Speech Class

Consultant’s report confirms ineptitude of Atlanta schools

Damn. The mind boggles just thinking about what I could do with $14k a year for shadowkatt‘s education, but the Atlanta public school system continues to insist that isn’t enough, and that really, maybe they could teach somebody to read if they had lots more money.

My suspicion that 90% of the people in my speech class are from the same fraternity has been confirmed—they’re all “teeks” (Tau Kappa Epsilon). Apparently, they take as many classes together as they can. It seems a bit childish to me, but I guess it works for them. It does make for overhearing some interesting conversations.

I need to do another speech a week from today. I have three choices for the type of speech, which is to be 5-7 minutes long

–a biographical portrait of someone who is alive today and is neither a peer nor a family member of mine
–“after dinner speech,” which must transmit some kind of useful information while being humorous
–analyze the impact a specific Supreme Court decision has had.

I’m most interested in the after-dinner speech, but there’s a problem—my jokes do not seem to go over well with this particular audience. They are so tightly focused on themselves and their little social circle that they seem incapable of relating to anything outside their experience. That’s also the speech that the teacher says is most difficult, and which he does not believe anyone in the class can do successfully. He did also say, though, that he’d be impressed if any of us try it, and would grade a little more leniently because he’s never managed to be good at that kind of speech.

I haven’t thought of anyone on whom I want to do a biographical sketch. Okay, there are people I find interesting, but I doubt any of these kids has any interest in them and appealing to the audience in question counts as part of the grade.

Nobody is doing the Supreme Court option, according to an informal poll taken today. I suppose I should at least skim through a list of Supreme Court decisions to see if anything catches my eye.

Any suggestions?

Cyn is Rick's wife, Katie's Mom, and Esther & Oliver's Mémé. She's also a professional geek, avid reader, fledgling coder, enthusiastic gamer (TTRPGs), occasional singer, and devoted stitcher.
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