West Virginia University - News and Information Services
Of lecterns and life: WVU athletes talk the talk in Dr. Atkins' speech class
They normally let their game do the talking, but on Tuesday (April 20) the rules change for 11 West Virginia University athletes enrolled this semester in a unique speech class that's a little bit about diction – and a lot about name recognition and social responsibility.
The athletes, all of whom wear Mountaineer gold and blue on various athletic teams, will trade in the playing field for the podium to offer up five-minute motivational speeches as part of an assignment in Dr. Carolyn Atkins' “Speaking to Communities” course.
Yes, that's public speaking – in all its feet-shuffling, sweaty-palmed, dry-throat glory.
They'll deliver their talks to coaches and others from 1-2 p.m. in the Jerry West Lounge of the WVU Colisuem. The public is invited to attend, and Tuesday's event caps the assignment that has also had the athletes making the same speeches to impressionable youngsters at public schools in the Morgantown area.
And that's the real Mountaineer mission behind “Speaking to Communities,” said Atkins, a professor of speech pathology and audiology who has been teaching the course for 25 years.
Teaching athletes to edit the “ums” and “you knows” that permeate everyday speech – just listen to any post-game interview – is a big part of the craft that drives the class, Atkins said.
But bigger, still, she said, is something that goes beyond good grammar and a strong presence at the podium. It's the idea of getting the athletes publicly comfortable, articulate and more aware of their place in society, since they're among the more high-profile students in the state.
After all, Atkins said, every college athlete has a common experience, whether he or she comes from the suburbs or the inner-city, West Virginia or Washington, D.C. All have been branded by mentors who did something to help channel their desire into a place on the team at a Division I school.
And talking about it, and talking about it well, in front of people can't help but help make an impact, she said.
“They're role models for the younger kids,” Atkins said. “What they say, and how they say it, can really carry weight. They make an impression, whether they realize it or not. They represent WVU.”
The athletes, and their topics:
- Jules Montinar, “Still Wants the Best.”
- Tyler Relph, “You CAN.”
- Tim Brown, “The Greatest Man on Earth.”
- Brad Byerson, “The Miracle Drug.”
- Chris Henry, “The Second Time Around.”
- Mike Ganzey, “Tony Mazzella.”
- Franklin Young, “A Defining Moment.”
- Meg Bulger, “Marc's Story.”
- Jerrah Young, “Sports and Opportunities.”
- Mike Meggett, “Making Positives from Negatives.”
- Nick Patella, “Your Personal Files.”
Office: (304) 293-6997