Seminar Teaches Speech

John A. LaRue ’07 had just finished delivering a short speech on divestment last night when a woman strode forward carrying a yellow legal pad on which she had scribbled notes.

She energetically pointed out into the crowd, instructing LaRue to extend his eye contact to the far reaches of Emerson 105.

“Like you are tossing a ball of energy to the back corners of the room,” she urged.

He would appear more focused, more engaged, and more certain of his message, she said.

LaRue raised his chin higher and slowly rotated his head, sweeping the audience.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed, lauding the effort.

LaRue tried to take shelter behind the podium in his first run through, but his unofficial coach quickly dragged him out to where there was, she said, “nothing to hide behind.”

This advice was only the first of many public speaking tips that Nancy Houfek, a speech and voice coach at the American Repertory Theatre, offered to students during a seminar organized by the Harvard Rhetorical Society (HRS) last night.

The event took place in the spacious Emerson lecture hall, where a group of about 15 students sat scattered in the first few rows and watched as volunteers ventured onto the stage to deliver speeches and receive critiques.

HRS plans to host one or two similar seminars each month featuring professionals like Houfek, said HRS President Mark A. Hiller ’05.

“The purpose is to improve students’ public speaking ability on campus,” he said.

Seminar participants said they shared the desire to work on these skills.

“I want to use this seminar to develop myself and edify my ability to speak,” said Amadi P. Anene ’08, who was told to enhance his enunciation and project his voice after he delivered a speech given by former President Bill Clinton.

HRS Vice President Merve G. Emre ’07 stressed the importance of being able to speak comfortably to an audience.

“I think above all, if you can’t communicate ideas, then it doesn’t matter how good your ideas are,” she said. “I almost think it should be like Expos, that there should be a public speaking requirement.”

The Crimson reported in April 2004 that there is potential for such a change in the ongoing Curricular Review.

In meetings last year, the Working Group on Pedagogy, which studied writing at Harvard, discussed ideas for integrating public speaking into the required first-year Expository Writing course.

In the absence of such a curricular change, the seminar provides students with the unique opportunity to get advice from the pros, Emre said.

Sitting in the front row, Houfek began the event by telling the eager students that she would not be critiquing the ideas in the speeches.

“What I am really interested in is how you present them,” she said. “How do you get your voice out there, speak clearly, and articulate.”

During the seminar, Houfek stressed elements such as posture, eye contact and voice inflection.

The crowd that had gathered around her dispersed when she called for a volunteer to speak.

While the other participants kept their hands down, LaRue jumped at the chance.

“I knew if I didn’t go first, I wouldn’t go at all,” he said afterwards, adding that he was initially nervous.

The forum, however, helped put him at ease.

“This was a better crowd because the people didn’t expect me to be perfect,” LaRue said.

The speakers that followed LaRue also took the open floor, foregoing the podium to share the stage with empty soda bottles and pizza containers that had provided earlier refreshment.

The speakers presented a wide range of skills. Some of the speakers were novices, while others were clearly more experienced, like Natasha S. Alford ’08.

She confidently presented a poem that she wrote and memorized for an upcoming pageant.

But Houfek still had suggestions to offer, giving Alford pointers on hand gesticulation.

“I thought the tips were great,” Alford said afterward. “I feel like there is always room for improvement.”