Speeches

Dear reader, here's a quiz for you. (Answers at the bottom)

How many speeches did I give in high school?
A. 1 B. 2 C. One every week D. Never

What was (is?) one of my fears?
A. Sharks B. Manbearpig C. Speaking in front of crowds D. Bears (#1 threat to America)

Have I ever been in, much less judged a speech contest before this past Saturday?
A. All the time! B. You? C. You ask silly questions D. No, forensics wasn't your cup of tea

Was I swayed by Obama's campaign speeches?
A. Nope B. Only the one I heard in person C. Of course, who wasn't? D. No comment


I guess every year Kosin hosts an English speech contest for high school students. Part of my job is to do anything that the English Department asks me to do, so I spent a good 5 hours of my Saturday at the contest. The students could choose from about ten different speeches. I sat through more Obama speeches then I had previously heard from the man himself. Obama easily beat out the next competitor (MLK jr) as the most popular choice. Some of these kids had obviously watched these speeches on Youtube tons of times as a few of them copied both Obama's accent and his gestures. It was long, but it was also fun at times. I still can't get over the fact that these kids were doing speeches this long in their second language. It's truly humbling, especially when I think about my knowledge (or lack thereof) of Korean.

Answers if you care
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A