Arts et Métiers engineering students Arts et Métiers that, both in their university studies and in their community life, mastery of speech and the ability to construct clear arguments are essential. To support them in this awareness and help them improve their oral communication skills, the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Cluny organized a public speaking competition on March 5, 2020.
Thirteen students participated in the training sessions, and eleven—four first-year students and seven second-year students—appeared before a jury composed of individuals experienced in public speaking:
- Agnès Bourg, teacher of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Cluny,
- Stéphane Margand, manager of Generali insurance agencies and President of the Mâconnais Football Union,
- Olivier Masi, president of the Des Voitures et des Hommes association and lawyer at the Paris Bar,
- Xavier Noirot, Deputy Director of the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Cluny,
- Laurence Terk, director of the Théâtre Scène nationale de Mâcon.
"Res non verba," "Defeat is an orphan, victory has many fathers," and "It is not enough to have talent, you must also use it (Alphonse Allais)" were the topics chosen by the organizing team. Two weeks before the big day, the contestants drew lots from among these three topics and defended their arguments in a five-minute speech. Music students, accompanied by teacher Frédéric Moll, provided entertainment while the jury deliberated.
Feedback from the winners of this second edition:
- In first place, Coline Bar, a second-year student, for her performance of "Defeat is an orphan, victory has many fathers."
- In second place, tied, are two second-year students.
- Valentin Soupa, on "res non verba,"
- Timothée Lopez on " It's not enough to have talent, you have to use it (Alphonse Allais)."
Looking for an extra skill
The three winners are unanimous about their reasons for participating in this public speaking competition. The competition is an opportunity to improve their public speaking skills and build a solid argument. "I'm shy, so this competition allowed me to test my public speaking abilities," says Coline. The students benefited from the involvement of Maître Olivier Masi, a lawyer at the Paris Bar, who led two preparation sessions. "I admit that at first, I signed up because I wanted to benefit from training with a professional, but now I realize that I learned as much during these training sessions as I did during the presentation in front of the audience," says Valentin. The eleven candidates stood on stage and did not know in what order they would be called. Timothée believes that "these experiences teach you how to manage your stress. " "I like the nerves before the presentation, it's very stimulating, " adds Valentin.
The little extra that made all the difference
Coline paid particular attention to her diction and stage presence: "I didn't speak too quickly, I worked on my pronunciation and paused to make sure my arguments were as clear as possible for the audience." Timothée wanted to engage the audience by making them laugh. "I chose to embellish my speech by using the funny and indisputable example of the impact that the talent and passion of one of our teachers can have on the motivation of his students." Finally, Valentin opted for a rational, dynamic speech. He drew inspiration from Yuval Noah Harari'sbook Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankindto find his arguments and ensure they were relevant to the audience."You also have to know how to occupy the space that is the stage," Valentin emphasizes.
Coline BAR
Finally, don't forget to smile at the thought of this person, who, by setting an example for you, has enabled you to surpass yourself.
Merit is always shared, defeats are forgotten.
Defeat is an orphan, victory has a thousand fathers.
A second-year student, she entered Arts et Métiers completing a preparatory course at Lycée du Parc in Lyon. Her first choices for assignment were the Aix and Bordeaux campuses, but she was assigned to Cluny and has no regrets because "this city allows freedom to create, especially clubs based on our extracurricular interests." In 2019, she received a civic engagement diploma from the Dijon school board for her work as a tutor for secondary school students during the 2018-2019 school year. "I worked with 11th-grade economics and social sciences students at Lycée Camille Claudel in Digoin. We focused on their career plans to open up new perspectives and inspire them to build their future, " Coline recalls. She is currently working on a project to manufacture an exoskeleton for people who have difficulty standing for long periods of time, but also for technicians and maintenance personnel to help them adopt the best posture for their technical tasks. Coline will continue her studies through the Erasmus program in Turkey, in the field of materials and aeronautics at Istanbul Technical University. After graduating from Arts et Métiers hopes to pursue a career in consulting and then move into the aeronautics sector.
Valentin Soupa
The art of language is necessary to bring about change; it leads to action.
In his final year of high school and then in his preparatory class, his teachers told him about Arts et Métiers. He took the entrance exam and chose Arts et Métiers the school trains general engineers and is recognized by companies. Next semester, he will be in Mexico at TEC Guadalajara, a campus of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, where he will conduct research projects in the laboratory. International exposure is the first dimension he wants to give to his studies. The second is to continue his studies at another school that trains students in management methods.
Timothy Lopez
It's not enough to have talent; you need passion, and motivation will do the rest.
After completing a technical degree, he enrolled in engineering school at UTBM, which he left in 2007. For 10 years, he worked as a methods technician and team leader in industry. In 2017, he decided to continue his studies and enrolled Arts et Métiers Fontanet program Arts et Métiers . What attracted him to this program was the pragmatic aspect of Arts et Métiers engineering. He became involved in a student project on the theme of sustainable development, "Campus Zéro Déchet" (Zero Waste Campus), because he believes it is important for engineers to take an interest in this field and to force themselves to apply this criterion in a professional project. He plans to work in a design office.
