DSU sponsors speech contest for students

Dakota State University is offering a speech contest to its students on April 24^th. The College of Liberal Arts will host the contest for students in Speech Communication 101 and 215 on Wednesday, April 24.

“All students will benefit by being able to put their participation and/or award on their resumes,” said contest coordinator Robert Jackson, associate professor of Liberal Arts.

The contest has sections for both informative and persuasive speeches. Prize money, furnished by the Karl E. Mundt Foundation, will be awarded to the top three contestants in each category: $150 for 1st place, $125 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place.

“This contest represents the reinstitution of a tradition of speech contests here at Dakota State University,” added Jackson. “In the early history of the institution when it was a Normal school, a public- spirited banker of Madison, Mr. W.A. Mackay, provided three prizes for excellence in oratory. The contest was held in memory of his deceased wife, Clara G. Mackay. These prizes stimulated interest in oratory and the contest was one of the most attractive features of Commencement Week.”

There will be two preliminary rounds and a final round. The top five speakers in each category will advance to the finals. The Awards Ceremony will follow the competition at 7:30pm in the Mundt Foundation.

“This contest benefits students and the college in that it highlights the talent in the speech classes we teach,” said Jackson. “It also gives the students an added incentive to do their best work while providing our most talented students with another audience for their efforts. These student speeches will be video taped or digitally recorded to provide future speech classes with some additional teaching aids.”