Goshen College students speak for peace in annual oratorical contest, Feb. 9

Event: Goshen College C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest
Date and time: Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
Location: Umble Center
Cost: Free and open to the public

GOSHEN, Ind. – Seven Goshen College students will speak Tuesday, Feb. 9 about issues of peace and justice for the annual C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest. The contest begins at 7 p.m. and takes place in the Umble Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Sophomore Chagan Sanathu's speech is titled "Birth Announcement: Bad News, It's A Girl!" She is a communication and business double major from Kolkata, India.

Freshman Erin Helmuth's speech is titled "Leaving No Child Behind: A Moral Imperative." She is a mathematics major from Elkhart, Ind.

Senior Rachel Halder's speech is titled "Prostitution, Poverty and Violence: An Understanding from Chimbote, Peru." She is a communication major from Parnell, Iowa.

Freshman Jair Hernandez's speech is titled "Thinking of the Dream." He is a computer science and communication double major from Goshen.

Sophomore David Zwier's speech is titled "Facing Food Waste: The Truth About What We Don't Eat." He is a business major from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Freshman Matt Nafziger's speech is titled "Certain Inalienable Rights?" He is an accounting major from Goshen.

Sophomore Kayla Hooley's speech is titled "Media Influence on Body Image: How the Media Shapes Our Minds and Divides Our Society." She is a collegiate studies major from Peoria, Ariz.

Each participant will step to the lectern and 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. Speakers will be judged on originality, the integration of the topic and a peace position, and general standards of delivery. While judges deliberate, refreshments will be served, and then the winner will be announced.

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.

Umble Center is accessible to people using wheelchairs and others with physical limitations.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.