Article by Ann Tornberg
For the third year in a row, a new record for the contest, Laney Andrews, a senior at Beresford High School, has won the State American Legion Oratory Contest recently held in Chamberlain on Feb. 16, 2025. Laney represented District 7 and competed against five other students throughout the state. She will next represent South Dakota at the National Finals to be held on May 16-18 at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
This is the 88th year the American Legion has sponsored the contest for high school students in which contestants write an 8-10 minute speech about some phase of the Constitution that emphasizes the duties and obligations of a citizen to our government. In addition, each student must prepare to speak extemporaneously for 3-5 minutes on one of four Amendments of the Constitution that are chosen each year for the contest.
Laney won a $1,500 scholarship as this year's winner and will receive another $2,000 upon arriving at the national contest. To date, Laney has won $13,000 from participating in the American Legion Oratory over the last three years.
Laney Andrews represented District 7 at the State American Legion Oratory Contest held in Chamberlain on Feb. 16, 2025. Among those District 7 officers attending were left to right: Jay Liebel, Dept. JAG Officer; Dan Wyatt, District 7 Americanism Officer; Laney Andrews, Andy Lyngen, District 7 Commander; Anna Mae Warnier from Alcester, Auxiliary Unit President, and Lisa Lee, Unit Auxiliary President from Madison.
