Hannah Ayrault ’14| Copy Editor

A tradition in South’s Graduation ceremony, student speeches will be featured again this year, Class of 2013 Adviser Jenna Kuess said.

Written copies of the speeches are due by 3:15 on Wednesday, April 24, said Kuess.  Interested students will be able to read their approved speeches to a panel of 15 to 20 teachers, students, and parents on Thursday, May 2nd.

Speeches cannot be longer than six minutes, although the recommended amount of time a speech should last is three to four minutes, said English teacher Meaghan Dunham.

Some speeches have momentum from the first, said English teacher Harry Campion. There are also people that like their speeches to build, and that could take more time than Dunham’s recommended length of three to four minutes.

“Five minutes is a longer speech, and cutting off at three minutes is a shorter speech,” Campion said.  “Both are good, but it really depends on the style.”

There are no personal requirements students must meet to present a speech.

“South is home to a broad group of kids,” said Dunham.  “We want to hear from everybody.”

In past years, as many as 15 to 20 students have written speeches hoping to receive the chance to speak in front of their peers, Dunham said.  In recent years, the number of auditioning students has dwindled.

“From the applicants, one or two speeches are picked,” said Dunham.  “Everybody has to agree on the speeches chosen.”

To make an effective speech, certain elements should be incorporated such as meaning, style and connection, Campion said.

“(A good speech) sounds pretty,” said Campion.  “It uses rhetorical device.  It’s clever.  It uses great metaphors and catches your attention.”

The judges would also like the speech to mean something.  “Is it the same old ‘oh, we’ve been here together for four years, we’re never going to forget them, I love you man’,” Campion said, “Or is it something more meaningful, does it actually say something?”

Having made a speech at her high school graduation, Dunham is aware of how intimidating speaking in front of peers can be.

“It’s an important moment.  It can be daunting, and it’s hard to throw your hat in the ring,” said Dunham.  “(Making a speech) is something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

A good speech is universal; something the audience of over a thousand parents, siblings, teachers, and students can relate to, Dunham said.

“If you can make a connection with a thousand people out in front of you, that’s something special,” said Campion.

When students read their speeches to the judging panel, they must only connect with 15 to 20 people, Campion said.  If the student is unable to make that connection, they have a slim chance of being chosen.

“If you can make a man walking his dog by South stop and listen, that is the sign of an effective speech,” said Dunham.

Although she has been on the judging committee several times in the past, Dunham will not be able to judge this year due to her directorial role in South’s musical, 42nd Street, she said.  However, she will be available to help the students who are chosen with the articulation and dramatic aspects of their speeches. Campion will also be available to assist students on the enhancement of the meaning and style within their speeches.

Graduation speeches are important because they bring about closure, Campion said.

“You don’t take the final test, you don’t pass,” said Campion.  “If time doesn’t run out on the clock, the game isn’t over.  Someone has to have the final word.  School’s all about talking, it’s all about communication, so (graduation is) the final signature on the document of your school career.”