C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest

Contest Winners: 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03

About the contest

Each participant steps to the lectern to deliver an 8- to 10-minute speech on their chosen topic relating to peace, in a universal or specific context, including war and violence, political policies, agencies of justice and peace, peacemaking strategies or current events. The addresses are judged on originality, the integration of topic and a peace position and general standards of delivery.

Participants compete for cash prizes and the top winner may enter the U.S./Canada Mennonite Central Committee-sponsored C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. The trust of C. Henry Smith, a Mennonite historian and professor at Goshen and Bluffton (Ohio) colleges, funds the contest, which gives students an opportunity to become involved with the peace cause while cultivating rhetorical skills. Speech contests have been part of Goshen College's history since the early 1900s; the C. Henry Smith contest allows the campus community to hear more about relevant, contemporary issues.

General Information and Requirements

Peace Speech Contest Application

2008-09

Contest winner

Analisa Gerig-Sickles

Senior elementary education major Analisa Gerig-Sickles

(West Branch, Iowa) won first place with her speech "No Mas Redadas." Press release.

Isaac Yoder-Schrock

Runner up

Isaac Yoder-Schrock, a first-year physics major( Moundridge, Kan.) won second place for his speech, "National Healthcare, Caring for Others."

2007-08

Contest winner

Nicole Boyd

Senior art major Nicole Boyd (Goshen, Ind.) won first place for her speech, "The loss of a childhood: A call to action on pursuing the end of child labor." Read press release.

Runner Up

Jacob Kraybill

Jacob Kraybill, (Lancaster, Pa.) a first-year communication major, won second place for his speech, "Unpacking the issues: Gay marriage in America."

2006-07

Contest winner

First-year Niti Mishra (Brampton, Ontario) an accounting major, communication minor, spoke on "Gender Violence: A challenge across Borders." Read: Press release

Runner up

First-year Georgette Oduor (Kenya), a nursing major,
spoke on "The Truth About AIDS in Kenya: How it Affects Children."

2005-06

Contest winner

Junior Rebecca Fast (Waterloo, Ontario), a social work and theater double major, spoke on “Misunderstood Minds: Wasted Human Potential.”
Read: Press release

Runner-up

Senior Rachel Eisenstat (Waynesburg, Pa.), a peace, justice and conflict studies major, spoke about the feminine aspects of God in her speech “She has done marvelous things: (Re)opening ourselves to the feminine divine.”

2004-05

Contest winner

Junior Elizabeth M. Miller (Danvers, Ill.), a history major, spoke on “Community Nutrition: Long-Term Solutions, Stability and Sustainability.”
Read: Speech | Press release

Runner-up

Sophomore Dawit Kebede (Goshen), a peace, justice and conflict studies major, spoke about “The Darfur Saga: Another Rwandan Genocide in the Making.”

2003-04

Winner

First-year student, Hannah Yesuf (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), a communication major, spoke about "Poverty in Ethiopia: What Can You Do?"
Read: Press release

2002-03

Winner

Senior, Tim Nafziger (Goshen, Ind.), an English major, spoke about “It Takes a College to Raise an Activist.”
Read: Speech | Press release