TuTh, 2:30 PM-3:45 PM, TE F256

Prerequisite: CMCL-C 121 Public Speaking
Fulfills College A&H Requirement

Instructor: Jeffrey St. Onge
E-Mail: jstonge@indiana.edu
Office: C2 216
Phone: 855-6405

“Speechwriting” is a concept that can refer to a large number of
practices. When considering this term, we might think of President
Obama’s team of individuals working full time to carefully craft and
perfect his message on a variety of topics. On the other end of the
spectrum, we might think of ourselves preparing for and giving a
presentation in class, at a business meeting, or somewhere else that
we might conceive as being outside of the political sphere. This
course will merge these notions, with the assumption that we are all
participants in the democratic process, and that speechwriting and
the skills and attitudes associated with it can improve our
abilities to communicate on a variety of issues that are important
to ourselves, our community, and the political process in general.

Taking the stance that rhetoric is at the center of the political
process, the majority of work for this class will focus on preparing
and delivering speeches on topics related to local politics. That
is, it will require engagement with local political issues
throughout the semester. Equally important, it will focus on the
significance of rhetoric in our everyday political lives, and the
many ways in which communication shapes our daily existence, and how
we can use a knowledge and application of rhetorical theory to
better that existence.  Ultimately, it seeks to blend the theory we
discuss with the practices of improving our everyday communication
skills and writing and delivering meaningful and effective speeches.
Put simply, a clear goal of the class is to equip you with skills
that make you a better communicator.

This will be a reading intensive course, and as such, attendance is
required and participation is a must. The typical day-to-day class
period will be a blend of lecture and discussion, and you are
expected to be engaged with the reading and willing to work through
it in class. There is no traditional textbook for this course, and
the material represents a range of topics (with varying degrees of
difficulty) on rhetoric and public culture. For example, we will be
reading Aristotle’s Rhetoric in its entirety during one block of the
semester and during another we will read a selection of news
articles and editorials about free speech in post 9/11 America.
Grades will be based on discussion, participation, a short paper,
and two multi-part speech assignments that will count as your
midterm and final grades. These speech assignments will include a
proposal, a draft, a final manuscript, and delivery of the speech
(as well as some other small components).