HPS students once again shine in oratory competition

Karima Ahmed

 

 

 

By Charles Sercombe
As usual, the students in the Hamtramck Public School District’s oratory program racked up another impressive year.
District teacher Rahiel Housey-Johnson has been the main coach of the kids for a number of years. She is also a member of the Optimists Club of Downtown Detroit.

We’ll let her explain what made this year stand out for five students

 

Review: Let’s start with a brief background about yourself, and how long you have been with the HPS district.
Housey-Johnson: This is my 21st year of teaching in Hamtramck Public Schools. I have taught various grades in various buildings over the years, with the longest stretch being 12 years at Holbrook. I am currently teaching 7/8 EL Science at Kosciuszko Middle School.

Nura Uddin

Review: How many students have you coached in oratory skills over the years?
Housey-Johnson: I can’t answer that question with an exact number, but I would estimate about 150 students.

Review: What has happened to them? Did they continue their education in college? Did they continue participating in oratory competitions?
Housey-Johnson: Unfortunately, not a lot of students stay in contact after high school, so I am not sure, but I am very proud of one student who called to thank me for encouraging him to public speaking, at a young age, when he was accepted to Harvard with a full ride! I just trust in the belief that this endeavor plants tiny seeds that grow into something good that I don’t see; yet I know SOMETHING grows from this.

Maha Uddin

Review: Why is developing oratory skills important for a student?
Housey-Johnson: Not only do these students need to deliver a speech, but they also had to compose an original speech that meets a set of criteria.
This, along with any extracurricular activity, requires dedication and perseverance that embodies a calling. Not everyone is called to give a speech. For some people, it is downright terrifying; a thing to be avoided at all costs. These students elected to gain exposure to presenting to an audience at a young age, thereby getting the experience under their belts.

Review: What were the highlights this year?
Housey-Johnson: It was very uplifting to see these five students pursue the competition, after the great delays and uncertainty related to the pandemic.

Shayera Choudhury

They remained optimistic, and pursued the delivery of their important messages to the finish line. The topic was so current! Healing the world with optimism is a topic that makes us all look toward coming out of the pain and suffering, toward a better future.

Review: Who are the students who stood out this year, and what is it that happened?
Housey-Johnson: We had two teams of students ready to compete at two events in March 2020. One event was postponed and one was cancelled.
In December 2020, I decided to invite all of them to combine into a Zoom event. Some decided to resign or had moved, so we went forward with the remaining eight.
I then immediately invited those students to create a new speech for the March 2021 event, which was held via Zoom on March 17, 2021.
Three pulled out from the eight, leaving five, who persevered and wowed everyone! First place: Nura Uddin, second place: Taufiq Islam, third place: Shayera Choudhury, fourth place: Karima Ahmed, and fifth place: Maha Uddin.
All attend KMS except Karima, who attends Dickinson East. The next level will take place April 24 at the state semi-finals.

Taufiq Islam

Review: How did COVID-19 impact your students this year, and the oratory program in general?
Housey-Johnson: I did not recruit new participants, opting to draw from established participants who already knew our LMS Google Classroom.
I switched to an all-digital participation and submission a few years ago, so these students were already well-versed with the LMS before they had to use it daily for school!
Unfortunately, we will again miss out on the annual Winners’ Circle Luncheon as a fun outing, with what would have been a photo shoot at the Riverwalk! That has been a tradition that students have looked forward to for many years (and me also). We will have that, via Zoom, on May 5.

Posted April 30, 2021

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