IMMEDIATE                                                                                    APRIL 27, 2004

SCREVEN STUDENT CAPTURES SPEECH SHOWCASE AT ABAC

TIFTON—Colby Wright, an agriculture major from Screven, won the 36th annual Lew Akin Speech Showcase at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College by delivering an informative speech on team roping.

The showcase is named for former ABAC professor Lew Akin and was established in 1969.   Akin served as division chairman of Humanities from 1975-1991.

The top speaker from each of the Communications 1000 and 1100 classes at ABAC participated in the competition.  Sixteen students competed in the initial rounds of the contest. Before the final round of speeches, there were three preliminary rounds. The top student from each preliminary advanced to the finals. Approximately 200 persons were in attendance for all the sessions in the showcase. 

Each contestant delivered a five to ten minute informative or persuasive presentation that was judged on such criteria as content, organization, evidence, and eye contact. Kay Weeks, Associate Professor of Humanities at ABAC, coordinated the showcase. Anthony Hall, a veterinary medicine major from Dalton, was the fall semester winner.               

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