Practicing the skill of public speaking

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief

February 14, 2013

Participants from Downey and Warren High wait for the winner to be announced at the Third Annual Downey Lion’s Club Speaker’s Contest.

On February 12, the Downey Lion’s Club held their 3^rd Annual Speaker’s Contest for Downey and Warren High students at US Bank on Florence Avenue.

Since 1937, the Lion’s Club, which is a charity organization, has public speaking contests throughout California. Every year, the governors of the club choose a topic that the participants of the competition must address in their speech. This year, the theme was “How do we create and keep jobs in America.” Cindy Kovach, a member of the Lion’s Club, believes that the topics are picked as a way to get different perspectives from the American student body.

“The district governors of the Lion’s Club of California choose a challenging topic that will provide the contestants with an opportunity for varied viewpoints as they address the issues of jobs in America,” Kovach said.

A total of six students were allowed to participate in the competition. Seniors Mohammed Khan, Bianca Salgado, and Christina Lee-Gibbs, as well junior Marjan Abubo represented Downey High School, while seniors Bernabe Perez and Enrique Robles represented Warren High School.

For Lee-Gibbs, participating in the contest seemed like a great way to communicate to an audience.

“It’s a good opportunity to walk in front of people and present your opinions to the public,” Lee-Gibbs said.

Each student presented their speech between five and ten minutes, and gave a variety of ways as to create jobs, such as eliminating minimum wages and decreasing national spending. Although the Lion’s Club was not allowed to assist students with their speeches, many participants went to their teachers and asked for their input.

“I did talk to some teachers. I discussed the topic with my economics teacher, Mr. Glasser,” Lee-Gibbs. “I talked with Mr. Nevarez because he’s in government. I also talked to Mrs. Bean, and they all gave me different perspectives. Mrs. Bean gave me a more philosophical perspective, Mr. Nevarez gave me a more conservative perspective, and Mr. Glasser gave me a more liberal perspective.”

Warren High student Perez looked back at previous presidents in American history to motivate him in his public speaking.

“The person who inspired me the most was Ronald Regan,” Perez said.

About the Contributor

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, leads the 2013-2014 staff into a busy and exciting year, introducing them to the journalistic world and all its wonders. The writer and photographer first entered the online newspaper as a junior, landing the position of Student Life Editor and turned heads when her stories revealed a seemingly natural instinct for investigative journalism. One year in newspaper left Hailu craving more: a position of leadership where she could let her ideas flourish and create a more successful website. As this year’s editor, she hopes to lead her team into greatness and provide a comfortable workspace. According to the senior, there is no room for mediocrity in the online newspaper. “I don’t want the writers and photographers to be apathetic at all,” Hailu said. “If they are in The Downey Legend, they are in The Downey Legend.” Full force and with great efforts, the talented student hopes to heighten the newspaper’s popularity and implement new ideas, hopefully capturing a new, wider audience. The senior, who is often described as an old soul, admires classical music and is moved by each powerful note in pieces composed by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Khatchaturian. A violinist of 7 years, her appreciation for works of art extends to cinema, and claims to be an avid movie watcher. “I really love to watch movies with a good script, amazing characters, and wonderful cinematography,” Hailu said. With a sixth sense for different forms of human creativity, she hopes to become a student in a liberal arts college and experience the intimacy of a less populated university. The future awaits Hailu, a force to be reckoned with in the arts field, and she predicts she will be living on her own because of her “innate independence.” Living day by day and constantly telling herself, “whatever happens, happens,” she tunnels her focus on The Downey Legend and its future success. A true leader with a mind coiled with layers of depth, Hailu reveals bits and pieces of her vision through her various works or art, photographs and stories.