NEWS
EMBRACING A NEW VIRTUAL CHAPTER IN PUBLIC SPEAKING
ONLINE COMPETITIONS BREAK THE MONOTONY OF THE LOCKDOWNS
TOP ROW : NICHOLAS KLUCKOW ( VICE-CAPTAIN PUBLIC SPEAKING ), RION AHL ( CAPTAIN OF PUBLIC SPEAKING ), SASHA PILLAY
( YEAR 8 )
MIDDLE ROW : MS EMMIE-CLARE LECKIE
( TIC PUBLIC SPEAKING ), CHRISTOPHER O ’ CONNELL
( YEAR 9 ), DARREN TAN ( YEAR 12 )
BOTTOM ROW : MAX FAN ( YEAR 11 ), MAX KAISER
( YEAR 10 ), FINN GUTHRIE ( YEAR 7 )
In a 2020 that no-one saw coming – with lockdowns , curfews and a multitude of previously unimaginable restrictions – public speaking escaped the constraints of the physical world and embraced a new virtual chapter .
The form and House competitions transitioned from the Chapel to online , bringing together a host of talented speakers and producing memorable , winning performances . Finn Guthrie ( Year 7 ) presented an inspirational vision in response to ‘ Dream big ’. In addressing ‘ From little things , big things grow ’, Sasha Pillay ( Year 8 ) pondered the potential for microscopically small things to evolve into monumentally big problems .
Christopher O ’ Connell ( Year 9 ) delivered an engaging performance on ‘ The new normal ’. Max Kaiser ( Year 10 ), on ‘ The cutting edge ’, offered a touching rebuke against consumerism . On ‘ Silver linings ’, Max Fan ( Year 11 ) delivered an emotive speech warning against naïve optimism . Finally , Darren Tan ( Year 12 ) enthralled us with his adaptation of the traditional Latin phrase ‘ Carpe diem ’.
Externally we achieved success , with Max Kaiser a semi-finalist in the PESA ( Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority ) public speaking competition , as well as with Nicholas Kluckow ( Year 12 )
38 Great Scot Issue 161 – December 2020