Faculty Host Southern Colloquium on Rhetoric

When Dr. Chris Ingraham and Dr. Emily Winderman were asked if they would consider hosting the 2016 Southern Colloquium on Rhetoric at NC State, they agreed without hesitation.

The Colloquium is an annual event in which communication scholars from various universities join one another to discuss topics in rhetoric. The event took place Friday, Oct. 21.

An important part of planning this event was picking a theme. They chose to discuss the feeling of energy as it pertains to rhetoric. They decided to display the Virtual Martin Luther King (VMLK) Project during the event because of the rhetorical energy Dr. King demonstrated in his speeches.

One concern they faced when choosing a topic was whether it would be too heavily focused on theory or criticism. After receiving positive feedback from colleagues, they were satisfied with their choice. “I think we’ve hit the sweet spot between different camps that are housed within rhetorical studies,” said Dr. Winderman.

Hunt Library was chosen because its advanced technologies are perfect for the VMLK project. The teaching and visualization lab is the home of the transmedia reenactment of a speech from Dr.  King. “You hear the speech being delivered and you can walk around in the space, and it’s as if you’re in the church where it was delivered,” said Dr. Ingraham. By selecting this audiovisual speech, they intended to bring about a discussion on what it means to evoke energy in a room.

The two organizers say the event was the highest attended colloquium in recent years. Scholars from throughout the Southeast, including University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Davidson College, Meredith College, St. Andrews University, and Lynchburg College, traveled to NC State to experience it.

After so much hard work, both professors are satisfied they created a mind-expanding discussion about energy and how it pertains to rhetoric, as well as showcasing NC State and everything it has to offer.