My views on rhetoric and civil life have greatly developed over the course of this semester. Back over summer orientation when scheduling classes, I had no idea what I was getting into. To me, this class was just a requirement. But, throughout our course work, I have come to really enjoy the ideals behind public speaking and its effects on society. 

I have learned that a speech and its delivery are two very different things. While writing out my speeches over the term, I began to focus solely on word choice, as I wanted to sound smart. Yet, as the term progressed, I realized that I could be talking about flying monkeys and have it make no sense, but by interacting with the audience, I could keep their interest and attention. This has left a great impact on me, as in the future, I hope to focus more on the connection with the audience rather than diction. To give a good speech is to be lively and emotional towards observers in order for them to understand the importance of your work. I think I improved over the semester with interacting with the class, as I learned to use hand motions, different tones in my voice, and eye contact. 

With the focus on speech delivery, the civil life comes in contact with the rhetoric. If one voice is able to inspire others, than it can cause a movement, thus addressing public concerns and suggestions for improvement. Civic unity is very important for a happy, healthy, and successful community. 

So, from orientation to the end of this semester, I think I have learned a lot about rhetoric and civic life, as I knew nothing in the beginning. I plan to use the skills I have learned in this class in order to bring attention to social issues that I believe need improvement, and hopefully through others, I can make a great impact within society.