I spent five semesters at Humboldt State University. It was perhaps the happiest time in my life. I did a lot of hard growing in the years before I arrived on campus. I had loved and lost, I had taken care of my wonderful grandmother for four and a half years, I had learned that nobody but myself was responsible for making me happy.
Once on campus, I continued growing. But for some reason, it was easier. I made more friends in those five semesters than I ever had before. I got better grades, I was more comfortable around the opposite sex. And I joined the debate team. Too late, I only had two semesters before I graduated, but boy am I glad that I had those two semesters.
Debate team is a little bit of a misnomer. Properly, it should be called forensics, forensics being the art of public speaking. But this damnably wonderful show called CSI has forever welded the word forensics with the field of forensic science in the public consciousness, and so while I was on the debate team, the term forensics was reluctantly ceded to Jerry Bruckheimer and it is now called "Intercollegiate Speech and Debate." I like that term because, in addition to plain old debate, members of the ISD team were supposed to do other public speaking events. One of these events was called a Platform Speech.
A platform speech is an eight to ten minute speech that is given to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. I only assembled one in my brief time on the ISD team. But I still think in platform speeches. When I have an idea about politics, or anything else, I compose a platform speech about it and give the speech over and over in my head, as if someone actually cared about my ideas.
My speeches follow a format, which I was taught in ISD. I have an introduction, in which I frame my arguments, giving between two and four main points. Then I flesh our my main points in the body of the speech, summing up and clarifying in a final conclusion. Unfortunately, I have nobody to give these speeches too anymore. And so, they will get turned into Essays, here on Undead Platform Speeches. This could be an experiment in failure, or this could be the next cool blog. We shall see.
Once on campus, I continued growing. But for some reason, it was easier. I made more friends in those five semesters than I ever had before. I got better grades, I was more comfortable around the opposite sex. And I joined the debate team. Too late, I only had two semesters before I graduated, but boy am I glad that I had those two semesters.
Debate team is a little bit of a misnomer. Properly, it should be called forensics, forensics being the art of public speaking. But this damnably wonderful show called CSI has forever welded the word forensics with the field of forensic science in the public consciousness, and so while I was on the debate team, the term forensics was reluctantly ceded to Jerry Bruckheimer and it is now called "Intercollegiate Speech and Debate." I like that term because, in addition to plain old debate, members of the ISD team were supposed to do other public speaking events. One of these events was called a Platform Speech.
A platform speech is an eight to ten minute speech that is given to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. I only assembled one in my brief time on the ISD team. But I still think in platform speeches. When I have an idea about politics, or anything else, I compose a platform speech about it and give the speech over and over in my head, as if someone actually cared about my ideas.
My speeches follow a format, which I was taught in ISD. I have an introduction, in which I frame my arguments, giving between two and four main points. Then I flesh our my main points in the body of the speech, summing up and clarifying in a final conclusion. Unfortunately, I have nobody to give these speeches too anymore. And so, they will get turned into Essays, here on Undead Platform Speeches. This could be an experiment in failure, or this could be the next cool blog. We shall see.
A friend of mine has actually told me that Forensics means the Search for Truth. I still resent Jerry Bruckheimer
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your search for truth, little brother!
ReplyDelete