Fenton, MI (9/20/08) – In place of its usual meeting, the morning of Friday, September 19th, local public speaking group Fenton Area Toastmasters held two contests: one for planned humorous speeches and the other for short, impromptu speeches known as “table topics.” First place winners were John Strayer and Stacy Lukasavitz, respectively, both of whom are now eligible to compete against the best speakers of ten local clubs at the area contest, which will be held at Baker College in Flint on Saturday, September 27th.
Strayer, winner of the Humorous Speech contest, gave a hilarious oration on how he handled the death of a former roommate’s cat. The Humorous Speech contest consists of planned, 5-7 minute speeches by members and can be about any topic as long as it is original material. Speeches must be thematic in nature (opening, body, close) and not a standup act or monologue (series of one-liners). However, because of a scheduling conflict, Strayer is unable to attend the area competition, so runner-up David Broadworth will go in his place.
Lukasavitz took top honors in the Table Topics contest, an impromptu form of speaking where each contestant has between one and two minutes to answer a question. Each contestant was asked the following question: “Which event in your life has had the most impact on how you view the world?” Lukasavitz extemporaneously expounded on her belief that one’s worldview is not fixed, it is constantly changing as things happen to us, whether we realize it or not.
Toastmasters International is a worldwide, nonprofit organization. The Fenton Area Toastmasters meets weekly on Friday mornings from 7:45-8:45 in the lower level of the State Bank (Main Branch) at 175 N. Leroy Street in Downtown Fenton. Guests are always welcome and are strongly encouraged to attend. For more information, call Stacy Lukasavitz at (810) 599-4813, or visit www.fentontoastmasters.org.