Voices of Fay

Upper School students have been hard at work crafting their speeches in English class for the Upper School Speech Contest this term. Public speaking is more than a tradition at Fay; it’s a community value. From the earliest years, each Fay student learns that they make a unique contribution when they share their thoughts and ideas. In Primary School, students are encouraged to stand up and present their work in class, share their perspectives during Morning Meeting, and make announcements at lunch. Fay’s formal public speaking begins in third grade when students start writing and delivering a speech each year in front of classmates and family. By Upper School, students are ready to compete in the Speech Contest. Each year, the students write and deliver a speech in their English class, and the best speeches from each class are chosen to move on to the semi-finals, and from that group, twelve finalists are chosen.

This flurry of rhetorical creativity culminates in the Speech Finals, when the Upper School community gathers in Harris Theater to listen to each finalist take the podium. Every year, the speeches are organized around a theme, and this year, students were asked to respond to the question, “What brings you joy in life?” Why joy? As English Department Chair Dr. Joseph Mendes noted in his opening remarks, joy serves a unique purpose in our lives. “Joy is the pressure release valve that allows us to live in the moment, be cognizant of our blessings, and persevere through all life’s challenges.” The finalists shared their perspectives on the different ways they have sought and found joy. They shared speeches about the perspective-altering pleasure of new experiences, how an emotional trek to a war memorial with a grandparent showed that joy and grief can coexist, the delight of surmounting a challenge and discovering an unexpected talent, and even the deep sensory satisfaction of a well-cooked steak. Each finalist was thoughtful and generous in sharing a part of themselves with the audience. Selected by faculty judges, the winner of the speech competition will receive the Choate Public Speaking Award on Prize Day. Congratulations to all the finalists!