SCHNEIDER, VOSS WIN ORATORICAL CONTEST

Two St. Paul Lutheran School eighth-graders took home top honors from the 2001 Jackson Optimist Oratorical Contest Tuesday.

Casey Schneider took first place in the girls' division, followed by Erica Michaelson and Sarah Nenninger. Justin Voss won the boys' competition, with Mark Strickert taking second place and Brian Mueller third.

Students spoke on the theme "We're the Future," and a panel of independent judges evaluated the speeches.

This was club-level competition. Voss and Schneider will move onto the zone contest, March 17 in Jackson. Zone winners go to regional competition, then to district. Winners at district will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

"Everybody is a winner who can get up in front of people and speak," said Steve Seabaugh, chairman of the oratorical committee for the Optimist Club. "It shows leadership and courage. Nothing is more important than being able to communicate ideas to others, to make this country better."

Five girls and four boys competed in the contest. The texts of the winning speeches are not being printed, because Schneider and Voss will use their speeches in zone competition. Highlights of all nine speeches appear below, however.

Justin Voss -- Voss suggested that the future "brings much to hope for" and alluded to the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the promise the future has always held.

"None of these things happen unless we make them happen," he reminded the audience. He also noted that people are "what the future is about," and singled out racism, overpopulation and the challenges and potential problems of future space exploration as leading problems to tackle.

Brian Mueller -- Mueller stressed that youth today have more clout than in past generations and "more control of the future." Part of this, he said, is due to the increased buying power that gives teens a much bigger hand in effecting the economy.

He said it is up to the "politically savvy and digitally enhanced youth of today" to take what is learned from past generations and implement it in their own lives.

Mark Strickert Strickert believes today's youth will face more obstacles than past generations, yet will have to deal with many of the same problems as their parents and grandparents. These problems, he believes, will be overcome.

"If we all work together, what a difference we can make in the future," he said. "The future is scary, but I can overcome it."

Trent Rogers -- Rogers listed drugs, school violence, education problems and alcohol addiction as the biggest obstacles to overcome in the future.

He considers exclusion, a lack of parental discipline, and learning problems as the prime factors in school violence and believes "kids should be encouraged to look at careers and given responsibility at home," to prepare for the future. He also encouraged extracurricular activities such as sports, Scouting and church involvement.

Sarah Nenninger -- "It's up to us to shape our own destiny," Nenninger said. Teen-agers can accomplish much, she said, "once we put our minds to it." She pointed to the restricting of tobacco advertising, brought about in large part by a teen-led protests.

She urged teens to "take a leap of faith" and take advantage of the opportunities life presents. She noted that change is constant and one must keep up and keep an open mind. Finally, she urged peers to "work hard, have fun and make it count."

Sarah Lasater -- Lasater used her own goal of being a professional signer as an example of how youth must be willing to work hard for success. She also focused on teens' need for adult encouragement and urged youth to become involved in their community and to learn communication skills.

"Anything is possible when a mind is put to it," she said, noting that "a positive attitude is a must."

Florence Morrison -- Morrison noted that the future "is not all about you,' but about how others look at you." She stressed the importance of being a good role model. She named going to school consistently, saying no to drugs and being active in a church youth group as three ways to be that positive role model.

Quoting Julia K. Hunt's poem "Believe in Yourself," she urged peers to "think of your destination" in life.

Casey Schneider -- Schneider stressed to adults that while her generation "on the outside may look a little different," today's youth are the same inside. She said they should be considered "Generation Next," rather than Generation X.

"We do have values and we can take on the future," she said. Schneider also touched on the importance of parental influence, urging parents to "teach us to treat the world with respect and also the people." She also noted that one day it will be "our responsibility to take care of the people who took care of us."

Erica Michaelson -- "Everywhere you look, you see children ready to learn," Michaelson said. Factors that cause these children not to learn include violent home lives, drugs and problems in education.

"Show us which way to go," she urged parents. "Encourage us." She encouraged peers to "follow what your parents did and try to inspire others also."