The final of Trinity College School’s Grade 11 Public Speaking Contest was held on Thursday, February 22nd in the Dick & Jane LeVan Theatre. The nine competitors, comprised of the top speaker from each Grade 11 English class, spoke about a non-Canadian figure who has significantly impacted the world.
This contest was initiated by the late Sir Edwin Leather ’37 to encourage students in the art of public speaking. The competition is generously supported by the TCS Parents’ Guild, who donated the trophy some years ago and provides the prize money for the winner each year.
Our Head School Prefects, Val Northey and Cheuk Lam, hosted the event. They entertained the viewers by providing interesting facts about each speaker as they were introduced and playing a “how well do you know your head school prefects” game between speakers.
Each year, the judges, teachers and students are impressed by how the finalists deliver their well-researched speeches with confidence and poise, making the task of judging the contest enjoyable. After much deliberation, the judges decided to award first place to Serar O. for her speech on Maysoon Zayid. Her portrayal of Zayid was clear, animated, at times edgy, and ultimately, very memorable.
The judges also offered three honourable mentions: Romy B. for her speech on Agatha Christie, commenting on how she did a masterful job of incorporating many details and surprises into her speech; Connor J. for his speech on Taika Waititi, which drew in the listener with his exceptional conversational style; and Hibah T. for her speech on Virginia Hall, noting how Hibah had the challenge of being the last speaker, and yet, she still captivated the audience with her strong, well-paced storytelling.
The other finalists, in alphabetical order, were: Boluwatife A., James Meredith; Nicolas C., Ruth Handler; Hunter R., Aristotle; Hannah T., Louisa May Alcott; Jimi T., Michelle Obama. The judges were impressed with the overall high calibre of the speeches and commended all presenters for their efforts.
Thank you to the judges, Mr. Doug Mann, Ms. Jennifer Paziuk and Mr. Chris Robert, for their time and careful deliberations. As well, thank you to Mr. Myke Healy for hosting the webinar for those who could not attend in person.
- By Barbara Brough, head of English
