Six prizes were awarded across three categories in the annual Public Speaking Competition on Saturday, March 3, in the Chapel. The finalists were chosen after an open preliminary round held in February. Speakers’ presentations were either persuasive or informative in nature, and in one category students were asked to address an assigned topic.

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Six prizes were awarded across three categories in the annual Public Speaking Competition on Saturday, March 5, in the Chapel. The 17 finalists were chosen after an open preliminary round held in February. Speakers' presentations were either persuasive or informative in nature, and in one category, speakers were asked to address an assigned topic.

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Can practicing speeches in Second Life reduce speech anxiety in real life? Jim Helmer, Oral Communication Center coordinator, and Carl Rosenfield, instructional technology specialist, addressed that question in a presentation at the National Association of Communication Centers annual conference at DePauw University on March 12. Helmer and Rosenfield reported on a pilot project conducted in Helmer’s ORCOM 100 class to explore the potential of using the 3-D virtual world of Second Life as a “space” for students to practice oral presentations. A key question was whether practicing in Second Life might help apprehensive students feel more comfortable when they faced their real-world audience.

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Hamilton's 2010 Public Speaking Competition will take place on Saturday, March 6, from 1-5 p.m., in the Chapel. Thirteen students will compete for three different prizes in this annual event: The McKinney Prize, The Clark Prize, and The Warren Wright Prize. More ...