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That’s
a very good point Each contestant was required to make a prepared speech on a topic of his or her choice, provided it was substantially original, not defamatory and not against the laws of the land. In addition, the finalists were given 20 minutes and a list of 10 topics to choose from, in order to turn out an impromptu speech. Speaking on ‘The real Santa Claus’, the winner Nushelle de Silva from Ladies’ College connected well with the audience, as she related her personal experience of how her little brother was diagnosed with leukaemia, the trauma her family underwent as a result of it, his recovery from the life-threatening disease, and ultimately, her joy that he would be ‘home for Christmas’. “Santa Claus can be anyone, anywhere, at any time,” she said, adding, “it doesn’t have to be a big man in a red suit with his ‘Ho Ho Ho’ – it can be anyone… it can be you, it can be me.” Her speech was certainly winning material, backed with vocal variety and facial expression. Her impromptu speech was thought provoking as well, as she spoke of the importance of communication and rapport between all races in Sri Lanka, in order to achieve peace. Speaking on ‘Trilingualism is best – Bilingualism is absolutely necessary for Sri Lanka,’ she went on to say that the absence of war is not peace, adding that we were far away from peace because “we don’t understand each other.” First runner-up and winner of the Rs. 50,000 prize, Sashikala Subramaniam, 17, of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, an aspiring women’s rights activist spoke on ‘Abortion and its Legalisation,’ and struck a chord within the listener, as she backed her argument with facts and statistics on a much-debated topic in recent times. It was a well-structured speech, perhaps just a trifle too heavy for the audience, but nevertheless she made her point. The speaker was intensely passionate about her topic – a little more vocal variety would have been welcome but her choice of subject probably limited the scope to improvise. Nevertheless the sincerity certainly came through, as she wound up saying, “I believe abortion deserves a second thought.” For her impromptu speech on ‘Happiness’, Sashikala spoke of happiness, its connection to peace and how true happiness can be achieved when one is content. Walking away with Rs.25,000/- for his effort was 15-year-old Praveen Namasivayam of Lyceum International School, the second runner-up of the contest, who ‘opened our eyes’ to reality with his speech on ‘Perceptions’. “Everybody has a pair of coloured glasses on,” said Praveen, adding that it often leads to misconceptions. In an in-depth analysis of the result of perceptions, he said that such a situation leads to us seeing things not for what they really are. Coupled with the green-shaded glasses he used to make his point clear, his speech was innovative, though the presentation itself might have been a trifle too elocuted. Coming from a 15-year-old, however, his effort was certainly commendable. With ambitions to be an engineer in the field of design, as well as a part-time novelist, Praveen’s impromptu speech on ‘The importance of teamwork in sports,’ was a good effort with vivid illustrations and quotations. Another finalist from Lyceum International, Kavitha Gunasekera, 15, made a speech on ‘The little things that matter,’ as she spoke of the reality of life, saying, “The happiest people are not those who have everything in life, but those who make the most of what they have.” Her assets were a good voice, and a relaxed attitude. Her manner was confident, and very vibrant, and she certainly held the attention of the audience. With a passion for music and singing, her choice of impromptu topic was ‘Music is the food of love’, a confident speech maybe slightly lacking in content. Barana Chandima Waidyathilaka, 15, from Trinity College, Kandy, spoke of caring for elders in a speech titled ‘A beautiful evening,’ where he made an appeal to make them feel both loved and wanted. His voice was perhaps a little too loud for the audience, but it was a well-structured speech with a definite message, that could have been enhanced with vocal variety. For his impromptu, this Trinitian who hopes to be a professional actor and writer, spoke of the cultural imperialism in our country, in a speech that concluded on a strong note of appeal to uphold our Lankan identity. ‘Can’t do without it’ was the speech title of Amal Abdul Rahuman, 17, who made a humourous presentation about his ‘beloved’ Casio watch. His relaxed manner was definitely audience-friendly, but the speech failed to make a lasting impression, possibly due to lack of depth in content. An aspiring electronic engineer, and a student of Asian International School, his impromptu speech was on ‘Happiness’, and was once again illustrated with humorous anecdotes. A smiling Shannon Misso, 16, spoke of ‘The science of smiling’ in an innovative speech idea that looked at a universal