Bluffton University senior Katie Wineland, from Gibsonburg, Ohio, won the university's annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on March 28.
In addition to earning a $175 cash prize, Wineland, last year's runner-up, qualified for a binational contest with top finishers from other North American Mennonite colleges. In her speech, "Speaking a Wor(l)d of Truth: Proclamation as Peacebuilding," she highlighted the role of gospel proclamation in building peace in the world.
Taking second place and $125 was Eli Tracy, a senior from Continental, Ohio, who addressed "Storytelling as Peacemaking: Knowing Truth and Living as if It Were So." Third place, and $100, went to Rachel Giovarelli, a senior from Wauseon, Ohio, whose topic was "Finding Peace in Our Differences: Reconnecting as the Body of Christ." Giovarelli won the contest last year and went on to place third in the binational competition.
Students in the Bluffton contest give a speech of no more than 10 minutes that applies the Christian peace position to an issue of contemporary concern.
