The following is a sample of actual student Rhetoric Presentations. Students are trained in the art of Rhetoric beginning in Kindergarten with age-appropriate exercises in speaking well that continue through the Lower School and into the Upper School. Formal Rhetoric study begins in the 10th Grade and during the 10th, 11th and 12th Grades students are required to deliver formal rhetoric speeches in front of peers, parents, faculty and visitors. The speeches are graded on the degree of persuasion, the winsome nature of the delivery, the accuracy and reliability of the reasoning, and the student’s ability to defend their thesis. These presentations are nearly fully memorized and last from 15 to 30 minutes long. Upon completing the speech, they must also orally defend their thesis by fielding questions from those attending.
Discrimination
Classical and Romantic Literature
Cheating in Baseball
Diversity
Modern Warfare
The Matrix
Depression
Cremation
The Olympic Dream
The Right of Conquest
The South’s Secession from the Union
Airline Labor Unions
Women in the Military
Disaster Relief
School Zoning
Statue of Nathan B. Forrest
Surrogate Motherhood
Global Warming
Healthcare Legislation
The Future of Space Exploration
Progressivism and Current Politicians
Genetic Engineering
East/West Values and Relationships
Gun Control
Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp
Mandatory Military Service
Nuclear Energy
The Role of our Elders
Nuclear Weapons Proliferation