Bowling Green, Ky. - Courtney Wright, a history and social studies major from Evansville, Ind., won the Centennial Oratorical Contest at Western Kentucky University.

Wright, a senior, was awarded the $500 first prize, sponsored by McGraw-Hill Publishing, at the conclusion of the contest April 19. The topic assigned to all speakers was the WKU slogan “The Spirit Makes the Master.”

The Centennial Oratorical Contest was one of the activities coordinated by the Department of Communication to mark the 100th anniversary of the University’s official establishment. “The discipline of communication has expanded especially in recent years to include much more than public speaking,” according to Dr. Sally Ray, Communication Department Head, “but we still have our historical roots in rhetoric and public speaking. Oratorical skills are significant to our country’s democratic process. There was a time when people would attend public speaking competitions as a form of great entertainment.”

Finishing in second place and receiving a $100 cash award was sophomore Coty Back, an agriculture business major from Frenchburg. Freshman Beverly Hill, a journalism and broadcasting student from Paducah, finished in third place and also received a $100 cash award.

“The Spirit Makes the Master” is a quote from Henry Hardin Cherry, the first president of WKU. In his speech, Wright said this phrase, which has long been the University’s slogan, means that “passion, spirit, and the ability to overcome adversity lead to success.” He used examples ranging from Theodore Roosevelt, to Charlie Chaplin, to the 1950 U.S. Men’s Soccer Team to illustrate his speech.

The contest, which was open to all students at the University, had about 40 participants. The contest was conducted in three rounds, with Wright, Back and Hill advancing to the finals where they were judged by a panel of five judges.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Sally Ray at (270) 745-3296.

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