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Local Author Publishes Second Novel North County resident and young adult author Nikki Katz recently published her second novel, The King’s Questioner. The book, published and distributed by Swoon Reads, is about a boy named Kalen who has been cursed with a gift: he’s a mental picklock, able to access a person’s memories and secrets by touch. His skills make him the perfect questioner to the king, and he spends his days interrogating prisoners of the crown. But when Kalen’s estranged childhood friend, Prince Cirrus, falls into a sudden coma, the king begs Kalen to intervene. By accessing Cirrus’ mind, Kalen saves his life – and uncovers a terrifying secret that could topple the kingdom. Nikki is also the author of The Midnight Dance, as well as four nonfiction puzzle and games books. “I’m so very thankful for my readers,” Nikki said. “I love the idea that something (beyond my children) will live beyond me. Some time, some year, some place, a child may pick up one of my books and read it.” The King’s Questioner is available anywhere books are sold, including most online bookstores.
Local Fundraiser Seeking Sponsors
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Soroptimist International of North San Diego (SINSD) and Soroptimist International of Poway (SIP) are currently seeking sponsors for their annual joint fundraising event. Soroptimist Hats & Heels, scheduled for April 5 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, is a luncheon, auction, and fashion show. All proceeds benefit SINSD and SIP’s Transitional Housing Program for survivors of domestic violence, as well as other programs empowering local women and girls.
This year’s event is early ‘70s themed, with period-appropriate fashion, plus entertainment by six-time Grammy Award-winning Fifth Dimension. Sponsors and donations are welcome to help make this event as exciting and successful as it is every year. Contact Sponsor Chair Pam Warnock at warnockpam@yahoo.com to learn about available opportunities, or learn more about the event at www.sihatsandheels.org.
San Diego Theatre Week 2020 San Diego Theatre Week, a program presented by the San Diego Performing Arts League (SDPAL), returns for a week of special promotions to live theatrical, musical, dance, and comedy performances across the county from February 13 to 23. The annual event highlights the variety and enhances awareness of San Diego’s diverse performing arts community, with tickets available at $15, $30, and $45 levels. Participating performing arts groups include: Diversionary Theatre, OB Playhouse, Star Theatre, National Comedy Theatre, PowPAC, Oracle Performing Arts, Lamb’s Players Theatre, New Village Arts, Cygnet Theatre, The Old Globe, Lyceum Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, North Coast Repertory, Oceanside Theatre Company, Patio Playhouse, Scripps Ranch Theatre, Mandeville Auditorium, San Diego Civic Theatre, and Point Loma Playhouse, among others.
For more information and tickets go to www.sandiegotheatreweek.com. Andrea Acuna in PowPAC’s Nuts. Photo by Daren Scott. Miracle League Honors Service Award Recipients
The Miracle League of San Diego recently honored its 2019 Outstanding Service Award recipients: Georgia Sims, Grace Laliotis, Ryan Grozen, Naomi Ryder, Caroline Berg, Brendan Chapko, Jack Kuffner, Michelle Coad, Trenton Wilson, Trevor Hagen, and Jacob McKanry. The honorees are high school seniors who have volunteered their time for at least three years, staying actively engaged with the Miracle League community, the players, and their families, and making a positive impact on all involved.
Founded in 2006, The Miracle League of San Diego is a nonprofit organized baseball league for people with special needs. Every player is matched with a buddy for the entire season and each buddy is paired with the player based on his or her unique needs. Games are played at two locations: Engel Family Field in Del Mar and Bell Middle School in the South Bay. For more information visit www.miracleleagueofsandiego.org.
6th Annual Donation Drive Assemblymember Brian Maienschein and the ASPCA held their 6 th Annual Pet Adoption and Donation Drive at the Poway Kahoots Pet Store in December, supporting homeless animals in San Diego County. Twelve dogs were adopted at the kick-off event, and over 1,400 pounds of pet food and supplies were collected throughout the week-long drive. This year’s donations benefited nonprofit organizations Lionel’s Legacy and Second Chance Dog Rescue. Lionel’s Legacy is a senior dog rescue and humane education program for elementary school children. Second Chance is an organization dedicated to saving homeless dogs from local shelters and from Baja California, Mexico. Learn more at www.lionelslegacy.org and www.secondchancedogrescue.org. Assemblymember Maienschein represents the 77 th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Scripps Ranch, Poway, Rancho Peñasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Mira Mesa, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Miramar, San Pasqual Valley, and Tierrasanta.
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From young professionals to experienced managers, personal growth is the name of the game for Toastmasters Club members. Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club is no exception, offering community members from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to face their fears, gain self-confidence, and develop important communication and leadership skills in a fun, supportive environment. Join our conversation with Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club President Koshi Matsushita to learn more.
20 • 92129MAGAZINE.COM • February | March 2020 VOICE
KOSHI MATSUSHITA
What is Toastmasters International? Toastmasters International is a U.S.-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.
Headquartered in Englewood, CO, the organization’s membership exceeds 357,000 in more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924,
a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills while fostering selfconfidence and personal growth.
How has the club changed or developed since it was founded? According to long-term member Janet Melbane: We have a more diverse membership now, which I
your communication and leadership
skills will help you in all aspects.”
Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.
Please give us a brief history of the Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club. We are a lively and friendly club with members ready to help you achieve your speaking and leadership goals. Active since 1982, we earned the 2018 President Distinguished Club Award in recognition of our achievements.
What is the club’s mission? Our mission is to provide think has made the club much more fun and enriching. In particular, we have more members who are originally from other countries and speak English as a second language, and I think we also have a more even number of women and men, instead of tending to be male-dominated. We also have many more members coming from the tech industry now, which was a much smaller business sector in San Diego back then.
