Art & Speech Contest

   When we came in, works of art were already set up and displayed on easels, and we were asked to get up and inspect the art, taking the ballots on the table, and each of us choosing our personal top three favorites.  There were tigers and lions, and a fine drawing of a skeleton’s rib cage, which was easy to understand. 

  Some of the work was representative, such as a photograph-like drawing of a man with a happy face under an umbrella reaching out to touch the rain (Below left).  Obviously, a Southern Californian.  There was a girl’s face next to a large sunflower (Not shown), and some decorative surfaces with delicate whorls and Celtic loops turned out to be an elephant (Below right) and a bird.  One project consisted of nine individual panels each combining to make a red-on-red lion in the center and red and pink and white paint spattered and dripped on the panels around (Not shown).

  After we judged the art work, we were then treated to six speeches for the oratory contest.  Copies of each speech were at each place.  The subjects ranged from school bullying to self-esteem to humanism, and then a study of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.  One young man made a personal appeal for adoption over abortion, saying he himself was the adopted child, and was glad his mother had given him the chance for life.

  All the speakers were from Calvary Chapel High School, and spoke clearly and with poise.  We were to judge them on their presentation as a whole, and also on content, preparation, language and style of delivery.  Their opinions were stimulating and provocative.