63rd session - Table Topic Fest

There is a fact that all of us have to admit - something new keeps happening at Ruwi Club!

With competition season coming up, what better idea could VP-E have come up with than a marathon of table topics, with no choice to the members but to run. ALL the members who attended today were part of the fest, stood up and spoke, and went down in RTC history as having spoken their minds in front of the best of the best - DTM Varma, AD Ramki, TM Rajkamal and TM Vignesh, the original mentors and guides of the club. 

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Today's SAA was TM Vignesh and he opened the session on a congratulatory note, having watched the competitive fever warming up in the club.

President Aji declared the session open and related a story of five monkeys, which for once, ran into rough weather as that story had been related by acting president Panna a week earlier! However, a different voice served to reinforce the message and TM Aji used the story to mention the importance of work culture in team-building.

Today's Master of Ceremonies was TM Rajkamal, a past master at the game. He flagged off by inviting DTM Varma to conduct an education session on Table Topics, that would reveal some useful tips to the future contestants.

Those who missed DTM Varma's presentation today, missed out on an invaluable strategy session on Table Topics. DTM Varma dissected the approaches into 4 modes that would help the speaker to make up his mind as to what tack to take. He also highlighted the importance to listening to the topic carefully, the way to utilise the initial pause to think, the need of choosing an approach quickly and not deviating from it, and the benefit of importing as much of speaking tools into the speech as possible. A great session DTM, albeit shorter than we would have wished it to be.

The MC described the structure of the marathon. Wow! Take a look:

• Topics had been chosen by TM Rajkamal, the MC, from DTAC competition topics.
• The speakers (12 in this case) would be split into 3 groups. Each group would have one of the 3 topics.
• The group would go through a contest mode, ie the participants would be called into the hall one by one and given the topic to speak on. The speaker could then stay back.
• A video of the winning speech would then be shown, as an example of how this topic had been exploited by the champion speaker.
• All the audience members had been evaluating the 4 speakers and the feedback slips would be collected and handed over.
• The evaluators (DTM Varma nd AD Ramki) would give individual feedback to the 4 speakers.
• Repeat for the next group.

Could there be a more comprehensive coverage of all aspects of Table Topics in a mock session? I think not.

What a wide range of participation was there - from stalwarts like IPAD Kumar and Pres Aji to brand new members like TM Sabu and TM Sridhar. All speakers raised their efforts by a clear notch and gave the evaluators points to laud. Evaluations by DTM Varma and AD Ramki were encouraging but specific and the speakers benefited hugely from the same.

Now what were the 3 topics?

1. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.
2. Living dangerously is the only way to live.
3. If I could rewrite history...

Those members who could not be present, please choose a topic, stand in front of the mirror and shoot. 

And please look up the winning speeches on Youtube - they are indeed impressive. The speed with which the winners formulate their approach, proceed on logical paths, pull out examples in support, wrap up a conclusion and at the same time gesticulate, vary their voice, use the stage, bring in personal experience, emote, connect with the audience - practically give seven minute project speeches in just two minutes - is just mind-blowing.

DTM Varma was also handed over a topic to speak on "Which has greater value? What others see in you or what you see in yourself" and gave a cracker of a speech declaring that beyond a point, we need not bother about others' opinions. AD Ramki was handed an innocent topic "Natural disasters" and spoke fluently and passionately about the disturbances in our minds being bigger disasters than any earthquake.

Topics chosen for the mock session were indeed friendly yet interesting and everybody had something to say. We were all grateful to TM Vignesh and TM Rajkamal at having willingly taken up the two major roles for the day, which ensured that we all could participate.

AD Ramki had a surprise in store for us, a recognition of president Aji at a DTAC ex-com meeting that Ramki was attending, on account of a show of integrity. We are all proud of you, TM Aji.

Our session ended at 6 pm, with everyone's eye on the clock, as we had the hall only till then. But thanks to the courtesy of the caretaker, we were still able to have our tea and snacks in peace and enjoy the warm glow that comes at the end of a superb educative and participative session.

Like I said, it only happens at RTC.

See you all again on 28.1.17 at a normal session.