COM103 Annual Spotlight Competition
What is the Spotlight Competition?
This spotlight competition allows students who completed COM103 in the previous academic year to showcase their work. They are nominated by COM103 faculty members and then compete in live-performance preliminary and final speaking rounds.
Finalists compete for cash prizes in front of an audience of students, instructors, and community members, and a reception is open to all after the event. A panel of judges evaluates the competition, and a film crew from the TV Arts program records the performances. The event is made possible through the generous support of the Presentation Assistance Center and the Department of Communication.
When is the competition?
Each fall semester.
Fall 2023 Competition:
Preliminary Rounds: September 5, 6, 7. 5PM. Garrett Cultural Center Auditorium.
Final Round: September 13. 5PM. Marty Theater.
Who can compete?
Students enrolled in COM103 the previous academic year. For example, the competition of Fall 2023 includes students in Summer 2022, Fall 2022, January Interim 2023, and Spring 2023.
The COM103 faculty will nominate 20-24 students to compete in the competition.
How does the competition work?
The competitors will be notified at the end of the spring semester about their nomination.
They will have the summer to work with their instructor to prepare for the competition.
During the second week of the fall semester the competitors will present in 2 different preliminary rounds with 5-6 competitors.
The top 6-8 scorers from the preliminary rounds will move on to the final round.
What do the Competitors win?
- 1st Place-$500
- 2nd Place-$250
- 3rd Place-$100
- 4th-6th-$50 each
Each of the finalists name will be placed on a plaque in the Department of Communication along with their instructors name.
Who are the judges?
Com103 instructors, Presentation Assistance Center workers, Speech team members, individuals from different areas on campus.
How is the competition judged?
There will be a uniform scoring rubric used in both the preliminary and final rounds. The preliminary rounds will have 3 judges. The judges will be COM103 instructors and other trained speech evaluators. None of the judges will be a competitor’s nominating instructor in the preliminary rounds.
What speeches can be given?
COM103 students deliver a wide-ranging assortment of speeches including informative, persuasive, special occasion, civic engagement, cultural awareness, and many more. For this competition, any type of speech may be delivered as long as it was initially delivered in the COM103 classroom. Once nominated, the speaker and the instructor will consult as to which speech to deliver in the competition.