Effective orators
20 Nov 2018
The ability to present a cogent and persuasive argument, be cool and collected in front of an audience and win over the crowd are key skills in public speaking – and the boys who took part in the junior speech competition on Thursday 15 November proved more than capable of meeting the challenge.
The boys could choose from a range of inspired and interesting themes or, in consultation with their teacher, explore a topic of their own choosing. All the boys demonstrated internet savvy, considerable research skills and the ability to distil and present information in a clear, thought-provoking and frequently entertaining manner.
Year 9 winner Harry Sharr took a look at the future of our “always changing and evolving” world, transporting the audience to the year 2050, looking at some of the issues the world will face and innovative solutions and initiatives already in place to help humanity adapt. Whereas Year 10 winner George Gearry chose to explore the knotty problem of whether he would rather “fight 100 duck-sized horses, or one horse-sized duck.” After weighing up a considerable amount of evidence, George opted for the horse-sized duck, but also came to another, perhaps more significant, conclusion. “I also realised the importance of stopping to consider even the most innocuous of questions in this fast-paced world, and that even the smallest things really do matter.”
Year 9
Runner-up – Harvey Willis
Winner – Harry Sharr
Year 10
Runner-up – Jackson Floyd
Winner – George Gearry
