East Speech attended a virtual speech competition based in California this past weekend. Melina Wu (’25) joined East’s Speech Team this school year and she has so far succeeded tremendously, placing first in Impromptu Speaking.

“This was my second competition,” Wu said. “I got involved [with the speech team] mostly by chance.” Wu said that a friend convinced her to join the team, so she decided to partake in impromptu speaking.

Joining the Speech Team without taking a public speaking class at East left Wu with little experience with professional speaking. Nevertheless, Wu planned and practiced for weeks, allowing her to secure a first-place spot during her second competition of the school year.

In preparation for the competition, Wu said, “I think it’s very difficult to make preparations for impromptu speech because your topic is different every time.” During her rehearsals, Wu would go over a lot of practice speeches in order to perfect her public speaking skills. Wu mostly practices with her team, helping to prepare each other for competitions.

Going into the competition was nerve-wracking for Wu because contestants never know what topic of speech the judges will give them. She competed alongside five other East Speech team members. Ciara Robinson (‘24) also earned a third-place spot for Oratorical Interpretation.

East’s Speech Team is a relatively new group, so Wu has played a big role in growing the program. This year, she helped with the team’s open house and has even participated in a video for the incoming freshmen who are coming to high school next year.

Wu hopes to improve her impromptu skills in order to grow as a Speech Team member. She has enjoyed being a part of the team so far this year and she looks forward to further participating in more competitions.