C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest

Event: C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest

Date and time: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.

Location: Umble Center | goshen.edu/livestream

Cost: Free and open to the public

Five Goshen College students will speak on themes of peace and justice during the 2025 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in Umble Center. The annual event is open to the public, and will also be livestreamed at goshen.edu/live.
This year’s participants and their topics are:

Kate Bodiker, a junior writing and communication double major from Berlin, Ohio, on “Breaking Bread: The Restorative Power of Eating Together”

Lindsey Graber, a junior English major from Goshen, on “Reconciling It All: Justice Within Broken Systems”

Naomi Lapp Klassen, a senior history and criminal and restorative justice double major from Goshen, on “Confronting Mass Incarceration: A Story of Agency and Sight”

Alyssa McDonald, a senior broadcasting major from Salt Lake City, Utah, on “Getting Along Better by Arguing More”

Peace Muhagachi, a senior sociology major from Dodoma, Tanzania, on “The Value of Restorative Justice in Our Lives”

The participants will deliver 8- to 10-minute speeches on topics of their choosing that relate to peace and justice. The speeches will be judged on adherence to the theme of peace/social justice, clarity of organization, adequacy of evidence, and general standards of delivery.

The judges this year include: Breanna Nickel ’10, assistant professor of Bible and religion at Goshen College; Richard Aguirre, clerk-treasurer of the City of Goshen; and Mark Schloneger ’92, pastor of Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen.

Both cash awards and scholarships will be awarded to the top three orators. First place will receive a cash prize of $500, second place $350, and third place $200. Scholarships will be provided for the students to attend a peace-related conference or seminar of their choice, matching the cash prizes ($500/$350/$200).

The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest is a U.S./Canada Mennonite Central Committee-sponsored event. Participants compete for cash prizes provided by the trust of C. Henry Smith, a Mennonite historian and professor at Goshen and Bluffton (Ohio) colleges. The purpose of the contest is to allow students to become involved with the cause for peace and develop rhetorical skills.

Speech contests have been a tradition at Goshen College since the early 1900s. The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest provides the opportunity for the campus community to hear about contemporary peace issues. For an archive of past winners, visit goshen.edu/oratorical.