FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Susie P. Gonzalez

Susie.Gonzalez@Trinity.edu

March 11, 2009

Trinity University Student Wins Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest

SAN ANTONIO – For the second year in a row, a Trinity University student has won first place in the annual Battle of Flowers Association Oratorical Contest associated with San Antonio’s Fiesta. Trinity senior Grayson Hamilton, a double major in communication and speech and drama, received the highest score among 12 contestants in the association’s Feb. 27 competition.

For his 10-minute oration, Mr. Hamilton received $2,000, a chance to deliver his speech at an association luncheon during Fiesta, and an invitation to ride in the event’s Battle of Flowers Parade on April 24.

The theme for the contest was “Legendary Leaders – Great Governors of Texas.” Inspired by his father, Allen Hamilton, a history professor at St. Philip’s College, he chose to share the story of Sam Houston. “My father gave me a copy of Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy which had a chapter on Sam Houston. It spoke of his difficulties as a Texan governor at the time of secession. By the end of the chapter, I was completely sold on speaking about him. The more I read, the more I was enthralled by his actions and determined to make others aware of his courage and loyalty to Texas in the face of personal sacrifice,” the student said.

Jarrod Atchison, director of Trinity’s debate team and assistant professor of speech and drama, was thrilled to have a first-place winner for the second time. “Grayson worked extremely hard on a fantastic speech, and by all accounts he blew them away,” Professor Atchison said.

Mr. Hamilton said he was made aware of the contest by last year’s winner, Christopher Crawford, a speech communication major from Atlanta who spoke about the Texas Rangers. After selecting Sam Houston as his speech topic, Mr. Hamilton said he spent much of the winter holiday break and January researching and writing his speech. He spent many hours committing the speech to memory and rehearsing, he said. Copies of his speech will be delivered to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo and the San Antonio Public Library System.

The son of Professor Allen and Suzanne Hamilton, he graduated from San Antonio Academy in 2001 and from St. Mary’s Hall in 2005.

For more information, contact Trinity’s department of speech and drama at 210-999-8511.

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