The staff lounge erupted in applause as the last performance of the Speech Showcase came to a close. It was the last time any of the members of Speech and Debate would be delivering their performance for the year, giving everyone the opportunity to look back on their time in speech. The speeches ranged from impromptu speeches, made during the showcase itself, to speeches made over the course of the whole year, interpreting fictional works of their choice; giving each speech their own unique tone. The event also allowed people interested in speech, including middle schoolers, to get a better understanding of the different kinds of events. 

The last performer of the evening, Speech co-captain Reina Lee (10), took her final bow of the year once she and her partner, Genesis Surban (10), finished their speech of their interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Lee said the showcase gave her a way to say goodbye to her speeches. 

“It was pretty sad to retire our speeches, but also I think it was pretty glorious because we got to have a last hurrah with our speeches, which was the goal of the showcase,” Lee said. “For me, if not for Showcase, I would have retired my speeches for good in April. It was a nice way to end the year and say goodbye to all our speeches. It was bittersweet, and it was a lot of fun.”

When he first joined Speech and Debate, Speech co-captain Shaneev Priolkar (10) said he felt nervous about presenting a speech with such little preparation, but as time went on, he grew to love the chance to  express himself and improve his speaking skills. Being in an impromptu event for Speech forced him to come up with a speech with a strict time limit.

“When I joined Speech and Debate, I saw speech as something that could let me voice my own opinions and perspectives, so I chose it because of that, and I’m so glad that I [did],” Priolkar said. “It’s one of my favorite things in the world. For speech, because we had little preparation [before presenting], initially it seems harder to do, but as you get more used to it, there’s something that you can truly enjoy [doing].”

Lee explained how good it felt to get questions from the middle schoolers attending and see their enthusiasm for Speech. 

This whole year I’ve been someone who’s been advised by our current captains.” Lee said. “But I realized me and all of the current speech team, we’re gonna be the ones who are teaching the next generation of speechers. And that was cute to think of, like other people are going to be how we were at the beginning of this year, and then we’ll be able to whip them into shape and get them into the love of speech.”

Pauline Kravtsova (10), in her second year of Speech and Debate,  said the community in speech has helped change her for the better and made her think more deeply about her writing. The collaborative process forced her to look into other people’s styles and reflect on how she could improve her own.

“Speech this year has definitely helped me with public speaking, but also in writing,” she said. “Having to practice in front of other people and [perform] at tournaments was a really great factor in improving my confidence. We had a lot of times we would have to perform to somebody or just to each other, and that was originally really daunting at first, but I’ve really grown to like it, and I really enjoy hearing other people’s speeches but also performing my own to show what I’ve learned. I think that’s really helped me with performing at tournaments.”

Lee said she looks forward to meeting new faces next year and seeing how she and her teammates improve with experience.

“I don’t think any of us treat speech like it’s just another extracurricular,” Lee said. “I’m excited to see everyone’s future speeches too, because I know that they’re gonna put their full backs into it. I’m excited for new people who join. I’m looking forward to making more friends and [competing in] even more events.”

Similarly, Kravtsova said she had a great experience with Speech and Debate and the people in the club. 

“I’m really excited to be going back into speech,” Kravtsova said. “I’ve had a lot of fun with my speeches, [and] even though our seniors are leaving, a lot of the same people are staying. I’m really excited to continue being part of speech with them. It was one of my favorite experiences from this year.”