Speech And Debate Students Prize Winners In Online Video Contest

Pasadena City College students Shannon Yong, Alicia Batice, and Thomas Morgenroth won $500 each in prize money for entering an online Speech Video Contest hosted by a well-renowned textbook company, Cengage Publishing. All three are members of PCC’s Speech and Debate team.

Not only did they get cash for their outstanding oratories, but their videos will be featured on Cengage’s main site and put into a database for instructor manuals.

This is the second consecutive time that Batice has won this particular contest. It’s the first for Morgenroth and Yong who is only 16 years old and attending PCC.

While Yong will continue into her second year at PCC this fall, Batice is transferring to Northern Arizona University on a speech scholarship and Morgenroth will be flying to Dublin in the fall to finish his bachelor’s degree.

Their winning topics ranged from sexual assault on college campuses to cutting-edge technologies in organ transplantation. Morgenroth’s speech was an impromptu, which meant that he was given his topic and instructed to create his speech two minutes before delivering his five-minute speech to an audience of more than 100 people.

PCC entered six students in the competition. Those who didn’t place received recognition and a certificate.

A recording of their videos was made and submitted with the help of their instructors and speech team coaches, Josh Fleming, Cindy Phu, and Allan Axibal-Cordero. This annual contest was nationwide and open to all UCs, CSUs, and community colleges. PCC had three grand prize-winners walking away with $500. Last year, PCC had two grand prize-winners and one honorary winner who received $250.