101/ Midtown/SGS	First Prize
2. Jediaiah Cohen	“Facebook”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100/ Taino/SGS	Second Prize
3. Simon Bae	“The New Culture”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 101/ Midtown/SGS	Third Prize
4. Elana Davrayev	“The Jewish Law of Married Couples Abstaining from Physical Intimacy during the Menstrual Cycle”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Honorable Mention
5. Hope Dublin	“Malrotation and Volvulus”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Taino/SGS	Finalist
6. Jeffrey Ebin	“The Peg System”	Prof. Cleveland	GCA 100/ Midtown/SGS	Finalist
7. Anzhelika Leviyeva	“Texting While Driving”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Finalist
8. Diana Starayeva	“Job Interviewing”	Prof Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Finalist
9. Luxi Wang	“Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day”	Prof. Gaffigan	GCA 100/ Flushing/SGS	Finalist
10.Michael Zacharias	How Does the U.S. Debt Affect You?”	Prof. Wicke	GCA 215/ Midtown/SGS	Finalist

Judges: Mr. Richard Jong (Admissions), Mr. Robert Babsky (IT), Prof. Carlisle Yearwood (English)

2011-04-09T16:45:00.001-07:00

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #136

Contents::

1. This week’s conversation: Abbott and Costello

2. Eight Quotations about Comedy

3. The next conversation - after vacation: “Debate – What is it? Plus a few skills”

4. Last week’s conversation: The results of the 11^th Speech Contest

This Coming Week:

1. The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, April 12, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Critical Listening Institute III: Comedy

Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?”

For those who don’t know this famous comic routine, you are in for a treat!

This is the third in the Critical Listening series. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech” was the focus first session.

2. Eight Quotations about Comedy

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich,

a tragedy for the poor.”

Sholom Aleichem, pen name for Solomon Rabinovich (1859-1916), a leading Yiddih author and playwright.

“God writes a lot of comedy. The problem is, he’s stuck with so many bad actors who don’t know how to play funny.”

Garrison Keillor, American writer and broadcaster

“The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.”

Moliere (1622-1673), French actor and playwright

“In tragedy every moment is eternity; in comedy, eternity is a moment”

Christopher Fry (1907-2005), English writer and playwright

“Life is a tragedy when seen close-up, but a comedy in long shot.”

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), English silent film actor and film director

“We participate in tragedy; at a comedy we only look.”

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), English writer, best known for his novel, Brave New World

“Comedy is tragedy plus time.”

Carol Burnett, American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer

“Life is a comedy for those who think…and a tragedy for those who feel.”

Horace Walpole (1717-1797), English art historian and man of letters

The Next Conversation – after vacation

3. The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, May 3, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Debate – What is it?

Plus a few useful skills

At the recent Speech Contest, the idea of having a debate team was mentioned. If you are interesting in finding out more, come and have some fun.

If you like to argue, this session is for you! Learn how to argue effectively and not just shout over the other person.

We’ll start with instant SPAR debate we often use in our classes and then switch sides.

Work out at the Brain Gym with Debate!

Last Week’s Conversation

4. Touro Communication Club

This Week’s Conversation:

The 11^th Speech Contest

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

2:30-4:30 pm – Room 314 – Midtown

The judges for this contest are Mr. Richard Jong (Advisement), Ms.Sharon Little (Compliance), Mr. Robert Babsky (Operations)

Discover The Future Leaders of America Here!

11^th Speech Contest – Spring, 2011

April 5, 2011

Name	Title of Speech	Instructor	Course/Site	Rank
1 Dena (Tira) Bluestone	“Learning the ABC’s of Yoga”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 101/ Midtown/SGS	First Prize
2. Jediaiah Cohen	“Facebook”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100/ Taino/SGS	Second Prize
3. Simon Bae	“The New Culture”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 101/ Midtown/SGS	Third Prize
4. Elana Davrayev	“The Jewish Law of Married Couples Abstaining from Physical Intimacy during the Menstrual Cycle”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Honorable Mention
5. Hope Dublin	“Malrotation and Volvulus”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Taino/SGS	Finalist
6. Jeffrey Ebin	“The Peg System”	Prof. Cleveland	GCA 100/ Midtown/SGS	Finalist
7. Anzhelika Leviyeva	“Texting While Driving”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Finalist
8. Diana Starayeva	“Job Interviewing”	Prof Bardwell	GCA 101/Dov Revell/SCAS	Finalist
9. Luxi Wong	“Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day”	Prof. Gaffigan	GCA 100/ Flushing/SGS	Finalist
10.Michael Zacharias	How Does the U.S. Debt Affect You?”	Prof. Wicke	GCA 215/ Midtown/SGS	Finalist

Judges: Mr. Richard Jong (Admissions), Mr. Robert Babsky (Operations), Prof. Carlisle Yearwood (English)

Hal Wicke

2011-04-03T14:05:00.001-07:00

Hal Wicke

TouroCommunicationClub.blogspot.com – Meeting #135

This coming week:

Touro Communication Club

This Week’s Conversation:

The 11^th Speech Contest

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

2:30-4:30 pm – Room 223 – Midtown

The judges for this contest are Mr. Richard Jong (Advisement), Ms.Sharon Little (Compliance), Mr. Robert Babsky (Operations)

Discover The Future Leaders of America Here!

Next week’s conversation

The Touro Communication Club

Tuesday, April 12, 2011- 2:30 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Critical Listening Institute III: Comedy

Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?”

For those who don’t know this famous comic routine, you are in for a treat!

This is the third in the Critical Listening series. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech” was the focus first session w

Last Week’s conversation

Touro Communication Club

Last Week’s Conversation:

“Job Interview Preparation Workshop”

New Day - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New Time 3 -4:30 pm – Room 223 – Midtown

Communication Professors George Backinoff and Gena Bardwell will share their extensive experience in polishing the interview skills of job applicants. What questions do you ask? What kinds of non-verbal behavior send the right message? Coping with nervousness? How do you sell yourself? These and many other topics will be covered in the workshop. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Office of Advisement and Counseling.

