Reminiscing about CAS 100

Backtracking to the first couple weeks of the summer, I absolutely noticed a change in my rhetorical language. Over the time I’ve spent in CAS 100 I have learned much about effective speech strategies and techniques, along with the wrong ways to convey a message to an audience. In my first blog, I did not really recognize the techniques that Charlie Chaplain utilized through his monologue in The Great Dictator. This was because at the time I was unaware of all the subtle methods one uses to deliver their ideas effectively.

Through this course I have learned many valuable ways to deliver an effective speech. I have been informed on the multiple different kinds of speeches, along with the ways in which they are delivered the best. I have come to appreciate the finesse and subtlety that is essential to speech, and now realize many things about communication that I had previously overlooked. After taking CAS 100 I have improved both my interpersonal skills and stage presence when giving a speech. I valued my time here over the summer, and will walk away with much more knowledge than before.

Back at the Beginning

Reflecting back on my first blog post I realize that I did understand some concepts that play a major role in effective speeches. I talked about how the coach made sure he made eye contact with his audience. That is important to do in order keep the attention of your audience. He spoke with the method of impromptu not extemporaneous because he didn’t rehearse his speech and then present it to his audience like the way we did in class. Through his voice and choice of language style he motivated everyone including me. He took in consideration of his audience and made sure to word things a way that we would understand. Myself as a speaker and even watching other speeches I never took into consideration the audience. The audience plays a major role in the speech presentation and taking this class made me realize this. Through his motivational speech he received good feedback not only from the team but also from myself. I received my best personal time and when I told him and thanked him I knew he was happy he made that speech. Before taking this class I didn’t realize how much of an amazing speaker he was, but now that I have and I understand the concepts we’ve learned I see that he is an incredible role model and many people could learn how to deliver a good speech from him.

Reflection/Self-Evaluation Blog

Since August, I did not mind going to effective speech class each day, and I did not have much difficulty with the material because I have previously taken a rhetoric course. Although I spoke about varying topics of afghans and ADHD, CAS 100A was like a review for me. The communication model and the rhetorical situation, which were useful constructing my speech, will further help me in life with future presentations and interpersonal conversations. These concepts have instilled in me a better understanding of how messages are interpreted. I feel that public speaking is much easier now because I covered topics in my speeches that are close to me.

I can honestly say that I have had the best summer of my life at Penn State. This experience has given me the assurance that I have made the right decision by coming to this school. Not only have I had a great time and made good friends, but also I have taken part of college classes in a traditional setting. In this picture, I am delivering my speech for the fourth time while practicing. It shows how I have managed my time to fit in my classes, which this will be a good skill that I have acquired this summer for the rest of my college career. After this summer, I now know Penn State wants to hear what I have to say.

Let's review, shall we?

At last, the summer session draws to a close, and for a precious week, we will be free to lounge about at lazy teenagers until we're kicked back into the fall semester. In the past few weeks, I've experienced a whole range of things I hadn't been prepared for, and shared in the embarrassment of standing in front of an audience to speak. While my confidence as a speaker hasn't grown, my understanding of what to do to increase that confidence has. I've always understood when I've seen a good speech, but now I understand exactly why a speech is good or bad. The useful trio, ethos, pathos, and logos, make all the difference in the world. I had never before understood the concept that in order to speak effectively, you have to convince your audience that you're worth listening to.

These are skills that will assist me in all future situations, whether publicly, professionally, or interpersonally. The course has help me to understand exactly what it takes to communicate effectively. Where as before I had only vaguely understood that people communicate, I now understand how and can improve on any flaws that I might have suffered from before. With one speech left, I hope that I can apply what I've learned, and wrap up the class in the best way that I can!

A Speech Reflection

In my very first blog I talked about one of the most revered teachers in my school, telling everyone that he had recently been diagnosed with cancer. I described how he spoke in such a diligent way, and with an amazing amount of ease. After this past summer semester I have learned what is entailed in a good and effective speech, and I still feel that this speech had the impact it was designed to have. He knew he would upset a lot of people if he went in one direction, but he used it as an opportunity to teach a life lesson. I have learned a lot from this class, including what is and isn't appropriate for different speeches. I also learned about ethos, logos and pathos. Pathos deals with emotion, and that was definitely the overwhelming factor in this speech. I now know so much more about the art of giving speeches, and feel I can evaluate them in a whole new way. My teachers speech still epitomizes what I think of when I think “public speech.” Also, my idea of communication and speaking has not so much changed, but I now know more about the inner workings and how to approach different speaking situations with a better idea of what to do and expect. The characteristics I now associate with speech will stick with me, and I will identify them with each new speech I see. The speech I discussed in my first blog post continues to be the most influential and memorable speech I have ever witnessed. In addition, with the help of this course, I appreciate it in a entirely new light.

