Six students were awarded prizes in three categories in the annual Public Speaking Competition on Saturday, March 2, in the Chapel. The finalists were chosen after an open preliminary round held in February. Speakers’ presentations were either persuasive or informative in nature, and in one category, students addressed an assigned topic.
In the McKinney Prize competition, a prize is awarded to one student from each class for a 5-8 minute persuasive speech that is socially relevant and of interest to the extended Hamilton College community.
The 2019 McKinney Prize recipients and their topics are:
- Class of 2019: Michael Wang, “Hidden Fees”
- Class of 2020: Taomi Kenny, “The Value of Curiosity”
- Class of 2021: Ken Fung, “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your World”
- Class of 2022: Abbie Wolff, “Speaking to be Heard: The Impact of Socialization on Women's Speech”
Developing the ability to communicate in a clear, organized and effective way is a central goal of a liberal arts education — and a prerequisite for a successful career. Hamilton is one of only three top liberal arts colleges with an independent Oral Communication Center.
The Clark Prize competition is open to all members of the senior class and calls for participants to address an assigned topic through both written and oral presentations. This year’s topic was “Work: Would a world in which we didn't have to work be a good world?” The 2019 Clark Prize recipient is Emily Aviles ’19, whose winning presentation was titled “The True Price of Higher Education.”
The 2019 Warren Wright Prize recipient is Harry Dubke ’19. His topic was “Slow Food: A Revolution in Every Bite!”
Winners will be awarded more than $12,000 in prizes on Class and Charter Day.
The Oral Communication Center organized the Public Speaking Competition.
