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The Dartmouth
March 28, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Students compete in oratory contest

5.22.13.news.speechcontestBommarito
5.22.13.news.speechcontestBommarito

Teddy Bommarito '15 and Dipo Fasawe '14 won the Class of 1866 Prize for Oratory, a $250 prize given to one sophomore and one junior each year. Ben Schifberg '13 won the Benjamin F. Barge Prize for Oratory, a $750 cash prize awarded annually to a senior.

The event, held in the Treasure Room of Baker Library before an audience of 30 people, was introduced by contest judge and prior winner Paul Klaas '74. Klaas congratulated the speakers for qualifying, calling them "successors to Daniel Webster, who was the best orator in American history."

The eight speakers were chosen from a preliminary round in April. Many had written their speeches while in a public speaking course at the College.

Hunter van Adelsberg '15 spoke first about the importance of reading to children, describing fond memories of reading to his adopted Russian sister and how children's books taught her English.

Bommarito spoke about the value of inter-generational communication, which he learned while volunteering at Roger's House, an assisted living center in Lebanon. He urged listeners to bridge the gap between older and younger generations through conversation.

"In today's society, there exists an ever-growing generational gap due to a rapidly changing modern culture," he said. "Younger generations are losing touch with their grandparents as a result of the fact that they'd rather tweet that they're at their grandparents' house than speak to them."

The juniors took the stage next, beginning with Fasawe, who spoke about capitalism's negative impact on Africa. He discussed the sourcing of minerals from Eastern Congo used to make cell phones and how capitalism can lead to "crimes against humanity."

Speaking with fervor, Fasawe said while capitalism means freedom to some, it can mean "bondage" for others. Quoting Martin Luther King, Jr., he encouraged the audience to become more aware of the global distribution of wealth.

"By remaining silent we are turning our backs against the world, we are turning our backs against humanity," he said, turning his own back to the audience.

Jamilah Mena '14 discussed growing up in South Los Angeles, Calif., where musical education became a way out of a community in which "you're more likely to join a gang than an orchestra." She said music education nonprofits are critical for students in these communities, since funding cuts threaten many schools' music programs.

The next four speakers competed for the Benjamin F. Barge prize, addressing a range of topics drawn from personal experiences and passions.

Jack Boger '13, who will join the Marine Corps in June, spoke about decreasing national respect for and participation in the military. He highlighted the growing disparities between those who serve in the military and those who do not, citing a decline in the number of Ivy League students joining after graduation and the percentage of veterans in Congress.

"Privileged Americans like myself have become increasingly disconnected from service, but it wasn't always this way," he said. "We would all benefit from an increased and more equitable participation in our common defense."

Jamie Li '13 focused on the need to recognize and befriend introverts, though American society is biased toward extroverts. Danny Freeman '13 addressed the gun companies' marketing campaigns that target children, which he said is a dangerous and growing phenomenon.

Schifberg spoke about research neuroscientists have made about the human brain and free will. He called neuroscience "the final frontier" of scientific discovery. He discussed the concept that human brains make decisions before people become aware of them, as well as an experiment in which scientists used electricity to subconsciously induce participants to make a decision to raise one hand instead of the other. The implications of these experiments are thought-provoking and frightening, he said.

"What's the point of a free society if, at the most fundamental level, none of us are really free?" he said.

Following the speeches, competitors and attendees filed into a catered reception to mingle as the judges deliberated. Klaas, history professor Zeynep Turkyilmaz, and Vermont Superior Court judge Mary Miles Teachout served on the panel.

As they waited for winners to be announced, participants said they enjoyed their experience and considered public speaking a beneficial skill. Most became involved after taking a speech class and admitted that they likely would not have been aware of the competition otherwise.

"The whole speechwriting and rhetoric department is a hidden gem at Dartmouth," van Adelsberg said in an interview.

Speakers often choose speech topics that are relevant to their personal lives or current events, said Claudia Anguiano, a lecturer at the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric.

The Class of 1866 Prize was established in 1905 and the Benjamin F. Barge Prize in 1901. Both were discontinued in 2004, but were reestablished in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Boger is a member of The Dartmouth staff and van Adelsberg is a former member of The Dartmouth staff.