Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Henderson High holds annual Boys’ Public Speaking Contest
Senior Jacob Dickens places first in event
WEST CHESTER >> Students at Henderson High School recently took to the stage to compete in the 2017 D. Webster Meredith Boys’ Public Speaking Contest.
Eighty students tried out for the competition; that number was whittled down to 24, and eight were selected for the final round. The young men chose a published piece of work to perform with the caveat that it had never been performed publicly. Contest coordinator and Henderson Latin teacher, Janet Booze, approved each student’s selection and verified that it had never been performed publicly. The students had roughly six weeks to rehearse with the help of a faculty coach.
The students performed before a live audience consisting of students, teachers, parents, and community members. They were judged on their audience awareness, projection, inflection, diction, pacing, and movement.
This year’s winner was Jacob Dickens, who performed “These are your Parents,” by Lena Dunham. Second place went to senior Eric Yu, who chose “New York College Essay,” by Hugh Gallagher. There was a tie for third place between senior Daniel Dychala and junior Alex Fain. Dychala performed “Fine,” from US Teen Report and Fain’s excerpt was from “A Feast for Crows,” by George R.R. Martin.
“I was very surprised and happy to win,” said Dickens. “All of the participants put in a lot of hard work. This will look great on my resume! I’d love to come back one day and be a judge.”
Dickens, a senior, will attend Millersville University in the fall as a Broadcasting and Film Stud-
ies major.
This year’s judges included retired Henderson High School teachers Mrs. Carol Scott and Mrs. Linda Bank, along with the Reverend Warner R. Durnell who won the Boys’ Speaking Contest in 1967.
“Winning the Boys’ Speaking Contest was a game-changer for me,” said Reverend Durnell. “I was
the only junior involved that year and the only black participant. The contest gave me the confidence to speak before a group of people. I look back on that day fondly. When I left West Chester, I came to appreciate how this fine public school system and the teachers really prepared me for life.
When asked if he had any words of wisdom to impart upon future Boys’ Speaking Contest contestants, Mr. Durnell replied. “You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. You never know, you just may find your voice.”
Reverend Durnell is a minister with the Presbyterian Church USA in Nashville, Tennessee. His father, Warner A. Durnell, won the Boys’ Speaking Contest in 1940.
The Janet Walton Girls’ Public Speaking Contest was held last fall at Henderson High School. Both contests have been a tradition in the West Chester Area School District, dating back over 75 years.