2016 4-Way Speech Contest & Students of the Month for March
On Wednesday, March 16th, the Rotary Club of Solon had the pleasure of hosting our seventh annual Four-Way Speech Contest, featuring six high school residents of Solon: Taleen Avitisian, Imogen Hobbs, Pranav Iyer, Aditya Giridhar, Nupur Goel, and Jaiydev Gupta. To say that these speakers have the gift for oration is an understatement!
Also during our March dinner, we honored four Students of the Month: Chisomebi Onyia and Gabriella Rapposelli from Solon Middle School, and Rebecca Ilic and Jordan Morlani from Solon High School. These students were recognized for their scholastic achievements and contributions to the community: their demonstration of “Service above Self.”
On Wednesday, March 16th, the Rotary Club of Solon had the pleasure of hosting our seventh annual Four-Way Speech Contest, featuring six high school residents of Solon: Taleen Avitisian, Imogen Hobbs, Pranav Iyer, Aditya Giridhar, Nupur Goel, and Jaiydev Gupta. To say that these speakers have the gift for oration is an understatement! We were treated to thought-provoking speeches varying from gun control to resume-padding, delivered by exuberant and articulate youths. The speakers were accompanied by families and friends, along with many Rotary members, and the contest was judged by the Mayor of Solon, Susan Drucker, Judge Michelle Paris, and Dr. Jim Persky, who had the challenging task of selecting the winning speaker.
Event organizer, Matt Liebson, summed up the event as he described our student speakers: “We are honored every year to hear from students who aren’t afraid to tackle important cultural, political and ethical issues in front of a large audience, using the Rotary Four-Way Test.” Our contestants applied the attributes of the Four-Way test – Truth, Fairness, Benefit, and Goodwill – to support their positions.
After careful deliberation, our judges selected Nupur Goel, a student at Gilmour Academy, as the evening’s winner. Her speech on the misguided goals of education today resonated with the audience and judges for its well-argued and topical nature, and reinforced Nupur’s status as a recent state champion in original oratory. Her win at our Club’s contest then sent Nupur to the Northeast Ohio District Speech Contest in early April.
While Nupur ultimately did not win at the district level, we were very proud of how well she presented herself against very talented competition. Of the District Contest, Club member Bud Thomas commented: “The future of the United States is in good hands. If any of the folks I observed giving speeches today were running for president - I would definitely vote for them...” Nupur’s delivery and topic were excellent, and the fact that she did not win the contest speaks to the high caliber of students we have in our community.
Also during our March dinner, we honored four Students of the Month: Chisomebi Onyia and Gabriella Rapposelli from Solon Middle School, and Rebecca Ilic and Jordan Morlani from Solon High School. These students were recognized for their scholastic achievements and contributions to the community: their demonstration of “Service above Self.” In addition to sports and other extracurricular activities, our Students of the Month volunteer at local churches and camps; serve meals to social organizations; and assist homeless veterans find work and housing. One of our Students of the Month was so busy she had to call in her acceptance speech from a bus trip to Florida with the Solon High School Band!
Our Rotary Club is truly fortunate to have such bright, articulate, and passionate students in our community, and we are grateful for the support they have received from their families, peers, and school staff members. They have dedicated themselves to personal improvement, and to giving back to others by embracing the guiding principles of Rotary’s Service above Self.