CLAUD

Saturday, April 02, 2011

It's a matter of principle

Yesterday I had a lecture, by a fellow course-mate from the University Scholars Programme. At first, I wasn't going to judge her, she might be good. But as the presentation went, it was starting to feel like some April Fool's joke. Not only because our professor dragged us all the way down to the lecture to listen to her speak. Her project, was not at all good,and in my humblest of opinion, I have issues with people who don't do presentation in style.

It's a matter of principle, if you're going to give a presentation, do itin style, confidence and poise. Don't wear blue jackets with a pink collar shirt. Don't hold the clip-on mike (it's clip on for goodness sakes, an invention so that you can free your hands to gesture), and more importantly, don't let your voice shake.

I still remember the time how brave the geography group for NWSP was presenting our project to the whole school (of about 2000 people, everyone included) and although our legs were shaking behind the podium, our voices were confident and sure.

It's matter of presentation, in a presentation. Content aside, YQ was right to point out that with only 2000 words, it's hard to conceive how she could have included all those points in her presentation in her paper.

I am not against people who are the same age as us, presenting in front of a group, or having people of the same age, running for a political career in a GRC. It's all about the youth attitude of "I can". If someone is qualified, good and confident, by all means, that serve a basis of legitimacy of why you're standing and I am sitting.

However, it back fires tremendously when they cannot do the job, and yet is supported by an institution that legitimises their inadequency, and the result is that of unwilling, bored, and chatty audience who cannot be certain whether they want to take a leak or simply fall asleep.

I believe I can do a better job, and that belief is based on experience and mistakes made in the past, that have made me a better person today.

If we don't forgive mistakes and give constructive criticism, we will never learn and continue to falter. So in the light of her presentation, I feel strongly that she needs to know the reception of her presentation. I'm not angry at her, but rather, at the situation and forces that guided her to be like this - a person of 21/22 years old, who cannot give a simple presentation confidently.

What are we really learning from the lecture yesterday? She has lots of guts to give a lecture to peers and willing to put herself out there to be criticised. So in that case, a test of character would be whether she is able to live up to that criticism. I still remembered the times I was criticised, scolded and put down for my mistakes. I am forever grateful to them.

If we're afraid to make mistakes, and learn from them - then we'll never progress and not making mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all.

09:12