McKenzie receives first place in IUPUC’s 2016 Spring SpeakEasy

by Belinda Allen
May 3, 2016
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Daryn McKenzie, of Columbus, received first place in the 2016 Spring SpeakEasy at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC). The event, hosted by the Division of Liberal Arts and the Communication Studies Program, was held on Friday, April 29 and featured seven student speakers from the Fundamentals of Speech Communication course.

The seven students, their hometown, and topics of speech are:

  • Andrea Capunay | Columbus
    Domestic violence
  • Hella Tefera | Columbus
    Ethiopia
  • Daryn Mckenzie | Columbus
    Effect of breast cancer awareness on survivors
  • Maclyn Greenlee | Hope
    Eva Kor: Holocaust survivor
  • Sophia Janic | Columbus
    Mission to Mars
  • Keirsten Taylor | Columbus
    The brain
  • Michael Spoor | Greenwood
    Relay for Life

The event is an opportunity for students to refine their public speaking skills with mentorship from faculty members. This year’s faculty members were Mr. Jim Byrd, Dr. Meredith Neville-Shepard, Dr. Ryan Neville-Shepard, and Mr. Kevin Welsh.

Dr. Anna Carmon, program director for communication studies, says, “The SpeakEasy is a fantastic opportunity for students to not only showcase their public speaking skills, but also to have the opportunity to speak in front of a large audience. Most employers say one of the key skills they are looking for in new graduates are communication skills, namely the ability to effectively communicate ideas in a public setting.”

Jaclyn Hill Vanosdol, a 2015 graduate of the communications studies program, gave the keynote address for the event. She is a leasing consultant at Riverstone Apartments in Columbus, IN where she works primarily with international residents. While at IUPUC, she won the 2015 Communication Student of the Year award, was an OSR grant winner, and a research presenter. She also traveled abroad to London in her junior year.

The event featured four judges, two faculty judges - Dr. Darrin Carr, Dr. Terry Dibble and two community judges - Nathan Walsh (IUPUC Alum) and Jalene Hahn.

The first, second, and third place finishers received a scholarship for the fall 2016 semester in the amounts of $200, $150, and $100.