Public Speaking, Tuesday, January 8, 2013

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"Hey there," Josh said, standing behind a rostrum at the front of the room. "I'm Josh Lyman. You may all be suitably impressed now."

Yeah, it never worked in Fandom, but a guy's gotta try, right?

"Before I returned in glory to Fandom High School to teach you fine students, I was the Chief of Staff to President Matt Santos," he continued, "and before that I was the deputy chief of Staff for President Josiah Bartlet, and before that, I worked for various House and Senate members on the Hill. And before that, I got degrees from Harvard and Yale."

Be impressed, dammit!

"And in all of those places the ability to be articulate in front of large groups was absolutely crucial," Josh added. "If you can't make your point in a way people'll remember, there's no point in you even being in the room. This class will teach you how to be remembered."

He reached onto the shelf on the rostrum and pulled out a bullhorn, then tossed it to the nearest student. "And the first part of being remembered is making a good first impression. You each have fifteen seconds to get me to remember your name. Go."

Comments

Sign in [1/8]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Being impressive.

Re: Sign in [1/8]

[hasadestiny]

Lex Luthor

Introductions [1/8]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

You have a bullhorn and fifteen seconds. Make an impression!

Seriously, this is the only way Josh will learn your names. If you can't get him to remember you, you're doomed to being called Skippy the rest of the semester.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[hasadestiny]

Lex, who happened to be wearing a suit and tie today for no reason whatsoever, really, cleared his throat before speaking into the bullhorn. "Lex Luthor, senior, and a member of your student council, so remember, I'm always here for you."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[glacial_queen]

After a few minutes of thought, Karla took the bullhorn. She had to use just the right words, because fifteen seconds wasn't long and just speeding through everything to make the case she wanted wouldn't make a good impression.

"I'm Karla," she announced. "I'm in this class because when I graduate in the spring, I'll be initiating a civil war in my homeland. I figure if you're going to ask people to fight and die on your behalf, you should at least be able to sound damn good when you do it."

Done! With four seconds to spare because I'm crazy and timed it!

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie took the bullhorn, but she didn't use it. She didn't think being loud was the best way to be heard and remembered.

"I'm Natalie Adams," she stated. "And I'm your TA, and if you don't learn my name, I won't bring you your coffee."

She was, in fact, not even joking.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[lockestheway]

Peter took the bullhorn and spoke without hesitation. "Peter Wiggin. Political consultant for the Republic of Haiti."

Then he put it down. Did he really need anything else? He was already doing the suit and tie thing because he always did.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

Well, guess what, Maddie was just going to absolutely fail at this.

"Hi. Um." She had no idea what to say about herself here, especially when people here were talking about wars and Haiti and all the stuff that was impressive about her was stuff she a) quit, and b) was trying to put off telling people for the moment. "I'm Maddie Berry, and I'm a junior, and..."

And then there was a nervous wasting of fifteen seconds before finally lifting the bullhorn and saying, "Thanks," as a last ditch effort at doing something that wasn't just standing there.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"Ulrik of Denmark, senior, and one day I shall be Emperor of the United States," he paused here, deliberately, "...of Europe."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Jessica Drew, junior. You've already called me out as needing your class on radio and, fortunately, I had already signed up, although I do think the criticism was based on a lack of specific information since I actually had some solid - if weird - conversations that night. Finally, I wanted to use my full fifteen sec..." She paused for about a second and a half. Because while she'd said plenty, she spoke quickly enough to have a very small amount of time to spare. "...onds."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[abitlowkey]

"I am Loki of Asgard," he said brightly. "Also upon your council of students. I have, in a former life, accomplished a number of great and awesome things."

For the more biblical definition of the word 'awesome', that is.

"If you do not remember me... Well then. It would be a shame for you and an advantage for me."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[arsenicmauls]

Sorry, Josh, but Gert being Gert, she just couldn't bring herself to compete to impress some adult who thought he was better than everyone. It was a thing.

She crossed her arms over her chest, well aware that she had a trump card -- hi, she had a genetically-engineered pet dinosaur who could read her mind a little. That tended to be pretty memorable -- but not about to use it.

"I'm Gert, and I want to know why we're competing to get you to do your job as a teacher," she said when it came to her turn.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[liarallmyown.livejournal.com]

"I'm Jace Wayland, I'm a junior," he said. "And I have the superpower of finding the greasy spoon with the best pancakes in whatever city I step into."

