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Written by Isabella Harbeson
April 2022
Three courageous Springfield High School students–sophomore Zada Grant, junior Angelina Woychosky, and senior Alicia Ostrom–delivered speeches to 25 members of The Springfield Rotary Club during the group’s 4-Way Speech Contest on March 24th in the River Valley Technical Center Dining Room.
Grant placed first in the contest. She won $100 for her speech on the topic “Why Pro-Life and Anti Abortion Laws Are Anti Female.”
Grant went on to deliver her speech at the regional round of the Rotary Speech Contest in Henniker, New Hampshire, the following weekend. Grant did not place in the Henniker contest.
“I was shocked I won [in Springfield],” Grant said, “and even though I didn't place in Henniker, it was a great opportunity.”
The 4-Way Speech Contest challenges each speaker to answer four questions in a 5-7 minute talk focused on a topic of their choice. The questions they must address include the following: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Bob Flint of the Springfield Rotary (which contains 60 members) has been coordinating the speech event for decades. Flint and the Rotary developed this contest to build connections with students, give them a sense of community, and to educate young people about the Springfield Rotary Club.
Woychosky placed 2nd, winning a reward of $75 for her speech on “The high cost of Healthcare in Vermont,” while Ostrom placed 3rd winning $50 for her speech on how “Environmental Products Help Sustainability.” Woychowsky described in great detail “I was very passionate about my topic and I wanted to bring awareness to what I cared about. I plan to go into the medical field so it had a lot of relevance to me. At first I was anxious about speaking to the rotary club until a wave of confidence went over me. I’m proud of all three of us because public speaking is a super hard thing to do and I think my peers did an awesome job with their speeches.``
Grant and Woychowski became aware of the Rotary 4-Way Speech through their public speaking class with Springfield High School English teacher Rebecca Nadeau. “I wanted them to get the experience of talking in front of a larger audience that's not their peers,” said Nadeau.
Nadeau added some tips for those who want to speak effectively in public. “Practice so you're super comfortable,” she said, “look out and make connections with the audience like eye contact. Smile. Dress in a way that makes you look appropriate and professional but also comfortable. Relax as best you can, and most important, try not to rush.”
“It was just a great experience and I think they all did phenomenally,” concluded Nadeau. “I was out the first week [of practice] so they had to prepare on their own, which they did a great job with. In the future I hope that there are new students in my class and more that are willing to participate and share speeches.”
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