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Douglas arrives in Carmarthen

Wales Field School talks
about first reflections at
Trinity St. David

By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

ast Thursday, the 2013 Wales

Field School took off from
YVR en route to the University
of Wales, Trinity St. David for
a month-long soaking of Welsh
culture and wet weather.

The small University of
Wales campus is located in the
oldest settled town in Wales,
Carmarthen, with history
dating back to the Roman era.
Located in the southwest part
of the small country, the area is
less Welsh-speaking than the
northern parts of the country
where up to 60 per cent of the
population are fluent in the
national language, but far less
anglicized than the port and coal
mining towns in the southeast
region.

“Welsh cultures, traditions,
and language are much more
immersive than I had expected
prior to coming to Wales,”
explained Madison Paradis-
Woodman, one of the students
currently overseas with the
program. “It’s amazing to see
the revitalization and presence
of Welsh language in everyday
life.”

The field school embarks
on weekly trips to notable
places with historical capital
in South Wales including the

Church of St. David, the Welsh
patron saint, of which the school
is named after. The first trip
embarked on was a castle from
the Middle Ages.

“Llansteffan Castle felt
surreal—just being in a structure
as old as the 12th century. I
envisioned the prisoners of
the time as I walked through
the dungeons and guards as I
climbed up whirling staircases
to the lookout posts,” said
Paradis-Woodman.

Another draw for many
of the students is the chance
to immerse in a campus
community, taking the form of
dormitory living and weekly
student union dance nights.

“Trinity St. David feels
more like a town than it does a
school,” said Paradis-Woodman.
“Everyone seems to know each
other, regardless whether you're
a student, faculty member, or
staff person.”

The dozen students and
three instructors will venture off
after the study period to London
for further cultural immersion
and fun in a metropolitan area
of eight million instead of
100,000.

“We spend three days at the
end of the program in London.
We go to Buckingham Palace,
we go to the Globe Theatre to
see a Shakespeare play, we go
to the West End and see a show,
and all kinds of walking tours
all included,” said Elizabeth
Bachinsky, an instructor on the
trip teaching Intro to Writing
Poetry.

Douglas Toastmasters host open house

Guest speaker focuses on
leadership

By Avalon Doyle, Contributor

he Douglas Toastmasters,

a chapter of Toastmasters
International, hosted an open
house last Tuesday featuring
Darren Frew, director of
planning and communication
with the BC Bioenergy Network.
Frew is a long-standing member
of Toastmasters International
as well as being a member
of several other professional
public speaking organizations.
His talk focused on how to
give constructive feedback
as a member in the Douglas

 

Photo courtesy of
Drunken Monkey (Flickr)

Toastmasters.

For Frew, the skills learned
with Toastmasters translate
beyond just public speaking.

“A few years ago,
Toastmasters changed their
slogan to ‘Where leaders are
made,’ which doesn’t say
anything about public speaking.

That's because the confidence
you gain, and learning how to
properly deliver feedback to
each other, are the same skills
that make effective leaders,”
said Frew.

The international
organization was founded in
1924 as a way to help people
get over their fear of public
speaking and has since grown
to be a powerful tool for
building leadership skills and
networking. Douglas College’s
own chapter was formed
in November of 2011. Since
that time, the organization
has hosted some impressive
speakers, including bestselling
author Monica Regan and
Angela Louie, a world silver
medalist in public speaking.

For those who have never

been to a Toastmasters meeting,
it isn’t as scary as it might
sound. Especially for those

who are new to the club, no
participation is required—guests
or prospective members can opt
to just observe. The members
take turns speaking in front of
the group, either as presenters
or as speech critics. This type

of students-teaching-student
system is designed to create a
fun, friendly atmosphere where
positive reinforcement is the
aim.

If you feel you may already
be a skilled public speaker,
Toastmasters is still a great
place to learn. Frew stated
in his presentation that by
being an evaluator and being
evaluated, the speaker learns
specific technique for improving

 

Photo courtesy of Dylan Hackett

speeches.

“Another thing is learning
active listening,” said Frew.
“You have to listen carefully to
the speeches in order to critique
them immediately after they’ve
been presented.”

Club member Michelle
Leong said, “It’s also about the
quality of people members can
network with. Your membership
includes access to conferences
where you'll meet PhDs, CEOs,
and other business leaders.”

Membership with
Toastmasters also provides
eligibility in various speech
contests from local district
circuits to world championships.

The Douglas Toastmasters
meet every Tuesday at 5 p.m.
in room 207 of the Douglas
Students’ Union building.