phenomenon that she said, “Breaks all human barriers.” A student of Holy Family Convent, this aspiring lawyer hopes to make it to the International Court of Justice. Her approach to the impromptu speech titled, ‘Rain rain go away, come again another day’ was perhaps a wee bit off-track, but contained food for thought. Her easy-going relaxed and confident manner endeared her to the audience. “We are proud of the reservoir of the youth talent we have seen abundant evidence of this evening,” said a highly appreciative Chief Guest, Prof. G. L. Pieris, commending the talent of these young speakers who he said have demonstrated the power of the spoken word. The Guests of Honour at the event were Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Mrs. Karunanayake. The All Island Young Speakers’ Contest was presented by the Colombo Toastmasters Club in association with Lyceum International School, and the Inner-Wheel Club of Kandy. According to Asgi Noordeen the dynamic project chairperson of the contest, the event saw entries from over 560 young speakers between the ages of 12 to 18, from all parts of the island. The 14 speeches by the contestants were followed by a charming rendition of ‘We are Sri Lanka’ by the choir of Lyceum International School, attired in the costumes depicting the various ethnic communities of the country. The contest was a slick presentation well coordinated by Master of Ceremonies Competent Toastmaster Niranjan de Silva, who kept the atmosphere alive with his humourous anecdotes and rapport with the audience. The vote of thanks was delivered by Toastmaster Kumari Grero, Principal Lyceum International School. The competition was judged by a five-man panel of eminent personalities comprising Dr. Pai kiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Able Toastmaster Rajiv Goonetilleke, Dr. Vijaya Corea, President of the Sri Lanka Veteran Broadcasters’ Association, Maria Rajanayagam, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce and Jill McDonald, Principal, Senior School of the British School in Colombo. The event was sponsored by Bookland, with electronic media sponsors being the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. The Sunday Times was the print media sponsors for the event. The
winning formula Nushelle’s speech ‘The Real Santa Claus’ was truly a touching one, and she lived the tale she told of the pain and suffering of living through the experience of her brother being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease – leukaemia – just months after the family decided to settle down in Sri Lanka having left Australia, where both she and her brother were born. As for her impromptu speech, where she underscored the necessity for communication between the ethnic communities in order to achieve lasting peace in this country. Nushelle says, “I have this ‘thing’ for peace,” adding that she even shies away from the banal verbal tussles with friends in school. “The war in Sri Lanka is something I feel really bad about,” she continues emphatically, “and I like talking about peace, hoping to make a difference.” “Speaking is the only talent I’ve got with which I can make a difference,” she says, “And I want to use it.” It is certainly evident that she possesses maturity beyond her 16 years. Overjoyed at her achievement, Nushelle says that she is grateful to her teacher of speech and drama Ms. Varuni Jayasekera who she believes nurtured her talent. She has also participated in oratorical competitions in school, and is into debating as well. A member of the school choir, this enterprising 16-year-old is also a prefect, and is editor of the school magazine. As for the one-lakh prize money, Nushelle says she’d spend a little bit on herself, while donating the larger share of it to the Cancer Hospital. “I lived for two and a half years without a mother and a brother,” she says, of the time the two of them had to spend in Australia for her brother’s medical treatment, “and I want to do something that would make life a little bit better for someone else who has to go through the same thing.” |
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It
must have been like another Christmas gift from a real Santa Claus
for 16-year-old Nushelle de Silva, as she clinched the crystal trophy
and the Rs.100,000 prize money at the inaugural All Island Young
Speakers’ Contest at BMICH last Sunday, relating a real-life
experience of her discovery of the true meaning of that big fat
man in a red suit we call Santa Claus.
From
light-hearted topics such as ‘The Science of Smiling’
to ‘Perceptions’ to the heavier issues of ‘Abortion
and its legalisation,’ they had it all covered, as seven of
Sri Lanka’s smartest young speakers entertained a crowd of
about 1100 with wit, humour and most importantly, sincerity and
conviction. Their natural flair for public speaking was evident
as the finalists, aged between 12 and 18 years, tackled both the
prepared as well as impromptu speeches with confidence and incredible
poise.