Annual Oratorical Contest Restructured
Truman students have a chance to speak their minds and earn cash prizes in this year’s restructured Chandler Monroe Oratorical Contest.
The contest is named after Dr. Chandler Monroe, a former Truman professor of communication and 1990 Educator of the Year, who passed away from cancer. Toni Monroe, Monroe’s widow, endowed the prize money to the Department of Communication in honor of her husband and his passion for rhetoric. This year, the Department of Communication has united with Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor fraternity, to completely revamp the competition in hopes of attracting more student participation.
The first of the changes includes three new divisions. Previously, the contest was only open to students enrolled in COMM 170: Public Speaking, during that academic year. This year, these contestants will be entered in the novice COMM 170 division, and two additional divisions have been created to encourage more experienced speakers to participate. The advanced division is for contestants who have taken COMM 170 (or the equivalent) and who are not members of activities that require extra advanced public speaking skills such as Model U.N., Mock Trial Team or the Speech and Debate Team. Students who are engaged in co-curricular activities like these are encouraged to enter the contest in the open division, which is open to all currently enrolled students.
In addition to the new divisions, contestants will also be able to enter three different categories. This year students will choose whether to perform ceremonial, informative or persuasive speeches.
The contest will consist of preliminary rounds, a final round and an award ceremony at the Student Research Conference in April.
Registration for the event will continue until 5 p.m. March 25. The COMM 170 division’s preliminary rounds will be March 29; the advanced division’s preliminary rounds will be March 30; and the open division’s preliminary rounds will be March 31. All final rounds will take place April 5. For more information or to register, visit http://communication.truman.edu/chandlermonroe2011.asp.
The contest is named after Dr. Chandler Monroe, a former Truman professor of communication and 1990 Educator of the Year, who passed away from cancer. Toni Monroe, Monroe’s widow, endowed the prize money to the Department of Communication in honor of her husband and his passion for rhetoric. This year, the Department of Communication has united with Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor fraternity, to completely revamp the competition in hopes of attracting more student participation.
The first of the changes includes three new divisions. Previously, the contest was only open to students enrolled in COMM 170: Public Speaking, during that academic year. This year, these contestants will be entered in the novice COMM 170 division, and two additional divisions have been created to encourage more experienced speakers to participate. The advanced division is for contestants who have taken COMM 170 (or the equivalent) and who are not members of activities that require extra advanced public speaking skills such as Model U.N., Mock Trial Team or the Speech and Debate Team. Students who are engaged in co-curricular activities like these are encouraged to enter the contest in the open division, which is open to all currently enrolled students.
In addition to the new divisions, contestants will also be able to enter three different categories. This year students will choose whether to perform ceremonial, informative or persuasive speeches.
The contest will consist of preliminary rounds, a final round and an award ceremony at the Student Research Conference in April.
Registration for the event will continue until 5 p.m. March 25. The COMM 170 division’s preliminary rounds will be March 29; the advanced division’s preliminary rounds will be March 30; and the open division’s preliminary rounds will be March 31. All final rounds will take place April 5. For more information or to register, visit http://communication.truman.edu/chandlermonroe2011.asp.
