Brett Hunter had never even held a microphone before Thursday.

When he got up to give his persuasive speech in front of about 60 people in Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union, he described the feeling as "hectic."

"I tried to stay calm and collected, but still in my head it was a mile a minute, making sure I tried to cover everything: eye contact, body motion, everything else," said Hunter, junior in construction science and management.

Hunter was one of six students from four Public Speaking 2 classes who presented speeches arguing for change on-campus and in the local community. Those students also included: Sam Dodge, junior in finance; Adam Durar, senior in management; Brock Ingmire, sophomore in communication studies; Adrian Stryker, senior in accounting and finance; and Grace Tucker, senior in agribusiness and animal sciences and industry.

Phil Anderson, instructor in communication studies, theater and dance, created this event when he came to K-State 30 years ago. His goal for his students to take petitions to Student Governing Association with their ideas.

"Student activism usually results in change, usually change for the better, in this world that is changing and growing," Anderson said.

This year was the first time he combined with Travis Smith, instructor in communication studies, theater and dance, for the event. Anderson, who is retiring next year, said he hopes Smith will continue the speeches.

The students made a variety of arguments and encouraged their peers in the audience to consider them. Dodge pushed for students to sign a petition calling for the return of military police to Aggieville. Dodge said incidents in Aggieville have doubled since 2005, when there were military police present.

Stryker highlighted K-State's lack of any lactation rooms for women, when many colleges across the country have them, including the University of Kansas. Stryker proposed turning one of the rooms on K-State Student Union's second floor into a lactation room. Supplies, like a breast pump, could be kept in a cupboard so the room could be used for other events if necessary, Stryker said.

Durar argued that PowerPoint presentations are not the best way for students to learn, since many consider them boring. Rather, he encouraged students to push professors for more interactive classes.

Tucker presented a petition for a porch light campaign in Manhattan. If residents would turn on their lights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., it would promote safety in the community, she said. The energy for this light would cost 80 cents a month per house, Tucker said.

Hunter offered ideas for K-State to improve sustainability through energy efficient light bulbs and double pane windows. He also suggested a living roof, which is where plants grow on the roof of a building.

Ingmire argued that K-State makes financial decisions, like with parking garage and carpet renovation in Hale Library, to promote its image rather than benefit actual students. He said students should sign his petition to alert the administration to a need for change.

Cameron Briscoe, junior in secondary education, said she thought some of the topics were very interesting and she planned on signing some of the petitions.

"It brings us closer together if the students can actually change things and make a difference," Briscoe said.

Briscoe is in a Public Speaking 2 class and said she came to the speech because she wanted to hear the speeches, not only for the extra credit she would get. Many of the students in attendance were in Public Speaking 2. President Kirk Schulz and Student Body President Dalton Henry were not in attendance, although they were invited.

Hunter said that word of mouth was the most important thing to occur from the event. Once the students spoke, he said, other students could consider their ideas and talk about them.

Marcus Cooper, teaching assistant for Public Speaking 2 and moderator of the event, said the event was a success, deeming it the "intellectual event of the semester."

"It went great because they voiced their opinions; they participated in a democracy because democracy in action is a contact sport," Cooper said.