Monday September 18, I presented my civic engagement speech.  I was not particularly excited about giving my speech on the first day, but now I am glad that it is over!

Overall, I was pleased with the execution of my speech.  My preparations went well! I practiced in the music rooms downstairs in my building several times.  Then I practiced in front of a few people on my floor.  Although it was very awkward at first, in the long run, I found it to be very beneficial. I got some positive feedback and tips from my listeners.  They also made me aware of some habits I have when speaking that I would not have been aware of otherwise.

As far as the actual presentation, I was satisfied.  I used my visual aid well and I prevented myself from looking at it too often.  I don’t usually struggle with eye contact, and it wasn’t a problem on Monday either.  Also, my timing was very accurate.  During practice, I had consistently been getting a time of three minutes and fifty seconds.  My actual presentation time was three minutes and forty-four seconds.

The rest of the speeches given Monday by my classmates were very good.  Most students spoke about artifacts.  However, the artifacts varied drastically, from volunteer work to a campaign against smoking to Kony 2012.  For the most part, I was unfamiliar with the artifacts presented, so I was able to look at them completely unbiased.  There was only one other interview speech given.  I felt like we both organized our speeches the same way, so that was encouraging right before I got up to present.

I would have to say I am looking forward to hearing the rest of the speeches in my class. But I will definitely enjoy them a lot more now that I am finished!