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Printer-Friendly ModeSenior wins public speaking event
November 13, 2006 —
Senior Bridget Kreager received first-place honors at the 17th annual Sims' Public Speaking Competition held Friday in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.
Kreager took home $300 after beating out five other competitors in the final round of the competition. Kreager won for her persuasive speech, "Drink More Water," which detailed the various benefits of staying properly hydrated.
"I really can't believe it," said the 20-year-old Owendale native on finishing in first place. "I'm quite honored to win."
Megan Lang finished second with her speech, "HPV Vaccine," while Pam Alger took home a third-place finish with her piece detailing the necessity of enacting an indoor smoking ban.
As the second-place winner, Lang won $200, and Alger won $100 as the third-place finisher.
Tracey Dobbs ("Three-Strike Laws"), Kayla Kramer ("Eating Disorders"), and Kayleen Schumacher ("Nano-Technology") rounded out the rest of the top six. All three received $50 prizes.
Kreager and the other finalists made it to the last round after having compiled the top six scores after two preliminary rounds of judging. Each competitor delivered their speech twice and was judged on such things as introduction, content, delivery, and conclusion. In all, 25 students competed on the afternoon.
This year's event also featured a record number of alumni participating as judges.
Overall, 21 helped score the performances. Students were also given the opportunity to interact and network with the alum.
The competition began almost two decades ago as the brainchild of a communication organization on campus. And while it enjoyed some success in that time, those close to the event said it began to flourish once the Sims family created an endowment for the competition.
"We knew this public speaking contest had been held for several years, but it was something that happened on a smaller budget and hadn't been funded year-to-year," said Linda Sims, who sponsors the event along with her husband, Larry. "With our passion for public speaking and knowing how important communication is in everyday life, we thought it was a good opportunity to match our interests with an endowment."
This year's competition was organized by Amy Pierce's COMM 345 class, meaning students not only could gain experience through participating in the event itself but in helping organize it too. Communication department chair David Schneider said that the event itself is particularly important since students can gain knowledge in a number of areas. Schneider also said the students seem to be recognizing this, as most who participate admit they learn a great deal through being involved.
"The feedback we get from students is often quite positive," he said. "Even those who don't place in the finals seem to take a lot away from the event."