Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Everett Sussman ’15 wins district finals in speech competition

Everett+Sussman+%E2%80%9915+wins+district+finals+in+speech+competition

Everett Sussman ’15 was announced the winner of Rotary Club’s Four Way Speech Contest at the district finals in Mystic, Connecticut on Saturday, May 3. Sussman spoke about different systems of education, specifically the STEAM model versus the STEM model of education.

“STEM stands for Science, Technology, and Mathematics; STEAM includes the Arts and creativity,” Sussman explains.

As an active member of Staples Players, as well as a gifted math student, Sussman is well-versed in the topic. Specifically, he spoke about the contemporary issue of funding for theater and “the increased emphasis” on engineering classes in middle school, something he considers incredibly relevant to the Westport school district.

The Rotary Club’s Four Way Speech Contest is a competition that started off at the school level, during the lunch waves at Staples’s LMC. As students advance with their wins, they move on to the regional level, and then, if successful, the state finals in Mystic.

At each level the speeches were graded on a scale from 1-7 by rotarian judges. Depending on the level, one winner or the top three speakers would move on to the next stage.

Sussman believes his passion for both the arts and the hard sciences was something that helped him to perform the speech as well as he did. As for advice for future speakers, Sussman recommends students “dress up nicely, have the speech memorized, and really consider the speech as a scene to be acted.”

Confidence and clear speaking are essential for  a successful speech, Sussman says, as well as truly believing in what you are saying. Sussman hopes to post an online tutorial to help future speakers succeed as he did in Mystic.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Jackie Cope, Features Editor
Senior Jackie Cope is determined to “Make H15tory” this year,  as it is written on the windows of her car in hot pink writing. Cope is currently working on the Inklings staff as one of the features editors and is ready to bring fun, engaging, and colorful features to this year’s papers. “I am beyond excited to be in charge of features,” Cope said.  “Last year I was Opinions Editor -- still fun but I needed a change.” Some of her previous work includes a piece where she focused on the current fashion trends around Staples.  It is a prime example of everything she publishes: lively, well-researched, and thought provoking. When Cope is not reporting on pressing topics at Staples, she devotes a good amount of her time to volunteer work. This past summer, she volunteered as a teacher’s aid at Daughters Of Charity pre-school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. “To put it into simple words, my job was making sure these three to five year olds didn’t kill each other,”Cope said.  “It’s total chaos -- one minute they’re laughing at something that is minorly funny and the next they trip and end up crying as if the world is coming to an end.” Aside from having to provide constant attention, Cope very much enjoys the presence of children and viewed her time working at the school as more of a fun activity rather than a job. She explained that many people would find her job as a challenging one, since she would be, “with these kids for hours on end, every day.”  However, Cope survived, “simply by treating them as funny little humans,” she said. “I loved it so much that I still find myself sharing stories about them to my friends.” Unsure of her profession for the future, whether it includes being with children or with writing, Cope is ready to leave her mark at Staples High School. “Hopefully I will know where I will be attending school for the next four years before April,” she said. “Until then, I’m going to have fun, work hard and make my own history.”  

Comments (0)

All Inklings News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *