The final round of this year’s March 25th Oratory Competition, open to Psychico College High School juniors and IB1 students, was held on Tuesday, May 31, 2021 in Choremi Auditorium. Winner of the March 25th Prize for academic year 2020-2021 is Maria-Ilektra Chatzidimitriou.

The contestants wrote speeches on the following theme:

“… In this unfortunate situation, some of the fugitive literates translated and sent books to Greece, and we must be grateful to them, because right when no one from the people learned the common letters, they read these books and saw who are ancestors were, what Themistocles, Aristides and many other elders did, and we saw what situation we were in at the time. Hence it occurred to us to imitate them and become happier. And so it happened and the Company progressed…”

Excerpt from Th. Kolokotronis’ speech at Pnyka, newspaper “Aion,” November 13, 1838

Patriotism, the nation’s progress in Letters, the need for freedom, and the fighting spirit of the Greeks of 1821 were the factors that led to the cultivation of a national consciousness and, ultimately, the uprising to shake off the Ottoman yoke, Through historical memory, national consciousness was stimulated and became an act and an experience.

a) In this day and age of globalization, is it important to keep historical memory alive?

b) What role are schools called upon to play in preserving historical memory and shape national consciousness?

Participating on the panel of judges were: Dr. Thanos Veremis, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Athens, Mrs. Loula Kertsikoff, Member of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation Association, and Dr. Antonios Klapsis, Assistant Professor of Diplomacy and International Organization in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Peloponnese.

Students who qualified for the final round of the competition were:

1. Anastasopoulou, Maria-Efstathia

2. Chatzidimitriou, Maria-Ilektra

3. Kordellidou, Anan

4. Mpampinioti, Athina

5. Skarpeti, Charikleia

In addition to the above, the following students qualified for the semi-finals:

1. Antonopoulou, Eftychia

2. Apostolopoulou, Styliani

2. Kontogianni, Maria

3. Perpatari, Elisavet

4. Vassos, Pantelis

Congratulations to all the students who made it to the finals as well as the semi-finals of the competition.