UBC Sauder Public Speaking Competition

Each year, UBC Sauder's best undergraduate orators compete for $2,500 in scholarships and the title of Public Speaking Champion.

The UBC Sauder Public Speaking Competition is an annual invitational event for which COMM 395 Business Communications instructors nominate their most capable students from the past 12 months. Selected participants compete in a preliminary knockout round by recording and submitting speeches for the judging committee. Short-listed finalists are then invited to compete in front of an audience, delivering both prepared and impromptu presentations.

The 2024 competition

In the 2024 competition, each finalist was asked to prepare a six minute presentation on the one of three topics, 'Jeff Bezos says "Success is just an extreme tolerance for failure," Why should we learn to fail?', 'Is it wrong to tell students to pursue academic disciplines that they enjoy instead of those that have more promising career options?' or 'What is the best time period and genre of music?' They were then tasked with giving a two to three minute impromptu address in response to the question, 'IS Tiktok a waste of time?' The 2024 finalists included BComs Gisele Dang, Ben Werner, Ellen You, Pranjal Chadda, and William Semmens.

Prepared Speeches

Gisele Dang

Is it wrong to tell students to pursue academic disciplines that they enjoy instead of those that have more promising career options?

Pranjal Chadda

Is it wrong to tell students to pursue academic disciplines that they enjoy instead of those that have more promising career options?

Ben Werner

What is the best time period and genre of music?

William Semmens

Why should we learn to fail?

Ellen You

What is the best time period and genre of music?

Impromptu Speeches

Gisele Dang

Is TikTok a waste of time?

Pranjal Chadda

Is TikTok a waste of time?

Ben Werner

Is TikTok a waste of time?

Keisha Rutega

Is TikTok a waste of time?

Ellen You

Is TikTok a waste of time?

Previous competitions

2023W

Watch our 2023 competitors deliver talks on pursuing academic disciplines for different reasons, their favourite genre of music, and what their favourite clothes are.

WATCH NOW

2019W

Watch our 2019 competitors deliver talks on what the most sensible thing they've heard someone say and who or what they love and what they do about it.

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2018W

Watch our 2018 competitors deliver talks on what university has and hasn't taught them and which foods remind them of home and which they could do without.

Watch now

And the 2024 Public Speaking Champion...

Ben Werner took top honours and a $1,500 scholarship, followed by runner-up Pranjal Chadda who was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. Think you have what it takes to be the next Public Speaking Champion? Ask your COMM 395 instructor about the next competition!


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