Dannis B. Eaton Speech Competition to Focus On The Planet

The Dannis B. Eaton “RedHawk Talks” Speech Competition is a beloved tradition in SCM’s Fundamentals of Speech program. In years past, the TED Talks-inspired contest has prompted students to tackle topics like “My Community” and “My Stamp,” which asked competitors to talk about leaving a unique mark on their communities. This year, however, the competition is joining forces with the #FocusClimateChange project, to encourage students to talk about an increasingly important topic – “My Earth.”

The annual event kicks off with the qualifying round on October 30 in Morehead 201. Here, students will give a short one to two-minute preview of their speech to judges. If selected as one of the finalists, students will move on to the November 18 speech competition, where they will have the chance to win up to $300.

Each year, the topic is intentionally left broad to allow students the freedom to talk about anything they’re passionate about. This year, topics can range from “the greatest threat to the earth” to the ways in which we must change our relationship with the planet.

Students interested in competing in the qualifying round can contact Public Speaking Resource Center Speech Consultant Stephanie Pitera at piteras1@montclair.edu.