God Speed

I agree with what a lot of my fellow classmates have said regarding the respectful team work of this class. I can not remember when I have been in a class that sparked so much emotion, but no ill will towards anyone. I believe our fearless leader (Candee) helped set the tone for this atmosphere of mutual respect. It could have easily been contentious if it were not for the class as a whole, allowing everyone the right to belief and express what ever their point of view might have been. I hope everyone can keep this open-mindedness as we move forward in our respective fields, and each and every person their due right of free expression. These are the things this magnificent nation was founded on, let freedom reign now and forever.

 

God bless too all, and God Speed.

 

Mark

Life’s lessons aren’t always easy

Going through one of the hardest times in my life and hitting rock bottom made me, and still is making me, stand stronger than ever before. I hope that I can be just that little bit of encouragement or motivation for someone else way out there that thinks there is no hope or that nothing is ever going to be any different to stand back up and dust off and realize that we get one chance at this thing we call “life.” And, the only person that can define you is ”you”.

Sometimes we get caught up in a routine that the days just pass us by, then one day things come to sudden stop. Could be tragedy or devastation or waking up in critical care or many, many, other situations. It’s then we do the “looking back at time that has passed” and wonder just where the time has gone and how did we get ourselves in such a fog.

We will never get that time back but we can sure make tomorrow worth while, there is hope for a better tomorrow whatever walk of life you are in. Don’t take anything for granted, never give up  and each day cherish a little more and love a little deeper.

kristin

I am touched by your kindness.

Thank you.   To my classmates and Candee,  thank you, for being there for me.  It means more than I can ever put into words.  When all of you came forward to form a circle, I thought I was going to cry.  Each of you have amazed me beyond belief.  During this past quarter you have welcomed me into your number and continually gave me support and encouragement.  I am overwhelmed and deeply touched by your kindness and the love extended and will remember each of you with fondness.  I feel that I have received a double portion of blessings in that I had the best possible  instructor AND the best people to go thru Speech class with.

I do not know if our paths will cross again.  If they do, we will make sure to say hello and chat awhile; but if they do not, please know that you have left a print upon my heart.

I love you all and may each of you receive many blessings for your kindness.

Take care and best of wishes as you travel along life’s pathway.

Pamela B.

Thank you everyone in this speech class

When I delivered my speech I was unsure how people would feel about me afterwards.  I have been hiding behind the fact that I have had people throw a lot of things in my face about my religion.  I was really pleased to see that I found support from the most understanding  groups of people. This too had me teary eyed because, for once I took the time with this class to get to know everyone, and seeing how diverse we  really are but seeking out the goal of an education.

Thank you everyone,

 

Danielle

Our Voices…

As far as demonstration speeches go, they were all wonderful and very interesting. I believe we all done a terrific job.

This class as taught me so much about myself this quarter. This week has been rough for me. I missed class Tuesday and missed all the visual reflections of what everyone has felt they learned the most. I feel my voice and stepping up is what I have got from this class the most. My sister just delivered her baby 3 months early. Not only is she in an abusive relationship and the beating was part of the cause for the premature delivery but the use of drugs also had to do with it. This class has given me the courage to use what I have learned to step up outside of class and in this situation to speak out for my sister and that precious baby that is in the NICU at UK. She is strong and a fighter. At only 2 lbs 2ozs right now she is going to pull through and make it!

I am very grateful for this and for the opportunity to learn everything I have in this class. It is a shame that many more students will not have the opportunity to have Candee as a teacher to learn this same thing.

-Ashley

Clock is Winding Down ~ bittersweet ~

We are now finishing up our demonstration speeches with one  more group to go.  As I look back to the first of April, we have all come a long way.  What I once was a little apprehensive about, I now look forward to.  We have learned a lot together as a class and as a group of people.  Although we were  together for just a short time, we made connections and listened to words spoken by each other that will stay with us for a long time.

We have our persuasive speech to go and I am honestly looking forward to hearing each and every one.  Everyone in the class has been great and all speeches have been interesting; some were exceptional and thought provoking.  We have all gained confidence; not only in our ability to  give a speech, but confidence in who we are.  It has been a positive thing to hear everyone’s stories.  Our time together is winding down, but we will remember each other and all of our memorable speeches.  We have all made a difference with our words in one way or another.  We are all in this together and that saying reaches far beyond the classroom.