“It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear That Counts!”

This is one discussion you should not miss!

What happened at the Job Interview Seminar

Professors George Backinoff and Gena Bardwell led an exciting workshop with enthusiastic participation of Emmanuel Boy, Laura LaChica, Ismael Aidara, Bai, Xia, Gen Gelsonino, Vlad Konyshev, Dilyara Iafiasova, Anzhelika Leviyeva, Dena (Tira) Bluestone and familiar faces Robert Bohr, Lorinda Moore and Sophia Volfson.

The Touro Career Interview Preparation Workshop took place on Tuesday, March 29,

2011, at 3:00pm.  The workshop was a successful collaboration between Career Services, the Communication Department and Advisement.

 The facilitators included Adriana Jimenez of Career Services, Professor Gena Bardwell

and Professor George Backinoff of the Communication Department.

 Additionally, Sofia Volfson of Advisement contributed support.

Eleven motivated students attended.  They responded with positive enthusiasm and

seemed genuinely impressed by the information and instruction that was delivered.  The

Workshop included the planning, preparation, content and delivery needed for an

effective job interview which could lead to career employment.

This is an excellent example of the Touro community working together to produce

positive results.

- George Backinoff

2010-12-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

The Touro Communication Club Notes - #132– December 15, 2010

tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com

BREAKING NEWS! - Winners of the 10^th Speech Contest!! The entire list of winners and finalists is listed below from last week’s highly successful contest. Find your friends!

Blog Contents:

1. Ten Quotes about “WikiLeaks and Secrecy”

2. 10^th Speech Contest Results

3. UPCOMING CLUB PROGRAM: - “WikiLeaks and Secrecy” Wednesday, December 15, 2010 @ 2 pm in Room 223.

4. Logical Fallacy of the Week # 21 – “Post hoc ergo propter hoc”

5. Professor Geo’s Communication Thought of the Week

6. Note to Communicators: “Nobody’s interested in communicating during the Battle of the Sexes”

7. .NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC: The Club will be on hiatus until early February after the beginning of the Spring term. Enjoy finals and the holidays!

8. Upcoming Conversations - please add your topic to the list

9. What happened last week: “Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls:” (Lorinda’s poem, “Her Search.”)

1. Ten Quotations about WikiLeaks & Secrecy

“We open governments.”

Slogan on Wikileaks website, founded by Julian Assange

"The first serious infowar is now engaged. The field of battle is WikiLeaks. You are the troops."

John Perry Barlow, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

"Not since President Richard Nixon directed his minions to go after Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg and New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan -- "a vicious antiwar type," an enraged Nixon called him on the Watergate tapes -- has a working journalist and his source been subjected to the kind of official intimidation and threats that have been directed at Assange and Manning by high-ranking members of the Obama Administration.... It is dispiriting and upsetting for anyone who cares about the American tradition of a free press to see Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton and Robert Gibbs turn into H.R. Haldeman, John Erlichman and John Dean."

David Samuels, The Atlantic Magazine

We are all bracing for what may be coming and condemn WikiLeaks for the release of classified material. It will place lives and interests at risk. It is irresponsible."

PJ CROWLEY, U.S. State Department spokesman on the impending Wikileaks' release of cables

“Secrecy is the first essential in affairs of state.”
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), French clergyman, noble and statesman

“Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of.”

Bill Moyers, American journalist and commentator. Served as White House Press Secretary until President Johnson.

“Secrecy, once accepted, becomes an addiction.”

Edward Teller (1908-2003), Austro-Hungarian/American theoretical physicist,

known as “the father of the hydrogen bomb.”

“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths,

and to secret proceedings.”

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35^th President of the United States

“What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100 miles away.”

Chinese saying

“My life is an open book. I just hope some of the pages stick.”

Jack Benny (1894-1974), American comedian, vaudevillian and actor for radio, television and film

2. Results of the 10^th Speech Contest – Fall,
December 7 2010,

Name	Title of Speech	Instructor	Course/Site	Rank
1. Malka Fusilov	“Hand Hygiene”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA101 Dov Revel SCAS	First Prize
2. Domanique Conyers	:”Feng Shui & Romance	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Second Prize
3. Anna Indelicato	“Effective Management”	Prof. Turney	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Third Prize
4. Malka Sulimanov	“"Protecting Ourselves from Weapons of Mass Destruction"”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101 Dov Revel SCAS/	Honorable Mention
5.. Eric Hawkins	"YouTube And You"	Prof. Wicke	GCA 100 Midtown/ SGS	Special Recognition
6. Abayev, Elizabeth	"The Truth About Reality TV"	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 215 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
7. Noam Basher	“Bullying”	Prof. Green	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
8. Husni Chana Yosupov	“Diamonds”	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
9. Netu Goberdhan	“Issues of Rape”`	Prof. Green	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
10. Edwin Izaguirre	“The U.S. Marine Corps”	Prof Bardwell	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
11. Jennifer Johnson	“Teenage Pregnancy”	Prof. Turney	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
12. Manuel Oquendo	”Motivation”	Prof. Green	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
13. Avichai Pleshtiyev	“Weight Management”	Prof. Bardwell	GCA 101 Dov Revell SCAS	Finalist
14. Vanessa Rodriguez	"Becoming a College Student"	Prof. Backinoff	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist
15. Ester Rubinova	"Improving Your Conversation Skills"	Prof. Wicke	GCA 100 Midtown/SGS	Finalist

2. The Touro Communication ClubWednesday, December 15, 2010 - 2 pm – Room 223

Midtown

“WikiLeaks and Secrecy”

In recent days, there has been a torrent of secret American diplomatic documents released by WikiLeaks, a self declared arbiter of secrecy founded in 2006 by Australian journalist Julian Assange. Some 250,000 documents that purport to describe the behind the scenes diplomatic exchanges by the United States and some 274 of its allies have been released. Unlike the 1971 leak of the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg which was a single event, these Wikileaks actions stem from philosophical position of anarchy and are based on its slogan, “We open governments.” The banks are next. We will explore the latest in the WikiLeaks actions and compare the concept of secrets between governments, institutions, personal relationships and individual acts. We’ll ask, “Is secrecy necessary? Is transparency impossible or dangerous? What about self-disclosure?” Tune in for what should be a lively discussion.

