Month: January 2020

Considerations When Choosing a Mission Trip

Prior to entering the business program at Southern Methodist University, Zoe Reardon was an active high school student at the Atlanta International School. While attending Atlanta International, Zoe Reardon traveled to Nepal and Mexico to participate in humanitarian mission trips.

Individuals interested in giving back by enrolling in a mission trip should consider several factors before choosing a country or program. First, volunteers should review all of their personal reasons for wanting to travel abroad and help others. Some people may participate in mission trips for spiritual or religious reasons or to experience a culture in which they are interested.

Once one’s goals have been identified, the search for programs that will offer adequate support and training can begin. It is also important to find a program that has values and a purpose that are compatible with a volunteer’s goals. After choosing a program and location, volunteers should use the pre-departure period to learn more about the local people, including their history, present circumstances, and their culture.

Projecting Voice on Stage Without Yelling

A student at Southern Methodist University SMU in Texas, Zoe Reardon studies business and world languages at the undergraduate level. Zoe Reardon has worked several times for The Alliance Theater camp and was responsible for teaching basic theater skills to groups of students between the ages of four and six.

Every theater actor must be capable of projecting their voice so that they can be heard throughout the theater. However, some actors will yell instead of projecting when speaking on stage. Yelling uses the vocal cords to create volume and will make the throat sore over time. Conversely, projecting involves creating more sound with breath from the diaphragm. This air gives actors more control over the amount of sound they produce and gives their voice more depth.

Projecting the voice instead of yelling begins with relaxing the body. Doing so loosens up the muscles in the chest and jaw, thus freeing actors to reach a greater range of volume as they change the amount of air they take into their lungs. Yawning is one way of loosening these muscles, as is doing shoulder rolls or neck rolls prior to a performance.

Beyond relaxing the body, actors must look at their breathing techniques. Many people incorrectly believe that the bulk of their breath is stored in the lungs. Because of this, they will expand their chests as they breathe in. In reality, the diaphragm holds most of a person’s air and the diaphragm is located in the stomach. Due to this, actors who breathe with the correct technique have their stomachs rise and fall as they breathe.

Finally, it’s important that actors aim their voice out. This means that instead of talking to the other actors on stage, individuals must be aware that they are actually talking to the audience. When speakers confidently aim their sound to the back wall of the theater, they are more successful at projecting their voice so the audience can hear it without yelling.