Speech And Debate Lab At Kendall Campus Gets Overhaul
After more than a year of renovations, the Speech and Debate Lab at Kendall Campus is nearing completion on a revamped space that includes three podcasts hubs, a content creation room and an area for students to practice speeches.
The renovated lab, located in Room 2207, is about 2,000 sq. ft. It’s geared toward helping students improve their speech writing, communication and interviewing skills through technology.
Renovations began last spring when staff realized that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way students communicate and they wanted to add technology that supported that.
In the fall, one podcast room was added. It let students test the space and provide feedback, which the department “took to heart” and used throughout the development of the lab.
“My experience in the podcast room was excellent,” said Valeria Chacón, a freshman in the Honors College at Kendall Campus, who went six times throughout the fall semester to complete a podcast series for her introduction to public speaking class. “The staff was very accommodating [and] something that surprised me was the way I could use a soundboard to add effects to my podcast.”
Each podcast room includes a RØDE audio production studio machine, which allows multiple devices to be connected, sound effects to be added and microphone volumes to be controlled. They also have four RØDE PodMics, a television screen with a web camera and a computer.
Next to the podcast rooms is a space dedicated to practicing speeches. It includes lecterns, rolling chairs, desks and wall dividers so students can recite in front of an audience. The area also has a teleprompter.
“We have dedicated tutors who are on hand to help students [with] every step of the speech making process, from brainstorming to outlining, and then of course practicing the speech,” said Paul Klein, who manages the lab.
Future plans include redesigning and merging the lab’s website with the writing lab and having an online promotional video, designated computers for video editing and virtual reality public speaking simulations.
“We want to maximize the resources we have to help you as much as we can while you’re [studying at MDC],” said Craig Titus, chair of the English and Communications department.
The lab is open Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact the center at (305) 237-2253 or visit https://kendall-speech-lab.bookafy.com to reserve a podcast room .
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