This competition for Local High School Students is co-sponsored by Furman University and Alpha Phi Alpha Greenville Foundation. The purpose of the competition is to encourage oratorical skill among students in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King and Mr. Joseph Vaughn, who was the first African-American Student at Furman University. The Competition is split into preliminary judging and a final competition in which the student will ask to deliver their speech. Contestants are judged on Speech Development, Effectiveness, Correctness, Speech Value. Final elements will add physical appearance, voice, mannerism, and appropriateness to the judging criteria. The contest was first held in 2008 at the Chapel on Furman University campus. A theme is selected by MLK Planning Committee each year and several prizes are given to participant based on they are judged in the Contest. Full details for this year's competition include the contest packet (below). Upcoming Scheduled Event: February 16, 2019, 10 AM Tabernacle Baptist Church 400 Hudson St, Greenville, South Carolina Deadlines for Entry: January 18, 2019 Deadlines for Speeches: January 25, 2019 speeches are dues on that date. February 6, 2019 - Preliminary Competition (If needed, more than 15 contestants) TBD February 12, 2019- Feedback Session Competition is limited to 35 Participants The theme for 2019 is “Any Law that degrades human personality is unjust. What is my responsibility in today’s society?” Event Chairs: Mike Chatman Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation (864) 735-0880 | Brief History of Joseph Vaughn's Enrollment at Furman University Vaughn proved to be a model student. An English major, he excelled in class, served as head cheerleader, coordinated important campus forums, and volunteered in the Service Corps. Witty and outgoing, he made friends quickly and easily. His smile was like a beam of sunlight; it radiated warmth and joy. After graduating from Furman, Vaughn went on to earn master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia. From 1969 to 1982 he taught in the Greenville County schools, and in 1981 he was elected president of the South Carolina Education Association, a position he held for almost a decade. He died in 1991, having contracted inoperable cancer. Taken from "Furman University: Furman Remembers Its Trailblazer" |