The 31st Purdue University North Central Hyde Park Forum Public Speaking Contest will be Wednesday, April 16, at 6 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The annual Hyde Park Forum is a fun and challenging annual speaking event open to all PNC students who will present their thoughts on a variety of subjects. Many of the speakers will be students in the PNC Communication 114 class. All participants will meet prior to the start of the contest in Library-Student-Faculty (LSF) Building Assembly Hall, Room 02. Speakers will be assigned rooms on campus for their speeches.
Visitors are welcome to move from room to room to listen to the student speakers. Several speakers will present in each room, with judges evaluating them. The speeches are thought-provoking, insightful and often present new or differing points of view to the listeners. Topics range from commentary on current news, observations of the social or cultural climate or remarks on subjects of interest to the speaker.
Following the presentation of the speeches, participants and guests may go to Assembly Hall for a 15-minute award ceremony in which all speakers are recognized.
Each classroom will have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Hyde Park Forum winners will compete in a "Speak-Off" on Friday, April 18, from noon to 1 p.m. in LSF Assembly Hall, Room 02. One overall winner will be named, with several runners up. The Hyde Park Forum and Speak-Off are sponsored by the PNC Department of Communication. Additional sponsors are still being sought.
The Speak Off winners will earn monetary prizes - $200 for 1st place; $100 for 2nd place and $50 for 3rd place.
The concept for the Hyde Park Forum is loosely based on London's Hyde Park, a public park known as a gathering place for speakers who wish to state their minds. Hyde Park has gained prominence as a reference to freedom of speech and intriguing speaking. The PNC Hyde Park Forum offers a similar opportunity for students to stand and deliver their messages to a group of interested listeners. The Hyde Park Forum continues to be a source of encouragement for speakers of all ages at PNC.