Report – SCC Public Speaking Competition – Wednesday, 16th December 2009

SCC Public Speaking Finals – Wednesday December 16th 2009

“Arundel Cup” – Under 25’s and “Jonathan Philbin Bowman” Cup – Over 25’s

Power, Passion, Punch once again defined the CDETB Senior Public Speaking Final staged in St. Kevin’s College on December 16th.

Pearse College, Whitehall College, Colaiste Ide & St. Kevin’s College put on an extraordinary afternoons entertainment.

Lorna Collins – St. Kevin’s College opened the competition with an apt treatise on the naked terror of having to speak in public.

The Gender divide the need for High Street fashion and bling in these trying economic times was raised with Ciara McCormack – St. Kevin’s College presenting encyclopaedic knowledge of all things “shoes” and Amanda Sloan – Whitehall College treating us to a fest of Fashion Therapy.

The Environment, The GAA down through the ages, Road Safety, the difficulties of giving up smoking and the chaos of organised religion, got a very eloquent airing this year by Pearse College & St. Kevin’s College.

However it was the demise of the boom that inspired Neil Keegan – St. Kevin’s College to follow his heart and give us an excellent speech.

Our political apathy exercised Shane Brown (St. Kevin’s) hugely as he urged young people to take inspiration from the grey revolution and go out and vote for change thus earning him 2nd place in the competition which he shared with the extremely entertaining Aodhan Kennedy (St. Kevin’s) who turned the spotlight on the Irish Image and brought the house down with “Paddy in the Mirror”.

However the coveted 1st place went to Whitehall College in the person of Lawrence Fitzpatrick this year for a very incisive injunction to all of us that the recession can be a healer.

Joanne Corcoran – Colaiste Ide revisited the gender divide and gave an original and passionate and incisive reminder to the house that equality is still taboo between the sexes which thus earning her 2nd place in the Arundel Cup Competition.

This cup was won this year by Peter Maher a student of Outdoor Recreation in St. Kevin’s College. Adjudicators unanimously cited him the speaker of the day for his powerful and poised delivery of the strongest message in Public Speaking 2009 that in the end the economy doesn’t really matter. It’s as Peter put it how we cope with life changing experiences that defines us.

All students were presented with commorative tokens and certification by S.C.C. with the winning students in a number of categories presented with special trophies.

The organising Committee hopes to put on a special display of Public Speaking in the New Year to celebrate the 75th birthday of SCC!

Carmel Lynch