Public Speaking: A Roller Coaster

My most recent in-class public speaking endeavor would have to be the speech we gave in class on our civic artifact papers. For me, I had my content well-memorized, but my timing ended up becoming the main issue as I spoke for far too long. My greatest strength in that speech, I would say, is expressing passion for a topic. I think I do well to utilize strong word choice, which is often very difficult in that context, to convey my thoughts with precision. My greatest weaknesses, in my opinion, would be pacing, posture, and eye contact. I speak far too quickly, primarily as a function of nerves. My posture often becomes very casual past the point of confidence, which can become a detriment to my speaking. And finally my eye contact is often more of a cursory glance rather than sustained and prolonged connection.

More recently than the speech, I presented in a case competition to a small group of 5 judges with a team of 4 and then to a larger group of almost 50. In this context, while I was significantly less prepared, I felt much more comfortable. I think the poor preparation contributed to weakness in that I sometimes left out critical information, but it may have contributed to my poise. I often think well on my feet, and in this situation I might have come just short preparation-wise of the valley of awkwardness and found a balance between preparation and on-the-spot invention. In doing so, I feel like I balanced my strength of improvisation with my weakness of flaws in public speaking. Looking back, I know that my eye contact again was fairly superficial, but I feel that I was more composed. Perhaps this is a result of the group setting or the change in my preparation, but I believe I performed much more effectively in this setting.

Concussion Paradigm Shift

For my paradigm shift essay, I will be analyzing the changing perceptions of concussions and traumatic brain injuries primarily in the NFL. My paper will begin with a brief intro to the topic
before diving into historical background on the evolution of football since the early 1900's to today. After developing this context, I will look into some of the changes responsible for the shifting perception, such as improved research/technology as well as more prevalent cases of suicide amongst former players with CTE. Using this information, I will look to demonstrate the cultural nature of the shift in believes and values as well as what it indicates about our own culture, primarily the shift in manliness from being a rough-and-tumble suck it up philosophy to one that values making mature decisions as equally tough and manly. Through particular individuals such as Junior Seau and Chris Borland, I will frame the shift in cultural terms before concluding with the modern impact in pop culture and the overall lesson to be learned from the shift.

My working thesis statement right now is:

•         Increased awareness to the effects of traumatic brain injuries on former professional athletes stemming from improved research and poignant anecdotal examples has vastly altered the game from one of machismo and pushing through pain to one of caution and logic, demonstrating a significant shift in the perception of concussions in sports.

Right now, my sources come from a variety of places. Below is a working works cited page:

Beschloss, Michael. "T.R.'s Son Inspired Him to Help Rescue Football." The New York Times. New York Times Company, 1 Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/upshot/trs-son-inspired-him-to-help-rescue- football.html?_r=0>.

Cole, Carrol. "Uncovering Concussions." Chicago Health. Northwest, 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://chicagohealthonline.com/uncovering-concussions/>.

Conway, Tyler. "Concussion Movie: Trailer, 2015 Release Date for New Will Smith Movie." Bleacher Report. Turner Broadcasting, 31 Aug. 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2558444-concussion-movie-trailer-2015-release-date-for- new-will-smith-movie>.

Fantz, Ashley. "Chris Borland, 24, to Retire from NFL, Cites Fear of Concussions." CNN. Turner Broadcasting, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/17/football/chris-borland-retirement-nfl-concussions/>.

Karaim, Reed. "NFL Controversies." CQ Researcher 4 Sept. 2015: 721-44. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

Locker, Melissa. "Football Head Impacts Can Cause Brain Changes Even Without Concussion." Time. N.p., 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://time.com/3611146/football-head-impacts-can-cause-brain-changes-even-without- concussion/>.

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/basics/symptoms/con-20113581>.

"New NFL Rules Designed to Limit Head Injuries." NFL.com. NFL, 6 Aug. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81990bdf/article/new-nfl-rules-designed-to-limit- head-injuries>.

Sherman, Richard. "We Chose This Profession." The MMQB. Sports Illustrated, 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://mmqb.si.com/2013/10/23/richard-sherman-seahawks-concussions-in-the-nfl>.

Velasco, Schuyler. "Junior Seau tragedy shakes NFL, intensifies concern about head injuries." Christian Science Monitor 03 May 2012: N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

Vrentas, Jenny. "Where the Game Is Headed." The MMQB. Sports Illustrated, 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://mmqb.si.com/2013/10/25/concussions-future-of-football>.

Paradigm Shifts

I’ve had a very difficult time coming up with two potential paradigm shifts to write a full essay and compose a TED talk about. However, I’ve finally reached a couple potential ideas.

First of all, I think it would be very interesting to dive into the historical connotations and ramifications of the proliferation of the personal computer. The development of technology to the point where anyone could own a computer and have that sort of computational power at their fingertips was a wild change from prior limitations on human productivity. While the change was somewhat slow, gradually moving from punch card operated behemoths to the razor-thin laptops that we carry today, I think focusing on the work of some influential entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs could illuminate a lot about the origin of our dependence on technology. By looking at this first boom of the personal computer market, I’d hope to not only learn about the technology involved but also the sociological consequences of such available technology.

I’m also very interested in the changing attitudes of young people towards college. I’ve read studies regarding the higher suicide rates amongst college students today than in the past, and the high pressure environment that has taken hold in universities across the nation must have some cultural basis. A thorough analysis of the beliefs of students, both high school and college level, to college life and the stresses associated with could be fruitful. So many stories hit the news about high performing students hitting a wall that leads them to depression or suicide, and I’m curious as to how this could be observed as a paradigm shift from earlier, less stressful cultures to the intense one we live in today.

One other idea I’ve thought about is the prevalence of bottled water. I don’t understand why people spend so much on it, and I think this would be something interesting to look into. I’ve fleshed this idea out much less, but I think there is some potential for an interesting project. Analyzing the causes and effects of the shift from drinking tap water to bottled water could be quite intriguing.