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Keeping Her Eyes On The Prize...

photo by Mike Cameron Samantha Connor heads to National Oratorical Competition... V.U.H.S. Junior says she is ready.

Tuesday April 11, 2006

By Mike Cameron

Sam Connor enjoys a challenge. Throughout her high school career she has enjoyed expressing her thoughts and ideas through oratorical competition.

Her ability to convince people is remarkable and she has done so consistently since her freshman year at Vergennes Union High School when she won her first oratorical contest sponsored by the American Legion.

Sam was also the winner of the Vermont Rotary Oratorical contest expressing the theme “Service above Self.”

To the uninitiated, oratorical competition can be confusing. Rules, regulations and judging criteria are very specific and leave little or no room for error. Perhaps this phrase will make the process a bit more clear. You alone need to convince a panel of  judges that they should be sold on your presentation. But that’s just the beginning, now add an auditorium filled  with a hundred people and place the judges in the audience at random. One might sit two rows back and one might sit ten rows back and to your left or right. Oh, did I mention that you will be giving your presentation on stage and you will be expected to make eye contact with virtually everyone in the place. You are seventeen years old: interested? Rarely will you find someone who can excel and even thrive in this environment. Samantha Connor is one of them and she is excited about what is on the horizon. Winning local and state competition has earned her the right to represent Vermont at the 69th American Legion National High School Oratorical Championship to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The prize money is big at over twenty thousand dollars and the competition is big as only the best of the best get an invitation. Another interesting component of the competition’s history is that boys have dominated the winners circle. More girls have participated in recent years but the event has been male dominated. Sam takes this fact in stride. “I’m excited about the chance to represent our school and community and am grateful to the American Legion for the opportunity to compete nationally,” she says. About her chances in Indy and the male domination thing, “I’ve beaten guys before,” she adds with a little twinkle in her eye. “I’ll go and do the very best that I can and that’s all anyone really can do, you do the very best you can.” she adds.

The speech schedule is not a piece of cake by any stretch of the imagination, frankly it’s quite difficult at first glance and get’s tougher as the schedule unfolds for each contestant.

A ten-minute no notes presentation on the U.S. Constitution for starters. Any phrase of the Constitution can be utilized. Now the contestants will be expected to give four three to five minute speeches on each of the following constitutional subject areas....The 6th Amendment, (deals with criminal prosecutions and a person’s right to a speedy trial.)...The 5th Amendment, (deals with Congress and congressional protocol.)...The 10th Amendment, (deals with the delineation of state’s rights and congressional powers.)...Article 2 Section 4, (impeachment protocol.)

The contest is about what it means to be an American and has been a core curriculum in Sam Connor’s Civics and Government class at VUHS taught by her teacher and mentor “Cookie” Step.

Step has good reason to be proud of the success that her students have achieved in speech contests over the past decade. She continues to be a key source of self-confidence for them. Ask Sam Connor. “Miss Step is amazing, she knows what we need to prepare for, she knows how we should dress, how we have to present ourselves and what the judges are looking for.”

Step is truly an outstanding educator who lights up like a Christmas tree when she talks about her students. Asked about Sam’s chances in Indy, she says that her winning attitude is the key to her success.

“Going to Indianapolis is going to exciting. This is a chance to meet people with amazing qualities,” Sam says. To which we at The Voice can only add, their qualities won’t be any more amazing than yours Samantha.

Good luck in Indianapolis, and as of press time good luck at the Miss Vermont National Teen Pageant on Sunday April 9th.

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