I'm taking Public Speaking this semester...

And since my blog is basically my real voice, I would like to rehearse my speech here, and go off of what comes out of my brain on my blog, modify it to grade-able material, and then present it.  I have two speeches in work, because there were too many people in the class for us all to go on Thursday, so I was booted to Tuesday.

The first speech is an introduction- ice breaker type thing, answering these questions.  I'll throw it on here, maybe you'll learn something:
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Name:  Jennifer Rebecca Wallace.  Though I prefer “Jenny” because Jennifer is my- “oh man I’m in so much trouble”-full-name that my mother uses.

Residence: Torrington CT, but I currently live as an RA in Lane Hall.

Phone: --------------You guys aren't gonna get that part. Sorry.

Major/program of study: Double major of Animal Care/Criminal Justice

Degree pursuing: I will graduate with my Associates this year, and my Bachelor’s next year.  I may go on to Law School to practice in Animal Advocacy.

Vocation or profession:  All of the jobs I have held have encompassed some form of Animal Care.

Family highlights: I look exactly like my mom, Act exactly like my dad, and Do nothing like my favorite sister.  I have 3 siblings, 2 sisters and 1 brother.  My little brother is homeschooled while my sister Katie is in her sophomore year of high school.  My sister Michelle is pursuing a degree in Music Education with a concentration of Bassoon Studies.

Hobbies: Reading, Singing, Drawing and Painting.

Activities: I am Co-President of the Animal Health Club.  I am also an RA on Campus.  My other occupation on campus is Student Training, and I’ve been assigned to train all four beagles this semester.

Community activities: I’ve volunteered at an animal shelter for literally half my life.  My family and I specialize in fostering whole puppy litters and also dogs that may have psychological and behavioral issues.

Favorite sports: To play: kickball, To Watch: baseball, Who to Watch: The Yankees!

TV likes and dislikes: I love Criminal Minds, but my favorite show is the X-Files.  I cannot stand the Jersey Shore; I won’t watch it. I also never got into Keeping up with the Kardashians or anything of the like.  My two favorite genres of TV are Crime Drama’s and Wedding Shows. 

Reading interests:  I love Stephen King and the Harry Potter series.  I don’t like the actual Twilight books (though I did read them- I had to find out what was going on) but I do love the fanfiction.

Interests: I’m very interested in Animal Advocacy, Humane Law Enforcement, Law, Art, and Music.

Bad Habits:  I have a horrible temper.  I sometimes jump to conclusions.  I am very glass-half-empty.  I like to complain.  I also can’t take criticism well.  Though these are more characteristics, since they are annoying to others and I cannot seem to shake them, I would also call them bad habits.

Good Habits:  I’m very conscientious with my studies.  I’m very prompt.  I manage my procrastination well.  I am quick to ask for help but also quick to help.

Talents: I can play the French Horn, and I used to be able to play the Double Bass (it would take some practice to get back into the groove).  I draw animal portraits, and most say that they are quite good.  I was a first soprano in the Advanced choir in high school, so I can sing, but only in a choral style.

Convictions:

I personally believe an education is one of the most important things a person can have in life.  I treat my education with the utmost respect and I do not accept anything but the best from myself. 

I am currently in a 4+ year relationship.  I believe that the only person you should be with should be someone that brings out the best of you.  In return you should give them your love, respect, encouragement, and of course, fidelity.

I have not always gotten along with my siblings, but if anyone else bullies or harasses them I will defend them to the ends of the earth and back.

I will always strive for a world that is just and right, even when a fair and right world is not possible.  If I were to stop striving, I would be giving up on my ideals.  To quote my mom "Life isn't Fair" I would like it to be, and giving up is condoning the evils around me.

Concerns:

I worry that I may not be able to achieve my goals, despite my best efforts in the academic and extracurricular spectrum.

I don’t know if Law School is right for me, or if I can even afford it.

I worry that when people see me as an introvert, I come across as aloof and hurtful.

On top of worrying for my own goals, I worry for my boyfriend’s, sister’s, mother’s, brother’s and father’s goals as well.  I only want the best for them and I feel horrible disappointment along with them when an opportunity is taken away.

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So that's the introductory thing.  It's a little off the wing, and I wont be reading from the sheet.  We had to hand something in so that's what the teacher is getting.

So I have another one, that I haven't even started.  It's called the "Name Exercise" and it has to be a three-minute speech describing how to remember my name.

So for everyone reading, these are my general thoughts about my name through the years.

My full name is Jennifer Rebecca Wallace.  My dad insisted on "Jennifer" instead of my preferred "Jenny" just in case I wanted to stop going by "Jenny" as an adult.  He was wrong.  

