As ever, the bar was set high at this year’s Senior Dodd Public Speaking Competition, which took place in Main Hall on Monday.
One of the most highly-anticipated events in the College calendar, the Senior Dodd offers our most experienced public speakers the chance to talk on any topic of their choosing and challenge common preconceptions. This year, a particularly strong field of speakers delivered pithy and illuminating talks to an interested and appreciative audience.
As ever, it was an evening that was entertaining, educational and, at times, really quite moving.
The adjudicator, Mrs Annie Thackray from St Christopher’s School Epsom, later tweeted that she left feeling inspired and was reassured that our collective future was bright given the talent and thoughtfulness displayed by the young speakers. Topics ranged from subjects such as the prevalence of domestic spying to whether polygamy should be legalised to the impossibility of genuine Free Will to the representation of LGBT characters in the media.
In the event, the winning speech was given by the very first speaker of the evening, Max Hales (Fa), who spoke, almost from memory, on our relationship with time.
In second place was Emily Vandrau (R) who reflected on the desirability of gratitude and in joint third place were Katie Vickers (Rv) on ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ (she was at pains to stress that she was not pregnant!) and Ebube Anyanechi (F) who spoke persuasively on human evolution.
