GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - As the race tightens, competitors in the Lions Club 84th Student Speakers Contest are weeded out until only the very best remain. 

Gridley Lions held the club level contest in early March, pitting Biggs and Gridley high school seniors against each other. The winner, Ms. Harjot Gakhal, returned to the Lions’ Den March 24th, to give her speech again to a panel of three judges as part of the Zone Contest. This year’s topic was “Distance and Online Learning: Pros and Cons”.

Speakers are judged on originality, how well they adhere to the topic, their delivery, enunciation, and persuasiveness. Lions Club rules mandate that no audio/video recordings, note taking, or otherwise sharing the content of a contestant’s speech outside the den walls is allowed. This ensures integrity as the candidate climbs higher in competition. That said, Gakhal presented her argument clearly, calmly and confidently.

Gakhal’s recitation for the Lions’ Den and invite-only guests was her last competition before moving to the Regional Contest, to be held on or before April 19, 2021. There she will join fellow zone winning speakers, vying for the opportunity to take home over $103,000 in scholarship funds as they compete at each of the six levels.