After much heartache, headaches, and tears, it has finally come to an end. In the fourth level of the Lions Speech contest, I lost.
The jump that was made in between the third and fourth levels was astonishing. The third level in Shasta Lake was casual compared to the down-to-business atmosphere of the fourth level in Corning. In a way, I’m sad I lost. But, for the most part, I’m just relieved it’s finally over.
I go to a school that uses a lot of technology. So, naturally, the tech problems happen to me. I don’t blame my loss on the microphone they had me use, but it definitely shook me up for the first thirty seconds of my speech. They had the speakers wear a microphone that hooks over your ear and hangs in front of your face. It has a wire that connects to a small electronic box that attaches to your hip. It has one button: the power button. I was the second speaker, so you think I would be in the clear for tech issues, but no. The girl who spoke before me turned the microphone off. But there was a microphone on the podium where I started speaking, and it was on. When I moved away from the podium after the first sentence, my voice was completely lost in the cavernous room. With well over one hundred people staring at me. Needless to say, I was mortified. But I got the evil microphone working, and I gave my speech.
According to one of my friends in the crowd who talked to the judges, I tied for second. And I was only two points below the winner. Two! Now, the other three girls all had professional speech coaches and had participated in this contest, and many others, for the past three years. For having no coach and no experience, I think I held my own.
So now, I go back to my regular schedule, with school, and friends, and all of that typical high school nonsense. But, as of today, I have been with my boyfriend for three years, and we’re going out tonight to celebrate. All of the things I have to do for school can wait one more day.
Mary Kelman is a senior at Anderson New Tech High School in Anderson, Calif., and an intern at anewscafe.com. She is documenting her last few weeks of high school. Click on her byline to read all the installments.
