STUDENT SPEAKERS EARN TOP HONORS
POST-TRIBUNE
BY: LISA DeNEAL

West Side High School junior Brandon Griffin knows that money doesn't grow on trees and has a $150 Visa gift card to prove it.

Griffin's speech on money captured the first-place prize in the annual Gary Rotary Club Speech Competition held Thursday at the office of the Teachers' Union Building.

The speech competition lets local students express their views on various topics in a 10-minute time limit.

Griffin, 16, an entrepreneur with two businesses — Quality Web Solutions and BLG Publishing — said the topic of money growing on trees came from the reality many teenagers face when they get their first paycheck.

“Teenagers under 18 years old have income tax taken out of their paychecks. We have to understand the value of a dollar,” Griffin said.

A returning champion in the speech competition, Griffith tied for first place last year. In October, he also placed first in the I.U. Dons Speech Competition.

Hollis Manor, a sophomore from Wirt, earned second place for his speech, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” inspired by the poem by Maya Angelou.

Manor said today's youth do not understand the standards and choices they have in their education.

“In 30 years, it will not matter what type of designer shoes or clothes you wore, or the type of hairstyle you have. What you gained from your education is what matters,” he said.

Morgan-Leanne House, a sophomore at West Side, gave her speech on, “To Teach or Not to Teach,” which advocated intelligent design in high school science curriculum.

House said she recently debated the intelligent design topic and used Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Malcolm Joseph of West Side speech on “Top Dog and Under Dog,” focused on the government taking private properties away from residents to increase public property growth and the Property Rights of America.

Joseph has also participated in debates at Indiana University Northwest last year. Cornell Collins, coordinator for the Gary Rotary Club speech competition, said any student interested in oratorical contests through the club are welcomed to participate.

“Those who placed in this competition will move to the district Rotary competition for prizes up to $500,” Collins said.

The Gary Rotary Club was established in 1922; the Rotary Club, originally formed in 1905 has 30,000 clubs across the United States.