Page 40 - 2016 December Voices

SUCCESSFUL CLUB

MIME SPEAKS TOASTMASTERS

WORKING TO BECOME THE BEST THEY CAN BE

by Aaron Sprunger, CC

Every Tuesday at saying in our club that “if you can speak at 7 a.m.,
7 a.m. approximately you can speak at any time,” in the classroom,
20 college students join me to develop our giving a presentation, or at a job interview.
speaking and leadership skills. Yeah, that’s right, We are a bunch of busy college students, how
before most of their roommates, friends, or do we make sure that we are accomplishing our
classmates are even awake, there are students at goals as individuals, and as a club? Simple, we
MIME Speaks Toastmasters working to become track each goal, individual and club, and keep
the best that they can be. MIME everyone aware of the progress that is being
Speaks Toastmasters is a primarily made. Each week our VP Education
student (but not exclusively) sends out the club newsletter reporting
group at Oregon State University on highlights of the past week, working
(OSU) in Corvallis, OR housed members for the next four meetings,
within the school of Mechanical, and individual and club progress toward
Industrial, and Manufacturing our goals. It is important to us that each
Engineering (MIME) that started member is aware of their progress to
in February 2016, and is well on keep themselves accountable, others’
its way to achieving Presidents progress to keep each other account-
Distinguished Club by June 2017. able, and the club’s progress to keep
How did we start and what are the leadership and group as a whole
we doing to achieve our goals? It L - R, Duncan O’Boyle and Aaron Sprunger accountable. This system of account-
may seem obvious but we started ability has helped us to achieve our
with specific goals and we track goals thus far.
everything. Engineering students aren’t always known for
Our group was started by a group of being early risers, or well-spoken individuals.
professors who have been longtime Toastmasters, But at MIME Speaks Toastmasters, we work to
saw its benefits, and wanted their students change that stereotype and send engineers into
to leave school with the valuable knowledge the world who can speak to groups, convey their
that Toastmasters provides. It is our goal to ideas, and lead change in the world.
enhance the education we (students) receive in
the classroom, to prepare ourselves to speak
and lead wherever we go
beyond OSU.
Some might think it is
crazy to have a meeting of
college students at 7 a.m.,
but meeting at 7 a.m. is
done with purpose. There
are no class conflicts that
prevent students from
attending meetings, and
while it is challenging to
speak so early, it is also a Club Members of MIME Speaks Toastmasters, Oregon State University

40 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6 DECEMBER, 2016