Patty

Remembrance

Two down, two more to go! I made it through my informative speech! I was extremely nervous, going on the first day, but everyone was very supportive and helped me get through it.  It helps if you just breathe!

My speech was about my great grandma who had dementia, and how it effected her and my family. It was not only difficult on her, but on my family and me as well. One of her favorite things to do was sew, and she made all of the grandkids baby blankets. I brought mine into the class to show. Eventually she forgot how to sew, but I take pride in the fact that I still have something in remembrance of her, along with something she loved to do.

I had no intention of crying, but somehow I ended up doing just that. Everyone was still very supportive, however, and now I’m not as nervous anymore about giving speeches. I’m starting to like this class more and more everyday! Everyone’s speeches were very interesting and everyone did a great job! I am really looking forward to hearing everyone’s demonstration speeches!

-Haley

Cousinly Love

My informative speech topic was one very close to my heart. I am the oldest grandchild on my mother’s side of the family. For years it’s been only me and my brother as the grandchildren, niece, and nephew. I can remember the phone call five years ago that changed that. On August 29, 2005 my aunt gave birth to Owen, the newest addition to the Beath/Black family.

I’ve always had a love for younger kids. I love being around them, I love holding them, and I love interacting with them. There’s just something about kids that brings me joy. (I’m especially ecstatic about Owen’s 3 month old baby sister, Layla. She was born February 28th!) A couple of years after Owen was born, another little boy, Elijah, was born to my other aunt and uncle. So now my mother’s side of the family is complete, although I know we wouldn’t object to another baby or two if it happened 

Now that I’ve expressed the importance and love for my younger family members, I’ll get to the topic of my speech. Owen was born with a bleeding/blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP for short. He did not start showing the signs of it until around age two. ITP is when the immune system destroys platelets necessary for normal blood clotting… which results in the person having too few platelets.

The signs Owen shows of this disorder are the easy bruising and the bleeding under the skin, which look like red pin-points that resemble a rash to occur. He will also get very pale, and dark circles appear under his eyes. Sometimes, the smallest things can cause bruises. Anything from shoes on the back of his feet, to a light touch. Owen goes to the doctor for platelet counts frequently, and anytime they’re too low… it’s off to Children’s Hospital for days until he’s healthy again.

Doctors have said that if Owen’s ITP was acute (short-term), his symptoms would’ve stopped by age two. He is now five, almost six. More than likely Owen will be dealing with chronic ITP for a long time. We’re not sure if he’ll be able to play sports when he is older, due to the contact. However, Owen has played soccer and basketball recently at the YMCA and through his elementary school since there isn’t much contact at such a young age (he’s more there for the socializing on the field or the court, not so much for the action… God love ‘em!).

I decided to give my informative speech over ITP because not many people know about the disorder, or the seriousness of it. It gave me a chance to research it and get to know about it better myself!

Shayla

Courageous Reflections

We are in the midst of our informative speeches.  I’m amazed  to see my fellow students getting up in front of everyone and sharing their stories.   From Randa, to Brittany, to the girl who had thyroid cancer, to the mom whose son has a blood disease, to a granddaughter’s sweet memory of her grandmother, and everyone else, the list goes on.  Each one of you got up with such composure and true conviction in your voice.  It took real courage to relive a part of your life that was very hard.  You reminded us  that there are those suffering for which we are not aware.  It  has encouraged  me to keep my eyes and  heart open to  hopefully see the child who may need help, or the mother who needs an extra prayer for herself or her son.  You are all overcomers, because you don’t let the past take away from your present or your future.  You did not blame anyone; you just shared your story in hopes that it will help others.  It took courage and determination to live what you did, and it took courage and determination to tell your story.  Thank you, I thought your speeches were inspiring and wonderful!

I cannot leave out the other speeches.  They were all very informative.  More importantly, they were all very enjoyable!  Clinton, you did a great job with a very different and interesting topic.  Ryan, you have a great attitude in life that will take you far.  The deer hunting speech informed us about things we really need to know and Seth’s soccer speech was great, with a well organized breakdown of the game and rules.  Brandon,  I learned things about paintball I never knew.  Jamie, your speech was very interesting and we all know what an Egyptian Maus is now.  Your cats (babies) are adorable.  Excellent speech.

