Pro-Life Oratory Contest

The past presentations of the 1st place winners in the Pro-Life Oratory Contest are available for viewing below:

2023 - Court Keeton 
2022 - Nathan Adams
2021 - Liliana Pagan

For help in researching a selected topic for your presentation, please refer to the provided list of pro-life issues and related resources found at www.diolaf.org/pro-life.

2023 Pro-Life Oratory Contest

The 2023 Pro-Life Oratory Contest was held Wednesday, Feb. 15th at the Chancery. The contest is held annually for junior and senior high school students. The winner of the 2023 contest, Court Keeton, moves on to the State Pro-Life Oratory Contest, which this year will be held in Lafayette on May 6th at the Knights of Columbus Convention. Court is a student with Ironwill Enterprises homeschool group and his speech was on Euthanasia.

Miguel Pagan received the 2nd place award with his speech on Masculinity. Miguel is a student at John Paul the Great Academy. There were six total participants in this year’s event representing John Paul the Great Academy, St. Thomas More Catholic High School and homeschool students.

The 2023 Pro-Life Oratory Contest will be held from 10:00am - 1:00p.m. on February 15, 2023.  Participants will gather at the Immaculata Center in Lafayette.

High school juniors and seniors have the ability to make a positive difference in the world around them by speaking out for the dignity and right to life of every human being from conception to natural death. The Lafayette Diocese's Office of the Pro-Life Apostolate sponsors the Pro-Life Oratory contest each year. In addition to the prizes that are awarded, the first place winner of the contest is given the opportunity to compete at state oratory contest hosted by the Knights of Columbus State Convention in the spring. The first place winner of the state competition also receives the opportunity to compete in the national contest, held in conjunction with the National Right to Life Convention.
 
Upon registering to participate in the contest, contestants are committed to making a 5-7 minute speech on one of the following: abortion, euthanasia,  infanticide, or embryonic stem cell research; no props are allowed as part of the presentation.  A panel of judges will determine the winner based on the following criteria:

• Clear thesis and sense of direction in the speech

• General sense of confidence and good word usage

• Speech should be logical, clear, and organized

• Good eye contact and fluent delivery

Participants should research and understand their selected topic, since this will obviously be reflected in their efforts.  They should believe in what they are saying, and speak with enthusiasm while maintaining their poise.  They are encouraged to be creative--the judges want to hear THEIR point of view!  Prior to the competition, they may wish to rehearse their speeches in front of others, and invite constructive criticism in order to improve their content and delivery.  

When preparing a speech, participants should keep in mind the judging criteria.  Does the introduction make the audience want to hear more, and is the thesis clearly stated?  Is each point relevant to the topic of the overall speech, and substantiated with current documentation?  Are the facts and figures current?  Is the content logical and clearly organized?  Does the speech send a pro-life message?  Does the conclusion sum up the main points?

Participants should also remember to dress appropriately for the competition--dress and slacks for young men, and a dress or pantsuit for young ladies.

Deadline to apply is February 3, 2022