Seven pro-life high school students from the Downriver area competed in the annual Pro-Life Oratory Contest.  They each gave their originally researched speeches to 53 observers at New Hope Assembly of God Church in Taylor.  The life affirming speeches were on the topics of abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. 

 

Three contestants were from St. Frances Cabrini High School, and one from Gabriel Richard High School.  Three students from New Hope Assembly Church were two from Summit Academy North and one from Taylor High School.  Five judges represented the business community, churches and State Representative Rylee Linting (R, District 27).

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The first prize winner, Na’Kayla Major, a senior at Summit Academy North, received the cash prize of $200.  She advances to the state contest in Lansing on April 18 with her speech on Euthanasia.  She explained that euthanasia is the intentional ending of a person’s life. It is “ethically, logically, and spiritually wrong because it weakens the value of human life, creates dangerous consequences for society, and ignores the deeper dignity that every life carries.”  Her seven minute speech concluded that “Our responsibility as a society is not to eliminate people who suffer.  It is to support them.”  She has been invited to speak at the Downriver Focus on Life dinner in October.

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The second place prize of $150 was awarded to Anthony Hicks, a Junior at Taylor High School.  He began and ended his speech with a Rap poem, and then explained what abortion is, examined why some mothers think it is a solution, offered life affirming options and quoted Bible verses to affirm the value of God’s gift of Life: The Other Choice.

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Ethan Cunningham, a senior at Gabriel Richard High School, won the third place prize of $125 for his speech titled “The Conquest Against Death.”  His speech pointed out that abortion is evil and a cruel and unusual punishment. He shared a Latin quote meaning “while there is life, there is hope.” And there is no hope in abortion.

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Zella Muroski, a Sophomore at St. Frances Cabrini High School received Honorable Mention.  Other contestants were Mateo Barajas and Natalie Griffith (both from Cabrini), and Dominic Gonzales from Summit Academy North.  The contest was jointly sponsored by five affiliates of Right to Life of Michigan from Dearborn area, Monroe County, Central Wayne County, Southern Downriver and Upper Downriver.  For more information, see RTL.org.

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Attached photo by David Ferrell; back row:  Zella Muroski, Ethan Cunningham, Anthony Hicks, Dominic Gonzales; front row: Rep. Rylee Linting, Natalie Griffith, Mateo Barajas and NaKayla Major.