St Peter’s College in Gore has taken the annual Bishops’ Shield for winning the 79th Annual Otago and Southland Catholic Secondary Schools’ Public Speaking Competition.
The competition, between the four Catholic secondary schools in Dunedin diocese in public speaking and drama, was hosted by St Peter’s College this year. Categories included prepared speech, impromptu speech, debating, Scripture and drama.
All events over the dates of August 4-6 took place in the Blessed Sacrament church in Gore.
St Kevin’s College in Oamaru won the Marist Centennial Plate for being runner up in the competition.
A post on the St Peter’s College facebook page announcing their success paid tribute to the event management by the college’s director of religious studies Brendan Terry, and to the coaches who spent many hours working in preparation.
Mr Terry said, “It is a special event for Catholic education in the South. Great development for the students not only in terms of skills, but relationships between the schools.
The results were: JUNIOR DRAMA (Alpha Cup. Theme: Do what leads to peace (Romans 14:19)) 1st St Peter’s College, Gore; 2nd St Kevin’s College, Oamaru; SENIOR DRAMA (J B Lynch CFC Cup. Theme: Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9)) 1st St Kevin’s College, Oamaru; 2nd St Peter’s College, Gore; JUNIOR SCRIPTURE (Gerard Curran Cup) 1st Verdon College, Maria Sullivan; 2nd St Peter’s College, Eli Puna; SENIOR SCRIPTURE (Study Questions) 1st St Peter’s College, Rachael Millar; 2nd St Kevin’s College, Samuel Plieger; SENIOR SCRIPTURE (Psalm/ Sight Reading) (Nora Brophy Cup) 1st St Peter’s College, Rachael Millar; 2nd Verdon College, Ayla Naughton; IMPROMPTU SPEECH (Dowling Cup) Topic: “Global Peace” 1st St Peter’s College, Sophie Aynsley; 2nd Verdon College, Kate McGregor; PREPARED SPEECH (Hibernian Cup) Topic: “Pacem in Terris: Is its message still relevant for us today, in the face of threats to global peace?” 1st Trinity College, Jeremy Meikle; 2nd= St Kevin’s College, Cheska Tion and Verdon College, Katie Dennis; JUNIOR DEBATING (Coral Paris Trophy) 1st Trinity Catholic College, Dunedin; 2nd St Peter’s College, Gore; SENIOR DEBATING (Father Christopher Gaffey Cup) 1st St Kevin’s College, Oamaru; 2nd St Peter’s College, Gore; BEST SPEAKER IN JUNIOR DEBATE (Dominican Cup) Cheska Acuna, St Peter’s College; BEST LEADER SENIOR DEBATES (Karen Austin Cup) Mikee Omega, St Peter’s College; BEST SPEAKER in SENIOR DEBATES (Hibernian Cup) Daniel Kovarski, St Peter’s College; MOST PROMISING SENIOR DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE (Boyce Family Cup) Drewbert Manoy, St Kevin’s College; MOST PROMISING JUNIOR DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE (Terry Angus Cup) Jude Terry, St Peter’s College; RUNNER UP OVERALL (Marist Centennial Plate) St Kevin’s College, Oamaru; BISHOPS’ SHIELD WINNER: St Peter’s College, Gore.