This conversation will be the last one for 2010. We will resume in February, 2011 in the early part of the Spring semester.

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week #21:

“Argument from Authority”

I would argue that plagiarism stems from a person’s misunderstanding of authority. In a feverish attempt to complete an assignment, the person lifts a portion of a document and inserts it into his document without reference to the source.

The person who unknowingly plagiarizes is probably not conscious that authorship of a document gives a certain authority to the writing. To the naïve plagiarizer, the plagiarized portion is just a bunch of words and all words are interchangeable with another. He’s just buying another shirt at the store. The rise of the Internet has promoted an ethos that everything is free – so why not take something free and put it in your writing?

The plagiarist is not confident in his own writing and searches for something that sounds like it is authoritative that will bolster his perceived weak writing.

Authority is power. With authority comes presumed credibility. Authority comes from the letters after your name (BA, MA, PhD), the rank on your shoulder, the badge you’re wearing. All externals.

The plagiarist doesn’t feel confident in his own work. So, thinking that all writing is free, he takes what he needs.

When we feel in an inferior position, we appeal to authority to gain a balance in the relationship.

If we believe in the power of the external authority – uniforms, rank, titles, degrees, celebrity position - we gain (buy?) self-esteem. In the presence of the authority, we gain reflected glory. “I have John Lennon’s autograph.” “Here’s my picture with President Obama.” “Do you want to see my Picasso?”

In Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III,” the manipulative power hungry Duke of Gloucester surrounds himself with “two pillars of virtue” (Bishops of the Catholic Church) to give the citizens to impression that he is a pious man and worthy of the crown. Richard knows that to be credible to the groundlings he must appear to respect the church, a major political power of the day.

Ultimately, however, all authority is internal. Internal authority is hard won and often tested. The trappings of external power are just theatre, empty gestures appearing real. When we focus on the externals, we build an empty box to put under the Christmas tree.

This fallacy appears often in our discussion. Authoritative phrases begin with “The Bible says…”; The Pope says…”; The President says…”; “Father (or Mother) says…”; The Professor says…”. “Sarah Palin says…” (Oops! But then, who knows?)

For the student who is building her own knowledge base, appealing to authority is useful and does give credibility to the students’ work. Students need to be reminded that their own authority informs the frame of reference of their work, but does not demonstrate a wider knowledge beyond the narcissistic bubble.

The intellectual thinking is that the beginner needs external support for his thinking, but as she matures and demonstrates increasing command, he becomes his own credible authority.

In conclusion, the “Appeal to Authority” is a mixed bag, useful in some occasions, empty in others. The Communicator needs to recognize the difference.

4. Professor Geo's Thought of the Week #10:
A comment from Garrison Wynn, motivational speaker, “It does not matter how smart you are if nobody knows what you are talking about."

5. A Note to Communicators:

Secrecy and Transparency

These two concepts are opposite impulses in the world of personal and political discourse. The degree of disclosure has a variable yardstick, depending on the situation and the person. Some want total secrecy. Others, like Julian Assange, want total transparency.

In the personal realm, it is unlikely you will share your most private thoughts with anyone. But you may selectively share certain aspects of your history with people you trust. The word “trust” conjures simultaneous naiveté and wily behavior. To the trusting individual, secrets are shared to bond with another. To the Machiavellian, secrets are planted for conspiratorial purposes. A history of trust between two people is violated when one betrays the secrets of another.

On the job, personal information is privileged beyond the basics. Yet co-workers and bosses are eager to learn of any negative history - scrapes with the law, family indiscretions and physical conditions. These might have an impact on work performance or the inevitable jockeying for political position.

In the business, corporate and political worlds, secrecy is the predominant behavior. Such is a wise strategy since competition, not cooperation, is the way of the world. Win-lose strategies are prevalent; win-win strategies are for the most enlightened and wary. Trust is a commodity is low supply. Any agreement needs constant due diligence for Murphy’s Law.

What makes Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks’ effort such a threat is that, as an anarchist, he espouses the destruction of government, all government. His philosophy is beyond that of a Libertarian whose beliefs in the purist form argue for little government.

In all relationships, everyone has different definitions of secrecy and transparency. To assume that your partner’s definition is the same as yours at the beginning of a relationship is both naïve and ego and ethnocentric.

In international business, surface behavior is often not what it seems. A student in one of my Touro MBA Communication classes several years ago made a business deal with a Japanese company. He was very careful in gaining agreement on every detail. Three months later, when he returned to Japan, he discovered to his dismay, there was no deal. The Japanese were merely in the early phases of getting to know and trust him. He never got any deal.

Even though we may be conscious of what we are doing, often our emotions are governing our decisions. In romance, we are blinded by surging eroticism. Even after the honeymoon period passes, one can always discover discrepancies in another’s behavior that can throw doubt on the relationship.

The glass would always be half empty if we conclude that all relationships must be regarded with suspicion. Yet, with wearing the most optimistic mask, we would be foolish to believe every word and action as true and accurate to your definitions.