What I've been up to..

Coming in and out of class the first week here i was defiantly a little unsure if i would be able to talk in front of these people. I was wondering how could i possibly construct a speech and talk in front of people for five minutes or more. It was defiantly a little scary at first and i think that this course has made me realize that it is all mindset. If you go into a speech scared and not confident i've learned that it plays a role in how the audience will accept your speech. My first speech was by far not what i imagined. I came in nervous and not as prepared as i should have been. However, this was extremely beneficial for my future speeches. This class allows you to learn not only from others but more importantly yourself. CAS100a has helped me in how i interact with other people too. I am much more confident going up to someone i don't now that i have this course under my belt. So, coming from a nervous, unprepared speaker i have learned what it takes to be an effective speaker through this course.

Reflection on first post

Looking back on my first post, i actually dont think the man who made the speech was that good of a public speaker. He had all the physical aspects down, as in he didnt studder, walked around and kept eye contact, and used his hands a lot, but he didnt consider his audience. The audience was a bunch of kids ranging from 14 to 18, and he didnt plan his speech accordingly. He started out funny, making a bunch of jokes and making us all laugh, but as he got into it he was getting really angry at us. There was even a point where he yelled at a kid who had a smile on his face. This anger and seriousness should not have been presented to teenagers, the speech he gave was more for adults.
My understanding of a good speech has not changed that much since the beginning of the course, i can normally tell when a speech is good or bad. The main thing i have learned to improve on my speeches it to consider the audience. If your audience is a bunch of preschoolers, you have to make your speech up in a way that four year olds can listen to and understand.

Where did Time Go?

Although I was dreading this class from the first day I am so happy I had the opportunity to take it this summer. CAS 100 was my first speech class and might not be my last. Before completing this course I hated public speaking and was always shy and nervous. I learned that the skills for public speaking aren't hard to acquire and just take practice. Getting to know everyone in our class helped a lot. I felt comfortable talking in front of the class and giving a speech didn't seem like as big of a deal.

Even though we only gave two speeches, I believe I improved from the first. In class I learned more skills and techniques involved with communication and speaking. I was more confident in my second speech and executed it because of the new techniques learned in class. I learned to successfully construct an outline with all the necessary components: attention getter, credibility statement, preview, thesis, body, conclusion. I learned how to connect to my audience using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos but overall I actual learned what it takes to be a good public speaker.

I know I have my flaws, and still get speech anxiety, but I feel more confident in talking in front of crowds now. I realized I simply need to practice and put my work into giving a great speech to be successful. Unfortunately CAS 100 was only 6 weeks since it was over the summer, but I've learned things that I can carry into my classes this fall. I'll be able to give great presentations and if ever forced to speak in public I feel that I will be able to do so. I had a great experience in this class and am happy I had the opportunity to take it.

Although we did not study any theater examples in CAS100A I still believe the initial example I used from Our Town reflects my understanding of public speaking. After taking the course I can actually see even more how my example applies to what we learned. The monologue used includes a sender (Emily) a receiver (audience), a message (live life to the fullest), and context (the play’s setting). CAS100A has taught me about the individual parts of communication and the importance of understanding those parts to improve any message I am trying to convey. I have a better understanding of communication because I know how many different occasions really require the use of rhetoric and communication techniques. Presenting my own speeches helped me understand how to organize my own message. I also sympathize with sufferers of speech anxiety because now I have felt some of that fear. Discussing communication techniques and uses with my classmates has led to a deeper understand of the subject and how I can improve my communication efforts.

Rest in Peace first speech course

Although I have taken a speech course before, for some reason I had more success in this one. Maybe it was how close I got with everyone or just being older, but I feel I have become more comfortable with public speaking. I was literally dreading this class, wanting to withdrawal before it even started. Now, I will probably take another speech course because I realize that it sometimes just take practice. In my previous speech class we also didn't talk about ethos, logos, and pathos, and we also were never taught how to relate to an audience. That made me think of it more than just public speaking but delivering a message. I am more aware of how giving a good speech is not just how you present but what you're presenting and how the speaker relates that to their audience uses rhetoric to portray the purpose of their speech.

Although I don't think my individual performance improved drastically in between the two speeches, I definitely feel that it's has improved from before beginning this class.

I know that I will need to use public speaking in my professional life, but I am also starting to realize from the recent group activities that I will need it if I plan to join any sororities or clubs.

As far as each of the speeches are concerned, I obviously felt more comfortable with the second one because I had already done the first one and survived, but I also liked the topic better. I personally hate talking about myself, it makes me pretty uncomfortable, so the second topic itself just took some nerves away.

Although I am not about to go out and look for opportunities of public speaking, if it came to a life or death situation, I feel confident that I would be able to deliver.

Five weeks later...

