College Scholarship Competition

Post 333 of The American Legion Scholarship Competition

Sun Prairie High school students are invited by Elmer Peterson Post 333 of The American Legion to compete in the annual American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program. The invitation to enter the competition was extended by Post Commander and Oratorical Chair, Dennis Norton.

The contest for Sun Prairie students has been arranged with the full cooperation of local school officials and the Sun Prairie High School.

The subject in the Prepared Oration portion of the contest must be about some phase of the United States’ Constitution, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the United States government. The Prepared Oration must be an original effort of each contestant and must be delivered in 8 to 10 minutes.

Awards for participation at the local, county and district levels range from $50 to $300. In the State and Regional contest, each participant receives a $600 scholarship.

The three Regional winners will receive a $1000 scholarship. State finalists receive $2000 for first, $1500 for second and $1000 for third.

Ripon College will award a $4000 scholarship to each of the three State finalists if they enroll at the Ripon College.

State winners in first round get $1,500

In addition to the awards in these various elimination rounds, scholarships of $18,000, $16,000, and $14,000 will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners at the National Oratorical Finals.

Each State winner who competes in the first round of the National Contest will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

Participants in the second round who do not advance to the National Final round will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship, Norton said.

The top three youth orators who have won all previous elimination rounds of the contest will vie for top honors in the National Contest in April at the TUPUI Conference Center and Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana. The American Legion will pay the expenses of the State winners to the National Contest.

High school students in Sun Prairie who are interested in entering the competition should pick up information in the main office or see their social studies teacher for more information.

Sun Prairie High School students can request complete rules and contest quidelines from Commander Dennis Norton at 834-4167.

Competition at the local level will be held in early December 2010.