High Calibre Round 2 Orator of the Year Competition produces 21 finalists

Round 2 of The Habs Orator of the Year Competition took place this week. Round 1 of course, involved every student in Year 9. 54 of those competitors qualified for Round 2, where the competition’s format morphed into a team-based challenge. Rather than speaking alone, the competitors were split into teams of three. Each team contained a speaker, a questioner and a chairman; the format follows the ESU Public Speaking Competition. No student had any prior experience of this format, and it was to the boys’ credit that they quickly adapted to the challenges and subtleties of their new roles. 

The 18 teams competed over six days, with staff and students supporting from the audience. Topics included: ‘No man is an island’, ‘Protecting the environment is more important than economic growth’, and ‘Why I would rather live in a previous century’. There were some outstanding speeches, but of course Round 2 was a team competition, and teams needed more than a single impressive orator to make it to the final. With an extremely high oratorical standard, the judges decided to send 7 teams into the prestigious final, which will take place at 6pm on Wednesday 21st June 2017 in the Aske Hall. It promises to be an impressive occasion.