Trinity hosts ESU Public Speaking Regional Finals

Trinity recently hosted and competed in the Regional Final of the English Speaking Union’s Public Speaking Competition.

The evening consisted of six speakers, presenting on topics of their choosing, over the course of three hours.

Each school’s speaker was matched up with a chairperson and questioner from an opposing school to provide 15 to 20 minutes of insight and enjoyment.

Trinity’s team of Fifth Year students Aidan, Semiloore, and Thushan had qualified for the final earlier in the year and competed against five other schools for a chance to represent Trinity in the Grand Final later in the year.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, the Trinity team missed out by the finest of margins, with judges commending them for having the most detailed and informative speech of the evening.

Thushan spoke about whether the UN has failed to manage the migrant crisis. Ultimately tackling such an important topic might have been their undoing, as feedback from judges was that they did not bring as much levity to their speech as other teams.

Aidan and Semiloore hosted the speaker from Bromley High, who ultimately triumphed on the night.

Aidan chaired expertly, with a warm and welcoming demeanour, while Semiloore’s questioning of the speaker from Bromley High provided an excellent back and forth on whether the world is set up to favour extroverts over introverts.

Aidan said, “While it is disappointing not to make the final, it was a great experience and we learnt a lot from performing ourselves and getting to watch other talented speakers on the evening.”

Well done to the team for their efforts.

The English Speaking Union’s Public Speaking Competition is the largest competition of its kind for schools in England and Wales. It is aimed at students in Years 9-11 (Third-Fifth Year) and usually has around 400 teams competing. Each team consists of a speaker, questioner and chairperson, and the opportunity allows students to practise and excel in different skill sets. The format also encourages quick thinking and relationship building.