“The Way I See It”

On May 9, the 5th annual grade 10 social studies speeches were held at the Garden Hotel. Speeches began from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M.

The night was formed of 8 top speakers of the grade 10 social studies classes, topics ranging from the evolution of fashion to economic turmoils. The 8 students were: Andy H., Caeley K., Dylan W., Ishita A., Josh H., Maya T., Rahul S. and Sofia V.

“I think the reason that I was selected for the speeches was that my topic is one that is not explored in history and has been hidden for much of India’s history.” Ishita A. explained. Her speech was about the Bengal famine which happened during World War II that caused roughly 2.1 to 3 million deaths.

“I think I was chosen because I practiced a lot and the time and effort I put in was shown to the audience,” stated Andy H. His speech focused on the consequences of opium addiction on China’s economy.

Josh H. believed he was chosen to present because his “content was interesting and relatable.” He talked about how CGI’s (Computer Generated Imagery) impact on film and media in the past 10 years.

“I think I got invited to the garden hotel speeches because my content was unique compared to the other topics, about economics rather than social issues or events. Also, my interest in the topic hopefully piqued everyone else’s interest as well,” noted Caeley K. She focused on the factors that contributed to the rise of the Four Asian Tigers (Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong).

“I think was chosen because I had some aspects to my speech that was unique. I used visual aids like a book and my clothing to relate to my topic. I don’t think it’s the fact that I was a better speaker or had a better speech than other people in the class, but I was able to take a topic and present it in a way that really engaged the audience. I also think that it may be because I really enjoy public speaking. It’s something I’ve always done, whether it’s performing on a stage or speaking up in class.” Maya T. explained. She chose to talk about the impact of rationing on women’s fashion during World War II.

Sofia V. believed she was chosen because “she worked really hard to prepare.” Her speech was about Hugo Chavez, who caused a major impact on Venezuela’s economy.

“I think I was picked because of my previous experience with public speaking. I’ve spoken in front of large crowds many times, which is why I just had to focus on delivering my speech instead of being nervous and anxious,” stated Dylan W. He spoke about how pop culture imagery influenced people on their thoughts on genetic cloning.

Lastly, my speech was about the partition of India and how it impacted Hindus. I believe that I was chosen to speak at the Garden Hotel for my passion towards this topic.

For many speakers, it was extremely scary to get up and speak in front of parents and staffs, but everyone did great. Andy H. stated, “I was really nervous before the speech as the environment was different. We were going to be presenting in front of teachers and parents, instead of students. However, once I got on the stage, I realized it was all about my speech. Although I did stutter and pause a few times, I am really proud of myself.”

Being able to speak at the Garden Hotel is an honor and a great chance for students to practice speaking in front of a large group formed of mostly strangers. The night went smoothly despite some minor technology problems. Once again, congratulations to the 8 speakers representing grade 10!