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Rachel Pohl '11, Hanbin Yang '12, Rebecca Griffin '09, Stuart Lombardi '09.
Rachel Pohl '11, Hanbin Yang '12, Rebecca Griffin '09, Stuart Lombardi '09.
Five Hamilton students earned awards on Feb. 28 during the final rounds of Hamilton's annual public speaking competition in the Chapel. The finalists had been selected based on their performance in a preliminary round.

The winners of the McKinney Prize were Hanbin Yang '12, Rachel Pohl '11, Elijah LaChance '10 and Rebecca Griffin '09. The McKinney Prize is awarded to a member of each class and is based on the presentation of persuasive speeches addressing issues that are socially relevant and of interest to the extended Hamilton community. 

Rebecca Griffin was awarded the Clark Prize. It was originally established through a gift from Aaron Clark in 1859 and re-established in 1892 through a gift from the Fayerweather estate. The Clark Prize competition is open to the students in the senior class. The competition includes both an essay and a speech on an assigned topic. This year's topic was "Reexamining the Drinking Age."

Stuart Lombardi '09 won the Wright Prize for his presentation of "The Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs." The Warren E. Wright Prize is open to all students who have taken or are currently enrolled in COM 210 (Rhetorical Act). The speeches must focus on a current issue of social significance, be informative in nature and be supported by factual material. 

Judges included Julia Cowles '84, trustee and attorney/partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell; J.K. Hage '72, managing partner, Hage & Hage, LLC (Alumni Council Executive Committee; chair, MARC); Jennifer Irons, assistant professor of sociology; Susan Jasko, associate professor of communication studies, California University of Pennsylvania; Cynthia Reynolds, secretary to the dean of students; Patrick Reynolds, acting dean of faculty and professor of biology; Sharon Rivera, assistant professor of government; Stephen Sadove '73, trustee and chairman/ceo, Saks, Inc.; Susan Skerritt K'77, trustee and managing director, Bank of New York Mellon; David Thompson, Blood Fitness Center director and professor of physical education; Nancy Thompson, dean of students; and Jay Williams '54, Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religion.

Related Information
Public Speaking Competition
2009 Finalists

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