Speech Games: Getting Over Public Speaking Anxiety

Southern Utah University student Ashton Weagle said that the Speech and Presentation Center changed his life after helping him find his passion in the communication field, and he hopes that it can do the same for other students. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 4-5 p.m. in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Living Room, SAPC will be hosting a Speech Games event to spread the word about the campus resource. 

“The entire purpose of the event is to have fun. We want to show people that they don’t have to be afraid of public speaking,” Weagle said. 

The goal of the event is to help students overcome the fear and anxiety of public speaking by allowing them to practice in a low pressure environment. SAPC has planned games to help students practice their public speaking.

“My personal favorite game is an impromptu speech activity,” Weagle said. “A slideshow will appear with 6-7 pictures on it, and a student will have to create a meaningful presentation without knowing what the pictures will be.”

After this activity, the staff at the center will crown a Speech Games winner. 

“You don’t have to be a good speaker, and you don’t have to present if you come,” Weagle said. “We categorize public speaking as something scary, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Weagle explained that he is working at SAPC because he loved the community in the center and was impressed with the help he received on his Ted Talks presentation during the appointment.

“I was so happy with the feedback I got. I changed my major because I came to the center,” Weagle said. “They helped me so much with my class and showed me just how amazing the field of communication is.”

In addition to helping students write and practice speeches, the center can help with questions on PowerPoint and design, as well as creating visual aids.

“We can help students prepare for job interviews,” Weagle said. “Sitting down with someone and going through the questions can really help people understand that it really is a conversation more than anything else.”

Meetings typically last thirty minutes but can last longer depending on the student’s preference. 

To make an appointment, students can stop by the new SAPC office, located on the second floor of the Braithwaite Building, or sign up online. 

“The Speech and Presentation Center has given me so many opportunities to become a better communicator,” Weagle said. “I think it’s really helped me prepare for my future. 

 

Story by: Elizabeth Armstrong
news@suunews.net