To the enlightened communicator, juggling a balance between secrecy and transparency is the norm.

6. Next week’s Conversation:

The Communication Club will be on hiatus until the early part of the Spring, 2011,

Keep your eyes and ears open!

7. UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

What about one of these topics?

“Repetition”

“Meaning”

“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”

“Heroism”

“Concentration”

“Coping with Adversity”

Student Poetry showcase

“Empathy”

“Connecting the Dots”

Role play of Cynical people

“Cold Calling in Sales”

“He’s Just Not That into You”

2010-12-05T18:30:00.001-08:00

The Touro Communication Club Notes - #131–December 8, 2010

tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com

NEWS: 10^th Speech Contest is on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 2 pm in Room 314 – Midtown. Finalists from the Communication classes will compete for $100 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $50 Third Prize. Judges are Adriana Jimenez, of the Career Placement Office; Simone Joseph of the Midtown Site Directors office; and Dr. Brent Cutler, Director of the Paralegal program. Join us!

Blog Contents:

1. Ten Quotes about the Battle of the Sexes

2. UPCOMING CLUB PROGRAM: - “Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls” Again! Wednesday, December 8, 2010 @ 2 pm in Room 223.

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week # 21 – “Post hoc ergo propter hoc”

4. Professor Geo’s Communication Thought of the Week

5. Note to Communicators: “Nobody’s interested in communicating during the Battle of the Sexes”

6. .NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC: “Wikileaks and Secrecy”

7. Upcoming Conversations - please add your topic to the list

8. What happened last week: Professor Carlisle Yearwood discusses T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”

1. Ten Quotations about the Battle of the Sexes

“I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb...

and I also know that I'm not blonde.”

Dolly Parton, American country singer, songwriter and actor

“You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see

a smart woman with a dumb guy.”

Erica Jong, American author and teacher

“Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s too much fraternizing with the enemy.”

Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and political advisor

“I think -- therefore I'm single.”

Lizz Winstead, American comedian and blogger

"When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping.

Men invade another country."

Elayne Boosler, American comedian

"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man;

If you want anything done, ask a woman."

Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister,

“Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.”

Timothy Leary (1920-1996), controversial American psychologist, advocated research into psychedelic drugs. President Nixon called him "the most dangerous man in America.” (cf. Wikipedia)

“A woman reading Playboy feels a little like a Jew reading a Nazi manual.”

Gloria Steinem, American feminist, journalist, founder of MS magazine

“To tell a woman everything she may not do is to tell her what she can do.”

Spanish Proverb

“Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Eleanor Roosevelt, civil rights advocate and First Lady from 1933-1945

2. The Touro Communication Club

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 - 2 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Let’s Try Again!

“Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

In the last four years, we’ve talked about this topic at least three times in one form or another. The academic term for conversation between the sexes is “Gender Communication.” John Gray’s 1992 bestseller “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus” codified the communication difficulties between the sexes in the popular mind. For centuries, the conflict has been called ‘The Battle of the Sexes.” Going beyond sexual attraction to attempt building a relationship is an ongoing challenge for everyone. Some have answers. Others are searching. We’ll share our questions and conclusions.

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week #20:

“Post hoc ergo propter hoc”

President Obama is experiencing this Latin mouthful as we speak. Roughly translated the phrase means “After this, therefore because of it.” This fallacy makes the erroneous assumption that if “A” occurred after “B” then “B” must have caused “A.”

In this fallacy of “B” causing “A,” the current political atmosphere has painted the picture that President Obama’s policies are now responsible for the current economic situation. In fact, so says the propaganda strategy, Obama has made this situation worse. “B” has made “A” worse.

Knowing that voters have a very short memory and will always ask “what can you do for me now?” the Republicans have been exceedingly successful in shifting the blame for the economic crisis from President Bush to President Obama. Bush’s actions are forgotten as Obama’s efforts to correct the situation appear futile Obama’s attempts to demonstrate that his accomplishments, though not entirely successful, have begun to right the sinking economy. Combined with the parallel strategy of saying “No” to everything, this fallacy makes for powerfully effective politics.

Take another example: the American Indian “rain dance.” There is a drought; the crops are dying. The tom-toms beat; the men dance and the rains come. The clever medicine man has noticed that there are dark clouds occurring on the horizon and tells the chief to do the rain dance. The tribe does – and the rain comes. Everyone assumes that the dance caused the rain.

Imagine the frustration of doing a rain dance on a series of dry blue skies.

Here’s a literary variation of the fallacy: If you remember Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Author’s Court,” this fallacy is crucial to the success of the hero, Hank Morgan. After a blow to the head, he finds himself in King Arthur’s court. He is an outcast. Merlin, the court magician is suspicious of him and arranges for Hank to be burned at the stake. Now Twain stacks his deck in favor of his hero. Coincidentally, Hank was somewhat of an astronomer in his former life and remembers that his date of execution in 528 coincides with the date of a solar eclipse.

Twain manipulates the connection imaginatively as he writes that Hank announces that he has special powers. He claims that at the moment of his execution, he will blot out the sun permanently. The event comes to pass. As the sun begins to disappear, Hank announces he has the powers to bring back the sun. King Arthur is fearful. Merlin is discredited and Hank is freed and made the principal advisor to King Arthur. Now Hank is known as “The Boss.” Twain’s charming tale continues through many other fascinating twists.

In our every day life, other examples of post hoc ergo propter hoc occur.

· We fail an exam; we say the test is too hard when we haven’t studied.

· We are late to class; the cause of the lateness is that the subways were running late, not that we got up late.

· We are late for a date; we make up an excuse when the reality is that we forgot.

· The best one I’ve heard for lack of preparation for class was when the student said that his culture forced him to drink all night and therefore he could not study.

I have stopped taking out my violin when I hear these feeble statements to avoid responsibility for our actions.

