At the April upper school assembly on Tuesday, seniors who have shown a particular proficiency in public speech throughout their role in class discussions, public speech competitions, open houses, athletic department banquets, and Arts Night or Choral Concerts showcased their performance skills. Sophomores Rodney Goldring and Lily Stettler-Eno spoke about their involvement in the new Public Speaking elective. Seniors Brian Benitez, Makiya Tarrance, Niekal Jones-Atkinson, Lindsey Johnson, and Sam Mader performed, with Benitez reading Polonius’ advice from Hamlet, Tarrance reading from Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “a song in the front yard,” and later performing Hamlet’s words to Ophelia, Jones-Atkinson reading Marge Piercy’s “To have without holding,” Johnson performing a selection from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, and Mader producing an original beat box performance. Other commended seniors who have achieved excellence in public speaking include Maggie Dalzell, Carmaya Humble, Serena Jones, Mason Sayles, and Eowyn Sherrer. Sophomore Shelby Griffith performed her winning poem from the Poetry Out Loud competition, “The Mothering Blackness,” by Maya Angelou. Mr. Day read the poem by William Carlos Williams called, “This is Just to Say,” and Ms. Seid read the poem “When You Ask a Teacher What They Make.” The Honors Choir performed “Wayfaring Stranger,” and students earned merits from their teachers for their performance in class. Freshmen J.C. Claire and Cecily Bufkin earned merits, sophomores DJ Okuleye and Jania Claire, and juniors Destiny Glee and Nate Crystal, as well as seniors Claire Hall and Zhen-Hua Pavetti.
A Salute to Speech
