ScotSpeak!: the voice of a new generation

By: Kyle Christensen
Features Editor

This upcoming weekend will be an especially hectic one for the Monmouth College ScotSpeak! speech and debate team. As they spend the greater portion of Friday and Saturday competing at Bradley University in one of the biggest national gatherings of the semester, the group must also finalize preparations for an all-day speech tournament to be hosted here on campus on Sunday, Nov. 5 in the Haldeman-Thiessen Science Center.

However, this is only a few of many accomplishments that the group has achieved in just the past few months, and according to ScotSpeak! leaders it will be the beginning of so much more to be accomplished in a season that may be considered their most prosperous in recent years.

ScotSpeak! is an umbrella organization that consists of three designated areas of public presentation: Forensics (headed by sophomore Danellia Connell), Debate (under the leadership of sophomore John Wells) and the ThinkLab academic trivia contest (directed by senior Lauren Swanson).

Swanson, who also serves as president of the entire, overarching ScotSpeak! establishment, has been highly impressed with the amount of dedication and commitment she has seen from its members this semester alone.

“The biggest change from last year is that people are motivated and really into it,” stated Swanson.

Consistent membership in the group has increased dramatically with the start of the fall season, and Wells is impressed by the amount of enthusiasm he has seen from those involved, commenting, “Last year, we were just trying to get the ball rolling. Now we have to start rethinking goals, because we’ve already exceeded my goals for this year. I am ecstatic with the progress made, thus far.”

ScotSpeak! has participated in numerous competitions throughout the Midwest, making appearances at such institutions as Illinois Central College, Moraine Valley Community College and Northern Illinois University (where they progressed into the quarterfinals and Wells scored the title of top speaker for their division).

“We’ve competed against 100 schools in this semester alone,” said Benita Dilley, associate professor of communication and faculty sponsor for ScotSpeak!.

Yet despite these and other honors the group has attained, they appear to be in dire need of necessary monetary backing in order to continue. “Unless we get funding from the administration, Monmouth College is not going to have a speech and debate program next year,” stated Dilley. According to Swanson, “The school and Student Senate [ASMC] have been really supportive of what we’re doing, [but] the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I really have to fight for what I want.”

While the future of the team’s status may be unclear at this point, ScotsSpeak! will continue to participate in competitions and help themselves become a stronger, more influential force on campus.
“Communication skills is the number one thing that employers are looking for [in applicants]. This is a co-curricular that says, ‘Yes, I have that skill,’” Dilley noted.

As Swanson observed, “[ScotSpeak!] is very related to classes that one would take in college that directly relate to things we appreciate at a liberal arts college. These are skills that you will use after college.”