>> Hello again, class.
Today we're going to go over special occasion speeches.
And, this is a speech that you're most likely to do in your personal life because it's going
to be -- well, you'll see what they are.
But, you've probably already done one in class.
So, let's take a look at the different types
of special occasion speeches you can be called on to do.
So, the first one is a speech of introduction, which you've probably already done in class
at one point -- introducing a classmate, or introducing yourself.
Speech of presentation -- presenting an award to someone.
Accepting an award -- the other side to that.
Commemoration, or commemorating an event or a person there.
And, then, after-dinner speech.
Now, depending on which version of the textbook you have,
you might not have after-dinner speech in there.
But, I'll go over it because it is something that happens.
And, it's also a competitive event for forensics.
Okay. Speech of introduction.
This is a speech introducing the main speaker to an audience.
So, if you've got a main speaker or someone you're paying,
that person needs to be introduced.
Or, even if it's a work function, where the district manager or the boss is going
to be speaking, probably someone is going to introduce them, at least briefly.
So, when you're doing a speech of introduction, some of the things
to keep in mind -- it needs to be brief.
The audience isn't there to hear you.
They're there to hear the main speaker.
So, really, 30 seconds to 2 minutes would be
about the most you're going to do a speech of introduction.
Needs to be accurate.
You're there to help establish credibility for the person that's speaking.
So, you need to be accurate.
If you mislead the audience or say something that's wrong, the first thing that they need
to do when they get up there is correct you.
And, that really erodes their credibility.
So, be accurate.
Adapt to the occasion, the speaker, and the audience.
Now, you might be a funny person, or a casual person.
But, if it's a serious speaker, or serious occasion, or a serious audience,
you need to take it seriously and be serious with it.
So, adapt to that.
So, if you're introducing your boss,
and it's a quarterly manager's meeting -- yeah, you want to be serious.
Now, if you're introducing your boss, and it's a, you know, company softball game,
that's a little bit of a different thing.
So, the occasion changes.
Build a sense of anticipation.
We have been trained to clap when we hear the person's name.
So, build that sense of anticipation.
Don't say their name until you're done -- until the very end.
Now, if you make a mistake, and you say their name, and the audience claps,
just start clapping with them, and hopefully that person's ready to come out.
If they're not, you need to own it.
You know what?
I needed to say a few more things.
So -- and then go into it.
Don't blame the -- hey, I don't know why they're not here yet.
They -- no.
That's -- you don't want to do that.
Okay. So, build that sense of anticipation.
Okay. Speech of presentation.
If presenting a gift, award, or some form of recognition.
So, with a speech of presentation, some very simple things that you need to do.
And, you need to do these things.
They can be brief, or they can be long.
Depends on how well known the presentation is.
So, if you're giving, let's say, Employee of the Month, people know what that is.
They, you know -- it's not real complicated.
It could be short.
But, if it's, you know -- Best Engineer Working Third Shift This Season --
yeah, you want to explain that a little bit more.
Point out the achievements that were needed to get the award.
So, what do they need -- what were the criteria to get the award?
And, then point out the achievements of the winner.
What did they do to meet or exceed that -- those criteria?
So, speeches of presentation -- we think of things like the Oscars.
So, what do they need?
Well, they did a movie.
They were lead actor, or supporting actor, or actor, or whatever.
Point out what they did -- this is what they did in the movie.
And, then, praise the competitors.
Now, when you're presenting an award -- yeah, you're presenting the award to that one person.
But, you want everyone who didn't win to feel good, as well.
Or, even people that weren't nominated to feel good.
So, praise the competitors.
And, this is where you say things like, oh, it was a really tough decision this year.
It really could have gone to anyone.
But, the person that won, which just slightly -- no.
You know that's not true.
You know the person that won, won by a lot.
But, praise the competitors to keep everyone motivated.
Okay. Acceptance speech.
Giving thanks or gift -- for a gift, award, or some form of recognition.
Now, when you're accepting a speech --
very basic things that you need to do -- and again, you need to do them.
Don't forget to do these.
