The Speech & Debate Team
On Identity…
Jeffery Martin
I am currently a Sophomore who is majoring in Communications with a minor in Psychology. Outside of my studies I am a huge fan of movies and cartoons. I have a somewhat hidden passion for puns so I’ll always laugh whenever somebody does one.
The purpose of my speech is to officially recognize scientists and leaders who have been forgotten in history.
Grace Plahitko
Hi! My name is Grace Plahitko, and I am a first-year student studying Nursing with a minor in German, and I plan on attending Law School upon completion of Nursing School. At Marian, I am involved in Speech & Debate as well as being an Orientation leader and part of Knight Fusion. My speech is a Dramatic Interpretation about the grief and guilt caused by a mother’s child dying in a fatal accident.
Julian Santos
I am a junior studying Political Science with a concentration in Law Studies as well as Theology with a minor in Communication. I plan to go to law school and pursue a career in the advancement of civil rights, specifically LGBTQ+ rights. I am involved on the Marian Speech and Debate Team, Campus Ministry Council, and the MU LGBTQ+ Alliance; I also have worked as a Resident Assistant for two years and currently work as one of the Student Managers for the University Mailroom.
My Programmed Oral Interpretation (P.O.I) is focused around the topic of conversion therapy and the devastating impact that it has on LGBTQ+ individuals. It utilizes various forms of literature including dramatic, prose, and poetic pieces to bring out various voices that speak about the abuse that conversion therapy creates. It is dedicated to an old friend who unfortunately endured conversion therapy.
Grace Von Lehman
Grace Von Lehman is a junior English and Communication major and third-year member of the Speech and Debate team. Her simultaneous involvement in Speech and Debate, Campus Ministry, and the Writing Center have inspired her to combine her passions of writing, performance, and social justice. Grace’s poetry program in this showcase highlights the interaction between gender and the environment, offering criticism alongside hope.
Mariangel Morales-Aparicio
My name is Mariangel and I’m from Maracaibo, Venezuela. I came to the United States almost four years ago so to learn a new word in English almost every day is something common. I went to Ben Davis High School before coming to Marian the past fall. I’m currently a freshman in the pre-nursing program. I’m part of the Student Nursing Association, and I’m involved with some of the organizations in the Unity Center (SOL, UBI, and MU alliance).
Speech in general: I feel that when I do a speech, I can speak not only for myself but also, for others who may not have a voice. Sometimes, we do a speech to advocate, other times we want to educate the public about a certain topic.
One of my pieces: I recently took a POI (a program of oral interpretation), in Spanish to the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament. This was a special occasion because it was the first opportunity that I got to speak in my first language at a Tournament. In this piece, I talk about Reiki which is a practice that can be common in Hispanic countries, but that people have wrongly labeled as something bad (like witchcraft), when is a practice through prayers and faith to alleviate the sickness of a person.
Nate Rodenburg
My name is Nate Rodenburg. I am a sophomore at Marian University and currently working on my Secondary Education and History degrees. I’ve been on the Marian Speech Team for two years now but have been doing forensics since my freshman year of high school.
My speech tackles an issue all of us face at some point in our lives: Fear. Fear is a powerful emotion that we are often told to either ignore or cope with rather than confronting it. It is important that when facing fear we are not afraid to ask for help or reach out to others for support. This speech, in particular, is a cautionary tale for what can happen if we allow our fears to fester and consume our lives.
Natalie Rund
My Name is Natalie Rund, and I am a first-year elementary education major with a minor in psychology. I am a part of the Marian University Speech and Debate team and I work at the Marian University Speaking Studio. Speech is really the only thing I do on campus, but I love it and speech is such an important part of my life. This year I wrote a persuasive speech about Infant mortality and how it affects infants of color and their mothers. The purpose of this speech is to show that African American mothers and their children are not given the proper care as one of their white counter parts and it is not okay. It does not matter the color of your skin; what matters is a healthy delivery.