Students in Rhetoric, Discourse, Speech, and Debate will explore and develop skills in presenting their passions using their unique voice. A portion of the course is devoted to the use of TED-Talks and current events as a vehicle for discussion on accessing these passions. Through these segments we will encounter a variety of voices whose stories intersect with a broad audience of diverse listeners. In addition, this class recognizes that thoughtful discourse is an extremely important tool for nearly every facet of one’s life going forward. Whether tasked with a group project in college or at work, in one’s relationships, or in the political sphere, the ability to communicate one’s ideas and perspective in a rational manner can have a profound impact on one’s life.  Artists rely heavily on articulating their points of view with confidence. One can imagine a scenario in each of the arts disciplines where effective communication skills are vital. Students will also explore a variety of techniques for effective communication as well as spend significant amounts of time discussing rhetoric, logic, discourse and debate.