2014 CFB Rotary Four-Way Speech Contest 'Best Yet'

Pictured left to right: Vocational Services Director Steve Patrick, Jeralyn Lopez from Newman Smith, Brooke Viegut from R.L. Turner, Club President Sid Fuller, Kevin Kehl of Creekview, and Darius Heath of Ranchview.

Vocational Services Director Steven Patrick probably put it best when commenting that "this may have been the best Four-Way Speech Contest yet".  Of course, Patrick was referring to the annual event in which CFB-ISD students visit our Club to give a speech on a topic of their choice, and how the Rotary Four-Way Test applies to it.  Contestants from Newman Smith, R.L. Turner, Creekview and Ranchview High Schools put their best feet forward on Thursday, bringing their oratory A-games and a spirit of friendly competition.

Jeralyn Lopez, from Newman Smith High School kicked off the event, speaking about immigration reform, and how the Four-Way Test can be applied to it.  Lopez very eloquently spoke of the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, and our country's struggle to find a solution for them.  Lopez pointed out the pain of ripping families apart through the deportation process, and, likewise, the toll this takes on our national economy.  In the end, these are human beings that make a large contribution to this country, and to simply deport them to their native lands carries a staggering cost along with it.

Brooke Viegut, of R.L. Turner High School, was sure to spice-up her speech with plenty of humor and call-outs to the audience.  Ms. Viegut chose to speak on the standards of public education today, and the apathy felt my many students and parents, alike.  Through the Four-Way Test, Viegut outlined how more investment in education by students and their parents will not only help bring a more stable future, and open more doors of opportunity -- it will help foster new relationships.

Darius Heath, of Creekview High School, chose to speak about the current generation gap in the United States.  Heath explained how this emotional gap between generations continues to widen due to technology and lack of respect for elderly generations.  Heath noted that we can bridge this gap by promoting goodwill, respecting one another, and coming to the understanding that we can build stronger bonds and relationships if we meet halfway and continue to learn from each other.

Finally, Kevin Kehl, of Creekview High School spoke on the profound importance of living an authentic life, and just "being yourself".  Kehl, who won the Four-Way Test Speech Contest District Finals last year, spoke about the reason many people find it so easy to live inauthentic lives.  Particularly, Kehl contends that people find it easier to be accepted if they adhere to social norms -- even if those norms may not be in line with that person's true identity.  After a very well-spoken and poignant speech, Kehl concluded that authenticity allows lasting relationships to form, and interdependence to take foot. 

And in the end, it was Kehl's speech that, once again, was the winner, taking the grand prize of $250.