The annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest, established in 1974 by the directors of the C. Henry Smith Trust, offers students an opportunity to discuss peacebuilding and social justice issues on campus. The intercollegiate competition is administered by the Peace and Justice Ministries of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Undergraduate students from every Mennonite and Brethren in Christ college in North America are eligible to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C. Henry Smith was an American Mennonite historian and professor at Mennonite colleges and the University of Chicago. Overall, he taught history for nearly 50 years at the collegiate level. 1<\/a><\/sup> He is well-known for his numerous books on Mennonite history and his particular attention to the peace commitments of the Mennonite tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EMU has participated in the event since 2003, with EMU students winning the grand prize at the bi-national level<\/a> in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The contest is sponsored by EMU Bible, religion and theology<\/a>, language and literature<\/a>, and peacebuilding and development<\/a> programs.
Orations apply the Christian peace position to a contemporary concern without exceeding 1,500 words (eight to ten minutes spoken word). Read contest guidelines<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n