Stand Up and Stand Out

20 November 2011Annie L and Cherrie K

Communication nowadays is so effortless: there’s text, email, Skype, Facebook – the list is endless. But no matter how many gizmos are whipped out every second of every day, nothing has managed to triumph the power of vocal, face-to face communication — and the English Department celebrates this through the art of public speaking in Brentwood’s school-wide competition: Fabrications.

Fabrications occurs in the first and final terms of Brentwood. The creation and delivery of a speech in front of the class (and, if lucky enough to be crowned the winner of their grade, in front of the entire school) is Fabrications’ first term challenge; the penning of a poem inspired by a fellow students’ artwork is the challenge of the final term.

The typical construction of a persuasive speech is similar to composing a dramatic symphony: there’s a beginning which establishes the fundamental tone, then a harmonious weaving of both logos (logic) –and for the more practiced speakers, perhaps a dash of irony— to appeal to the intellect, and then sentimental moments of pathos (emotion) to tug the heart, all of which builds to a stunning crescendo, and then falls swiftly to an elegant, memorable close. 

But that is only the writing of a speech, my dear Reader – and writing is the easy part. It’s not the writing of a speech which causes voices to shake and sweat to drip like a faucet from the brow: it’s the actual speaking –and yes, speaking in front of other people—which strikes fear in the lips of shyer Brentionians. There is no time for fumbling, fidgeting, awkward crab-like side stepping, or um-ing and ah-ing that comes with nervousness. 

Delivering a speech is a form of acting. One cannot just recite the words off the page in a monotone: one has to stand a certain way, present certain gestures and expression to match their words, observe and understand the receptivity of the audience, find the courage to make eye contact with them, and manifest a variable but penetrating tone to ensure that the delivery of their central message is as powerful as it can be. We are often so caught up with analyzing the twining complexities of words and sentences typed out black and white on a page – but speeches remind us that part of the power of language lies in the ephemeral sound in which a sentence is delivered. 

The English Department’s entertaining prompt this year was ‘Stand Up’. For a week in November, Brentonians all over campus stood up and spoke out on an array of creative topics – from the revolutionary proposal for the Brentwood campus to be relocated underwater, to the defense of pale skin. 

The speeches which stood out the most, however, were the ones which not only employed rhetorical devices, but also evoked a response from the audience, a response serious or downright hilarious – and that is exactly what the winners Sara T, Pascale B, Davin K, and David C achieved.  
Pascale held the entire theatre in stunned silence by revealing the effects of bullying – and also the tragic consequences of standing idle when such incidents occur, as “the opposite of love is not hate: its indifference”, while Davin reminded us the importance of standing by those who are suffering through the fiery slings and jagged arrows of life by “showing them what they have to live for”. 
 
On lighter notes, Sara defended the curious antics of Brentwood’s current grade nines –“Well, the bar is high; we have to start somewhere!”, and David persuaded us of the beauty and importance of the almighty wolf shirt: “Whenever I wear a wolf shirt, everyone just wants to run with my pack”. 

A glowing fusion of superior confidence, enticing subject matter, awareness of audience, and careful tone crowned these talented four as the reigning champions of Fabrications – until next year, that is!

Congratulations to all the winners – and also to all those who braved the nerves and ‘Stood Up”. 
    
Cherrie K and Annie L