With the mission to make a life, make a living, and make a difference, Oglethorpe fosters a university community focused on professional development. OU offers COM 110: Public Speaking in both the Spring and Fall semesters. The course allows OU students to build on and refine their public speaking skills.
Throughout the semester, students learn what it truly means to communicate effectively. Students write and perform a variety of speeches ranging from humorous to serious. As a required course in the communications studies major, COM 110 creates a safe space to help students overcome their fears of public speaking and transition their skills into making professional presentations.
Professor of communications studies Dr. Melany Chambers said, “Mastering these skills helps students achieve academic success; the ability to organize, simplify and present coherent arguments is vital for all areas of academic endeavor.”
By the end of the semester, a select group of students participates in the bi-annual Public Speaking Competition. Hosted and organized by OU communications professors, the competition allows students to showcase their skills to a live audience. At the end of the competition, the audience votes for the best speech.
This year’s participants and their speech topics included:
- Danielle Moreno: Stigma and Cultural Appropriation of Ebonics
- Madison Thompson: The Impact of the Salem Witch Trials on Society Today
- Geianah Thomas: Corporate America and Women’s Mental Health
- Jeremy Anderson: Red Lining and the Economic Divide in Atlanta (Second Place)
- Megan Shepherd: The Eras of Disney Cinema Spanning the Years 1937 to 2025 (First Place)
- Ella Hughes: The Evolution of Women in Sports
- Abby Scott: Pancreatic Cancer (Third Place)
- Andrew Campo: Comparing European, American and Japanese Automobiles
English major Megan Shepard ’26 placed first for her speech on the eras of Disney cinema. Public speaking comes easily to Shepard, but taking COM 110 helped her build her confidence, learn to structure her speeches and sharpen her personal voice. During her graduate school application process, Shepard noted that she felt much better prepared for her interviews because she had refined her communication skills through public speaking.
Shepard said, “You learn what works best for you, and you should talk about what you are passionate about, which helps you to be a more relatable and well-presented college student.”
With Oglethorpe’s small class sizes, students are no strangers to public speaking, and COM 110 allows them to build on those skills and learn how public speaking shapes all aspects of the professional world. From presenting at a corporate conference to speaking one-on-one with a client, communication is at the core of professional development.
