By Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance WriterDAY ONE of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) National Speech finals at The Little Theatre on Tom Redcam Drive saw the male entries dominating the competition taking home all but one of the six trophies given out. On Thursday, day two, the tables turned dramatically, with females taking home seven of the 12 trophies awarded.
Nine year-old Cleopatra Carr who had earned the Most Outstanding Mixed Dialect Poetry or Prose trophy in the juniors, category also got the events most prestigious trophy for the Most Outstanding Speech Entry Overall. Carr had delighted the audience, and apparently the judges with her rendition of 'Parents', with an eloquence that out-matched her years.
Avenia Powell, who taught Carr, was also awarded for her work with the student. However this year's event seemed to be a triumph for youth, as Sheldon Sheperd, himself barely out of Kingston College earned the trophy for the Most Creative Teacher or Leader for the work of Nomadzz. Nomadzz had also earned the trophy for Most Outstanding Dub Poetry Ensemble in the adult or open category for their imaginative performance of 'Irie'. 'Irie' which gives interesting information about Jamaica's national heroes should make any social study teacher's job easy, if the enthusiastic response of the students in the audience was anything to go by.
Another youthful talent awarded was Doneisha Hutchinson of Knox College. She earned two trophies for 'Mi Nuh Kin Teet. The witty poem, which is seated in the tradition of The Honourable Louise 'Miss Lou' Bennett Coverly and Joan Andrea Hutchinson was written by the student. As a result, the trophies were compliments to her skills as a writer and performer. 'Mi Nuh Kin Teet' earned the intermediate category trophy for Most Outstanding Jamaican Dialect. The poem was also dubbed best in the competition, earning the Louise Bennett Award for Most Outstanding Jamaican Dialect Overall.
AWARDS
Females also got the intermediate awards for 'Most Outstanding Standard English', 'Most Outstanding Dub Poetry', 'Most Outstanding Storytelling' and 'Most Outstanding Speaking Ensemble Awards'.
Sherice Wheeler of EXED Community College earned the Most Outstanding Standard English award for her performance of an excerpt from 'A Man For All Seasons' and 'Now and Then'. In performing a poem written by her father, 'Wi Luv Dance', Natalie Cole of St. Hugh's High earned the trophy for 'Most Outstanding Dub Poetry'. The tale of how sorrel got its name earned Claude McKay High's Antoinette Brown the storytelling trophy. The speaking ensemble trophy went to Montego Bay High, whose all girl group performed 'Cloud' and 'Two Grandmothers'.
The other winners for the day were Orville Hall of EXED Community College (Most Outstanding Mixed and Standard and Dialect Poetry or Prose - Adult); Andre Bernard and Shavon Ferraro of Cornwall College (Most Outstanding Experimental Speaking Ensemble); and Bridgeport High (Most Outstanding Dub Poetry Ensemble - Intermediate).
