With seven speakers, the Macgregor Smith Public Speaking Competition is an opportunity for students to develop public speaking skills in a friendly, but competitive environment. It was founded by Professor Jack Macgregor Smith, the first professor of agricultural engineering at the University of Alberta in 1931. He was well known as a polished and entertaining speaker.
On the evening of Jan. 25, these student speakers spoke to a packed audience in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences' atrium.
"This type of activity exposes students to a different environment than the classroom and it lets those students explore different conversations than those the classes may offer," says Sara Awatta, a third-year student in Environmental Policy and Economics. She was encouraged to participate in the competition as a summer student while working for Brent Swallow, professor in the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology. Awatta presented on "Sustainable Intensifiication: Dream or Reality?"
The varied topics presented were based on the question, "For me, providing solutions to global problems involves ___________ ." Student participants were judged by a panel that included ALES Dean Stan Blade, Assistant Dean (Academic & Student Programs) Jim Bohun, and Lauren Ong, mentorship program assistant and human ecology student.
After a series of fascinating presentations, the students who came out on top were awarded $800, $500 and $300 for first, second and third places standings, and there was an honour mention designation as well. For more information on the event, check out the Storify curation.