Just Picture the Crowd in Their Underwear

Public speaking did not used to be a big deal for me, until it became this formal thing that everyone seemed to be afraid of.  In the past, I did not mind addressing my classes and clubs of thirty or more people, but as soon as it became time to give a formal speech or presentation, one day I just started to get extremely nervous.  My hands would shake, my voice would crack, and I seemed to lose my breath with every word I spoke.

That being said, I think I have gotten a little better at controlling my nerves.  This comes partially from preparation and knowing the material I am discussing.  I believe one of my strengths is actually writing the speech, as I am generally more confident in writing the material for a speech than delivering it.  I think I succeed in using what I have written to communicate to the audience the message of my speech.  I also feel comfortable with the physicality involved in giving speeches, as I try to use hand gestures to add to the delivery and generally do not feel awkward standing in front of a group of people.  However, I will admit that sometimes I may get overzealous in my hand gestures, as I try to measure the audience's reactions to see if they are getting what I am trying to say.

There are many areas in which my public speaking can be improved, many of which are related to nerves.  As I get nervous, I struggle to make eye contact with the audience and seem to find myself looking all around the room, almost like my eyes are as jittery as my body feels.  I also resort to my notecards too much in order to convince myself that I am saying the right thing, which contributes to my wandering eyes bobbing up and down.  Another weakness I would like to improve is in the vocal deliverance of my speeches.  Sometimes I feel like I am talking too fast, or pause for too long, and I am definitely guilty of resorting to verbal fillers when I lose track of where I am.  The best way to improve these areas is to practice, practice, practice.  The more I practice a speech, the more comfortable I will be, eliminating some of the nerves.  This includes not only practicing what I want to say, but doing so in front of an audience, and learning what I want to do with my body, or when I want to look at different members of the audience to improve eye contact.

Has Big Brother Turned Into My Mother?

One notable characteristic of today's children is they seem overwhelmingly sheltered in their upbringing.  Parents are notably more involved in their children's lives today, but often push this to the extreme, watching their every move with a close eye, not even allowing children to go to the playground without being carefully monitored for fear of them hurting themselves.  The fear of putting kids at risk both physically and emotionally has led to changes in how children's safety, food, and even television programs are made, in order to protect the children.  This increase could be due to a number of factors, including parental pressures to compensate for working more than they have in the past, pressure to develop a successful generation of students that are able to compete globally, and possibly most influential, wanting to do everything in their power to protect their children from the horrors in the world as demonstrated by 9/11.

While this overprotective parenting, coined "helicopter parenting," is done with the child's best interests at heart, it has the potential to lead to a generation that is unsure how to function when it is time for them to be on their own.  Research has shown that there has been a significant increase in the number of college students who feel overwhelmingly stressed and confused about how to handle life after they leave the safety net of their parents' house.

A working thesis for this topic could be:  The shift in the laissez faire style of parenting from the 70's and 80's to the helicopter parenting style of today has had a negative impact on the children that have grown up with so much parental guidance that they do not know how to live on their own.

Sources: 
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2015/07/helicopter_parenting_is_increasingly_correlated_with_college_age_depression.html
http://www.science20.com/rogue_neuron/dont_shelter_your_children_coping_stress_child_develops_resilience_and_emotion_regulation_adult
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/04/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200411/nation-wimps
http://www.xojane.com/issues/free-range-parenting

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-of-the-helicopter-parent-2015-

Paradigm Shifts

Kids today grow up much differently than our parents and grandparents did.  No one would deny this, but perhaps the way kids today are raised is detrimental to society.  There appears to have been a paradigm shift in how much kids are sheltered.  While many things are done for the benefit and safety of kids, some things seem to be taken too far, as we are constantly worried about making sure no one is ever left out.  However, this may lead to a new generation that thinks everything should be handed to them with little to no work.  After all, when every kid is told they deserve a trophy simply for being on a team, it's not hard to imagine that kids may grow up with a sense of entitlement.  On the other hand, raising kids in a way that boosts their self confidence may lead to a generation of leaders, as these kids will be less afraid of taking charge and more resilient to the word "no."  Research of this topic could prove interesting to see how this paradigm shift in the sheltering of our children will impact the future of our society.