Looking back, it is crazy to think about how much I have learned in five weeks. I can assert with complete assurance that I know infinitely more about communication, public speaking, and critical listening than I did upon first entering CAS 100. I thought that this class would be pointless for me personally because I can honestly say speech anxiety is not something I struggle with and I knew that upon entrance. I had this idea that the class would be completely focused on facing the fear of speaking in front of people. It turned out to be so much more than that and I believe it was really helpful in making me not just a speaker, but an effective speaker.

Through the course and preparing different speeches, I realized just how much work it is to be a successful speaker. I had never before thought about the prospect of actually having logic behind the outline, relating it to the audience, and maintaining their attention. All the while having to constantly remind myself to choose appropriate and accurate language, keep a good tone, speak at a moderate tempo, and use my body language in a useful manner. From the time the class began until now, my entire thought process regarding public speaking has transformed. I once thought it to be a mindless task of just being comfortable in front of people. I realized, though, that there is a lot to consider if a speech is to be executed successfully. I definitely grew in my approach to public speaking situations.

I know that the skills I have acquired through this course will make me a better student, future career- woman, and overall communicator. I will be able to apply what I have learned to almost every moment in my life because communication is such a huge part of life. Though this class was not something I was looking forward to, it turned out to be a great learning experience and I know it will aid me in all my future endeavours.

Reflection/ The Hangover 2

Reflecting on my first blog post, The Hangover Wolf Pack speech does still reflect my understanding of “public speaking”. Prior to taking this class, my knowledge was limited, but now I am a lot more familiar with public speaking and its concepts. I previously mentioned how Alan gave the speech to his three friends, so the occasion would be a special occasion and the speech purpose would to be to celebrate. Simply by presenting speeches in class, I can identify with some of the struggles that he was going through while delivering his speech. I've learned from the readings, however, that speech anxiety is a very common thing, and that the audience can hardly see how bad it is as compared to what you are feeling. It can also be controlled by relaxing before giving the speech.

Alan's genuine love for his friends is an effective use of pathos, which appeals to the emotions of his audience. Alan was aware of who he was speaking to, and by performing an audience analysis, he incorporated humor to catch their attention. Even though this speech is not a historically significant one, I have learned how to not only be a critical thinker, but a critical listener as well. I definitely give credit where credit is due for those who speak in front of others; it can be a very difficult task. I not only admire others for speaking publicly, but I am more confident in doing so now that I have taken this class.

I would like to point out another clip (from 0:07 -0:30) in which Alan gives a different speech from The Hangover 2. I'm pretty sure Alan would be a great CAS100 student. Right off the bat, he uses an interesting statistic to gain his audience's attention. Props, Alan. Another thing that I noticed when viewing it was that he was using note cards. He has incorporated the use of visual aids as if we was following one of our rubrics. I now understand how useful they can be to trigger your memory and guide your speech in the direction that you want it to go. Although his delivery was not quite extemporaneous, it was a good attempt and I can admit that it is a difficult skill to perfect.

Reflection of my First Post

Looking back on my first post I actually think I understood at least a little bit on what public speaking was and how it can be effective. I talked about my principals speech delivery and the relevance it had to my class which are all important in creating an effective speech. Even with all of the important things we have learned I stand by what I said earlier but if I had to add one more thing, it's that he didn't put into consideration his audience. His lack of audience analysis is what cost him the effectiveness of his speech entirely because I was turned off to everything he was saying. It was not effective for the various reasons I stated and what I have been learning over this course just affirms my opinion even more. This class has taught me how to critcally listen to someones speech and be able to speak better myself. I can now communicate with a direct message and then listen and pull apart what my friend or whoever I am talking to is saying. Even when watching movies and things on TV I am starting to pull apart how their arguements could be flawed and what they can do to communicate and speak better. This class is not just for giving speeches but to help me with any type of situation in which I need to talk to someone. That is how this class has changed my views on public speaking and communication.

Good job, Washington

With all of the things I learned this semester, I can now confidently reaffirm that George Washington's Farewell Address is an example of good public speaking. Throughout the course, a speaker's ethos and a good delivery are requirements that have been greatly emphasized. Washington has a great deal of credibility, or ethos, with his audience so they wanted to listen to what he had to say and they trusted his advice. Also, he delivered his speech with confidence and commanded his audience's attention, which is a key element of being an effective speaker.

Although I was able to recognize an example of good public speaking from the beginning, I think I have learned how to be a better public speaker. Now I know how to apply the important skills I recognized in Washington's speech, to my own speaking. I am glad I took the time to revisit my first post because it gave me the opportunity to remember my thoughts and opinions from the beginning of the course. I am glad that now I know what goes into making a good speech, and more importantly, why these techniques work.

After all this time...

