Welcome to the COMM-C1000 Great Speeches Wiki — a curated collection of historically and culturally significant speech acts created by students in Introduction to Public Speaking at College of the Desert.

While many entries feature classic oratory, this collection also includes congressional testimony, film monologues, performances of historical speeches, TED Talks, and other forms of public discourse that students found rhetorically compelling. What unites these entries is not format but function: each represents a meaningful moment of persuasion, inspiration, education or cultural impact that students found significant.

Each entry analyzes a speech act that matters: one with a clear rhetorical situation, accessible primary media, and substantive civic, cultural, or historical significance. Students apply rhetorical concepts—situation, appeals, organization, devices, and delivery—to examine how speakers move audiences and shape public discourse.

Entries include core identification (speaker, date, occasion, audience), rhetorical analysis (argument, appeals, notable techniques), delivery observations, and impact/legacy—all (theoretically) supported by credible sources and proper attributions.

These entries are authored by students and represent their original analysis and research. Each entry has been lightly edited for consistency and clarity while preserving each student's original voice.