Six students have been selected as finalists in the Lions Club South/Flow Secondary Schools Public Speaking Competition – each hoping to walk away as overall winner of the prestigious annual event.

Yesterday, October 17, the finalists gathered to select the order in which they will appear on the night of the competition, slated for November 16, 2016.{{more}}

Chair of the Lions Club South organizing committee Junior Bacchus congratulated the finalists on having reached this stage of the competition, and expressed his hope that this year would be the “best ever” in the history the event.

Vying for the Michael DeFreitas Challenge Trophy and a plethora of other prizes this year are: Rowena Dabriel, of the George Stephens Secondary School; Rasheed Fontenelle, of the St Vincent Grammar School; Jamaal Febuary, of the Mountain View Seventh-Day Adventist School; Gemariah DeFreitas, of the Bishop’s College Kingstown; Rhea Ollivierre, of the Girls’ High School; and André Spring, of the Georgetown Secondary School.

This year’s main topic will be “The recently enacted Cybercrime Act, with all its virtues, can suppress fundamental rights and freedoms”, and students will speak for a period not exceeding 10 minutes.

The participants will also present a prepared speech on a subject of their choice, not exceeding five minutes; and there will be an impromptu round for no more than two minutes each.

In addition to the challenge trophy, the winner will receive a two-year scholarship of EC$1,600 per year to attend a college of his or her choice, a $3,000 project fund for the student’s school, and other prizes from sole sponsor Flow.

Second place winner will receive a two-year scholarship of $1,000 per year and other prizes, and third place winner will receive a similar scholarship of $500 per year, among other prizes.

All students will receive a smartphone for having made it to the final round.

Additionally, Bacchus apologized to the participating schools for the lateness of the event, pointing out that the finals are usually held in October – St Vincent and the Grenadines’ month of Independence.

He explained that there were three factors in determining the date of the finals, which included late response from the Ministry of Education on information submitted by the Lions Club South; the Lions Club South’s first female president, Dr Jose Davy, being abroad in early November; and the US presidential elections being held on November 8.

The competition will this year be held at the Russell’s Auditorium (Stoney Ground), and will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Last year’s competition was won by Aaron Weekes, of the St Vincent Grammar School. (JSV)