Barr Fellowship in Public Speaking
Students will enroll in a 1-credit course to develop oratory skills and prepare a dynamic 5-minute research talk. Finalists will compete for the Barr Prize in public speaking.
Barr Fellows in public speaking will meet approximately six times as the cohort of a 1-credit class, providing feedback, accountability and encouragement to one another as they develop their presentations for the Spring Honors Research Symposium and prepare themselves to compete for the Barr Prize. In consultation with the Director of Speech, Fellows will steadily develop their talk from the raw research to a polished presentation for a broad audience. In the final part of the semester, they will develop a personal strategy for improving their communication with outside audiences that they can take into professional life.
Finalists from the 1-credit course will be invited to compete on the evening of Thursday, April 3rd in Commonwealth Auditorium for prizes:
1st Place: $1,000
2nd Place: $500
3rd Place: $250
Barr Fellows not selected to compete will present their 5-minute research talks in a session on Friday, April 4th.
Barr Fellows in Public Speaking Registration Deadline: Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:59 pm
After the December deadline, students will be given instructor permission to register for a pass/fail section of SPCH 410 with Len Neighbors. The course will meet on select Monday evenings from 5:00-6:30 pm.
This opportunity has been made possible through the vision and generosity of Stanley “Butch” Barr '62, a legal professional and instructor of speech at the university.
