(Posted March 7, 2023)

Elizabeth Bailey '23

Photo by Nate Thompson '05

Elizabeth Bailey '23

Photo by Nate Thompson '05

HUNTINGDON, Pa.—Elizabeth Bailey, a senior from Bowie, Md., studying wildlife conservation, shared an account of courage that left an indelible impact on her life as she delivered her first-place winning speech at Juniata College's 113th Bailey Oratorical competition on Feb. 28. 

Inspired by the 1956 work, Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy, seven finalists were challenged to nominate those "recognized for their courage in the face of adversity to do what is right for a community, nation, or the world?"

"To be gay, trans, or otherwise queer is to spool a long thread of hurt inside of you. It is created from whispers, judgmental looks, and hateful legislation," Bailey said. "It strangles your heart, and it sews your mouth shut, preventing you from speaking freely about who you are. Or, at least, that's what I thought for the first two-thirds of my life. Until a classmate of mine made the bravest decision I've ever seen anyone make and became a true profile in courage when she became the first person in my middle school to publicly come out as queer."

The annual event is Juniata's oldest ongoing tradition of academic excellence, established in 1910, and is designed to celebrate student voices and their power to bring about change.

"Tonight, we as a community will listen and become stronger through the fellowship of the speakers and what we must learn from them about what an array of courage looks like," said Donna Weimer, the Thornbury Professor of Communication and chair of the Communication and Theatre Arts Department, as she welcomed those in attendance in person and online. "To quote the poet and sage Mary Oliver, 'In this universe we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the ability to ask questions. Which are, at the same time, the fires that warm us and the fires that scorch us.'"

Judges Suzy Atkins '98, Jeffrey Bellomo '00, and Parisha Shah '01 critiqued the six- to eight-minute speeches for persuasiveness, intent, clarity of message, reasoning, organization, and evidentiary content.

Bailey's speech was founded on personal experience struggling with the prospect of coming out as a teenager and confronting the rejection, discrimination, and violence that threaten members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

"An individual thread may be weak and hurtful, but with others, you can weave them together into something strong and beautiful," she said. "All it takes is one person to be the first to share theirs."

The beauty and security of living in community were central to her message.

"To wear our threads with pride, no matter what color they are, so that someone else knows they are safe to do so too. That is solidarity. That is courage," Bailey said. 

Bailey's compelling speech earned her the $1,000 grand prize and the honor of having her name inscribed on the historic Bailey Oratorical loving cup.

In second place, winning the $500 award, was Lillian Case, a sophomore from Reading, Pa., studying business analytics. In third place, winning the $300 award, was Kayla Blackstock, a senior from Brookhaven, Pa., studying international politics. Case and Bailey tied for the People's Choice Award, a text-to-vote poll where audience members choose their favorite speech.

Other contestants included Hannah Kempken, a senior from Rheinberg, Germany, studying strategic communication; Nhu "May" Nguyen, a senior from Da Nang, Vietnam, studying accounting and financial management; Kiran Patil, a junior from Kalyan, India, studying environmental geology; and Molly Sheets, a first-year student from Ada, Oh., studying journalism. 

The original Bailey Oratorical Award was established in 1910 by Letitia Fisher Bailey and the Honorable Thomas F. Bailey, who served as president judge of Huntingdon County from 1916 to 1936. The contest is named in honor of John M. Bailey, the father of Thomas Bailey and a former Huntingdon County president judge.

The oratorical contest has a long tradition at Juniata College, a competition in which students from all areas of study can vie for the monetary prize. The original prizes for the contest were $15 and $25. An endowment created by Judge Bailey's son-in-law, Colonel Sedgley Thornbury, provides the contest's prize money. The winners' names are permanently inscribed on an antique cup presented to the college by Colonel Thornbury's son, Thomas Bailey Thornbury.

The oratorical contest has a long tradition at Juniata College, a competition in which students from all areas of study can vie for the monetary prize. The original prizes for the contest were $15 and $25. An endowment created by Judge Bailey's son-in-law, Colonel Sedgley Thornbury, provides the contest's prize money. The winners' names are permanently inscribed on an antique cup presented to the college by Colonel Thornbury's son, Thomas Bailey Thornbury.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.