Wonderful news! We are meeting at 12:15 BST on Sunday, June 14! We are meeting on Zoom! Click on this text to join the chat room. If that doesn’t work on your device, the Meeting ID is 631 522 4568 and the password is speakers.
We had a lot of fun this academic year, and we are excited to transition into the next one. To make the transition as smooth as possible, we need to assemble a committee of dedicated, lively, and trustworthy students. If you will be an Imperial student or staff next year and you wish to be in the committee next year, please apply by clicking the button below.
If you wish to apply, please briefly explain why you would like to serve Imperial College Speakers and which role you would like to be considered for. The following roles are still available:
- President
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- VP of Education
- VP of Public Relations
- Sergeant At Arms
- Secretary
Descriptions about the roles outlined above can be read by clicking the button below.
Our last meeting’s Word Of The Day was:
Definition: a natural ability to do something.
Example: soon enough, she began developing an aptitude for engaging humour.
Patrick Kalonde completed a Pathways project by facilitating Table Topics Master. What is a Pathways project, you might ask? Find out by clicking this sentence.
We are what we repeatedly do, and “we are what we repeatedly eat, according to Chuka.
Hey, Kenny! Is the cup half empty or half full? Perhaps, this is just a “semantics” question. Full or empty of what, anyway?
Can you overcome procrastination? Paula believes that everybody can. Her method is finding a way to reward herself after she has completed a task.
What positive changes had Faruk made “during this pandemic”? Firstly, he has started to “study something”. Secondly, he is “cutting unnecessary spending”.
Katia’s mum was proud of how Katia has made the most of her time during lockdown. Katia said she, “ended up teaching myself many new skills” to redesign her PhD.
Prepared Speakers
Chane He moved his audience with a romantic story about his elder sister. He often quarrelled with her, but the ending of Same Hands, Same Feet was bittersweet!
1.66 metres tall with “long strong athletic legs”, his sister would often be told off for being too aggressive on her little brother. Nevertheless, Chane was the one who often “lit the fight”. In fact, he once left a scar on her leg! Chane asked if we had ever had a sibling about whom we may have been jealous.
During his pre-university education, Chane often had to wake at 5:30 am and study for 12 hours. At this point, the outcome of his exams could define his future! Still, he felt lonely after three months of this, but he said his sister “encouraged me a lot”. He received a present from him, and every time Chane would see the “luxury” eye drop on his desk, he would be reminded of her. Doesn’t this remind you of the Chinese song, 同手同腳 (Same Hands, Same Feet).
Are you someone who gives help or seeks it? In How to be an Effective Mentor, Harshit Agrawal argues that we do both depending on the situation. He shares his own journey of having a mentor.
What are the qualities of a good mentor? Firstly, the mentor must be empathetic. This means that they must make their protégé comfortable. William Ward claims that “excellent mentors inspire”. Also, “John C. Crosby once said” that protégés need a “push in the right direction”. It is up to the mentor to provide that push. Harshit’s mentor told him once that “every public speaker” experienced the nervousness he did. This made Harshit feel assured.
Secondly, mentors are methodological. They understand that the newly budding protégé can have an irrational sense of positivity. For example, one time, the focus was on eye contact, and Harshit was asked to treat the audience in quadrants and focus on each quadrant one at a time for five seconds each time. Another time, his mentor encouraged saying four or five words in a row before taking a pause. In the end, Harshit recommended the audience to “be the mentor you wish you had”.
“Do you see what I see?” Chuka Nwobodo’s A Silent Speakerwas a powerful parody to Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech, updated to reflect recent affairs.
“We have witnessed greatness in this world, but we have also witnessed great suffering.” The theme of his speech is hopeful. Chuka hoped that his speech will evoke emotions similar to the ones felt by King’s followers that day. What makes Chuka’s speech different was that it was more relevant to the circumstance of today. Namely, he implied the revitalised Black Lives Matter movement. His speech is particularly relevant as it acknowledges that people cannot (or, at least, should not!) be protesting outdoors or in masses.
Chuka, of African descent, sees “the light of salvation in the darkest skin colours”. He believes that the whole world should embrace peace and unity”. After all, “each one of us is overflowing with the colours of our unique personalities”.
Evaluations
Subjahit evaluated the Table Topics.
Chuka shared some good examples but could have ended on “a more positive note”.
Subjahit liked Kenny’s “semantic” twist. Kenny could have made his Topic a little more concrete, though.
Paula covered a lot of content, but repeating the Topic made Subhajit think that she was trying to remember it.
Faruk shared an anecdote about how he “saved money”. It may have been more impactful if he explained how.
Katia also shared a “personal story”, catching audience interest. Where was her conclusion, though?
Tim evaluated Chane’s narrative.
What an “expressive face” you had there, Chane! Tim also liked his vocal variety.
It would have been more impactful if he had stood up because he would have been able to clarify his body gestures.
Time enjoyed his “You’re a sponge” metaphor. It made that part of his speech feel more concrete.
Kenny evaluated Harshit’s speech.
Harshit “exhaustibly defined” the qualities of a mentor.
He might have taken the advice to pause after every few words too literally as his speech sounded dull. He could engage the emotions by speaking faster and hone in on a point by speaking slower.
Nevertheless, “his pausing was brilliant” and “consistent”.
Martin evaluated Chuka’s address.
The speech was out of this world! Martin suggested points to make it even better.
He could have used silence to greater effect. He could have also engaged eye contact better.
Next time, he could try standing further from the camera and using a prop, for example, when he said, “I see the light”.
Rishi evaluated Patrick’s performance during his Table Topics session.
His questions were practical.
He was “a little bit monotone”.
Rishi acknowledged Patrick’s use of slides for clarity in case people couldn’t hear him (especially since his Internet connection was poor).
Murtaza acted as our General Evaluator.