September 2017 archive

High School Diploma: Civic Artifact Speech Outline

Taylor Marie Young

English 137H

Teresa Hamilton

21 September 2017

Civic Artifact Speech Outline

  1. Introduction
    1. About four or five months ago, each and every one of us experienced one of the greatest senses of accomplishment: graduating high school. After years of learning basic skills and developing more complex ones, experiencing enriching programs, excelling in academics and extracurricular activities, growing as learners, and proving the extent of our dedication and hard work, we all accomplished the same thing together. While we may not have been together physically, we were together in the sense that we all earned a high school diploma.
    2. But what’s the meaning behind the dignified certificate? Sure, it definitely means that the receiver has achieved successful completion of the educational requirements according to the given state.
    3. However, the high school diploma is our official, lifetime membership to be active citizens in our democracy.
      1. An induction into democracy
  2. In the classroom
    1. Transition: Before we could receive our membership passes, we had to go through training, which ended up being about thirteen years of schooling for the most of us. We had to prove that we were qualified to be a part of society.
    2. For five days out of the week from kindergarten to senior year, we were exposed to a microcosm of democracy.
      1. Pride for the country through the Pledge of Allegiance
      2. Having classroom responsibilities that equate to being active members of society
      3. Elections for organizations such as Student Government
  3. In the real world
    1. Transition: Ultimately, our training to receive a high school diploma, or our membership pass to democracy, comes to an end. We meet the state requirements for finishing school, and we graduate.
    2. Our duty of serving as students may have ended, but our membership pass allows us to take on a new role: active citizens in our democracy.
      1. Apply diploma to better society
        1. Through furthering education to pursue a career
        2. Through continuing a family business
        3. Through being a stay at home parent
  4. Conclusion
    1. If each and every one of us takes advantage of the high school diploma we all worked so hard to receive, we’ll fulfill our responsibility of being active citizens. Just by deciding to further our education here at Penn State, we’ve decided that we will serve our country in some way to ensure it keeps improving. Our membership pass lasts a lifetime, and there are no restrictions. Whatever we decide to do will shape future generations and how they perceive the importance of education and earning a high school diploma.

Writing strategies: how and when to apply them

Throughout pages 93-97, Addario’s writing about a near-death, life-changing experience as a conflict photographer demonstrates her adept use of writerly strategies to draw in her audience. Utilizing foreshadowing, imagery, emotional appeal, and blatant honesty, Addario conveys the severity and danger of the situation in which she has placed herself. In addition, her writing exposes some of the aspects of a war that one may not be aware of as she recounts the gruesome, cold details of the scenes.

With that said, Addario sets the scene before, during, and after a car bomb explosion in an anti-American area. Her vivid description of one of the most compelling, influential experiences in her career as a photographer allows her audience to truly understand how passionate she is about her career as a photographer.

As I write about my passion, I think I could use several of the strategies that Addario employed in the scene that I identified. For example, emotional appeal would be a great writing strategy to take advantage of when I want to express my appreciation for the staff in the North Penn School District that shaped me into who I am today, guided me throughout my educational career, and encouraged me to pursue my passion for education. Although it may be difficult, I could put my feelings into words about these influential people in my life, so my audience experiences and recognizes my genuine appreciation.

In addition, I could adopt the use of imagery when I discuss North Penn High School’s (NPHS) classes, clubs, and organizations. Because NPHS offers such a unique academic experience, someone who were to read my passion blog that doesn’t or didn’t attend the large public school might not understand why the three things listed are so important to me if they cannot picture what I am discussing. For instance, through the use of imagery, I could describe the most influential features of a classroom that provided me with the most enriching, memorable learning experience.

Thematize your passion

Regret is an unpleasant, strong feeling that seems to hang over our heads for hours, days, weeks, months, and even years. Such an unpleasant feeling is illustrated through Addario’s story regarding her Nana’s missed chance in love, which she uses to support her reasoning for following her passion. Knowing that the story has been nagging her Nana for years, Addario concludes that she does not want to make the same mistake as her Nana.

With that said, Addario conveys a clear message: pursuing her passion is a main priority in her life. Proving to influence her life greatly, Addario’s passion for photography is obviously established throughout the memoir. Addario thinks of her passion as her calling; she has a duty to serve the world as a photographer, even if it means endangering herself or risking her own life.

With the story of Addario’s Nana in mind and how it relates to thematizing her passion, I can’t help but recall one of the most empowering moments I experienced as a student, which served as one of the paths that led me to discover my passion for education. With an idea for a fundraiser to be led by the anti-bullying team that I was a member of in middle school that would benefit a district affiliated organization, a team member and I pitched the proposal to our advisor. After gaining his approval, we needed to propose the idea to the building principal, who, supported us and, ultimately, allowed us to execute the fundraiser.

As a student in middle school, I remember feeling so empowered by having the opportunity to propose, execute, and lead a fundraiser. When I think of the roots of my passion, I always come back to this story. If it weren’t for this opportunity, I don’t know if I would ever have come to discover my passion for education.