blog #2
Hello! My name is Breanna solano, and this blog post will be my reflection throughout my peers’ presentations. 
As the November elections approach, my public speaking class has been working on the Elections Matter project. Over the past month, I've learned the importance of elections and related topics, including education policies, immigration policies, the electorate, and the election process. This project has shown me how important it is to be well informed to use our votes to advocate for the issues that matter to us. This was a great special project to be done right now, as its relevance to current events (the election) helps us become more informed. Elections play a huge role in the policies that govern our communities, schools, workplaces, and so much more that affect our daily lives. This project was also presented at an event hosted by the professor on Zoom. The preparation paid off as things ran smoothly, and not only was one class able to work on this, but all the public speaking classes were able to work and feature on a project together successfully. Each group featured creating a pamphlet, it was great to see the examples of each group filling their pamphlet with vibrant colors and attention-grabbing information, providing an overview of the topics they covered. Exploring the specifics of what each group covered helped me learn about topics I wasn't very familiar with. Each subtopic introduced new information to me. For example, various perspectives, such as American versus global. As well as important history and historians who made big contributions. Some groups even included detailed information, including statistics, facts, and current situations, in their presentations. I personally appreciated the inclusion of interviews, as they offered real people's thoughts and insights. This enhanced the overall understanding, as well as the validity and quality of the presentations. The topic my group covered was gender equality, where we covered several significant issues, including Equal Pay Legislation, Reproductive Rights, Gender-Based Violence, Transgender Rights, and Parental Leave Policies. Each sub-topic had its challenges and struggles. For example, the underlying causes of gender-based violence are often related to cultural traditions and societal norms that support gender inequality. Other instances are unfair wages, the importance of representation in politics to ensure that voices are truly heard, and many more barriers that are still present today and surround gender equality. This election being the first election I am able to vote. I was unfamiliar with the electoral and election process, so I found group number two's presentation very informative. They did an amazing job at covering this topic and explaining the electoral process in clear terms. ’In the United States, the voting system is not a direct election as it is in many countries. The highest office in the country is elected through what is known as the Electoral College”. Along with covering the election process, the group’s interview gave a unique example of comparing voter turnout to attendance at a school event: The more people who show up, the more voices are heard. This opened my eyes to how it is an important vote. This was not only an enjoyable presentation but a teaching one. Next up is Group Number Four, which covered immigration from both American and world views. My main takeaway was the different systems in the U.S. presidential republic with the federal systems and the various world governments. For example, in the UK, the head of government has limited power, while in India and Germany, the head of state is elected. The type of government affects the immigration policies in place, as well as the challenges faced, such as climate change and economic inequality. Additionally, during this presentation, I learned about important historical moments in immigration policies, like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1862, which was a critical moment in American immigration policy that reflected broader societal attitudes toward race and nationality. This act was the first significant law to restrict immigration based on ethnicity. The Immigration Act of 1924 was also mentioned; this act drastically reduced immigration from Southern and Eastern Europeans, establishing quotas based on the 1890 census and privileging certain ethnic groups while discriminating against others. This provided a clear synopsis of the issues. The last group I will discuss in this reflection is Group #3, on education. They covered the following subtopics: funding allocations, the impact of elections on education, and the differing views of political parties regarding educational issues. In a specific quote, they mentioned, “Public schooling is always political. It’s shaped by politics” -Andrew Kelly This quote highlights the impact of elections, as the outcomes of the 2024 federal and state elections will significantly influence education funding. New acts and laws are continually introduced, such as this year’s recent school safety measures, which enforced school security, along with the student forgiveness plan in 2022 that paused student loan payments in response to the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. To conclude all the group’s presentations, all groups were informative. They did a great job showcasing their insights and Reflections into the election matters project. Nevertheless, this reflection blog post could not contain everything that was said by the groups as each group took time and attention to detail and executed well. Each one of the groups contributed valuable insight and facts that helped us move forward in this class and grow as speakers and presenters. On top of this project being filled with information, it showcased growth, as we could see students applying tips and tricks from public speaking that the professor had mentioned. Some examples are using fewer words, incorporating more pictures, improving their body language, and overall appearing more confident and comfortable in their presentations.
That was all for my blog post thank you!
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