Among CofC’s notable alumni is Frank Sturcken (’51, English), a three-time winner of the College’s longstanding campus-wide male-only speech competition, the Bingham Oratorical Competition. His History.Made.Here 250th moment was when he competed for the third time and delivered a speech titled, “The Liquid South,” advocating for desegregation at the school. That speech served as the inspiration for the Sturcken Memorial Oratorical Competition and this year marks the second annual competition which will feature two rounds, a written outline and verbal presentation from student orators. The Sturcken Oratorical was formerly known as the Bingham Oratorical, and is now reoriented to clarify institutional progress as defined by students’ lived experience. Students are asked to first identify a problem they or those they care about have experienced on campus and respond with an argument seeking a solution. This comes with a cash prize and the institutional commitment to see the solution to completion, because oftentimes the answer to a complex question doesn’t come from just one division or department. As a cultural hub, the College is committed to leading by example in the greater Charleston community, and asks that we all participate in making that happen.

The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the Black Student Union, the Charleston Activist Network, the Division of Student Affairs, the Honors College, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Sustainability, the Phillip Simmons Foundation, Prism, the Race and Social Justice Initiative, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Special Collections, the Sustainability Literacy Institute and the academic Departments of African American Studies, Communications, English, Women’s and Gender Studies and Southern Studies.