I enjoyed all speeches; everyone did a great job.  It is so much more than just hearing someone’s words.  We are communicating and connecting with one another.

Patty

My first speech – “A Letter to My Birth Father”

The day I gave my speech I was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind. Through tear filled eyes I read a letter that I had written to my birth father who laid dying in the hospital. I was concerned that the class would think I was cold and heartless. But,  all that I had written was truth as far as I know it to be.

When I was through with my speech the class all clapped and I got all my fellow classmates’ feedback. It was all positive, telling me how strong they think I am. Some had hoped that I could forgive him. And to that I say that is exactly what I did. The very next day I went to the hospital and said my goodbyes, feeling better that I had shared my story with the class, I was able to tell him I forgave him for never being there for me.

I know this is a speech class not therapy but that day was very therapeutic for me. Just wanna say thank you to Candee and my fellow classmates for the kind feedback.

Christina

Thank you

I just got home from speech class and found myself wanting to say, “thank you,” to my classmates.  I was sitting in my chair at the beginning of class drilling myself on everyone’s names.  When I finished, I just sat there and observed everyone talking.  It was so cool, to see all of you conversing.  The tone was friendly and caring and there is a unity forming among all of you not seen in many classes.

I began to think about how each of you have such wonderful talents and gifts and that in a short time I will be one of the lucky ones fortunate enough to  listen to what each of you have to say.   Your talents and insights are so wonderful and I just wanted to say, “Thank you”, for your willingness to put the “real you” behind the podium and share.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part by listening to what you have to say.

Pam

A journey of a thousand miles…

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

– By Confucius

Whenever I think about Speech class, I keep finding myself returning to this quote.  Then I think about my walking stick.  Okay, maybe that doesn’t quite make sense.  Let me back up a little to explain.

I have a plain, simple wooden walking stick that my sister, Sharon, made for me two years ago to represent the journeys taken in my life and the future ones I will take.  She had cut down a young sapling and used a pocketknife to etch a few references to bible verses on it.  As she presented it to me, she encouraged me to continue etching encouraging words on it.  I have.

To me, it is beautiful and holds great value.  It has many scars from the etchings, but they are scars created as a result of love and a desire to encourage.  When I hold it in my hands and fix my gaze upon it, my fingers always seem to tenderly caress its surface.  Each etching reminds me that my life has purpose and that there is a reason for my existence. I am reminded that often the things in life most worthwhile are accompanied by difficult times.   I am also reminded that if I trust the Master’s plan and trust in the process that “all things work together for good”(Romans 8:28)—not necessarily in the timeframe I want, but in the timeframe that He knows will allow the most growth.

When I registered for Speech Class, a new journey had begun in my life:  A journey that reveals my scars through the nervousness and self-doubt, a journey in which discomfort is felt.  I am gradually learning this, too, is a process and that, if  I thru trust,  place myself in the hands of the Master who has graced my life with a capable instructor, by the name of Candee, that all things can and will work for the good.  I am learning that, as I see the beauty in my walking stick, there is beauty to be discovered in me—scars included; however, any journey must begin with but a single step, then another and another, until one day (no matter how small the steps may seem) you can look back and see just how far you have come.

I have only taken just a few steps on this journey called Speech, but I know, like all other journeys traveled thus far, it will lead somewhere.

Pam

It is Okay to Hurt, Cry, Fear and Laugh. Laugh as often as You Can. Laughter is Magical.

As I was sitting listening to everyone give their readings in class it was an experience that I enjoyed.   There were so many different readings.  A funny one I enjoyed was a “Boy Named Sue”.  Yes being a boy named Sue really would make you tough.  So many of the readings were about encouragement.  Get up and try again.  You inspired me.  I am so glad to have been part of it and I can’t wait to hear the rest.

How did my reading go?

Well, the audience was sitting on the edge of their seats hanging to every detail as I poured my heart out, giving encouragement as I went along.  Afraid to tell my story because I am so ashamed.   I don’t know how I was able to read it.  I remember standing there shaking, trembling, then praying, Dear GOD let me get thru this.  I took a breath, tried to look thru the tears and was able to continue. As I looked out into your eyes, I felt such compassion and caring,  I couldn’t help but be thankful I was able to tell you my story.   Continuing thru it, I was able to see hope again.

