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News
Aug 27 2026
Peace Talks, an inaugural speech contest hosted by Goshen College, will invite students representing five Mennonite/Anabaptist colleges to compete on the same stage for the first time.
As a project of More Than Just Stories, Peace Talks is a new annual public speaking event for young people to cultivate leadership through faith-based speaking and storytelling about peace and justice.
The contest, which is open to the public and also available through livestreaming, will highlight peacebuilding and courageous communication on the part of college students. Peace Talks will take place at 7 p.m. in the Umble Center on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Katherine Brown, a psychology and Biblical and theological studies major at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, on “The Woman on the Corner: Prostitutes are People too.” Brown, a senior, is from Liberal, Kansas.
Caoimhe Farrell, a junior communication major with minors in public relations and writing at Goshen College, on “Screens and Society: Building Our Lives Around Each Other Instead of Technology.” Farrell is from Galway, Ireland.
Mateo Gonzalez, a sophomore who is studying engineering mechatronics at Hesston College in Kansas, on “More Than a Sentence: Exploring Restorative Justice.” Gonzalez is from Madrid, Spain.
Sophia Kauffman, a peace and conflict studies and political science major at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, on “Sitting with Our Shame: Facing the History of Mennonite Residential Schools.” Kauffman, a sophomore, is from Leamington, Ontario.
Preston Vicenzi, a junior who is studying political science and history and communication arts at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, on “The Second Crusade: The Iran War’s Dangerous Myth of Redemptive Violence.” Vicenzi is from Newton, Kansas.
The weekend will include workshops for the students and their accompanying faculty or staff, speech coaching from local seminary faculty, and time to connect through shared meals and other activities.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, finalists will compete in the Umble Center on campus in a closing event that will be livestreamed so home campuses and communities can watch.
The participants will deliver 8- to 10-minute speeches on topics of their choosing that relate to peace and justice. Cash awards for the speakers for 2026 are as follows: first place will receive $1,000, second place $800 and third place $600.
The students will be evaluated by a panel of independent judges: Dr. Anug Gurung, the Gladdys E. Muir assistant professor of peace studies at Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana; Dr. Gariot Louima, chief of staff and vice president for equal opportunity and compliance at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana; and Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, associate professor of New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.
The first year of Peace Talks is by invitation only to participating C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical institutions. In the second year (2027), students at faith-based schools in Indiana will be invited to participate; in the third year (2028), students at any Indiana college or university can apply; and in the fourth year (2029), students from colleges and universities across the nation will be eligible.
Peace Talks extends and expands the model of the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest in which students at Mennonite colleges and universities have competed annually for decades, delivering speeches at their respective campuses. Peace Talks will be a discrete opportunity, not intended to replace the campus contests or the binational C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest managed by Mennonite Central Committee. Contact [email protected] with any questions about the contest.
More Than Just Stories is a new media hub made possible through a five-year, $5 million faith and storytelling grant to Goshen College from Lilly Endowment, Inc. Contact [email protected] with questions and media inquiries.
Isabel Massud, a senior film production major from São Paulo, Brazil, won the 2026 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest with her speech, “Gender Safety: An Illusion of the Free World.” Caoimhe Farrell, a sophomore communication major from Galway, Ireland, took second place.
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.
Naomi Lapp Klassen '25 won first prize in the binational intercollegiate C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest.