Tim Peter

During the past few weeks, I have spent a great deal of time with Dr. Tim Peter. As we have been preparing for Christmas at Luther, he has been helping Dr. Hightower get his bearings and gear up for his first C @ L experience. Therefore, I have heard him speak a great deal and I love it. T.P. is such a nice person with such a happy demeanor. He gains respect from the students so easily. I've rarely heard the man yell or seen him get angry. He speaks with confidence and is not afraid to say when he's wrong. He listens to his other colleagues and also asks opinion of the students involved in C @ L performances. One aspect of his speech that I really enjoy, and that I think makes him effective, is his use of humor. He is really funny. He knows the importance of a good laugh to a production that can be incredibly draining to those involved. Finally, when he is conducting, he has a look of pure joy on his face. It really is awesome to behold. That is what music is all about. Tim Peter is a great speaker, director, and most importantly, person. He positively effects the people he comes in contact with. I admire this and would someday like to emulate it to my students.

Speaker: Priest at church

Speaking is such an important part of being a religious leader. We just acquired a new priest at my beloved church. To say the least, his homilies, body-language, and tone of voice make me want to leave this church; a church that holds many memories and that means a great deal to me. I don't think it helps that he is very conservative, because I am not. I love my faith. Although I probably lean more to the right with politics and religion, I am not quite at his level. Despite that fact though, his preaching style is just not easy to listen to. He practically yells when he is at the pulpit giving homilies. During the rest of the Mass he talks slowly and in a monotone voice; both of these styles are hard to listen to. Also, churches and religions are much like schools and classrooms: which must constantly be moving forward. This priest not only doesn't seem to want to move forward (fast enough for me:), but he also hasn't yet given me any reason to believe that we should stay put. This, I think, is a direct result of his inability to convey his ideas in a convincing manner through his speech and tone of voice. I really hope he changes that. I don't want to leave this Church, but he's making if difficult for me to want to stay.