On November 18, 2015, the Maryland Court of Appeals will host the 21st annual Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) Oratorical Contest. Young individuals from juvenile facilities across the state are set to participate in this event. Each contestant has previously won oratorical competitions held within Maryland's DJS facilities.
The event is organized by the Court of Appeals and co-sponsored by DJS and the Maryland State Department of Education. Judge Clayton Greene, Jr., from the Court of Appeals, will preside over the contest. Media representatives have been invited to attend.
Participants will deliver speeches lasting three to five minutes based on C.W. Longenecker's poem "The Victor." The poem includes motivational lines such as: “Success begins with a fellow's will. It's all in the state of the mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are. You've got to think high to rise.”
Judge Greene expressed his enthusiasm for participating in this program for a third consecutive year, stating: “This is a wonderful chance for these young people, who have gotten to know the justice system in unfortunate and unenviable ways, to interact with the courts in a positive way and to have their voices heard at the highest level.”
For further information about this event, interested parties can contact the Office of Communications and Public Affairs at 410-260-1488.
A notice from DJS highlights that Maryland law mandates maintaining privacy and confidentiality for youths referred to or committed under its care unless explicit consent is provided by courts or parents.