By MAGGIE THORNSBERRY, Gazebo Staff Writer

Tarab Ajjan was named winner of Stratford’s “High School Speech Competition” on Monday after a close run-off with Carly Wanna.

The two juniors finished in a tie after six students had  delivered their speeches last week. The “speech-off” was held following the morning assembly. Ajjan was announced as the winner at lunch by English teacher Mary Beth Gumbart.

The speech contest is sponsored by the Rotary Club. Ajjan will advance to the local school competition at Mercer on Thursday, February 25. The regional speech contest is in Sandersville on March 12.

Using the Rotary Four-Way Test, Tarab said she wrote her speech to “spread awareness of Assyrian issues, and I figured this would be a good way to do it.”

She said the speech competition was a good experience.

“Public speaking is fun,” she said. “You don’t get much opportunity to do it in high school and I would do it again. I’ll probably do it next year.”