Previous Speaking Experiences

The most memorable public speaking I've done was in my high-school Humanities class. For the speech we had to choose three different artifacts that were a part of the humanities. For mine I chose the band Nirvana, the movie The Princess Bride, and lastly the dance group the Jabbowockeez. This was my most memorable public speaking experience because it was one of my first real speeches where I chose the topics. I knew the information extensively, but the problem I had was that I didn't practice enough. I went over my outline a few times, but mostly in my head. When I stood up to give my speech I could feel my body trembling slightly due to the nerves, and I distinctly remember thinking, "Oh shit." Overall my speech went well, but there were a few spots that I got stuck. I either couldn't remember a fact or I lost my place on my note-card, so I know that if I had practiced a few more times I would have nailed it!

My teacher, Mr. Harvey, 60 going on 35, was one of the most engaging and charismatic speakers I've met. He had such passion for what he taught that it was impossible not to be drawn in.
He set the stage for all of my public speaking, providing for me an excellent example to hopefully follow. The greatest strength I acquired from him was my passion when I'm speaking. I obviously did not directly get my passion from him, but he did show me the way in which I could express it. It's clear to me that if I am the one to choose the subject I am much more passionate about it. Even if I don't pick the topic, with a plethora of research I glean knowledge that's useful when I'm speaking. One thing that I've always been grateful for is that when I learn something that interests me, it sticks.  To maintain my passion I only need sufficient knowledge of the subject and an inkling of interest.

My main weakness when speaking is nervousness. When I have too many nerves my mind blanks, making my cadence sound disjointed. I sincerely believe that with more practice I can remedy my weakness. With more practice my speech will be coherent, which mean in the end I will be more successful in getting my point across.

Women in the Workplace? Now That's Just Ridiculous!

So I hope my title caught your attention. You don't have to worry, I don't believe it, but if someone said this in the 1930's it would be not only be acceptable, but the consensus. How did this widely accepted statement change from then to now? Over the last one hundred years women have made the drastic shift from the home to the workplace, gaining autonomy and financial self-sufficiency as a result. 

As a tentative plan for my paradigm shift essay, I will be examining how women made this change and all the events surrounding the shift. First, I will illustrate the deplorable conditions women endured during the Industrial Revolution if they weren't one of the Susie Homemakers. Then, I will examine how World War II was the critical catalyst that started the change of how they were viewed as an acceptable and even necessary part of the workplace. After that, I'll look at the changes that snowballed from their participation in the workforce while WWII raged on, and how women initiated and completed this shift from one way of thinking to another. Then, at that point, there are two overall concepts I will be examining that are at the heart of this issue. The first is how the change has affected us positively today, including the independence women gained from being able to obtain and hold a job without having to depend on a man to provide for her. Along with that is how the remnants of this passe way of thinking still has hold today, and the sad truth that even though a paradigm shift has occurred, some ways of thinking never completely go away. 

I will be using many sources to complete all of the necessary research for this project, and here are three of them:

http://www.striking-women.org/main-module-page/women-and-work

http://www.dol.gov/wb/info_about_wb/interwb.htm

http://www.nwhp.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/history-of-the-womens-rights-movement/

Why World War II?

Paradigm Shift One:

One example of a paradigm shift is when nuclear weapons came into play. This shift happened during the Second World War, when there was a nuclear arms race between the Axis and Allied Powers. The possibility of nuclear war was first brought to the attention of President Roosevelt by physicists Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard. They feared that Hitler-Germany was going to come into control of nuclear power and use it to destroy his enemies and take control of the world. The only option in their eyes was to beat Hitler, thus the Manhattan Project was initiated. The turning point of this shift was on July 16, 1945 when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. This shift occurred because the world powers all wanted to outgun each other, and the nuclear (and later hydrogen) bomb was the way they could do it.

Paradigm Shift Two:

A second paradigm shift example would be the shift of women from the home to the workplace. The critical catalyst for this shift was also World War II, when all able-bodied men were sent off to fight, leaving factories basically vacant of workers. With no other option, women became the workforce in the United States. A turning point for women’s rights, the jobs these women secured provided a position of power. They now had a say, not just in the factories, but also in their home. Being the so-called, “bread winners,” gave them control over finances (at least more so than before) and also lead to a new-found independence because they had a way to support themselves. Although many women left the workplace when the men came back, their time there gave them a glimpse of what could be, leading to what is today.

Eyes Up Here Sweetheart

My fellow students, we need to lift our heads up. 

Out of the myriad of topics we have discussed, read and reviewed, I have chosen to focus on one I believe is of the upmost importance: The Flight From Conversation. In Chapter Two of Rhetoric and Civic Life, Sherry Turkle laments on the lack of true connection through conversation between humans. 

This deficiency, as Turkle continually illustrates throughout the chapter, is due to our absorption in technology. You can witness this for yourself by just walking around campus. Everyone is in their own little bubble: earphones in and eyes glued to a screen. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love technology just as much as the next person, but the lack of conversation has reached an epidemic. When I walk down the street and see people avoiding eye contact with me by whipping out their phones, it disappoints me. I can’t safely navigate the sidewalks without the threat of someone running into me head first, and it’s infuriating! I can’t even count the number of times I’ve stepped out of the way at the last second just to avoid another oblivious student. 

Not only is technology used as a way to avoid talking in person, but in cyberspace, it’s used as a means of keeping each other at a safe distance: “not too close, not too far, just right.” We edit and “perfect” our pictures, texts, and emails to present ourselves in the best light. In reality, “human relationships are rich; they’re messy and demanding.” It’s through the mistakes and blunders that we learn who someone is, what makes them tick, and what makes us love them. 

What I think is the most important point of Turkle’s argument is that by constantly being connected to our technology we don’t have time to connect to ourselves. We don’t self-reflect, which is imperative to growing as a person. 

So, the next time you are alone, instead of automatically reaching for your phone, I implore you to take a few moments to enjoy the solitude. Enjoy being in your own company instead of superficially associating with others through a device. This way, you will be able to connect to yourself. 

What to do, what to do...

Hey everyone! Welcome to my RCL Blog!

Now just if I could figure out what to write about.

When I was asked to find a topic for my Passion Blog, I was initially stumped. I had to think long and hard about what topic I could sustain for ten weeks. Nothing jumped out at me that was particularly blog worthy, until I once again had to take two more tums for an upset stomach.

Now, I know that sounds odd, so I’ll provide a little background. My mother is a fantastic cook. She also is very much into the organic lifestyle, having managed two CSAs within the last ten years. I was extremely lucky that I had someone who would make delicious, healthy food for me on a regular bases (side note: my friends even call her Saint Carla because of her kitchen expertise). At home, I also worked in a farm-to-table restaurant called Emma’s Food for Life, where Emma (the owner) raises animals at her own farm, butchers them herself, and then uses the meat in her DELICIOUS handmade cuisine. Needless to say, switching to dining hall food has been an extreme change in my diet, making the tums necessary.

So how does this relate to my blog you ask? I’ve decided that my Passion Blog is going to be a guide on making the most out of what’s given to me. I’ll be posting about different restaurants, healthy snack tips, dining hall options, and anything else relevant that just might help you beat the dreaded Freshman Fifteen!

It’s unrealistic of me to think that I’ll be eating like I did at home, but hopefully I’ll be able to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle, while enlightening some people along the way!

If you want to check out my other blog, here's the link: http://raffifteen.blogspot.com/