Hey everyone, I have a question!

[SoulReturns]

Hey! My name is Brian, I promote secular values and am an atheist myself. I'm currently a senior in high school. My school is having a speaking contest, one which I would like to join. My question is: does anyone know of any speeches by influential atheists that are (or can be trimmed to) around 5 minutes or so? I think introducing these kids to secular ideas may get some good thoughts flowing in their heads.

But yeah, this forum looks excellent and I think I'll stay here

[brewer]

Welcome!

Others might but not I.

Is this for inspiration/ideas only? Do you plan to right your own speech? Know where I'm going with this? (sorry, raging skeptic who does not like plagiarism)

[CapnAwesome]

Hey! My name is Brian, I promote secular values and am an atheist myself. I'm currently a senior in high school. My school is having a speaking contest, one which I would like to join. My question is: does anyone know of any speeches by influential atheists that are (or can be trimmed to) around 5 minutes or so? I think introducing these kids to secular ideas may get some good thoughts flowing in their heads.

But yeah, this forum looks excellent and I think I'll stay here

Hmmm, 5 minutes is a pretty restrictive format. Maybe best to make your own.

[SoulReturns]

Ah sorry, should have specified that the speech is a monologue of another's speech. There's no writing involved.
EDIT: Think this might work pretty well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtQ5Mp84Wd8

[ignoramus]

I'd start with a speech on the benefit of spending more on infrastructure/technology to reduce timeouts/lag!

[GoHalos1993]

Not to be rude, but do you understand what plagiarism is? Don't take things from a speech someone else gave, write and give your own speech. You can quote someone, that's fine.

[Joods]

He mentions farther down the thread that it is a speech based on the monologue of another's speech. No plagiarism there if it is based off of an already existing speech.

[SoulReturns]

Not to be rude, but do you understand what plagiarism is? Don't take things from a speech someone else gave, write and give your own speech. You can quote someone, that's fine.

Again, thought it would be obvious that the speech is recitative in nature. I doubt anyone could claim an entire speech as their own in front of a large audience and get away with it.

[Cato]

I understand that your topic is secularism, but the assignment is really about oration. I think you do yourself s disservice if you don't explore history's great orators. It's about the use of language and the structure of rhetorical argument in addition to topical expertise. 

Demosthenes, Cicero, Washington, Lincoln, Douglas (Fred not Steve), Theodore Roosevelt, Churchill, Kennedy, King, Reagan (regardless of politics, the man could flat out give a speech). There are plenty of others, just a few that immediately came to mind.

I do not consider Dawkins to be a very good orator and seem to recall him being self deprecating on this point. If I had to recommend secular orators I would give Robert Ingersoll and Christopher Hitchens.

Writing your speech is one thing, but I can't emphasize enough the importance of practice in front of a mirror. Monitor your emotive delivery. Practice also for time. You should also expect to deliver your actual speech a bit faster. Once you think you have it, deliver it to someone you trust to provide an honest critique. 

I can't emphasize enough that this is less about content than it is your use of language, delivery and persuasiveness. Good luck.

[Cato]

I can't help it, have to add more. If you've not done this before, a lot can be said in five minutes. A recommendation to assess how much you need to prepare is to find something fun to read. Read this aloud for five minutes and note how much text you should expect to deliver. This will save you pain in the writing process later. There's little worse than thinking you have five minutes of material to discover you only have three, that type of revision is painful. Write longer, it's easier to pare down an argument.

Although a lot can be said in five minutes, don't try to boil the ocean. Your thesis should be relatively simple with most of the content coming in the form of supporting arguments. Don't underestimate the power of addressing and dismissing anticipated disagreement as part of supporting your claim.

Over prepare. You shouldn't take anything more to the lectern than a couple 3x5 cards with an outline of major points. Nothing is worse for the audience than watching someone read from their notes, not to mention it gives the impression that you are unprepared and don't have a firm grasp of your own argument. Do not speak if you must reference your cards, quick navigational glance and get back to business. 

If you are directly quoting someone, nail the quote verbatim with appropriate attribution. Quotes serve one or two purposes; invoking a widely recognized and accepted authority for a position you've already made or to invoke a unique and powerful turn of phrase. Finding something that satisfies both is a gem.