Published 2006-02-07T00:00:00Z”/>

Julianne Riddle

When speaking in front of a group of people, sophomore Katie Anderton’s palms sweat, her heart thumps and her eyes lock on the floor.

Anderton is facing her fear of public speaking by taking “Small Group Communication,” which fulfills the general education oral communication requirement at Chico State.

“I get this adrenaline rush inside. I forget the words I need to say,” Anderton said. “Emotionally, I’m terrified. I’m terrified of people’s reactions.”

Public speaking is a terrifying prospect for many people, said Rob Howard, a psychology lecturer.

When a person experiences embarrassment, nervousness or anxiety, parts of the brain shut down, which causes sweating, forgetfulness, a quickened heartbeat and shortness of breath, Howard said. The more afraid a person becomes, the more difficult it is for that person to be rational.

“(It’s) sort of like being drunk,” he said.

When people are irrational, it affects how they perform, Howard said.

He suggests students focus on something they enjoy before they’re about to do something they fear. Visualizing a relaxing situation can trick the brain into running smoothly. And after some practice, anxiety-inducing situations won’t be difficult to handle.

“That mastery is a hell of a rush,” Howard said.

In high school, Anderton was a member of the debate team and student government. Speaking in front of hundreds of people never bothered her until one traumatic experience, she said.

During her senior year of high school, about 3,000 students gathered for an assembly. Anderton gripped the microphone and began telling the students information about yearbooks.

But the microphone wasn’t working, and no one could hear a word. She carried on this way for more than 30 minutes before someone told her about the technical problem. People threw crumpled paper at her and called her names, she said.

“I thought everyone hated me,” Anderton said.

Ever since, Anderton cannot let go of the humiliation she felt, she said.

Taking “Small Group Communication” makes Anderton apprehensive, but she is glad it is required because she wants to overcome her fear, she said. She wants to become an English teacher and will have to speak to students every day.

It’s important for public speaking to be a required course, said Nancy Hills, a speech communications professor. Learning how to speak to people is necessary for life, she said.

When punishing a child, applying for a bank loan or asking a professor for a grade change, the skill of speaking confidently is important, Hills said.

“We do public speaking all of our life, even if it’s not behind a podium,” Hills said.

Many students who fear public speaking put the class off until their last semester, but Hills doesn’t recommend doing that. The anticipation of waiting for the class heightens anxiety and will make it more uncomfortable later, she said.

“Our goal is to start slowly and give them small successes so they can build to be successful in larger challenges.”

Julianne Riddle can be reached at

<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>