When students enter the basic public speaking classroom,When students enter the basic public speaking classroom, they are asked to develop an introductory speech. This assignment typically focuses on a speech of self-introduction for which there are several pedagogical underpinnings: it provides an immediate and relatively stress-free speaking experience as well as an immediate understanding of each student's basic skill set for the instructor. In addition, the assignment's personal nature strengthens the sense of classroom community while providing preliminary data for collective audience awareness in subsequent speeches. A final benefit of the assignment is the creation of a "need to know" environment for the students--when, for example, a speech ends with an awkward pause before anemic applause, the students are primed to learn about successful conclusions. While these benefits are important, the typical introductory speech assignment does little to bridge other significant gaps in student success. The basis of this revised introductory activity is a speech blended with a rhetorical analysis and is comprised of a one-page written rhetorical analysis, a set of speaking notes, and a one to two-minute speech. The main goal is for students to see the connections between public speaking and the outside world, to see that public speaking, even if it happens in a classroom environment, is a part of the world they move through daily. A list of references and suggested readings is included. they are asked to develop an introductory speech. This assignment typically focuses on a speech of self-introduction for which there are several pedagogical underpinnings: it provides an immediate and relatively stress-free speaking experience as well as an immediate understanding of each student's basic skill set for the instructor. In addition, the assignment's personal nature strengthens the sense of classroom community while providing preliminary data for collective audience awareness in subsequent speeches. A final benefit of the assignment is the creation of a "need to know" environment for the students--when, for example, a speech ends with an awkward pause before anemic applause, the students are primed to learn about successful conclusions. While these benefits are important, the typical introductory speech assignment does little to bridge other significant gaps in student success. The basis of this revised introductory activity is a speech blended with a rhetorical analysis and is comprised of a one-page written rhetorical analysis, a set of speaking notes, and a one to two-minute speech. The main goal is for students to see the connections between public speaking and the outside world, to see that public speaking, even if it happens in a classroom environment, is a part of the world they move through daily. A list of references and suggested readings is included.