The Art of Public Speaking

Enrolling into a college at the age of fifteen was certainly a big step for me into the word of adulthood. There are many differences that make a college difficult to manage, especially to the mind of a young adolescent as myself. As all of you know, growing up means being given more freedom and with that freedom is the choice to fool around or to choose to get the work needed to be done in order to achieve the things we need. And I wasn't the type to go out of my way to study hard and go looking for help. I was exclusive and quiet silently soaking in information as I subconsciously isolated myself over the years of elementary and junior high. This meant the absolute worst once I had enrolled into my Public Speaking class. I had no experience putting myself in front of so many people and for such a long period of time. The instant I stood before the class I felt myself lit up like a stick of TNT and would hold my breath for the longest moment not to explode, but needing to get the words out at the same time.

The first few times were painstakingly humiliating and my suffocation made it all the more obvious to the class how awkward I was adding more to my embarrassment. It was a vicious cycle of wanting to be natural yet worrying that the class would see me as an awkward speaker, which I was. I honestly felt I would go nowhere in the class, but my teacher was kind enough to preach us regularly about the reality of speaking to groups of people. It’s all a matter of perspective, he would say, it’s not the end of the world even if you think it’s so. It’s only a speech.

These words of wisdom were a blessing. Sometimes the key to succeeding isn't really about caring less, but more like worrying less. Take things into perspective. If I stuttered in my speech, mispronounced a word, or even tripped on my way back to the seat, the worst that could ever befall me would be that I’d get laughed at. Not shunned. Take things into perspective. My classmates are just as nervous I was. They would not shun me for my actions but maybe only pity me, which I could take. Also they probably didn't listen to the speeches anyway. Take things into perspective. The advantages of completing my speeches outweigh the temporary embarrassment. If I refused to speak I would be scorned for being irresponsible and cowardly. The point was that if you want to hit the ball, you need to swing the bat. I shouldn't ponder over the crazy consequences my mind imagines, because the truth is that it’s all a waste of time.

My experience in Public Speaking certainly has helped me pop my bubble. I do heat up a bit before performing, but like any skill it takes practice to be perfect, as with the art of speaking.

Green Turtle Traditions and Birdies

For my paper, I plan to focus my arguments on the rhetorical strategies of pathos and kairos. For my research, I focused mainly on the reptilian species called the green turtle, which is what we were shown in the film, The City Dark. The film explained quite clearly on the fact that once hatched, a young green turtle depends on the light of the sun or stars to navigate itself toward the ocean, but I knew a few facts myself about green turtles that might just might be my ace in the hole.

As an active reader and animal fanatic, I have learned that green turtles are very specific on where they choose to lay their eggs. It isn't a pure random coincidence that they lay in the areas they do. They choose the place that every generation before has decided to lay their eggs. It is one of those explainable occurrences that a baby hatchling can remember exactly where it was born, but after going out into the sea, growing up, maturing and finally mating, it recalls the same shore that its own mother crawled up upon to lay her own clutch. Now this fact gives the readers a sense that the green turtles are very familiar with these areas, and they do indeed belong to them. The growing economical population and pollution are invading in these very intimate areas that are critical to the now very much endangered species of sea turtle.

Now, a reader may be unconcerned by the issue by the large clutches a single female green turtle could lay, but I will make them aware of the fact that most of those tiny little creatures don’t even reach it to the ocean. It is not only because of the light pollution, but during one of these huge hatching sprees, the little babies are a very large and opportunistic feeding spree. As they dash toward the ocean, dozens of brothers and sisters are eaten by seagulls and other birds that attack upon the hoard of hatchlings. Anyone who has watched such an occurrence would naturally cheer on the helpless underdogs. They would also feel displeased if unnatural lights such as those that emit from the city’s skyscrapers would tip the scales into the cunning seagulls favor.

One fact that I was not aware of before I had watch the film was that there was an actual problem with birds flying into cities and killing themselves by flying head on with buildings. By discussions in the class, I come to the conclusion that most people aren't aware of this problem, so I plan to inform my readers about this issue that has gone unnoticed by most. Many birds are killed by buildings, and it is not as a random occurrence as some might assume. Hundreds of birds kill themselves. They travel and become confused by the unnatural lighting, and clumsily smash their tiny skulls against a glass building, the damage sometimes fatal and irreversible.

Fear of the Night and Night Shifts

According to director Ian Cheney, “There is a controversy over whether more light leads to less crime, but there is agreement that light seems to make people feel safe, almost like it’s built into our genes to move closer to the campfire or to the brightest city” (City Dark). As a human species, we are hardwired to fear the darkness. It is indeed part of some kind of genetic instinct that we do not yet understand, but we all know and have experienced this fear. As a young child, I remember the cripplingly gloomy sensation of a dark corner or shadow. I am sure I wasn’t the only one who used to do this, but sometimes I felt the need to dash through hallways of darkness to reach the next light. Older now, I am not as naïve when it comes to the darkness within my own home, but outside, or any other place outside my comfort zone, the fear is still ever present.

I don’t believe that fear is only inside our species. Just as the instinct and will to survive is in all creatures, fear is present in all. However, many creatures also depend on the dead black of night. Those depend on it for hunting, such as jaguars and sharks. Others depend on it for navigation, such as the newly hatched sea turtles trying desperately to reach the sea. So the light of a campfire or a lamp can have many meanings; comfort, exposure, or hope.

Us humans in particular, although we suffer physical and mental abnormalities at too much light exposure, there is little chance that we would give up the convenience of a bright night for the sake of a few victims. Like George Brainard, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania says, “…we really need to know how much light and what quality of light and often and at what time of night it is the most problematic” (qtd. in City Dark). It is the easiest solution, in common perspective, to adjust ourselves to these new environments rather than remove the harmful exposures. As a few examples, we could place late night shift workers in very dim and dark work spaces (with a reasonable amount of light for proper performance). If a shift worker cannot be kept in dark work spaces, we can encourage little light in their homes to keep the balance in how much light they take in. And again, it is the natural response to choose the most convenient method rather than the healthiest one, so we cannot expect people to just stop working during the night. The world demands service during the night, and humanity demands relief to those who must endure the hectic lives they must run to support themselves.