FINAL Blog!

In our on-campus TV show, Focus on U, we have certain people for specific positions. Some people make our “Packages”, which are pre-videotaped roll-ins on our show. Well, my friend and I were assigned a specific event to film and report on. Our specific assignment requirements were to keep the time to exactly one minute, have good shot sequences, and have B-Roll and Voice Over.

We were supposed to film and report about a Duct Tape Event on campus. This event sounded pretty interesting: students needed to make an article of clothing with only duct tape, and of course make it for a good grade. Well needless to say, my friend and I had different stances on how to shoot it. I wanted to film it in twenty four frames per second, while my friend wanted to film in 30 frames per second. So, I was strongly against the thirty frames per second, because that style is too smooth for what Focus is going for; twenty four frames per second is more film oriented, and what is usually used for the show.

Anywho, my friend and I debated on what style we should go for. Anger and tempers flared. We finally went and talked with our director, where he said that twenty four frames per second was the way they wanted the package to be filmed in. It did not really need to go that far to the point of anger; we should have just gone to our director for the specifics on the package in the first place. However, we were both fixed and distracted by what we thought was the right way to film the event. It caused unnecessary tempers that could have been easily avoided. This would have alleviated the situation all together over something that was not that important.

Have you ever had a misunderstanding go so far to the point that you’ve lost a friend? Do you regret it ever happening?

Blog #8

There are numerous differences and similarities when it comes to ‘perceived self’ and ‘presenting self.’ Perceived self is what an individual believes to be who they are, how they act, and what they are good or bad at. Presenting self, on the other hand, is what other people actually see when communicating with the individual, showing what the individual really is like as a person. For example, imagine two people sitting on a bench, having a conversation. Person A’s perceived self could believe that he or she is being nice while talking to Person B, whereas Person B could interpret a gesture or how Person A says something wrong. This would then present Person A in a negative light to Person B, while the entire time Person A believes they are being polite.


In public, I present myself in a manner of maturity to my friends, family, authority figures, and others. I have a level of respect and honesty that people, in turn, respect me for it. I am the type of person that will try to make a person feel comfortable and open up to talk about anything they want or need to talk about. I love to listen to people, as well as give advice if it is wanted or needed. I am also very grateful and humble; I do not like to get all the credit, and the world DOES NOT revolve around me.

This is quite similar to me seeing myself in general. However, there are some things I would say that are different. One is that I do not think I am as confident as I could be. I AM working on it, but I know at this moment, I still need to work on my confidence. Another would be my overall fluency of words. As of right now, I use simple and easy words (most of the time), and because I am going into the Broadcasting/Film/TV business, I need to work on a better “plethora” of words and my adequacy/word choice.

Blog #7

Physical characteristics are a big influential factor in the lives of people. Have you ever seen a girl walk by with a short skirt and a tank top on, showing some excessive skin, and thought to yourself: “Damn! She’s pretty slutty!”? How about when a group of African American males are hanging out and “inspecting” females walking by? Did you ever think that they were “Playas?” I thought so.

These are stereotypes. I’ve been one to be extremely stereotypical throughout my life. Whether it’s about a certain race, religion, or gender, there’s always a certain thought about that certain group and you assess it to the whole group.

I can remember back in my High School days of playing basketball for my school team, the Siren Dragons. We weren’t a great team, but that’s another story in itself. I remember when we were playing a local rival team during the season. They had an African American on their team. So while I was in warm-ups I kept thinking, “god, this guy is gonna score 30 on us!” That’s right folks, I stereotyped. I stereotyped hardcore.

Not only did I assume he was extremely athletic, I also assumed some other things. I thought he would be a “gangster”, I thought he was going to be a jerk; I thought I would get beaten up by him if I said the wrong thing on the court.

Boy was I wrong.

Not only was he not that athletic as I presumed, he was one of the nicest opponents I had ever faced on the court. I remember during the game he helped a kid up that got knocked down. I felt terrible after this. I went up to him after the game and talked with him. We’re still friends to this day. This is just ONE story of stereotyping.

The media is a huge influence in people’s life today. Through sexual advertising, thematic TV shows, and extreme, elicit dialogue; the media is a force that manipulates the minds of people nowadays. They will continue to do this if people aren’t ready to realize what they are susceptible to.

If people are not aware of their perceptions, they could assume the wrong idea and create a conflict that could have been easily avoided. With that in mind, have you ever been in a situation where you or someone else assumed the wrong idea, creating a conflict within a group of people?

