Every month, we will feature a different student group to demonstrate the many diverse groups we have at MacEwan and how they all contribute to a vibrant, thriving community on our campus.

SAMU: Welcome to the Student Group Spotlight. To get started, tell me a little bit about yourselves, your roles, and your position in this club.

Kamaru Beyan: My name is Kamaru Beyan, and I’m the creative director. My role is to keep the visual consistency for the group.

Cason Lamothe: My name is Cason Lamothe; I’m the president of the Speech Leaders Club, and my role is to direct our vision and drive the club forward.

SAMU: What makes your Student Group stand out?

Cason: When I first joined the group, it was actually called something else and resembled something that was already out there. I rebranded it to differentiate it from what people would consider public speaking. It’s more like any entry-level group that removes intimidation, making it more beginner-friendly. We attended a few Toastmasters sessions to see what it was like. They focused on things that we didn’t really like. You can train yourself not to say “uhm” as much as you’d like, but if the confidence isn’t there, then you’re not going to have that foundation. Our group focuses on the foundation more than the things that don’t really matter.

SAMU: What is your favorite memory of your group?

Cason: My favorite memory so far has been our launch event. It turned out to be a lot greater than we expected it to be, and we got our club out there and met a lot of people. It was a great experience and a big turnout. The food was great, and we had a really good time overall.

SAMU: Tell me a little more about your launch event. What did you guys do, and how was it?

Cason: Our launch event was fantastic. We played a lot of fun speaking games. One of the highlights was that we got everyone to come up on stage and present an impromptu speech for about 30 seconds. The engagement was huge. We also talked about how you can change those feelings, like butterflies in your stomach, into actual confidence when you’re speaking. We put it into practice, and people found that really impactful, so that was the majority of what we did. We also did a networking game with Jen, the social app, which was really fun. People talked and got to know each other; it was the first initiative in building our community.

SAMU: What’s your plan to equip students with the skills and the confidence to be able to thrive in public speaking?

Cason: So, we created an outline of what each week will focus on. One will focus on confidence, and another will focus on staying in character if you stumble in your speeches. We have around ten of those planned out right now. Our goal is that if you attend all or even part of it, you’ll walk away with confidence and a transferable skill that will help you in any speaking engagement.

SAMU: How has involvement in this Student Group impacted your university experience?

Cason: Well, it’s been a lot busier but more rewarding. Meeting lots of really cool people like Kamaru, has been amazing. It’s my first year on campus, so just within the couple of months that I’ve been apart of this group, I feel like I’ve been here for a couple of years because of the familiar faces. Just walking down the halls and seeing people that would attend the event or that I spoke to about the event is so rewarding, so it makes it feel more like a tight-knit community.

SAMU: Are there any upcoming events that students should watch out for?

Cason: So we have weekly meetings, which will focus on a different thing each week, so it’ll be fresh content every single week. We plan a few bigger events in the future in the winter semester, and we’d love for any students who are interested in becoming better at our communication, to come out to our weekly meetings and have some fun with us.

SAMU: What would you say to someone considering joining a Student Group?

Kamaru: I would say that joining a student group helps narrow down what you want to do, even after graduation, and also builds your network, making you more confident once you do graduate. So, if you want to graduate from school well-prepared and impress your boss, leading to raises, communication is one of the most important things you can possess.

Kamaru and Kason: We’d love to have you join our group because we want to help as many people as possible.

You can connect with MacEwan Speech Leaders on social media through Instagram (@macewanspeechleaders), or their page on Student Groups Connect

Follow SAMU on social media through Instagram (@sa_macewan), TikTok (@sa_macewan) and Facebook (Students’ Association of MacEwan University) to stay up to date on the latest events, programs and services from your Students’ Association.