NationStates Jolt Archive

Yeah, my mom got this bright idea to make me speak in front of the Senators in the General Assembly. A very scary thing for someone of fifteen with NO public speaking skills whatsoever. I need something to talk about that I can actually make a decent, intelligible speech out of.
I am a Girl Scout and I feel strongly for better Special Education programs in not only my general area but the surrounding counties as well. But I have no idea what I want to persuade them of. Or how. Or why. I write songs, not speeches. PLEASE help or I'll die in front of a bunch of stuffy Senators.

Yeah, my mom got this bright idea to make me speak in front of the Senators in the General Assembly. A very scary thing for someone of fifteen with NO public speaking skills whatsoever. I need something to talk about that I can actually make a decent, intelligible speech out of.
I am a Girl Scout and I feel strongly for better Special Education programs in not only my general area but the surrounding counties as well. But I have no idea what I want to persuade them of. Or how. Or why. I write songs, not speeches. PLEASE help or I'll die in front of a bunch of stuffy Senators.

Imagine them all sitting there in their underwear. Of course, you may not be able to stop giggling if you do that. :p

Imagine them all sitting there in their underwear. Of course, you may not be able to stop giggling if you do that. :p

I don't even have ot do that. One time for Girl Scouts we got to sit in a room and watch the guys discuss stuff from a camera feed, and this one guy looked like he was picking his nose.

I don't even have ot do that. One time for Girl Scouts we got to sit in a room and watch the guys discuss stuff from a camera feed, and this one guy looked like he was picking his nose.

:eek:

You might think of writing out your speech as a song. Not as one to be sung, maybe, but sort of in verses, in a form you'd feel comfortable with. You could deliver it as recitative, which is what they do in operas when they aren't actually singing but they aren't speaking like in a non-musical play, either.

Practice, practice, practice. The more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be. Practice in front of people too.

Also, note cards work better than sheets of paper for speeches (at least in my experience).

Yeah, my mom got this bright idea to make me speak in front of the Senators in the General Assembly. A very scary thing for someone of fifteen with NO public speaking skills whatsoever. I need something to talk about that I can actually make a decent, intelligible speech out of.
I am a Girl Scout and I feel strongly for better Special Education programs in not only my general area but the surrounding counties as well. But I have no idea what I want to persuade them of. Or how. Or why. I write songs, not speeches. PLEASE help or I'll die in front of a bunch of stuffy Senators.

take a subject you are knowledgeable on. say the benefits of scouting... or something. it doesn't have to be persuasive, it can be informative or even complimentary (if you think they are doing a good job.)

create your speech in the manner you would write a ballad. (nothing saying that the speech can't rhyme. ;) ) you can use your points as the chorus. ;)

when you give your speech, don't look at them, but pick three points (left side, center, right side) and make them Inanimate objects... say three windows, three desks or something but not a person. then focus on those three objects. talk to them, and put the people out of your mind. when you talk, randomly look and stare at those objects. talk to the objects and make sure those objects are not up on the ceiling or down on the ground. you want to give the illusion that you are talking to the people.

Take deep breaths and always practice your speech alot before you give it.

i hate public speaking, i wish you luck.

:eek:

You might think of writing out your speech as a song. Not as one to be sung, maybe, but sort of in verses, in a form you'd feel comfortable with. You could deliver it as recitative, which is what they do in operas when they aren't actually singing but they aren't speaking like in a non-musical play, either.

The trick I suppose is poetic form that still gets my meaning across. Geez, I should've paid attention more when my English teacher told us how to write poetry as an argument. :rolleyes:

The trick I suppose is poetic form that still gets my meaning across. Geez, I should've paid attention more when my English teacher told us how to write poetry as an argument. :rolleyes:

not all songs translate to Poetry... ;)

(former Poetry Reader in HS Speech and Debate.)

take a subject you are knowledgeable on. say the benefits of scouting... or something. it doesn't have to be persuasive, it can be informative or even complimentary (if you think they are doing a good job.)

create your speech in the manner you would write a ballad. (nothing saying that the speech can't rhyme. ;) ) you can use your points as the chorus. ;)

when you give your speech, don't look at them, but pick three points (left side, center, right side) and make them Inanimate objects... say three windows, three desks or something but not a person. then focus on those three objects. talk to them, and put the people out of your mind. when you talk, randomly look and stare at those objects. talk to the objects and make sure those objects are not up on the ceiling or down on the ground. you want to give the illusion that you are talking to the people.

Take deep breaths and always practice your speech alot before you give it.

I have no idea what goes on in the political world. At all. Nada. So it makes it hard to talk to political people. And I always end up looking at people. Someone's shirt will stand out, or someone will be picking their nose (teehee), and I get distracted. I lose flow. I don't get nervous so much as I can't concentrate on where I should be putting emphasis or enunciating or whatever.
It's just bad timing; my science fair has to be done next month too.

not all songs translate to Poetry... ;)

(former Poetry Reader in HS Speech and Debate.)

Sweet. I usually don't do anything; I sit around and stare at paint. And now I'm writing speeches and experimenting and Scouting and singing in a musical and altogether dying from excess. Root rot.

