By Kelly Doran
Sun staff
Five local high school students spoke about fairness, truthfulness, friendship and other traits in speeches each student gave while competing in the Batavia Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Contest.
Ben Sandlin, Jacob Daulton and William Scheffter, from Batavia High School, and Alexis Burden and Alyson Hazelbaker, from Clermont Northeastern High School, competed on March 3 at the Rotary Club meeting.
“What we’d like from you today is your best speech. We’d like to hear your content, we’d like to hear your passion,” said Mike Chapman, past Batavia Rotary president and assistant district governor for Rotary District 6670.
The four-way test guides users through questions to make good decisions and know whether an action is ethical, said Chapman.
“I’m really proud of the way they did. I think the speeches that they put together were really polished,” said Garrett Walt, who teaches the Batavia students in his speech and communication classes.
Clermont Northeastern AP English Teacher Bernadette Luebberst was also proud of how the students did and was pleased with their speeches, she said.
Scheffter, a freshman, won first place for Batavia. He spoke about how his values already align with the four-way test, and how he will use the test for the rest of his life.
“Though my thoughts seem to be changing on what I would like to become when I get older, my principles and values will stay the same, even though some may think oddly of me for it,” Scheffter said.
Hazelbaker used her speech to discuss her passion for special education and how beneficial it can be for students with disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome.
She came in first place for CNE.
“Reading, communication and basis math. These are all skills that high school students take for granted every single day but that are challenges for so many other students that go almost unnoticed,” Hazelbaker, a junior, said.
Daulton focused his speech on bullying, speaking about how large of a problem it has become. The freshman, who came in second place for Batavia, discussed how stopping bullying follows the four-way test.
“Stopping bullying could build good will. A lot of people will feel better about themselves if they help put an end to such a problem in American schools,” Daulton said.
Burden, a senior, used the four-way test to evaluate why she teaches self-defense based marshal arts. She came in second for CNE.
“Another big part of what we do is we teach at seven inner-city schools downtown. With these schools, we’re not giving them discipline or structure because many of them have learned that over the years. But instead we’re giving them something that won’t disappear from them,” Burden said.
Sandlin, a senior and the third place winner, spoke of his role as team manager for Batavia’s football team and how his various tasks reflected the four-way test.
“Being the team manager builds good will and better friendships. Everyone appreciated what I did for the team,” Sandlin said.
Each Rotary member evaluated each speaker on if the speech addressed all four parts of the test, if the student understands the test, if the topic chosen is original, the speech organization, the use of language and the delivery of the speech.
The third runner up received $50, the second runner up received $100 and the winner from each school won $250, which the winners will receive when they compete at Wright State University on March 22 in the District 6670 Speech Contest, Chapman said.
“The caliber of preparedness of the students was at a much higher level than it has been in previous years,” Chapman said.
One reason for that is the Rotary Club started talking to students about the contest earlier than in previous years, Chapman said. In addition, the club members explained better to students what the four-way test means.