Speech Studies



There was a kid in my high school speech class who would have his friends write all of his speeches minutes before made them. He'd take a few sheets of loose leaf up to the front of the room and read wild stories. One I remember was, "The Person I Admire Most." It was completely fictional story of his grandfather's WWII service, including an extensive account of his flashbacks and habit of calling everyone he didn't know 'Jerry.' This kid would read to raucous laughter, but he'd do it entirely with a straight face, totally deadpan. It was remarkable. Of course he passed with a D so that the teacher could get him out of her hair. Almost everyone else in the class received an A for their boring, uninspired speeches, but I know that kid learned speaking skills that are much more in line with what you need in a modern office setting.

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