414 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Self–Defense on Campus
1 You’re tired; you’re hungry. You’ve just spent a long day at College Library and you
can’t wait to get back to your room. Glancing outside, you remember how quickly it becomes
dark. You don’t think much of it, though, as you bundle up and head out into the gusty wind. Not
until you spy the shadows on the sidewalk or hear the leaves rustling beside you do you wish you
weren’t alone. You walk quickly, trying to stop your imagination from thinking of murderers and
rapists. Only when you are safely inside your room do you relax and try to stop your heart from
pounding out of your chest.
2 Can you remember a time when you felt this way? I would be surprised if you never
have. The FBI reported last year that there were three murders, approximately 430 aggravated
assaults, 1,400 burglaries, and 80 rapes here in Madison alone. And while these statistics are quite
alarming, they don’t even compare to the numbers of larger metropolitan areas.
5 College students, many of whom are away from home for the first time, are especially
easy targets for crime. Students often look at campus housing as a secure place. But according to
the book Street Wisdom for Women, precautions must be taken in a dorm or Greek house, just as
in any house or apartment. How many of these bad habits do you have? How often do you leave
your room without locking your door, forgetting how easily accessible your room is to anyone?
How often do you fall asleep without locking your door? Or how often do you open your door
without first checking to see who is there? As the Wake Forest University Police Crime Preven-
tion Web site states, “Each of us must become aware of the precautions necessary to reduce the
likelihood that we will become victims of crime.” Those who forget to take these precautions
invite trouble.
SELF–DEFENSE ON CAMPUS 415
6 Although students must watch themselves in campus housing, they must also take care
elsewhere. Prevalent use of drugs and alcohol, especially on college campuses, increases the
chance of crime. Using drugs or alcohol makes you an easier target because, as we all know, it
affects your judgment, influencing your decisions on safety. According to the Pacific Center for
7 So now that we see the dangers we face as students, what can we do to protect ourselves?
Although there are many ways of dealing with crime, I recommend that you and every college
student enroll in a self–defense course. You can choose from a variety of self–defense courses
offered right here in Madison. You can find one to fit your schedule and your pocketbook. On
campus, the university has a club sport called Shorin Ryu Karate, which emphasizes practical
self–defense. They hold their meetings in the evening, after classes, right on campus, and they’re
open to all university students, faculty, and staff.
10 I didn’t realize the importance of this myself until I took an introductory course in self–
defense in my high school physical education class. After a few days of practice, each of us faced
the notorious padded attacker. Expecting to enjoy fighting the attacker, I prepared to yell “No;
stop; back off” as forcefully as possible. But before I knew it, this man, twice my size, had put me
in a hold I could not get out of. My mind was so overcome with fear that I could barely muster
out a “No.” Immediately, I pictured this as a real situation, one which I probably would not have
survived.
11 But after a few more days of practice, we were able to go against the padded attacker one
more time. This time, I no longer felt fear. I felt anger. I was angry that this man felt he could take
advantage of me. This time, using what I learned, I yelled “No; back off” and successfully escaped
his move. And this time I survived.
416 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
12 I’m not the only example showing the benefits of taking self–defense. If you’re interested,
check out “Stories From Self–Defense Classes” posted to the Internet by the Assault Prevention
Information Network. Although I don’t have the time to share with you the dozens of success
SELF–DEFENSE ON CAMPUS 417
Self–Defense on Campus
Commentary
“Self-Defense on Campus” is an excellent speech that illustrates how students can utilize all the methods
of persuasion discussed in the textbook. Here is a synopsis that focuses on how the speaker employs the
methods of persuasion.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to enroll in a self–defense class.
Central Idea: Enrolling in a self–defense class is an effective way for students to help protect them-
selves against the dangers of crime they face on campus and in society at large.
Method of Organization: Monroe’s motivated sequence
Credibility: In keeping with the functions of a speech introduction discussed in Chapter 10 of the text-
book, the speaker establishes her credibility in paragraph 3 by noting that because she has taken
a self-defense class, she feels more prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations. The
audience is more likely to listen carefully to the rest of the speech knowing that the speaker has
firsthand experience on the topic.
The speaker turns to her experience again in paragraphs 10–11 when she presents an ex-
Evidence: The speaker uses two extended examples to excellent effect. The hypothetical example that
opens the speech gains attention and relates the topic to the audience. Its impact is reinforced
by the statistics in paragraph 2 that connect the example directly to the college community in
which the speech was delivered. In paragraphs 10–11, the speaker uses an extended example
based on her own experience to demonstrate how taking a class in self–defense can increase
one’s confidence and ability to respond properly in a dangerous situation. These two examples
are among the most memorable parts of the speech and are central to its persuasive appeal.
418 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
As with examples and statistics, testimony plays an important role in this speech. The
speaker uses testimony twice in paragraph 5 to underscore the importance of taking precau-
tions against crime. In paragraph 7, she cites the Security on Campus Web site to support her
point that many college campuses are the highest crime areas in their communities. In para-
graph 9, she presents expert testimony from Patrick Lee, a self–defense instructor, and in para-
graph 12 she employs peer testimony from a woman named Cindy who used her self–defense
knowledge to scare off an assailant. Finally, in paragraph 14, the speaker concludes with a quo-
tation from Patrick Lee asking, “Do you want to be the victim or the survivor?”
Reasoning: The primary method of reasoning in this speech is causal. The speaker does not claim that
lack of training in self–defense causes crime or that taking a self–defense class will produce a
reduction in crime. Rather, she argues that lack of training in self–defense makes a person more
vulnerable to crime and that taking a self–defense course will make a person more confident
and more prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Emotional Appeal: Although “Self–Defense on Campus” does not employ a great deal of overtly emo-
tional language, it still generates fairly strong emotional appeal. One of the emotions it taps is
the fear of becoming a crime victim. This is especially evident in the vivid hypothetical example
that opens the speech, but it is reinforced by the speaker’s statistics and testimony throughout
the problem section (paragraphs 4–6). The speaker’s use of fear appeals can also be seen in
paragraph 10, in which she narrates her experience of being unable to fight off the padded at-
tacker at the beginning of her self–defense class.
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