Meisel Wins Rotary Speech Contest

A freshman at Staples High School took top honors in the first Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Contest Thursday in Westport Town Hall. 

"I was surprised to win. I really didn't think I did that well," Jacob Meisel, 14, said after John Hendrickson, president of Westport's Sunrise Rotary, announced his win.

Meisel edged out second-place finisher Catherine Coughlin, 17, a Staples' senior, by just two points out of a possible 100. 

Meisel, who had given about a six-minute speech in favor of a cap-and-trade system to reduce levels of carbon dioxide and global warming, advances to a "Speak Off" at 2 p.m. Jan. 24 in Fairfield University. He will represent Westport in a competition among winners from 20 other towns.

Meisel won a $500 check for finishing first in the Westport Town Finals. He is a member of Staples' debate team, Junior Statesmen of America and Model U.N. 

Coughlin, who spoke in favor of Rosa Parks' decision not to give up a seat on a bus to a white person in Montgomery, Ala., in the era before Civil Rights, won a check for $400 for finishing second.

Madeline Kurtz, 17, a Staples' senior who spoke against the awarding of bonuses to employees in Wall Street companies that received taxpayer bailouts, won a $300 check for finishing third. 

During their speeches, Meisel, Coughlin and Kurtz had to apply the "Rotary Four-Way Test" to their position on a topic they'd selected ahead of time.

The Four-Way Test required them to answer the following questions: 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? 

Meisel said he decided to advocate on behalf of cap-and-trade because it was a topic in the news and he's interested in the environment. He said he was nervous before the competition.

"I wrote out the first couple of lines so I was rooted, and then I could go ad-lib," he said of his preparation. 

Suzanne Tanner Meisel, Jacob's mother, said she thought her son did "a fabulous job." 

"It was really all his doing," she said. "He researched it all himself, found his facts, organized them, put them all to the Four-Way Test and practiced it. I was just his audience for practice reasons.

"I did tell him you're a gifted public speaker, put it to good use," she continued. "It's great that Rotary had this opportunity so talents of students in our school system shine." 

Five judges listened to the three finalists' speeches and graded them based on content, organization/delivery and effectiveness.

The judges were Ken Bernhard, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Board, which oversees the Office of State Ethics; Maxine Bleiweis, director of Westport Public Library; David Pogue, a New York Times' columnist; Lois Schine, past president of both Westport Rotary and the Westport/Weston Chamber of Commerce; and Dianne Wildman, director of editorial services of Cablevision Connecticut. 

Hendrickson said this was the first year that Westport Rotary held the Four-Way Test Speech Contest and that he believed Rotary would hold it again for many years to come. 

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said he was proud to be at the event as first selectman and a Rotary Club member.

"I think there's nothing more important than to have our youngsters speak to small groups, large groups and be comfortable doing so," he said. 

Meisel, Coughlin and Kurtz became finalists after securing the top three spots in a field of eight that competed two days ago at Staples High School. 

The Rotary Four-Way Test is designed to be a moral and ethical model for decision making and life practices, Hendrickson said. 

"We hope to see all of you next year for the second annual Four-Way Test Speech Contest," Robin Hammond, president of Westport Rotary, said at the end of Thursday afternoon's event.

Editor's Note: Jacob Meisel also writes a weather blog for Westport Patch.