I just want to thank everyone for making this class so great. I really enjoyed this class more then I could have ever imagined. It really is crazy that all of us have gotten to know each other through all of our speeches. I really feel like I know a little about everyone now. I know Christy’s favorite band, Erin loves motorcycles, John’s a hunter, and Patty doesn’t text and drive. Everyone’s speeches were in some way personal and close to home. I really am surprised that we all opened up and trusted each other to be fair and judge the speeches and not us. The comments that we left each other were always kind and helpful.

I want to thank Candee for making such a wonderful classroom environment that was a great place to learn. I’m going to miss having this class. Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day!

Heather

I have decided to write this blog even before I have heard everyone’s persuasive speeches.  I am not worried about it though because I know everyone is going to do fine.  I decided I am going to write this blog on my own speech.  I am going to criticize myself and pat my own back in the same blog.

First, there are some things that I could have improved on in my speech.  I felt that I could have been a little more precise on some of the actual surgical procedures that these children go through.  It is one thing to say, “Yeah they have the surgery and then life is all better”.  Some of these kids have to have more than one surgery, if they get their cleft lips fixed and they still have a cleft palette they will need to come back and get that fixed as well.  These children after surgery go back to living in poverty, without clean clothes or water and sometimes without the proper food to keep them healthy.  I feel I should have also in my speech referred to other organizations that help with these problems, even if it was just a side note.  I never felt compelled to talk about problems of children around the world till I had a child of my own.  I think I am going to have to become an advocate for children around the world.

Now, to give myself a pat on the back, I believe this is the best speech I have done, not only was it organized but it was from my heart.  I think that is why this speech was so good.  I am also proud of myself for putting out a good speech with so little time to research.  As I was giving my speech it was great to see I had the classes attention, even if it was mostly on the pictures.  I feel that the pictures helped drive my speech home.  It is one thing to tell people about this condition but with the help of the photos I was able to not only able to tell you but to also show you how devastating this condition is.

In closing I just want to say how fun this class has been.  All of you have been great, from sensational speeches to just laughing and cutting up.  I have to say I really wish they had a Speech II class, I would take it.  Candee, you have been an exceptional teacher, thank you.

Anyone wanting to get more information on the organization Operation Smile here is the website:

www.operationsmile.org

Well I finally completed my last speech yesterday. I think that it was my best of all. I don’t know why it felt so good but I really think I did a good job on it. I usually feel like I did bad when I get done with my speech, however I had a really good feeling about this one.

I think this speech was so good for me because it really hits home. I have a soft heart and every time I’m in Cincinnati I always end up giving money to one of those people holding the signs asking for money. Maybe they don’t really need it, but I feel like they do. I wish I had more to give and could help more people. No one should have to live out on the streets in the cold. Homelessness and poverty are a real problem in America. Many of us struggle to get by and live paycheck to paycheck. I know that if it wasn’t for my family, I wouldn’t be able to make it. Things are just so expensive and it’s hard just to get by.

I want to just ask anyone who reads this, to do what they can and donate what they can. I am a firm believer in karma. If any of us were homeless or in need, we would hope that someone would help up too.

Heather

Last night, as you might remember, I gave my persuasive speech. I thought I did an okay job at speechin’ but I really do hope y’all take my advice to heart.

If you gotta get your tan, please do it in the sun, not the oven. xD

But anyways, that was my last speech. In a way, I’m glad I can now sit back and enjoy everyone else’s last speech. But I guess I’m kind of sad at the thought of the class ending. This class was uber-fun–not that a speech class could ever be not-fun.

Everyone that’s given their speech so far has done a really really wonderful job. Everyone’s been picking some really powerful topics. And that takes courage to speak about something so controversial.

So more power to you!
Have a nice Thanksgiving everyone!

Raye

I really believe that the first speech was the easiest, at least for me. I really like to read, so when Candee told us that for the first speech we were only going to read to each other that was pretty exciting. I didn’t have to memorize anything, that made it a lot better. I think I really can’t memorize things. If I have to it takes me a really long time to. We all did a very good job, doing our first speech.

Crystal

It is so unbelievable to me that we have all come this far in just one quarter. Our speeches started out so strong and just seem to have gotten better with time. lol like a nice wine. Really though, we have all done such a fantastic job. I have to admit that this class by far was the one that I was most worried about taking, but it turned out to be my favorite.

The first speech that I really liked (though of course not the only one because I really liked them all) was Drew’s reading of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. It was so funny! I really loved his reading voice and choice in books. It was so great!

My favorite of the Informative speeches would have to be Patty’s no texting while driving. The video she showed was scary and really made me think. I have to admit that I do tend to text while I drive. However, since seeing that film, I have been doing it a lot less. Patty always has amazing information with her speeches and this one was very good.

