By Marley Malenfant/reporter

Nine students participated in the ninth annual speech competition on SE Campus held in Roberson Theatre.

This year’s pre-competition skit was “TCC’s The View,” starring Courtney Kopecky, Tonya Blivens, Rebekah Pointer and Ashley Alfaro, who all teach speech.

Blivens also judged along with Stephen Brown, SE speech instructor, and Jani Rogers, former TCC speech instructor.

Pointer said most topics are about the environment and can be informative or persuasive speeches.

“We always have speeches that are centered around environmental topics,” she said. “Last year, the theme was ‘TCC’s American Idol,’ and we did little preliminary skits.”

Students chose to speak on topics like bullying, technology and the reason King Tut died.

SE student Robert Myers, whose speech was called “Terminating Technology,” said he was tense before the speech.

“I’m a little nervous, but I don’t have stage fright,” he said. “I have a little theater experience.”

Before the competition, students waited in the green room and pulled cards to determine the order of the speeches. Scholarship checks were given to the top four students, and the audience favorite also won an award.

SE student Veronica Gallardo presented “Are We at Risk? Evaluation of Natural Gas Drilling.” She said she wanted to inform people about the dangers of the environment. 

“I talked to kids in my neighborhood, and some are suffering with asthma and allergies,” she said. “With all the construction going on, people are being affected.”

First place went to Myers while Gallardo and Melissa Brown won second and third place. Fourth place went to Faryall Hasan, and David Butler won audience favorite.

Rogers gave a speech at the end of the competition and said she was impressed with the speeches.

“It’s been eight years since I taught in a class,” she said. “These students are far above what I’ve seen. They are amazing.”