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Cicero Prize: former French Secretary of State and lawyers to judge students' debate
An undisputed rhetorician, Cicero became a legend in the art of classical Latin expression, crossing swords with legendary figures in the Roman Senate. More than 2,000 years later, SKEMA Business School students from the PourParlers association are following the same path by relaunching their eloquence competition: "The Cicero Prize". The semi-final is scheduled for 15 February at the Lille campus.
"Speakers raise their voices when they lack arguments". This famous maxim on the art of oratory is attributed to Cicero. The students of the PourParlers association are organising an eloquence competition this year, in which eight candidates will compete.
A jury composed of Quentin Hanique, president of the Fédération Francophone du débat du Nord and a student at SciencePo Lille, Déborah Diallo, a lawyer at the Strasbourg bar, and Laurent Pietraszewski, former Secretary of State for Pensions, will judge the speakers. The Pourparlers association is looking forward to this clash of arguments. "I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the candidates' performances during the elimination rounds. They showed originality… we had poems and slams," says Victor Pass, a student in L3 PGE, in the Consilience track.
Are our desires disorderly?
For the semi-final, the students will have to debate on the theme "Are our desires disorderly?" The four winning candidates will be selected for the grand finale, scheduled for 22 February. This time, their performance will be judged by Diane de Saint-Affrique, professor of law at SKEMA, Hugo Rousselle Nerini, president of the Fédération francophone de débat and a researcher at the Panthéon-Assas University, and by Christophe Lallier, a lawyer.
Final: Wednesday, 22 January, 6 pm. Register