That wasn't so much a superpower so much as Jace needing to eat at every grungy diner he came across.

"So I'd be pretty useful on field trips."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[taseredagod.livejournal.com]

"I'm Darcy Lewis, a Senior, and I once tasered Thor, the god of thunder." She may have been smirking after that one.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[dirtiest-skank.livejournal.com]

Olive had to think fast on this -- and the thing was, it wasn't like she did poorly in front of a crowd to begin with, so this should be easy, right?

"Olive Penderghast, and I'm a senior," she said, into the bullhorn, wincing a little because she'd picked up a little interference. "I was expelled from my last school for crashing a pep rally with a burlesque dance number and creating a fake persona for myself over the course of six weeks, and I'm still making a bid for three of the top colleges in California. Wish me l-- wish me miracles."

And then she set the bullhorn down and shrugged, having come in right under her fifteen-second mark. She was pretty memorable back in Ojai. Might as well try to make the same thing work here.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[wasthecuteone]

He wanted memorable? Okay, Petra could do memorable.

"I'm Petra West, senior, and I'm a transgender former boy band member, beauty queen, and plane crash survivor from the great state of Rhode Island. Not to mention, your student council president. Remember, that's Petra West."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[holy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Lucrezia stood up, eyeing the bullhorn with some distaste. It made one's voice sound odd. But she lifted it to her mouth all the same.

"My name is Lucrezia Borgia. My father is Alexander Sextus, His Holiness the Pope of Rome. I have had my portrait painted by Pinturicchio, and I am to be married to a prince this spring."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[notalender]

Hopefully someone nicely set the bullhorn down on Arietty's desk, rather than threw it. There was absolutely no way she'd be able to catch it.

It would probably serve to get her heard a bit better than her own little paper megaphone, at least.

Arietty jumped once and waved, to make sure folks could tell where she was, then shouted into the bullhorn. "I'm Arietty Clock!" she said. "I rode to class today on the back of a pet rat."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[beautifulsenshi.livejournal.com]

"HAI! I'm Minako, your friendly neighborhood foreign exchange student and sophomore Homecoming Queen! Don't let the blonde hair fool you, I'm from Japan, and hereby challenge you to a karaoke sing-off!" Minako cheered, pointing her finger at her classmates. "Yes, all of you."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[selfhelphero]

Oh boy. Billy didn't like being under pressure, and having to talk into a bullhorn wasn't exactly his idea of a great way to start class. "Um. I'm Billy Kaplan and I'm a junior and I'm a witch, not like Barry Plodder but like an actual one and I can shoot lightning too and I'm gay which is also kind of a big deal to me." He paused for a moment, realizing he still had a few seconds. "Um, thanks."

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

Hanna took the bullhorn when it was her turn, and started to speak clearly. "I'm Hanna Marin, senior. That's Hanna without an H at the end. I am not a palindrome."

She was impressed with herself for remembering that word.

Re: Introductions [1/8]

[myownface]

Sparkle considered using the bullhorn, gave it some real, actual thought, and then shrugged, put it down, and went for his staple, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sparkler.

Because pyrotechnics were memorable, that's why, and he always made a point to carry them with him.

"So, I was named for one of these things," he said, lighting it up and letting it burn. "Sparkle. I'm not going to start any wars or become president - hell, I'm Canadian, I don't think I'll ever be Prime Minister, either - but at least I have a built-in excuse to play with fireworks. Sparkle."

Press Secretary of the Day: Lex Luthor [1/8]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"Because I am a cruel and capricious man and you are not always going to have weeks to prepare for a public speaking engagement, we are going to have a weekly extemporaneous Q&A opportunity," Josh explained. He glanced down at his list of students. "Lex Luthor, come on up. You're our very first press secretary. Your job is to answer the questions your fellow students throw at you. Students--your job is to trip him up. Remember, the goal here is not necessarily to be factual--it's to look like you know what you're talking about."

Josh had been in politics a little too long.

For the Press Secretary!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

You lucky, lucky man.

Talk to Josh!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

If you can get a word in edgewise.

OOC

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

The mighty RNG has spoken. Sorry, Lex. As the semester goes on, each student (or pair of students, since there's more of you than there are weeks) will get called up to get to answer questions! Mwahaha.