Demonstration Speech Self Evaluation

For my Life Science Communication 100 course I recently gave a demonstration speech on how to make a breakfast sandwich. Our speeches were recorded and sent to us for self-evaluation.

The first thing I noticed when I watched the recording of my speech was the time constraint, or lack thereof. I should have extended the information presented in the speech regarding the nutritional benefits of eating breakfast and the nutritional aspects of the specific breakfast sandwich created. The information presented was interesting, but it could have been expanded upon for a more interesting presentation. The introduction and conclusion fit well together, but I could have memorized these aspects of the speech more thoroughly.

The breakdown of the steps involved in creating a breakfast sandwich was well organized and presented in a logical fashion. They were in the proper order and were presented thoroughly. The visual aids were appropriate. Displaying the majority of the utensils required to make a breakfast sandwich was visually captivating. Also, having a fully cooked breakfast sandwich displayed allowed for the audience to see the final product and visualize what I was demonstrating.

The volume, energy, enthusiasm, and visibility were adequate. I was interested in the presentation. However, there was an excessive amount of hand gestures and a few awkward eye contact moments throughout the speech that could be fixed in the future. I could have been better prepared for the speech in these regards. My body language seemed uncertain in a process that I am very used to doing.

If I would have to do this again, I would consider choosing the same topic, but I would make obvious changes to the presentation and content. I would expand upon my information and make it more creative and attention grasping.

Response 2: Peter's Blog

I have recently read ‘Celebrity Endorsement’ on Peter’s Blog. He states that celebrity endorsements have great benefits for the companies that utilize them. He makes a valid point when he discusses the potential downfall of the companies with the products endorsed by the celebrities if the selected person(s) do something that is frowned upon.

Companies have found success with celebrity endorsements because of the reputations of the celebrities chosen. Peter explains why he believes Little Richard is “the most qualified person to tell someone what car insurance is right for them”. Being a comedian, he captures the attention of the audience of a wide range. Peter’s points are clear and convincing. From what he has informed me of, I am in agreement with Peter.

I believe that celebrity endorsements such as Little Richard with Geico are beneficial and effective. However, as depicted in the link Peter provided to us through his blog, as with Kobe Bryant and Nutella and McDonald’s, the endorsements are capable of going bad extremely fast.

Post 3: "Real" Food vs. "Fake" Food

Michael Pollan stresses the fact that Americans, among other groups of people associated with the “western” diet, have resorted to eating processed or ‘fake’ foods rather than continue to eat healthy, ‘real’, foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and meats. I have found that personally, I have also experienced this epic switch from natural to processed foods. Bread.

I grew up with the smell of fresh bread spreading through the house and waking all of the sleeping inhabitants. I always knew that I was consuming the healthiest of ingredients because my mother continually used ingredients she thought were adequate to our family’s diet. However, my brother and I continued to grow and life became livid with a faster pace and constant activities and jobs to tend to. Due to these things, along with many more, my mother began to resort to buying processed bread at the store.

In comparison to homemade bread, store bought bread lacks the fresh smell and healthy texture. The processed bread was baked to have a longer shelf life than that of fresh bread. Therefore, the product contains many preservatives and extra ingredients that are not found in fresh bread.

If I am able to after I graduate from college, I would like to return to baking fresh bread as opposed to buying bread from the store. This would cut costs, but at the same time, instate a time commitment. After reading ‘Processed Vs. Whole Foods’ by Debby Bolen, the health benefits from whole foods, or fresh bread in my case, are very apparent in contrast to processed foods.

”Most likely, it's processed food if it's wrapped in several layers of plastic, cardboard, and/or foil, and it didn't exist until after 1903 when the hydrogenation process was invented.” – Debby Bolen

Response 1: Brenna's Blog

I have recently read Brenna's Blog 'Post 2: "Real" food vs. "fake" food'. In this, she discusses the differences between eating an all-natural diet vs. a diet consisting of processed foods. Her example of Skippy peanut butter and the healthy version vs the natural version of the product and the cost, taste, and texture differences seemed to be very relevant to the arguments provided not only by herself but by Michael Pollan as well in his book, In Defense of Food. The link provided to www.diet-blog.com supplied various examples of processed and natural foods available for consumers to choose from.

I agree with both parties on this issue. I believe that the healthier options should be chosen, but as Brenna points out, the consumer has the ultimate choice in what they consume in the end.

“If people want to eat their low-fat foods, let them.”

I feel as if though Brenna looked at both sides of the argument and then formed her opinion based on her life experiences. This provided a strong opinion on her side of the topic, but she did not put many details into her post regarding the opposing side of the argument.

Post 2: "Beyond the Pleasure Principle"

As my stomach grumbles, I turn to Carissa and propose we create a meal of our own! We hop into the car and travel to the nearest store to gather our supplies, much similar to the ways of the hunter gatherers from whom we descended. After much debate and torturous deciding, due to the endless choices before us, we have settled upon a mixed lettuce salad with vegetables, baked chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes, and a blueberry cheesecake to finish our meal. After purchasing the various ingredients required for creating our meal we put it all together, serve, and enjoy!

By completing all of these things together, Carissa and I have thoroughly considered the nutritional value of our meal along with the social aspect. Michael Pollan suggests that the ‘Americanized’ diet, referring to highly processed foods and overall unhealthy choices, has consumed all of the American citizens. Taken as a whole, chapter one, section seven of Michael Pollan’s book In Defense of Food generalizes the entirety of the American population to elude to the fact that all of the food chosen for consumption is bad. By ‘chewing 100 times before swallowing’, all flavor is supposedly lost but the nutritional value is higher. If the American citizen chooses a meal that is nutritionally sound initially, these problems won’t arise.

"How a people eats is one of the most powerful ways they have to express, and preserve, their cultural identity, which is exactly what you don't want in a society dedicated to the ideal of "Americanization".

America is the melting pot where the entire whole world has influenced food intake and creations. Food of all cultures has blended together and traditions have remained strong throughout the ages. If America is the melting pot, the ‘ingredients’ for the cuisine must originate in another culture, first. Are said cultures and places of origin unhealthy and influencing America to lean toward that type of consumption culture? Does individual choice factor into this generalization at all?