One Activity, Countless Rewards by Bailey

One Activity, Countless Rewards by Bailey - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

“Dear Franklin....” My voice is composed and imperturbable, with only the faintest hint of solemnity tainting the words. I continue to recite the lines from Lionel Shriver’s book, We Need to Talk About Kevin, as I perform in the final round of prose oral interpretation competition. The tragic story rapidly unfolds, rolling from my lips while I divulge the horrific details. As the tension in the plot heightens, the words become bitter on my tongue. My voice rises. My character’s hands tremble. Then, a mordant scream rips the composure:

“What have you done?”

An unequaled intensity hangs in the air for seconds, the traumatic tone clinging tightly to the air and refusing to fall. Those sitting in the audience are transformed into petrified witnesses; they can see the stretchers rolling through the school parking lot, can feel the cold stares of terrified parents and somber officers. Can hear the sirens. The screams.

Just as the world of my character shatters, the ten-minute monologue comes to a pungent close. For a moment, there is silence; the only audible sound is the faint hum of a fan whirring behind me. When the audience applauds, I finally allow the nervousness to wash over me.

This oral interpretation performance shows only a ten-minute frame of my continuous development.

Many extracurricular activities have impacted me in the past four years, but oral interp is the most influential. The activity has watered me with powerful experiences, transforming a budding student into a blossoming individual. When I entered the class on the first day of my freshman year, I was undeniably zealous. Four years later, I can see how vital positive attitudes are. I have met goals and seen achievements that, without my initial enthusiasm, would have been replaced by vapidity. Oral interp has taught me to prepare with dedication, perform with passion, lead with maturity, receive honors with appreciation, and accept criticism with poise.

Over the course of four years, I have dedicated countless days and nights to reading scripts, researching historical events, and practicing pieces. That commitment has impacted my classes and extracurricular activities in a positive manner, as I have developed the invaluable skill of learning to gauge my time and plan accordingly. Also, I have learned how to respond appropriately to triumphs and misses, alike. I soar when my dedication pays dividends and pull myself back up when others do not notice the efforts. No one can avoid falling. Learning to overcome moments of adversity with grace is essential.

My leadership skills have noticeably grown through oral interp. The novice members of our oral interp team have known of my achievements since their first day of school, and to them, my name is as familiar as a celebrity’s. With that recognition comes responsibility. Younger students may admire upperclassmen for their accomplishments, yet personalities are just as noticeable. At the beginning of the year, I was a name linked with success. However, once the novices met me, they attributed more to my name than a point total or award collection. I learned their names and complimented their performances. I gave them constructive feedback and watched them compete. When the novices hear me performing and gather around to watch, they now know that the performer is a caring friend, and I am proud to have the honor of being a role model. The novice students who look up to me realize what factors go hand in hand with success: kindness, modesty, and dedication.

My oral interp pieces have encouraged me to think critically about the depths of emotions, and my tragic prose selection, We Need to Talk About Kevin, has propelled me to reach great heights. Like the story’s intense introduction, the final line is heavy: “The expression on your face—it was so disappointed.” Though the performance will always be of strong significance to me, its last words do not represent my warm personality. Once the oral interp round concludes, my face shows no signs of disappointment; after all, my acquired leadership is beneficial, my constant dedication is rewarding, and—after four years—my initial zeal is interminable.