Get to know us

Let me tell you something...

Eloquentia is Maastricht’s student-run public speaking and debate association. In the past four years since founding, we have organized over 150 events, had over 1000 sign-ups, and have collaborated with countless associations throughout Maastricht, as well as with public speaking and debate experts. We are the fastest-growing student association in Maastricht

Now, let’s pick this apart. What do we mean by debate and eloquence exactly? Do we mean 8 people in suits sitting at a table arguing about politics, or do we mean you and your friends arguing half tipsy about how many penguins it would take to beat a lion in a fight? Well, both. Because both are forms of debate, and both are things you’ll be able to do with the people you will meet in Eloquentia.

To do that, you need eloquence or public speaking skills. In no way does this mean that you need previous experience, or even just confidence, to join this association. We take pride in assisting students in developing these skills, and we have proven to succeed in this aspect since our founding.

Eloquence is more than just using fancy words. It’s a skill with 5 components, or pillars:

(1) Preparation

(2) Tone

(3) Body Language

(4) Movement

(5) Confidence

Each of these contributes to the overall presentation, each of these influences how your message gets across and each of these relies on the other four on order to have impact. If you have everything but tone, you’re not going to have an engaged audience. If you have everything but preparation, you will not get through the first 30 seconds of a speech.

why should you join?

Now that you have an idea of what Eloquence is, why should you care about it? It does not matter who you are, whether you are a researcher, an IT worker, or an attorney. It doesn’t matter how great your ideas are. If you are unable to express yourself in a manner that makes your message understandable, attractive, and easy to digest, nobody is going to hear it.

Changing hearts and minds and convincing other people is not just about what you are saying, but how you are saying it. It is not just in a career aspect that eloquence is going to benefit you. There are applications that are even more practical and tangible. Think of interactions with your friends, your family, your teachers, future coworkers or even partners. Choosing the right words, and the right way to say them, depending on what the situation demands will spare you a whole lot of trouble. This: “It’s not what you said, but how you said it '' has kind of become a cliché, but it's true to. How you say things matters more than what you say. If you take that seriously, it might just change your life.

Many people are afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, and that’s not a strange thing. If you are afraid of public speaking, you’re not the exception, you’re the norm. 75% of people dislike speaking in public. Mark Twain said: There are two kinds of speakers: the nervous ones and the liars. So, when there comes a point in the first tutorial where you have to introduce yourself, and you feel your fingers tingling, your heart racing and and you get extremely self-conscious. Just know, you’re not alone. Eloquentia is the place to embrace this feeling and see where it takes you. We promise you, Eloquentia is especially welcoming to these people, we are here to help, and we will ensure we do this in as comforting an environment as possible.

Our History

A word from the founders...

“What constitutes a sport? Is the international liberal/legal order a sham? Is living forever just torture? Those are the questions we inevitably landed up debating over at the end of our nights out or during the frequent moments of procrastination.

With that, however, came the need to include others into the debate, up until the moment all our friends were fully invested in the question of whether golf is a sport or not… We would always talk about how being well-spoken is half of what winning a debate comes down to, along with a sound argument, of course!

Public speaking and eloquence are of significant importance in all areas of life. Be it in your next facilitation, a job interview or a first date. That is why we sat down and spoke about creating a platform that would become a space where anyone could come and expand their public speaking skill-set through engaging formats and topics, whilst making friends and having fun. And… That is how Eloquentia came to be!

Eloquentia has grown to be so much more and so much bigger than what we could have ever imagined during our moments of procrastination. It has become a lot more than just a training ground for eloquence, it has become a community. A community that we warmly invite you to join!

Founding this association was one of the most extraordinary experiences we could have ever wished for and we will cherish these memories forever. Although seeing this association grow was an invaluable reward, we are certain that the best part was the people we have met along the way.

May Eloquentia always be the place to improve, learn, have fun and experience many beautiful moments as a student!"

Mateo Rodriguez Zabala & Martin Vekov

Founders of Eloquentia Maastricht