Summit Academy speech, poetry festival challenges students

Summit Academy student Antonio Vasquez argued that immigration laws in Alabama and Arizona are unconstitutional, and if the laws, based on racial profiling, violate his rights, then he wanted the audience at Summit Academy’s speech and poetry festival to realize they could take away a right of each one there.

Eighth-grader Morgan Thorpe said lawmakers should tax unhealthy food instead of raising the prices on healthy food. This way those who have limited funds would eat healthier and it would benefit them as well as the country, since so many Americans have health issues related to obesity.

Classmate Kara Madison argued against cyberbullying. Aliya Foote opposed driving at age 16. Katie Crouch wants to balance technology in students’ lives.

These and many other arguments were brought to the forefront of judges and audience members Nov. 10 as junior high students presented their own oratories. Five others presented dramatic monologues.

On Nov. 29-30, elementary students were to recite poems and dramatic presentations.

Junior high principal MeriJo McComb said about three years ago, the junior high format changed to include students’ speeches.

“We didn’t want to hear just their memorization of a poem because we wanted to see them grow an express their opinion in acceptable ways,” she said.

Now, each student is required to write his or her own speech for a class assignment, and the class votes on which are the best that will be presented at the festival. Judges evaluate their speeches on delivery, language style, organization, evidence, emotional appeal and length.

“It builds confidence, school spirit and they’re able to articulate their opinions and understand those of their peers,” drama teacher Aimee Rohling said. “It’s good to hear opinions other than their own and support and celebrate their classmates.”

Seventh-grader Isabella Oliver researched online her topic on NASA’s decision to cut funding for the constellation program, looking at NASA’s, ABC’s, Discovery News’ and other astronomers’ websites. She wrote her speech and brought it to school where her peers edited it. Then, she memorized and presented it to her class where they voted her into the festival.

Presenting to the audience and judges is different than doing class presentations, she said. She practiced her pacing and pronunciation.

“I was a little nervous, but I took a deep breath and just showed my opinion,” Isabella said. “I loved it. It all just flowed.”

Isabella won first place for oratory. Eighth-graders Josh Petersen and Kara Madsen finished second and third, respectively. They received ribbons and certificates.

 “I learned how to write my own speech — how to hook in the audience and support it with my three reasons or arguments. I showed differing opinions, but then I stated why mine is better with a punch at the end so they’d remember it,” she said.

Her mother, Ronda, was in the audience.

“The speech festival helps students be more in public speaking,” she said. “It helps them with pronunciation, projection, memorization and thinking on their feet. In elementary, kids select their own poems and that’s empowering since so many things are just given to them to learn.”

Eighth-grade drama winners were Sydney Scoffield, first; Devon Hethmon, second; and Rachel Crawley, third.