2014 District 80 Humorous and Evaluation Speech Contest

Once upon a time, there was a baby club, trying to get on its feet, trying to survive, it might not have withstood the punches it was thrown, but due to sheer perseverance, and the glorious intervention of senior members and mentors, Anchorvale rose from the ashes, like a phoenix. It was a rebirth, of epic proportions.

During the 2014 District 80 H&E Contest, Anchorvale took its first steps into the unknown. Riz Masurekar (Humorous) and Zulhafni Zulkeflee (Evaluation) made history by being the first Anchorvale members to take part in a District level contest. A splendid honor. Even better, was the presence of IPP Roger Yap (Evaluation) who was representing his Mandarin Club, Whampoa from Div V, also contesting in the district for the first time.

It was a joyous day for us, as we turned up to witness three of our best speakers enter an arena, filled with heavy weights, crowd favorites and underdogs. First up, was the humorous speech contest. There were eight witty speakers, each offering something delectable to the crowd. And we lapped it up, relishing in their jokes and antics. 

Our Riz was the 2^nd speaker, and he delivered his delightful story with precise perfection. Looking at ease, Riz seemed to have been made for the big stage, and in May Lee’s words, ‘he has clearly inherited his father’s superb acting prowess.’

After a fun refreshment break, networking with the who’s who of the district, we proceeded to the Evaluation Speech Contest, where the test speaker, surprise surprise!!

2014 District 80’s International Speech Contest Champion, Sean Seah. He gave a scintillating performance, which would have been incredibly hard for anyone to evaluate. But the eight evaluation contestants, proved that they were masters at this. 

One by one they came, and mesmerized the audience with their flawless techniques. People may have visited the contest to support their own members, but the level of inventiveness and intelligence on display was so absolutely breathtaking, everyone cheered for everyone.

Zul was the 6^th contestant, and I have no words to describe how utterly spectacular he was. His entertaining evaluation using an analogy of Disney fairytales was him at his creative best. My jaw was simply hanging at the end of his performance.

As we struggled to calm our heart rates, up came Roger, the penultimate contestant. Roger came, he spoke, and he conquered. He was cool, calm and collected. Possessing confidence some of us can only dream of, he drove home the points neatly. 

It was a Toastmastery fireworks display from our guys!

When it came for the announcement of results, a hush befell the hall, as our LGET Tay Yiang Ping joked, “wow, it’s even quieter than the 1 minute of silence.”

But alas! Our gladiators were not placed! Should they have won? What could have been done differently? Was it fair? Who knows? We can only argue our points.

But I doubt, I am alone in thinking that the judges faced an almighty task of scoring the speakers. It was a pulsating contest. It was, simply the best. Each and every one of the contestants deserve a medal for exemplifying the brilliance of public speaking. I do not feel envious seeing their success, rather I feel it is a beacon of inspiration.

There is so much to learn from what took place at the District Contest. I am sure, with even more practice, we can reach the peak of the mountain. 

To Riz, Zul and Roger, you guys have made us so proud of you. It has been truly wonderful, watching you three embark on this journey.

My message to my fellow club mates, please let our Champions’ performances strengthen your resolve to become the best that you can be. Together, we will only go forward! Nobody will be left behind at Anchorvale.

Written By: Salma Begum