On the 6″ February, Bloomfield put together a team of three Year Ten girls to compete in the Irish federation of University Women’s public speaking competition. The team consisted of Martha McK, Sarah E and Olivia P.
After weeks of research, it was time to put our knowledge to the test.
We were each given two topics to research so we could prepare a speech on the day for the adjudicators, fellow competitors and audience members. The six topics this year were the environment, social media, travel, health, education and teenage years.
After arriving at our venue at Queen’s University, we were given our titles and we had just thirty minutes to write a speech on that particular subject. It was so quiet for that half an hour, you could hear a pin drop! When the time limit was up, we were ready to deliver our address.
First up was Martha. She delivered a compelling speech focused around the statement “I’m too scared to travel because of terrorism”. She told everyone that you shouldn’t let a hateful minority deprive you of the joy of travel and experiencing the world.
Next, Sarah gave a witty speech called “Granny, this is WhatsApp”, sharing her terrible struggles while trying to teach her beloved granny how to use the well-known messaging app.
Finally, I discussed the statement “Wasting time with people is an important part of life”, exploring the difference between wasting time and time wasters.
Lastly, after all the speeches had been delivered and the judges had made their final decision, we went in to the hall to discover the result. We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. I am pleased to report that Bloomfield finished second! It was a terrific surprise.
Incredibly, they called out my name as the best speaker! I was delighted and now I am really looking forward to competing in the final in Dublin.
This is my third year in this competition and I really enjoy the atmosphere and writing speeches. I would like to thank Miss Murray for helping organising the trip and supporting us in the competition.
Olivia P.
