Newberry College Takes 1st Place at Speech and Theatre Competition

Students representing the Newberry College Department of Arts and Communications took home team and individual honors in the South Carolina Speech and Theatre Association College Festival held at South Carolina State University on Feb. 24.

With six colleges and universities participating in the annual competition, Newberry College took home the Team Sweepstakes Award, an honor comparable to wining a state championship in speech and theatre.

Newberry College dominated the competition, earning 32 out of a possible 57 team points. Second place went to University of South Carolina-Upstate with 10 points, followed by University of South Carolina-Lancaster with nine points.

Newberry competitors snapped up first place in six of the 10 events and took first, second and third place honors in three categories. Newberry teams have taken home the SCSTA championship three times from 2005 – 2010. The team was eager to end a seven-year drought to add a fourth championship to their list of wins.

Junior Theatre/Acting major Angela Chancay won the Triathlon Award – the highest
individual honor given by the SCSTA. The award is given to the competitor earning the highest combined score in a Theatre event, a Performance Studies event and a Public Speaking event. This is the third time in the past seven years that a Newberry College student has won the
Triathlon Award.

“Our students were well-prepared and very professional,” said Newberry College professor of Theatre and Speech Pat Gagliano. “The SCSTA competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their work, to learn and to interact with other students from around the state. Being rewarded for our efforts is a bonus.”

Working under the direction of professors Pat Gagliano, Mandy Butler and Matthew Fuller, the following competitors were recognized for their outstanding work:

Theatrical Design

1st place – Julian Lanier, Senior, Music major

Musical Theatre Audition

2nd place – Angela Chancay, Junior, Theatre/Acting major

3rd place – Brette Bryant, Freshman, Theatre/Acting major

Informative Speaking

1st place – Matalyn Mills, Sophomore, Digital Marketing major

2nd place – Angela Chancay, Junior, Theatre/Acting major

3rd place – Alexander Peters, Senior, Political Science major

Persuasive Speaking

1st place – Hannah Macon, Sophomore, Nursing major

Impromptu Speaking

1st Place – Nigel Johnson, Freshman, Communications major

Poetry Interpretation

2nd Place – Angel Smith, Senior, Communications major

Prose Interpretation

1st place – Angela Chancay, Junior, Theatre/Acting major

2nd Place – Matalyn Mills, Sophomore, Digital Marketing major

3rd place – Angel Smith, Senior, Communications major

Storytelling

1st place – Angel Smith, Senior, Communications major

2nd Place – Caleb Lawrimore, Junior, Business Administration major

3rd place – Matalyn Mills, Sophomore, Digital Marketing major

GROUP PHOTO ID

Top Row (L to R): Nigel Johnson, Prof. Pat Gagliano, Alexander Peters, Julian Lanier,
Caleb Lawrimore

Bottom Row (L to R): Angel Smith, Angela Chancay, Matalyn Mills, Hannah Macon,
Brette Bryant

Photo credit: Christy Jones