The final round of Athens College High School’s “Three Hierarchs” Oratory Competition, open to sophomores (10th graders), took place in Choremi Auditorium on Friday, April 23, 2021.

Winner of the 2020-2021 “THREE HIERARCHS” Prize is Aris-Panagiotis Tsomokos, while Filippos-Christos Foufas placed second.

The theme of this year’s speech was:

The answer given by Basil the Great to the Prefect Modestus when harshly threatened with confiscation, exile, torture and death has gone down in history: “I fear none of those,” answered Basil, “for I have nothing to lose except these meager garments and few books. I fear not exile for we are like birds without a permanent home. I worry not about torture as my frail body will quickly succumb. As for death, it will but bring me closer to God, for whom I live and labor.”

The Three Hierarchs, faithful to their ideals, proved to be heroes. They defended truth and fought against self-interest, vanity and corruption in their times. How could they, through their teachings and actions, contribute to today’s struggle for a better world?

The Committee of Judges for the Competition Finals was comprised of: His Eminence Antonios, Metropolitan of Glyfada, Elliniko, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Vari, Mr. Nikolaos Linardos, Coordinator of Philologists at the 4th Attica Regional Centre for Educational Planning (PEKES), and Dr. Konstantinos Goulas, Theologist-Patrologist, Secondary School Teacher at Anavryta High School.

Students who qualified for the Final Round of the Competition were:

1. Foufas, Filippos-Christos

2. Gkouzelos Christos

3. Oikonomidi, Smaragda-Anna

4. Roca, Maria-Carolina

5. Tsomokos, Aris-Panagiotis  

Those who made it to the Semi-Finals included:

1. Aggelou, Evaggelia

2. Galeros, Dimitrios

3. Siakavellas, Nikolaos

4. Vamvaka, Chrysoula

5. Vournas, Leonidas

Congratulations to all the students who took part in the Finals as well as the Semi-Finals of this Competition.