I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degree

flyboywbl

flyboywbl

3rd regional in 1 year
Well i said yes but I have no idea what to talk about. Public speaking is not really my thing but i figure it's not every day you get asked to give a speech. I had to give one once for 10 minutes in-front of 900 people senior year in high school and i almost puked before hand.

I think it's gonna be terrible but i have not started writing yet.

As i am an avid hockey player this quote needs to make it in somewhere, :D

"You miss %100 of the shots you don't take."
-The Great one, #99, Wayne Gretzky


just kidding. But seriously graduation is May 9th and i have no clue what i'm going to talk about.

any ideas? funny, serious, stupid, lame, I'm all ears.

-Matt
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Graduation speeches are notoriously forgettable. Don't worry about what you say because no matter how fantastic or terrible it is, everyone will have forgotten what you said three months in the future.

As far as what to say, my only advice is to somehow work in the line, "I just want to tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you."

Come to think of it, working in as many Airplane movie quotes as possible would be amusing...at least to me.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080339/quotes
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

i'd say start out with something whitty/funny just to grab their attention.

after that, it's all mostly sentimental bs for the graduates and not necessarily anyone else.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

When I graduated from Ohio State, the only place big enough to hold spring commencement was the football stadium. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain on graduation day. The podium for the speaker had a roof, but all the grads were sitting out in the open. The guy couldn't take a hint and just went on and on with his speech like it was cool. It was actually raining so hard we couldn't hear a word he was saying. After a while, it was just comical how clueless the guy was.

My advice is to be witty and be brief. Remember that you're not being paid by the word. One of the greatest speeches ever given was so short hardly a picture was taken. (The Gettysburg Address)
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

I give speeches all the time (and without a teleprompter).

  1. Don't focus on how many people you are speaking to. Think of only speaking to a small number of people that are you good friends.
  2. Don't be guarded. Be open and share the idea or feeling that you want to convey. This openness, or seeming openness will make you feel you are talking to friends, and make the audience feel like they are listening to a friend.
  3. Don't practice to much. In fact, don't even prepare a real speech. I usually prepare an outline of bullet-points that I want to hit and vary my remarks based upon the crowd. (I give lots of speeches though, so I know what I am going to say - perhaps you should prepare a little more than that).
  4. Before preparing your outline, think of the "big picture" issues that you want to convey. Why is the school asking you to speak? What ideas do they want you to communicate? What ideas do you want to communicate?
  5. Length of the speech and large words will not a great speech make. Obama can talk at length, but none of his speeches are yet considered "great". Abraham Lincoln, who gave short speeches, have two that are considered amongst the greatest oratory ever given...and both speeches are so short they are engraved on walls inside his monument. People have short attention spans. Make concise, powerful points and then move on.
  6. If you can make them laugh - awesome. If you can make them cry - awesome as well. If you can make them laugh and cry in the same speech, you own them and will be remembered for a long time.
  7. Read some great speeches before you prepare yours. Common sense here, but many don't. When reading the speech, think of what makes it a good speech. Why is it remembered? What does the person do well?
  8. Find your own style. Don't try to be Obama/MLK/JFK in your speech - be yourself.
  9. Have fun and enjoy it. Giving speeches, particularly when you do it well is a huge ego gratification thing. Nothing better than when speech groupies throw their panties onstage ala a Tom Jones concert, or when people single you out after the speech to tell you that you are the greatest thing since aerosol cheese. Enjoy!
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

flyboywbl said:
Well i said yes but I have no idea what to talk about. Public speaking is not really my thing but i figure it's not every day you get asked to give a speech. I had to give one once for 10 minutes in-front of 900 people senior year in high school and i almost puked before hand.

I think it's gonna be terrible but i have not started writing yet.

As i am an avid hockey player this quote needs to make it in somewhere, :D

"You miss %100 of the shots you don't take."
-The Great one, #99, Wayne Gretzky


just kidding. But seriously graduation is May 9th and i have no clue what i'm going to talk about.

any ideas? funny, serious, stupid, lame, I'm all ears.

-Matt
Click to expand...

:buck:

inspire-futility.jpg
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

WacoFan said:
I give speeches all the time (and without a teleprompter).

  1. Don't focus on how many people you are speaking to. Think of only speaking to a small number of people that are you good friends.
  2. Don't be guarded. Be open and share the idea or feeling that you want to convey. This openness, or seeming openness will make you feel you are talking to friends, and make the audience feel like they are listening to a friend.
  3. Don't practice to much. In fact, don't even prepare a real speech. I usually prepare an outline of bullet-points that I want to hit and vary my remarks based upon the crowd. (I give lots of speeches though, so I know what I am going to say - perhaps you should prepare a little more than that).
  4. Before preparing your outline, think of the "big picture" issues that you want to convey. Why is the school asking you to speak? What ideas do they want you to communicate? What ideas do you want to communicate?
  5. Length of the speech and large words will not a great speech make. Obama can talk at length, but none of his speeches are yet considered "great". Abraham Lincoln, who gave short speeches, have two that are considered amongst the greatest oratory ever given...and both speeches are so short they are engraved on walls inside his monument. People have short attention spans. Make concise, powerful points and then move on.
  6. If you can make them laugh - awesome. If you can make them cry - awesome as well. If you can make them laugh and cry in the same speech, you own them and will be remembered for a long time.
  7. Read some great speeches before you prepare yours. Common sense here, but many don't. When reading the speech, think of what makes it a good speech. Why is it remembered? What does the person do well?
  8. Find your own style. Don't try to be Obama/MLK/JFK in your speech - be yourself.
  9. Have fun and enjoy it. Giving speeches, particularly when you do it well is a huge ego gratification thing. Nothing better than when speech groupies throw their panties onstage ala a Tom Jones concert, or when people single you out after the speech to tell you that you are the greatest thing since aerosol cheese. Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Nice - way to slip in the partisan jabs anywhere you can :panic:
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

