Teen's deal with...
Public Speaking
Editor: Lance Garrison
Public speaking can be very nerve racking for some people, students in genral.Last week I went to a Vanderbilt University technology conference. Beverly Keel, columnist for The Tennessean, spoke about her job and what all was entitled within it. I am currently a Senior at Mt. Juliet High and enrolled in a public speech class. One of the things we are banned from saying, because deemed not professional, was the word's "Um" and "Uh's."
I had the privilege of sitting in on Ms.Keel's speech about
her life story, and in the whole thirty minutes out of forty Five minutes
speech Ms. Keel used the "un-professional" words fifty-seven
times. Now being a very well known journalist and respected member of the
The Tennessean would think they 
would
want, at least, a high school equivalent speaker wouldn't they? From a women who gets her kicks by bashing Celebrities, hears a twist, someone is bashing the basher.
In my class we get counted off points for saying the "undesirable" words. Our speech's are normally three to five minutes long. Saying "Um" twice could knock you from a 100% to a 93%. In my opinion I would have graded her at maybe an 80%. It was completely unorganized and not put together in a manor deemed respectable. Vanderbilt University is an ivy league world renown school, having a speaker that is not as talented as a Mt. Juliet High school student is however embarrassing.
So when you are about to do a speech for your class and you are worrying about doing well, just remember you are as equivalent as a columnist from The Tennessean.