Convincing Arguments

The communication studies department held its bi-annual public speaking contest on Thursday, November 12. The evening began with the announcement of this year's Olive M. Cone Scholarship winner, Elizabeth Trent. The Cone Scholarship recognizes the outstanding achievement of a Communication Studies major with a tuition scholarship for the spring semester. Then, the main event:

The competition was strong with eleven contestants who presented short speeches on a variety of topics. In the end, Brenna Schroder took first place with her policy speech, “Fishing for Solutions: The Problem of Bycatch.” Brenna educated her audience on the environmentally-threatening problem of by-catch, or the accidental capture of vulnerable species in commercial fishing operations. Saba Amirali took second place with “Give It Your Best Shot: An Argument for Vaccinations,” and Breanna Leonard won third place with “Disney’s Most Dangerous Novelty: The Selfie Stick.” Grace Byrne received Honorable Mention with “The Service of Service Dogs.”

No matter your specialty or discipline, public speaking will likely play some role in your career success. It can be a springboard - but also a limitation - and this is the place to learn. We can all get better at it, so congratulations to these students and the communications studies department for promoting public speaking. Because it is a skill that amplifies so many others, oratory deserves a place at the center of the university experience. We salute these students who excel in getting thier point across. It will serve them well.

Image: Instructors Jason Williamson and Anna Walling pose with first and second place winners Brenna Schroder (L) and Saba Amirali.