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Date: 3/15/2021
GRANBY – A local high school junior from Granby is making a name for himself by competing and winning local oratorical contests.
Abraham Gould credits his homeschool education with exposing him to a variety of topics he said he may have not been otherwise. The high school junior hopes to study mechanical engineering in college, but said he’s enjoyed debate and speech competitions. “I like to think of myself as a little bit of a Renaissance man,” he joked.
Gould recently won first place in both the American Legion Oratorical Contest for Districts two and three combined and for the “Zone” contest, which covers all of Western Massachusetts. He explained the competition is comprised of two different speeches. The first, he said, was an eight to 10 minute speech on the U.S. Constitution, prepared ahead of time and memorized by participants. “The main speech is eight to 10 minutes, the main overarching topic is the Constitution, especially focused on the rights and duties of the people,” he said.
Gould explained that while the speech has “the same topic every year, it’s so overarching,” that it allows contestants to cover a variety of content. The main speech, he said, was the “same at every level,” meaning that the same speech could be used in a variety of levels of competition.
The second speech, he said, was one of four topics that were picked by the judges. “They used to call it impromptu, but now it’s assigned topics. There are four articles about the Constitution you’ve researched beforehand. They draw one, you have five minutes to prepare and you present,” he said. “It’s having to think on your feet a little more.”
Gould said he first heard about the oratorical competitions after his two older brothers competed in them. “A few years back, my oldest brother heard about it through school and did it for two years, he had a great experience. Then my next brother did it, then I did it after him,” he said.
He said in addition to helping them practice their public speaking skills, it also allowed them to discuss the Constitution. “It was a great experience for all of us, we all enjoy public speaking. It’s a great way to talk about the Constitution, and it’s a great way to practice our public speaking skills,” he said.
In his second year of competition, Gould said last year he competed with two other high school juniors. He said he participated in two competitions with them and described it as “a really fun time.” However, this year, he said participation has been low.
“The Legion has been working on spreading the word, there’s not a lot of kids who want to do it now,” he said.
For those who might want to become involved, Gould recommended reaching out to their local American Legion Post. He also recommended reaching out to a teacher or coach to seek mentorship and guidance with regards to the speeches. “A lot of people will be nervous that it won’t work out or is too hard. This is something you’re going to go through, there’s tons of resources,” ‘he said.