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Monday, 09 February 2009 |
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 Staff photos/Mary Bargdill
Students in the 10 and 11-year-old group of the God, Flag and Country speech competition stand in front of the crowd gathered at the St. Marys Eagles Sunday afternoon.
By MARY BARGDILL
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Whether impersonating a meteorologist, sales person or operator of a time machine, local students brought diversity to their God, Flag and Country speeches Sunday afternoon.
Thirty-six students ranging in ages 10 through 15 competed in the city of St. Marys God, Flag and Country speeches in the lower level of the St. Marys Eagles Lodge.
Students from East and West Elementary Schools, Holy Rosary Elementary School, McBroom Junior High School and Memorial High School competed for first place and a chance to compete at the district event in March. First place winners of Sunday’s competition each received $100. All participants received a cash prize offered by the Eagles, who sponsored the event.
District Coordinator Chris Kuenning, an English and language arts teacher at McBroom Junior High School, said students put in a lot of hard work writing and memorizing their God, Flag and Country speeches.
“I can tell they’re prepared,” Kuenning said. “They’re doing very well. It’s always fun to see what they create with those topics, God, Flag and Country.”
Victoria Bartlett, a fifth-grade student at West Elementary School, won first place in the 10 to 11 year-old category. Her speech was on Mary Ludwig, also known as Molly Pitcher, who took over for her husband at the Battle of Monmouth, in New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War in 1778.
“I thought she was someone who showed she was brave and that she loved her husband and fought because she wanted the freedom of America from Britain,” Bartlett told The Evening Leader following her speech.
McBroom student Tannar Rutschilling won first place in the 12 to 13-year-old age group, the largest category of the competition. She based her speech on her efforts to encourage local residents to vote for President Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential Election, by canvassing door-to-door.
“I had truly believed Barack Obama would be our next president,” Rutschilling told The Evening Leader. “I had a lot of doors slammed in my face, (but I) just persevered. We just believed he would do it.”
In her speech, Rutschilling cited the difficulties the nation faced during economic hardship and a war, all during an election year.
“This year has turned our history books upside down, an economical downside approaching depression levels, two wars being fought by our heroic soldiers, a feverish campaign between worthy opponents and the election of our first African American president,” she said.
Holy Rosary student Brooke Hertenstein placed first in the 14 to 15-year-old age group. She focused her speech on where is God.
“There are three reasons why I am proud to be an American, the first is I am allowed to worship any God at any time and place,” she said.
Judges for the competition Courtney Frye, Alex Anderson and Mark Triplett were looking for several qualities in the contestants and their speeches. Each had competed for several years in previous several God, Flag and Country speeches.
“Originality is very important, and memorization,” Triplett said. “Speeches have been really good. It’s hard to judge.”
Kuenning said she has yet to be notified when and where the district competition will be held, but in previous years the event has been held in March at Wapakoneta. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 February 2009 )
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