My favorite of the Demonstration speeches would have to be Christy’s starburst speech. I still can’t open a starburst with my tongue so I guess I’m a bad kisser. The video she made with her friends and let us watch was so funny. I really enjoyed the overall speech and thought it was extremely creative.

Again I just wanted to say, great job everyone!

Heather

Demonstration speeches have come and gone and now I can blog about them.  There was a lot of very good speeches given with a wide variety of topics.  I like that this class is so different from one another that it gives us no idea what someone might decide to speak about.  I enjoyed all the demonstrations (especially the food ones).  There is still some people who are nervous while up front and you can tell, but overall I can see where everyone has improved so much.  I believe every student at the college no matter what major they are in should have to take this class.  It not only teaches you how to make a speech but I think it also helps build confidence.  When I first started going here I was worried that because I was older than most of the younger crowd that I would feel out of place, but in the course of taking this class I feel I have not only found a place where I am comfortable but also where I am confident enough to speak up and let my opinions be known.

Brandi

I find that as we go along in this class it is very interesting to see what everyone is interested in.  As I sit and listen to everyone’s speeches I am amazed at how different each of us are.  I know from experience that most people just look at you and who you hang out with, and to them that is who you are.  I believe, people are more stand offish when it comes to really getting to know people.  As the world moves on people are getting scared to leave their homes unlocked and to even meet their neighbors.  I never thought there would come a day when I would have to lock my front door and wonder when someone was going to choose me to rob (of course I feel sorry for anyone who robs me they are not gonna get anything worthwhile).  Seriously, what is the world coming to?  You drive through the small town where you live and you see people dealing drugs right out in the open.  The cops can only do so much, but then again some of them are the biggest customers of those drug dealers.

Another thing I have noticed that is changing is the way families interact with each other.  There used to be a time when families sat down at the supper table every night and eat together.  But in this new day and age everyone is too busy.  Dad or mom are at work, the kids are in sports or other extracurricular activities, and supper is just whenever you come home and whatever you can grab.  Families are torn apart because there is not enough time in the day for them to be a family.  There are no family get togethers or game nights.  Parents today talk to their children through e-mails and text messaging.  Do parents even really know who their kids are or what they might become??  This is something that needs to change we need to get back to the older ways so to say.  We need to start having family suppers even if it is only one day a week.  Parents need to be more interactive with their children and learn who they are and what they like.  Maybe this would cut down on teenage drug use, pregnancy, and even crime.

I know that this blog does not have anything to do with speech class but I figured what better way to get some opinions out there to other people.

Thanks Candee for giving us a place to have some freedom of speech.

Brandi

When my priorities are not in line, and I’m caught up in the current news of the day, I tend to have this overwhelming feeling of being screwed. Even before I get out of bed. You know the news I am talking about. Wall Street bailouts, Tim Geithner and Sarah Palin, Unemployment at record highs. Bernie Madoff. Stimulus plan is working. Stimulus plan is not working.GM to close 16 US plants. GM imports 97% of 2010-11 vehicles from overseas plants. Buy GM! Iraq and Afghanistan, do we go or do we stay? Obama wants health care reform. Taxpayers do not. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Which brings me to this train of thought. Why are we still putting up with this 2 party system? Why haven’t we looked more seriously at a third-party system? There is a third-party out there, but the Dems/ Repub. pay big money to keep them from growing. They tell half-truths to make them look like they do not know how to function in politics. This is the Libertarian Party. They have been around since the early 70’s, and claim to have around 250,000 registered voters. (I have been taking a much closer look at them lately.) Though my idea here is not to promote the Libertarian Party, but to ask you to take some action and think for yourselves. Are you happy with the two-party system? Do you feel as a taxpaying US citizen, or an American, (whichever you preferred to be called) that your interest is being represented? Are you keeping an eye on your elected officials? In case you didn’t know, your great grandchildrens’ futures are being planned. You need to be paying better attention to whats going on in Washington. Or when your grand/great grand children are waking up in the morning they are going to have this overwhelming feeling of being screwed. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Patty

Well guys we have come to the end of this roller coaster ride and it seems as if everyone has had a good time. I figure our last speech needs to be the best one we come up with so hopefully everybody do their best. I’m sure they will. I just want everyone to remember to get back to the outline of a proper speech. It seemed as if alot of people got away from that with their descriptive speeches, which was very easy to do. With any luck everyone will get back to the basics and turn in a hell of a speech for their last hooray.

Brandy, I don’t know what to say about you. With your speech today, you put the bar pretty high. How the hell are the rest of us to follow that up. But I just love a challenge. Everyone has been doing a great job and been improving with every speech, except for that whole “in conclusion” thing. But i have enough confidence in everyone that they will rectify that.

This class has been one of most fun and least stressful I have had during my 3 quarters here and I’m sure it will be an experience I will not soon forget. Thank all of you for contributing to that, including you Candee.

Michael