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Fourth Formers Compete in Public Speaking Contest
Fourteen Fourth Formers participated in Westminster’s second annual Public Speaking Contest May 1 in Sejong Lecture Hall. The students were selected for the competition based on the quality of the speeches they presented during their Civil Discourse, Speech Writing and Public Speaking course they took during the winter trimester.
After welcoming the audience to the competition, faculty member Todd Eckerson, said: “The Civic Engagement course is tied to the public speaking course. Being trained in public speaking is an important means by which one can contribute to one’s community. It is the springboard from which one can contribute to a positive public discourse. It is how you get things done. You take ideas and you put them in the public.”
He thanked Fifth Form teaching assistants Ian Broadbent, Elizabeth Casey, Maddie Dwyer, Fiona Fan, Ozzy Kutluel, Kate Lovas, Lucy Noel and Zack Tarazi. He also extended appreciation to volunteer co-teachers Mark de Kanter ’91, Kathleen Devaney, Alan Leathers, Bill Sistare, Rebeccah Tuscano-Moss and Peter Ulrich who helped lead the various sections of the course.
Besides the overall award for the competition, Todd announced that an additional award had been added to the competition for the Best First Speech of the course. Those recognized for the award were Blake Cote, Hayden Fox, Shannon Keefe, Caroline Kelter, Darian Purcell, Liz Murphy, Isabel von Bargen Burke and Alexandra Wolf.
“This year, we emphasized writing shorter speeches and using rhetorical devices more,” said Todd, as he began introducing the finalists, who each gave their original speech before the audience. A team of faculty judges evaluated each speech on a number of categories then deliberated to select a winner who will be announced at commencement.
The 14 finalists included Fourth Formers Souley Ballo, Elaina Comia, Kaitlyn Eddy, Shannon Keefe, Caroline Kelter, Jeevan Palaniyandy, Reese Poe, Maya Ruffin, Galym Sarkytbayen, Justin Schuster, Brandon Slawaska, Maddie Vanech, Alex Wolf and Riley Wood.
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