The Blinn College District invites the community to become the jury as students assert their arguments during a district-wide public speaking contest Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Blinn-Bryan Campus.
“Speak Up! Speak Out!” will begin at 6pm in Student Center Room F-120 (map), and will feature informative speeches from six Blinn students. The audience will vote anonymously via mobile device to determine which students take home the top three prizes.
“This interactive event encourages community engagement with our students and provides a unique forum for them to get real-world public speaking experience in front of a diverse audience,” said Jay Pedregosa, speech professor and event coordinator. “By including each of Blinn’s five campuses, this contest truly represents the district-wide talent of our students and the skills they master through our innovative programs.”
The speeches will cover a variety of topics, including global issues, current events, and student matters. Contestants are asked to keep their dialogue under 10 minutes.
The contest is open to all students across Blinn’s five campuses and will feature various prizes from the Division of Visual/Performing Arts and Kinesiology. Students interested in competing in the contest have until Monday, Nov. 11, to register at http://bit.ly/SpeakUpContest.
“Our goal is to help students realize that public speaking is a skill that will benefit them at each stage of their academic and professional careers,” says Pedregosa. “From job interviews to presentations, mastering the ability to present their ideas is beneficial to their future and we want to emphasize the value in making their voices heard.”
Registration for Blinn’s winter minimester, which runs Dec. 16-Jan. 9, is available through Dec. 15, and registration for the spring semester is open through Jan. 20. College officials encourage early registration for convenient scheduling and placement in high-demand courses.
For enrollment or financial aid information, visit www.blinn.edu.
About the Blinn College District With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. Courses are available online and at five Central Texas campuses, and students save 42 percent in tuition and fees compared to the average state university. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
