Peace Oratorical Contest
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.
2011-12
Contest Winner
Lauren Treiber, sophomore, peace, justice and conflict studies major (Grand Rapids, Mich.) won first place with her speech titled “The Real Occupy Movement: Understanding Capitalism in a Christian Context.”
Runner Up
Alison Reist, junior sociology major (North Liberty, Ind.) won second place with her speech titled “Peace through Sport: The Olympic Vision.”
Read the press release.
2010-11
Contest Winner
Jair Hernandez, sophomore public relations major from Goshen won first place with his speech titled “Migrant Farm Workers.” Read more.
Runner Up
Sae Jin Lee, a fifth-year senior Bible and religion and art double major from Elkhart, Ind. won second place. Her speech was titled “Rethinking SST: Beyond a Three-Months Long Requirement to a Life-Long Commitment to Intercultural Intentionality.”
2009-10
Contest winner
Sophomore David Zwier, a business major from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, won first place with his speech titled “Facing Food Waste: The Truth About What We Don’t Eat.” Read more.
Runner-Up
Sophomore Kayla Hooley, collegiate studies major from Peoria, Arizona, won second place for her speech titled “Media Influence on Body Image: How the Media Shapes Our Minds and Divides our Society.”
2008-09
Contest winner
Senior elementary education major Analisa Gerig-Sickles (West Branch, Iowa) won first place with her speech “No Mas Redadas.” Read more.
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
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 more.
Runner-up
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 more.
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 more.
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 more.
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
Contest winner
First-year student, Hannah Yesuf (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), a communication major, spoke about “Poverty in Ethiopia: What Can You Do?” Read more.
2002-03
Contest winner
Senior, Tim Nafziger (Goshen, Ind.), an English major, spoke about “It Takes a College to Raise an Activist.” Read more.
