Kasea Belle Losch, left, talks with veteran John Yeager of Mars last year at the American Legion Post 778 in Lyndora, while fellow student Cassie Sherman listens. Belle, now a senior at Butler High School, won the American Legion Pennsylvania Oratorical Constitutional Speech Contest for the second year in a row. She has been accepted to the Army, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies.

Butler High School senior Kasea Belle Losch once again has won the American Legion Pennsylvania Oratorical Constitutional Speech Contest.

Belle repeated as champion of the state competition March 11 in Harrisburg. She will go on to the national competition in Indianapolis next month

During the contest, contestants must speak on some aspect of the Constitution, focusing on the duties and obligations of citizens.

The contestants must prepare an eight- to 10-minute speech, which must be delivered from memory. They are not allowed to use cue cards.

Contestants are then asked to answer randomly assigned topics for which they must prepare four additional three- to five-minute speeches.

Belle said her speech this year explored the amendments made to the Constitution as a result of war.

She said, “Last year's topic was the same. Last year's speech was a little broader.

“This year I was able to really talk about how war is perceived negatively by a lot of individuals, although it is a way to bring about positive change,” she said.

For example, Belle said British suppression of the American colonists' rights led to the Revolutionary War and the establishment of the Constitution itself. And the Civil War led to the ratification of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery.

To memorize her speeches, Belle said she uses what she called the Figure 8 Method.

“I walk around the room in a figure eight memorizing my speech by sentence. I piece it together. It takes a long time,” she said.

“When I can give my speech while I'm scrolling through social media, that ensures I have it completely memorized,” Belle said.

Belle first won the state competition last year, becoming the first Butler High School student to achieve that honor. Belle is sponsored locally this year by the Butler American Legion Post 778.

The oratorical contest was developed, according to the American Legion, to instill a better knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States in high school students.

Other objectives include the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.

According to the Legion Website, Losch wins a $7,500 scholarship, a plaque and paid trip to the Pennsylvania American Legion state convention to present her winning oration, plus the opportunity to represent Pennsylvania in the National American Legion Oratorical program in Indianapolis in April and be eligible to win $18,000 for first place.

Her mother, Mary Jo Mustello-Losch, said the money would come in handy even though Kasea has been accepted to four of the five service academies.

“They said it's a scholarship, but there are still individual expenses. You still have to buy books, computers, haircuts, ”said Mustello-Losch, a graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy and a Naval Reservist with a 27-year career in the Merchant Marines.

Belle applied to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies.

She said she's been accepted by all except the Naval Academy, which would be her first choice.

“She wants to serve,” said her mother, adding that Belle could go to West Point and join her sister, Anchor, who is currently a plebe there.