The first example I used in my blog post was a sports broadcast on live TV, where the reporter was clearly nervous and displayed anxiety, which caused his report to fail...miserably. This still reflects my understanding of public speaking, as it still resembles what to avoid in terms of delivery. I have learned many good delivery techniques to utilize, all of which will steer me away from poor speaking situations like in my example. Although I was able to learn a good amount in this class, I felt like I had a good understanding of public speaking entering this class. Since I feel like I had an understanding at the time, I still believe my example is relevant.

Though this wasn't the first speech class I've taken, it was certainly the most serious. If you think about it, taking a class like this as a freshman in high school is drastically different than taking it as a freshman in college, as the topics are much more serious. For example, the most serious speech I did in high school was just a persuasive speech of our choice, so I talked about how the Patriots are the best team in football. That is extremely light compared to something like important social issues. Dealing with more important issues in this class has certainly been beneficial and will be useful in the coming future.

Now I Can CONFIDENTLY Say That the 'Last Lecture' Is A Great Speech

       When I reflected upon my first blog post, an explanation/analysis of Randy Pausch's 'Last Lecture', I realized that I still find the speech to be magnificent, and an example of what I someday want to be able to achieve. However, I feel now that I have completed CAS100A, I can better analyze Pausch's speech, and explain more knowledgeably, why it is so successful.
        I never mentioned Pausch's ability to gain ethos, within my first blog post. I mentioned Pausch's clear comfort and confidence, and the fact that he was speaking about a subject that he was qualified to discuss, but either I was unaware of the term ethos, or lacked the knowledge of it's connotative meaning. Randy Pausch undeniably succeeded in achieving a remarkable ethos, and that should've been discussed in my initial post.
       CAS100A helped to inform me of the proper way to construct a speech, and the basic techniques of designing various types of speeches. I had stated in my initial post that I wanted to be able to present a speech like the 'Last Lecture', but I never clarified what aspects of the speech I truly wanted to obtain. Now, I know that Language Style and Delivery are two of the '5 Classical Canons', and the two aspects that I admired most in Pausch's speech, even though I didn't really know what I was recognizing.      
        Clearly, the two speeches that I've presented in class were nowhere near the caliber of the 'Last Lecture'. I can honestly say that I strived to use correct, simple wording, a relatable tone, and appear confident and relaxed, like Pausch, when presenting each speech, though. I feel that CAS100A personally helped me to refine the skills surrounding Language Style and Delivery, like designing an outline, providing terms for the inferences I had never before known, explaining the connections between ethos, logos, and pathos, and identifying key points of analyzing an audience, but Randy Pausch provided an example, which inspired me to produce the best possible speech delivery I possibly could.
         In conclusion, now that CAS100A comes to an end, I remain to see the 'Last Lecture' as an admirable, well-presented speech. I feel more confident when analyzing the 'Last Lecture', and stating my opinion, now that I have completed a semester of speech class. I've been familiarized with the vocabulary, reasoning, and basic techniques of "speech-giving". Looking back, I would say that I'm lucky, perhaps, that I chose to post the 'Last Lecture' as my first blog post, because it did provide me with an excellent example of a speech, and helped me to design goals, which I held throughout the class.

a new outlook on public speaking

When we were given the first blog on an example of public speaking, I automatically thought the Valedictorian at my eighth grade graduation. I thought about how well she started out to the mess she made at the end. I believed her to be an example of bad public speaking, which I still think is. However, now when I think of public speaking a different image comes to mind. I think of the great speech makers like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. They had such power and meaning behind their words and spoke out to thousands of people. They took on the challenge and presented a speech that is still well-known today.

Another reason I think of these speech makers is because they had a reason behind their speech. While the Valedictorian's speech went on celebrating and reflecting our time together, their speeches motivated others, informed them of current issues, and persuaded people to take action. While learning in this class over the past few weeks I realized that all speeches have a significant purpose and what those purposes are. My understanding of communication and public has changed and after taking this course I've come to realize just how essential speech is. We use it every day for numerous reasons and it only us helps in life. Communication is key and being able to present yourself well and be well spoken will only help you progress and grow into a better person.

A More Meaningful Understanding of Public Speaking

After reviewing my first blog post about Miss South Carolina in the 2007 Miss Teen USA competition, i can say that it still represents my understanding of public speaking to an extent. As mentioned in my first post, preparedness, and, confidence are essential tools of a successful public speaker. However, after completing this class, I now have the understanding of what public speaking really is. Its not just speaking alone in front of a group, but rather speaking in everyday life. Sometimes we are required to speak in front of groups yes, but more often than not, we are engaged in conversation with peers, elders, friends, and family. Public speaking is in fact a part of our everyday life whether we know it or not. Good public speaking skills will take you far in life, and I feel as if this class equipped me with some useful tools for my future.

