FARMINGTON – On March 23, the Farmington Lions Club sponsored a public speaking competition at Mt. Blue High School. This annual contest has been tabled for several years, but this year it was back on and in-person. Four outstanding high school speakers competed for the first place prize and the chance to present again at the Lions Clubs’ convention at the end of April, competing against students from all over the state.
Senior, Logan Moore gave his speech on retrieving Native Artifacts. Abbey Goodspeed, a junior, spoke about women’s perceptions of what it means to be a woman in today’s society. Molly Kearing, a senior who won first place, spoke about education and how liberal arts classes and
teachers are being cut from schools and curriculum. Finally, Astrid Jones, a sophomore, talked about school shootings and gun control. Each speaker was judged on delivery, speech writing, and impromptu responses to questions after the speech. Each speech needed to be roughly 5
minutes long and as close-to-memorized as possible. Club members judging the contest this year were Ron Cullenberg, the contest organizer, and Mike Cook, president. The timer was Cindy Wright.
The Lions Club meets every second and fourth Wednesday at the American Legion at 5:30 pm. Anyone interested in joining the group should contact Ron Cullenberg at roncull@gwi.net
