BY: DANIELLE CLARK, STAFF WRITER
St. Bonaventure University is working to establish a Toastmasters club that would give students and community members a place to build public speaking, communication and leadership skills.
Benjamin Posmanick, an associate professor of economics in the School of Business, is leading the effort. The university held an Oct. 7 demonstration meeting to introduce the program and gauge interest, and it drew a good turnout.
The proposed club would welcome students, faculty, staff, alumni and residents of the greater Olean and Allegany communities. Local professionals, including physicians and nurses, have already expressed interest.
“I thought that it would be a really good thing for the campus community, but also for the Olean community,” Posmanick said. “To be able to network between those two sectors.”
Toastmasters International helps members improve communication through prepared speeches, impromptu speaking exercises and constructive feedback. At meetings, participants take on roles such as leading discussions, keeping time and counting filler words like “um” and “uh,” which also helps them practice active listening.
For students, Posmanick sees the club as a way to build skills and connections at the same time. Members could sharpen their interview and presentation abilities while meeting local professionals that could lead to internships and career opportunities.
Posmanick said speakers Zig Ziglar and Chris Dunham, both of whom recommended Toastmasters, inspired him to start the club. Ziglar was a well-known motivational speaker, and Dunham is a speaker who follows in his footsteps.
Posmanick also sees the club as a way to strengthen ties between the university and its neighbors.
“The better Olean does, the better Bonaventure is going to do. The better Bonaventure does, the better Olean’s going to do,” Posmanick said. “And that was the main driver of starting the club.”
Anyone interested in joining can email Posmanick at bposmani@sbu.edu or visit his office in Swan Business Center, Room 102D.
