Moruya High School student Stephanie Lunn wanted to find out what was so good about "the good old days" - and it's taken her to the top.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Tuesday, February 19, Stephanie was named Moruya Lions Youth of the Year after proving herself to a panel of judges through an interview, five-minute prepared speech and two-minute impromptu speech.
Her speech was one of four on the night. Each student demonstrated excellent public speaking skills and expressed their views on local and global issues, from pill testing to social media addictions.
Stephanie interviewed people of the baby boomer generation and compared their views of their adolescence to today's youth.
"The baby boomers I interviewed could quite literally talk for hours about their teenage days, back in the good old days," she said.
"They each had shared memories about good times with friends, enjoying their time outdoors..."
It wasn't all rosy.
Stephanie expressed some of the struggles baby boomers faced with malnutrition, healthcare, unreliable transport and minimal home technology.
She asked: "So why is it that baby boomers all seem to feel sorry for the youth of today?"
She spoke about the luxury of technology and how it makes today's youth more antisocial.
"One of the baby boomers I interviewed said my generation has lost the art of social interaction," she said.
In conclusion, Stephanie hoped youth of today take on board intelligence and wisdom from past generations to help shape their future.
Listen to Stephanie's speech in the video above.
Each day this week, The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner will share a student's speech online. Stay tuned!