New Understanding of Public Speaking

When I look back at my first blog, I still feel like the woman who came to talk at my high school was the epitome of a great public speaker. She not only had good delivery and style, but I still remember to this day some of the things she said. I feel like if you're able to accomplish those things through a single speech, you're doing something right.

Through this course, my understanding of public speaking has definitely changed a lot. Six weeks ago, when I thought of public speaking, the delivery was the first (and sometimes only) thing that came to mind. Things like eye contact, speech anxiety and just the way one presents a speech was what I thought of. I never considered the actual writing of the speech and how much work is put into it.

I thought I was experienced in public speaking because I was on my high school's Speech and Debate team for three years, but this course was completely different because I actually had to take the time to research and write my speech. It turns out that I knew a lot less than I thought I did! I didn't know what to expect going into this course, but it gave me a new understanding of public speaking, and I know everything I learned will be useful for the future. I also learned that if you put in the right amount of time researching a topic that you find interesting, it can be really fun to present!

Deliver is (Still) Key

While I still believe that delivery is a key component, I have learned that there is much more to public speaking than that. Delivery represents the end result, or the final product, of a speech, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. Before one can focus on delivery, they must follow certain steps to prepare a well, thought out speech that effectively gets a message across to their audience. In my first blog post, I talked about the speech the valedictorian of my high school gave and i explained how i was disappointed that she did not deliver as well as I had hoped. Looking back now, however, I realize that there are other things that the speaker did do really well. For example, the structure of her speech was excellent and I should have given her more credit than i did originally.

As this class comes to a close, I realize that I have learned so much more than simply how to get up in front of people and give a speech. I have learned about how communication works on different levels and I have learned that it takes a lot more to prepare a speech than just throwing a few words together. Communication is a tool that is important in everyday life, and I am sure I will use the techniques I have learned in this class in many different aspects of my life.

JONATHAN E. MCCOY'S SPEECH: A New Petition.

In my very first post, I used the example of my high school principal’s graduation commencement speech. Now that I have taken the CAS 100A course, I now know that that speech was a special event speech and its purpose was to celebrate our graduation. To me, my principal is still a great example of public speaking and her use of an anecdotal story to connect to the audience was a great move. Now I know that the anecdote was so effective because it appealed to the pathos of the audience.

Though, I still view her speech as an excellent example, it is no longer the first and only thing that comes to mind whenever I consider the term “public speaking.” I now can think of multiple types of speeches, which have various purposes other than to simply celebrate. The first type of public speaking that comes to mind now when I think of the term is public advocacy. I think these speeches appeal to me because they have a strong exigence, which necessitates the use of discourse to solve. They are very important speeches, as they often are a major step in raising awareness to a particular issue and influencing people to open their minds to the cause. They make something as simple as words and language a very powerful tool capable of inciting policy or even social change.

In the video that I have posted above, young McCoy protests against the social and cultural acceptance of the “N” word. He is a successful example of an advocacy speech as he is speaking to the community and asking that the use of the derogatory word be put to an end. He uses multiple examples of successful African American people who have accomplished much in their lives to make his point to the audience that the accomplishments of these people should not be undermined by the use of the “N” word. The introduction component of his speech has a very effective attention getter. The audience was also favorable as their race demographic allows for the educated guess that they will be in support of McCoy’s cause. Also, his delivery is, I think, the key to the powerful impact of his speech. He spoke clearly and passionately and delivered the speech in a conversational way, due to the lack of the use of note cards.

I do not think that public advocacy is the only important speech type by any means, but to me advocating for a policy is among the most important of the reasons for delivering speech. After all, free speech is an unalienable right and using it to support a belief is the concept that our country was founded upon.

A New Perspective

My first blog post dealt with the example of Martin Luther King Juniors' "I have a dream" speech. After taking this class, I still feel that this is a great example of public speaking. It fits many of the requirements of public speaking such as being in front of a large crowd in the public setting. It has a specific purpose to gain support from the audience. King uses his speech to try and convince the public of the importance of the civil rights movement. Although I still find this speech a good example, my understanding of what public speaking is has changed. At the beginning of the class, I thought public speaking was only a formal speech in front of a large crowd. After this class, I recognize that public speaking is done by all of us everyday. It does not have to be a formal speech to be considered public speaking. I now know that it can be done in all types of settings and in front of audiences of all sizes. Also, I already knew that speeches, like King's, had different purposes, but now I have a much better understanding of the many circumstances that shape these purposes. For example, King's purpose in speaking was a result of the racism in America and the need to gain support for the civil rights movement. He had to adjust his message for the audience he was speaking to. Since they were mostly supporters, King made sure his speech focused on showing the public his 'dream' for what America could be like when the racism ended. I now know this technique as the Visualization step in Monroe's Motivated Sequence. I can now look at King's speech and see it as much more than just a famous speech. I can see how it fits into the ideas of public advocacy and civic engagement in his attempts to convince people of his cause and get them to stop the racism. In addition, when listening to the speech I can recognize many of the techniques he utilizes as ones we learned about in class. I would not have picked up on these techniques if I had not taken this class.

