Erika Oceguera
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne’s Lordsburg Speech and Debate Team hosted a Spring 2025 Speech Showcase on April 24, offering an engaging evening of student-led presentations that blended humor, research and emotional storytelling.
The event took place in the Campus Center’s Conference Room before an audience of about 30 La Verne community members.
Led by Mikayla Holzinger, director of forensics and instructor in the rhetoric and communication studies department, the event highlighted the team’s growth and achievements this year.
“This is the first time in 23 years that the university has passed speech again,” Holzinger said. “The team earned over 25 awards this year, with several students placing in the top 20 nationally. It’s an incredible accomplishment.”
Before each speaker, Holzinger offered the audience a description of the different types of speeches they would hear.
She explained that “after dinner speaking” is a humorous speech about a serious topic, designed to make complex issues more digestible through comedy.
Communication analysis involves analyzing an artifact – such as a book, movement or event – through an academic model or theory.
Prose interpretation requires performers to adapt a piece of literature and relate its deeper meaning to personal identity or broader social themes.
The showcase began with senior communications major Kael Matias in the after dinner speaking category. Matias used humor and anecdotes to address misogyny within the queer community, centering the story around experiences working at a U-Haul rental center and a favorite customer affectionately known as “Lisa the lesbian.” Through witty commentary, Matias highlighted how marginalized groups, particularly queer women and feminine-presenting individuals, often face discrimination within their own communities.
“Queer misogyny affects everyone, even within our own community,” Matias said. “It’s critical we recognize that and stand together.”
Next, senior English major Annette Ruiz presented a communication analysis on “The Unburnable Book,” a fireproof edition of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” created in response to increasing book censorship. Ruiz argued that projects like “The Unburnable Book” serve as buffer zones to combat historical amnesia and preserve women’s narratives.
“If we don’t protect these stories, history will repeat itself,” Ruiz said. “Books like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ aren’t just fiction – they’re warnings.”
The third speaker, freshman sociology major Gelsey Chan, delivered a powerful prose interpretation performance drawn from a story about a young girl navigating the complexities of obedience, loyalty and self-identity within an Asian American household.
“In traditional Asian cultures, family loyalty often outweighs individual needs — even when it hurts,” Chan said.
Chan described how Asian parenting styles often emphasize control over emotional expression, with love and governance intertwined — a dynamic that can lead to deep psychological scars across generations.
“Responsibility to break generational trauma often falls on the child,” Chan said, reflecting on the broader societal implications of her piece.
Closing the evening, senior political science major Alexia Daniels delivered a sharp after dinner speaking performance that critiqued the evolution of Black conservatism.
Through humor and pointed commentary, Daniels argued that the movement often works against the very communities it claims to represent.
“The Black conservative movement is only a collection of gimmicks used to disenfranchise Black people within the United States,” Daniels said.
Tracing the movement’s roots to historical figures like Booker T. Washington, Daniels connected those early ideas to modern leaders such as Clarence Thomas and Candace Owens. She highlighted how contemporary Black conservatives, in her view, prioritize corporate interests over community empowerment.
“The policies coming from Clarence Thomas don’t discriminate based on color — they discriminate based on whether you can afford a private plane,” Daniels said.
Daniels’ performance combined humor with a serious critique of how conservative rhetoric can limit liberation efforts for marginalized groups.
Throughout the evening, Holzinger emphasized the importance of speech as a tool for social change.
“This activity changed my life,” Holzinger said. “And it’s clear it’s already transforming the lives of our students.”
As the event wrapped up, guests mingled over cookies and refreshments, celebrating the team’s achievements and the powerful stories shared during the showcase.
Erika Oceguera can be reached at erika.oceguera@laverne.edu.
Erika Oceguera is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is a staff writer for the Campus Times, as well as the editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine for Spring 2025 and a member of the women’s golf team.
Thatiana Gibbs is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print-online journalism. She is a photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. Her enthusiasm lies in research, writing, and effectively delivering captivating information to the public eye. She has previously been an assistant editor and staff writer for the Campus Times, and a staff writer for La Verne Magazine.
Such a great article, it was super fun to be able to watch the showcase and I’m really glad to have met the others on the team, love y’all <3