Sweet. I usually don't do anything; I sit around and stare at paint. And now I'm writing speeches and experimenting and Scouting and singing in a musical and altogether dying from excess. Root rot.

Sounds like you're a modern kid. Hey, you could dip into Shakespeare, see how he handles blank verse dialogue. Not the 16th century language, of course, but the way he constructs sentences.

Sounds like you're a modern kid. Hey, you could dip into Shakespeare, see how he handles blank verse dialogue. Not the 16th century language, of course, but the way he constructs sentences.

I've read Hamlet. Five times. Very interesting, lots of puns.
Blank verse is something I can handle. I enjoy it actually, more freedom of speech with a beat.
Enjambment is cool too. I love enjambment. Even though I only learned what it was called a week ago.

I have no idea what goes on in the political world. At all. Nada. So it makes it hard to talk to political people. And I always end up looking at people. Someone's shirt will stand out, or someone will be picking their nose (teehee), and I get distracted. I lose flow. I don't get nervous so much as I can't concentrate on where I should be putting emphasis or enunciating or whatever.
It's just bad timing; my science fair has to be done next month too.

that's why I said focus on those objects. if the thought of talking to PEOPLE don't make you nervous, then focus on three people.

as for the topic, anything. if your mother didn't specify a topic, then talk about anything. say... What christmas means to you. or the sorry state of Roads these days... or even the truama that a person goes through when forced to give an open topic speech infront of Politically Powerful People by their loving Mothers. (a speech can also be humorous.) ;)

Imagine them all sitting there in their underwear. Of course, you may not be able to stop giggling if you do that. :p

Or throwing up.

or even the truama that a person goes through when forced to give an open topic speech infront of Politically Powerful People by their loving Mothers. (a speech can also be humorous.) ;)
I should do that...I'll still have to run it by my mom, though. Curses.
She'll probably find it funny, too, though.

Or throwing up.

The only time I've gotten nervous enough to throw up was this past Homecoming. Coming out of dinner I start to have a panic attack and end up throwing up in my boyfriend's house. Not pleasant.

Yeah, my mom got this bright idea to make me speak in front of the Senators in the General Assembly. A very scary thing for someone of fifteen with NO public speaking skills whatsoever. I need something to talk about that I can actually make a decent, intelligible speech out of.
I am a Girl Scout and I feel strongly for better Special Education programs in not only my general area but the surrounding counties as well. But I have no idea what I want to persuade them of. Or how. Or why. I write songs, not speeches. PLEASE help or I'll die in front of a bunch of stuffy Senators.

Is there a reason that Special Education is so special to you? If you can explain that to them, then it makes for a really good speech

Opening
Intro
Hello to important people
What is important to you
Why it is important to you
Why it should be important to them
What your goal is
What they can do to help
Thank you

^^ speech. ;)

My year younger sister is autistic. It just makes me, I dunno, different. I went into a gifted program to get away from people calling me retarded at my home school. Thank god or I would have gone to the school with no band.

I have a MS in Speech so I guess I should offer a few ideas.

First, these are politicians, they know exactly how you feel. They feel the same way every time the get up to speak. They just have learned to cover the feelings. Anyone who says they don't get stage fright is lying. Expect stage fright. Try to think of it as you do the fright from a roller coaster.

Second, be prepared. Speak on something you know about. Don't pick something just because it sounds like a good subject. You want to be the expert in the room on the subject. So pick something important to you and study hard to learn as much as you can.

Third, Write your speech well ahead of time. Give it as many times as possible to family and friends. Change it every time you think of a better way of saying something. Try to practice enough so you can give it without memorization or reading. (Again this helps if you know your subject.) You want it to sound as though you are just talking to them naturally.

Fourth, (I know this sounds crazy) Watch what you eat for a week before the speech. Stay away from sugar and caffeine. And get plenty of sleep. I've had students that have actually taken this advice and came to me later and told me that they were amazed how much it changed their stage fright.

Believe it or not, this will be one of the memories that you will recall 60 years from now. Enjoy the idea that you get to do something that few others can even imagine.

Fourth, (I know this sounds crazy) Watch what you eat for a week before the speech. Stay away from sugar and caffeine. And get plenty of sleep. I've had students that have actually taken this advice and came to me later and told me that they were amazed how much it changed their stage fright.
Huh...that is weird. I don't usually connect sugar and stage fright. Science fair for next year!

Huh...that is weird. I don't usually connect sugar and stage fright. Science fair for next year!

Sugar is pure energy. It's like putting rocket fuel in your car. Caffeine demands your body move fast. Like putting the gas peddle of the car to the floor. So, you put pure energy in your body, put the peddle to the floor then try to tell your body to stay in neutral. Your internal engine just winds up until it explodes.

Sugar is pure energy. It's like putting rocket fuel in your car. Caffeine demands your body move fast. Like putting the gas peddle of the car to the floor. So, you put pure energy in your body, put the peddle to the floor then try to tell your body to stay in neutral. Your internal engine just winds up until it explodes.

