BSHS Country Week Speech 2001

“Speech? Oh, you guys get it sooo easy, what a joke! All you have to do is stand up there and talk for a couple of minutes. Anyone can do that!”

Ah yes, as with every year the speech team was forced to endure the ignorant comments from the more sport inclined participants of Country Week. However, as with every year, after joining the audience once or twice the comments soon changed to “Gee, I’m glad I play sport, you must get pretty nervous, hey? That other team looks pretty good and they’re pulling pretty mean faces at you, but don’t worry we’ll clap and cheer really loudly for you!”

I would like to start by thanking all those who took the time to come and cheer on the speech team. We got quite nervous at times and you would be amazed at the difference a bunch of rowdy sporting types can make!

Speech Team 2001 consisted of nine energetic, feisty, highly enthusiastic and not to mention, talented competitors. This year we were thrown into the coach for the week with hockey and soccer boys. This proved to be great debate practice as we justified why we were included in Country Week and it also meant that we were not only the most talkative bus but, last bus to arrive at the Stadium each morning because, after all, speech can’t afford to have messy hair!

Yani, Amelia, Christine and Lisa made up the junior contingent and managed to snare third place in their Drama about what to do for their drama at Country Week! Again experiencing success their group speech on Reality TV came third also. Somehow, and we’re still not sure how, junior debate suffered defeat. However, I’m positive the lessons resulting from the experience will see victory next year as rebuttals take on a whole new meaning.

Senior Debate consisted of Jane, Danella and Sharelle who performed fantastically all week, demonstrating class, demure and (thanks to the late nights) well-prepared arguments. Unfortunately, and to all our amazement, the girls suffered heart-wrenching defeats all week.

I have no doubts next year as the junior and senior debaters unite, combined with valuable learning experiences, sheer vengeance and our brilliant coaches Miss A and Mr D, the Debate Trophy will be a very real possibility!

Katie, Sharelle and myself each participated in Prepared Talk and Oral Interpretation. Katie made the finals and then gained third place for her Oral Interpretation about some very naughty kids and also critically assessed the males of the audience with her speech on guys. She was the newest member of Senior Speech and proved to be a very valuable asset.

Sharelle had a jam-packed schedule for the week participating in both debate and speech, however, between her enthusiasm and energetic gestures proved she could handle both. Her Oral Interpretation from Kaz Cooke’s “Up the Duff” and prepared talk just missed out on making the finals despite her brilliant performance.

I performed an extract from “My Life is a Toilet” by Gretel Kileen but sadly, also just missed out on making the top five, as did my prepared talk about the brain, “Grey Matter”.

All defeats aside, The Speech Team had a great week despite coming home without the trophy. We laughed, we cried, we stayed up late and drank heaps of percolated coffee, but above all we bonded as a team and I don’t think you can ask for much more than that! Thanks heaps and heaps to the tireless efforts of Mr Davis and Miss Appleton, we would not have made it through the week without you!

I have total confidence and faith in next year’s Speech Team. Thanks to all the Team for a great week and all the Kodak moments!

From an article by Sarah Cawdell in the 2001 Kingia magazine.