Warwick Speaker 2014 finals

The finals of the University of Warwick’s public speaking competition, the Speaker 2014, took place on Tuesday 25 February 2014.

More than 40 people attended the event held in L4 on the Science Concourse. The competition was organised by Warwick Speakers to celebrate those who had a voice and wanted it to be heard.

Eight members of Warwick Speakers presented elaborated versions of their speeches from the semi-finals about what the University of Warwick means to them.

The presentations were assessed by Tom Roberts (director of the Garrick Rep Company), Cathia Jenainati (associate professor for English and comparative literature studies), and Victoria Fowler (former president of Warwick Speakers for 2011/2012).

First place went to Solveig Bourgeon, a diploma in Economics student who admitted: “I joined Warwick Speakers to improve my speaking skills. I did not expect to win. There were many strong candidates”.

Amy Stoneham, first-year French and History undergraduate, and Reem Doukmak, English Language Teaching PhD student, were awarded second and third place respectively.

Ms Stoneham commented: “it was an amazing opportunity to compete with such brilliant speeches. I feel blessed to have come second!”

Each of the three laureates approached the question differently. Ms Bourgeon talked about fulfilling dreams and Ms Stoneham about overcoming shyness. For Ms Doukmak, the University of Warwick meant the balance between war and peace.

Sam Crawford, the president of Warwick Speakers said: “I am proud of every member of the exec that has helped organise this competition. We have never had this many entrants before!”

The winners received trophies, and all the participants were awarded certificates of participation.

There were pizzas and soft drinks for all the attendees after the competition.

Warwick Speakers is the University of Warwick’s public speaking society affiliated with Toastmasters International, a global leader in communications and personal development.