2/8

We started the beginning of class by getting to know Craig Cannon, a graduate student in SOC studying Broadcast Journalism who works as a writing coach for SOC. He introduced himself and answered questions about writing news stories.

Then we learned about public speaking and in general, the way in which we conduct ourselves. We started off with a quote from Mark Twain, “There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.” For public speaking, at any level or capacity, it is important to:

            - Be prepared, so you will be more confident and sure of what you are saying.

- Repeating what you are going to say and how you are going to say it

- It is important to take deep breaths and imagine that your stomach is a closed fist when you breathe in and as you breathe out it is a circle of light. This will slow down your heart rate and make you feel more relaxed.

- It is also important to visualize what you will look like and act like while you are speaking. See yourself succeeding rather than messing up!

-               Lastly, the communication pyramid breaks down the importance of word choice (7%), voice tone (38%) and body language (55%) when speaking. These should be in alignment to ensure your words are heard clearly.  

We then learned about personal brands which is composed of our character, our values, the work that we do and who we associate ourselves with. We filled out a worksheet where we answered questions about ourselves, our brands and if we do we have a brand (because we do!) The takeaway: take charge of your personal brand!

We reviewed common grammar mistakes such as misplacing commas and using commas with quotes.

HW for 2/15

            -Complete AP quiz given out in class

            -Read Chapter 15 on Public Relations

-Go to Project Concern International (PCI) and read two to three articles by development officer Christa Davis and prepare three questions to ask when she comes to speak to our class next week.