14 - Speech Choir and Ignite Speech Competition

I used to believe that performance will not really depend on the professor but on the student itself. Initiative is the key to excel regardless how lazy your professor will be. However, as the competition for Speech Choir and Ignite Speech has started, I realized that I was wrong.

Our block didn’t win any of the said competition. To start with the speech choir, the piece was not given on time and we didn’t even know that we are going to be one of the participants until one day, a student from the other block asked us how are speech choir practice is going. And so were shocked and we checked if it was true. We asked one of our professors (not our assigned professor of PUBSP1) if we are going to be part of the competition and she was shocked as well to know that we were informed. It was only two weeks left for the competition to practice and choreographed for the speech choir. The piece was even given by the other professor.

Lack of time. We were not able to have a proper practice as time won’t allow us.

Moving on with the Ignite Speech wherein I am the chosen representative of the class, I failed to bring our block the bacon. I was also given just a two-week preparation for the contest which is just fine for me as I find it easy to memorize. But to be chosen by Miss Nina instead of Miss Agaton who failed to remind us about the speech choir and who failed to choose a representative of the class for the Ignite speech is just too much. Moreover, Miss Agaton asked us to write a research-like speech wherein we have to cite sources even with the images that are to be used which of course I understand. I delivered my speech to her before the Ignite Speech Competition itself and she asked me to put only one picture per slide. I felt so sabotaged as I heard other speakers who have their personal stories. What is the fight of a research speech over a personal story? In addition, competitors had a nice presentation as it was filled with animations and pictures that keeps the audience attention. I understand that some were overruled with pictures but my original presentation was not. From the very start that I heard the first ignite speaker, I feel like I wanna go home.

As my friend stated, “minsan ang performance ng studyante ay hindi lang dahil sa student itself. Malaking portion dun ay sa professor”.