Many students around the world are terrified of public speaking. Many students are terrified of taking the stage and projecting their voice in front of an audience, even if it is their classmates. Bethel High School is working to change this.
The English Department at Bethel High School conducted a Public Speaking Showcase on September 13th, 2023. The topic of the showcase was “Should Children Be Allowed to Choose Their Gender?” This is a contentious topic in today’s economy, with even the Social Studies Curriculum evolving to accommodate it.
The four contestants in the Public Speaking Showcase were LeslieAnn Joseph (Form 5 Bus/Sci), Jayden Bailey (Form 4 Business), Janicia Mayers (Form 4 Integrated), and Naheemah Matthias (Form 5 Integrated). Each student expressed their thoughts on the subject, with the majority of participants
being in opposition. Following the prepared remarks, each student was given the option to choose their own theme for an impromptu speech. Each participant offered their ideas on their respective topics in one minute and two minutes.
Janicia Mayers won the prepared speech section, while LeslieAnn Joseph won the impromptu speech segment. Each segment winner was presented with a trophy. Janicia Mayers of Form 4 Integrated was declared the overall champion. Her forceful tone of voice and nonverbal prowess wowed the judges and students alike. When her victory was announced, she received a standing ovation. She smiled as she accepted her award. For their participation in the showcase, each participant received a certificate.
Following the Public Speaking Showcase, students were given the opportunity to come on stage and compete in a Tik Tok dancing competition as a cooldown activity. In this competition, kids presented their song of choice to Mr. Williams before taking the stage to sing. The winner was determined by popular vote. From start to finish, the auditorium was filled with tremendous excitement. This tournament had a large number of contestants. Kaylem Johnson (Form 1 Room 3) was greeted with clapping and cheers as he accepted his reward.
Overall, the English Department at Bethel High School put on a fantastic event! The Public Speaking Showcase went off without a hitch thanks to the students and staff’s help, and it set the tone for the 2023/2024 academic year at Bethel High School.
