This panel involved three presentations from the UP Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts which touched on the pedagogical, theoretical, and civic dimensions of the GE course Speech 30. Asst. Prof. Oscar T. Serquiña, Jr. underscored the aesthetic encounters students experience in this course by throwing into light Speech 30’s textual (i.e., speechwriting) and embodied (i.e., delivery and performance) aspects. Furthermore, he unpacked the civic training that Speech 30 initiates inside the classroom by accentuating how this course brings into focus the relationship of public speaking to public culture. Meanwhile, Ms. Sherie Claire Ponce argued that the Speech 30 course fundamentally differs from its predecessor, Comm: 3, precisely because the former pays attention to public speaking as a means to and a mode of critical thinking, not just an occasion to learn and hone practical skills. Ms. Ponce likewise stressed that, in teaching this new GE course, Speech Communication professors continue to negotiate with the tensions emanating from the objectives of the revamped GE course, their students’ expectations on and interests in a subject in public speaking, as well as the broad demands of both Philippine society and its professional industries. Finally, Asst. Prof. Regina Banaag-Gochuico brought to the fore the commitment of Speech 30 to be a course that goes beyond the imperative to “speak well.” Coming from a critical communication paradigm, she underlined how the GE course may teach and train students to deal with questions about their personal lives, their professional careers, and not least, their roles as citizens of both the Philippine nation and the world.