Better Pageant Answers

My first blog post was about Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton. The answer that she gave during her final question was an example of bad public speaking. Her answer only added to the typical beauty pageant stereotypes. She tried her best, but she was unprepared to answer the question.

I found a better example of beauty pageant answers from the 2008 Miss America pageant. I felt like all eight girls meant what they were saying. They answered their questions with confidence. They proved that not all pageant girls fit the stereotypes. This would be an example of good public speaking and also public advocacy because their speaking out about important issues. Throughout this course I learned to be confident when speaking and not to get too nervous. No matter what you have to keep going. You can't just stop speaking. Communication is an important part of everyday life.

Alcohol Abuse Prvention Programs

By fully understanding the devastation that alcohol abuse among teenagers causes we can help them avoid this problem and avoid unsafe behaviors. Bears Against Drugs is an alcoholic prevention program that is sponsored by churches and non-profit organizations. It is a program that is offered for students between kindergarten and twelve grade. The B.A.D. program stresses ideas of self-respect, respecting others, and making good choices. It is important to educate the youth about the tragedies that alcohol abuse causes in order to stray them away from a live down that road. Organizations like Bears Against Drugs help parents locate a substance abuse problem at a very early stage, which is helpful because it is easier to stop the earlier the stage that you are at. All in all, it is crucial for society to have programs like Bears Against Drugs in hopes to lead the fight against alcohol and substance abuse.

Millions Against Monsanto

The Organic Consumers Association's Millions Against Monsanto campaign is aiming to get one million people to publicly stand against genetically modified foods on World Food Day, which is on October 16, 2011. The main rally will be held in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., but other events will be happening in many other cities as well. While their main goal is to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the message that genetically modified foods need to be labeled, they also demand that factory farm animals and genetically modified animal products be labeled as well. They want independent, transparent, long-term studies done on the safety of genetically modified foods for animals, plants, and humans. And finally, they want the organic industry protected from cross-contamination and lawsuits to organic farmers. In order to accomplish these goals, the campaign will not only rally outside of the White House, but they will also be signing petitions and participating in a boycott against genetically modified products.

After reading about this campaign and what it is doing, it seems like a very effective way to motivate people to do something about this growing problem. Not only does it tell people that the FDA should label these products, they explain why we should be aware and the risks these foods have. While the main rally will not take place until October, they work to make people aware of this issue all year round. I'm very interested to see how this rally turns out in October. I think it will be very successful.

Teen Success

The United States knows that teen pregnancy is a problem that needs adequate attention. Teen motherhood is something that goes along with this, but needs more attention because more than one person is at risk, including mother and child. More people are stepping up to help these young women and their futures. Through The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the program Teen Success has been putting teenage mothers on the road of success for some time now. It was started in 1990 with the help of former California state senator and philanthropist Becky Morgan. This program works hard everyday to help young mothers work with being a mother and an adolescent. Upon completion of this program, the chances of getting a high school degree doubles. Around 90 percent of Teen Success graduates earn a diploma, compared to the national percentage of 41. In addition, 67 percent of graduate through this program go on to post-high school education. The action is enrolling troubled young mothers in an educational program, and entitling them to greater educational opportunities. The effectiveness is in the statistics, and this program has no doubt made a positive impact on these young women's lives. This is such an important issue, and it is crucial to have programs like this to prevent more teen pregnancies and helping teen mothers that are struggling with their futures.

Worldwide Day of Play

Technology is everywhere we turn and there is no way to avoid it. This causes many health problems especially in children who still have developing minds. Television is a major problem since many people go home after school and work and put the TV on to relax and catch up on their favorite shows or the news. There is no doubt that television plays a major role in the issue of obesity with Americans. While doing research I found that Nickelodeon has a day of get up and play. They turn their network TV channels and Internet off air for three hours all around the world. By doing this they hope that it will encourage people to go outside and get exercise. In 2009, the when people turned to the channel it displayed this message, "Today is Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play! Turn off your TV, shut down your computer, put down that cell phone – yes, YOU! and go ALL OUT! We'll see you back here at 3! " I would modify this by having all channels except for news channels to go off air during this time. I feel like this would be more effective. If only one channel goes off air, it is easy to just have the mindset of watching another until Nickelodeon turns back on. This would be one step towards escaping from addiction to technology that is in each and everyone one of us.

action to reduce teen pregnancy

This video above tries to make a serious issue, like teen pregnancy and other transmitted diseases, humorous. The overall message is that abstinence is the best answer, put on some pants.Teen Pregnancy, however, really is a major problem that is on the rise yet again. More and more teenage girls are getting knocked up and destroying their futures. With numbers rising, more people are being aware of this controversy and are taking action to stop it.

