Here is a sample of the speeches from Wednesday's Carbon County Oratory Competition, hosted at Penn's Peak.

Lauren Fegely, Palmerton Area High School:"In recent studies, volunteering has shown to reduce stress, raise self esteem and confidence, and release endorphins in the brain, These endorphins create a feeling of happiness that is actually not too different from a high. In fact, it's even called the "helper's high." A brain scan done by the National Institutes of Health actually showed that the same part of the brain that is stimulated during volunteering is also stimulated during eating."Rachael Dickson, Carbon Career and Technical Institute:"One of the disadvantages of a book becoming a movie is that sometimes a storyline can be changed and made to fit a more modern demographic. In some cases, when an older or more dated book becomes a movie, producers try to implement more modern customs, or ways of speaking, to the plot. For example, instead of having the characters talk as if they are in 18th century Europe, like they were in the book, the producers would have them interact as if they are in modern day society. This upsets those who read the book and appreciate the authenticity and dated culture that is expressed in the character interactions and plot dynamics."Chloe Markovich, Panther Valley High School:"How can a student's determination to achieve straight As, involvement in extra-curricular activities, and persistence to enroll in honors and AP courses be wiped away by a poor test score? The overuse of these tests has resulted in an overall loss of interest in education. The federal government fails to realize that an overreliance on standardized testing is killing public education."Regan Carroll, Jim Thorpe Area High School:"In today's society, we all seem to be on the hunt for fame and widespread reputation. Conquering our fears is put on the back-burner, as if the attention will mask what we are battling on the inside. I recognize this in myself. Instead of attempting to face my fears, I would strive to achieve as much as possible, because I thought that having so many achievements would make me forget about my fears. I thought as long as I seemed unstoppable on the outside, I would begin to feel the same on the inside."Noah Easterly, Panther Valley High School:"Pearson Education especially has a chokehold on this niche portion of the market. Hypothetically, a student, let's call him Billy, could take Pearson tests from kindergarten through 12th grade, in the subjects of math, science, or reading, and study for these Pearson tests by using Pearson provided study materials and textbooks which were provided by Pearson certified teacher. What if poor Billy didn't do so well on these tests and dropped out? Well, don't worry, because a Pearson education exam is required in order for him to get a GED. Pearson, Pearson, Pearson - one name for all of these students."Alex Groller, Carbon Career and Technical Institute:"When asking someone about their opinion of this sport of racing, many people believe it to be a very rudimentary process. Some people think it is as easy as pinning the throttle all the way to the stops, wide open, and having as much outright speed as possible to win. However, this sport involves a myriad of quick decisions, sharp reactions, and nerves of steel to help navigate one of the most technical and challenging play fields in all of sports."Jacob Taylor, Palmerton Area High School,(after striking a hammer against a small plate of steel):"This sound - the sound of steel on steel, the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil, is representative of the career and vocation that is blacksmithing. For thousands of years, blacksmiths have been creating tool and weapons from iron, steel, copper, bronze, and many other metals. During the bronze and iron ages, blacksmiths were the heart of the community. The farming lifestyle of people back then meant that just about everyone needed to see the blacksmith at one point or another, whether it was to get their tools repaired, buy horseshoes, or just buy normal, average, everyday good."