Public Speaking Competition

Join us for the Spring 2024 Competition on April 10th!

Recital Hall
The Location of Towson University’s first annual Public Speaking Competition on April 16th, 2019. 

The theme of this year's competition is How My Cultural Identity Has Shaped Me.  Once selected, each contestant must utilize the Public Communication Center to ensure their speech is competition ready. First, second, and third place will win a prize of monetary value.  

 The competition specifications are below:

How my Cultural Identity has Shaped Me details
Topic: Students in COMM 131 selected as finalists will deliver their informative speeches reflecting on the importance of their cultural identities in making them who they are today. 
Date and Location: The Spring 2024 competition will take place on Wednesday, April 10th in the University Union rooms 322 and 324.
Time: 6:00PM-8:30PM

Spring 2024 Competition Timeline

  • Each COMM 131 class will select a student with the best informative speech.
  • Winners from each section will submit a video of their speech to the committee by March 15.
  • Six finalists will be selected to compete on April 10th. 
  • Finalists will work with the PCC mentors to prepare for the competition.
  • Prizes will be awarded the night of the competition to the top three speeches. 
    • $300 for 1st place
    • $200 for 2nd place 
    • $100 for 3rd place

Past Public Speaking Competitions 

Towson University's first annual Public Speaking Competition took place on April 16th, 2019. Competitor’s had to prepare a 5-8 minute persuasive speech which addresses at least one of the core tenets of the Department of Communication Studies curriculum: advocacy and public discourse, identity and culture, and leadership and organizational communication.

The winners of the 2019 Public Speaking Competition: 

Rebecca Malstrom

First Place Winner, Rebecca Malstrom ’19

Rebecca preformed a moving speech titled “Read My Lips.” Malstrom illustrates how her experience as a member of the deaf community is shaped by the expectation that she reads the lips of the hearing individuals around her. 

Brandon Nance

Second Place Winner, Brandon Nance ’22

Brandon gave his speech titled “Sneaker Culture.” He captured the audience by describing the relationship between sneaker culture and the African American culture.

Ilya Schroder

Third Place Winner, Ilya Schroder ’19 

Ilya demonstrated how one can defy the odds by “Ignoring the What If’s.” Ilya compares his own experience to the expectations of society, and shows the audience what is possible if they believe in themselves and ignore preconceived notions. 

The judges were Marissa Berk-Smith, Ron Matlon, Erin Miller and Bethany Pace. The Public Speaking Competition was sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies and the COFAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  

 

Who can participate?

This year's competition will include students currently in COMM 131 (Public Speaking) who have been selected as finalists by the committee.