I think that the videos to accompany chapter 9 did a good job of reinforcing the importance of the introduction and the conclusion of a speech to me. While every part of a speech is important and should be given ample attention, the introduction and conclusion carry particular weight. The introduction is important because if you do not get the audience's attention and interest to start things off they are unlikely to pay close attention to and absorb the information that you relay to them throughout the body of your speech. I think that this idea within the context of our class which emphasises extemporaneous speech made me realize how important it is to have a tight, well rehearsed introduction. It also makes sense to me why we are required to write out our introduction and conclusion, while we only outline the body of the speech. The conclusion bears special importance because it is the final impression that you leave your audience with and it can effect the way that they remember the speech as a whole.
In the videos for chapter 13 where they had examples of infromative speeches I found some helpful insights to be gleened by viewing the videos. Evan made good use of his power point slide, even though there was only one of them. He did not just put it up on the screen, but directly referenced it and pulled the attention of the audience toward his slide at multiple points during the speech. Janine's finale to her speech was good because it was concise, interesting because of good use of a prop, and provided obvious closure. The third of the speeches was alright, but I felt was for the most part lackluster and reminded me of the importance of knowing your speech topic well and maintaining a good level of energy throughout your speech.
"Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers only." -Glengarry Glen Ross
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