C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest
February 20, 2025
Lapp Klassen wins oratorical contest
Naomi Lapp Klassen won the annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday night, with her speech entitled “Confronting Mass Incarceration: A Story of Agency and Sight.” The contest was judged by Breanna Nickel, an assistant professor of bible and religion; Richard Aguirre, clerk treasurer for the city of Goshen; and Mark Schloneger, a pastor at Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship. The judges deliberated for 34 minutes, before awarding Lapp Klassen, a senior history and criminal and restorative justice double major, the $500 first place prize. Peace Muhagachi, a senior sociology major, was awarded second place and a $350 prize...
February 22, 2024
The winning speech: A breakdown
Annika Alderfer Fisher began her speech by painting a vivid picture of her grandparents, who possessed a unique talent for fixing things. Instead of succumbing to the throwaway culture of their time, they were dedicated to repairing items that others had discarded. From clocks to furniture, they breathed new life into forgotten treasures, demonstrating a profound respect for craftsmanship and a disdain for mindless consumption. Alderfer Fisher urged the audience to pause and reconsider their choices, then took the audience on her journey to Tanzania, where the stark realities of overconsumption were laid bare. Against the backdrop of a history...
February 22, 2024
Alderfer Fisher wins oratorical contest
Annika Alderfer Fisher, a senior sociology and art double major, won the 2024 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday. Her speech was titled “The Inequity of Overconsumption.” The contest, held annually, features five Goshen College students, each of whom has the opportunity to give a 10-minute speech on any topic as it relates to peace. Mariela Esparza, a senior English major, finished second with her speech, “Overseen yet Overlooked: Children as an Oppressed Class.” Speaking last, Esparza focused on the imbalance of power between adults and children that causes many issues with our children, the next generation. She...
February 23, 2023
Green wins Peace Oratorical Contest
Jakyra Green won first place in the C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest on Tuesday evening with her speech, “The Privilege of Peace.” Her speech focused on the illusion or privilege surrounding peace for Black people and their realities in America. The culmination of several months’ work was showcased as competitors gave their speeches. Speakers were able to offer new perspectives on their chosen themes, give the audience space for consideration, relate through laughter and audience engagement and hear words of affirmation as they spoke. After all of the presentations, judges Gilberto Perez Jr., vice president for student life, Elizabeth M....
February 16, 2023
Students to compete in oratorical contest
Five student finalists will take the Umble Center stage Tuesday, Feb. 21 for the 50th annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. Since 1974, the contest has challenged students to apply Christian peace positions to current issues in society. This prompt may be broadly interpreted to include methods to address social inequalities and injustices. Contestants will share with students and the Goshen community about the ways they have recognized peace and social justice in their lives. The five finalists in this year’s contest are: Daniel Eash-Scott, a junior history major from Wauwatosa, Wis.; Jakyra Green, a junior English Education major...
February 25, 2022
Lapp Klassen wins Peace Oratorical Contest
Greta Lapp Klassen won first place in the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday with her speech “Humanizing Our World, One Walkway at a Time.” Her speech focused on the car-centric nature of American society and the struggles of people who do not own a vehicle. One of the three judges, Janna Hunter-Bowman, an associate professor of peace studies and Christian social ethics at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, highlighted a line from Lapp Klassen’s speech: “If you aren’t driving a car in 2022, you are not a fully participatory member of our capitalist society.” Hunter-Bowman said she and...
February 17, 2022
Four finalists to take the stage in peace oratorical contest
Four students will speak on themes of peace and justice at the 2022 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest is an opportunity for Goshen College students to deliver an 8-10 minute speech exploring a policy or issue related to the topic of peace. The contest is funded by the trust of C. Henry Smith, a 20th century Mennonite historian and GC professor. The speakers applied for the competition at the end of last semester and completed an initial round of auditions in January. The four finalists in this year’s...
February 19, 2021
Aguilar wins peace oratorical contest
On Tuesday night, Denisse Aguilar, sophomore sociology and psychology major, was announced the winner of Goshen College’s annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest for her speech “Living the American Dream on Borrowed Time.” Mackenzie Miller, senior journalism and English major, came in second place for her speech on “Making Peace with Death: Transforming a Language of Violence and Inequality in America.” The judges for the competition were Robert Brenneman, professor of criminal and restorative justice; Melinda Berry, associate professor of theology and ethics at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS); and Janna Hunter-Bowman, assistant professor of peace studies and Christian...
