ITHACA, N.Y. -- Teenagers from all over New York state are talking their heads off on topics from beef cattle to babysitting. They have been competing for a place in this year's 4-H State Public Presentations, a public-speaking event to be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at noon in Morrison Hall on the Cornell University campus.

Middle school and high school students have been giving talks and demonstrations at the local and regional levels, and those with the best gift of the gab have advanced to the state event at Cornell, where they will represent their counties. The speaking competition will award gold, silver and bronze medals to winners in the demonstration, speech, illustrated talk and dramatic interpretation categories. Participating will be 67 presenters from 38 counties with each county allowed to send up to three presenters in three categories.

Presentations by New York state regional winners will include: the West Nile virus, Ashley Pierce, Cobleskill; the dangers and fun of babysitting pre-school children, Maria Agnello, Waterloo; the economics of the beef cattle industry, Kyle Lowery, Savona; the history of rock and roll, Kenneth Benson, Greene, and Nathaniel Scull, Vestal; snowboarding, Matthew Tucker, Cato; how to make "Grahammy" award-winning cheesecake, Colleen White, Auburn; and how to make a polar fleece pillow, Caitlin Henning, Macedon. Sarah Hunt,Yorktown Heights, will explain how she got her dog, and Donna Partlin, Airmount, will discuss dog agility.

The 4-H speaking program has a positive effect on helping teens improve their schoolwork, according to Dianne Walter, Cornell program coordinator for the 4-H public presentations. "Our program is heralded by teachers who have seen how well this affects young people," she said. "Teachers often tell me that when a research project is assigned in school -- which includes an oral presentation -- they can always pinpoint 4-H public-presentation veterans. They are the best prepared, most organized, most articulate and the most poised."