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DSU Oratorical Contest

Since 2004, the Division of Languages and Literature has sponsored the DSU Oratorical Contest, a bi-annual event that showcases the oratorical talents of undergraduate students who are enrolled in the COM 101: Public Speaking. Faculty members who teach the course are asked to select the best speeches from their respective courses. Students compete for first place honors in two speech categories: Informative and Persuasive. Below is the list of students who won first place awards:  

Spring 2013

Informative Speech: Jana Holleman ("Autism")

Persuasive Speech: Shelby Walters ("Health Care in the Delta")

Fall 2012

Informative Speech: Elijah Mondy ("Distracted Drivers")

Persuasive Speech: ("Human Trafficking")

Spring 2012

Informative Speech: Camry Harris ("Acupuncture")

Persuasive Speech: Kayla Thornton ("The Challenges of Manual Photography")

Fall 2011

Informative Speech: Chris Williams ("Cancer Ads")

Persuasive Speech: Jacques Jenkins ("Powered Vehicles")

Spring 2011

Informative Speech: Nicole Calvert ("Education in Mississippi")

Persuasive Speech: Joseph Dycus ("Marijuana: Maintain the Status Quo")

Fall 2010

Informative Speech: Joshua Kypke ("Pilot Error")

Persuasive Speech: Emma Alford ("Stem Cell Research")

Spring 2010

Informative Speech: Samantha Swafford ("Autism")

Persuasive Speech: Sharon Grose ("Reality TV")

Fall 2009

Informative Speech: Brittany Moxley ("Classical Trained Pop Artists")

Persuasive Speech: Stephanie Brown ("ATV Laws")

Spring 2009

Informative Speech: Sarah M. Holland ("Stress")

Persuasive Speech: Rachel Bush ("Recycling")

Fall 2008

Informative Speech: Brianna McBeth ("Orphanages in China")

Persuasive: April Monday ("Universal Healthcare") 

Spring 2008

Informative Speech: Haley Mitchell ("Self-injury: An Underground Epidemic")

Persuasive Speech: Desta Hallmark ("Music Education")

Fall 2007

Informative Speech: Jacqueline To ("Hong Kong")

Persuasive Speech: Jessica Veazey ("Electoral College") 

Spring 2007

Informative Speech: Heather Ragon: ("Education of Prenatals and Infants")

Persuasive Speech: Delanie Sloan ("Baseball Hall of Fame Vote")

Fall 2006

Informative Speech: Jonathan Smith ("Emmett Til"l)

Persuasive Speech: Sherry Trammel ("Year-Round Schooling") 

Spring 2006

           Informative Speech: Tameka Phillips ("Atkins Diet")          

Persuasive Speech: Patrick Penson ("Nuclear Weapons and Iraq")

Fall 2005

Informative Speech: Brendra Harris ("Bottled Water")

Persuasive Speech: Logan Bond ("Electoral College")

Fall 2004

Informative Speech: Christy Cobb ("Antibotics")

Persuasive Speech: Kathryn McCain ("Why a Small School?")

Spring 2004

Informative Speech: Mallory Smith ("Demographics of Gambling Addition")

Persuasive Speech: Janney Fleming ("Don't Smoke")