Hi, my name's Matt McGarrity.
I live in Seattle, Washington, here in the United States.
I enrolled in this course because I've always loved public speaking.
And I wanted to talk to others in this class about the act of public speaking,
and get some feedback on what's working for me and what's not.
So what was a memorable ceremonial speech?
Well, I've seen a lot that I liked, but
I suppose the most memorable one was probably the most influential one.
And quite honestly, it's not a speech I can fully remember.
Now, this speech took place back when I was in graduate school.
Now at that time, I was trying to decide on what type of scholar I was going to be.
I had written some stuff on foreign policy rhetoric, but
I wasn't really enthused about it.
I didn't feel like I was going to make a difference with that.
Now, I loved teaching and coaching public speaking.
I was doing a lot of that at this time.
But that didn't really seem like a career avenue for me.
Anyway, one day my department hosted a keynote speaker at a democracy forum.
So basically he came in, and he delivered this compelling and
moving speech about the value of public education and rhetorical instruction.
And as I'm listening to this, I had thought all this stuff but
I hadn't heard someone so
movingly talk about the larger values driving college communication courses.
Man, I was eating this up.
Now, as it happened, my advisor was sitting right behind me.
So after the speech, I turn around and I'm like, man, that was great.
What did you think?
And my advisor was like, [SOUND], he was very dismissive.
He was not impressed with this.
So I was like, man, what do I do?
I thought about it and I'm like, man, I want to be a part of those values,
that public project.
So I quit my advisor.
I changed my entire research agenda.
I became a specialist in the teaching of public speaking.
And, honestly, that talk was the moment.
I don't even remember the speaker, but I do remember those values.
That one talk was a major turning point in my career and, consequently, in my life.
So it was pretty memorable as a ceremonial speech.
Anyway, I'm Matt McGarrity, Seattle, Washington.
I'm excited for this course.
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