In 1988, Brother Nunes, along with longtime English teacher, Dr. Clifford Smith, organized the inaugural Chancellor Speech Contest. Their goal was to spotlight the creative brilliance in students and celebrate the power of the spoken word. Students in 1988 challenged the audience with topics like the existence of UFOs, the effects of suicide, culminating with Jim Remming’s first place speech on five exceptional years at St. Thomas More Collegiate. Funny, not much has changed…
It’s with this tradition in mind that we treat the Annual Chancellor Speech Contest as a longstanding academic tradition; a cornerstone of our school community for close to four decades. Each year, students from Grades 8 to 12 are selected from their English classes to represent their peers in a formal speaking competition. These students present original or curated speeches before a live audience composed of family members, staff, and fellow students.
More than a competition, Speech Night is an expression of our belief that words matter and that standing before others has the power to inform, inspire, and transform