The effectiveness of the fallacy in Obama’s world of politics requires a more immediate and forthright denunciation of the tactic.

4. Professor Geo’s “Communication Thought of the Week #9:

The smart remark or insult has a long history in communication. Sir Winston Churchill had many storied encounters with Lady Astor, Here is one pungent exchange.

Lady Astor: “If you were my husband I'd give you poison,"

Churchill: "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."

5. .A Note to Communicators:

Nobody’s interested in communicating during the Battle of the Sexes

After searching for credible quotations about the communication process between the sexes, I’ve come to the conclusion that neither sex is really interested in bridging the gender gap. Positions are staked out; barbs are thrown; funny linguistic twists are invented, but most everyone takes the “Battle of the Sexes’ as a given.

To try to bridge that gap is dull and boring and, most of all, takes the hilarity out of the endless possibilities of deriding the behavior of the other sex. Men feel wonderful when they can slice up a woman. Women take pleasure in puncturing the male ego.

So who wins? Nobody. The arguments start with light frivolity and end mean and hurtful. The back-and-forth quickly becomes circular – an enthymemic syllogism where no one agrees to the basic premises of the disagreement.

In the 1990s, John Gray made the male/female communication difficulties into catchy stereotypes of labeling the dichotomy as “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus.” Simultaneously, linguist Deborah Tannen explored the difficulties in a more even-handed manner, beginning with her 1990 “You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.”

Their discussions faded into the background. Even with wider knowledge of how the sexes are wired (Dr. Luann Brizendine’s “The Female Brain” (2006) and “The Male Brain” (2010), there remains a chasm in emotional and intellectual understanding between the sexes.

Why is disappointing? The cliché works in all aspects of life – everything takes time. With every birth, there is another mind to stimulate to awareness. With every culture, there are embedded codes of behavior that resist change.

But, perhaps, as the French would have it, “le plus le change, le plus le meme chose.” The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

6. Next week’s Conversation:

Wednesday, December 8. 2010 – Room 223 – Midtown

“Wikileaks and Secrecy”

In recent days, there has been a torrent of secret American diplomatic documents released by Wikileaks, a self declared arbiter of secrecy founded in 2006 by Australian journalist Julian Assange. Some 250,000 documents that purport to describe the behind the scenes diplomatic exchanges by the United States and some 274 of its allies have been released. Compared to the 1971 leak of the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg which was a single event, these Wikileaks actions stem from philosophical position of anarchy and are based on its slogan, “We open governments.” The banks are next. We will explore the latest in the Wikileaks actions and compare the concept of secrets between governments, institutions, personal relationships and individual acts. We’ll ask, “Is secrecy necessary? Is transparency impossible or dangerous? What about self-disclosure?” Tune in for what should be a lively discussion.

7. UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

What about one of these topics?

“Repetition”

“Meaning”

“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”

“Heroism”

“Concentration”

“Coping with Adversity”

Student Poetry showcase

“Empathy”

“Connecting the Dots”

Role play of Cynical people

“Cold Calling in Sales”

“He’s Just Not That into You”

Critical Listening Institute III: “Abbott & Costello’s ‘Who’s On First?’”

“Criticism – Giving and Receiving”

“Logical Fallacies”

“Freedom II”

“Gender Communication II”

“SPAR Debate”

“Distraction II”

“Negotiation II”

“Imagination II”

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

“Political Savvy”

“Emotions: Anger II”

“Identity Politics”

“Human Rights”

“Capitalism and Socialism”

“Illusions”

“Parenting”

And dozens of others!

Compare the notice of the session with what really happened!

8. What happened on

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

2 pm – Room 223 -Midtown

Faculty Colloquy I:

Professor Carlisle Yearwood discusses

T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land”

This event is a milestone in the four year history of the Touro Communication Club. We introduce a traditional university event called a “Faculty Colloquy.” A universal collegiate tradition, a scholar shares his/her serious research with colleagues for discussion and feedback.

That is our goal today. Professor Carlisle Yearwood of Touro’s English Department will share his analysis of the first several stanzas of T.S. Eliot’s landmark poem, “The Wasteland.”

A native of Barbados and a published poet, Professor Yearwood has degrees from Pace University and City College of New York (CUNY). He has owned two bars and a nightclub which focused on talent development in Harlem and was involved with the Civil Rights movement with CORE and created an after school English and business skills program in Harlem. He is a member of the Blind Beggar Press.

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) was an American-born English poet, playwright and literary critic, arguably the most important English language poet of the 10^th century. “The Wasteland’ was written in 1922. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.

There was a respectable audience of over 15 who came to hear Professor Yearwood share his thoughts on Eliot. New faculty members include Carol London, Jane Heil, Willie Evans and Walter Turney joined familiar faculty faces including Gary Sheinfeld, Charles Mason, Steve Gradman, Dean Timothy Taylor, Markus Vayndorf, Richard Green and Hal Wicke. New student faces included Marie Constant, Simone Joseph, Grace Gibson and Matthew Nwozuzu as well as old timers Pamela Sheppard and Myrtho Leon. Dean Leon Perkal stopped by for a moment. Several students observed the event without signing the club attendance sheet.

Richard Green videoed the event, about one hour and 15 minutes, It will eventually be posted on the club blog.

As the audience gathered, Hal passed out a copy of T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” along with a photo of the author. He introduced the event, briefly describing the background of Professor Yearwood and the object of the study.

I won’t detail here Professor Yearwood’s in comparable monumental feat, other than to say he combined information about Eliot’s with his literary techniques of fragments from other English literature as he deconstructed the entire five stanzas of the poem.

As he read sections of the poem, he pointed out line references for the audience to follow.

Aside from the academic and intellectual skills Professor Yearwood demonstrated, his extraordinary use of his mellifluous voiced added unusual impact to the power and passion of his presentation.

