Rotary Four Way Speech Competition Shows Off a Few of Staples' Best

Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

These questions comprise the Four Way Test, an expression of the core beliefs of Rotary International.

Nine students tested timely topics of their choice against them in Westport Rotary's Third Annual Four Way Speech competition on Wednesday.

Clearly the critical thinking skills integral to Westport's school curriculum were on display as they spoke in front of 100 of their peers and five faculty judges in the Staples Library.

The judges selected the three best presentations.  The students who made them will face each other in a similar event at Town Hall on January 17th.

Rotary International is a 1.2 million member service organization with 34,000 local clubs around the globe. Their motto is "Service Above Self." Rotary club volunteers serve in their communities and they run fund raising events to raise money they donate to local and international charities.

The competition was sponsored by Westport Sunrise Rotary and Westport Rotary.  these two clubs have a combined membership of 150 men and women active in the community. Kelly Garrity, a Staples Health Education teacher, oversaw the program and coached the participating students.

Judges for the event were principal John Dodig, head football coach Marce Petroccio, social studies teacher James D'Amico, English teacher Holly Sulzycki and library media specialist Julia Roberts.

Among the topics chosen by the one girl and eight boys were whether income redistribution through our tax system, patriotism, the Federal Reserve, affirmative action and the recently passed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) meet the Four Way Test.

Does SOPA, a piece of legislation sponsored by the entertainment industry, meet the test, asked Andrew Boles, one of the winners?  It holds websites hosting unauthorized copyrighted intellectual property responsible for its use and makes them liable for financial sanctions.

He noted that it is not fair to all in that its sanctions are punitive in the excess and it supersedes due process. It “polarizes” rather than builds good will and so is not beneficial to all concerned.

“No, SOPA does not pass the Four Way Test” Bowles concluded.

A second winner, Scott Gordon, asked whether the Federal Reserve passes the Four Way Test. He said it is not truthful because the Constitution authorizes Congress to coin money, not the Federal Reserve.

It is not fair to all Americans because we have more national debt than we can pay, because the Fed prints money to assist in doing so, and that managing this debt affords Wall Street so much power over the banking system.

He concludes by proposing that “we dissolve the Federal Reserve.”

The lone young woman, Michelle Mastrianni, put patriotism to the test - “Is it rational to love your country?”

She asserted patriotism is not truthful in that much of our history is not truthful – the Thanksgiving myth overlooks diseases Europeans spread to Native Americans – and so fosters a false patriotism.

Mastrianni said that beliefs many Americans hold but do not share about income inequality and gay marriage (e.g.,) do not build good will. But patriotism that is present in Americans is present everywhere, and so is beneficial to all concerned.

She concluded “patriotism barely fails the test due to false patriotism.”

All are invited to the next competition, which will be held in Town Hall on January 17th at 3:00PM.

The winner will advance to a competition at Fairfield University on January 29, where winners of similar events in this part of Connecticut will again put their speeches to the test. And the winner there will move to the finals on February 11 in New Haven, where students from across the state will meet.

Those interested in seeing more about the competition may google “rotary youtube four way test” (without the quote marks).