Third Annual Guarini Center Oratorical Contest At Saint Peter’s College

Jersey City, NJ – An area high school student with exceptional public speaking skills will soon become $10,000 richer when The Guarini Center for Governmental Affairs at Saint Peter’s College stages its third annual Oratorical Contest. New York/New Jersey metropolitan area high school students are eligible to enter the contest that will be held on Saturday, March 6 on the College’s Jersey City campus. The registration deadline is February 6. Interested students should call Laura Cristiano at 973-226-0660, x 14 or lauracrist@aol.com Speakers, in a speech no longer than 10 minutes, will “Identify the most important challenge facing the United States in the 21st century.” Three preliminary rounds will conclude with the finals where the top six students will split $19,500 in total cash prizes money with the winner taking home $10,000. Last year’s event attracted more than 125 students from 75 area private and public high schools. Karen Pormento, now a senior at St. Mary High School in Jersey City, captured last year’s top prize, while Passaic High School’s Landon Woodson, then a freshman, was the runner-up. “Saint Peter’s College and the Guarini Center have combined to give a great opportunity for many of the area’s brightest and best students to showcase their ability to express themselves,” said Honorable Frank J. Guarini, a former United States Congressman who founded the Guarini Center. “Public speaking is such a valuable asset and it has become evident to me over the past couple of years that the younger generation has not lost the art.” The rules of the contest are strict and follow the National Catholic Forensic League Bylaws. Speeches, which will be judged on originality and interest, must be memorized and composed only by the student delivering it. Visual and audio-visual aids are not permitted. The event is sponsored by: Lucent, Panepinto Properties, Independence Bank, Hackensack University Medical Center, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Provident Financial Services, Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, PSE&G, AT&T, Fleet Bank, Verizon, Larry Codey and Kathleen Fitzgerald. The Guarini Center for Governmental Affairs was established in 1994 to provide a non-partisan forum for the thoughtful discussion of public policy issues and to interest students in pursuing careers in public service. Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City and a branch campus, specializing in adult education, is located in Englewood Cliffs. Saint Peter’s also offers classes in downtown Jersey City near the waterfront financial district.