The Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase (VSPSS), hosted by Missouri State University’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film (CMJF), gives Fundamentals of Public Speaking (COM 115) students the opportunity to practice what they have learned in class.

The students were assigned different instructors who guided their practice and gave feedback. They then presented their best persuasive speeches to their peers and a panel of judges made up of MSU faculty members and other public speaking experts.

This year’s Spring VSPSS took place on April 29 in the Plaster Student Union.

The judges were Dr. Carrisa Hoelscher, Dr. Kelly Wood and Tyler Curran from MSU and public speakers Chris Roberds and Ethan Gambriel.

Christian Byndom, a psychology major from Nixa, Missouri, presented a speech titled, “Seeing People for Who They Are.” Byndom emerged as first place and audience choice award winner.

“Being surrounded by such talented people, not only in the finals but in the first two rounds, motivated me to become better and I’m honored to have been among such phenomenal competitors,” Byndom said.

Gavin Robertson, Lauren Painter, Faith Hinrichs and Maddux Radosevic finished second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Exciting learning opportunity

The VSPSS competition begins with two preliminary rounds. Students had a maximum of 9 minutes per round to present their speeches. Judging criteria included verbal and nonverbal delivery habits like appropriate posture, facial expressions and gestures, eye contact, articulation and pronunciation.

After the preliminary rounds, five finalists emerged.

“It was a challenging endeavor, yet I’m so glad I participated. The experience helped me develop my public speaking skills and get over the nerves of speaking in front of an audience,” said Robertson, a computer science major from Ozark, Missouri.

He presented a speech titled, “The Importance of General Education.”

Painter, who is from St. Charles, Missouri, and majoring in political science, spoke about “Why You Should Support Small Businesses Over Large Corporations.”

“I had a phenomenal experience showcasing my public speaking skills while also talking about my passion for supporting small businesses,” she said.

Hinrichs, a nursing major from Jefferson City, Missouri, noted the showcase was an opportunity to step out of her comfort zone.

“I realized I had the potential to make it to the final round and I just had to make it happen,” Hinrichs said. “It was fun meeting new people and progressing to the final round. VSPSS allowed me to grow as a public speaker and as a person.”

Her speech was titled, “Respect for the Elderly.”

Radosevic, a journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri, enjoyed competing with other speakers. He presented a speech titled, “Elvis Presley.”

“It was an opportunity to share a speech with an outstanding audience while also competing with eloquent speakers,” said Radosevic. “I’m grateful to my classmates, my instructor Hunter Lauf and all the people who made this worthwhile event possible.”

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Photos by Sargent Photag.