The Kent State University School of Communication Studies will host its annual Hyde Park Forum on April 16 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. This year, the event will be live-streamed for the first time for family and friends who are unable to attend. Access the live stream at www.youtube.com/watch?v=efQXk-I3NV8.

The event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., is an opportunity for students enrolled in the Introduction to Human Communication course to engage in persuasive public discourse for an audience of peers, family and faculty. Students come from a variety of majors. Judges rate students’ performances to designate first, second, third and honorable mention. The forum, which typically draws 900 people, includes audience members casting their votes for the speaker who will receive a People’s Choice Award.

“Livestreaming the forum makes it possible for anyone to be an audience member and join highly engaged students and community members for an event that celebrates freedom of speech,” says Jennifer McCullough, Ph.D., basic course director and assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies. “Students enrolled during the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters of the current academic year are eligible to compete. This provides a slate of speakers that can best present a persuasive speech within a five-minute time frame.”

The eight students, their topics and instructors are as follows:

• Ruthann Antolik – “Sharks: Wild and Endangered” (Samyak Moktan)
• Amy Kenyon – “University for Everyone: Include People with Intellectual Disabilities on the College Campus” (William Kelvin)
• Meagan Leathers – “Why Donating Blood is Important” (Pamela Harr)
• Phillip Oko – “America’s War on Drugs” (Andrea Meluch)
• Sabrina Pierotti – “Death With Dignity” (Aaron Hanlin)
• Aaron Schneider – “ADHD: The Household Diagnosis” (Andrea Meluch)
• Gabrielle Seed – “Kid Campaign: Why We Need to Eliminate Discrimination in Same-Sex Adoption Process” (Samyak Moktan)
• Leanna Thomas – “Unsubscribe: Recognizing Dangers of Internet Addiction” (Pamela Harr)
  

Judges representing local civic, educational and media organizations include AnnMarie LeBlanc, interim dean of the College of Communication and Information; Paul Haridakis, Ph.D., director of the School of Communication Studies; Lori Wemhoff, executive director, Kent Area Chamber of Commerce and Central Portage County Visitors and Convention Bureau; Megan Vogias, instructor in the School of Communication Studies; and Rich Heldenfels, pop culture writer/columnist, the Akron Beacon Journal.

Kent State’s School of Communication Studies has undergraduate degree programs with concentrations in organizational, applied, public, global, interpersonal and health communication. Graduate programs include degrees in global, health, mediated/mass and interpersonal communication.