Green Valley High junior hones speech skills at national competition

By Dylan Scott

Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011 | 12:35 p.m.

Jason Singh, a junior at Green Valley High School, represented his school and the Clark County School District at the 2011 Southern Bell Forum in Nashville, Tenn., placing 11 out of 16 in an invitation-only competition for extemporaneous speaking on Jan. 8 and 9.

Hosted by the Montgomery Bell Academy, the tournament featured 16 students from "distinguished and respected schools from around the country," according to its website. During seven-minute speeches, for which they were given only 30 minutes to prepare, the students discussed current events and national politics.

"Everything from the Korean peninsula and the conflict going on there to domestic politics in Obama's cabinet," Singh said. A sample question would be: "How will Obama's inner circle shake-up affect him as president?"

Contestants were judged largely on the quality of their argument, he said, as well as the effectiveness of their presentation.

Singh, who became interested in extemporaneous speaking – or "extemp", as he calls it -- as a freshman, said his performances at the George Mason Forensics Tournament, the Berkeley Invitational and the National Speech and Debate Tournament in the last two years probably earned him the invitation.

The whole purpose of the competition was its spontaneity -- "You have to keep on your toes," Singh said -- but he enjoyed its preparation as well, which included watching the news each night and reading publications such as The Economist.

The junior said he isn't sure what career path he will pursue after he leaves Green Valley, although public relations or the media had crossed his mind. He was confident, though, that his experiences in Nashville would pay off as he moved forward.

"I've already seen the effects play out. The lessons that extemp teaches you, as far as not only speaking but being able to construct an argument, have greatly improved my ability to communicate at school," Singh said. "No matter what I decide to do, the ability to communicate and present my ideas effectively will put me far ahead of the curve."