By Rohan Garg ’17, Creative Writing Editor

Every Friday following mid-winter break in February, the entire school community gathers in the auditorium to listen to six juniors as they deliver rehearsed orations. This coming Friday, everyone will once again assemble in the audience to listen to six juniors competing for top honors in the Sherman Prize Speaking Contest.

Designed to foster persuasive writing and public speaking skills, the Sherman Prize Speaking Contest is an annual competition offered exclusively to the junior class. Around the middle of January, all juniors are required to craft a speech of about six to eight minutes as an assignment for their English classes. Students then deliver their speeches in front of their English teacher and classmates, from whom they receive feedback.

Approximately two weeks later, juniors are given the chance to sign up for the preliminary round of the contest. During this round, over the course of three afternoons, juniors present their orations in front of a panel of faculty judges that includes Ms. Fazio, Mr. Aliazzi, and Mr. Lewis. On the Thursday before mid-winter break, Ms. Fazio announces the names of the six finalists at assembly.

This year’s competition has been especially tough. After hearing revised and well rehearsed speeches from 66 juniors, the three faculty judges embarked on the challenging task of narrowing down the large number of entries to just six. After much deliberation, the judges managed to determine the six finalists who will be on stage this Friday.

This year’s six finalists are Will Frankel, who will relate the Holocaust to the modern refugee crisis; Derek Stamberger, who will discuss his experiences with epilepsy; Karchen Lhatoo, who will recount his experiences with racial ambiguity; Tyler Krantz, who will talk about the Holocaust; Chaz Whitfield, who will express his reactions to current social problems in a rap-like form; and Rafiq Sitabkhan, who will examine affirmative action in the modern college admissions system.

These six finalists will add finishing touches to their speeches this week as they prepare to speak in front of the entire school community in a special morning assembly on Friday. Check back in the next issue for a review of the speaking contest.