Churcher's Hosts ESU Public Speaking Competition

Churcher’s College was delighted to play host to the English Speaking Union South Regional Final of the public speaking competition on Monday. The setting of the new music auditorium gave the students that chance to show off their skills of oracy.

Eight teams battled it out over topics such as free contraception in schools, the decriminalisation of cannabis and whether university degrees are being devalued. The Churcher’s College team of Amy Green (Speaker), Jess Lin (Chair) and Katie Withers (Questioner) performed admirably, with Amy speaking from the heart on the topic, ‘Britain owes an apology for the Empire’.

The judges certainly had their work cut out and took their time deliberating, but in the end it was a team from St Catherine’s who won with their speaker, Flo MacLachlan arguing that ‘Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind’. Runners up were Seaford with their motion that ‘We should be as much aware of a child’s mental health as we are of its physical wellbeing’. Emily Freud delivered an impassioned speech. 

St Catherine’s and Seaford now progress to the national finals that will be held at Churchill College, Cambridge in May. We wish both teams the best of luck!