Winners of Rotary’s Four-Way Speech Contest, and the annual music and visual arts competitions, were honored at a gala event at the Beck Center on April 13.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, the contest annually highlights the incredible talents of students attending one of six high schools – Lakewood, Lutheran West, Magnificat, Padre Pio, Rocky River, and St. Edward.
Lakewood High School student Tessa Ritchie placed third at Rotary district 6630's Four Way Speech Contest at Springfield High School in Akron on April 18.
The club’s speech contest first place winner was Tessa Ritchie with a speech entitled, “Beauty Without Bias.” Holly Rogalski earned second place with a speech entitled, “The Negative Impacts of Young "Skin Awareness’.”
Both students represented the club at the Rotary district 6630 competition on April 18, where Tessa Ritchie finished in third place of all high schools participating.
Placing third was Claire Carson, “Code Blue on Healthcare in America,” and fourth was Joshua Kelly-Moore, “The Cost of Safety: The Death of Anonymity?” All four students are from Lakewood High School.
Speeches must be of original content and be based on “The Four-Way Test of Rotary” which asks, “Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it build goodwill and better friendships, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood has been a valued partner of Rotary for this event, serving as the liaison to educators at the high schools and providing the venue and judges for various phases of the competitions.
This is the 81st year for the club’s speech competition, and the twenty-ninth year that the Beck Center has collaborated with the Rotary club for these student competitions.
Music contest first place winner from Padre Pio Academy was Samuel Giorgio performing “Asturias (Leyenda)” by Isaac Albéniz on piano. Second place, on bassoon, was Alesio Matera, Lakewood High School, performing, “Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, I. Allegro ma non Troppo” by Antonio Caldara. Tying for third was tenor Owen Hill, Lakewood, performing, “Lonely Town from On The Town” by Leonard Bernstein, and Hollie Tennant, soprano, “Morgen” by Richard Strauss.
Visual arts winners were Ursula Rosen, Lakewood High School, “Code Red,” acrylic, first place; Avery Arrowsmith, Magnificat High School, “Notecard-Built House,” notecards, cardboard, and acrylic paint, second place; Lily Rodgers, Rocky River High School, “Judgment Day,” multi media and acrylic, third place.
Honorable mention winners were Myles Scharfeld, Lakewood High School, “Radial,” photography; Luca Swanson, St. Edward High School, “Bull Skull,” ceramics; and Charles Uhler, Rocky River High School, “Honey Pot,” clay.
Over 100 art pieces of a range of styles and media were submitted. A jury of visual arts educators selected outstanding works that met the contest requirements. From this gallery, the judges chose the award winners. The exhibition was displayed in the Jean Bulicek Galleria.