As Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize winning scientist, has said, “the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas” (and I think Thomas Edison must have said it before him). Often, we are tempted to cut the creative process short just to get work done, and by doing so we often have weaker ideas than we should. One of the main goals of this progym is to develop copia, “copiousness,” for your formal speech, and you should have a fair amount of copia already for the preview. If you come prepared only to speak for 2-4 minutes it’s not going to go well.
Assignment
Provide an objective summary to the issue your will be persuading on in the formal speech. Think of it as a “teaser” to get people interested in your topic and to give them enough information that they can ask questions. Your progym should be the usual 2-4 minutes, and it will be followed by a Q and A session of 2 or more minutes (depending on the discussion).
Choosing a Topic
The topic you choose for the progym and for the formal speech that follows is essentially up to you. Try going back to the Stump or CQ Researcher for ideas. Following the links that interest you on Wikipedia can also be a good way to come up with ideas. The only thing that I ask is that you avoid topics that people might not disagree about in a reasonable way. Avoid religion, extremist politics, and brand loyalties (PC versus Mac, Coke versus Pepsi). At the same time, you can argue quite everyday issues, like that people need to hug more or that Bladerunner is the best science fiction movie (as long as you provide useful criteria, so it isn’t just about personal taste).
Challenge 1: Objective Presentation
Though you will argue your issue in the formal speech, think of the progym as the informative version. The challenge will be evaluated on the degree to which you retain your objectivity while still conveying the importance of your issue. Make it objective, but don’t make it boring. It’s okay if your personal opinion comes out in the Q and A, but it doesn’t have to.
Challenge 2: Answering Questions, Including a Really Tough One
If you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it, but do so gracefully. Don’t get embarrassed, don’t fake an answer—say it’s an interesting question, say you’ll get back to them on it. And if you really want to be good, refer to the question and the person who asked it when you give the answer in your formal speech.
Additionally, to give you extra practice responding to at least one really tough question in a safe environment, I will intentionally ask each speaker a stupid, tangential, openly hostile, or conceptually difficult question. Appendix B (282-3) gives good advice on how to respond to questions. The challenge will be evaluated on responding the right way to the right questions, using eye contact inclusively, and preparing the ending.
Make Sure to Attribute
Research at least one source, attributing it in your speech. Example: “As Mike Hutcheson observes in his article for the business e-journal Unlimited, entitled ‘Good Ideas, Lots of Ideas,’ wait to judge ideas until after the brainstorming is completed.”
Due: Monday 20 and Wednesday 22 February.
The image is of Plato and Aristotle from “The School of Athens,” by Raphael. They liked to talk a lot about ideas, too.
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