17th Annual Martin Luther King Jr.
Oratorical Contest Continues ORL Tradition
By Hugo Garcia and Dennis Lyday

In August, 1963, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., told the world, “I have a dream.” More than 40 years later, the dream lives on in many forms. One that has a special history at UCLA is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Oratorical Contest presented annually since 1989 by the students and staff of the Office of Residential Life. This year’s contest took place on January 27 in the Northwest Campus Auditorium.

Contestants are evaluated on both the content of their speeches and the delivery. One aim of the event is to recognize and give students the opportunity to remember Dr. King’s powerful oratorical style. Another focus of the competition, however, is to put today’s students in touch with the work of Dr. King and others in the Civil Rights movement and the legacy left by their efforts.

This year’s contest included both UCLA students and high school students from Washington Preparatory High School. The winner in the college competition was Linda Chiu, a first-year political science and international development studies major. The winner in the high school division was Lamar Jackson, a senior at Washington High.