May 21, 2008
The Metropolis of San Francisco Oratorical Festival will be held May 24, 2008 at St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in Dunlap, CA. His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos will be in attendance as 19 youth from the Metropolis will have the opportunity to deliver their presentations and be witnesses for their Orthodox faith. One finalist from both the Junior and Senior Divisions will advance to the National Oratorical Festival being held June 6 - 8, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts.
It is with great honor that we announce the 2008 District Oratorical Festival Finalists from the Metropolis of San Francisco:
Vasili Angelopoulos
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
San Francisco, California
Leena Athan
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Seattle, Washington
Nicole Dimtsios
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Scottsdale, Arizona
Constantine Pappas
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Fresno, California
Jessica Saba
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Northridge, California
Katerina Siefkas
Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church
Novato, California
Sophia Sisson
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Scottsdale, Arizona
Charles Tsouvalas
St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church
Pasadena, California
Divya Varughese
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Fresno, California
Arianna Aram
Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church
Cardiff-By-The-Sea, California
Thania Amberiadis
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
San Jose, California
Nicholas Barakos
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Scottsdale, Arizona
Lefteri Christodulelis
St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church
Pasadena, California
Marilena Constantinou
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
Modesto, California
Alexander Eliades
Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church
Novato, California
Amani Kafeety
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Fresno, California
Christopher Kouldukis
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Seattle, Washington
Stephanie Sampson
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Seattle, Washington
Angelica Sisson
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Scottsdale, Arizona
The Oratorical Festival will be judged by three very qualified individuals:
Kathy Johnstone graduated with honors with a degree in English from San Jose State University in 2004. While in high school, she participated in the Forensics Club. In college, she enjoyed a Speech and Debate course. Since then, she has judged three times at Statewide Home School Debate Tournaments. She is the mother of four children, and she is a substitute teacher of special needs children. She served as President of her parish's women's group and Vice-President of the Antiochian Women Diocese of the West. Presently she is serving her third term as the Chairperson of the Parish Council of St. Stephen's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Campbell, California.
Rev. Fr. David Thatcher is a presbyter of The Orthodox Church in America, and since December, 1997 has been pastor of Saint Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church, a mission of The Diocese of the West in Merced, CA. In addition, Fr. David teaches writing as an Adjunct Instructor at Merced College (Merced, CA). Rev. Thatcher was raised in an evangelical Baptist church in Orange County, CA, and is a graduate of both Biola University (BA, 1979, Humanities-Philosophy Emphasis) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in So. Hamilton, MA (MDiv, 1987). Fr. David has done some doctoral studies in "Christianity & Judaism in Antiquity" at the University of Notre Dame, as well as graduate theological and historical studies in the Orthodox Christian Faith at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. Well educated in both the Orthodox Faith and Evangelical Protestant traditions, and strongly committed to evangelism and church planting in a post modern world, Fr. David brings a unique perspective to communication of the gospel today.
Rev. Fr. George Washburn graduated from Columbia Bible College, Columbia, SC in 1969 with a BA in Biblical Education, and from Trinity in Deerfield, Ill in 1972 with a Masters of Divinity. After seminary he spent a year in post-grad internship at Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, Ca. and another year from 1973-74 on helping start the small evangelical group that eventually grew into Sts. Peter & Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Ben Lomond, Ca. He received a law degree from Santa Clara University. From admission to the Bar in November 1979 his practice focused on real estate law. He was trained and served as a mediator and arbitrator, occasional judge pro tem in small claims and traffic courts, and as chair of a local government commission. He has also served as a high school speech competition judge in events sanctioned by the National Forensic League and the Golden Gate Speech Association.
4th Thursday after Pascha