And, don't do anything that's not listed here.
First thing you want to do is thank the people bestowing the award.
Someone took the time to come up with an award that costs them something.
It cost them money, it cost them time, it cost them effort.
So, thank them for their time, their, money, or their effort.
So, thank the people that are bestowing the award.
I'd like to thank the academy, or I'd to thank management.
Whoever is hosting this or sponsoring this -- thank them.
Acknowledge the people who helped you win the award.
This -- these are all the people -- your coworkers, the other people that worked with you
on the project -- whoever that is.
Acknowledge those people who helped you win the award.
If you want to acknowledge God, thank God.
This is the time to do it.
Acknowledge the -- anyone who you feel helped win you that award.
And then, finally, acknowledge the competitors.
You want to be gracious in winning.
So, acknowledge the other people that were up for this award.
Or, acknowledge people that you think could also have won the award.
Now, sometimes you know you should have won the award.
And, you were really the only choice for it.
But, again, be gracious.
Acknowledge those competitors.
So, you know -- I want to thank the academy and everyone who voted for me.
I want to thank everyone who worked with me on this film.
I want to thank everyone else who was nominated -- you are all fantastic.
Any one of us could have won.
Thank you very much for the Oscar.
And, walk away.
You're done.
It's 20 seconds at the most -- 30 seconds.
And, if we watch the Oscars, you can see --
or go to YouTube, you can see some really bad acceptance speeches that drone on for minutes
and minutes, and go off on tangents.
So, don't do that.
Okay. We'll see here an acceptance speech.
This is a little bit longer.
This is Nelson Mandela receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
So, it's a pretty big award.
And, he's going to spend a little bit of time thanking everyone.
So, let's listen to this.
>> As one who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of unity, I am moved by the consensus
in your nation's regard for the achievements of my people.
And, I feel a great pride in the fact that with a few citizens of other countries
who have received this high honor, the name of an African is now added.
>> Okay. So, thanking the committee and other people.
Okay. Commemorative speech.
A speech paying tribute to a person, a group, an institution, an idea.
So, commemorative speech is there to inspire the audience.
To heighten appreciation.
This is where you're going to use emotional language.
And, you're going to get the audience either pumped up,
or to get them to feel a certain thing.
Adjust the content and delivery to fit that particular situation.
Use your language creatively.
And, commemorative speeches are going to be speeches, like wedding toasts, eulogies,
graduation, commencements -- those type of things.
So, we'll listen here -- this is not necessarily a specific eulogy.
But, this is the eulogy given by President Reagan.
We'll call it a eulogy.
President Reagan for the space shuttle, Challenger, disaster.
He was president at the time.
This is a national tragedy.
So, the president is addressing the nation.
>> There's a coincidence today.
On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer, Sir Francis Drake,
died aboard ship off the coast of Panama.
In his lifetime, the great frontiers were the oceans.
And, a historian later said, he lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.
Well, today, we can say of the Challenger crew, their dedication was like Drake's -- complete.
The crew of the space shuttle, Challenger,
honored us for the manner in which they lived their lives.
We will never forget them.
Nor the last time we saw them -- this morning,
as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye.
And, slipped this early bond of earth -- to touch the face of God.
>> Now, this is a commemorative speech.
It's not a news cast.
It's not just passing information.
So, he's going to use words like "slipped this early bond of earth to touch the face of God."
That's an emotional phrase there.
It's not just reporting the facts.
So, a commemorative speech, again --
they're to heighten appreciation or get the audience to experience an emotion.
Okay. And, that brings us to after-dinner speech.
This is a speech to entertain an audience, developed in England during the 1800's.
So, it's a little bit more than probably 130, 150 years old now.
Maybe given after breakfast, lunch, or in the evening.
And, I will say -- even though it was developed in England during the 1800's, this stuff's --
this kind of stuff's probably been going on for a long time.
It's lighter in tone than the other speeches.
So, it's humorous, but it's not a standup act.
So, think about humorous or entertaining anecdotes or stories.
