“The first time I saw the Bailey poster on the wall, and looked at the title ‘What Will it Take for Freedom, Justice and Equality to Ring for all?’ I know that I need to say something about it.” Reinaldo Hermawan Liem, a senior from Indonesia, received the first prize in the annual Juniata College Bailey Oratorical Contest for the second consecutive year by saying that for equality, justice and freedom to ring for all, citizens of the world must speak up. Today, let’s learn some more about Reinaldo, the 2014 Bailey Oratorical Winner!
Q: Can you tell us what your Bailey topic was?
A: Speaking Up.
Q: And what made you choose this topic?
A: My childhood experience in 1998 riots of Indonesia. Basically it was an incident in which the local Indonesians who were jealous about their wealth had killed thousands of Indonesian Chinese. But people at that time did not speak out about their fears and concerns, and nobody cared about what happened to these Indonesian Chinese. This experience made me realized that when we see inequalities happen in our lives, we should take actions to speak up for our rights.
A: I heard that you won the first prize of Bailey Oratorical twice. What made you compete in the Baileys twice?
Q: Well, the initial reason was that I could get extra credit for one of my classes if I attended this event (laugh). And also I think the Baileys are a time and place when you can speak your mind, and I really appreciate the opportunity. I also watched a 2010 speech video by Elise Mihranian, (who was the 2nd prize winner of the Baileys this year) and her speech definitely inspired me, so I wanted to do a speech by myself too.
A: And how did you feel when you found out you won again?
Q: Unbelievable. I was surprised.
A: You didn’t expect that you would win?
Q: No. I mean the other competitors did so well too. I was amazed by their wonderful speeches. But I did feel good after I delivered my speech.
A: What do you think about your speech this year?
Q: I think my speech is a work of art, and I really enjoyed it.
Q: Since you won the Baileys twice, can you give our readers some advice about how to deliver a speech? I am pretty sure many of them want to know about your experience of preparing a speech.
A: Well, the first advice that I would give is to follow a speech structure, you know, like intro, body and conclusion. It is basic, but it is very important too. And when you practice your speech, pretend that you are the audience to see if you can feel a connection about your own content. And always look back at your personal life to get inspirations.
Q: Do you have any special thanks that you would like to give? I know there must be many people helped you with your speech, you are welcome to use this opportunity to express your appreciation to them.
A: Yes, of course. All of my professors in the Communication Department helped me a lot, like Donna Weimer, Sarah Worley and Grace Fala, and I really appreciate it. They are my friends, and I have a very close relationship with all of them.
Q: What about your parents, did they know that you won first prize, and how did they feel about you winning?
A: My parents are really happy, they watched my speech online, and they feel very proud of me.
Q: Last question about the Baileys, we know that the first prize is 1,000 dollars, and it is a considerable amount of money for a college student, do you mind sharing with our audience about how you plan to spend this money?
A: It is a secret, haha. Well in fact, I don’t know yet, I haven’t thought about how to spend this money yet, I will think about it later.
Q: Other than the Baileys, I’m sure our readers want to know more about the Bailey winner, can you tell us more about you? What are your hobbies? What do you always do in your spare time?
A: I enjoy playing piano and going to gym. I have been playing the piano for 6 years, and since I like pop music, I always use piano to play pop songs, haha.
Q: That’s great. We know that you are a senior here, so do you have any plans for the future? What do you want to do after graduate? What’s your dream?
A: I hope I can earn my own money. After I graduate, I will go back home to help with my father’s business. And wherever my life takes me, I will go.
Q: What do you enjoy most about Juniata?
A: The Baileys ,of course.
Q: Reinaldo, thank you so much for sharing your story, we wish you all the best.
A: Thank you, thank you for interviewing me.
Inequalities are everywhere in our society, it is sad. After watching the Bailey speech and reading our speaker’s story today, I hope you can understand this topic more, and one day, we can stand up for ourselves and make sure that freedom, justice and equality ring for all.