Not sure how I would test it...measure relative pulse, maybe? And I'd have to find someone with a moderate tolerance. Hmmm....

Sugar is pure energy. It's like putting rocket fuel in your car. Caffeine demands your body move fast. Like putting the gas peddle of the car to the floor. So, you put pure energy in your body, put the peddle to the floor then try to tell your body to stay in neutral. Your internal engine just winds up until it explodes.

also, after the first few days of blech (from withdraws) you will begin to sleep better, which is always helpful for being calm and thinking clearly.

also, after the first few days of blech (from withdraws) you will begin to sleep better, which is always helpful for being calm and thinking clearly.

Yeah, I hate that withdrawal crappy feeling. It sucks all the way around.

Yeah, I hate that withdrawal crappy feeling. It sucks all the way around.

you only have to go through it once if you stick to the caffienne free, low sugar diet after. ;)

you only have to go through it once if you stick to the caffienne free, low sugar diet after. ;)

I don't eat enough, apparently, according to my friends, so...something's better than nothing IMO.

I don't eat enough, apparently, according to my friends, so...something's better than nothing IMO.

it depends on what that something is....... if you aren't going to eat much you should make sure that what you do eat is the 100% best option for your body.

IMO.

of course I have switched to a whole foods diet within the last year and let me tell you what goes in really does make a difference.

it depends on what that something is....... if you aren't going to eat much you should make sure that what you do eat is the 100% best option for your body.

IMO.

of course I have switched to a whole foods diet within the last year and let me tell you what goes in really does make a difference.

I wish I could but I can't cook. At all. Sticking toast in the toaster oven is about as complex as it gets. I love eating healthy stuff, especially seafood. Mmm, squid. Anyway, I can't buy it either, and my sister won't touch it. She's immensely picky, and there's no convincing her since she's nonverbal, so I eat what she eats. Absolute crap.

I wish I could but I can't cook. At all. Sticking toast in the toaster oven is about as complex as it gets. I love eating healthy stuff, especially seafood. Mmm, squid. Anyway, I can't buy it either, and my sister won't touch it. She's immensely picky, and there's no convincing her since she's nonverbal, so I eat what she eats. Absolute crap.

tell her you are a vegan, I was one for 6 years, I didn't cook anything I ate, all raw foods, all fruit, veggies, and legumes. ;) very healthy, quite yummy, and people tend to shy away from asking you to share :p

i dont understand

why did your mother do this to you?

is this a project for something? why did the assembly agree to this? what did she tell them?

tell her you are a vegan, I was one for 6 years, I didn't cook anything I ate, all raw foods, all fruit, veggies, and legumes. ;) very healthy, quite yummy, and people tend to shy away from asking you to share :p

No telling, she can't talk. It sucks. If she doesn't like something, instead of saying it, she throws a humongous fit and gives herself a nosebleed. Bleh.:(

i dont understand

why did your mother do this to you?

is this a project for something? why did the assembly agree to this? what did she tell them?

Someone (I'm not sure who) asked her to make a speech. I was talking to her about how I couldn't do Model UN because I don't speak well and she said she was thinking about how I should speak in front of the General Assembly and what I said cinched it. So it's my fault. I think. :confused:

No telling, she can't talk. It sucks. If she doesn't like something, instead of saying it, she throws a humongous fit and gives herself a nosebleed. Bleh.:(

Would you like a future like that your mother is living, or do you want a future as a confident person? One step is doing what is hard the first time. The second time it will be easier, the tenth time you will still have a tight stomach but you will believe in yourself.

Someone (I'm not sure who) asked her to make a speech. I was talking to her about how I couldn't do Model UN because I don't speak well and she said she was thinking about how I should speak in front of the General Assembly and what I said cinched it. So it's my fault. I think. :confused:

what was HER speech supposed to be about?

One other thing to think about. Both of my daughters are Gold Award Girl Scouts. When it comes time for college scholarships all of those experiences go on the resume'. Make sure you have a running list of all of them so you have to use extra sheets of paper on the applications. Things like this are literally worth thousands of dollars.

i dont understand one bit of this.

first of all, you need to do your homework

you need to look into WHY the general assembly is hearing speeches from the public on the day you are going to speak. is it something they solicit? is it something anyone can do as long as they schedule an appointment? is there going to be a theme that day?

look up to see who has spoken in the past and what they have spoken about. if possible take a look at their actual speeches (maybe your general assembly keeps copies of these thing online?) figure out how long they speak. there may be a set time limit of around 5 minutes anyway.

your speech needs to fit in with what everyone else is doing.

talk about something you know about and something that is important to you. the more comfortable you are with the topic you choose the better you will do.

if the speeches turn out to be very general, there is nothing wrong with making a poem (you said you write songs) about something that everyone in your state can relate to. an historical figure, a national park/monument/historical site, an issue that is of special importance to your state, a famous incident that occured in your state. whatever.

practice it out loud many times. if you can stand to do it. videotape yourself and watch it. (dont do it if you know it will freak you out). have a couple of friends listen to it so they can tell you if it gets boring or doesnt make sense or (god forbid) it has grammatical errors.

good luck with it.