Two podium finishes for Macleans College at Eastern Zone Speech Competition
Posted on August 24, 2026
Macleans College speakers achieved two podium finishes at the Eastern Zone Speech Competition, with Elyse Robertson (Te Kanawa House) taking first place in the Year 10 category and Claire An (Rutherford) finishing third in Year 11.
Tinkle Ding (Upham), Elyse and Claire represented the school after being selected from a strong field of speakers at school level, presenting speeches on the impact of artificial intelligence, social media and modern feminism.
The competition was hosted at Howick College, where the three students presented speeches on a range of contemporary issues:
- Year 9: Tinkle Ding – How the normalisation of AI is desensitising us
- Year 10: Elyse Robertson – Are we living or just recording?
- Year 11: Claire An – The flaws of modern feminism
All three students represented Macleans College with confidence and demonstrated the high standard of public speaking across the school.
The judges were particularly impressed by Elyse’s confident delivery and strong command of the room. Her deliberate use of gestures helped reinforce her message and engage the audience.
Claire also delivered a poised and controlled performance, demonstrating a clear understanding of her topic and an ability to engage the audience.
The judges noted the high standard of the competition, particularly the participants’ depth of knowledge, engaging delivery and ability to address complex ideas. The results reflect the strong preparation and commitment demonstrated by all three Macleans College speakers.