When I began to consider the kind of artifact I'd use for my speech, my main goal was to chose something that is prevalent in our everyday lives. So, as I went about my day I analyzed every detail of where I was going and what I was doing.
Then, after a long day as I returned to my dorm room, I noticed the trash can full to the rim. I grudgingly got up and took it down the hall to dispose of. As I began to separate the plastics and paper, it hit me. All throughout campus, in almost every building and dining hall, there are areas in which you can recycle. An activity and commonplace that embodies civicness. And of course, is part of everyday life.
Now you might be asking yourself, in what ways other than being a part of everyday life might recycling be seen as civic?
There is no denying that recycling maintains both a civic infrastructure and can also create some shared enterprise. It creates a community in which all people from an area whether it be a school, workplace, or even just a neighborhood of people can come together and be sure to contribute proper disposal at the convenience of helping the environment.
In terms of civic infrastructure, not only are these bins set up all over a building or area, but it is collected by local waste management systems and sent off to local recycling centers. There, they go through the collection and categorize the material so it can be reused again. The system of recycling is not an easy one that requires many people working together whether it be in their communities or as part of the management team.
Although I did chose a topic that involved daily life, for my speech my talking points should address that recycling is a commonplace that promotes a sense of community for people as well as infrastructure that provides jobs and volunteer opportunities.
Then, after a long day as I returned to my dorm room, I noticed the trash can full to the rim. I grudgingly got up and took it down the hall to dispose of. As I began to separate the plastics and paper, it hit me. All throughout campus, in almost every building and dining hall, there are areas in which you can recycle. An activity and commonplace that embodies civicness. And of course, is part of everyday life.
Image provided by Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Now you might be asking yourself, in what ways other than being a part of everyday life might recycling be seen as civic?
There is no denying that recycling maintains both a civic infrastructure and can also create some shared enterprise. It creates a community in which all people from an area whether it be a school, workplace, or even just a neighborhood of people can come together and be sure to contribute proper disposal at the convenience of helping the environment.
In terms of civic infrastructure, not only are these bins set up all over a building or area, but it is collected by local waste management systems and sent off to local recycling centers. There, they go through the collection and categorize the material so it can be reused again. The system of recycling is not an easy one that requires many people working together whether it be in their communities or as part of the management team.
Although I did chose a topic that involved daily life, for my speech my talking points should address that recycling is a commonplace that promotes a sense of community for people as well as infrastructure that provides jobs and volunteer opportunities.
I like the idea of doing a civic blog on the concept of recycling as many people don't seem to realize just how important of a civic duty it is to recycle consistently. If people are doing there part to make the environment better, they are acting at a very high level of civic engagement.
ReplyDeleteYou must love recycling! There are many recycling aficionados around campus; some so much that they actually recycle for their friends too. I like your hook, it gives a different aspect to talk about the overused topic of recycling. As a friendly advice, I hope you could think of ways to maintain people's attention during your speech - cause people are naturally going to assume this is just another "you should recycle" talk. Good luck Norma!
ReplyDeleteA simple topic, but ironically most people are not aware of the importance. There is nothing to disagree with your opinion. I hope you can persuade us to pay extra attention to recycling and always be mindful to separate our trash before throwing them. All the best!
ReplyDeleteNorma, the act of recycling certainly can be seen as "civic" in nature. I'm wondering what your actual artifact is, though. Is it the symbol that you used in this post, or something else?
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like to talk about recycling in general as a civic action in this speech, I strongly encourage you to find an actual artifact that encourages people to recycle in a compelling way. (Not only will it make your speech more specific, but it'll set you up for much greater success with your next assignment -- the rhetorical analysis essay.)