So, if we think about things, like family get-togethers --
specifically, I'm thinking about Thanksgiving.
So, Thanksgiving, you actually have a couple of commemorative speeches.
You have a grace when everyone comes in to gather around the turkey, and they say grace.
Well, really, that is a commemorative speech.
And, that might be a well-prepared speech, depending on your family, and how much is put
in -- how much time is put into that.
That's a well-prepared commemorative speech.
And, if you've got one of those families that goes around the table.
And, everyone says what they're thankful for.
Well, now, that's an impromptu commemorative speech for everyone around the table.
Although, if you do it every year, it's not quite as impromptu.
But, with an after-dinner speech, again, it needs to be humorous.
Remember, people have just eaten.
You don't want to get them rolling on the floor, laughing, because then they're going
to get indigestion, and all that.
So. Okay. If this is something you really enjoy, look at forensics,
because this can be a competitive event.
Now, when you're doing your after-dinner speech, it could be -- it could be informative.
It can be persuasive.
But, it -- the key here is to add a level of humor to it.
And, the type of humor that winds up in after-dinner speeches a lot are puns.
So, I know -- you want to make sure that you're "punny" [phonetic].
Yeah. So. But, humorous, not a standup act.
Okay. So, let's listen to an example here of a commemorative speech --
it is not an after-dinner speech here.
This is commemorating a person.
>> A7713. His new name.
The graffiti stamped on his skin.
A7713. A concentration camp tattoo.
At age 15, A7713 was taken from his home by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz.
One of the twentieth centuries most potent symbols of evil.
Here, A7713 witnessed the deaths of thousands of human beings,
including his mother and younger sister.
Somehow, A7713 survived.
And, when World War II ended, he put his pain and grief to work.
Making sure the world did not forget the Holocaust.
And, making sure another Holocaust did not take place.
Today, the world knows A7713 as Elie Wiesel.
Noted speaker and lecturer.
Author of more than 40 books.
And, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal,
and the Nobel Peace Prize, among others.
Elie Wiesel is an eloquent, fearless, selfless leader.
Who took the evils of Auschwitz as motivation to improve the world.
An eloquent leader, Elie Wiesel uses the power of language
to confront the problems of humanity.
Through compelling pros and brutal honesty, he explains that we cannot root out evil,
unless we recognize it and battle it wherever it exists.
In his classis book, Night, he says of Auschwitz, never shall I forget that night.
That first night in camp.
Where my life turned in to one long night.
Seven times cursed and seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke.
Never shall I forget the little faces of the children whose bodies I saw turn into wreaths
of smoke beneath a silent, blue sky.
Haunting words that remind us of the reality of evil.
A fearless leader no less than an eloquent one,
Elie Wiesel has spent 40 years battling the evils that continue to plague our planet.
To the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua, displaced from their homeland,
he brought inspiring words of strength and compassion.
To men and women facing apartheid in South Africa, he brought a powerful denunciation
of racial segregation and violence.
To Cambodian refugees, suffering from starvation and disease, he brought food
and the promise of a new beginning.
And, to those of us who follow his work, he continues to provide inspiration.
A selfless leader as much as an eloquent and fearless one,
Elie Wiesel has consistently put the needs of others before his own.
With every award, his modesty stands side-by-side with his achievements.
As he stated in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech,
neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religious beliefs,
or political views, that place must, at that moment, become the center of the universe.
Today, at 80 years of age, Elie Wiesel continues to fight against the night.
Through all his trials and all his triumphs, the tattoo remains.
A7713. A constant reminder of evil, injustice, and indifference.
In battling these forces, Elie Wiesel has shown the kind
of moral leadership too often lacking in today's world.
There's no better way to conclude than to quote his own words.
There may be times, when we are powerless, to prevent injustice.
But, there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
What these victims need, above all, is to know that they are not alone.
That we are not forgetting them.
That, while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs.
Thank you.
[Applause]
>> Okay. Next time, we will look at speaking in small groups.
Well, at least, that's the next numeric chapter.
Thank you very much, and have a wonderful day.