Dual Enrolled Student Wins Public Speaking Competition

Aiken, SC (05/25/2021) — The Department of Communication at the University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken) held a public speaking competition featuring students from across the university this spring.

The event was held virtually, and included the top ten students across all the public speaking sections at UofSC Aiken. Students gave persuasive speeches on topics such as abolishing the electoral college, the detrimental effects of plastic bag usage, the negative effects of beauty standards on social media, the need for early foreign language education, the importance of vitamin C, the harms of cancel culture, the Mental Health Service for Students Act, setting a minimum age for social media users and the significance of stopping animal testing.

Dr. Jason Munsell, associate professor of communication, Dr. Rachel Whitten, assistant professor of communication, and Dr. David Munson, Texas A&M University, Department of Communication, served as judges for the competition.

First place winner, Haley Huynh, presented a speech on "Early Foreign Language Education." Huynh is a dual enrolled Aiken Scholars student. She said the competition was a milestone for her, "I'm really thrilled that this particular speech gained recognition because it truly is a topic that is dear to my heart, and my goal in participating was really just to reflect that. I grew up never being the most talkative person, and to receive this honor not only as a student at UofSC Aiken, but a dual enrollment student, really just shows how far I've come and the potential that those who don't speak out much have."

Winners of the Spring 2021 UofSC Aiken Department of Communication Public Speaking Competition

1st Place: Haley Huynh, "Early Foreign Language Education"

2nd Place: Simon Berry, "Defending the Abolition of the Electoral College and Adoption of Ranked Choice Voting"

3rd Place: Mary Cecil, "Plastic Bag Pollution"

Contestants

Simon Berry (Abolishing the Electoral College to Adopt Rank Choice Voting)

Mary Cecil (Plastic bag use)

Bradlee Hook (Negative effects of beauty standards and social media)

Haley Huynh (Early Foreign Language Education)

Anthony Longobardo (The Importance of Vitamin C)

Iris Nichols (The Harms of Cancel Culture)

Christian Reagin (The Mental Health Service for Students Act)

Jewell Russell (Setting a minimum age for social media users)

Blaire Vaughn (Stop Animal Testing)

Madeline Whitaker (Stop Animal Testing)

Winners of the Fall 2021 UofSC Aiken Department of Communication Public Speaking Competition

1st place: Eliyana Brown, "Building Blocks of STEM in South Carolina"

2nd place: Amaya Emmons, "The Decriminalization of Drugs"

3rd place: Rebekah Jollie, "Stop Breaking the Clock: Keeping a Consistent Time in the U.S."

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