One organization that dedicates itself into helping this cause is Advocates for Youth. This group was founded in 1980 and has been a respected figure in the scene of adolescent reproductive and sexual health. For decades this group has worked endlessly in promoting effective programs and policies in the United States and other polices to help this cause. One program the organization came up with was "Life Planning Education", which put sexuality into a life-skills/youth development context. There are three core values to follow; rights, respect, and responsibility. They incorporate these ethics into their practices and plan on making an impact on teenagers around the world.

Other action that is being taken is from this private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Their mission is to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families to stop teen pregnancy or ensure that children who are born have stable lives. There are many reasons why this group does what it does, some being to reduce burdens placed on others and reduce child poverty. This organization raises awareness by working with opinion leaders, the press, the media, and other groups. They conduct research, provide information, and engage parents and teens in discussions. This group is going strong and is only helping the cause more and more.

These organizations, along with many others, are well on their way to preventing teen pregnancy. They have some numerous accomplishments for their work, which only encourages more people to join the cause. The message they send draw in the public's attention and help them realize that it is time this issue was addressed.

Degrassi Knows Best

My issue of cyberstalking isn't a top priority right now for most people due to all of the other issues but it is still definitely being addressed through PSA's, television shows, and youtube videos. I decided to look through youtube to see if there were any videos related to the topic. Most of the ones I found were poor quality and made by students, one video actually being made by Penn State students back in 2008. They were meant to inform and show how cyberstalking is an issue that everyone, especially students, should be aware of. None of them really had a call to action so there was no motivation in it, just information. Degrassi also had an episode discussing meeting people online and how people aren't who they say they are. One of the characters Emma meets someone that claims to be 16 but is instead an adult male. It puts her in a terrible situation and definitely shows that the internet can be dangerous but it still has no call to action. If I was to make a video I would emphasize the fact that we need to do something about this. It needs to be able to motivate people to be more careful when using the internet. It needs to be bigger and more widespread instead of just youtube videos created by students as a project.

Ugandan Women of Courage

Acid Survivors Foundation Uganda (ASFU) began with the intention to the women of acid attacks with medical attention, psychological assessments, and financial support. Prudence, the woman in the video, and the other women of Uganda established this organization to reach out to other females nationwide, who have been affected by this form of violence. This message is effective because it shows that there is something being down concerning the issue of acid attacks on women.

Acid attacks are occurring all over the world and unifying survivors. I believe this organization should further its efforts by implementing an online support group for women, who have gone through physical mutilation by corrosive acid. This blog will further unify these females more than just because of their sympathy.

Adam Levine on Motivating ADHD

Adam Levine, the lead singer of the band Maroon 5 and one of the judges on the hit show The Voice, speaks out in this advertisement for OwnYourADHD.com. He identified with this condition as a child and then presently as an adult. Also, he encourages the older population of ADHD patients, who have experienced this disorder as a child, to get an assessment by their health professionals because it is possible that they have not outgrown ADHD.

Levine is advocates the Own It campaign for reoccurring ADHD adult patients. The targeted popular is signaled out to act upon this unaware issue. On Own It's website, it offers an adult ADHD screening test. This relates to the prescription drug misuse of ADHD patients because these patients are directly effected by this issue.

Levine is using his fame to spread awareness about this issue and endorsing adults to get assessed. He is effectively persuasive by his influence on the media concerning this problem. This campaign should be furthered through television advertisements, billboards, and education institutions.

As you heard in my speech, the problem i was talking about was the use of child soldiers in africa. It is a horrible problem which is very difficult to stop, but the organization i am about to talk about is a huge help in the effort against it.

The main group i found to prevent the use of child soldiers is The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. The main thing this organization does is they research the use of child soldiers around the world. With this research they inform people about the use of child soldiers and how bad it really is. The second, and more active thing they do is they rally the use of child soldiers. They create campaigns to stop the support of child soldiers, and try to get them back into their own communities. I would say that this organization is very effective, as it is the #1 non-government organization that deals with stopping the use of child soldiers. Since they are the top organization, they are very effective at gathering more followers to help the cause, but if i had to suggest one thing, it would be to advertise on tv about the problem... just think about how many child soldier commercials you have actually seen on tv, none im assuming.

A smaller organaization is the Child Soldier Relief organization. They hold fundraisers of many different items such as art, and the proceeds go to the support in stopping the use of child soldiers. I think this is very effective, because unlike the organization above that raises awareness and actively tries to stop it, this organization raises much needed money to help stop the problem. The only thing i would suggest to them is try to get their name out there more. A lot of people dont know about this organization and the problem it helps, so if more people knew then maybe more people would donate.