A second notable paradigm shift could be the millennials' tendency to document everything.  One of the reasons we are always seen with our phones in hand is so we can snap a photo or a video in an instant.  Infamously, the millennials are known for having to take pictures of anything, whether it be our lunch, a trip out with friends, or most notably, the selfie.  The millennial generation has become more narcissistic than previous generations, likely due to some cultural aspect of our parents' generation that has given us a heighten sense of confidence.  This shift to the overwhelming need to take photos of ourselves on any multitude of occasions shines a beacon on the growing narcissism of this generation.  But is its effects on society necessarily a bad thing?


http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2143001,00.html 

The First Rule of Kairos: Don't Talk About Kairos

Think about how many times in the past week you were told to seek an opportunity.  Maybe you were told to attend the Career Fair, to audition for a dance team, or to just talk to someone new.  No one hesitates to tell you that these opportunities may only come around every so often and therefore we must grab them while we can.

However, we often forget that this idea of seeking opportunities while they are available is a crucial part of rhetoric. Perhaps the reason we forget about kairos, the idea of seizing rhetorical opportunity, is because it is an instinctive part of how we write and speak.  We grow up learning when to ask for things and when it is best to hold our tongue without being explicitly being told to do so.  

Although kairos is applied arguably more advantageously in formal rhetoric than everyday speech, it is still an instinct. Say an event occurs that sparks controversy.  It is simply natural to discuss this point further, as it is currently relevant in not only the mind of the author or speaker, but the minds of the audience as well.  Although this is an implementation of kairos, we did not necessarily go looking for the opportunity.  No one had to tell us to seize the moment because it was instinctive.  

Something important happened.  Let's talk about it.  Natural kairos, those opportunities in rhetoric that occur by situation rather than creation go almost unnoticed because there is no need to think about it. 

Why then, do we feel deceived by a kairos that arises from our own creation?  We are told so often to seize opportunities outside of rhetoric, but when it comes to our writing or speaking, it feels deceptive to recognize an opportunity and use it advantageously to prove a point.  When Donald Trump brings up his political ideas out of nowhere, it shows that he has his own agenda versus that of a politician discussing policy regarding a current event that is fresh in the minds of the people.  Perhaps the reason this feels deceptive is the mechanical feel it conveys, rather than the natural instinct that comes with seizing an already given opportunity.  To avoid coming off as deceptive, no one tells us to go seek an opportunity to say what we want to say.  Instead it is more common to hold our ideas until there is a kairotic moment in which it is simply instinctive to make the argument. 

A LATTE Cinema: Passion Blog Deliberation

I have been toying with many different ideas for my passion blog, all of which revolve around things that genuinely make my day brighter.  Narrowing down this list I got stuck trying to commit to one topic, so I'll just describe the two topics I am currently flirting with.

The first idea is a movie blog, but with a twist on a typical movie critic blog.  People enjoy movies for a variety of reasons, whether that be a genuinely well crafted plot line, comedic one-liners that keep your attention the entire duration of the film, or just the general togetherness watching a movie with other people can bring.  I love movies for all of these reasons, and they keep me watching the same movies over and over.  I am a firm believer that watching something over again does not get boring because you discover quotes or details that you may not have caught the first time.  My blog would exhibit movies I deem worthy of being watched more than once, and how my movie experience changed after seeing it again.  This could be through a quote I was waiting to hear, or a detail I picked up after researching the film.  While I believe that we should constantly be seeking out new cinematic experiences, I think there is something to be said for a movie that gets better every time you watch it.

The second idea I had for my blog is regarding a passion shared by people any and everywhere you go: coffee.  If you are not a coffee drinker you may not understand how one could write ten weeks worth of information about a beverage.  However those of you who go to bed excited about the cup of coffee you will wake up to in the morning should understand.  My blog would delve into the love that coffee drinkers across campus, and across the world (because let's face it, where can't you find a Starbucks) have for this simple yet perfect drink.  Why is it that you look like you know what you're doing when you are carrying a cup of coffee? Which cafe downtown has the best atmosphere? And of course the all important Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts debate.  I would merely write anecdotes about why so many of us around the world are always up for (and in need of) a warm cup of joe.

These two ideas revolve around my favorite things, making choosing difficult.  It is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.  How could she pick?  She can't.  She (me) needs an outside opinion to do the dirty work for her.  

Practice Post

I am learning how to blog.





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