The Art of Argument

Educating Cheshire Academy Students On The Importance And Influence Of Public Speaking

Think about the last time you attended an event or program where someone spoke before a large crowd.

What was unique about them?

They likely displayed poise and confidence, and exhibited a high level of knowledge in the subject matter they were discussing. They controlled the room. They naturally drew out emotion from the audience.

There is no doubt that public speaking is an important talent when it comes to persuading, motivating, and invigorating groups and crowds. Just ask Bill Mella P’26, creator and teacher of Cheshire Academy’s semester-long The Art of Argument course.

“I love teaching this course,” Mella said, in his classroom. “What’s more important than being able to communicate, and what’s more personable than being able to speak it? No matter what technology is out there, words from someone’s mouth will always be more valuable.”

The class was first offered during the fall semester of this academic year. And there’s no better person to lead the course; Mella, a longtime broadcast journalism veteran, has worked both behind the scenes and in visible roles on both radio and television shows around the country, including ABC News Radio and ESPN. He was also recently appointed head coach of the varsity football program, and is head coach of the varsity boys’ lacrosse team, so he knows the importance of projecting one’s voice, either in a room or across a field.

As part of the course description, The Art of Argument teaches students how to “engage in audience analysis during speech brainstorming, organization, and delivery. Students explore different areas of persuasive speaking including, but not limited to, law, social media, public issues, and policy.”

Throughout the semester, students are tasked with researching topics and issues of both Mella’s and their choosing, crafting their own speeches, and presenting in front of their peers. The students also record themselves presenting, which they later review to see how they can improve.

Eliana Orlinsky ’24 enrolled in The Art of Argument because she loves public speaking, and hoped that the course would develop her skills and provide her with a challenge. “It is such a unique course that many other schools don’t offer, so I knew immediately that I wanted to sign up for it,” she said.

Before she started the class, the thought of memorizing a speech was daunting. When Mella told his students they would be presenting without notes, Orlinsky remembered that she and the rest of the class looked terrified. But with Mella’s guidance, she and her classmates were able to improve upon their memorization and confidence.

Orlinsky’s improvement truly shined during the class’s task to recite a work from Shakespeare by memory.

“I was able to successfully deliver my speech to the class,” Orlinsky said. “It was challenging at first, but after preparing and practicing beforehand as Mr. Mella encouraged us to, it wasn’t too bad.”

Throughout the course, students research and deliver poetry, some of the world’s greatest speeches in history (Churchill’s address to parliament, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Day of Infamy, and others), songs in spoken form (which can be a challenge when you’re familiar with the tune!) and even hold classwide debates. In the beginning of the course, students had to deliver radio commercials in both hard sell (think car sales) and soft sell (think jewelry sales) formats as a way to familiarize themselves with their voice as a tool for public speaking.

For MacKenzie Cristman ’23 — who took the course in the fall — The Art of Argument served her well: she improved upon her public speaking skills, which was the main reason she signed up for the class.

“I gained confidence speaking about topics I’m passionate about,” Cristman said. “Mr. Mella created a space where we were free to creatively speak our mind, which helped everyone to be comfortable. Not only did I take away new public speaking skills from the class, but also a newfound respect for public speaking — that it takes courage for a person to stand up in front of an audience and speak about something they believe in.”

Cristman’s success in class confirmed Mella’s belief that the class could enforce positive change in students’ public speaking skills. “The biggest transformation was in, for most people, their voice,” he said. “It went from students hiding behind their scripts and talking into their papers to the paper being down by their waist, and they were speaking to the back of the room. They were making eye contact and working the room, and referring to notes.”

“Every single student in there just grew,” Mella continued. “There were a few students who, when they stood up, they knew that they delivered. It was their poise; they just walked different. They knew that they had improved. The way with which they carried themselves at the end of the course was just so much different than the first time that they had to speak in front of the class. As a teacher, that’s the coolest thing on the planet.”