February 11, 2021
First virtual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest
The first virtual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest will take place on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. via the Goshen College livestream. Five speakers have been selected to deliver an 8 to 10 minute speech on a topic of their choice related to peace and justice. The event will be judged by Robert Brenneman, Goshen College professor of criminal justice and sociology; Malinda Berry, associate professor of theology and ethics at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS); and Janna Hunter-Bowman, assistant professor of peace studies and Christian social ethics at AMBS. The winner will receive a cash prize. The following...
February 21, 2020
Goswami wins Oratorical Contest
Ronit Goswami, a sophomore exercise science major from Goshen, won the 2020 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest and $300 in prize money on Tuesday Feb. 18. The transcript of his speech, “Finding Peace in the Trenches: The War on Homlessness,” and a video of his performance will now be submitted to the bi-national C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest hosted by Mennonite Central Committee. Nasim Rasoulipour, a senior interdisciplinary major, received second place and a cash prize of $150 for her speech titled, “Two Paths Converged in 2016: My Life with Donald Trump.” Three other Goshen College students shared...
February 14, 2019
Stoltzfus wins annual peace oratorical contest
Emily Stoltzfus, a senior social work major from Goshen, Indiana, won the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical contest on Tuesday night with her speech, “Getting the Words Right: Rethinking our Measures of Education.” Junior Mandira Panta, a sustainability major from Bhaktapur, Nepal, won second place with her speech, “Why Climate Change?” Last year, Panta won second place in the 2018 oratorical contest for her speech titled, “Shades of Injustice.” Students Ronit Goswami and Deborah Kankolongo Tshidimu also presented with their speeches, “Interfaith Exploration and Learning” and “The Human in Me: Remembering How MJ Shaped the Heart of a...
February 7, 2019
Facing fear through connection
On Tuesday, Feb. 5., Merrill Krabill, professor of art at Goshen College and the department chair, delivered the 2019 C. Henry Smith Peace Lecture. In Krabill’s lecture, titled, “A Visual Reflection on Fear and Connection,” he reflected on the topic of fear, often asking the audience,“How do we live with fear?” Drawing from the work of other scholars, artists, and personal experiences, Krabill shared how he has learned to view fear in a different way. The lecture is named after C. Henry Smith who was a distinguished Mennonite historian who taught at Goshen College from 1908 to 1913....
February 15, 2018
Students present at C. Henry Smith Contest
Five students shared stories and words of hope at the C. Henry Smith Oratorical contest on Tuesday night. The students, seniors Achieng Agutu and Deeksha Pagar, juniors Sara Azzuni and Katie Yoder, and sophomore Mandira Panta, each presented an approximately 10-minute long speech about varying topics involving peace. Agutu won the contest and a $500 cash prize for her speech titled, “The Introduction: A Story of Inner Peace.” Along with the first place prize comes the opportunity to represent Goshen College in the C. Henry Smith Oratorical contest this coming spring. The speech focused on Agutu being introduced to herself...
February 9, 2017
Peace oratorical contest finalists announced
Each year, students are invited to participate in the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. This year’s finalists have been announced and are preparing for their presentations. Participants deliver an eight to 10-minute speech on a topic of their choice relating to peace in some context, whether war and violence, peacemaking strategies or current events. The addresses are judged on originality as well as the integration of the topic and a peace position. Participants compete for a cash prize alongside the chance to enter the U.S. and Canada oratorical contest. Speech contests have been a part of Goshen College’s history...
March 17, 2016
C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest
Noemi Salvador, a junior, opened her speech with a song from her home, the Kichwas nation in Ecuador, that is chanted to bring rain into the community. That speech won the 2016 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday night. Salvador was awarded $500 and the opportunity to represent Goshen College in the national competition that will be held sometime this spring. The night featured five students who presented speeches on a variety of topics that they had been working on since December. Peter Meyer Reimer, a senior, began the night with his speech titled “What Evil Is, and...