On Saturday 30 June, four students represented Av�԰� Christi College in Public Speaking at the Rostrum Voice of Youth State final in Floreat. Ike Adesanya, Rachael Dellaca and Mosaia McDonald competed in the Senior Section and Gianni Petta participated in the Junior Section. The Senior Section requires that students present an 8 minute prepared speech, whilst the Junior Section requirement is for a 6 minute speech. Each competitor is also required to present a 3 minute impromptu speech after 15 minutes preparation time with no access to technology or other reference sources.

Adjudication is structured around two aspects; impact on the intellect and impact on emotion. Speakers are marked on their ability to achieve a clear purpose using relevant material presented in a logical order as well as the visual and vocal impact on the audience to present a credible, entertaining and memorable speech.

Ike Adesanya was the Runner Up in the Senior Section with her speech “Escape the Everyday” which focused on the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on modern society. I would like to extend my congratulations to Ike on this exceptional achievement.

All four students worked very hard in the lead up to the competition. Each student was required to write a new speech after the semi finals, along with coping with the demands of school work and other extra curricular activities. Their topics were imaginative and presented an original perspective on topical issues in society including the live sheep trade, incarceration of juveniles in Western Australian prisons and the link between eccentricity and creative genius. On behalf of the College community, I would like to commend and congratulate them all for their performance on the day. They can be very proud of the way in which they represented the College.