Speech Contest: Topic: How to bring Hope back in schools:
- Round 1: Middlebury (Winner gets $200)
- Round 2: Vergennes (Winner gets $300)
- Round 3: District Assembly (Winner gets $500)
- Round 4: District Conference (Winner gets $750 for 1st place and $500 for 2nd place)
The student can get up to $1,750 for this competition depending on how far they make it!
Disclaimer: The below are paraphrased and condensed versions of the speeches so you get a gist of what the students highlighted.
Cora:
Cora talked about how she has seen judgment, bullying, and kids being mean to other kids mostly because of diversity. She talked about how kids who are bully sometimes develop anxiety and stress which often leads to suicide or thoughts of suicide. About 4,400 teen deaths are caused by suicide and she listed other alarming statistics. Cora talked about how students are not taught about bullying and the harms it has on others. Her brother has experienced many occurrences of violence due to perceived disability, and students who have bullied him just get to walk away with a verbal warning or report. Cora discussed more statistics on bullying and mental health, and why bullying should not occur. She ended her speech by stating that by destroying bullying, we can bring hope back into schools. Cora is hoping for a place that can be accepting, nonjudgemental, diverse, and open minded!
Maggie:
Maggie was born in Wisconsin and raised in VT. She talked about why hope is important to her and she wishes for something to happen to build trust in the school. Maggie talked about how spreading kindness and small acts of kindness throughout the day can bring hope. She mentioned being truthful and uplifting with students during social interactions and conversations to bring hope. She expressed how being kind, smiling, being fair and caring can build trust with others. Maggie is looking to bring meaning and goodwill amongst the school. Her goal is to build an uplifting community, and that everyone has a little bit of hope in their lives. Maggie ended by stating that we are all working towards a common goal and we can accomplish bringing hope to students at the school.
John Barstow interviewed the two contestants while the judges conferred. Judges were Liz M, Liz S, Lyn, Eric, and Spence.
Results: Cora Bliven (winner) and Maggie Morter (runner-up)
Thank you to our guest students, Jason for organizing, and our volunteer judges!