Macdonald High's Public Speaking Competition a Showcase of Passion and Persuasion
submitted by Amanda McCulloch, Macdonald High English Teacher
What do world conflict, chaga mushrooms, high speed rail, homework, the fear of failure, and pottery all have in common? Shockingly, one simple thing. They were all the subjects of the final speeches for Macdonald High School’s annual public speaking competition.
Macdonald High School has been running a public speaking competition for the senior levels through their English classes for over 40 years. We at Mac believe public speaking enhances our students’ ability to communicate effectively with others, whether it’s in front of a large audience or in a small group setting, such as class. Good public speaking skills enable students to convey their message clearly, persuasively, and confidently.
Through diligent work, support, and practice, our students learn that overcoming the fear of public speaking can significantly boost their confidence in various areas of their lives. As a student becomes more comfortable speaking in front of others, they’ll likely find themselves feeling more self-assured in other social and professional situations as well.
But public speaking isn’t just about the literal presentation. Of course, delivery of a speech is critical, however the preparation and writing of a speech is just as crucial. Students learn how to effectively persuade, pull on heartstrings, entertain, and inform through written word. Once the speech is written, then comes the diligent practicing, memorizing, and perfecting of the final product. This year’s finalists all mastered both the written components of their speeches and the performative aspects.
Our first finalist, while only in grade 9, showed us that homework has its place and time but that it takes a toll. Reid Klemm argued through statistics and the example of his mother’s desk job, how sitting and consistently working takes its toll on our bodies, both physically and emotionally.
From grade 10 we had two students move on to finals, Fiona Govers and Aiden Mc Allister. Fiona spoke to our judges about her love of pottery. She equated pottery to her life and how she has learnt to embrace imperfections, love cracks, and respect herself and her journey. Aiden’s speech was as high speed as his delivery! He argued that Canada needs to get with the 21st century and move into the high speed rail era. No more long car rides or short flights with long airport waits! He was definitely on the right track.
Our last three finalists were all from our graduating class. Fatimah Multani performed an extremely moving spoken word piece about the Palestine/Israel conflict. It was such a unique piece as its delivery as spoken word was unlike any other speech heard. Benjamin Odulinski tried to change even the pickiest of eater’s minds with an extremely informative speech on the chaga mushroom. Having cancer culling qualities, we learnt that for millennia this mushroom has been used for its immune boosting properties and that it can be found in our own backyards.
Lastly, Tiffany Syragakis walked away as the winner for our 2024 competition. Tiffany gave a poignant speech about growing up comparing herself to her sports-star sister. When trying to succeed like her sibling any moment of pressure resulted in her feeling the need to quit before failure loomed. Then when she did achieve anything herself, she discussed the feeling of the “good job” comment that lasted milliseconds before fading away to more self-pressure. Hopefully this year’s win, after making it to semifinals three years in a row, gives her a feeling of accomplishment that lasts well beyond a few moments.
Overall, as in other years, our yearly tradition brings out the best in all of our students. Not only do we get a chance to hear about their accomplishments, interests, and opinions, but we all walk away feeling more aware, engaged, and informed.
