The Alternative Press

Lisa Batchelder of West Orange was the winner of the Speak Easy Toastmaster Table Topics contest of August 16, 2012 at Club 1922 which meets at CIT Headquarters in Livingston. Toastmasters International is an international public speaking and leadership group, and table topics contests are designed to test extemporaneous speaking skills. Contestants do not get more than fifteen seconds to organize an introduction, the body of their communication, and a closing statement.

All contestants were asked the same question: “what movie character they would like to be and why." Lisa Batchelder, a freelance violinist, chose the Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night. “I am going to marry Paul McCartney”, she began, “and my husband knows this, and he is OK with it.” The Club erupted into laughter; then she proceeded to expand on her love for the Beatles music, performance and style. Lisa is also a freelance writer and a communications consultant.

Runner-up was Joyce Petritsch, Speak Easy Toastmasters Club President and VicePresident of Security and Controls of Financial Systems at CIT. Her answer to the same question was Scarlett from Gone with the Wind. She remarked that Scarlet was a woman of contrasts. Joyce admires Scarlet’s strength as she fought to keep her life and those in it protected from the ravages of war and the hardship of reconstruction; she was not raised for the task, but she succeeded admirably. At the same time Joyce saw Scarlet as blinded by her focus on a man who was in love and married to another woman, so that the skill which helped her save Tara caused her to fail to appreciate Rhett Butler, her husband.

The winner will represent the Speak Easy Toastmasters Club at the Area 62 contest to be held with winners from six other Toastmasters clubs from this area. The Area contest will be held on Thursday, September 20th at 6 pm, and anyone interested in attending is asked to contact Ana Alvarenga at ana.alvarenga@prudential.com.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Speak Easy Club is asked to contact Lisa Batchelder, Vice President of Membership, at lisa.batchmedia@gmail.com. More information is also available on the web: http://1922.toastmastersclubs.org/agenda-00053204.html