All of this year’s Dawg Talks were incredible! Now that they have been out for several weeks, I wanted to take the time to highlight seven of the most-viewed speeches this year (there are thirty-seven in total). For each Dawg Talk, I have included the title, name and grade of the speaker, a brief summary and review of the speech, and something interesting that I learned. If you are interested in viewing these speeches or any of the others, you can view them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmx0zUxiH3NkMTWYl4J7ykcjx3CNUOcMS

“How Music Can Improve Your Life” (Riley Mulligan, sophomore):  Mulligan teaches us about the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits of listening to music. She relates these benefits both to her personal life and the current pandemic. Her speech was informative and very well-delivered!

Something I learned: Listening to music triggers the release of dopamine in our brains, which elevates our mood!

“Inside the Mind of Dogs” (Samir Marwaha, junior): Marwaha outlines the evolution and capabilities of dogs. He also discusses the anatomies of dogs’ brains and what causes dogs to behave the way they do. I learned a lot from his speech and appreciated how well he explained the science behind dogs and their behaviors.

Something I learned: Although it varies from breed to breed, most dogs have the mental capacity of a two-year-old and are capable of understanding up to 165 words, phrases, and hand gestures.

“Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty” (Emme Sipera, freshman): Sipera begins by discussing past and present death penalty policies in the US. She then delves into the controversy associated with the death penalty, and why she is against it. Her speech includes various statistics and historical events supporting her opinion, making it very persuasive and engaging.

Something I learned: In 1976, 112 out of 117 executions in Texas were of black people who killed white people, whereas only five were of white people who killed black people.

“The NHL: A Look Back” (Luke Simsir, junior): Simsir walks us through the history of the NHL and how it evolved into the league it is today. The NHL has a long and complex history, but he effectively breaks it down in a way that is easy to understand.

Something I learned: The NHL originally consisted of only five teams!

“The Carson Wentz Dilemma” (Nick Figlioli, junior): Figlioli thoroughly explains what led to the “Carson Wentz Dilemma”, what it is, and discusses the possible things the Eagles can do to solve it. His speech focused on the business side of this dilemma and was unbiased, so it was very informative!

Something I learned: Carson Wentz has a 100-plus million dollar contract, so if he were to be cut, the Eagles would lose the ability to sign free agents due to the debt this would cause.

“Technology Controls How You Think” (James Canuso, freshman): Canuso shows us how Google news puts us in an echo chamber. He outlines two experiments he conducted to support his claim, creating a strong, evidence-based argument that is sure to cause anyone who watches the speech to think twice before believing the first thing that pops up on Google.  

Something I learned: Google news is purposely put into an echo chamber so that people will most likely only click on the news articles that Google deems most relevant.

“Clash of Technologies: A History of the Space Race” (Gavin Gibson, freshman): Gibson informs us of what led to the Space Race and discusses early space exploration, lunar landings, and the outcome of the Space Race. His overview of this historic conflict between the US and the Soviet Union is extensive, yet easy to understand!

Something I learned: Yuri Gagarin of the USSR was the first man to orbit the Earth (he did this in 1961).