COM Week Hosts Wolfpack Speaks Contest
Seven Students Speak About the Issues that Build Their Passion
By Dr. Elizabeth Nelson
The 8th annual Wolfpack Speaks event featured seven students from majors across the university. This year’s theme was “In the Next 30 Days: Passion, Education, and Action.” The seven student leaders discussed how to get active around a cause, issue, and/or purpose that helps create a more just relationship on campus, in their community, and in the wider world.
This year’s speakers covered a range of topics from a variety of perspectives. There were three top speakers. Alicia Ferreira, a senior majoring in Interpersonal, Organizational and Rhetorical Communication, discussed body positivity and mental health. As an activist, she persuaded students to embrace their bodies and health in her speech titled “Embrace Your Shape.”
Jeremy Billow, a senior majoring in Human Biology and dedicated volunteer at the LGBT Center of Raleigh, sought to persuade people to be allies to marginalized communities to which they do not belong in his speech “How to Be an Ally in Four Steps.”
Daniel Baires, a sophomore majoring in Public Relations and who is invested in immigrant rights as well as other social justice causes, discussed negative stereotypes of undocumented and documented immigrants to the United States.
Other topics include the power of activism, minimalism to reduce consumerism and create community, alternatives to the two-party political system in the U.S., and issues with gerrymandering in North Carolina.
This year’s judges were Dr. Liz Craig, Ms. Cynthia Zuckerman, and Ms. Donise Benton, with assistance from Dr. Emily Winderman. Dr. Edward Funkhouser took photos, while Mr. Robert Bell recorded the event. Nearly 100 people, including parents and community members, attended the contest. This year’s contest was sponsored by David Young of Edward Jones Investments and Flip Learning Publishers.
Wolfpack Speaks is coordinated by Dr. Elizabeth Nelson, Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of COM 110. She was inspired by all the students who auditioned for the competition, and motivated to action by this inspiring advocacy of the finalists. The parents who attended praised our program for providing their children with expert knowledge an