These finalists were chosen as the top 6 from a group of 20 students, representing 11 schools, who had competed in the preliminary round at Northcross Intermediate School 2 weeks earlier.
The finalists’ speech topics ranged from the humorous How to be a Dick to the challenging Air Pollution. They gave insights into the lives of intermediate school-aged children, Generation Alpha, and The Life of a Busy 12-year-old. Two speeches had deeper messages about how we use our time, The Art of Boredom, and how we feel if we seem to be left out, FOMO.
In the end, the judges selected Erik Havranek’s speech on FOMO as the winner. They noted how well-crafted the speech was, that it engaged the audience, and that it was delivered strongly.
Our judges were Shona Oliver and Will Taylor. They both come from a Toastmaster’s background. Shona has been judging this event for over 20 years, while this was Will’s first time judging.
In addition to the families and friends that came along to support our contestants, there were four teachers who gave up their evening to be there in support of the students from their school. The teachers tell us how much they value this competition, as there is very little available to allow their gifted speakers to extend themselves and compete against students outside their own school. With the positive feedback we get from teachers, the contestants and their families, and the Rotarians who enjoy hearing the views of young people delivered so well, there is no doubt about the value that this competition brings to our North Shore community.
