Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium hosts the School of Communication Studies’ Student Speakers Forum on Thursday, Nov. 6. (Southern Illinois University Carbondale photo)
October 31, 2025
SIU Student Speakers Forum on Nov. 6 looks at today’s influencers
CARBONDALE, Ill. — In today’s bull rush of messages and opinions that look to sway people’s opinions, five Southern Illinois University Carbondale undergraduate students will share their thoughts on influence on Thursday, Nov. 6, in Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium.
This semester’s topic is “The Power of Influence: Who (or What) Shapes Us.” The free, public forum is from 7 to 8 p.m.
“From the media we consume and the technologies we use to the communities we join and the voices we follow, our lives are shaped by countless influences. Some of these we choose, while others we may not even notice,” said Franklin Kimmell, a fourth-year doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant in communication studies who is organizing the forum for his fourth and final time.
The student speakers will encourage the audience to think critically about the power of influence in their daily lives, Kimmell said.
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, he said.
Chosen from auditions, students who deliver 6- to 8-minute persuasive speeches will each receive a $200 scholarship from the Society for Civil Discourse.
Where influence comes from
The students will “explore the forces that guide our choices, behaviors and beliefs. Whether those influences come from social media, politics, culture, advertising, peers or technology, this event challenges us to think critically about who or what is steering our paths and how we might reclaim the power to shape our futures,” Kimmell said.
The students who will speak are:
- Eric Guijon, second-year psychology, Cobden — Topic/thesis: “The Foundation of Influence: Nature vs. Nurture.”
- Christopher DePalma, freshman, undecided, Louis, Missouri — Topic/thesis: “Parasocial Relationships: Influence Without Interaction.”
- Kaleb Rehmer, senior, communication studies, Chester — Topic/thesis: “How TTRPGs Have Influenced Our Interpersonal Relationships.”
- Samuel McNeilly, second-year undergraduate, history and political science, Villa Park, Illinois — Topic/thesis: “The Heroes That Shape Us.”
- Uzma Afsar, senior, architectural studies, Hyderabad, India — Topic/thesis: “The Architecture of Choice: How Physical and Digital Spaces Decide for Us.”
Showcasing aspiring talent
The forums, which happen each semester, began in spring 2002, and are 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 Kimmell at franklin.kimmell@siu.edu.