Eighth Grade Speaking Contest

Congratulations to Arthur Atwell, winner of the 117th Hollington Family Eighth Grade Speaking Contest. Arthur and five other finalists delivered their original speeches to their Middle School classmates and teachers, guests, and judges at Conway Hall in April. 

Well done to all the finalists for the thoughtful, well-prepared speeches delivered with passion and confidence! 

"Art and Soul"

"The Dyslexia Journey: Understanding the Struggle and Sharing the Strength"

"Be Real"

Finalists/ Honorable Mentions:

Miles Dow
"Major League Baseball's Major Need for a Salary Cap"

Aaren Evans
"Healthy Harvesting"

Manning Howard
"The Blueprint for Greatness"

Thank you to our Speaking Contest judges who joined the time-honored US tradition of celebrating and practicing the art of public speaking: Mr. Dick Hollington III, ’82, Mrs. Katie Outcalt, and Aidan Krishnaney, ’25, winner of the Eighth Grade Speaking Contest in 2021.  

The Hollington Family Eighth Grade Speaking Contest, now in its 117th year, is an essential part of English 8 and a proud tradition at University School. Each year, students are asked to choose a topic inspired by the theme of Responsibility, Loyalty, and Consideration that also has personal significance. They conduct research on the subject, transform the information into a speech that is both informative and persuasive, and deliver the speech to their classmates. 

Speeches are assessed on their content, performance, delivery, and connection to the theme. After in-class presentations, twelve students competed in the semi-finals; of those, six were chosen to present their speeches to the school in Conway Hall auditorium.