Oration contest draws many with second try

By Jacob Jones

Teen correspondent

How much would it cost for you to face your fears? Would you be willing to fly on an airplane for $50? Better yet, handle a spider for $100? For 16 teens, ages 13 to 19, it took the opportunity to win $150 last week to face their fear of public speaking.

It also took a patient public speech teacher who provided the opportunity and money from her personal funds.

Lauren Davis, who taught public speaking for the Chesapeake chapter of the Hampton Roads Boys and Girls Club for three years until the club disbanded the program, started her own monthly speech competition earlier this summer.

For the first one, held in June at Indian River Library in Chesapeake, Davis waited with $150 in hand from 6 to 6:45 p.m. for a lucky speech giver to show up and orate for the prize.

No one showed up.

Determined, though, to give her money to a deserving recipient, Davis returned last week.

After an article in The Virginian-Pilot about her quest, things were different this time.

She put out chairs and set

up the room for about 50 people. She guessed that there should only be time for 18 speakers. By 6:10, people were being turned away because there were no seats left.

Davis, of course, was surprised by the outcome.

She left the students with some words of advice and let the speech contest on the theme of failure begin. "You need to let the butterflies fly information," she said, "instead of letting them take over you."

Sixteen teens spoke, and Justin Lawrence, a 2008 high school graduate, walked away with the cash.

If you think you could beat the rest of the competition, you are in luck. There are two events scheduled next month: Aug. 20 at Indian River Library, where the topic will be anger; and Aug. 28 at Churchland Library in Portsmouth, where the topic will be authenticity.

Interested teens can visit www.laurenallisondavis.com for more information.

So, are you ready to confront your fears?

Jacob Jones, a rising sophomore at Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, idebatewell@gmail.com