Oratorical Contest
CATHAY POST'S ORATOR IS STATE CHAMPION!
Emma Lo is the 2023 Washington State American Legion Oratorical Champion! Emma is sponsored by Cathay Post #186 and she won the state oratorical contest on March 11 at Moses Lake, Washington. Emma won a $2,000 scholarship by the Department of Washington and an expenses-paid trip to Indianapolis to compete in the National Oratorical Contest and share in the $203,000 scholarship pool to be awarded there in April.
In Her Own Words..... By Emma Lo
"My speech addresses the importance of the Federalist Papers in a proper understanding of the Constitution. Without the Federalist Papers, we cannot appreciate the reasoning and thought that went into the creation of the balance of power for the separate branches of the government as well as the relationship between the federal and state governments. In light of this, we need to ensure that our education systems are not ignoring these important documents in their curriculum for students.
I am heavily involved in NCFCA Speech and Debate and have been for five years. This season I am competing in Team Policy debate and four different speech events, and I also had the privilege to teach Lincoln-Douglas debate alongside another student for my club. Other than speech and debate, I played tennis on the Varsity Tennis team for my local highschool during my freshman year. During my sophomore year I taught formal logic to middle school students. For all of my highschool years I have worked as a tutor, tutoring students in math, science, logic and english. After highschool, I plan to attend college with the aim of entering the STEM field, most likely in the area of biotech.
I am so honored to be able to go to the National Competition to represent Washington state. The American Legion is a wonderful organization for creating a scholarship competition that encourages students to understand and appreciate America's foundation, and I'm thankful I get to be a part of it."
Congratulations Emma! We wish you the very best at Nationals!
###
The purpose of The American Legion’s National High School Oratorical Contest is to develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States on the part of high school students. Other objectives of the contest include the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties and responsibilities, the rights and privileges of American citizenship. For more information about the program go to:
