Alford, Lyster and Foster Named Presenter of the Year Finalists by Walton College

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Three Walton College students, from left, Luke Lyster, Avery Alford and Sydney Foster, were finalists in the Presenter of the Year Competition. Alford delivered the winning speech. Lyster came in second, and Foster placed third.

The Business Communication Lab at the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the U of A Department of Communication hosted the annual Presenter of the Year Competition on Nov. 9.

Contestants were Walton College students who were currently enrolled in a public speaking course (COMM 1313). The competition had three rounds, including the finals, and each student delivered a five- to seven-minute informative speech. The final round was open to the public, and over 150 students attended the final round to watch their peers' speeches. Contestants' speeches covered a variety of topics, from electric vehicles to the evolution of business casual attire to the various culinary, cultural and pharmacological benefits of mushrooms.

This competition provides students with the opportunity to practice presentation skills in front of a live audience and also rewards students who deliver excellent speeches. Students benefit by improving their public speaking skills, and the university community benefits by learning about topics that are of interest to its students. 

Avery Alford delivered the winning speech, receiving a $400 gift card; Luke Lyster came in second, winning a $200 gift card; and Syndey Foster placed third, receiving a $100 gift card. Billy Ray Donaldson, Hope Shumake and Hayden Swope also presented in the final round.

Special judges for the final round were Stephanie Schulte, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication; Liza Vammen, assistant director of the Business Communication Lab; and Mitchelle Atungulu, a Walton junior marketing major who was the 2019 competition winner.

"Public speaking often ranks as something that people fear. That's why I'm so impressed that these students overcame any speech anxiety and delivered such insightful, informative speeches," said Ryan Sheets, director of the Business Communication Lab. "Every year I am amazed at how much I learn from these student presentations."

"The Presenter of the Year competition allows our students an additional opportunity to gain experience and is certainly a benefit to business majors wanting to increase their confidence and competence in public speaking," said Lauren Lambert, COMM 1313 course director. "We are proud to showcase the hard work of our COMM 1313 students through this event and honored to have this partnership with the Walton College."

Details on the event can be found by visiting its webpage.