One of my events that I had gone to was in University Hall when I was at a panel discussion. When I first entered the room I was confused to what was going on. The panel didn’t introduce the topic we were going to be discussing. It seems that the panel all had different things to say. The discussants really didn’t make an impact on me because I really didn’t feel any thing that interested me. It seems that the panel didn’t make an effort to relate to the audience.
The experience enlightened me to things that I have never been exposed to before. In high school most issues are kept under the rug because of school policies, in college everything is out in the open. I am a proud person and hate when someone is opposing my ideas or my beliefs. My general reaction to the discussion was utter shock because I couldn’t believe how people would display such hate. My general reaction to the two points that had the most impact on me is freedom of speech. You have to be careful when speaking around others because they can quote you on what you say. This experience has taught me that I have to try to not let personal feelings get in the way of me receiving knowledge.
Each of the panelists’ demonstrated different traits. Some took on the role of leading the conversation and some took on the role of speaking out against what they thought was wrong. Students who spoke when the panel asked questions acted as leaders. They showed courage because they expressed their views in front of everyone. People showed openness which people seldom show because they are scared of being ridiculed or judged by others.
Although I was not a huge fan of the panel discussion, it was a good experience all in all. I mean, it opened my eyes and makes me hope that if I were to be on a panel, I could think as swift and quick as them, while still making sense of what I am trying to say.
