Students Present Speeches Celebrating Life of King

Story by Broadside Staff Writer Adam Sylvain. Photo by Peter Flint.

The first annual MLK Oratorical Contest celebrated the life and accomplishments of King and his impact on the nation.

The contest took place Tuesday, Jan. 27, in the Johnson Center Cinema and was hosted by the MLK Day Celebration Committee and the Office of Diversity Programs and Services. A cash reward was offered to the top three finalists. Several distinguished faculty members were on hand to assist in judging the competition.

“Advertisement began in the fall. We distributed posters in the Johnson Center and displayed messages on the plasma screens and through various e-mail listservs,” said Charles Kellom, assistant director with ODPS, who helped organize the event.

Interested students were required to submit a draft of their speech before Nov. 1 and were encouraged to present speeches between four and a half and seven minutes long.

Nine entrants were invited to participate in the preliminary round in early November. The group was then narrowed to five finalists who competed on stage in front of an audience of fellow students, faculty and judges.

Judging the presenters were Wendi Manuel-Scott, David Atkins and Joya Crear. A professor in the Department of History and Art History, Manuel-Scott is also the director of African-American Studies.

Atkins is the current executive director of Student Centers and former president of the Black Alumni Association. Crear, director of ODPS, completed the panel of judges. Speeches were graded on their content, language and delivery, receiving a combined score in all three areas.

Kevin Phillips, a graduate student in communication, finished first in the competition after delivering a speech on the subject of racial equality and the need to actively reform social injustices. He cited the need to consistently improve our country, acknowledging the contributions of our forefathers as a great model, but refuted the presence of an absolute doctrine.

Phillips was the only graduate student in the group of finalists. While working on his graduate degree in crisis communication, he also helps coach the university’s nationally renowned forensics team.

In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship, Phillips was invited to introduce the keynote speaker, of Maryland, Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: Evening of Reflection event.

Freshman special education major Lauren Rose received first runner-up honors for her reflection on the historical impact of figures such as King and President Barack Obama. She received a cash prize of $500 for her second place finish.

Juan Cruz, a sophomore with an undecided major, accepted a cash prize of $250 as the second runner-up. In his speech, Cruz argued that our country will not realize the dream of pure equality until we break free from the discriminatory words that continue to “infect” our free culture.

Jonathan Tallman, an undergraduate history major, and freshman global affairs major Jonathan Carlone, were also recognized for their strong presence in the competition.