2022 Speech Contest
Call for Entries
Announcing
The Benjamin F. Barge,
Class of 1866, and Speech at Dartmouth
Awards for Oratory
The Speech program in the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric is pleased to invite entries in two historic speaking contests at Dartmouth College.
In May 2022, finalists will compete for the Benjamin F. Barge and Class of 1866 Awards for Oratory. One senior will win the Benjamin F. Barge award, one senior and one first-year student will win a Class of 1866 award, and one second-year student and one third-year student will win a Speech at Dartmouth Prize for Oratory. Each winner will receive a cash prize, and all finalists will receive certificates.
To enter the contest, students should adhere closely to the following guidelines:
1. All contestants must be Dartmouth students.
2. The first round will be based on a written manuscript or detailed outline of a speech designed to persuade the listeners on any topic.
3. The manuscript or outline must be accompanied by a works cited/reference page, following MLA or APA format.
4. All sources must also be orally cited in the speech.
5. When delivered, the speech should be no more than 5 minutes.
6. Speeches must be original works by the student.
7. Visual aids are not allowed.
8. All rounds of the contest will be held in person and on campus. Remote participation is not possible. If conditions do not allow for an in-person contest, we will regretfully cancel the contest for 2022.
Entry Deadline: Monday, March 28th, 5:00pm EST.
Students should email their manuscript and/or detailed outline to the Speech Contest Committee at Speech@dartmouth.edu by 5:00pm on Monday, March 28th. Please use "SPEECH CONTEST ENTRY" as your subject line.
Please note your name and class year in your email entry.
Students will be selected from these submissions to present their speeches before a panel of judges.
Students selected for this preliminary round will be contacted by Tuesday, April 5th and will present their speeches on campus on Monday, April 11th between 4-5pm.
From this preliminary round, up to four students will be selected to compete in the Benjamin F. Barge, Class of 1866, and Speech at Dartmouth Prize for Oratory contests on Tuesday, May 17th, 4:30 - 6:45 pm, along with students who have been competitively selected from Speech courses. The contest will be held in person and on campus; remote participation is not possible. This event will not be open to the public. In the event conditions do not allow for an in-person event, we will regretfully cancel the contest for 2022.