" First... I'd like to thank the Academy... "



Just kidding... I second the witty idea and throw in some stuff about making sure everyday they do something that ultimately gets them one step closer to whatever dreams they're chasing no matter how far away it may seem..

and so on and so forth...
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Murdoughnut said:
Nice - way to slip in the partisan jabs anywhere you can :panic:
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing partisan at all about that Murdoughnut. Simply pointing out that length and polysyllabic words do not make a great speech. I guess the teleprompter jab could be considered "partisan", but really...are dems so humorless and brittle that they cannot take a friendly poke?
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

WacoFan said:
Absolutely nothing partisan at all about that Murdoughnut. Simply pointing out that length and polysyllabic words do not make a great speech. I guess the teleprompter jab could be considered "partisan", but really...are dems so humorless and brittle that they cannot take a friendly poke?
Click to expand...

Ok, whatever - I just find it a hoot that some people are so wired about politics that they have to slip it in whenever they can. Seems that every family has an uncle that's like that - that you eventually stop inviting to family events.

I could never imagine giving it to my wife and shouting, "You know ... if Obama has his way, this will be even less satisfying in the future"
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

flyboywbl said:
Well i said yes but I have no idea what to talk about. Public speaking is not really my thing but i figure it's not every day you get asked to give a speech. I had to give one once for 10 minutes in-front of 900 people senior year in high school and i almost puked before hand.

I think it's gonna be terrible but i have not started writing yet.

As i am an avid hockey player this quote needs to make it in somewhere, :D

"You miss %100 of the shots you don't take."
-The Great one, #99, Wayne Gretzky


just kidding. But seriously graduation is May 9th and i have no clue what i'm going to talk about.

any ideas? funny, serious, stupid, lame, I'm all ears.

-Matt
Click to expand...


First off, congrats for being asked to be the speaker! :nana2: Secondly, public speaking is a daunting prospect. I don't care who you are, it only gets easier the more you do it. I took a Public Speaking class in college but hardly ever used it after that. The idea of speaking with people eyeballing me used to be enough to make me nervous as hell. When I first became a FA, I ALWAYS worked the "B" position just to avoid being "front and center." Then, I gained some confidence and experience and before I knew it--it was a breeze. ;)
Practice speaking out loud either alone in front of a mirror or in front of some friends or relatives. Be conscious of your posture, hand gestures, etc. Ask people for some honest feedback and keep practicing!
As for what you actually say, try to make it both humorous and touching as Waco said. People can always tell when something is made up or if it comes from the heart.
Good luck and let us know how it goes! :)
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Murdoughnut said:
Ok, whatever - I just find it a hoot that some people are so wired about politics that they have to slip it in whenever they can. Seems that every family has an uncle that's like that - that you eventually stop inviting to family events.

I could never imagine giving it to my wife and shouting, "You know ... if Obama has his way, this will be even less satisfying in the future"
Click to expand...

I was speaking as to speeches and speaking ability. The conventional wisdom of the last two years is that Obama is a great speaker. I took issue with that, not because he is a liberal but because he is long on stage craft and delivery but lite on content. I cite two others who truly are great speakers - JFK and MLK...both democrats.

Don't understand the comment about giving it to your wife or how it fits into anything I was trying to convey.

You know, every family has a prickly, sensitive aunt that takes issue and offense at everything said, regardless of the point, and eventually quits getting invited to events.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Copy the speech from the movie girl next door. Make sure your lemon is worth the squeeze.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

WacoFan said:
You know, every family has a prickly, sensitive aunt that takes issue and offense at everything said, regardless of the point, and eventually quits getting invited to events.
Click to expand...

I'm not offended - I just find it funny. You couldn't offend me if you pissed in my coffee. I'm too even tempered - but I guess that's why I don't get involved in political bickering.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Murdoughnut said:
I'm not offended - I just find it funny. You couldn't offend me if you pissed in my coffee. I'm too even tempered - but I guess that's why I don't get involved in political bickering.
Click to expand...

I was simply trying to help the guy. I simply do not believe that Obama is a "great" speaker on par with Lincoln, JFK, MLK, or others. Nothing partisan, just my opinion. Too many people haven't heard a good speech in so long that I think they don't know what one is.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Good luck Flyboy. I'm sure you'll do great & if not, don't worry, most won't remember it if you screw up.
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Murdoughnut said:
Nice - way to slip in the partisan jabs anywhere you can :panic:
Click to expand...

Partisan jabs? I missed it. OK, treat it like Comedy Central and go with Bill Cosby or Jay Leno.

. . .not Kat Williams or George Carlin.

. . .then again. :D
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

Give the WHOLE thing in pig latin and see if anyone has the balls to pull the plug....
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

You should probably open with "Tell me Joey, have you ever seen a grown man naked."
 
Re: I got asked to speak at graduation for my aviation degre

In this economy your speech is easy:

"Get out of aviation. Get a medical degree. Buy a plane. Fly for fun."
 
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