Purpose: The Speakers Hub is the place for those who want to become a better communicator,
an exceptional speaker, an engaging presenter and motivate change. Vocal is a CAS Initiative that gives The Speakers’ Hub members the opportunity to share their stories, ideas with a larger audience. We hope to grow this project and collaborate with Ted Talks.
CAS Strands: Creativity
Learning Outcomes: Strength and growth, initiative and planning, ethics of choices and actions, challenge and skills, commitment and perseverance, global engagement.
Initiators: Lena Dodoo and Naa Adjeley – G11
The Speakers’ Hub VOCAL session was a fun and thought-provoking experience. My topic of interest that I spoke about was self-love, how you should love yourself and always do what’s right for you. I was nervous at first but when I started speaking the nervousness went away. I’m glad that I was able to put the new skills I learnt from the 10x Public Speaking course to use, which was created and delivered by Chris Baldwin. Four of my grade mates also delivered their topics of interest during the session. It was a very insightful experience. If I was to do this again, I will take my time to speak. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and I would do it again. What I learnt from my other classmates was, choose your friends wisely and hard work leads to success. The VOCAL session helped me to express my interest and share it with others. Janelle Owusu – G11. Topic: Self-love
VOCAL was an eye-opening and memorable experience for me. I truly enjoyed every bit of it, though I was initially nervous at the beginning. First and foremost I commend my fellow speakers Kwame Asafo Adjei, Janelle Owusu, Lena Dodoo and Naa Adjeley Anang-la for their impactful and thought-provoking speeches. The initiative VOCAL, under the Speakers’ Hub, is an opportunity for young writers and speakers to express their emotions, be creative and confident in their speech. On 26 February, I participated in my first session. I must say it felt like a Ted Talk, the audience of 10 people made the whole experience feel so real in my eyes, as though I were on an actual stage. I spoke about ‘Friends’, a topic that is very interesting yet controversial. I chose this topic because, we students of TIS, are in our formative years. Living in a boarding school, and meeting people from different walks of life, you will witness the good, the bad and the ugly. However, you will need good friends that will support you throughout this journey rather than bringing you down. Throughout the speech, I used certain phrases and quotes to appeal to the conscience of my audience. The most striking quote I used was one by Nipsey Hussle that said “If you look around your circle, and you are not inspired by it, you are in a cage’. I would like to say thank you to everyone who participated in VOCAL, the initiators and the camera crew. Essilfua Ansah – G11. Topic: Friendship
My speech, in particular, talked about the importance of working hard in order to achieve your goals. My love for soccer was what inspired me to bring my entire speech together. I must admit in the beginning, I was not very confident about giving this ‘TED talk’ because my public-speaking skills were not the best yet. However, giving my speech in front of that crowd gave me this burst of confidence I didn’t think I had. This confidence enabled me to effectively communicate my message and more importantly, connect with my audience. Moreover, it enhanced my public-speaking skills. What I learnt from this giving my speech is that as individuals, we must be able to analyze certain situations within our daily lives and determine where and when to work hard and put ourselves in order to enable us pursue our dreams and achieve our goals. I am very excited to have been part of this entire experience. Getting the opportunity to speak in front of people gave me the platform to be confident and exhibit my public-speaking skills. Kwame Asafo-Adjei -G11. Topic: Importance of hard work
This VOCAL session was definitely a point of self-discovery for me. At first, I had no idea what to write; all I knew was that I wanted something that would move my audience. But as the day kept approaching, I found I was entirely blank. That’s when I sat down and used all my reflective skills to write something entirely personal to me, and yet relatable for my audience. I combined all of the skills I gained from our Speaker’s Hub sessions to create the best speech possible. This session encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, and speak all the words that swarm my head. With every word I spoke, I felt myself becoming a better public speaker, and more confident within myself. Even though the audience was small, I believe that given the opportunity, I would be able to address very large audiences, and I have VOCAL to thank for that! Lena Dodoo – G11. Topic: Taking time to find yourself.
I really enjoyed this month’s VOCAL session, Everyone’s topic was really insightful but if I had to choose one that really resonated with me, it would have to be Kwame’s speech on hard work. I think he did well on drawing the audience’s attention and delivering a good presentation. I, especially, liked the analogy he gave of the two friends where one has learnt and the other hasn’t but they both are writing the same test the next day. Overall, the VOCAL session has a truly great experience. Elorm Godzi. G11 – Audience member
When I was tasked with the dire moment of speaking for VOCAL, I was hit with a sudden burst of ideas which in the end amounted to nothingness. I was so excited I forgot what I actually wanted to speak about. I was going to stand in front of my peers, to have an open dialogue with members of my community. I wanted my message to be real, relevant, relatable and also eye-opening. I wanted to share a bit of myself with my audience, I was going to be vulnerable in front of my friends and choose a topic which had been on my heart for a while now. So one day, I sat in class and then inspiration began to emanate from all circles, from my interactions with people, issues in the school, classroom and combined with my own experiences. I began to pen down a page which I called “A Series of Incomplete Thoughts”. I began to write thoughts on white supremacy to consent to anything and everything which I always felt compelled to share but was never bold enough to do so.
VOCAL is my safe space. A space, I could present an opinion which was at the time controversial and should invoke discussion among students on the topic “Restrictive Dress Codes Criminalize Men and Objectify Women, I would no longer be apologetic for my femininity”. To say I was terrified to express this message would be an understatement because I was worried to how it would be received. It wasn’t an attempt to undermine school rules and authority, but invoke an awareness on the greater message behind the topic. Standing in front of the camera, I spoke my heart out. I learnt in the moment the significance of standing up for what you believe in, I am still afraid though, to post my message, but I believe I have taken a first step in allowing myself to express thoughts which might be different from societal expectations and pressures. I loved the response and feedback, I am also always willing to engage in conversations about the topic with anyone who disagrees with me.
During VOCAL, I also learnt from other speakers, the value of hard work, the importance of friendships and self-love. I was particularly touched with Lena’s letter to herself, for which I believe many people can relate to. I am grateful for the space that was granted to me, I look forward to hearing from other speakers as well. Naa Adjeley Anang-La – G11. Topic: Dress codes.
