INDIANAPOLIS, April 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A
junior from Roxbury Latin School in
Roxbury, Mass., capped a busy
weekend of competition in Indianapolis by earning an $18,000 college scholarship and first place in
The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program
– "A Constitutional Speech Contest." Andrew
G. Steinberg's winning prepared oration was titled "The
Constitution: A Lasting Legacy".
Steinberg, who lives in Newton,
started the weekend as one of 53 state or department champions in
the 80th annual contest. He advanced to the championship through
three rounds of intense competition.
Robyn Anzulis, a high school
junior from Woodbine, Md., earned
a $16,000 college scholarship with a
second place finish, while Chad
Durante, a sophomore from Follansbee, W. Va., earned a $14,000 scholarship and finished third. The
scholarships account for a small portion of post-secondary
scholarships that The American Legion, the nation's largest
veterans organization, awards annually.
In his prepared oration, Steinberg pointed out that current
limitations to the constitutional right of free speech could lead
to other erosions. "Imagine if we accept limits on our First
Amendment rights. What other rights might be next?" he asked. "When
crime is high, limit the Fifth Amendment, due process. Hey, maybe
they're guilty anyway. Fourth Amendment, search and seizure? Who
needs it? We'd catch a lot more criminals that way. Privacy, who
cares if Facebook or Google or Amazon track where you are, record
what you say, know what you buy, report it to Uncle Sam…and nobody
is able to speak against it. Is it really that big a deal? Yes,
actually it is."
In each round of the weekend competition, orators delivered a
rehearsed 8- to 10-minute address and a randomly assigned 3- to
5-minute oration on a constitutional topic, each without the
benefit of notes and in front of a live audience, including the
judges. The 2.2-million member American Legion developed the
contest to encourage young people to improve their communications
skills and to study the U.S. Constitution. More than $3 million in scholarships have been awarded over
the history of the contest.
Media Contacts: John Raughter (317) 441-8847 or
Shayne Abrahams,
(317)408-3381.
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/newton-mass-youth-sweeps-to-victory-earns-18k-scholarship-in-american-legion-oratorical-contest-300443933.html
SOURCE The American Legion