Communication 101
Public Speaking
I took Public Speaking in the spring of 2020 with Dr. Mitten. When I started this class I was absolutely dreading it. Public speaking has never been a talent of mine, though I have had to practice it quite a few times before. I was completely terrified to give my first speech, which was simply an introduction for myself. Professor Mitten really helped to lessen the stress, she shared many techniques to help keep oneself calm and composed. I gave my speech, but it wasn’t without any bumps, which was to be expected. After everyone finished, the once scary peers of mine felt more like friends. We were all in this together. This class showed me how empowering a group of people can be for one another. Everyone always cheered on those of us presenting, no matter how good or bad the performance was. My peers unknowingly helped me build more confidence in myself. Their constant support and advice changed my views on the class. Unfortunately, our time together was cut short, and we were unable to build on our public speaking skills together. Our speeches became recordings and only Professor Mitten was able to watch them. I would’ve liked to hear others’ topics, and learn more about them and what they believed in. However, once we went online we were now tasked with something far different than before. We now had to analyze speeches and find their intended meaning and purpose. This wasn’t something that came naturally to me, as I like to think the simplest answer is the right one. As I quickly learned, however, not all speeches have such a direct meaning. In one particular assignment, we had to analyze the famous speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. My analysis of it was one of my favorites, even if it is quite simple. His speech was no large task to understand, but simply my favorites to interpret. Even though it wasn’t difficult, it allowed me to feel more confident in myself. As I have learned, all successes are important, no matter how small, and this was no exception. In sum, this class helped me build confidence in myself, as both a speaker and an analyst. No matter how much I dreaded it in the begging, I don’t regret taking the course.
Below is my analysis of Marin Luther King Jr’s speech “I Have a Dream.” This was my favorite assignment and one that made me feel more confident in my analysis skills. It was written by me, Tucker Marshall, on April 3, 2020, and is titled “Martin Luther King Jr.”
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