Eva Mae Brinson Takes First Place in Table Topics Competition at Spring Conference

by Paul Peterzell, DIstrict 84 Reporter’s Chair

L-R  Tony Salvagio, Eva Mae Brinson,
Dominique O'Connor

For 12 years as a Toastmaster, Eva Mae Brinson never thought she would get this far as a district level contestant in the Table Topics Competition. Eva gets good practice every week at her home club, Lockheed Martin Toastmasters. She has been a DTM since 2009, and she decided to compete because she was no longer a district officer. She originally joined Toastmasters in 2000. Eva Mae is no stranger to leadership in Toastmasters. She most recently served as Division E Governor, also was Area Governor for Area 53 two different times, and Fall Conference Chair in 2010. Eva Mae had some tough competition to get to the District contest. “Eric Butler and I competed against each other at the club level and he was a division champion previously. I was shocked when I beat him,” Eva Mae commented. When asked how she prepared for the District competition, she said, “My strategy was to buy time for the first 30 seconds. I repeat the table topics question, but this one was too long, so I filled in with things I know.” The question was “You are an Archaeologist on a dig in the year 2525 and find this object (a staple remover). What do you think it is and what do you think it was used for?” So Eva Mae started out with her usual humor and said “Let me Google it.” "It’s important to use humor”, Eva Mae stated. She went on to say “Humor is the attention getter. Humor is what people remember.” Eva Mae’s proudest moment was when she was announced as the winner and was presented with the trophy. She admitted that the competition was fierce and everyone did a great job. “I’m elated that I won,” Eva Mae said. For Table Topics, the top level of competition is the District Table Topics Speech Contest.