We are thrilled to extend our congratulations to the QAHS participants of the A.B. Paterson Public Speaking Competition 2023. Every year, our students rise to the occasion, demonstrating their eloquence and confidence in this fiercely competitive event.
This year, around 450 students hailing from various Gold Coast and surrounds schools exhibited their exceptional public speaking skills. Standing before esteemed adjudicators, members of the public, and their peers, these individuals presented compelling speeches on topics from a specified list. Despite the academic demands on them at this busy time of the year, we are immensely proud of the eight QAHS students who embraced the challenge and wholeheartedly committed themselves to the process of crafting an 8-minute speech, mastering it, and delivering it with unwavering poise.
Our commendations go out to Year 10 students Zia Kao, Evie Patterson, Yanyan Zhang, Claudia Wang, and Arisa Furutani, as well as Year 11 students Isla Kelly, Sara Mohajer-Irivani, and Camilla Smatova. Their eloquence and confidence shone brightly during the preliminary rounds, with Arisa, Sara, and Camilla securing their spots in the grand final.
It is with pleasure that we announce the outstanding achievement of Camilla Smatova who emerged as the Second place winner in the Year 11 competition. Camilla's speech, titled "Money Makes the World Go 'Round," resonated profoundly with the audience. Her powerful delivery, marked by conviction and flair, ensured that her unique perspective on the topic was not only heard, but left an indelible impression on all those present. We extend our congratulations to Camilla for her exceptional performance and the well-deserved recognition she has received.
We are pleased to share an excerpt from Camilla's prize-winning speech below:
Ultimately, the pursuit of money inevitably results in a cycle of income inequality everywhere in the world because everything revolves around money. Virtually anything can be bought and sold in any market, especially basic needs like healthcare and education which most people do not have access to in developing countries, because of our materialistic values. Should we support a society based around deceit, fraud, or even murder for nothing but money? Eventually, people with this insatiable craving for money become eternally miserable at best and totally morally corrupted at worst. And these people exist everywhere. Think about all the politicians who lie and deceive, not for the good of any country, but for themselves. For money. This is why we must prioritise our compassion. Our empathy. Our humanity. We must fix the world and our errors instead of focusing on materialism and temporary happiness. While money makes the world go round, it doesn't have to tear us apart and make us abandon other people, our friends, or even family. While money can buy temporary happiness, it can never buy humanity. So, what is truly more important? Money, which is worth nothing on its own, or humanity?
Once again, congratulations to all our participants for their outstanding efforts and achievements. We look forward to witnessing more remarkable accomplishments from our students in this competition in the future.
Marnie Chetter
Teacher of English & Student Leadership Coordinator