I learned after the reading that it is okay to hurt, cry, fear, and laugh, laugh as often as you can.  Laughter is magical!  I pray that I will be able to continue to laugh and to give my girls laughter day after day.   I hope thru my story you may be able to take a piece of it and hold on.  There is so much strength inside each one of you, that you have no idea that it is there.  Reach deep down when things get tough and remember you will get thru it no matter what.

If I am able to do the things that I can, each one of you can do so much more.

Believe.  Love.  Laugh.

Tina

Skills For Life

As my time here at Southern State is winding down, I find public speaking to be one of the most important skills you can have. I am sure algebra has its place in the educational system. But I feel the skills that we achieve in this course will stay with us for the rest of our lives. It isn’t just about standing in front of the class and talking. It is about forming thoughts and opinions. Gathering facts. Letting your audience inside of your head for a brief period of time. This class is about taking our thoughts and conveying them in a way that people can understand them just as clearly as the speaker. It is also about getting a better understanding of those who speak before you as well.

Listening in my opinion is far more important than speaking. The things I have taken in from others help shape who I am today. Speakers give me the content I need to help form my own beliefs and opinions. I have felt passionately about things only to have someone make me take a second look and possibly change my way of thinking. This class to me is far more important than most due to the fact that this is a life skill. This is up there with reading, spelling, driving. Skills that you will take with you wherever you go, and whatever you do. I have given my share of speeches. Some in front of a few, and a few in front of a hundred or more. I consider myself lucky because the nerves are gone. Once you achieve this, you can take the next step and focus solely on your structure and content. That is my goal for this course.

Andy

Last Class

Well, class is over, and I never thought I would say this but, it was pretty sad and I’ll miss it. When I scheduled this class I thought “Oh no,” but I am so glad that I did take this class. It was by far my favorite class and I really do not want it to end. The good thing is that I did end this class on a good note I thought. The persuasive speech that Ally, Destini, and I gave was by far my favorite speech of the class. Not only did I get to dress up like batman, the speech was also a very good point to people. We all see the heroes as someone who has special abilities or someone who has to die, but really, a hero is not that at all. A hero can be anyone, someone who is a role model to little kids, or helps the elderly, or someone who sets an example for his/her friends.

And I would just like to say, it was ALL my idea, not Ally’s. Well Ally might have thought of it partly, but it was mostly me. I hope you enjoyed the speech as much as I did and I also hope everyone enjoyed the class as much as I did. I think we all are better public speakers because of this class, which is very important to us once we get out into the world. Thank you to all my classmates for being so positive, and thank you Candee for being an awesome teacher!

Drew

What did I learn? Let Me Show You.

Today we were told to bring in a visual reflection of our speech class. Candee asked us to find a way to express what we have learned in the class by using something other than words. I knew a lot of people would do poster boards, but I wanted to be a little more creative. I brought in a fake flower that I won at Eastgate Adventures, I put it in a flower-pot that I had at my house. For support I took tissue paper and stuffed it around the bottom, this always added color. The flower was to demonstrate how I’ve grown and blossomed as a speaker.

Next, I put earrings on two of the petals and wrapped a charm bracelet around the stem. The earrings were to show how I’ve become a better listener. The charm bracelet had keys on it to show that I found the “key to my voice”, I also put an actual key in the pot to demonstrate the same thing. I placed a star flashlight in the pot as well to show that I feel more confident in front of the class and I feel a shine up  there now. The hearts on the keys and earrings are to demonstrate how much I love this class!

-Destini

Informative Speech on Divorce

Taking about my parents divorce is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The pain and anger about what happened to me whenever I was seven years old, still exists in my heart and my life. I don’t think I can ever figure my dad for tearing apart my family the way that he did. I chose to do this speech because, I wanted other people in the class to understand how major it is to decide to settle down with someone and start a family. You should not have kids with someone who you don’t see yourself being with in 10 years. In the long run, it puts the kids through hell.

I have to admit that I would not be the person I am today if it was not for my parents getting a divorce, they made me the strongest teenager by making the decision to split up. But, at the same time, they made my life an emotional rollercoaster that will never stop. They put me through stuff that a child should never have to do through. Stuff that I could never do to my own kids or even imagine having to watch another kid go through. I feel their pain and I completely understand what they are going through. The emotional pain of this subject gets to me, and it really did in front of the entire class whenever I was trying to present this speech. Although I did cry, I really hope that it showed the people in the class how important deciding to have children without considering the kids first really is. So, the thing I was trying to inform people of was the fact that in the end, the kids come first! Do your very best to have kids with someone you plan on staying with and you can see yourself growing old with. Every couple has problems, I understand that, but, once you have kids, make it work for them. Please!

