DRAM 1020

Let me just start of by saying how enjoyable this class is. It is undoubtedly an easy A class here at UVA but is also advantageous for students in the College because it fulfills the Humanities-Fine Arts requirement. That being said, the single most important reason to take this class is to be taught by Professor Warner. He is one of the kindest, most knowledgeable professors I've ever had the honor of meeting here at UVA. Oral Interpretation is, in some sense, a misnomer because this course really is about public speaking and developing the self-assurance to stand in front of any crowd and present any given piece of work. The class is subdivided into four primary components that you present: a piece of prose, a work of poetry, and a personal story, and a final presentation that connects the same, or another, personal story with any other pieces you choose. The reason why practically everyone makes an A in the class is not because Warner is a pushover, but because he genuinely values improvement. In the class, constant refinement is achieved through coaching sessions in which students partner up to offer guidance to each other, usually the weekend before presentations. Ultimately, I made an A in the class, but I left with something much more valuable: a sense of ownership and conviction in the knowledge I had obtained throughout my presentations. I highly recommend this class to anyone who is willing to put themselves in a vulnerable public forum in order to truly become a more confident, poised public speaker.