By Frankie Farrar-Helm/reporter
Ten things make being bald manly, said Mark Young, one of six TCC students who performed during Speech Night held earlier this month on NE Campus.
Young counted down the reasons in Baldness, his comical speech about his own lack of hair.
“The 10th reason why being bald is manly is: doing your hair is a loss of ‘man points,’” Young said.
The final reason: “Bald is beautiful.”
Young and other forensics students performed seven speeches at the event. The students also performed the speeches at the weeklong National Phi Rho Pi Speech/Debate Tournament April 5-10 in New Orleans.
The goal of Speech Night held in the NFAB Theatre was to raise money for the trip.
Every two-year college in the nation with a forensics program competes in the Phi Rho Pi tournament, said Anne Fleischer, a NE speech and debate coach.
“These events are individual interpretive events, close to acting, that focus on the communicative nature of interpretation,” Fleischer said. “It combines academics with performance.”
Forensics is a yearlong class beginning in September and ending with Phi Rho Pi in April. Students compete individually but as members of a team.
“The students are dedicated to competing and representing their school,” Fleischer said. “They spend eight to 10 hours a week studying their events. It’s a highly rewarding program but expensive due to traveling, which is why we are doing this fundraiser.”
The types of speeches the students performed include dramatic, prose and interpretations, programmed oral interpretations and informative speaking.
Forensic student Elizabeth Price presented a dramatic interpretation titled All About Eggs about a woman being inseminated with her sister’s reproductive eggs.
“Our ties within our family infiltrate with changes,” Price said as part of her speech.
All About Eggs won third place in a recent statewide tournament.
Price also presented Habits, a poetry interpretation, or selections of poetry drawn from more than one source. She explained in her performance that the habits from which people try to dissociate make them who they are.
Students Rachel Jensen and Whitney Huska gave prose interpretations, which are selections of prose material from more than one source.
Jensen’s speech, What I Wore, explained that identities are sometimes suppressed.
“It is only when we are left maskless that we find out who we are,” she said.
Huska’s Art of Hospitality discussed the traditional idea of entertaining in a home and the two reasons someone is invited to a party, Huska said.
“One, to enjoy your entertainment and, two, to exploit you,” she said.
Ladi Oyediran presented programmed oral interpretations, which are made up of at least two selections from different genres of literature and must develop a theme.
His speech, titled Gendercide, explained what it takes for mankind to understand the devastation of extinction.
“We are currently in our sixth major extinction,” Oyediran said.
Ashley Borck gave her informative speech, Palotometer.
“Speech impediments affect 3 million Americans today,” Borck said before describing the palotometer, an electronic device used to correct speech, to the audience.
NE student Devon McIntosh attended the event for extra credit for her public speaking class and presentation tips.
“We’re about to present our speeches for class,” McIntosh said. “I figured this could give me some inspiration and make me less nervous when speaking.”
Afterward, McIntosh said she was glad she came.
“It will definitely help in the future,” she said.
Andrea Neely, also taking speech classes on NE Campus, went to receive extra credit and to become better at public speaking.
“I want to see a persuasive speech because I’m doing one in my communications class,” Neely said. “Starting a speech is difficult, so hopefully this will give me a better idea.”
After listening to each student speak, Neely said she would like to listen to speech presentations again.
“Mark was my favorite because he was really funny,” she said. “It was interesting watching the informative speech because I learned how to quote sources.”