Anorexia Awareness

After doing research I have found various organizations and videos promoting the awareness of anorexia. One popular thing I found was many things that occur during eating disorder awareness week. During this week there have been walks, speeches, and presentations about the dangers of eating disorders across America. One Interesting article I found is of a girl who made a Life Size Barbie. Galia Slayen created the doll in an attempt to educate girls about eating disorders. The creation is 6 feet tall with a 39-inch bust, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips; completely disgusting to look at. She hopes showing the unnatural proportions of the doll will help raise awareness of the unrealistic expectations of beauty.

There are also many videos on You-Tube. These videos display a strong sense of pathos with graphic images and a compelling story that make you feel for the victims. It gives you a sense of how bad anorexia is. I found two videos particularly motivational to me. First, is an actual commercial which shows an anorexic looking at herself in the mirror. Although she is disgustingly skinny and you can see the bones threw her skin she see's herself as fat in the mirror. This is a great representation of what the disease is and how it works psychologically.
Second is an individually made video. It is actually a video made up of other clips from anorexia videos in order to promote awareness. Although it just scratches the surface, the clips shown and the music in the background give you a sense of the seriousness of the disease. I think videos like these and the thousands of others that exist are very effect in promoting awareness cause they shed light on the problem in ways that words and statistics can't achieve.

Aid Vitcims Now

The Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition organized a nation wide Day of Action, November 17th, 2010 to call for support for the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010.They gave out local representatives number sand urged people to call and let their support for the bill be heard. They also organized a petition that got 3,000 signatures that they sent to Congress so that that could be presented with the bill. A vote for the bill took place on Sept. 15 2010.
I think this is effective bringing attention to the issue. What I would have also done was organize a rally in front of Capital Hill in an attempt to not only get the media's attention but also show the representatives that this is an issue that people are aware of and care about.

NEDA and EDIN

There aren’t too many groups that I found for the prevention of eating disorders. However, I did find two. They are: The National Eating Disorders Association and The Eating Disorders Information Network, which is a group on face book. Both are non-profit organizations and they intend to prevent eating disorders through education, awareness, and action. The National Eating Disorders Association has an awareness week, and a walk in their efforts to prevent eating disorders. The EDIN helps people suffering from these disorders to find help and resources. NEDA also does research on eating disorders. NEDA also says things like “Do Your Part,” or “Help Fight Eating Disorders: Donate, Volunteer, Take Action.” The EDIN has values to try to persuade people to join their group, such as “We are committed to educating the community regarding the devastating effects and warning signs of eating disorders.”
These two organizations are doing a pretty good job of raising awareness and doing things to take action. They are trying to educate people, make people aware, and take action. However, I think that they could do other things such as involve the government and petition to implement awareness programs in schools rather than just having online organizations to try to raise awareness. They could fund these by having walks, which NEDA already does, fund-raising, etc. I think this would greatly help raise awareness, and prevent eating disorders in many people. They are both persuasive with their messages to get people to join these organizations. EDIN stated how they are committed to educating the community about eating disorders and NEDA says that a way to help fight the disorders are to donate, volunteer, and take action by joining them. I think their messages and efforts are overall well done.

Thankfully, there are many efforts by many different groups who make it their mission to end cyberbullying. Efforts range from online school activities to rallies to commercials. Specifically, ABC Family and Seventeen Magazine have joined forces in order to combat cyberbullying through their “Delete Digital Drama Campaign.” This campaign is brand new, having been started July 5, 2011. As of late their efforts include a rally in Glendale California, the creation of WebPages, a commercial, a facebook group, and a movie all addressing cyberbullying and its negative effects. Through the facebook group, people can get a digital drama badge to add to their facebook page. A recent ABC Family original movie-featuring actress Emily Osment followed the story of a teen girl who was harassed via her facebook page and demonstrates how it negatively impacted her life. In addition, ABC has aired a commercial depicting many young stars from its network speaking against cyberbullying. They are all seen wearing [delete] T-shirts (pictured above), representing their message to “delete digital drama.” This movie, coupled with the recent commercial, was viewed by many teens and preteens.

I think the efforts provided by this partnership will prove to be very effective. The slogan that they use in their campaign is easy to remember and spikes curiosity and interest. ABC and Seventeen were smart to use the media as a way to reach the masses and raise awareness. I also think that it was a very smart move to use so many different sources, like television, the Internet, and public speaking to get their message across to as many people as possible. The use of celebrities in both the movie and the commercial was a very effective move on their part, as the influence of famous people over their teenage fans’ mindsets is great. They certainly are aware of who their target audience is. The youth that they are targeting also happen to be a large portion of their fan base, making them an ideal network to raise awareness of cyberbullying. While the campaign is magnificent at raising awareness, it fails to touch upon the educational aspect of eliminating cyberbullying. I would provide more information through speeches, commercials, and websites about how to identify cyberbullying and what to do if it happens to you or if you witness it.