Winner Winner!

BY MAGGIE OLIVE KLEIN

KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER

The results of The Great Works Speaking Competition are in! In first place is Neslo Atilla, coming in second is Lela Griffin, and last but not least, third place is Parker Curry. As promised, all participants received a line of recognition on their resume, and all three winners received their cash prize! The competition was very exciting for all readers, and everyone performed wonderfully. 

Our first place winner, Neslo Atilla, decided to participate in the competition because she likes to speak in public, and finds that the opportunity doesn’t often present itself, so this seemed like a perfect chance to do so. Atilla wasn’t quite sure which work to choose, so she went to the library and decided to select the first Ernest Hemingway book she found, a short story titled, The Old Man in the Sea. Atilla’s interests include writing, being a member of her school’s mock trial club, and their marching band. When asked about her feelings when doing the actual reading she said, “I have this tendency to react to fear physically, rather than verbally. So when I was on stage I was shaking a bit, but after getting into the groove of the piece I calmed down and was able to perform better.” Well, clearly you did a great job, Neslo!

Next up, in second place, is Lela Griffin. Griffin noted that she’s thinking about doing a career in voice acting, so her participation in the competition was almost a no-brainer. After talking with her English teacher about which work to select, she thought about what genres interested her, and settled on a Manga book, as she likes Anime, and it was of interest to her. Griffin selected a part of the book that had a detail oriented story telling style, one that she tries to achieve within her own writing. Griffin explained that she actually didn’t feel prepared enough for the competition. She claims her confidence lowered after watching the first contestant, and states, “When the first guy went I was really worried, I said to myself, I’m definitely not going to win. I felt unprepared and nervous, and was really shocked to see that after the competition, one of the comments on my performance was that I was well prepared!” Well, Lela! Look at that! Lela concluded her reflection on her experience with, “It’s important not to be so hard on yourself. Even if you don’t feel like you’re going to succeed, try it out anyway. Even if you don’t win, at least you tried. Don’t be afraid to try new things, like skydiving! Why not!” Maybe skydiving is your next adventure!

In third place is Parker Curry. Curry chose to read The Fish, because she enjoyed the author’s use of diction to really bring readers into the poem. Curry was inclined to participate in the competition because it’s something she has never had the opportunity to do before, and wanted to step out of her comfort zone. When asked about her interests, Curry says, “I am primarily interested in academics, but public speaking opportunities give me the chance to practice communication skills. In school, I am a member of the mock trial club.” Curry explained that the actual performance itself was a bit scary, but maintaining eye contact and focused articulation helped her to perform to the best of her ability. 

Congratulations to the 2021 winners of The Great Works Speaking Competition! You guys performed very well, and we hope to see all of the great things you guys will do in the future!

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