your opinion please

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  • #1519290
    screwdriverdelight
    Participant

    My daughter was asked to be valedictorian in her seminary, and asked me to help her write a speech. I (who am currently present in EY, where her seminary is located) asked the Rosh to hire her a speechwriter. The Rosh refused, saying A) it’s out of their budget; B) someone with the education received by their seminary should be able to write her own speech.

    So I told that to my daughter, who said they were never taught speechwriting. I suggested she just decline the valedictorian offer, but she doesn’t want to. I went back to the rosh, which wasn’t easy BTW, and she shrugged and repeated the above two claims. I pointed out that it’s self-contradictory. If they’re supposed to be able to write their own speech, but can’t, obviously the seminary didn’t provide my tuition’s worth, and should therefore have the extra money to hire a speechwriter. A speechwriter doesn’t have to be super-fancy. Just a regular guy who charges a nominal fee per hour. But rosh refused.

    The big question is, who’s right? And what should I do?

    Please reply promptly, because the graduation date is fast approaching, and my daughter has to have a speech by then.

    #1519314

    The Rosh is right. I don’t even think the Rif argues.

    #1519316
    DovidBT
    Participant

    For the speech, simply choose a published shiur or teaching that one finds meaningful and appropriate, and read it.

    #1519320
    Joseph
    Participant

    Plagarize someone’s valedictorian speech from the internet. No seminary will know the difference.

    #1519342

    I’ve never heard of hiring a speechwriter.
    Most people figure out how to write it if they can’t themselves.
    Frum schools are very non-professional, were not talking about Trump here.

    She can’t write a 5 minute sappy thin about how seminary changed her life?
    I’ll write it for her for heavens sake!

    #1519351
    iacisrmma
    Participant

    Do you have any sons and if yes, did you hire someone to write their bar mitzvah pshetl? If yes, then you should hire someone to write her speech.

    #1519345

    Joseph -We should not be advocating for sheker or g’naivas daas. I assume you were joking perhaps?

    #1519372
    NOYB
    Participant

    A speechwriter seems like overkill. It’s not Harvard, it’s a frum seminary. Just write about how they are amazing, she had fun and learned a lot and a small dvar torah.

    #1519386
    Little Froggie
    Participant

    If you really need one, I think I can write one up for you. I’ve made speeches for my daughters’ graduations… I’ve B”H done a play.. and I’ve written on the Coffee Room! Tell me the theme, and maybe something can B’ezras HaShem be put together for you in time.

    btw, I give a special Hakaras Hatov to the Coffee Room, editors and Mods for the time here. I think I’ve somewhat honed my writing skills to some degree. Actually sometimes things come out legibly, at times others can actually understand what I wrote!

    #1519421
    ubiquitin
    Participant

    The big question is, who’s right?

    without question the Rosh.

    And what should I do?

    Leave it to her to decide. I assume she is capable of making this decision, as she is graduating seminary.
    Her choices are pretty straight forward:
    1) accept the honor and get a hold of a spmehow (as others pointed out, it isnt a big deal)
    2) decline the honor

    #1519453
    Joseph
    Participant

    Yes, Syag. I appreciate your being dan lkaf zchus.

    #1519617
    screwdriverdelight
    Participant

    thanks shoppoing613 and LF for your offer of a speech, but then when she says it everyone will know who I am, and I don’t want that.
    As far as writing some “five-minute, sappy thing,” I mean, is that what seminary is all about? Teaching girls to just say some hobblewash? I’m looking for something with substance. Something that will really change the other girls’ lives forever.

    #1519618
    screwdriverdelight
    Participant

    Plus, I’m not sure I want her speaking about how good the seminary is, after all this.

    #1519785
    Mammele
    Participant

    Sd: Sorry to say, but your daughter needs a reality check. And you too. So she never learned speech-writing. Does she have any writing know-how? Didn’t she have any school writing assignments, creative writings, essays etc? No cookie-cutter skills are needed. Adaptation is key here and in life.

    So I suggest your daughter ask them what the speech criteria is, if she doesn’t have that info yet. She can call up last year’s valedictorian for suggestions if necessary, and roll up her sleeves. Once she’s more or less done, you can help her with the editing.

    And get off your perch about making a speech that’ll be life changing for the girls. By having too high expectations, you’re probably freezing her out. Be realistic and it’ll come together better than expected. Hatzlacha!

    #1519872
    ED IT OR
    Participant

    seems to me, unless you cough up, she will be speechless.

    #1520030
    screwdriverdelight
    Participant

    seems like all side with the rosh. But, let me ask, is it fair of the seminary to foist such a task on my daughter? THey’re not paying her, they want her to do the dirty work of preparing a speech…what’s the justification of that?

    #1520032

    No hobblewash, wasn’t she inspired at seminary? Didn’t she make friends? Didn’t she learn and grow?
    Just tell her to talk about that.
    Plus, I’m sure half the class will be bawling no matter what sappy thing she said.

    #1520116
    mentsch1
    Participant

    SD
    “THey’re not paying her, they want her to do the dirty work of preparing a speech
what’s the justification of that?”
    Trust me
    No one wants to sit through your daughters speech. Not the parents, and not the rabbeim who have to endure these things every year.
    It’s pretty much the same at every bar mitzvah.
    Show of hands. How many here enjoy all the speeches at a bar mitzvah? Especially the pshetel?
    That said it’s “what’s done”. Every graduation has a speech from the valedictorian, and it will look weird if she refuses. I’m reasonably sure every valedictorian writes their own speech even in Harvard.
    It’s a learning experience. And a good one. Public speaking skills is something to hone and useful in many professions.

    #1520139
    WinnieThePooh
    Participant

    screwdriver, the justification (and payment) is that she is getting a lot of kavod by being picked as the top girl in her seminary. Being valedictorian comes with giving a speech, whether in 8th grade, or 12th or college. If she finds that too difficult, or thinks of it as dirty work, or needs her parent to go complain to her principal about it, then maybe they really did choose the wrong girl. I assume however that the girl really has no problem, and the parent is just playing troll.

    #1520144
    Mammele
    Participant

    I was a little slow to catch on, but I think screwdriverdelight is just messing with us… And I took the bait, i mean “bit”.

    #1520146
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    This is her chance to say what she really thinks and take down her enemies within the seminary.

    #1520185
    Meno
    Participant

    This is her chance to say what she really thinks and take down her enemies within the seminary.

    Actually a great idea. Let her get up there and say that she was asked to speak but the seminary didn’t adequately prepare her for that, so she has nothing to say.

    #1520295
    Uncle Ben
    Participant

    RY & Meno; You guys crack me up!😂
    Maybe she should say over some good jokes from Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky! Or if she can do a good southern accent she can say how “seminarah has totally changed ma laf”!

    #1520356

    wtp and mammele – I had similar thoughts. I think we all took the bait. and I have nothing to support this but I always thought he was closer to post seminary age than a post seminary parent.

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