The annual Public Speaking Competition started out like any other. That is, with three members from each house fighting for positions in the finals. However, instead of eight people going through for both junior and senior, only four went through for junior and ten for senior.

 

 Finally, the finals arrived. The fourteen of us waited nervously for the competition to begin. As the speeches started the atmosphere became tenser. The speeches passed in a blur, the speakers laughing at anything funny, but still hoping that their name wouldn’t be called next…

 

After an hour and a half the prepared speeches were over but, as the audience members went to get tea and coffee, we speakers were pulled aside. We were told that the impromptu speeches would run a little differently this year. Instead of being given ten minutes to prepare, we would have to walk on stage, receive our topic – a different one for each speaker - and talk. A shocked silence followed.

 

With the tea and coffee break over, we were once again waiting nervously outside the auditorium, but this time it was different. We were all in the frying pan together. Despite our nervousness, the impromptus were quick and hilariously funny. After about half an hour, the impromptus were over and the sole adjudicator, Mr Arnott, gave us all general tips on how to better our speeches. Unlike most adjudicators, Mr Arnott, was brief and to the point. He then announced the winners as Adam Worster (For his winning speech, click here) and Luke Worster (for his winning speech, click here) as the winners of the junior and senior competitions respectively.

 

 

These are the speakers that made it into the finals:

 

Seniors: L. Worster, J. Main, B. Roche-Kelly, C.Johnson, M. Tshabalala, J. Pearson, B. Moyo, L. Kanjo, M. Pitse and T. Ramatsetse

 

Juniors: A. Worster, H. Brown, L. Gila, T. Winter