North, Amherst students place in speaking competition

Colin Knoer, a sophomore at Williamsville North High School, took second place in the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historical Site on Sunday, March 25. He won $500.

Students from area high schools competed in the fourth biennial public speaking contest held by the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historical Site on Sunday, March 25.

The contest, which is held every two years, commemorates the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president.

"It was a great experience. Not only did I get a chance to speak in front of a crowd, which is something everyone needs to practice more, but I ended up learning a lot about Teddy Roosevelt," said Colin Knoer, a sophomore at Williamsville North High School, who won the second-place prize of $500.

"They only hold the contest every other year, so I'll definitely compete again when I'm a senior," he said

First place went to Ashley Alessi of West Seneca West while Harrison Singer of Amherst Central won third place.

The contest requires students to write an original speech about Roosevelt's life and legacy. Speeches are about five minutes in length and contestants are not allowed to use notes or a microphone while delivering their speech.

This year, topics ranged from biographies of Roosevelt to inspirational speeches based on his life to comparisons between Roosevelt's ideal America and the state of the nation today.