A 2007 Gustavus Summer Speech Institute participant presents his speech.
Gustavus Adolphus College and its nationally recognized speech team will host the second annual Summer Speech Institute (SSI) Aug. 3-9. This year’s institute will bring 80 junior high and high school students to campus to hone their public speaking, research, analysis, interpretation, writing, and critical thinking skills.
Participants will spend the week learning about the nuances of a particular forensics category while preparing to compete in the institute’s culminating event, the Gustavus Adolphus College Summer Speech Institute Tournament. In addition to working on a primary event with the intent of leaving the institute with a tournament-ready speech, students will learn vocal warm-ups, tournament etiquette, the value of non-verbal communication, and the confidence necessary to compete at the highest level.
In addition to receiving top-notch public speaking instruction, SSI participants will experience a carefully supervised introduction to college life. Students will live in Gustavus residence halls, eat in the campus dining center, attend sessions in college academic buildings, and research their speeches in the Gustavus library.
Gustavus’s SSI is directed by Kristofer Kracht, a communication studies instructor at the college as well as the director of the Gustavus forensics program. Kracht and a team of dedicated coaches will instruct campers in 13 different speech events including prose, humorous, dramatic duo, drama, poetry, extemporaneous speaking, creative expression, extemporaneous reading, oratory, informative, great speeches, storytelling, and impromptu speaking.
Kracht’s leadership has helped build the Gustavus forensics program into a top 20 program in the nation. In each of the last two years, the team has earned a top 20 national ranking by placing 20th at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament.
For more information about the forensics program at Gustavus, go online to gustavus.edu/go/forensics.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510