Finalists named for C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest

Five Goshen College students will speak on themes of peace and justice during the 2026 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in Umble Center. The annual event is open to the public, and will be livestreamed at goshen.edu/live.

This year’s participants and their topics are:

• Caoimhe Farrell, a sophomore communication major with minors in public relations and writing, on “Screens and Society”
• Angelica Garcia-Ponce, a junior social work major, on “Silence is Not Peace for Immigrant Women”
• Isabel Massud, a senior film production major with minors in broadcast and business, on “Gender Safety: An Illusion of the ‘Free’ World”
• Mackenzie Miller, a junior communication major with minors in music and journalism, on “But What Can I Do?”
• Shalom Solomon Teferi, a sophomore biochemistry/molecular biology major, on “Healthcare as a Foundation for Peace”

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: Dr. Regina Shands Stoltzfus, professor of peace, justice and conflict studies at Goshen College; Allan Rudy-Froese, associate professor of preaching and voice at Anabaptist-Mennonite Biblical Seminary and adjunct professor at Conrad Grebel University College; and Amanda Guzman, communications professional and marketing and community engagement specialist at Interra Credit Union.

Each orator will win a cash award: first place will receive $500, second place $350, third $200, fourth $100 and fifth $75. Additionally, the first-place winner will represent Goshen College in the bi-national C. Henry Smith oratorical contest and the inaugural Peace Talks, part of the More Than Just Stories project, held at Goshen College in September.

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.