The first annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Speech Competition will be held at The University of Memphis on Friday, Jan. 26.
The five finalists will present their original speeches on the theme "Civil Rights, Social Activism, and Environmental Justice."
Despite the small number of applicants, David Acey, professor of communications at The U of M, hopes others will find the speeches interesting.
"We'd like students and faculty to come out and support the competition," Acey said.
Pradeep Sopory, communication professor at the U of M, agreed.
"We are satisfied with the turnout, although we expected more applicants," Sopory said.
The student oration competition is sponsored by The U of M Department of Communication. The winner will receive a $500 honorarium and will present their speech at the opening ceremony of Africa in April on April 2, 2001, at Memphis City Hall.
The theme was chosen by the Communication Department to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by supporting the virtues he stood for. It will be held around his birthday, January 15.
"It (the competition) was something that was long overdue," Acey said.
According to Sopory, the competition is appropriate since King's teachings and ideas are still relevant.
"It is an opportunity for students to reflect on his ideas and see how they relate to their own lives and to society in general," Sopory said.
The competition will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, in Harris Concert Hall in the Music Building.
