Story Slam

Every Fall at Volunteer State Community College, Communication Studies collaborates with Student Services to host a Live Story Slam. This competition fosters community among students, faculty, staff, and the public through the sharing of stories that celebrate diversity as well as universal messages about the human experience.

Official Rules

Contestants

  • Any currently enrolled Vol State student, full-time or part-time, can participate.
  • Competitors can have any major, and they do not need to have taken or be taking COMM 2025 or COMM 2045.
  • Previous contest winners can participate.
  • Communication Studies faculty are encouraged to nominate students to participate.

Registration

  • Advance registration is not required. Students wishing to participate must sign up immediately prior to the event.
  • Speaking order in the competition will be determined by the order of sign-ups. If there are too many participants; speakers will be selected at random.
  • The time allotted for the event might not allow time for all who wish to speak.

Rules for Stories

  • Stories must be original and composed by the speaker.
  • The subject and contents must be appropriate for the college environment. These guidelines are adapted from TenX9 Nashville, a local storytelling event organization: Storytellers must respect diverse audiences: your speech may be stopped if any of your content is “offensive, hateful, objectifying, or overly crude.” You can use adult language and/or describe adult situations – but do so ONLY if absolutely necessary to the story, and ONLY if the main point of the story isn’t sexual or hurtful. We want to hear stories celebrating our similarities and also recognizing unique experiences, but we must “balance telling the truth of our stories with providing a welcoming space for all.”
  • Stories should be 2 to 4 minutes long.
    • A speech less than 2 minutes or more than 6 minutes in length will be disqualified.

Live Story Slam competition

  • Each contestant speaks one time.
  • Students in attendance will vote for the best story. 
  • Winners will be announced at the end of the contest.
  • The decisions are final.

Awards

  • First Place: $75 cash  
  • Second Place: $50 cash