Vidor High School students Mallory Chilton and Nick Lewis earned first place in Declamation and Interpretive Reading, respectively, at the school-level finals of the 114th Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation, a scholarship program sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation.
On February 15, 2018, Vidor High School students competed in the local-level contest, which was coordinated by Adam Conrad, Vidor High School teacher and school director for the Stark Reading Contest. Chilton won first place in Declamation with John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address speech, while Lewis won first place in Interpretive Reading with his presentation of an excerpt from Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Second place in Declamation went to Johnny Hall, with Maryn Chilton receiving second-place honors in Interpretive Reading.
Gillian Grant served as the emcee for the Vidor competition. Mr. Conrad presented awards to the 2017-18 school-level contest winners.
Each second-place winner was awarded $1,500 in scholarships from the Stark Foundation, while the two first-place winners were awarded $2,000 in scholarships. The first-place winners from Vidor High School will go on to compete against the first-place winners from other participating Orange County public high schools at the County Final of the Stark Reading Contest, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 2 p.m. at the Lutcher Theater.
The Stark Reading Contest is sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation as part of its continuing mission to enrich the quality of life in the Orange community and encourage education. The aim of the Contest is to enhance the literary and forensic quality and skills of Orange County public high school students. The Contest has continued annually since its inception in 1904, which makes the 2017-18 school year the 114th annual year of the Contest. In addition to offering educational opportunities and experiences for students at eligible Orange County public high schools, participating students may earn scholarship awards for continued education.
(Left to Right):
Johnny Hall: 2nd place, Declamation; Mallory Chilton: 1st place, Declamation; Nick Lewis: 1st place, Interpretive Reading; Maryn Chilton: 2nd place, Interpretive Reading
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