May 08, 2009

Speech communication students capture honors

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Students in the Department of Speech Communication at Southern Illinois University Carbondale claimed departmental awards and scholarships this academic year.

Sarah Sackett (Skokie) received the Elizabeth Lance Public Relations Student Award. The honor goes to a graduating senior majoring in speech communication with a specialization in public relations. The qualifying student must also be a member of the SIUC chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Graduating senior Katie Thomas (Fort Collins, Colo.) received the Lavina Micken Award for Excellence in Debate. Thomas was part of the Saluki Debate Team, and was part of the team’s highly successful back-to-back seasons this year and last year. Thomas was part of the debate duo that finished sixth in the top parliamentary debate tournament of the year, the National Parliamentary Debate Tournament.

The Paul Hibbs Memorial Scholarship went to Lori C. Jones (Belleville). The award is for a speech communication major demonstrating outstanding scholastic achievement. According to the scholarship description, the student awarded this scholarship should also show a “passion for speech, performance and the beauty of the spoken word.”

The following students also received departmental awards in speech communication:

Outstanding Freshman: Phyllis Allen (Jerseyville)

Outstanding Sophomore: Savanna Ramsey (Aurora), Michelle Restivo (Energy)

Outstanding Junior: Savananah Desmond (Benton), Stacey Grote (Hoyleton), Penny Moon (Carterville), Alyssa Potthast (Highland)

Outstanding Senior: Brittany Hughes (Cambria), Lori C. Jones (Belleville), Susan Patrick (Carbondale), Sarah Sackett (Skokie), Pamela Stine (St. Elmo), Chao-Feng Tang (Carbondale), Anna Wilcoxen (Carbondale)

The College of Liberal Arts is holding two commencement ceremonies this weekend. Graduating students in speech communication attend the ceremony at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 10, in the SIU Arena.