As likely as not, college and university presidents are in the news now for rather more uncomfortable reasons--for investigations into their seemingly greedy and extravagant ways, for compromising circumstances involving big-time athletic teams and corrupt coaches, for personal scandals, or for attempts to discuss pseudo-academic issues that veer…

In this day, people all over academia feel that our democracy is eroding and that there is no need for rhetoric. Yet, if some effort is not made to help young people understand democracy and the role of public speaking in this form of government, all will truly be lost. The battle is always ongoing as long as on person stands to tell the story.…

Introducing the tale--A young girl about eleven years old appeared on the TV screen. She stood in an art museum expounding upon the painting hanging behind her. She talked about the artist and what the image portrayed. With an air of elitist prissiness that suited the museum environment, the girl delivered her presentation to a group of…

Background: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an adrenal androgen which is stress responsive and a trigger for pubertal maturation. Studies on basal DHEA suggest protective benefits against anxiety and depression, yet it is unknown whether DHEA responsivity is protective. Methods: Structural equation modeling examined salivary DHEA responses to a…

This study observes and examines how upper intermediate to advanced level college students perform and perceive one-topic-for-each student presentation as a means of learning English. It is also to have the prospective medical doctors ready for their future use of English presentation and paper writing since such demand is on the rise in the…

Teaching that intentionally integrates cognitive learning with students' affective lives is the kind of pedagogy that can leave a long lasting, even transformative impression on students that outlives the details of course content. Because this author wants her students to truly engage with the subject of domestic violence, she finds it essential…

A group of five graduate students and a faculty mentor used the cultural popularity of forensics to develop a first-year undergraduate seminar. This course fulfilled two main objectives: First, the graduate student instructors developed professionally through a two-year process of creating, instructing, and revising a course. Second, a variety of…

A speech instructor at Owensboro Community College (Kentucky) found that his switch from the CEDA (Cross Examination Debate Association) speech tournament to the NEDA (National Education Debate Association) speech tournament was beneficial for his students. After the Highland Community College (Kentucky) tournament in January of 1994, the…

Intended for the young person who is interested in learning the fine points of debate, this handbook states that debate can influence people, sharpen the mind, and enhance a person's speaking abilities. The handbook covers a range of subjects of interest to the young debater--for example, (1) how debates are judged; (2) how to prepare for a…

This paper offers instruction for college students on the preparation and presentation of toasts for various social gatherings and occasions--as a "real life" application of public speaking. The paper includes a description of a toast proposal, toast outline, toast speech evaluation form, and two sample toast outlines. It suggests a…

Claiming that discourse has atrophied in a social climate that provides little space for reasoned discussion of vital issues, this paper explores the role the general education course in public speaking has played in the past and the role this course could play in the future in the restoration of public space. Divided into three focused sections,…

Such terms as "intrinsic justification,""intrinsicness," and "intrinsicality" are increasingly being heard in academic debate circles. Intrinsic justification consists of an argument which focuses evaluation of a resolutional term on the term's definitional contours. Essential qualities are defining characteristics…

Intercollegiate competitive speech and debate is at a crossroads requiring massive reforms, or the academic exercise will lose its power to provide lasting benefits. Likewise, the scope of individual events is in a constant state of change. One constant, however, is the value of extemporaneous speaking which encompasses many of the ideals…

A study examined introductions used in competitive oral interpretation events. A total of 97 introductions (from four oral interpretation events at a nationally recognized Midwestern intercollegiate forensic tournament) were analyzed using four categories: Descriptive, Simple Theme, Descriptive and Simple Theme, and Argumentative Theme. Results…

The American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) provides a good example of the parliamentary style of debate. The APDA and the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) can be compared by considering several factors: (1) geographic participation; (2) sponsorship; (3) procedural differences; (4) resolutions; and (5) decision rendering. The…