Problem
How might you use your public speaking skills in service of civic engagement (active public participation in political affairs and social and community organizations)? In what social/political/community causes are you interested?
Brenda Lopez
Public speaking skills are seen every day and very often in situations like city hall meetings and in front of our peers. Events that gather many people together are the perfect time to present the reality that we deal with. I would use my public speaking skills to encourage the development of our semi-professional leagues for soccer. We can only improve as a state and a nation at one of the few sports that we are noted for not winning at if we really grow the talent and dedication we have for it on a lower level. While we do have a lot of money dedicated to our national level teams, everything below that is neglected, to this day, my league still doesn't allow spectators from the after effects of the pandemic. But, if we just open it up, we could possibly turn it from an expensive hobby, into the actual semi-professional league that pays for itself.
Victor Nguyen
You might use your public speaking skills in service of civic engagement by speaking up about social issues to your peers. This could be something like telling your family about how to protect themselves against certain diseases through presentations. Another way would be giving public speeches outside so that others could learn about things that they wouldn't otherwise know about. This applies to things like giving a speech at a protest to let the audience there know what they are protesting about. Protests are one of the best ways to enact social change in this country, which is why the speeches given there are so important. You could also join volunteer groups that work with the government, then you could give speeches there too. One group like this is volunteers reading books for kids, and this definitely uses public speaking skills in service of civic engagement. I'm interested in participating in a political party so that I could help influence the country in positive ways, another group I would be in is any volunteer groups that work with kids in order to help them read better or just give them more positive experiences during childhood. Something akin to the group read to a child.
Oracha Wattansoontorn
Public speaking or effective rhetoric can become an art of persuasion. I think Persuasive speech is ideal for civic engagement and public speaking skills that I will use for civic engagement will focus on the audience's interest as a priority. Since I have seen and experienced the different quality of life problems for each class of the Thai population, I can say that I will use easy-to-understand words to communicate. I would also choose to use constructive criticism to point out the problem in a good manner with supporting evidence to prevent resistance in the first place. Moreover, I will share some examples from my experience to connect with the audience so they can understand more. Additionally, I will use a steady and non-fun tone to give listeners the impression that my topic is a real social concern. As the same as making eye contact with the audience as much as possible. Then, I will use body language for keeping my audience's attention. Also, I will insert rhetorical questions between my speeches to make the audience realize my main points. Lastly, significantly, I will practice building my confidence, reduce anxiety, and find my voice, volume, and pitch that are suitable for my speech.
Marlon Sagabaen
There can be various ways in which public speaking skills can be helpful in the service of civic engagement. One way I thought of, especially for political affairs, is to gain people's attention and unite them behind a cause. Speaking in public gatherings or participating in debates is one approach to employing strong public speaking abilities for civic engagement. At these events, you can express your thoughts and ideas on important topics affecting your community. This can encourage people to take important actions and change through one's voice.
A cause that I might be interested in is fighting poverty: growing and improving employment and income opportunities and promoting entrepreneurial skills. Ensuring everyone can access fundamental social services, including clean water, sanitary conditions, proper food, and education.