Payton Stephens

2023 Oratorical Contest 


Payton Stephens won the 2023 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. Her speech was titled “Finding Peace in Religious Conversations: The Free Exercise Clause and Public Schools.”

 

C. Henry Smith Contest

The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest is hosted each spring by the communications department and the peace & conflict studies program.

2024 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10 in Yoder Recital Hall.

Arts and Lecture credit. 

The following students spoke on peace and violence:

  • Payton Stephens ’23, 1st place, “Finding Peace in Religious Conversations: The Free Exercise Clause and Public Schools.”
  • Aspyn Rafac ’25, 2nd place, “Mennonite on Indigenous Soil: Making Peace after Colonialism”
  • Olivia (Lou) Westcott ’23, 3rd place, “Interpersonal Relationships—It’s Complicated: Status and Hierarchy Within our Everyday Lives.”
  • Brianna Keeler ’23, “Sexual Assault on Small College Campuses.”
  • Morgan Smith ’23, “Peace Within: Addressing PTSD in Policing.”

Cash prizes are awarded to the top 3 participants:

1st Prize: $500
2nd Prize: $400
3rd Prize: $300

The first prize winner will go on to compete with winning students from other North American Mennonite colleges. Winners of the bi-national contest receive:

1st Prize: $500 (plus a $500 scholarship to attend a peace-related conference)
2nd Prize: $350 (plus a $350 scholarship to attend a peace-related conference)
3rd Prize: $200 (plus a $200 scholarship to attend a peace-related conference)

The competition is administered by the Mennonite Central Committee and was established in honor of C. Henry Smith, who was on the Bluffton faculty from 1914-46. Smith is well-known for his particular attention to the peace commitments of the Mennonite tradition.

For more information, contact Gerald Mast, professor of communication, at mastg@bluffton.edu or 419-358-3208.

Payton Stephens

2023 Oratorical Contest 


Payton Stephens won the 2023 C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. Her speech was titled “Finding Peace in Religious Conversations: The Free Exercise Clause and Public Schools.”

 

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