On Wednesday evening two teams from Badminton took part in the ESU’s Public Speaking Competition. Taking place remotely for the first time in its history, it was a challenging and exciting event, made more special by the judges’ accolades.
First up was Coco, Team One’s Speaker, who was partnered with Clayesmore School based in Dorset. Coco gave an impressive speech inspired by E.M. Forster’s quote ‘Two cheers for democracy’. Coco’s speech was expertly delivered, and she answered Clayesmore’s questions with eloquence and poise. It is no surprise that she was awarded Best Speaker of the evening – a great achievement.
Next up were Coco’s teammates Chenumi as Chair and Darcy as Questioner, who worked with Ryde School with Upper Chine based on the Isle of Wight. Chenumi’s controlled and professional approach enabled the guest Speaker to deliver their speech effectively and to time. The speech – ‘We all have the right to erase our digital footprint’ - was appropriately challenged by Darcy, who asked focused, interesting questions. It was fantastic to hear at the end of the evening that this team won First Prize overall and a place in the next stage of the competition, the Regional Heat.
Badminton’s Team Two also gave an accomplished performance, with Marina as Speaker, Bea as Chair and Sophia as Questioner. Marina’s topic – ‘We like euphemisms’ charmed the judges with her fascinating, witty speech on how euphemisms are used in our language. Working with another team from Ryde School, Bea introduced the Speaker’s topic ‘Is it too late to change the world?’ with a thought-provoking commentary on how the various events of the past year have made us re-think our role in society. Sophia’s confident and clear questioning provided further insight on the topic, while Bea’s reflective comments earned her the coveted award of Best Chair of the evening.
I am sure you will join me in congratulating both teams for their amazing success and wish Team One good luck for their next competition.
Ms Glanvill