My name wasn't meant to be Jenny.  It was going to be Kelly.  Which for the longest time disgusted me, because I could only think of the Kelly from the barbie series, the toddler.  Eww.

This was literally all I could picture.  I couldn't get over the
fact my mom almost named me after a Barbie Doll.

Right off the bat, that tells you something about me. I played with dinosaurs as a kid, I didn't want to deal with the Barbie image.  I listened to Green Day and The Presidents of the U.S.A, not the spice girls. Thinking about being a Kelly was distressing to my young self.

I ended up as a Jenny on a whim.  I didn't give my mom an easy labor, and I'm told after that ordeal my dad didn't dare argue about the "agreed upon" name.  Apparently, I am named after a woman at a nursing home my mom worked at that had a particularly quick wit and humorous outlook.

Living with the name Jenny has it's downfalls.  It's a particularly prevalent name in the music industry.  There wasn't a day in Elementary School where someone didn't suddenly, with a stroke of perceived originality, call me "Jenny from the Block".  The song in question:

Ugh.  Now remember, I rocked out to "Brain Stew" as a kid.  I had no interest in being "Jenny from the Block".

Now, I started to grow up a little.  I didn't think that this whole song thing would persist.  I was wrong.

Eight Six Seven Five Three- Oh- Nine-eeee-Nine.


Oh dear god. Not again.

No, that's not my number, and NO you can't have my actual one.  Yes, I have actually had that line used on me before- multiple times. I take great issue with this:

1. Who, as a 90's kid, listened to Tommy Tutone?  NOBODY.  It was the infernal radio station that our parents listened to, exposing the song to the creeps.
2. I should be flattered, but the fact that it became repetitive and just downright annoying got to me.  Just ask for my number without all the theatrics!  I will still probably say no.

Apart from the songs, I only take 1 more major issue with my name.  And that is using the letter "J" in name games.

Take for example, during RA training.

"Everyone, say your name, and then a favorite food with the same first letter!"

Oh god---not again.

So if you're Sally, you can be Sally Strawberries.  Here are my options:
(as pulled from Answers.com, these are the foods that begin with J- my reactions are in italic)

Foods that begin with the letter J:

• Jackfruit (tropical fruit)-  I live in CT, where was I gonna learn about tropical Jackfruit
• Jaffa Cakes- What the hell is Jaffa?
• Jaffa orange- WHAT THE HELL IS JAFFA?
• Jalapeno peppers-Whoever lists jalepeno's as their favorite food is a masochist
• Jalebi (Indian fried sweet)-Uhm, what?
• Jam- This is the easy way out, but I don't LIKE jam.
• Jambalaya-No
• Jameed (Jordanian cheese/yogurt)-Who came up with this list?
• Java coffee-I hate coffee
• Jawbreakers-I prefer my jaw intact, thanks. 
• Jellied eels- ARE YOU EVEN SEEING THIS?
• Jelly (or jam) doughnuts- I hate jelly doughnuts, the jelly is a hiding assassin out to kill my idea of the perfect doughnut.
• Jellybeans- Hated them ever since I had braces
• Jellyfish- Who on earth thinks I'm going to eat a friggen' jellyfish?
• Jerusalem artichoke- How is this different from a regular artichoke?
• Jibneh Arabieh cheese- I only like cheese when I can properly pronounce its name.
• Jike (a Chinese dish)- I think the writers were reaching-JUST A LITTLE BIT
• Jubes- Uhm, what?
• Juice- This is legitimately the truth, I don't like fruit juice, most of it upsets my stomach.
• Juniper Berry Oil (flavoring agent)-Who the hell picks a "flavoring agent" as their favorite food?

Other than that, being a Jenny isn't too bad.  It means "White Wave" in some language or another and I can't really think of anything wrong with that. Woo, waves.  It is a derivative of Guinevere, of the King Arthur Tales.  That's pretty cool.  

So remember:

My name is Jenny.

I don't like Jennifer, that's the name my mom uses when I'm in trouble, as in 

"JENNIFER REBECCA GET YOUR BUTT UP THE STAIRS"

The only one allowed to call me Jennifer is my art teacher from high school, because even though I told him over and over and over that I prefer Jenny, he honestly could never remember.  Therefore, to my art teacher, I'm Jennifer.

I don't like Jenna, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY NAME. Just don't do it.

Like I said, Jenna is not my name. I like Jenny, so that's what you can call me.  

(Note: obviously, I'm not going to read this verbatim in my Public Speaking class.  I will edit.  This is just a thoughtdump to get going on what I think about my name. Enjoy)