Students enrolled in public speaking classes at Washburn University were chosen to compete recently in the annual Speak Off competition in April.
Finalist for the competition, their hometown, topic and placement were:
Sarah Barnett, Topeka, “MD vs. DO,” first place
Angelique Flinn, Topeka, “Oxfam,” second place
Wang Pan, Quzhou, China, “Fortune Cookies,” third place
Gabrielle Ruiz, Topeka, “Countering United State Sex Trafficking,” fourth place
Shuyue Chen, Jinhua, China, “Personality Colors,” fifth place
Vanessa Baker, Topeka, “Internet Additions,” sixth place
Barnett, also will receive the Nall Award, named after the benefactor of the event. Robert Nall is a 1990 graduate of the communications department.
More than 180 students are enrolled in public speaking this semester. From these, the top six students were selected based on their preliminary round performance, to compete for the Speak Off championship.
The communications department hosts the event.
Contact:
Steve Doubledee, lecturer, communication and assistant director, forensics, 785-670-2230
Amanda Hughes, university relations, 785-670-2153
