Bradley’s nationally ranked speech team put on its seventh annual Black History Showcase at Dingeldine Music Center to display their talents, while offering a minority perspective to those who attended.
“As the only black professor in the communications department, I’ve noticed that a lot of people’s perceptions of black people have come from the media,” assistant forensics coach Tia Collins said. “This is an opportunity for people to come judgement free and just consume art that is geared to make you feel a certain way. It will make you stronger once you leave, and more informed.”
This is Collins’ first year as assistant coach of the forensics team. She said events like this give students an experience they may not otherwise get on campus.
Saturday night’s program ranged from educational to comedic to moving. It featured spoken-word poetry speaking, program oral interpretation, informative speaking, duo interpretation and after-dinner speaking.
Performer and senior public health education major Cassie Edlund believes the event also benefits the speech team, giving them more experience performing in front of a crowd.
“It’s really cool having people come in here, and they get to learn about new topics and they go out into the world and just view it differently,” Edlund said.
While some of these students prepared just for this event, Edlund is shaping her performance for her future competition at nationals.
In order to compete at a national tournament, a student must place in the top three at three tournaments earlier in the season, which Edlund has already achieved for the year with her comedic yet emotional performance on soul food.
As a senior, she said this season is extra special to her.
“It’s wild that this is my last one,” Edlund said. “I did the same genre and event my freshman year, so it’s kind of come full circle.”
The speech team has multiple events throughout the year that students and other community members are invited to attend. Coming up, they will have their “Night before Nationals” event, which will take place on March 30 in the Neumiller Lecture Hall. They welcome the community for a night of performance, as the team gets ready to travel across the country for the Forensic Association’s National Championship Tournament.
