During the preliminary rounds, we heard from over 200 students who spoke about a wide range of topics. It was inspiring to see how deeply our students care about the world around them and the ethical challenges we face.
As well as our speech contest, this year we brought back our visual art and essay writing competitions and it was great to see lots of entries showcasing ethical issues through these formats. Congratulations to Mia Zhao and Sophie Bullen for their amazing art pieces, and Ada Findlow and Maddison Tong for their thought-provoking essays. A big thank you to everyone who entered; we loved viewing and reading your contributions.
The final of the Soapbox competition took place at a whole-school assembly on Thursday 10 April. This year’s finalists in the junior category were Isabella Bines, Hedy Qin (Year 8s), Seraphina Tse (Year 7), Esther Turley, and Jasmine Hughes (Year 9s). The senior finalists were Zara Oliyath, Anya Taylor, Eloise Voss (Year 12), and Isabella Clarke (Year 13).
During the final, our esteemed teacher judges – Ms Hart, Miss Davies, Mr Foster and Mr Boasman – had the unenviable decision of choosing a winner in each of our categories.
Our junior champion, Seraphina Tse, captivated the audience with her speech, ‘Selfies: The Perils of the Perfect Pout’, highlighting the often hidden dangers of the seemingly innocent selfie culture.
In the senior category, Zara Oliyath took the top spot with her powerful slam-poem styled speech about the public medical system. Her soapbox, entitled ‘The Endless Wait,’ passionately explored the reality many patients face in the healthcare system, urging that good medical care should be a right, not a privilege for the few.
All of our finalists should be incredibly proud of themselves for using their voices to advocate for things that matter. In a world where we often scroll past important issues because they are difficult to face, their courage and commitment to speaking out is commendable.
Thank you to everyone who supported this event, particularly the Ethics Council and the incredible Ethics Prefects — Isobella Baggaley, Evie Hope, and Jess Webb — who worked tirelessly to make this competition a success throughout the term.
Looking ahead, we will be hosting a similar event in the Junior school during Term 3.