We have always been structured and well-organized, but I think the meeting atmosphere is lighter and less formal now. Any level of casual dress is now commonplace, and I think there is more humor throughout the meeting. When I first joined,
At-A-Glance | President
Name: Koshi Matsushita Community: Scripps Ranch Education: Tokyo Engineering University Hobbies & Interests: Photography, cycling, running, and travel Favorite Local Spot: Torrey Pines State Beach
I recall a lot more members wearing suits or other more formal business wear. Then and now, this would be expected for anyone going from the meeting to work in a formal setting, but
so many more workplaces have casual dress now, and more people have variable schedules, work remotely, etc.
I believe the club has changed location four times. Our current location is by far the best.
How did you personally become involved with Toastmasters? I visited a Toastmasters club as a guest in 2007 as recommended by my colleagues at work. I planned to just listen and be quiet at first. Then they started the table topic section where members practice impromptu speaking. I still remember the question, “What is your favorite music and why?” I was asked to participate in the section as a speaker. Although I was nervous and it was my first visit, I went for it. The question was supposed to be so easy to answer, but I found myself struggling to fill the 40-second speech time. I repeated the same phrase multiple times, I stumbled over my words, and I used a lot of “ah” and “ums.” That was the moment I realized there were many things that I needed to work on in public speaking. I joined the club immediately.
At-A-Glance | Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club
Name: Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club President: Koshi Matsushita Year Founded: 1982 Website: www.teasers.toastmastersclubs.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScrippsTeasersToastmasters Email:president-1442 @ toastmastersclubs.org (Koshi Matsushita); vpm-1442 @ toastmastersclubs.org (Jinlu Yu) Phone: Koshi Matsushita (President): 408-202-1923; Jinlu Yu (Vice President of Membership): 650-272-8825
What is your current role within the organization and what duties does it entail? I am president of the club. As president I preside over meetings and supervise the operations of our club. I am also one of the club’s representatives on area and district councils.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being involved with Toastmasters? The most challenging? It is most rewarding to become a better speaker, listener, and leader within a fun, open, and supportive environment. We have some really great people in our club so becoming better is fun and not like a chore or task. I look forward to it.
The Toastmasters program education system is a selfdirected program, so each member can make progress at their own pace. This way it can be as challenging as you want it to be because you set the pace. Despite this, we are each encouraged by our mentors within the club to step out of our comfort zone for effective learning, which might be challenging for some. But even with that, the good thing about our club is that members have said, and I agree, that even if they feel nervous, they know they will only get positive vibes and constructive feedback to make them better, and they’re happy they took on the challenge.
Can you tell us a bit about the other current officers, and any other key players in the club? Similar to others, our Toastmasters club has eight officers. The reason there are eight is to spread, load, and expand the leadership opportunities at the club level. Those eight positions are: president, vice president of education, vice president of membership, vice president of public relations, secretary, treasurer, sergeant at arms, and immediate past president.
Other key players in our club are members that have worked hard to earn various designations. There are many, but the highest level is the designation of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). It is a rare level to reach and we have two current members that are DTMs and some on their way to earning it. DTM acknowledges that a member has reached a superior level of achievement in both communication and leadership. the Toastmaster of the meeting. Any member can sign up to lead a meeting as Toastmaster. The Toastmasters of the day will emcee proceedings for that meeting and choose a theme to guide the meeting, and introduce each activity.
A major part of the meeting is the prepared speeches. Members present a speech based on their Toastmasters education manual. Evaluators will give constructive feedback for each speaker. There is a section called table topics where members practice impromptu speeches. The meeting is also supported by members assisting as functionaries such as Ah Counter (who catches filler words and sounds), Grammarian (takes note
What are the club’s future goals? Our goals are to achieve the President Distinguished Club Award in 2020, and to help each of our members develop their leadership skills and reach their educational goals. We have long-term members who are working toward DTM and new members who are up and running to reach their goals, which is exciting to see!
If you could grant the Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club one wish, what would it be? We have a great environment and energy at Scripps Teasers that I think many people can benefit from. I’d love to see us grow our
Looking for a Toastmasters Club near your workplace or home? Visit www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club.
When and where does the club meet? We meet every Thursday from 7 to 8 a.m. at the SRCA Community Center, 11885 Cypress Canyon Rd.
What does a typical meeting look like? Our meeting starts at 7 a.m. and finishes at 8 a.m. It is called to order by sergeant at arms, who is presently Niko Podimatis. He takes a few minutes to give the club words of inspiration before we start the meeting. The sergeant at arms then hands the meeting over to me, the president, to open the meeting. I open by keeping the members informed about what’s going on at our club and then introduce of interesting uses of the English language), Timer (who helps us speak within time), and a Ballot Counter (counts member votes for the rewards we issue at each meeting for best speech, best evaluator, and best table topics.) Also, there’s a joke at the end of each meeting to send people off with a chuckle.
How would somebody go about joining the Scripps Teasers Toastmasters Club? What are the criteria for membership? As long as you are at least 18 years old, you can apply to join Toastmasters. After you join you can use the tools provided to develop your leadership and communication skills. membership so that others in the community can experience this great group of folks I meet with every Thursday morning.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know? Life isn’t scripted, so strengthening your communication and leadership skills will help you in all aspects. We do this with fun, lighthearted people. We always welcome members of the community to come to a meeting. We meet at the SRCA Community Center, 11885 Cypress Canyon Rd. You can walk in any Thursday at 7 a.m. Feel free to email vpm-1442@toastmastersclubs.org prior to visiting to confirm the meeting or with any questions.
