by Pete Rosenbery
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Five Southern Illinois University Carbondale undergraduate students will redefine success at the SIU Student Speakers Forum this evening, Thursday, April 2, in Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium.
This semester’s topic is “Redefining Success: The Landscape of Happiness.” The free, public forum is from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The forums, which happen each semester, began in spring 2002. The forum will also be available via the School of Communications Studies’ YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Open to all undergraduate SIU Carbondale students, the Speakers Forum allows participants from a variety of majors and disciplines an opportunity to showcase their public speaking skills and connect their academic and personal interests to the theme.
Chosen from auditions, students who deliver 6- to 8-minute persuasive speeches will each receive a $350 scholarship from the Society for Civil Discourse.
“In a world obsessed with outward metrics of success, we often find ourselves moving further away from genuine fulfillment,” said Casey Weaver, a doctoral student in Communication Studies and Speakers Forum coordinator. “This semester, I challenged our finalists to look inward and redefine what it truly means to ‘make it’ beyond just titles or financial milestones. These speakers are here to share their personal journeys and persuade us all that true happiness is found in authentic, and often simple, landscapes.”
The student speakers are:
Myra Anderson, freshman, biochemistry, Carterville, Illinois — Topic/thesis: “Feel the Success.”
Keara Hawkins, freshman, biochemistry, New Lenox, Illinois, — Topic/thesis: “Why Success Should be Measured by Satisfaction, Not Salary.”
Sabrina Jordan, sophomore, English, Carbondale, — Topic/thesis: The Mask We Call Success.”
Lillian Messina, sophomore, microbiology, Springfield, Illinois — Topic/thesis: “The Power of Intrinsic Motivation and Passion in Pursuing Success.”
- Savana White, sophomore, elementary education, Mount Vernon, Illinois — Topic/thesis: “The Currency of Connection.”
Showcasing aspiring talent
The forum is sponsored by the School of Communication Studies and the Society for Civil Discourse. The society was founded in 1999, when SIU Carbondale alumna Barbara Jane Schwartz of Makanda established an endowment to provide space for students to be able to freely engage in civil discourse and support opportunities for students to exchange opinions and beliefs in topics of interest about the Carbondale campus and society.
A catered reception will follow the forum in the rotunda outside of the auditorium. For more information on the event, contact Weaver at casey.k.weaver@siu.edu.