Breaking the shell with Kim Duong

The University of Toronto Public Speaking (UTPS) club is a student run club based on the St. George Campus. The club focuses on conquering the fear of speaking publically by aiding students through various activities and fun meetings (every Friday 4PM-6PM at OISE5250). Now, if you frequent Facebook and follow a couple pages based from the St. George Campus, you might recognize the girl that tends to post reminders every Thursday evening about this club. Kim Duong is a second-year student at the University of Toronto and also happens to be the promotional director for UTPS. Her profound nature and eloquent character is the feature for this week’s Campus Celebrity. Through this interview, she proves that you don’t have to win medals or be famous to really be a celebrity. Sometimes it just takes a few reminders on social media.

Q: What led you to join the Public Speaking Club, and how did you decide to become the promotional director for the club?

The president of UTPS (University of Toronto Public Speaking Club) was the president of UTISA (University of Toronto Immigrant Support and Awareness) and while I was a mentor for UTISA, he introduced me to the club. It took a bit of time before I had the chance to drop-in on one of the meetings but once I did, I fell in love! I especially loved the fact the activities—and the fact that dramatic elements would be put into them while teaching the skills needed for public speaking—were fun yet educational and that the atmosphere was so welcoming. It was my kind of club and when a couple executive positions opened up, I thought it would be a great opportunity to join and give back to the club in a way.

Q: Did you always have an interest in Public Speaking?

Haha, not at all. I was a terribly shy kid growing up and I didn’t break out of my shell until grade seven. Really. Through a lot of different experiences (being an emcee, drama productions, assemblies, etc.), I realized how much I liked the opportunity to do something amazing in front of people. TedTalks are my favourite and since breaking out my shell, each keynote speaker in those talks are my role models. That is public speaking in its brightest form to me.

Q: Public Speaking is often a major fear for a lot of people, how do you think this club helps people conquer this fear?

This club centers itself with tackling that fear. The president had started this club based on his own struggles with public speaking and his vision of creating a warm and friendly space for everyone to grow from their difficulties and fears is still being realized today. Of course, our activities and guest speakers are always to teach and reinforce the skills of public speaking but we really do try our hardest to provide constructive feedback after podium speeches, be encouraging when people take the initiative to say something, and be that cheerleader for our members. The first step is being able to trust the people around you when you’re trying to overcome your fears.

Q: As the promotional director, have you had any obstacles to overcome to fulfill the role?

Haha, yes. The university lifestyle is quite a busy one and so it can be hard sometimes to reach out to the students when they may not get our notifications or updates or they’re just too busy with schoolwork. It’s in those moments when you try your best to keep what you offer up to par and cross your fingers that they’ll come. But constant updates and notifications to as many parts of campus as possible is our way of hopefully landing on your radar. Haha. On that note, check Facebook!

Q: How do you manage to balance the club with other responsibilities, such as school and personal life?

Well, I’ve always been a busybody and so I’ve learned to not bite off more than I can chew. I knew that school was a priority for me so instead of trying to be a part of every club there is, I focused on this club. Having less engagements (but each being extremely important) meant my attention had to be divided for only a few number of things. Oh, and an agenda really helps too.

Q: What has your experience with the club been like these past two years? Any profound memories?

Well, I facilitated (which also means created) my first meeting for the members of the club this year! I was in charge of helping the members step outside their comfort zones. One of the activities was a different take on a staring contest (it was an eye contact contest… to practice your eye contact!) and the executive team lined up at the end for a bonus round with the members. Needless to say, lots of laughing ensued. But other than that, it’s a joy coming to the meetings every week and watching the members gradually improve. These people have got great hearts and the effort they make is wonderful. It’s touching really!

Q: Is the Public Speaking Club directed towards any particular student? What kind of appeal would it hold for most students?

The club is directed towards any student! Just because we hit certain ages doesn’t mean our fears of public speaking go away. It’s something you practice and work at for years and years to come. This is one of the quotes that I’ve posted for the club and it speaks volumes about the struggles of public speaking.

“I’ve always been a shy person. It’s better now though because I found a support system in my best friend and the dramatic arts to break out of my shell. But the thing is, I still get this “deer in the headlights” look when I step out on stage and act. I still gag from the nervousness felt before class presentations. My heart still beats furiously whenever I answer questions in tutorial discussions. I still shake and stutter in front of crowds. I still have a million thoughts running through my mind in any conversation while I can’t physically say a word. So, I’ve come to realize that you may never really move past having a fear of public speaking (in any form). But that’s okay. What matters is the resolution to stand up and say something anyways.”

This is what the club does. We tackle this fear of public speaking with our members, one step at a time. We’ll always be here to help.

Q: Has the club altered the way you perceive yourself through public speaking? What are some things you learned unexpectedly?

Well, I tend to go on tangents… a lot. So this club—especially in the way I handle myself as an executive as well—has definitely helped me keep my content in check. For example, say if I have a set of amount of time to do something, then I would write out what I need to say and not allow myself the opportunity to become distracted. If anything, I’m learning to be more concise. I can’t talk forever, haha.

Q: The common idea is that public speaking is most relevant and most useful in business environments, how does the club tackle this idea? Is it based around anything else besides building skills in business?

That’s an interesting idea. Here’s another quote: “I think some people might be stuck on only one idea of being scared of public speaking. If you think about it, public speaking comes in so many different formats. The obvious one is standing in front of a huge audience and delivering a speech. But public speaking in its most simple form is just saying something to other people. Maybe you are scared of the big stage. Maybe you’re scared of smaller group presentations but you can handle a crowd of 300 because you can’t feel that personal connection to them. Or maybe you’re scared of it all. Either way, I don’t think people should dismiss someone else’s fear of public speaking just because it doesn’t match up to theirs. We’re all in this together. We’ve got to bond together and fight against our fears.” I have too many quotes…haha. Anyway, the club itself doesn’t focus on just one avenue of public speaking. It tries to hit it all! So that could be related to business but it could also be dramatic or it’ll talk about interview skills. Either way, the club itself has never had this idea that there is one way of looking at public speaking. There are so many different forms of public speaking and so our meetings every week change themes to accommodate that. You could almost think of the club as a first-year university course. But cooler. And more fun haha. Oh and no homework or tests or essays. None of that either. Haha.

Q; Last question, what are your plans for the future regarding the public speaking club?

My plans… are to definitely stay on the team. The best part really is seeing that our efforts touch people’s hearts and that they greatly appreciate us. This club didn’t exist at one point but it needed to. This is a great club whose safe environment really is what people need. Of course, we are always evolving to tailor our services (i.e., meetings, consultations, competitions) to the students so… we can only go up from here!

• campus celebrity
• confidence
• public speaking
• uoft