Alex Farasat and Melissa Jauregui took the first place prizes in informational and persuasive public speech categories respectively in the 8th Annual Speech Tournament held May 17.
Jauregui’s speech about processed foods earned her a win.
“This was very unexpected, I’m super happy,” Jauregui said. “I was anxious while giving the speeches, and then while hearing the names, third place, second place, I really didn’t expect my name to be for first place.”
The top three participants in each category also received prize money for their accomplishments.
The first place prizes of $200 went to Farasat’s obsessive compulsive disorder speech and Jauregui’s processed foods speech.
The second place prizes of $100 went to Siena Betance-Sanchez’s role of media speech and Gabriela Parada’s FDA reform speech.
The third place prizes of $75 went to Gia Lydon’s climate change speech and Alex Salomon’s feminism speech.
“My professor encouraged us to do the speech competition. My husband heard about it and was like, ‘You should do it,’” Salomon said. “It’s definitely worth it getting out of your comfort zone.”
According to tournament organizer and professor of communication studies Michelle Silver, there were more than 60 participants in the tournament and more than 100 attendees watching the final round in Building 600.
“This is amazing, because as a comeback from having online classes, the fact we got this many students to engage, we’re super proud,” Silver said.
The first round of speeches took place in the Juniper building where several rooms of informational speeches and persuasive speeches were judged starting at 12:30 p.m. The top contenders from each room were then chosen as the top 10—five from each discipline—who would continue to the final round.
There was a wide variety of topics that the speakers made presentations on.
“We had speakers on the role of social media in society, we had a speech about tattoos, we had a speech about women’s rights, a speech about skateboarding,” judge and speech professor Michael Shanley said.
Even in the top 10 finalists, the topics ranged from Priscilla Iglesia’s informative speech about gender representation within horror films to Alia Yollis’ persuasive speech arguing for people to get themselves a stuffed animal.
“I think that all our speakers today were phenomenal and they were outstanding to be here and participate and share their voice on a variety of issues,” Silver said.