Blog #6

In an average lifetime, a person will hear countless speeches. Whether it is a teacher giving students a lecture, parents scolding their kids after they have done something wrong, an actor accepting an Oscar, or a boss informing his employees of something new coming up soon, people listen to numerous speeches containing different topics. Within these different speeches, the speaker may use different appeals in order to affect the audience they are presenting it to more efficiently. Some of these appeals include emotional, logical, and needs-based. After listening to a speech, a person could probably guess pretty well which appeal the speaker used to get the right reaction from the audience.
A speaker that used the most credible emotional appeal that I remember would have to be my Pastor, Dave, back at my church in Siren. In his sermons, he would use descriptive words and many details which would paint a clear picture in my head. Along with these details, Dave would incorporate a lot of emotion into what he was saying, allowing the audience to really connect with what he was saying. Solely through his emotion alone, he could sway the members of the church service each morning to feel what he was portraying through his words.
A speaker that used the most sound logical appeal would be my High School science teacher, Mr. Morris. Regardless of the project, assignment, or test question a student asked about, he could always rationalize and answer it. Obviously, teachers will always have a more logical appeal to their lectures and speeches. Not all teachers present it very well, though. That was definitely not the case for Mr. Morris. He always seemed to have the right answer for any question the students posed, and answered it in a way that could be easily understood.
A speaker that used the most convincing needs-based appeal would be the guest speaker that came to my class back in fifth grade to talk to us about the DARE program. DARE was a program based on informing kids about drugs and ways to avoid peer pressure. The speaker talked to the students with the upmost care, making sure we were listening and understood what was being said. He incorporated emotion to stress the importance of what was being said as well.
The elements that I can take from these speakers and incorporate into my own speeches would be to incorporate emotion in order connect with the audience and stress importance on certain parts of the topic, and to also make sure what I am saying is logical and credible. After hearing many speeches in your lifetime, what do you feel is the most important aspect(s) you have taken away from those speakers to incorporate into your own speeches?

Blog #5

When a group has interacted with one another for a long period of time, the risk of groupthink becomes more prominent than ever before. Groupthink is the result of too much cohesion leading to conformity and blind loyalty. It affects a group’s overall interaction, decisions, and interpersonal dynamics. The first group that came to mind, which I still participate in every Wednesday from 6:00-8:00pm, is one of the radio shows here on campus: The River Falls Renegades. The show contains a variety of segements such as Weird News, movies, and other topics that change every week. The Renegades consists of Adam Lee, Kirsten Blake, Nick Marty and myself. At this point, we have been on the air since September, so we know each other quite well. However, that is the exact problem; we know each other too well. At first, we did not know a whole lot about one another, making the show more spontaneous and new. Now, after doing a couple dozen shows, we know about the rest each other’s lives. It is not nearly as spontaneous in that way as it used to be. A more specific example of this would be when one of us has an opinon on the the news or movies. Just so we can get to the next subject, the rest of us simply agree with what they have to say, making up a simple reiteration. This does not allow us to let our own thoughts and opinons out; we are just simply trying to keep right on track with the time schedule. I believe that we as a group should not worry as much on the time constraints and really say what we want (FCC regulations permitting, of course). This would give the show a ton of more color than it already has, and would allow people to see our true selves. Have you ever participated in a long-term group? What was the interaction like in the beginning compared to the end or present?

Everyone has experienced both ends of spectrum; extremely productive groups that get the job done, and extremely ineffective groups that do not reach their goals very well. The most productive group I have ever

participated in was for a film project for my lighting class. The group consisted of some of my ‘film friends,’ Andy and Leslie. My best friend Andy made some really good decisions, pretty much taking charge of the project. He would instruct people where to put the lights and how to angle them, not to mention the camera placement and background items. Leslie was great at following any orders she heard in order to know where to put them so we could film swiftly and efficiently. Needless to say, it was less stressful experience unlike most projects, and we did very well in the end. Now as for the opposite side, the most ineffective group I have particpated in was for a different filming project with a different friend, Logan. He is a great friend, but a complete slacker as well, not

having any good ideas to put forth for the project. So, I had basically had to take the reins myself and do the project alone. It was definitely a more stress filled experience than most of my other projects I have had to

complete. Luckily, we had evaluation sheets to fill out in the end, so he received the grade that he deserved. If he would have been less of a slacker and actually brought some stuff to the table, it would have been a much better experience and the project itself could have been way better. Have you ever participated in a group where some of the members do not want to do anything? What did you do/would you do in that type of situation?

