2016 National Oratorical Contest field set

In a few weeks, 53 high school students representing their respective American Legion department will arrive in Indianapolis to participate in The American Legion’s 2016 National Oratorical Contest. The students won their post, district and department-level Oratorical Contest to earn a spot in the national contest, which will be held at the Wyndham Indianapolis West hotel April 16-17.

The contest will begin April 16 with the young orators competing in the quarterfinals; the top nine contestants from the quarterfinals will advance to the semifinals. During both sessions, the contestants will present a rehearsed eight- to 10-minute oration on an aspect of the U.S. Constitution in front of judges, as well as a three- to five-minute speech on an assigned topic discourse — a phase of the Constitution selected from its Articles and Sections.

The top three semifinal winners will advance to the national finals on April 17 at 10 a.m. (EDT) for a chance to win $48,000 in scholarships. Watch a live streaming of the championship finals on www.legiontv.org.

Click here to see the names of the students competing in The American Legion's 78th annual National Oratorical Contest.