#7 Preparing my pitch
There are many problems in the world that we need to work out. I could not choose all of them but I did find one that is important to me, drugs. My community and Vermont itself is overwhelmed with drug users and addicts, this is an issue. Annually, about 570,000 people die from drug usage in the United states alone. People are losing their lives to to a choice they made somewhere along their lifetime and when you see some creepy man living on the street, that is someones family and they love him. Many different types of people do drugs; smart, poor, rich, homeless, you name it. Drug trafficking is a major problem in our world, there are tons of individuals, groups and businesses dedicated to drugs and both using and selling. There are both some rookies and notorious drug traffickers that get themselves into more than just drugs. Deals gone bad can get many people killed, children can become sucked into the gang and peoples lives can get turned around. Someone from a wealthy and happy family may end up joining a gang to become a rebel towards their family member and that can result in the family becoming devastated and the child being killed. Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade that involves the making and distribution of all sorts of drugs. We need to help the families of the victims and take down all the major drug dealers and their businesses.
Hyperlink to my presentation
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Sidney,
Nice work picking a topic for your presentation! It seems like a huge decision to find a single topic to focus on, when as you noted, there is a ton out there to speak about. As I was reading your “pitch” I found myself thinking about “the” issue. Are you exploring drug use, drug trafficking, or both? Certainly they are connected, but for the presentation I wonder if you should present the case of a single issue. You describe aspects of both using and selling in the writing of your pitch.
As you move to prepare your slides, and your three minute narrative, I wonder how you can present the “stakes” and why your “inquiry” is not only interesting but important. As you prepare for your three minute presentation I wonder how you might get your audience’s attention and buy-in? I did look for statistics and “stories” as ways to engage your audience and present the importance of your topic. Feel free to use any of the links below if they are useful. There is a short video and an NPR story with only audio. Often, when presenting a “case” listening or seeing in order to evoke emotion can help you tell the importance of your issue.
Casey
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-vermont-has-a-drug-problem-2013-10
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/heroin-epidemic-hits-vermont-community-hard/
http://www.npr.org/2016/01/30/463952989/tragedy-moves-a-community-to-combat-drug-addiction
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/02/vermont-heroin-capital-of-america-103280
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/state_profile_-_vermont_0.pdf
Hi Sidney,
I found your pitch really interesting. I like that you include a statistic about the number of people in the US who die from drug overdoses. It would be great if you included statistics about the number of drug overdose deaths in Vermont and in your local community. That could have a dramatic effect on your audience. I also wonder if maybe you can start your pitch with a story about a young person (or more than one) who died from a drug overdose or who have suffered greatly from drug addiction. Again, that would have a major impact on helping your readers visualize the problem. When we attach a name and face to a societal problem like drug addiction and overdose, it really makes it real for he audience. You can start with a specific story, move to statistics and then identify the problem and what action you want your audience to take–a kind of call to action. You have a picked such an important social issue, but it is a big one. I’m sure that you’ll do great with your pitch.
Good luck,
Beverly