Blog #4

Just about everything people do on a daily basis can be considered nonverbal communication. Whether we are distancing ourselves from a crowd of people, rolling our eyes, using hand gestures while talking, or just briskly walking across campus to our next class, we are communicating to the people around us. It really is kind of crazy to think about; all of these actions and activities that we perform, sometimes unknowingly, on an everyday basis are actually a form of nonverbal communication. There are quite a few different types of nonverbal behaviors. Some of these include facial expression, body movements, physical characteristics, space, and touch. Take for example space, or Proxemic. Depending on how close or far away individuals are from one another can determine their level of comfort. Usually, the smaller the distance is between two people, the more intimate the person or the relationship between the two people is. A larger distance between two people would then usually portray a more public situation. It is the tiny things such as this that can be interpreted, or accidentally misconstrued, to help an individual better understand what someone else may be trying to communicate.

Nonverbal communication is a powerful tool. Simple actions can portray certain emotions, especially when someone does not verbally express how they truly feel. One sentiment that people can pick up on by the use of nonverbal behaviors is sadness. When someone feels down in the dumps, their posture may be a little bit more slumped over than usual, perhaps even lazy looking. Their facial expression is straight, and they may be looking down to the ground, trying to avoid any eye contact. Along with this lazy posture, an individual experiencing sadness will probably have a slower pace than usual, and therefore may distance themselves from those around him or her. Picking up on nonverbal cues such as these can really help to communicate with someone better, and possibly even save a life if they are feeling extremely low. While nonverbal cues can help with better communication, they can also be misread, which could then lead to conflict.

**Have you ever completely misread a nonverbal behavior? What happened?**

After reading the statement “the person who possesses and controls information has power,” I believe that a knowledgeable individual can easily manipulate others around them. With the right words, presence, and gestures, a speaker can easily influence an audience into believing just about anything. It is something that should not be simply underestimated. True and great speakers create revolutions, whether the revolution is for better or for worse. Take for example Adolf Hitler. It is pretty obvious that his time in history is not something we look back on with fondness. However, one is not able to deny the fact that Hitler was a great speaker. He was able to touch the souls and hearts of people, motivating them to agree with what he believed. To look at a brighter example, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to change the history of America with his well known and loved “I Have a Dream” speech. There are numerous other people that have changed the course of history with the use of powerful words that connect to the people.

**Has someone ever influenced you with the sole use of speech, regardless if it was positive or negative? Have you ever influenced someone else with the use of powerful words?**

Blog #3

One time my good friend Andy and I were working on a film project for our Electronic Field Production 260 class. After spending some time filming, we ran into what I would call “filmer’s block.” At that point we stopped filming and began bouncing ideas off of each other in order to try and figure out what sequence we should film next. I came up with an idea from a movie I had recently watched at the time, and was pretty enthusiastic about it. I started explaining my idea to Andy as he was staring at the list of guidelines for the assignment. As I was trying to explain the idea I had, I noticed it seemed like he was not really paying attention to what I was saying. He just continued to stare at the paper, merely nodding his head and giving that “uh huh” kind of reply.
At the time, I felt pretty pissed. I thought that it was a good idea, and he was not really listening to what I had to say. The listening barriers that were present during that particular situation were being both disinterested and distracted. Andy may have been distracted due to the stress from the assignment itself, as well as making him disinterested in it all together. After reflecting on this past experience, I will definitely encourage myself to listen more attentively to others. I will try to take an interest in the ideas that my peers have to offer, and also try to not become so distracted by any outside forces from the initial conversation.

I can recall one presentation that seemed really disorganized. One semester, I was enrolled in Introduction to Theatre and Drama. Every day, the professor I had always seemed to be disorganized when he would be giving us the lecture. Countless times, he would say “umm,” and slick his hair back. It almost seemed like the nervous tick of someone who was fully prepared for talking in front of the class. This lack of organization had a negative impact on my ability to understand and retain the material. During his lectures, my mind would wander to other thoughts and I would soon be conversing with my other classmates. Some advice that I would have given this professor would be to possibly prepare his notes for the lecture better, and to maybe practice before actually giving the lecture to his students.

