Public Speaking Night showcases student persuasion

Wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle.

Exercise to combat the obesity epidemic.

Expand school vouchers to better educate K-12 students.

But in the end, it was a medical argument that was most persuasive.

These messages were delivered by students involved in the first-ever University of Wisconsin-Parkside Public Speaking Night contest. Eight students gathered at the Student Center Cinema Thursday, April 26, to deliver six-minute persuasive speeches on topics that stirred their passions. And each speech had to end with a call to action.

The students did not disappoint.

Christopher Evenson, a Sport Management major, presented persuasive evidence that motorcycle helmets save lives while Criminal Justice major Allison George strongly recommended exercise as a way to save lives. Business Management major Tracy Hribar asked listeners to see through the "reality" of reality TV and Kamaljit Maan, a Biological Sciences major, spoke against oil drilling in the Alaskan wildlife refuge.

Brittany Macareno, a Psychology/Sociology major, started the second half of the contest by calling for students to incorporate community-based learning courses into their class schedules and Political Science's Brett McNeil spoke in favor of expanding school vouchers to include all K-12 students. MIS major Daniel Rosenberg spoke on what he saw as the dangerously vague language of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. In the end, it was Joel Trentadue's warning: "don't buy fake medicine; don't buy homeopathic remedies" that won the Biological Sciences major the Public Speaking title.

Judges James Ladwig, Racine Co. Executive and Jennie Tunkieicz, Chief of Staff for Kenosha Co. Executive Jim Kreuser were persuaded by Trentadue's speech. They judged the speeches on time accuracy, the call to action, the speakers' extemporaneous styles, eye contact, gestures, their use of PowerPoint which was mandatory, persuasive technique, supporting evidence, and vocal delivery.   

The contest was presented by the Theater Arts Department's Speech Studies Program and faculty members Bonnie Peterson, Nicholas Ravnikar, and Michael Seyller. For his efforts, Trentadue received a $25 gas card and bragging rights among the speakers.

In the photo, faculty, contestants and judges gather to celebrate the student orators. Show, from left are, host Dave Buchanan, judges Jennie Tunkieicz and James Ladwig, faculty member Bonnie Peterson, students Brittany Macareno, Brett McNeil, Kamaljit Maan, Daniel Rosenberg,  Allison George, Tracy Hribar, Christopher Evenson, and Joel Trentadue and faculty member Michael Seyller.       

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ABOUT THIS STORY:

Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 5/1/2012

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