Speech Competition Rules

LASER Speech Contest 2020 Official Rules:

THE COMPETITION

On behalf of Johnston Community College, the Language and Speech Educational Resources (LASER) have coordinated the LASER Speech Competition to promote practical applications of exceptional communication among the student population. This opportunity aligns with the organization’s goals to continually enhance student success and the student experience.

ELIGIBILITY

The Competition is open to all students that are currently enrolled in courses at Johnston Community College.

SPEECH REQUIREMENTS

  • Topic: Students will develop a speech that discusses their interpretation of the word “love” and what that means for them.
  • Time: The speech must be 5 minutes in length.
  • Speech Delivery: The speech can be delivered as a word for word manuscript or in an extemporaneous manner using notes cards.

QUALIFYING GUIDELINES

To qualify for auditions, students must complete and submit an application by December 20, 2020.

Auditions will be held on Wednesday, January 15th from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the LASER Lab located in the Learning Resource Center.

On the day of the audition, each participant must agree to sign a Student Participation Waiver. Once the waiver is signed, each participant should deliver a one minute excerpt of their speech and provide a printed copy of that excerpt; each participant will only be allowed to audition once. All auditions will be recorded.

Once all of the participants have auditioned, the LASER Instructors will deliberate and select the finalists. There will only be eight finalists chosen to partake in the Competition on Wednesday, February 12th, 2020. The contest will be held in the Great Hall in the Tart Building on Johnston Community College’s campus.

FINAL ROUND

The Competition will take place in the Great Hall in the Tart Building at Johnston Community College on Wednesday, February 12th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. The speakers will begin to recite their speeches promptly at 5:45 pm.

JUDGING THE COMPETITION

There will be five judges evaluating the speakers’ performance. Each judge will reference the LASER Speech Competition Delivery Rubric to critique each contestant. Once all of the contestants have presented their speeches, the judges will deliberate to determine the Winner and 1st runner-up.

WINNER AND PRIZE

Of the eight finalists to participate in the final round of the Competition, there will only be one Grand Prize Winner. The speaker with the highest point average will be the overall Winner of the Competition. The Winner will be announced at the end of the Competition on Wednesday, February 12th. There will also be a prize given to the first runner-up.

FINAL STATEMENT OF PARTICIPATION

By participating in the LASER Speech Competition, each participant agrees to uphold the Official Rules and all Johnston Community College policies. Moreover, each participant must be the sole author and creator of his or her speech from the first stage to the last stage of the Competition.

If the Student Participation Waiver is violated during any stage of the Competition, the participant will be disqualified. Additional assistance from an instructor or peer will result in the disqualification of the participant. Overall, any misrepresentation will result in the participant being disqualified from the Competition.