What is the Perialas Prize?
Each year the Department of Speech Communication and its honors society Lambda Pi Eta sponsor an oratory contest open to all students at Ithaca College.
The contest was created as a means of fostering the principles of classical persuasive communication, and honoring Constantine Perialas, who taught classical rhetoric in our department for more than 30 years. Speakers must prepare and deliver a 7-10 minute extemporaneous (from an outline), persuasive speech on a general topic to be decided and advertised each year by the Perialas committee. The winner will receive a cash prize of at least $500 to be provided by the Perialas Prize Fund.
The Perialas Committee
The committee chosen to judge the speech performances is made up of at least three Speech Communication professors and two students. The students are selected from Lambda Pi Eta. All members of the committee are required to have knowledge of the classical, neoAristotelian standards of effective speech.
The Contest
A preliminary contest is held in which three to five finalists are chosen to present their speeches at the final event. The finalists are expected to present their speeches in an open, public forum. The committee is responsible for choosing the winner and granting the $500 prize.
Selected Past Topics
1999 - "Should hate speech be banned?"
2000 - "Last call for alcohol on campus?"
2003 - "Preparing America for the year 2050"
2005: "What development has had the greatest impact on higher education in the last 50 years"?
2006: "Privacy and freedom in the age of information"
The Perialas Fund
The Perialas Prize Fund was established in May 1997. It is being maintained by the Office of Academic Funding. Jodi Cohen, professor of speech communication, and Paul Hamill, director of academic funding, maintain the fund through a direct mail campaign to alumni students who studied under Professor Perialas. Our aim is to continue raising funds throughout alumni newsletters and fund-raising events. If you are interested in making donations towards the Perialas Fund, please contact: Jodi Cohen, 415 Muller Hall, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850.
