Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the grand opening of the campus speech center, which is located in Parmenter room 12.

The speech center serves as a resource and “a place where faculty, students and staff at Baker University can go to work on having effective communication,” Kimberly Schaefer, assistant professor of communication, said.

Kimberly Schaefer, assistant professor of communication, and University President Pat long participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. Parmenter room 12 will now serve as a speech center for students, faculty and staff to work on having effective communication skills. Jordan Ratterman

The center opened Sept. 16 and is available for students, faculty and staff. It will remain open until Nov. 22. Anyone can sign up outside the speech center for an appointment any time from 2-7 p.m. The speech consultants ask everyone to sign up at least 48 hours in advance. Special appointments can also be arranged.

Students, faculty and staff can go to the center to work on communication skills for presentations, interviews or conferences. One of five students who have been trained to be speech consultants and are paid to do so will assist and provide feedback.

Sophomore Dani Carlson became a speech consultant after Schaefer approached her. Carlson took an oral communication class last year and had previous experience with communication through speech choir and forensics.

“I think that the art of doing speeches is important for everyone to learn to master,” Carlson said.

Schaefer said the speech center can be beneficial to many students, especially with the new Quest requirements.

“With the new Quest program, all Quest students have to have communication competency,” she said. “And this will really be a great supplement to the Quest program.”

A typical session in the speech center will consist of the student, faculty or staff member giving the background of the class and expectations of the presentation or the assignment. The student will then give his or her presentation in front of the consultant while being taped. After the presentation, they will watch the presentation together and the consultant will give tips on how to improve.

“It’s really great to see yourself on tape,” Schaefer said. “It’s one of the best learning tools that you can have and it’s really great that the speech center provides that.”

Junior Shelby Schiraldi became a speech consultant after taking oral communication with Schaefer last semester as well. She said she was “really nervous and apprehensive” about giving speeches in the class, but after expressing her concern to Schaefer, she improved on her speeches and her confidence. Schiraldi recently added communication as a second major in addition to sociology.

”I think giving speeches is something that’s really important once you go out into the real world and try to get real jobs and start a career for yourself,” Schiraldi said.