CHAPTER 03

What if I told you that the start of your greatest leadership journey could come from…your own voice? Sounds a bit dramatic, right?
But hear me out, because at the Gavel Club of SLIIT, that’s exactly where all the fun begins, if anyone ever told you that public speaking could never be fun, they clearly haven’t been to a meeting at the gavel club.

The Gavel Club isn’t just a club. It’s almost like its own little universe, sometimes weird although mostly fun, and full of people who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves while growing into confident speakers: confident leaders.

Think of it as a place where you can actually enjoy public speaking (yes, that exists! SLIIT Gavel exists) while making friends, building connections, and learning a whole lot along the way.

We host educational meetings, but not the boring kind (there’s always a special theme). One week you might be a wizard casting spells, the next a WWE wrestling star, or even the famous “power cut monkey” meme. One day you’re a superhero, the next you’re bending the elements like in Avatar. Who knew public speaking would also be the stage where you unleash your imagination? Yes, we can be dramatic sometimes but where’s the fun in being ordinary.

Now, let’s be honest. Speaking in front of a crowd? Absolutely terrifying. We’ve all been there. But that’s exactly why Gavel exists, you’ll always have the support you need to grow, one step at a time. We’ve all had moments where stage fright got the better of us but now, we’re just chill guys and girls thanks to the SLIIT Gavel Club.

We usually start things off with a small challenge: the round robin session– a 20-second intro where you might learn random-yet-hilarious things about people. Like, “Which barn animal would you be?” or “How did you use AI last night?” and “That one wish you would never post to Santa.”

Then, the stage opens for our brave Gaveliers who are taking their first big step (yes, it is a big deal): delivering speeches for their CC (Competent Communicator) journey (a huge milestone for any Gavel member). It’s not just about speaking, it’s about embracing the challenge of speaking Infront of an audience, whether you imagine the audience to be pumpkins or not, what matters is that you had the courage to stand and start talking.

Then comes the audience favourite: Table Topics. There is no such thing as a dull table topic session (let’s be honest, it is the liveliest session in a meeting) Sure, it might feel scary at first, you’re called on the spot with no script, no notes, and just your thoughts. But that’s where the real fun lies. Because in those few minutes, you get to find out what people actually think and sometimes, it’s hilarious, sometimes inspiring, a few times questionable (the mind is a weird little wonder machine) but always, absolutely fantastic.

As a table topics volunteer, one day, you might be “hosting a Christmas party”.  Another day, you could be the fearless leader of the Fire Nation (or maybe the Avatar itself). Maybe you’re given the opportunity with hosting a Harry Potter–themed dating show (and yes, we’d all watch that), or maybe you’re asked if you’d be a better hero, villain, or just the sidekick in someone’s novel (but if you took on the challenge to an impromptu, we all know what character that makes you). The session is so exciting that we even dedicate whole meetings for an impromptu marathon.

We wrap up with evaluations, it’s not like the scary evaluations you get in red ink on an exam paper or the questions in a viva, in SLIIT Gavel, you don’t just get feedback, you get supportive feedback. Every speaker is applauded for what they did well and guided on what they can do better next time. We also recognise a Gavalier of the month, whether it be that they interacted well, delivered an outstanding speech or took on roles it’s Gavel’s way of saying

“We see you and you’re awesome!”

It’s not just about the educational meetings; there is so much more than that. From joint meetings with other Gavel clubs and hosting inter-university speech contests such as Oracle and even organising workshops, at Gavel, we do a lot more than just giving speeches. There’s always something happening and it never get’s boring- public speaking can be fun. Your journey towards becoming a leader can be exciting if you are part of SLIIT Gavel.

So, if you step into SLIIT Gavel, you’ll quickly realize: it’s not just about speeches. It’s about being part of a journey that keeps moving, keeps growing, and never stops. Because Gavel never stops.

Penned By:

Rtr. Shamla Bishirhafi

Editorial Committee Member 25.26