Post lecture questions focused on Eliot’s plays and the context in which the poem was written.

Comments included:

· “I am speechless.”

· “I was blown away.”

· “Brain stimulating.”

· “The first intellectual event in my 13 years at Touro.”

In short, Professor Yearwood raised the intellectual bar for club discussions and for public scholarship at Touro. With the palpable ease with which he handled the various elements in the poem, he gave us both a model and a standard for intellectual discourse.

We thank you, Professor Yearwood, for showing us what first-rate intellectual scholarship looks like and how to achieve it.

---

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

2010-11-28T13:17:00.001-08:00

The Touro Communication Club Notes - #130–December 1, 2010

Tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com

Contents:

1. Quotes by T.S. Eliot and about poetry

2. UPCOMING CLUB PROGRAM: - ““Professor Yearwood discusses T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” Wednesday, December 1, 2010 @ 2 pm in Room 233.

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week # 20 – “Burden of Proof”

4. Professor Geo’s “Communication Thought of the Week”

5. Note to Communicators: “The Poetic Impulse”

6. .NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC: Let’s try again! ”Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

7. Upcoming Conversations - please add your topic to the list

8. What happened last week: no report

1. Quotations by T.S. Eliot and about Poetry

T.S. Eliot’s Quotations

“All significant truths are private truths. As they become public they cease to become truths; they become facts, or at best, part of the public character; or at worst, catchwords.”

“Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.”

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.”

“I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.”

“If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

Quotations about Poetry:

“A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a home sickness, a love sickness.”
Robert Frost (1874 – 1963), American poet and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry

“Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.”
Marianne Moore (1887 –1972), American Modernist poet

“Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.”

Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer

“The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.”

Jean Cocteau (1889 –1963), French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager, artist, filmmaker.

2. The Touro Communication Club

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 - 2 pm – Room 223

Midtown

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

2 pm – Room 223 -Midtown

Faculty Colloquy I:

Professor Carlisle Yearwood discusses

T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land”

(Click here to listen to T.S. Eliot's reading of the poem.)

That is our goal today. Professor Carlisle Yearwood of Touro’s English Department will share his analysis of the first several stanzas of T.S. Eliot’s landmark poem, “The Wasteland.”

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week #20:

“Fallacy of the Burden of Proof”

As do all good debaters, let us define our terms – ‘burden of proof.” In a model courtroom, if a person is accused of a crime, the prosecutor is charged with collecting adequate evidence to prove the guilt of the defendant “beyond reasonable doubt.” This traditional “burden of proof” is on the prosecutor to prove guilt, not the defendant to prove his innocence.

However, some use this fallacy in ways that violate this universally accepted concept of justice. The fallacy of the burden of proof has switched the responsibility from the prosecutor to the defendant. The person who does the accusing need not prove his case. The accused must prove his innocence. This court is called a “Kangaroo court.” The Soviet “show” trials of the mid-20^th century are an example.

Outside the best court system, this fallacy persists in various manifestations.

Injustice is the twisted theme of this perverted “system,” To maintain power, the dictator, the Nazi, the Communist, the Southern redneck and Joseph McCarthy create empty rituals of “justice” devoid of its traditional moral structure. A fearful atmosphere targets a scapegoat as the cause of all ills experienced by the predator. Then charges are invented, a pro-forma “show” trial is held and the punishment is ordered.

The accuser does not have to prove anything. The mere accusation is adequate to indict, convict and execute the victim. The defendant must prove himself innocent. The victim of the rapist must prove her purity. The wounded must prove the shooter guilty. The embezzler must prove his prey at fault. The victim is at fault.

In this atmosphere, the suspicion of guilt, (gossip, hearsay, stereotyping) is adequate to prove guilt. An institutionalized prejudice provides the presumption of guilt without evidence. Witches were burned at the stake based on hysterical accusations. Blacks were lynched on no evidence. Jews were herded into ovens because they were considered the source of all the world’s sins. Americans of Japanese ancestry were put on reservations on suspicion of collaborating with Japan.

When the “burden of proof” is now redefined, “proof” exists only in the eyes of the beholder. It is no as an unbiased, irrefutable set of facts. Merely to say someone is guilty is adequate proof. Resurrecting echoes of 1950s American “Red Scare,” the recent rise of a group of Americans during the run-up to the Mid-Term Elections, created a reality mirage out of their belief systems, invented facts and turned their opinions into facts. Josef Goebbel’s and his “Big Lie” strategy continues to work.

The Holocaust deniers and the global warming opponents are among the latest manifestations of this ubiquitous fallacy.

Since we are human, we are subject to bias, to prejudice. That trait makes us human and fallible. However, unchallenged repeated bias and prejudice becomes embedded and institutionalized in our thinking and our culture. Undoing ingrained bias and prejudice is ultimately the province of the heart, not the mind. Until then, the mind must be alert constantly to challenge “facts” and logical fallacies that sound good but undermine any common sense of reality.

4. Professor Geo’s “Communication Thought of the Week #7:

“Argument is the worst sort of conversation,”

observed Jonathan Swift, (1667-1745), Irish satirist and author of Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal

5. A Note to Communicators:

The Poetic Impulse

Our daily life is populated with the prose of mundane tasks that keep us functioning. Poetry, on the other hand, transcends our quotidian existence and attempts to make sense of it. Poetry seems to make it okay and worthwhile Poetry is l’esprit de la vie.

In 1807, English poet William Wordsworth captured the dismal nature of life with this quatrain

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

The poem continues to document the depressing and hopeless state of mind in which Wordsworth finds himself. Yet merely to have described his mental condition, the poet, one can argue, has transcended it. His poetic expression of the prosody of daily existence transforms it into a moment of universal wonder.

