I’m an 11 grade student from SSHS and I have been here (US) for two years but I think I’m still struggling with the pronunciations for most of the English words even though the others say I learn fast. However, I know myself that I try hard so I told myself “self, why don’t you try to join the speech team from your school since you are sociable and love to speak?” I know speech team is for an American who really, really good at English speaking and I’m Asian and also only ESL student. My English teacher was so surprised when I told her I joined the speech team and (of course) I would go to speech competition.
Therefore, I went to speech meet and listened to the others because the only way that helps me learning so fast is watch and listen to the others. I felt so weird and a little afraid people would make joke of me when I’m the only one who is Asian and couldn’t speak English well in the room. I think again and again not to go speech meeting on every Tuesday after school because there is seemed to me like a story which was usually told by my grandparents when I was a little girl. The story was about the turtle that was the slowest animal went running competition with the rabbit. As you know rabbit ran very fast and there was no way for turtle to win the rabbit. However, he never gave up and he just ran and ran as he could. At the end turtle could beat the rabbit even though he was slow…
My heart was bounding so hard when I knew my first speech meet competition would be held next week at another high school. I didn’t get all my pieces yet so I was so worried whether I was going to make it or not. There was only 5 days left when I got to read my pieces and practice. Of course I have a lot of homework to do ever day but I tried to finish all my homework as quickest I can because my grades are so important to me, and also manage time for speech to practice.
On the day of my first speech meet (Nov 10, 2007), I woke up early and wore my professional outfit then headed to NSHS. There were a lot of students that came from many different schools so I wondered who I was going to compete with. One thing for sure was they were all better than me I thought. But I tried to straight my head up when I entered to the competition room. I was called the first one at my 1st round. There were 4 rounds we have to compete. I knew my hand that I was holding binder was floating but I couldn’t help to stop it. I was so nervous and I wished I could finish early but my story was too long (took me more than 10min).
I felt little comfortable for my next rounds. After 4 rounds, we had to wait about an hour and half for award time it was the boring part in speech meet) however, everybody was getting butterflies on their stomach when the award ceremony started. I didn’t expect much because I just thought it was enough gaining experience from speech meet so I just sat and listened as I wasn’t belonged to that. Then few minute later, I heard my name was called among the 8 poetry people. Therefore I just went to the stage by telling myself “self, you should be glad even if you just get the last one.” I surprised when they already called people eight to third place but not my yet. There were a thousand thoughts going on in my mind. “Are they just forget me or something after they called me onto the stage?” I thought. Then they paused for a few second before they announced the second place. I thought even when I can meet my secret beloved sweetheart; my heart will not bounce than as it did at that time.
Well I was almost cried when they announced the 1st place champion in poetry was from SSHS. I didn’t believe it at that moment till they came shaking my hand and gave me award slip. It was one of the happiest days for me. Being a speech member in school is challenged me a lot but finally I did it for ‘1st place” at my speech meet. Then at the following week at my second speech meet, I received 1st place in poetry again.
1 comment:
wow! well done, soe!
Post a Comment