How I passed public Speaking | Whetstone

Posted: February 2, 2012 1:29 am

By Lamesha Green (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Lamesha Green/Whetstone

After a lot of negative talk about Dr. Lynn Lofthouse?s public speaking class, I decided to take the course last semester. I have to: it?s a requirement for my Media Arts major.

Just like any other ordinary professor on the first day of class, Dr. Lofthouse explained to her students the rules and regulations of her syllabus. What we didn?t expect was for her syllabus to be 10 pages long.

During the first week of class, I noticed the nervous looks upon some of my fellow classmates? faces. Some couldn?t wait to drop the class during drop-add week and the others just wanted to get it over with.

By the second week of class the attendance dropped from about 30 students down to 9 students.

As I prepared myself for presenting my first informative speech, I let my fear get the best of me. I failed.

Most of my classmates faced the same predicament, but as stated in Dr. Lofthouse?s syllabus, each speech below a 97 percent was able to be redone. I strived for a chance to redeem my grade.

On the day I presented my informative speech for a second time, I knew that speech inside and out. I followed every detail Dr. Lofthouse had enumerated about how to deliver the speech, which earned me a perfect score of a 100 percent.

With one more speech to go, I kept reminding myself that I had made it half way through one of the hardest courses offered here at Wesley.

The next assignment was to present a persuasive speech.

The persuasive speech had a much more difficult concept than the informative speech. The minimum time given to present the speech was longer, there were more steps, and, of course, the steps had to be in its exact order.

Up for the challenge, I made sure not to repeat my first presentation?s mistake. After getting an approved and signed copy of my persuasive speech?s topic from Dr.Lofthouse, I practiced for days. My mind was so distracted with memorizing this speech it became all I talked about. My family, friends, and even my roommate felt the heavy pressure I was under.

When my turn to present finally came around, I gave it my all. Unfortunately, my all wasn?t good enough. I fell two points short of receiving a 97 in order to be excused from having to present a second time. Of course, on my second time presenting the persuasive speech I scored 100 percent. I guess the second time for me was truly a charm.

When the class finally was over, my overall grade was a B. I felt confident in my choice not to drop Dr. Lofthouse?s public speaking class after all.

Was this class as bad as it was rumored to be? The answer to that question could be a simple no or even a scary yes.

The outcome is whatever effort you put into the class. If you leave the rumors at the door and follow Dr. Lofthouse?s challenging instructions you too can pass her public speaking course.

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Source: http://www.whetstone.wesley.edu/2012/02/02/how-i-passed-public-speaking/

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