The cold brisk weather didn’t affect contestants in the SCV Newhall Optimist Club’s Oratorical contest held at La Mesa Jr. High on Tuesday, March 22. Consisting mainly of eighth graders, with a few seventh graders mixed in, students rehearsed their speeches in the back and people began to fill up the chairs. To ensure fairness, a panel of three judges not affiliated with any optimist club is used to judge participants. Participants do not know who the judges are until the contest begins and no one may speak to them during intermission. Dee Gadbury, president of the SCV Newhall Optimist Club, runs a tight ship and was on hand to make sure the night ran correctly.
Each student was allotted a time limit and the topic of, “what would you change if you were the leader of the free world?” Of the nine students who participated, not one of them chose the same topic. Each gave well-rehearsed and very current speeches on topics such as helping orphan children, foster children/foster system, spreading democracy, cleaning up the environment and more. At the end of the speeches the judges were called away to tally votes and present the winners.
Congratulations to William Oh and Lea Saet for advancing onto the next level in the contest. Good Luck!