LASU DEBATE SOCIETY

In Economics, there are terms known as needs and wants. Needs are basic amenities that one solely relies on to survive like food, shelter, clothes, good health, etc. Anything that revolves around this circle is a need. Wants, on the other hand, are desires, things that are necessary but secondary like phones, chains, and wallets. As a public speaker, your needs are for your goals to be achieved while implementing knowledge of charisma, elocution, and pause fillers to deliver a dauntless performance and carry your audience along. Also, you want to improve as a public speaker and carve a niche for yourself. Though secondary, these want to take you to the next level in your career and help unleash your hidden potential and passion. To become an expert at hosting an event, delivering a heart-melting spoken word performance or starting your podcast and gaining so many followers or listeners, you have to take that public speaking master class and become certified. Enthusiasm, talent and comm...

A wise old bird sat on an oak.  The more he saw, the less he spoke.  The less he spoke, the more he heard.  Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird? - Edwards Hersey Richards I have always been fascinated by this nursery rhyme as a young boy, about this wise old bird that gets wiser as she listens. It is said that we have two ears and one mouth so we can speak less and hear more. As a public speaker, one may struggle with this, as the natural tendency is to speak. However, any communication is incomplete without feedback and feedback can only be received by listening.  Hence, the purpose of this article is to show how well one should listen to his/her audience – both in spoken and unspoken manners. According to data from Oxford Languages, the term ‘listen’ means to give one’s attention to sound or something. It originates from the Old English word of Germanic origin ‘hlysnan’ which means ‘pay attention to’. As a public speaker, it is pertinent to pay attention ...

Here are some quick questions for you to answer: What is communication? What is the essence of communication? What is an audience? How do you feel, when after a long talk, the person you've been conversing with asks you to start all over again? How do you feel when, after so much persuasion, the person you've been communicating with refuses your call to action? If you had by any chance skipped answering the questions, go back and answer them, because doing so would give you an in-depth understanding of this article. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines communication as the concept or state of exchanging data or information. Emphasis on the word "exchange" would help us realise the whole essence of communication. Effective communication entails a lot of messages coming from a sender and accepted by a receiver. The communicator is the sender, and the receiver is the audience. While you communicate, there must at leas...

I remember the first time I was chosen to represent my level in a Debate Competition. It was the first opportunity I saw to develop my public speaking skills, so, I didn't want to mess it up. I had prepared hard, internalized, and already practised my gesticulation the night before. I had already envisioned myself giving a great presentation. On D-day, after I was told to start, just 30 seconds into my presentation, everything was ruined with sweaty palms and trembling hands. My dream has turned into a nightmare. It was quite obvious that the sweat in my body was waiting for me to mount the stage before it started seeping. For me, it was sweaty palms and trembling hands; for some, it might be a racing pulse; for you, it might be a dry mouth and a tight throat. The good news is that "you are not alone." There are explanations and hypotheses on the causes of those symptoms of stage fright. Part of the explanation is that those symptoms are inborn. People who are born introv...

My roommate said that she has never indulged in a debate before. Well, I countered by saying it is impossible. She further proved her point by showing me pictures of her representing her secondary school in other competitions like quizzes and spelling bees, but never a debate. She even went as far as making me speak with her friend whom they've progressed together from primary school to Lagos State University, yet I held my stance that it is impossible for her to have never indulged in a debate. The argument got heated and lasted till the night...Well, I am sure you know what is going on here, right? I am laughing out loud because my roommate is claiming to have not participated in a debate before yet she is debating with me informally.  Therefore, you can agree with me that everyone has indulged in a debate before, but it is mostly done informally and naturally that it is not considered a debate. As long as you argue about the best tenure of a government so far, the colour that sh...

  I have always imagined university life to be a continuation of high school, with lectures, exams, and the occasional group project. However, my assumptions were quickly shattered when I stepped into my first class.  The lecturer, Dr. Blaster, greeted us with a smile and announced that we would be starting with an impromptu presentation. My heart raced as I realized that I was expected to stand in front of a group of strangers and speak for three minutes on a topic I had not prepared for.  It was then that I realized that university was a whole new ballgame, and public speaking was going to be a significant part of it. After the presentations, we were all given a clear indication of the importance of public speaking skills in our academic journey. We were encouraged to develop our speaking skills as students' speaking was a crucial part of the learning process and assessment in this new world.  As for me, my impromptu presentation was enough to awaken a des...

    Sometime in July 2019, I attended Daystar Leadership Academy(DLA) to become a better person, student and leader. I was passionate about environmental issues and how the little things I do could make a big difference. I had read countless books, listened to podcasts, and watched movies and numerous documentaries about the impact of climate change on the planet. However, I felt like I wasn't doing enough to create a positive impact. During one of the training sessions, one of the Coaches, Pst. Sam Adeyemi, spoke about how little things like making use of the waste bin instead of disposing of nylons, papers, and other environmental pollutants on the street of Lagos State could make a big difference in the State. He shared stories about countries that do little things like making proper use of the waste bin and the progress they've made. The session ended with a call to action for Nigerians to reduce their use of plastic bags and stop disposing of nylon and other environme...