Rotary ‘Youth Speaks: A Debate’ success!
Four teams took part in the first round of the Rotary public speaking competition. Two teams won their sections and will go through to the District Final in March.
Many congratulations to our Intermediate team of Nikita, Saanvi, Gabrielle and to our Senior team of Grace, Amy, and Teresa. Our other teams performed very well and worked hard to prepare for their first competition: the Intermediate team of Dhanya, Sara and Krisha and the Senior team of Juliette, Jasmin and Ophelia.
The Intermediate teams wanted to share their experiences with you and encourage more students to take part in public speaking.
Ms Quant
Saanvi: Doing the Youth Speaks competition was a unique opportunity and I’m really grateful for it. We had to work as a team and put our stage presence to the test. Winning the round and going to the District Final next is going to be very exciting and I can’t wait for that!
Nikita: Personally, I found the process of preparation riveting since it involved skills such as teamwork and cooperation. The night itself was extremely exciting, and definitely involved a little nervousness (but mostly eagerness) from us all. I really enjoyed chairing the wonderful speeches from the rest of my team, and whilst I think we did really well there is always room for improvement!
Gabrielle: When I first entered the lecture theatre I didn’t feel nervous, because I was with my friends. I knew that it was hard to stand up and speak in front of people you don’t know so I was very proud of myself. It really helped that we had practised so much for it before and we had the support of not just my team but all of the other Abbey teams there as well. It was an amazing experience and winning wasn’t the best part about it, just being there, speaking about a topic that I cared about was the most enjoyable.
Dhanya: The experience of Rotary was unforgettable. Last year in Year 7 I entered Brigstocke and I was quiet and shy so performing a speech in a room of people I didn’t know was quite scary. I performed louder and prouder than I imagined in Rotary. Don’t let your nervousness get the best of you. Even though we didn’t win, I proved myself that I can present a speech in a room full of people with a lot more confidence and volume.
Krisha: The competition was a thrilling and exciting opportunity that I will never forget. It was great seeing what speeches the other teams had prepared, and even though I did not win, I am still happy since I tried my best and I know that there will be other occasions to showcase what I have learnt during the competition. I have mastered so much and it has helped me to grow as a speaker, and even a writer. I enjoyed presenting my ideas to other people in a particular topic and it was truly a great evening to be part of.
Sara: The Rotary Competition was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Watching all the other teams made me realise how much preparation goes into this event and how much everyone enjoys it! Even though my team didn’t win, I’m so grateful to be part of the experience and will learn from my mistakes to improve for the next competition! The main thing that I would like to take away would be that it’s alright to be nervous and not win: as long as you enjoy it and try your best you will succeed!
