Palmerton, Weatherly juniors named top orators
LEFT: Matthew Binder, a Palmerton High School junior, delivers his speech during 45th annual Carbon County Oratory Competition.
RIGHT: Kathleen Graham, a Weatherly High School junior, delivers her speech during 45th annual Carbon County Oratory Competition. RON GOWER/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Kathleen Graham, a Weatherly High School junior, delivers her speech during 45th annual Carbon County Oratory Competition. RON GOWER/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Palmerton Area High School junior Matthew Binder gave persuasive arguments on why he feels O.J. Simpson is guilty for two murders in 1994, gaining him a first place trophy in the male division of the Carbon County Oratory Competition on Wednesday.
Kathleen Graham, a junior from Weatherly Area High School, was named top female orator was. She spoke on her personal experiences while coping as an ethnic minority in her community.
The 45th Oratory Competition was held at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe. Students from Palmerton, Weatherly and the Carbon County Career and Technical Institute competed.
Binder, besides relating what he deemed is incriminating evidence for Simpson in the murder cases of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, said Simpson may have even admitted to the murders in a book he wrote.
The speaker also cited “critical missteps of the Los Angeles Police Department” and the “incompetence of the prosecution.”
Graham, who said her father is African-American and who has darker skin than her classmates, told about her life in a “predominantly white” community.
She termed herself an “ethnic chameleon,” which “allows me to communicate with others.”
Other participants were:
• Owen Stewart, a junior at Weatherly, whose talk was on random topics.
• Bryce Rivera, a junior at CCTI, who presented a blueprint to success.
• Sydney Geist, a senior at Palmerton who stressed the importance of involvement in school activities and organizations.
• Rachael Dickson, a junior at CCTI, who gave an oration on aromatherapy.
Faculty advisers who accompanied the students were Bonnie Tavella of Palmerton, Michael Wildoner of CCTI and Maria Whitley of Weatherly.
Tavella said participants in the countywide event are selected from school competitions, with the participating schools sending one male and one female participant.
She said each student is required to deliver an original 5-8 minute speech in front of a live audience.
The judges for the event were Marie Johns and Katya Fitzpatrick, both of Blue Ridge Communications TV-13, and Barbara Sipler, a retired former oratory adviser.
