Carolyn Black, a business administration major from Alapaha, came in second place with an informative speech on anxiety disorders. Other finalists included Shannon Barron, an early childhood education major from Tifton; Lindsey Walker, a business administration major from Tifton; Joey Pritchett, an undeclared major from Tifton; and Audie Rowe, a criminal justice major from Adel.
"The speech I delivered in the finals was probably the best I'd ever given," Gay said. "Winning was an added bonus. There were a lot of good speakers and interesting topics. I was really impressed with the other speeches and consider myself lucky to have won."
One student from each of the Communications 1000 and 1100 classes was represented in the competition, with the best speaker in each class selected for the competition. Before the final round of speeches, there were two preliminary rounds. The top three students from each preliminary advanced to the finals.
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.
Sheila Hughes, ABAC's Director of Forensics, coordinated the showcase.
"We have a lot of talented students in our communications classes," Hughes said. "This was a great chance for us to present the best of the best."
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