Months and months of practice have been poured into the development of the topics that each original oratory delegate has to present. Yet, what makes each one so special from the others?
The Cultural Convention is an experience where students from various schools come together to compete, yet also ostensibly to share the knowledge that each one has to provide. Events range from Drama to Oral Interpretation and many require that students improvise on the day of the competition.
Original Oratory is different from others as it gives students the opportunity to explore an issue that they are interested in and expand their research to persuade the audience about the angle they chose. The speeches of the students must be within the limit of five to seven minutes, with a 30 second grace period in between.
In order to prepare for such an event, students should feel connected to their topic because the more passionate they are, the better the speech is. For example, ISKL student, Mushamir M.’s speech about society branding Muslims as terrorists for their faith and beliefs was very powerful. Mustafa highlighted the Muslim terrorists being only a small minority of the whole Muslim population and said they shouldn’t be judged for their skin, appearance, and religion. Mustafa himself is a Muslim, and throughout his speech he maintained enthusiasm and showed his strong opinions.
Mr. McAdam, the Oral Oratory coach from TAS said, “[Students] keep writing and then they practice [their speeches] and the other students give their feedback.” However, although the Original Oratory students are allowed to keep their notes in front of them, these students have been practicing their speeches for months, and they are already memorized.
Students are judged by the following sections: 65% for the content and 35% for the delivery. Interestingly, students keep their speeches animated, making jokes and funny remarks in between details to keep the audience interested and yet serious at the right times. As SAS student Aisling Leow commented, “I like making people laugh.”
Not all Original Oratory are fun and games. The delegates do face challenges, Mr. McAdam noted. He said the toughest part of the process is, “Keeping (the speech) under seven minutes.” Keeping a topic original and creative is probably one of the challenges, and although the OO students need to find one that they feel attached to, they need to remember to engross the audience.
Students greatly enjoy the opportunity to learn from each other. As Original Oratory delegate, Asling L. said, “You can talk about something you’re really passionate about and the fact you’re convincing someone.”
-Sarah
