Monte Vista Senior Wins Spot at National Speech Contest

Danville's Sam Stone is heading to Indianapolis to represent California in the 73rd Annual American Legion Oratorical Contest April 9 - 11 in Indianapolis.

The national contest features speakers from every state in the union, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Stone, a senior at Monte Vista High School, took the State championship in Modesto on Feb. 28 with his speech on "The Constitution and Privacy in the Modern World."

The 17-year-old, who won the post, district and area competitions to qualify for State, competed against five other contestants from across California.

Stone represents American Legion Post 246 of Danville. Ron Roe, Oratorical Chairman for Post 246, says Stone won the State contest for the content and presentation of his speech.

"Sam's content was particularly meaningful as the issue of privacy versus security is everyone's concern," says Roe. "His presentation was also very poised and confident."

Stone says this is the first year he's competed in the American Legion competition.

"I only heard about the contest this year," says Stone, who received $1,200 for his State win. "However, I've been doing speech and debate all four years of high school."

The senior, who wants to study political science or government in college, says he's always been interested in politics, particularly the Constitution.

"The Constitution is absolutely revolutionary," says Stone. "It's the underlying document for how the United States functions on a day-to-day basis."

In his speech, Stone addresses issues that we all face since 911, especially terrorist incidents on aircraft and the resultant rigid security at airports.

"The truth is that these incidents reflect a remarkable struggle that has been one of the foremost Constitutional debates since the birth of our country," reads Stone's speech. "I am speaking of the struggle to find a proper balance between the right of the individual to have his or her privacy protected, and the right of the collective to have their security ensured."

All participants in the national competition receive some nice perks and the chance at big prizes. Each contestant and a chaperone receive an all-expenses paid trip to Indianapolis. Every contestant who qualifies for the first round wins $1,500; those who move to the second round receive another $1,500. The top three winners are awarded $18,000, $16,000 and $14,000 in scholarship money.

The American Legion Oratorical Contest is held every year and is open to high school or junior high school students under age 20, who are enrolled in school. Participants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents. For more information on eligibility and how to enter the contest, visit the American Legion web site.