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A
ribbon that symbolizes more than second place
Eileen M. Rafferty ‘06
 Two
years ago, public speaking was Allison McGuigan’s biggest fear.
The freshman liberal arts major grew extremely anxious when she had to
speak in public. Her throat would become dry, her body would tremble and
her voice would quiver-- barely would she make an entire speech. Yet,
her active involvement with her local 4-H club emphasized the merit of
speaking skills. After much preparation, McGuigan successfully delivered
speeches at 4-H county and state levels. These successes secured her an
invitation to the National Speech Competition in Kentucky this past November,
where she ultimately earned second place. According to McGuigan the adrenaline
rush that accompanied public speaking now stems from exhilaration, not
trepidation.
Without the aid of props, notecards or reminders, at Nationals McGuigan
delivered a speech on medieval and modern jousting. McGuigan recalls,
“I kept everyone’s interest and went through all my lines
smoothly, delivering my speech just how I had practiced it.” She
chose this topic because it is dramatic and romantic and she wanted inform
her audience that jousting is indeed still a sport. Three professional
horse handlers and professional speakers judged the 22 speeches.
McGuigan emphasized: “My participation at nationals has influenced
my entire life. Not only I am comfortable speaking in front of an audience,
but now I can contribute to class discussions and debates. Public speaking
is no longer a reason to be nervous.”
Hailing from Moorestown, N.J., she has been a 4-H member for eight years.
Last year, she was honored with five 4-H awards: the Franklin C. Nixon
Award for Outstanding Service, the Burlington County Outstanding 4-H Teen
Award, the Horse Project County Medal, the Dog Project County Medal and
the Leadership Project County Medal. But above all McGuigan has successfully
conquered her fear of speaking in public.
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