Youth Speaks on burning issues

SPEAKERS from the Grammar School have warned about the dangers of cloning. The teenagers impressed the judges of the junior section of this year's Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition and will go on to compete against Jersey for the right to represent the Channel Islands.

'We wanted to speak about something powerful and also very topical,' said main orator Eleanor Mitchell, 14.

With Sophie Leroy, 15, and Jennifer Gervaise-Brazier, 15, they raised the prospect of the loss of individuality if parents could select genes from a shopping list.

'We are looking forward to competing against Jersey, because it means we have the chance to go away if we win,' said Eleanor.

She admitted to feeling nervous on the night, even though she had been on stage many times before.

'You are being yourself and not hiding behind a character,' she said.

Among the other topics presented were the possibility of taking a holiday on Mars, cultural differences between countries and women's rights.

'It was a very high standard of competition once again, which never ceases to amaze me, and it is a credit to the young people and their teachers,' said David Parish, Rotary Club of Guernsey vocational chairman.

In the senior section, the Ladies' College team will go on to compete against Jersey.

Its team spoke about equality and said that women's rights had not progressed much. They were still paid less than men and were subject to different criteria, especially in the use of make-up, and they emphasised the point by delivering the presentation without any, stopping to apply lipstick at the very end.

'All our hands were shaking so it was difficult to actually put it on the top lip,' said main speaker Sarah Honey, 17, who spoke with Abigail Heyworth, 16, and Hannah Druckes, 16.

'We practised a lot in the last two weeks, which was fun because we are all good friends.

'We wanted to choose a topic that we felt strongly about.'

The winning teams take on Jersey at Elizabeth College on Saturday 7 February at 11am. Admission is free.

The winners will represent the Channel Islands in Winchester in March.

The national event is organised by the Rotary Club of Great Britain as part of the Better English campaign.

'It is about providing an opportunity to experience the pressure of presenting to an audience and has a real practical benefit,' said Mr Parish.