STARKVILLE — The Speaking Center at Mississippi State University recently hosted its student open house and reception, Snack & Chat, in collaboration with MSU’s Public Relations and Integrated Student Media Agency (PRISM), to welcome a new student resource to campus. The event was held April 1 at the Dawg House in the Colvard Student Union.

The purpose of the event was to encourage MSU students wanting to improve their speaking skills to take advantage of The Speaking Center’s helpful services.

“Public speaking is one of the greatest anxiety-inducing activities for many students during their college education and beyond. According to the Washington Post, over 25 percent of Americans claim that their greatest fear is speaking in front of a crowd. The Speaking Center is an excellent resource to help students gain confidence in their presentations for classes, job interviews, and more,” said Anna Wilkinson, PRISM agency director.

Over 300 students attended the event, which aimed to raise awareness and inform students about the resources available through The Speaking Center, including access to personalized consultations for speeches, presentations and other types of oral communication.          

Snack & Chat was intended to meet students where they were and provide a fun, accessible and informational medium to promote the institutionalization of the center.

The Speaking Center provided complimentary snacks and raffled a prize worth over $200 sponsored by local Starkville businesses, including Strange Brew Coffeehouse, Bin 612, Maroon & Co, Starr Nutrition, B-Unlimited, The Olive Tree and the College of Arts & Sciences at Mississippi State University.

Students attending the event were admitted one raffle entry, and those who posted a picture from the special student event and tagged The Speaking Center on their Instagram story received an additional five raffle entries.

The Speaking Center was founded in the fall of 2021 to assist students, faculty and staff with public speaking skills. It is located on the third floor of Old Main Academic Center at Mississippi State University in Room 3290.

For information about The Speaking Center, contact Chambers at 205-826-2325 or [email protected].