The McKinney Prize was a cross-class year competition this year, with a first and second prize awarded for a 5- to 8-minute persuasive speech that is socially relevant and of interest to the extended Hamilton community.
- 1st place: Amaris Martins ’26, “Lives Are Set Up For Failure Before They Even Began: Reforming Student Aid Programs For Higher Education”
- 2nd place: Abigail Moone ’23, “It Grows Back! The Phenomenon of Dorm Room Haircuts and Why You Need One”
The Clark Prize competition is open to members of the senior class and calls for participants to address an assigned topic through both written and oral presentations. The topic this year was “What value does studying oral communication add to an education in 2023?” This year’s recipient is Samuel Lieberman ’23, whose winning presentation was titled “Do Androids Dream of Public Speaking?”
The Warren E. Wright Prize competition is open to students who have taken the public speaking course Genres of Oral Communication. This competition requires an informative speech rather than a persuasive one, with the purpose to enlighten rather than to advocate. The 2023 Wright Prize recipient is Tinashe D. Manguwa ’25, whose topic was “A Collision With Decision.”
Winners will be awarded prizes on Class & Charter Day. The Oral Communication Center organized the Public Speaking Competition.
Express Yourself
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.
