(L-R) Paulina McConnell, Rotary Club President Justene Adamec, Sarah Lin and London Gray (Photo – Rotary Club of Pasadena)
Rotarians and their guests gathered at the University Club on Wednesday, March 27, for their lunch meeting and speech contest. The theme for this year’s contest is “Create Hope in the World.”
By Scott Phelps
Three contestants gave 6-8 minute speeches. The speeches were judged by three judges according to four criteria: Personal Qualities, Material Organization, Delivery and Presentation and Overall Effectiveness. The three judges then met and determined the 3rd, 2nd and 1st place speeches.
The speeches referenced Rotary’s Four-Way Test throughout. The Rotary Four-Way Test says:
Of the things we think, say or do
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The students chose their own topic that related to the theme “Create Hope in the World.”
Paulina McConnell, a junior at Pasadena High School, representing the Pasadena Rotary Club, chose climate change and its disproportionate impact on the world’s poor, especially on women, and how we can all do something about it. Sarah Lin, a senior at Southwestern Academy, representing the San Marino Rotary Club, chose all of the crises in the world, and how creating hope was very important to address them. London Gray, a sophomore at Pasadena High School, representing the Altadena Rotary Club, chose the disproportionate disappearance rate of Black women in the U.S., its underreporting and underemphasis in society and the media, and recommended that California’s Ebony Alert system, which just went live this past January 1st, be used in all states to redress the problem.
The Pasadena Rotary Club awarded the first place speaker, Paulina McConnell, $400, and Second place, Sarah Lin, and Third place, London Gray, $200 each. Paulina is going on to the next round, with the first runner up as the alternate.
The next round in the contest is regionals on April 10th, followed by the district level on May 18th.
Leave a Reply