A thing that I personally learned from this speech was the support that I receive from my classmates. They understood how close this topic was to my heart and respected the fact that it was a hard thing for me to talk about. I got positive comments from all of them & it really helped me realize how great all of the people in my class are.

Jeanna.

Informative Speech

I gave my informative speech last Wednesday and it didn’t go the way I planned. My speech was about quadriplegia and that subject was a very personal to me. I thought I had overcome my feelings before my speech but I hadn’t. I was only up in front of the class for a couple of seconds and tears just started rolling down my face.

My step-dad Robin was a great man. He was willing to help anyone if they needed it. The night he died I had ordered a Wrestlemania Pay-Per-View. It’s the biggest event of wrestling every year. I had bought it for him the year before but we had bad weather and it kept going out, so the following year I worked around the house to get fifty dollars so I could order it again. I remember the exact match and what was happening in the match when my mom came out to the living room and told me that Robin had died. I was shocked.  Once it sunk in I ran outside to my horses for comfort. I didn’t get to watch too much of it because I was outside with my horses. So a couple of months later I saw that they had that Wrestlemania on DVD so I asked my mom to buy it for me and she did. To this day I have still not been able to watch the DVD, it has been four years since I got that DVD and I still can’t watch it without crying. I haven’t been able to watch another Wrestlemania and I have not ordered another. I wish that my future kids would have had the chance to meet Robin because I know that they would have loved him. To me Robin is still my dad and he always will be.

Cheyenne

The Holocaust Reading

I did my first reading the other day and surprisingly, I was not that nervous.  I was supposed to do my reading Monday, but I was in Washington DC for the March for Life.  Though it seems like abortion would be a good topic to do a reading on, it is so overdone and I did not want to go there.  However, while my church group was in Washington DC, we visited the Holocaust Museum.  It takes about an hour and a half to get through, and it was so worth it.  It is incredible that so many people could have died without being stopped.  It reminded me of a book I had to read in my sixth grade english class.  The book was Night.  The first time I read that book, I fell in love.  I had to share a reading from that book.

I tried to do a reading with a serious tone because though I have a bubbly personality, I have the idea in my head that I’m always right.  I will fight to make everybody believe it, too. I can get into massive arguments and get so enraged because people just don’t get me sometimes.  However, I think everybody understood me this time.  I tried to read it in a serious tone with good posture and with good pausing.  However, I got the comment to relax and to slow down a little bit.  I feel like the reading should have been tense, though.  It gave it a bit more drama in my opinion.  I do know that I should have slowed down my phrasing every once in a while, though.  For my next speech, I should probably give more eye contact and slow down my reading so I can reach my maximum potential.  Overall, though, I think my reading went relatively well.

Jenna

I Borrowed the cookie from the ‘Cookie Jar’

The fundamental madness has begun! Our reading was due starting last week and it has been a steady flow of amusement since. I chose a piece of lyrical writing by musician Jack Johnson. His off beat music and quirk keeps me smiling, although his message in this particular song is quite stern. I enjoy the aspect of making people think and think on a deeper level. I’m no Yoda by any means, but I am a single mommy and responsibility on a whole has forever more loomed over my head. I take life with a grain of salt, while trying to juggle the reality of a job, school, bills, and most importantly my son. This song speaks to me because there is such an enormity of excuses in life as to conditions or reactive behavior. It’s okay to make mistakes, and stumble or struggle, and when those inevitably happen, I believe in assessing what I personally could’ve done differently. Blaming others for an inward inability, to me, seems biased. I’ve always heard ‘the definition of insanity is doing the same process over and over but expecting a different result’. That is my ‘bigger-picture’ thought here. Stand up for your choices, whether good or bad, and believe that every opportunity in life is a learning experience.

Standing up and doing my reading was actually very nice. I was nervous as anyone would be, but I feel it went well. In hindsight, a better introduction would have made it more memorable. Alas, to err (pronounced err, hehe) is human and the ability to adapt is beautiful:)

Trish