Alice M. House Speech Contest

The Alice M. House Speech Contest is a competition held annually in the Department of Communication. The contest, which awards $1500.00 in monetary prizes for first through fifth place, is now open to sophomores, juniors and seniors across the University of Cincinnati. Established in 1892 by Major Frank M. Jones, a member of the U.C. Board of Directors, the contest is now sponsored by a bequest made to the University of Cincinnati in 1924 by Alice M. House.

Each year a topic of current interest is chosen for the contest. The topics are always persuasive in nature and students must develop an argument for or against the issue. Past topics include:

  • 2009:  Do Social Networking Sites, such as MySpace and Facebook have a Positive or Negative Impact on Individuals in Society?
  • 2008: Should the U.S. Boycott the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics?
  • 2007: Should UC Change from a Quarter System to a Semester System?
  • 2006: Would Expansion of Online Course Offerings in the Department of Communication be Beneficial to UC Students?
  • 2005: What should Professional and Amateur Sports Organizations do to Regulate or Eliminate Steroid Use?
  • 2004: Should the US Constitution be Amended to Prohibit Same Sex Marriage?

Information about the contest, including the date on which it is held, speech topics, and other ground rules, becomes available at the Department of Communication office (137 McMicken Hall) during Winter Quarter each year. For further information, please contact contest director, Professor Kris Galyen, at kristina.galyen@uc.edu or 556-2676.