Top Finishes | Council of French Societies Oratory Contest

Earlier this month Newman students competed in the Council of French Societies Oratory Contest. Newman faculty members Ms. Lisa Mauthe, Dr. Alison Cransac, Mr. Benoit Cransace, and Dr. Katherine Zell helped prepare Newman’s team for this prestigious competition. This contest was founded after hurricane Katrina as a way to reward motivated students in French programs in the area and to showcase and support the city’s stellar reputation for immersion and target-language French programs. 

 

The contest’s mission is to reward students who strive to achieve excellence in French oratory & recitation skills, extemporaneous speaking performance, and in the study of the French language. Students had to prepare a two-to-three-minute recitation – using the time-honored rules for French oratory – of prose or poetry to perform for a panel of native speaker judges. Students were then interviewed in French by the panel members. Monetary prizes are awarded to the top three students in each of the seven categories and the students who won will be recognized by the Consulate General of France and associated dignitaries during a formal reception held at the Alliance française de la Nouvelle Orléans in early December. 

 

Please join us in congratulating the following Newman students for their winning performances:

 

Level  II:  3rd place, Zoila Linares ’27

 

Level IV & V: 3rd place, Baldwin Key ’27

 

AP French: 1st place, Jai Bansal ’26, 2nd place, Dylan Kolenovsky ’26, 3rd place, Jackson Dirks ’26