Amherst College has valued rhetoric and oratory from the very beginning of the College’s history, when in 1827, Rhetoric was required of every Freshman. Speaking contests and speaking prizes were favorite traditions at Amherst and this year, we’re bringing them back!
The theme for this year’s speaking competition is "Truth."
Student speakers will compete in Johnson Chapel on February 21, 2019, from 4:30 – 6pm at an event sponsored by the Writing Center and hosted by Susan Daniels, associate in public speaking.
Eligibility
Open to all full-time students.
Requirements
Students interested in competing must register online no later than 10pm on December 5, 2018.
This competition requires a persuasive speech rather than a solely informative speech. The speech should have relevance and interest for an Amherst College audience and should be presented in a manner appropriate for the occasion and setting. The speech should not be read from a script, and no PowerPoint may be used. The theme, “Truth” is intentionally broad. You decide what aspect of truth (or non-truth) you want to speak about.
Each competitor will present a five to seven-minute persuasive speech. Each judge will assign a score for each competitor’s presentation. The students with the highest total scores will receive the prizes.
The Prizes
Four cash prizes will be awarded. Prize recipients will be recognized at the annual College Meeting and/or the Senior Assembly.
The Bancroft Prize:
Established by Frederic Bancroft of the Class of 1882, the Bancroft Prize is awarded to a senior who produces the best oration. Both composition and delivery are considered.
The Gilbert Prize:
Established by William O. Gilbert of the class of 1890, The Gilbert Prize is awarded to a member of the junior class who produces the best oration. Both composition and delivery are considered in making the award.
The Kellogg Prizes:
The Kellogg Prize was established by Rufus B. Kellogg of the Class of 1858, and consist of two prizes which are awarded to members of the sophomore or freshman classes for excellence in declamation.
Scoring
Competitors will be evaluated on the following components:
Content and Organization
- Topic and specific focus were appropriate for the audience (Amherst community).
- Clear organization was followed consistently throughout the speech.
- Speech consistently used evidence that was appropriate for the topic (e.g., narrative, statistics) and was cited as appropriate.
- Language use was appropriate (e.g., avoided jargon) and suited to the occasion.
- Logical connections were clearly made between ideas within the speech.
Delivery
- Speaker’s use of vocal qualities (volume, pitch, emphasis) enhanced the presentation.
- Nonverbal behaviors (gestures and eye contact) enhanced the presentation.
- Speaker was fluent (e.g., avoided fillers such as “um”) and conversational.
Overall Impression
- The speaker was engaging throughout the presentation.
- The overall presentation was consistently persuasive.