UWF Communications Arts students succeed at state, national competitions
UWF Department of Communication Arts students recently excelled in state and national competitions. From Feb. 22-24, the UWF Speech and Debate Team attended the 2013 Florida Intercollegiate Forensics Association in Tallahassee, while a group of journalism and public relations students attended the Southeastern Journalism Conference (SEJC) in Jackson, Tenn.
The Speech and Debate Team won the Division I State Championship, producing four state finalists: junior Pearl Mansu, ranked 2nd in Persuasion and 6th in Poetry Interpretation; senior Lena Ibrahim, ranked 3rd in Poetry Interpretation; and senior David Feliciano, ranked 5th in Rhetorical Criticism.
Mansu also earned one of two coveted spots to represent Florida at the Interstate Oratory Contest (IOA). IOA, the oldest collegiate speech contest in the United States, marks the end of the competitive season. Only the top two competitors in Persuasive Speaking (Oratory) from each state are invited to compete. Mansu is one of two UWF students to earn a spot at IOA over the last decade.
During the SEJC 2013 Onsite Competition, senior Alexa Reed placed 2nd in Copy Editing, and senior Hayley Benton placed 3rd in Entertainment Writing.
For additional information about the UWF Speech and Debate Team, visit the UWF Department of Communications Arts website, uwf.edu/commarts. To learn more about SEJC, visit sejc.org.