Summer 2001 Public Speaking Workshop Scheduled

The Effective Communication Workshop is TOC's greenhouse for developing the public speaking talents of the Objectivist community. If Objectivism is to become a powerful force in the culture, it will need skilled voices that communicate its compelling logic and inspirational moral vision. The workshop is organized by William Thomas, who teaches it with Susan McCloskey, a professional rhetoric instructor, and TOC executive director David Kelley.

The workshop is a non-stop weekend of personal development. Participants learn how to comport themselves physically, project their message with rhetorical skill, and organize their presentations to convey Objectivist ideas with maximum clarity and conviction. Participants learn the theory of public speaking, both from the pointers they receive before the workshop starts and from the instruction they receive from the faculty. They put the theory into practice, too—preparing a talk on Objectivism for a general audience, giving the talk, and then tearing it apart and giving it again. The number of participants is strictly limited to ensure that every participant gets ample opportunity to work and to learn. Whatever level of experience participants have with public speaking, this workshop can elevate skills and motivate participants to reach higher. And whether they speak before small groups, in the classroom, or to large audiences, participants will have a chance in the workshop to develop the needed skills to be highly effective communicators.

The next workshop is scheduled for the weekend of August 3-5, 2001, at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York. Participants will lodge in comfort in the Victorian ambiance of the Pine Haven Bed and Breakfast near the campus. Tuition packages with and without room and board are available, and students may apply for scholarships covering either room and board or the entire cost of the workshop. More information on the workshop, including the application form, is available at TOC's Web site and by mail or fax. The application deadline for summer 2001 is July 9, and for applicants not looking for a scholarship, there is a rolling admission policy. Look, too, for the ECW information session at the summer seminar.