Blog #2

The first situation I thought of that can relate to this is not specifically a speaker, but a professor here at River Falls. To begin with, I work for TV Services here on campus. In the Agricultural Science Hall there is a Distance Learning classroom, and part of our job description at TV Services is to facilitate whichever day or night class one of us has been assigned to. Basically, I make sure all of the equipment in the room is working correctly. One semester, I was assigned to a Teacher Education class that met on Tuesday nights. I won’t deny the fact that I was pretty excited; what guy wouldn’t be excited to be in a room consisting of only him and thirty girls? With that being said, everything was good. At least, everything was good until the professor came in the room. Along with teaching on campus, this professor also teaches at a local elementary school. Her classroom at the elementary school consists of kindergarten through third grade.
Now I understand this class is meant to teach college students the ways of elementary education, but she interacted with them like she would with the little kids in her elementary classes. I can honestly say I have never seen this many college students and adults be treated like a group of four and five year olds. Don’t get me wrong, she is an extremely nice professor, but I just do not agree with her teaching style being so similar to how she would teach her elementary class. After witnessing this, I know that something I would do when speaking to an audience would be to NOT talk to them as if they were children. I would treat them with the respect they deserve as the adults they are.
Now throughout my academic career, I have seen and listened to numerous presentations; I’m pretty sure that will not be ending any time soon. From the presentations sat through, I can easily say that one type of verbal support that captures my interest is when the speaker uses descriptive words. If I do not know what the speaker is talking about, then I am not going to be very interested. By using descriptive words and taking the time to describe the little details in their topic, I can better understand where they are coming from and actually get into it. A type of speaker that can bore really fast is when they do not have any enthusiasm. If the speaker, the one who is trying to inform, persuade, or entertain me with a specific topic, is bored and disinterested, odds are I am going to become bored and disinterested. However, if the speaker is excited about what he is talking about, I will at least be more prone to pay attention in order to find out what is so great.
Along with the speaker being excited about the topic and giving plenty of details, the best verbal support that helps me understand the topic involves easy analogies and similarities. It definitely helps when the speaker compares the topic to other aspects of life. However, when the speaker is too wordy and speaks with long sentences, I find it a little confusing to follow along. Yes, I like details, but I also like a more simple speech rather than one filled with ‘big, eloquent words.’ Unlike a speech that contains a ridiculous amount of complex words, ones that hold rhetorical questions or just questions in general definitely leave a lasting impact on me. I love being left with a question that I can ponder for myself rather than just being given the answer all the time.
Since every speech that I hear will not leave a lasting impression on me, the presentations that I am most likely to forget easily are the ones that end abruptly. In short, the conclusion is very important. When it comes to knowing whether or not the source in a speech is credible or not just by listening is a little troublesome. You can’t really know for sure if the source reliable or not when you just hear it from the speaker. However, I would say that sometimes common sense can help with deciding if something is of good quality or not. Other than that, the only other way I can think of at the moment is judging if the speaker shares the information and source confidently or not.
After reflecting on these different verbal supports, I will focus on always keeping what the audience would like to hear in mind as I prepare a speech. In the end, if the audience is disinterested in the speech, you are pretty much just talking to a wall.

Blog #1

As of right now, the most embarrassing moment I can remember is from basketball season of my sophomore year in high school. We were well over half way through the game, playing against the Webster Tigers. A player on the opposing team was fouled while attempting to shoot the basketball. Since he missed the shot, he was given two free throw attempts rather than one if he had made the shot. However, I thought he DID make the shot he was fouled on, therefore giving him ONE free throw attempt. We proceeded to line up for the free throw attempts. Being completely sure that he had made the shot before, I got ready to rebound. The player attempted his first free throw, missed, and I grabbed the ball instantly and began to run down the court as fast as I could. About half way down the court I realized that none of the other players were following me. I stopped, looked back, and saw both my team and the opposing team laughing. They weren’t the only ones that were laughing either. I saw the people in the stands, the coaches, and even the referees were laughing. I was extremely embarrassed. If I could have, I would have bolted out of there. As I look back on it now, I just laugh about it. Obviously, at the time, I felt sheer embarrassment as I wondered “Why the hell did I do that?” Now, it’s just a funny moment to share with people as I look back at it.

Everyone experiences an embarrassing moment at some point in their life, and they will more than likely experience more after that. It’s basically a part of life. People just need to learn to laugh more and relax rather than take things so seriously. This idea could be used with people that have speech anxiety. Obviously just about everyone gets a little bit nervous about speaking in front of a crowd. We worry about if we will make a mistake, freeze up, throw up, or make a complete fool out of ourselves. Humans make mistakes. We just need to learn to laugh at them rather than dwell on the past. We just need to take a deep breath, relax, and get it over with.