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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.