Alumni Reflections on Communication
Adhiraj Arora
(ISB Alum, “Standing Ovation Earner”)
Moments…
I find it incredibly fascinating how certain moments, seemingly ordinary and often innocuous while we live through them, end up having such a profound impact on our lives.
I had one such moment during my second to last term at the Indian School of Business, while I was sitting with a bunch of friends, scanning through electives for the coming term. As we browsed through the 20-odd courses on offer, we came across the Arts of Communication course outline, and I looked at my friends with certain trepidation, trying to gauge from their facial expressions what they thought about the course….
Rachel Baer
(Friedman Alum, “Communication All-Star”)
Finding Joy….
In a world where “public speaking” ranks among peoples top-feared experiences, I somehow always enjoyed it. From a young age, I loved the thrill of an audience, the challenge of crafting something impactful to say, and having platform to say it. I volunteered for toastmasters in 5th grade, offered to give a speech at my 8th grade graduation, and entered speech competitions in high school and college. So when I took this course as a requirement for my masters’ degree, I expected to learn nuts and bolts – theory, if you will. Tips and tricks for crafting meaningful content and how to use pauses for maximum impact. What I didn’t expect was an experience that will long tug at my heartstrings and brought my passion and appreciation for impactful communication to a new level...
Leland Lazarus
(Fletcher Alum, “Future President in Training”)
Finding Authenticity….
What do the speakers featured in this book share in common? Yes, their speeches were captivating. Many went to the same schools. Many are Millennials. But an important similarity is that they all took a course on The Arts of Communication. From ancient times with Aristotle’s Three Appeals (Logos, Ethos and Pathos) to the modern age with hundreds of speaker trainings, thousands of Toastmasters groups, and millions of communication books around the world, the art of communication is still viewed as a natural skill bestowed upon the chosen few, and not a muscle we can exercise over time. Let’s face it: our lives tend to be so busy that when it comes to public presentations, we write down what we want to say a few days before, go over it two or three times, and then just “wing” it on the day….
Evan Sparks De-Pass
(Tufts Alum, “Star Teaching Assistant and Global Health Specialist”)
Uncovering Your Style…
As a student on the first day of Professor Mankad’s Arts of Communication course at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, I was, like many students in my position, quite nervous. Part of that nervousness could be attributed to Professor Mankad’s stature, as a former anchorman for a major news network, his reputation preceded him. Another aspect of my nervousness had to do with my incredible discomfort speaking in front of large audiences, the reason that I chose to take the course in the first place. As the class filtered in on that first day, Professor Mankad, a man that I had never met before, strode up to me and exclaimed “You must be Evan!”, and shook my hand…
Tram pham
(Tufts student, “Communication Virtuoso”)
10 hours for 4 minutes…
Growing up, I had the worst stage fright. Despite playing the flute for seven years, I was terrified of performing in front of an audience. As a graduate student, the thought of speaking in front of an audience still makes me nervous, but it was a challenge I was ready to face.
I used to think that a good public speaker had to be poised, professional, and perfect. One advice that Professor Mankad gave us early on: just be yourself. I was so relieved to hear that I didn’t have to turn myself into an expert or comedian to deliver a good speech. That wasn’t to say that the process would be easy...
Laurance Cosper
(Commencement Speaker & “Stage Magic Creator”)
Words to Galvanize Communities…
…Words have the potential to build communities, to nurture relationships, to inspire hope and belief; but, words also have the power to divide and conquer, to destroy marriages, to enshroud the truth and cast dark spells of fear. Understanding the purpose of words lays down a strong foundation for how I strive to choose my words for both formal speech and in my daily interactions...
Mark Karugarama
(Tufts alum, “Changemaker and Soothe-sayer”)
Plantings Seeds of Power…
The Arts of Communication course planted the seed of a moment whose power I am still unlocking today. Prior to the class, I did not think I had a distinctive communication style. Nor did I understand communication technicalities such as the ancient philosophy of Ethos, Pathos and Logos. The experience unlocked my inherent communication style. It provided a one-of-a-kind learning experience in communicating for impact and persuasion. In addition, classmates opened my mind to a new world of stories, experiments and adventures that are almost impossible to replicate in any other academic setting. For my part, I was reminded that a story is like a song to the human heart. It was therefore no wonder that students in this class seemed to bond more naturally than I have ever seen in any other class to date.
Mukund Marodia
(Ashoka YIF alum, “Master TA & People Enabler”)
In Arts of Communication (AoC) Wonderland...
…I saw more than a dozen groups – where the participants were initially only little acquainted with each other – come together as a family during and after the course. This created a safe space for participants to comfortably share some of the closest moments of their lives with the audience, which, in turn, led to a natural bonding. Hence a positive feedback loop got created. The overwhelming and heartfelt tributes, and the standing ovation which Mihir received at the end of the courses spoke for the cathartic and touching experience which everyone had.