The department of Communication, design and culture sponsored a speech contest on Thursday at 11a.m. in Morgan Hall.

Contestants Matt Armento, Jessica Crosson, Trevon Kiser and Alex Rosky each gave an extemporaneous speech of approximately six minutes about a subject of their choosing. The prize for the contest was $100.

George Yochum, professor of communications, welcomed the small audience and the contest began.

The first speech, by Armento, was about a trip he took to Tennessee for an honors conference. He described how he and his fellow travelers endured multiple mishaps. He called the trip “a complete nightmare” and concluded his speech by saying “I will hopefully never fly Delta again.”

The next speech was by Crosson. She discussed equality for women, including the pay gap and the Equal Rights Amendment.

“It is clear there is not equal opportunity for women in the workplace,” she said. She also pointed out that while many Americans think the Equal Rights Amendment is already in the Constitution, while it is not.

After Crosson, Kiser gave a speech about what it means to each one of us to be alive. Kiser discussed the importance of living in the moment and realizing that you matter. “You all matter because you exist,” said Kiser.

The last speech was given by Alex Rosky.

“I have brown hair, brown eyes. I have ADD,” he said to begin his speech. He discussed the struggles of living with a mental illness and the stigma society places on those with mental illness. Rosky discussed how his mental illness, which is labeled as a “deficit disorder” can be a strength for him.

Jessica Crosson won the speech contest and the $100 prize for her speech about equality for women.

“There’s no downside to doing something like this,” said Crosson.

“It’s always fun to do something that betters your people skills and public speaking skills,” said Kiser.