Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Feb. 16, 2016, the West Shores Lions Club held the first round of the 79th Annual Student Speaker’s Contest. Sponsored by Multiple District Four California Lions, the contest is open to all California high school students in grades 9 through 12. The topic for this year’s contest is “Liberty and Justice for All”–What Does it Mean to You? The speeches must be between 5 and 10 minutes long and must adhere to many additional regulations of rhetoric and elocution.

Ten competitors, students in instructor Erica Agee’s Honors English Class, competed in the preliminary contest held at the high school Friday, Feb. 12. Five students moved forward to Tuesday’s contest; Elena Guzman-Peña, Cruzzanna Hernandez, Jasmine Jimenez, Rosalinda Pozar and Nelsmyr Rivera.

The winner of the West Shores contest was Ms. Guzman-Peña, who received a $100.00 prize. The finalists each received $25.00 and all contestants received a certificate of appreciation. The next level of competition is the “Zone level.” The contest at this level will be held in Imperial, California, March 8, 2016. Winners from all local, or club level, contests will compete at the “Zone". From “Zone," winners proceed through these levels; region, district, area and the final. This year the final contest is on June 4 and held in Redding, California.

Various cash and scholarship awards will be given to each winner at each level. The final winner will receive a cumulative total, of cash and scholarship dollars, in excess of $21,000. Judges may not be affiliated with any segment of the Lions Club in any way. Judging the West Shores contest were Jan Gilson, Chris Klontz and Kathy Pickrell, none of whom are Lions (yet!), and all of whom are from different professions or fields of endeavor and who are great representatives of the West Shores of Salton Sea. We are so grateful to all who participated.

We’ll keep you posted.