By Stephen Linnell
A DRY throat, sweaty palms and accelerated heartbeat. These are just some of the symptoms that can beset a person preparing for a public speaking engagement.
The ability to control the emotional turmoil that can fester within will be of vital importance for scores of Wyndham students this week who are taking part in the Wyndham Youth Public Speaking Competition.
Now into its fourth year, the competition has grown to include 61 students from 20 western region colleges this year, including eight from Wyndham.
The preliminary rounds began last week and will continue throughout this week.
The final will comprise the 12 best speakers drawn from the preliminary rounds. The students, who range from Year 7 to 12, speak for five minutes on a topic of their choice, followed by a secondary “impromptu competition”, where students will speak for two minutes on a mystery topic without notice.
The winner will receive $300 and a prize for their school. The principals of the schools represented by the winning students in both the junior (Years 7-9) and senior (Years 10-12) sections will be presented with annual perpetual trophies.
The senior level shield is held by Heathdale Christian College.
The junior shield will be presented for the first time this year.
Finalists for the competition will be announced on Friday 16 May.
Chairman Roger Howe said this week that the competition had experienced unprecedented growth in 2008.
He said a large audience of students was expected at the final, which will be held at Victoria University Auditorium in Hoppers Lane, Werribee, on Thursday 22 May at 6.30pm.
