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Top speakers compete in virtual 4-H state contest

This summer was different than past summers for Jordi Oliver. The 18-year-old Massac County 4-H member would typically fill her summer days with feeding, fitting, and showing cattle. Show mornings would start with hot coffee and walks from the tie-outs. While fewer days started by hitching the stock trailer to the pickup, what didn’t change for this Lake Land Community College soon-to-be freshman was her determination, or as she says in her award-winning 4-H speech, the “inner striving to be the best.”

Jordi placed first in the formal original oratory speech division of the Illinois State 4-H Public Presentation Contest. Her speech, An Industry Dissolving into Science, spoke of the trend away from meat production to lab-produced meat alternatives. In addition to the lower nutritional value and reduced flavor of these products, Jordi explained the domino effect lower demand for natural beef would have on beef producers and youth development.

“Livestock has taught me great qualities, such as hard work, dedication, and a passion for an industry I hope to someday pursue as a career,” Jordi says. “We’re going to take a stand and fight for our industry.”

Jordi was one of more than 100 participants in this year’s virtual speaking contest, with 40% competing in Jordi’s division. State contestants first competed virtually in a local contest to earn the right to advance.

Public speaking is often mentioned as one of the greatest life lessons gained from 4-H, says Katie Duitsman, University of Illinois Extension 4-H leadership specialist. “Our 4-H members continue to impress us with their resilience this year,” Duitsman says. “They easily adapted to the virtual competition.”

Uploaded videos were scored by a team of judges who praised the youth for their elite presentations. “Public speaking is such an important life skill, and Illinois 4-H is proud to help our members develop these skills and offer opportunities to ‘make the best better,’” Duitsman says, quoting the 4-H motto.

The Illinois 4-H Foundation, with financial support from Compeer Financial, provided assistance to transition to the virtual platform and sponsored awards to participants, Duitsman says.

Rachel Lands, Saline County 4-H member earned first place in the original works division with her observation of  today’s “bumper sticker mentality,” the tendency to look only at issues from the shallow, surface level instead of taking time to investigate the full meaning and consequences of beliefs.

“Short, controversial one-liners” oversimplify complicated issues, Rachel says. “Taking time to consider others’ viewpoints and perspectives helps to pull us out of shallow thoughts. We need to check in with ourselves to make sure we’re thinking critically.”

Michelle Marck, a Stephenson County member of the Freeport Fantastics 4-H Club, won first place with her interpretation of an essay on bullying. The impassioned teen walked through the journey from being a bully bystander to being bullied.

The DuPage County duo of Justin and Alexander Hartsell won the team division of the oral interpretation category with recited poems of American cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell. This category challenges competitors to take a published article, manuscript, or transcript and present it in an engaging presentation.

Additional first place division winners include Mia Truhar and Nalia Warmack of Grundy County in team original speech, Elusha Golovay of Bond County in formal topical response, and Cavit Schempp of Logan County in illustrated speech.

Additional top finishers include: formal oratory speech: Dellana Muck, Boone County, second; Sophia Holmes, Cook County, third; formal topical response speech: Zachariah Jalley, Macon County, second; and Mary Carlock, Logan County, third; illustrated speech: Holleigh Hiller, Washington County, second; and Emily Rog, Will County, second; individual original works: Hope Kapelski, St. Clair County, second; and Willard Rozanas, Boone County, third; team original works: Justin Irwin and Lars Carlson, Boone County, second; and Simon and Olivia Truhlar, Grundy County, third; individual oral interpretation: Averhy Sanborn, Champaign County, second; and Jenna Clemmons, Champaign County, third; and team oral interpretation: Cecilia and Maria Ochs, Kane County, second.