(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) Indian School Seeb (ISS) became the ninth school to take part in Muscat Daily's Listen Up public speaking competition on Sunday.
Five students from the middle category (11 to 14 years) and four seniors (15 to 18 years) competed in both prepared and unprepared topics under a stipulated time limit.
After their stellar performances, Nandini Balaji and Dhiya Elizabeth Jacob emerged winners in senior and middle categories respectively and booked their spots in the finals.
Nagesh Kelkar, the principal of the school said, ''Public speaking is an important trait of a good leader in today's world. A person can influence others with a good speech and we are thankful to Muscat Daily for this great opportunity to identify and groom new talent. Such public speaking events must be held not only in Oman but across the region.''
The prepared speech for the middle category was Choosing friends is the most important decision' and Reality shows' while the seniors spoke on Examinations - A true measure of ability' and Violence in media'.
Speaking on her unprepared topic Could we tell our teachers what is on our mind', Nandini Balaji, the winner from the senior category said, ''Schools are our second homes and teachers are our mothers. We should have open talks with them so that there are no generation gap.
Opening our minds will also help us to share our thoughts, which will be good not only for us but for the society in general.''
Nandini was a Listen Up finalist in 2011 as well and she is now determined to better her performance this year.
During the middle category speeches, Dhiya Elizabeth Jacob, highlighted the importance of friendship in a man's life and said a friendless man is a man devoid of happiness and that he cannot live alone. Speaking on her unprepared topic of the colour that she wished the world to change to, Dhiya said, ''Though different colours symbolise various emotions, I would have changed the colour of this world to white as it represents peace an