So it is with the poetic impulse. Moments of insight can generate joyous transcendence, offering sustenance to survive. We can no longer contain our emotions so we burst into song, into poetry. We dance with excitement.

Poetry is compressed experience that bursts from its prose context. Language is heightened. A rhyme scheme enforces a ritualistic progression of thought.

Prose is soft; poetry is hard,

Prose walks; poetry dances.

Prose crawls; poetry flies.

Prose can let the mind wander; poetry demands attention.

Prose is constant; poetry is momentary.

One drop of poetry slakes the thirst of prose.

Back to the mundane.

6. Next week’s Conversation:

Wednesday, December 8. 2010 – Room 223 – Midtown

“Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

Let’s Try Again!

7. UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

What about one of these topics?

“Repetition”

“Meaning”

“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”

“Heroism”

“Concentration”

“Coping with Adversity”

Student Poetry showcase

“Empathy”

“Connecting the Dots”

Role play of Cynical people

“Cold Calling in Sales”

“He’s Just Not That into You”

Critical Listening Institute III: “Abbott & Costello’s ‘Who’s On First?’”

“Criticism – Giving and Receiving”

“Logical Fallacies”

“Freedom II”

“Gender Communication II”

“SPAR Debate”

“Distraction II”

“Negotiation II”

“Imagination II”

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

“Political Savvy”

“Emotions: Anger II”

“Identity Politics”

“Human Rights”

“Capitalism and Socialism”

“Illusions”

“Parenting”

And dozens of others!

Compare the notice of the session with what really happened!

8. What happened on

Wednesday. November 24. 2010 – Room 223 – Midtown

“Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

Nothing happened today because no one showed up. The club meeting should have been canceled on the day before Thanksgiving. People voted with their feet. We’ll try it again on Wednesday, December 8, 2010. See you then.

---

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

2010-11-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Touro Communication Club Notes - #129–November 24, 2010

Tourocommunicationclub.blogspot.com

Contents:

1. No quotes about Communication between the sexes.

2. UPCOMING CLUB PROGRAM: - “Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 @ 2 pm in Room 233.

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week # 19 – “Appeal to Pity”

4. Professor Geo’s “Communication Thought of the Week”

5. Note to Communicators: “The Longest Running War in History”

6. .NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC: “Professor Yearwood discusses T.S. Eliot””

7. Upcoming Conversations - please add your topic to the list

8. What happened last week: ““Ravel’s Bolero”

1. No Quotes about Communication between the Sexes

Sorry, despite my fairly extensive research, I did not find any quotes worthy of repeating on the topic of communication between the sexes. I thought I would find many, but, alas, none seemed to work. Lots of quotes about communication and sexist communication. The gender communication quotes were about the difficulties women face in communication, a worthy topic for another time.

If you have any quotations that you think fit this description, write them at the bottom of the blog.

2. The Touro Communication Club

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - 2 pm – Room 223 – Midtown

“Talking to Guys/Talking to Girls”

3. Logical Fallacy of the Week #19:

“Appeal to Pity”

I’m almost embarrassed to look at this logical fallacy. My comments will sound so unfeeling and lacking in empathy that I will be considered a dastardly stone. However, duty calls. Reason must prevail over emotion; else the “logical” of logical fallacy fails.

So many people use this fallacy to gain sympathy for their position regardless of other factors. Students have told me:

· My dog ate the homework.

· It is the custom in my country to get drunk when everyone is having a good time, so that’s why I’m unprepared for the exam.

· There was a train fire.

· My alarm didn’t go off.

· I can’t get an earlier train.

· I lost my textbook.

· I couldn’t take the exam because I had to go to my grandmother’s funeral.

· I couldn’t come to class because I had to go on vacation.

· I couldn’t call anyone because I didn’t have their phone numbers.

· I didn’t have money to get to school.

The list is endless and becomes more creative, the greater the avoidance of responsibility. I am supposed to feel sorry for the person and forgive the transgression and allow a make-up.

Then there is the area of “adults” of any category. The technique is to distract the person in charge from giving a rebuke.

· I got lost.

· I forgot.

· My mother (wife, child) is in the hospital.

· I got sick so the report isn’t finished.

And so forth. There are millions of diamonds in this mine.

But the most effective use of this fallacy comes around holiday time. Its purpose is to emotionally blackmail people into giving to one of a thousand charitable causes. You’ve seen the sad picture of the emaciated child or poorly dressed mother and child. Your pity turns into guilt because you feel that you have more than these people.

Many years ago, my performers were doing a television benefit for a muscular dystrophy charity. The singers sang the numbers amidst the crippled children. In the control room, the director said to the camera man, “Zoom in on the crutches. Catch the sad faces. Make the audience cry.” The money poured immediately following the segment. Pity sells.

Finally, a reversal on the appeal to pity: On 23^rd Street recently, a homeless man in rags sat on the cold concrete with a sign that said, “I need a beer. I won’t lie to you. Your contribution will help support my habit.’

4. Professor Geo’s “Communication Thought of the Week #6:

President Woodrow Wilson asks, “If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.”

5. .A Note to Communicators:

The Longest Running War in History

We continue to have shooting wars. We continue to have conflicts about civility. We continue to have saber rattling preludes to wars. We pray for peace but prepare for war. History suggests that war is an inevitable result of not trying hard enough to live in peace.

However, the battle of the sexes has raged since Adam and Eve were just glimmers in the eye of the Creator. “We can’t live with them and we can’t live without them,” says the barroom philosopher.

Psychologist John Gray went a long way to popularize the difference between men and women in his 1992 “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” Deborah Tannen is probably the leading researcher in this area, with her 1990 best seller, “You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.” A recent entry in gender studies is a neuro-analysis of gender relationships by Louann Brizendine’s “The Female Brain,” which was followed by “The Male Brain.’

