Posted by Rob Weinberg on Mar 28, 2018
Each year the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club hosts the 4-way speech contest, encouraging high school students to speak their minds on issues of the day before a professional audience. These students are tasked with framing their subjects within the context of the Rotary 4-Way Test, which asks the following of everything we think, say and 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 are timed and judged by a team of four, with the winners going on to the next tier of competition. In addition to being persuasive and knowledgeable, they are also expected to work without notes, PowerPoint or other aids, and must speak between 5-7 minutes to avoid penalties.
 
Last week's contest was, in a word, AMAZING! Each speaker was better than the previous one, and finding a single winner was, at best, difficult. Listening to these future leaders convinced this listener that our future is in good hands and helped to restore faith that hard work and ethics still remain basic tenets of the next generation.
 
Well done, ladies and gentleman. You've done your schools and families proud, and we're thrilled to have heard you all on your way to greater success.
 
(L-R) Maya Gosh, Suhbham Gupta, Jess Kennedy, Anna Splettstoeszer, Grace Wade, and Kayelynn Lawson