Friday and Saturday nights, senior Josh Herr works as a DJ at The Annex, sometimes appearing in front of as many as 500 people. But the University student doesn’t get uptight about being the center of attention and having to entertain what could be an intimidating group of people.
Herr’s four years in the campus chapter of Toastmasters International have helped him control a fear that many people dread more than death itself: the fear of public speaking.
Erik Parrish, president of the University’s 15-member chapter of Toastmasters, said the group’s small size creates an ideal environment for beginners to come and explore their strengths and weaknesses as communicators. He added students who develop good speaking skills increase their chances of getting a job.
“There aren’t any speech classes at the University right now, and it’s hard to develop these skills — even though they’re essential for your career,” Parrish said.
Senior Melissa Magaro has been a member of Toastmasters for two terms, and she joined the speech club to get over her fear of public speaking. The group holds meetings Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in 128 Chiles and offers members many opportunities to practice their communication skills. Participants can sign up to give a speech or simply participate
in a Table Topic, a one- or two-minute impromptu speech.
While Toastmasters is open to all students, everyone has to pay a $16 new member fee and then $18 every six months for membership dues. Once they’re a part of the organization, members progress through the Toastmasters basic speech manual and must complete 10 required oral presentations in order to become a Certified Toastmaster. Students can then pick a specific focus, such as humorous speaking, public relations or communicating on television.
Parrish said many people may be reluctant to join Toastmasters because they get an extreme case of the jitters when forced to speak in front of others. But he added that shouldn’t stop students from thinking about membership.
“It’s better to make a mistake in Toastmasters and learn from it than to make a mistake when you’re in class and your grade is on the line,” Parrish said.
During the weekly Toastmaster meetings, members can give speeches and have their presentations evaluated by the group. Herr said a lot of things can inhibit communication, but some of the most common mistakes beginners make when speaking in public are using filler words — such as um, ah, so and like — not making good eye contact, fidgeting and forgetting whole sections of their speech.
“A lot of them get up there and get scared because they have all these sets of eyes on them,” Herr said.
Besides giving students more confidence for presenting speeches in class, Magaro said Toastmasters can also help students dazzle prospective employers during interviews. She added the club uses Table Topic speeches to teach participants how to think on their feet in the same way they would be expected to do in an interview.
Magaro said the Toastmasters experience is even more popular with businesses than universities, and there are several other chapters of the organization in Eugene alone, including one at Sacred Heart Medical Center. However, she added joining Toastmasters at the University level would be the smartest course for students.
Herr said that Toastmasters goes beyond just public speaking, claiming that the group also fosters self-confidence that allows members to develop better personal and social speaking skills, using his own DJ job at The Annex as an example.
“Toastmasters deals with so much more than just giving speeches,” Herr said. “It teaches you how you should be talking with people, even for simple individual one-on-one conversation.”