Youth Speaks District Final (9 March 2019)

This weekend, the Elizabeth College Intermediate Team comprising Oliver Connolly (Chair), Joseph Tom (Speaker) and Max Guilbert (Vote of Thanks), and accompanied by Magnus Buchanan (Head of English Faculty, Elizabeth College), travelled to Southampton in order to represent Guernsey in the District Final of the Rotary Youth Speaks Competition.

In their presentation, entitled ‘Vincent Van Gigabyte?’, the team argued convincingly that modern computer games could be considered as art forms, engaging our emotions graphically, musically and in their storyline.

The team finished in second place in the Senior Section of the event, open to young people up to 17 years of age.  This represents an extraordinary achievement, since all three members of the team only reached their 15th birthday within the last few months!  Rotarian Allan Smith MBE PHF (District Governor 2018 – 2019) has written to congratulate the team, stating: ‘the quality of all the presentations was very high so to be the runner-up in the competition required an outstanding presentation which Oliver, Joseph and Max produced’. 

The Regional Coordinator has already confirmed that the Elizabeth College Team has qualified to participate in the Regional Final of the Competition, which will be held at Queen’s College, Taunton on Saturday 30th March.  We wish the team continuing success in the Regional event.

Oliver: "It was a great opportunity to progress our public speaking and increase our confidence for the future. We're really enjoying it."

Max: "The other teams were excellent so we were just really pleased to get through." 

Joseph: "I honestly couldn't believe it at first because I'd been surprised when we won in Guernsey. To get through this round is amazing for us and extremely exciting."  

The boys had help from a sixth form mentor, Adam Le Poidevin, who gave them advice on how to improve their argument. Their parents also kindly hosted extra practices for them at the weekend to make sure that they were totally ready.

We are most grateful to our sponsors, ‘Mourant’, who have generously agreed to underwrite all travel and accommodation expenses for the College team, no matter how far they proceed in the competition - the final is in Nottingham later this year.

Without continued support from ‘Mourant’ it would be very difficult for the Rotary Club of Guernsey to continue to run this important annual event for local young people.