The short of these studies is that women and men are wired differently. Not surprisingly, they behave differently. Yet both sexes often expect the opposite sex to behave like him/her. Somehow we know intellectually we are different, yet emotionally we want everyone to behave like us.

Since these observations are not yet part the general popular imagination, the battle of the sexes continues.

The circumstance is further aggravated by the increasing narcissism that if fed by the media and social networking. We are the center of the universe and expect everyone to cater to our every whim. With popular models like Kanye West to follow, it is not surprising that power in any form – money, position, influence – continues to prevail as it always has.

In such a communication climate, listening is a rare commodity. We are too important to listen. We are too preoccupied with our own importance to listen. We are too rushed to listen. We have to fake it until we make it. Fame and celebrity is the coin of the marketplace. It’s all about me.

So why should I bother to listen? Listen is hard. It takes concentration. It takes understanding. It takes an ability to set aside my wants and listen to another’s situation.

Pseudo-listening is on the rise. In my Graduation Education Communication class several years ago, I asked casually if they faked listening. Everyone in the class was married. Everyone admitted freely that they faked listening all the time. Does your partner ever notice it? No, not really, most said.

I was shocked. And these were teachers.

Just one more piece of the communication puzzle fell into place. We are different, yet we think we are the same. We pretend to listen even though we are more interested in ourselves.

I guess the longest running war in history will continue. Sometimes I wonder why anyone even bothers with this Sisyphistic undertaking.

6. Next week’s Conversation:

Wednesday, December 1,2010

2 pm – Room 223 -Midtown

Faculty Colloquy I:

Professor Carlisle Yearwood discusses

T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land”

That is our goal today. Professor Carlisle Yearwood of Touro’s English Department will share his analysis of the first several stanzas of T.S. Eliot’s landmark poem, “The Wasteland.”

7. UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS:

What about one of these topics?

“Repetition”

“Meaning”

“Why Does History Repeat Itself?”

“Heroism”

“Concentration”

“Coping with Adversity”

Student Poetry showcase

“Empathy”

“Connecting the Dots”

Role play of Cynical people

“Cold Calling in Sales”

“He’s Just Not That into You”

Critical Listening Institute III: “Abbott & Costello’s ‘Who’s On First?’”

“Criticism – Giving and Receiving”

“Logical Fallacies”

“Freedom II”

“Gender Communication II”

“SPAR Debate”

“Distraction II”

“Negotiation II”

“Imagination II”

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

“Political Savvy”

“Emotions: Anger II”

“Identity Politics”

“Human Rights”

“Capitalism and Socialism”

“Illusions”

“Parenting”

And dozens of others!

Compare the notice of the session with what really happened!

8. What happened on

Wednesday. November 17. 2010 – Room 223 – Midtown

Critical Listening Institute II – Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero”

In this second session of our effort to sharpen our listening skills, we turn to a famous piece of music, a one-movement orchestral piece by French composer Maurice Ravel, premiered in 1928. “Bolero” gained universal attention when it was commandeered for the 1979 Blake Edwards film comedy, “10” starring Dudley Moore, Bo Derek and Julie Andrews. We are going to listen to the piece twice, once for a general impression followed by a discussion. Then we close with a second hearing. It should be fun to understand how the structure of this particular piece of music created such notoriety.

Last spring, the first Critical Listening Institute program was on Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The third Critical Listening Institute program will be on Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First’ routine.”

This week, most of the club members voted with their feet. Two students, Miriam Sanon and Moche Bengio shared their thoughts with faculty members Charles Mason, Markus Vayndorf, Richard Green, Steve Gradman, Carlisle Yearwood and Hal Wicke. Lorinda Moore stayed long enough to sign the attendance roster.

Most of those present did not know Bolero, although some recognized the tune when Richard played the video of the London Philharmonic conducted by Christoph von Eschenbach – with the video off the first time.

After we listened to the video in the dark, we began to discuss the experience.

Miriam said her favorite music was by C.C. Winans, a famous gospel singer. She finds gospel uplifting and makes her “committed to do the right thing.”

Charles suggested Webster Lewis, the jazz performer, as an important musician in his life.

Rap music has a regular insistent beat similar to Bolero.

Markus pictured an equation (not surprisingly since he is a mathematician.) with short/long sections. The tempo and the repetition of the melody line were gripping. The control of the percussion repeating exactly the same series of notes seemed to be an incredible feat.

Other people thought of music as meditation. Having no words to listen to was important. The mind could wander.

Richard saw in Bolero an image of the progression of birth ritual culminating in its loud climax.

The second time we saw the picture as well as the sound of the video. What was so startling about von Eschenbach’s performance was his stillness. To cue the musicians he would blink or raise his eyebrows or quickly nod his head while his hands were perfectly still. His body was tense as he leaned into certain section of the piece. As Bolero approached its climax, von Eschenbach’s hands came to life in a furious display of a conductor’s histrionics.

The session was interesting in a number of ways;

· We have a long way to go to introduce Touro students and faculty to different kinds of music.

· It is hard to listen to new and different music with an open heart and mind.

· Music can be used more actively than for background music (Elevator music or Hindemith’s “Furniture Musik”)

· If the topic is unknown, the audience stays away because we like what we are familiar with.

· Everyone is busy.

After the video was played a third time for Professor Yearwood who came in late, the discussion veered in a number of directions. Fragments included:

· Contrariness

· Elementary skills build foundations

· Different abilities

· Balancing energies

· Patterns in life, work in life

· Music and math

· The vibration goes deeper and ultimately pleases the ear.

· Music as mediation- displaces the darkness of the self.

· No longer the person you are.

· The majesty of the butterfly – changes are simultaneous

· The Grand theme uniting exterior and exterior

· The story of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl – “Man’s Search for Meaning”

· Hegel – thesis, antithesis, synthesis

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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