Speech Olympiad XVII: Unveiled. Unleashed. Unbound. #1
By Saai Syvendra ·
It all started with a simple message from our Club President: “Drop a message when you’re free.” (On December 10th, by the way. It’ll come in handy later 😏). And it ended with a simple thank-you from me: “gg bois and girls.”
The journey in between? That’s a story of unveiling, unleashing, and unbounding. A story worth telling. I’m putting it out here, not just to share but to relive these moments down the line. (Maybe even as a little guide for those who come next 😅).
But before we dive into the madness, let’s talk about what Speech Olympiad actually is, for those who just heard the name and nodded like they knew. 😆 Simply put, it’s THE biggest intra-university speech contest and the flagship event of Gavel Mora. But more than that, it’s a stage where voices find power, stories find meaning, and speakers find themselves. Since 2005, it has been the proving ground for some of the best orators and leaders to emerge from our university. And now, with the 17th edition on the horizon, we’re about to push the boundaries even further.
22nd December, the day the ball got rolling…
Alongside me were my two friendly neighborhood Co-Chairs (CCs) [Akindu & Sasindi], who together were going to pull off Speech Olympiad XVII.
First on the agenda? Avengers Assemble. We analyzed the superpowers of our fellow Batch 22 Gaveliers and assigned them as Pillar Heads (PHs) to various pillars:
Public Relations, Logistics, Editorial, Finance, Education, Website
Next in line? The easy part: coming up with the tagline. Easy, right? Just something that:
✅ Sets the tone for the whole competition
✅ Is unique (no recycled lines/words from the past 16 years)
✅ Is neither too long nor too short
✅ Has a catchy ring when announced: “Speech Olympiad, blah blah blah”
✅ Goes hand in hand with the theme
✅ Has a meaning
Sounds simple enough… And SO it was 🙃
After not brainstorming for hours and definitely not rejecting dozens of taglines… we finally landed on The One. Let me just drop a portion of our very formal introduction 😉:
“With this core vision in mind, we propose ‘Breaking Boundaries’ as the theme for Speech Olympiad XVII. This theme embodies the resilience, progress, and transformation that mark a speaker’s journey toward excellence.”
“Proceeding further, we suggest the tagline ‘Unveiled. Unleashed. Unbound.’ which aligns seamlessly with the vision for Speech Olympiad XVII.”
And here’s the logic behind it:
🔹 Unveiled (Stories Unveiled): The Preliminary Round, where participants take the stage for the first time, introducing their stories and ideas. It’s all about discovery, revealing hidden potential.
🔹 Unleashed (Wings Unleashed): The Semifinals, where speakers break out of their comfort zones, delivering speeches with more confidence, power, and freedom. No holding back.
🔹 Unbound (Limits Unbound): The Final Round, the grand finale, where barriers are shattered, and potential soars sky-high. Speakers embody the true essence of Breaking Boundaries, delivering performances that leave a lasting impact.
And just like that,
was born...
Following this was a series of Avengers Assemble. The PHs were briefed on their roles, responsibilities, and the part they’d play in making this event a reality. Meanwhile, we (your CCs) split the pillars among ourselves, making sure everything was running smoother than a well-rehearsed speech. (We all know both of which is not SO easy 🙃).
And just like our tagline… coming up with the perfect campaign was totally effortless. No hours of brainstorming. No painfully rejecting dozens of ideas. Nope. None of that. 😌 (Totally not lying)
But in the end, we did land on The One. Rather than explaining it, why not see it for yourself?
Here’s a glimpse of a few of the Speech Olympiad XVII flyers in all their glory! ✨
As you can see, the theme “Breaking Boundaries” wasn’t just in the tagline. It was woven into the very design of our flyers. Using borders and whitespace, we visually broke boundaries as the event progressed.
Kudos to our amazing PR Pillar Heads and Committee for pulling off this masterpiece! 👏
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the gears were turning. Event dates? Locked in. ✅ Proposals and sponsorship documents? Drafted, reviewed, and sent out. 💰
With each step, Speech Olympiad XVII was coming to life. Fast forward through many more Avengers Assembles…
It was finally the week of the Preliminary Rounds. Participants were eagerly registering, ready to unveil their stories and make their mark. They were mentored by none other than fellow Gaveliers, some of whom were competing themselves!
This is where the true spirit of Gavel Mora shines through. Unlike other competitions that focus on inter-university rivalry, we center on intra-university growth. The goal isn’t just to win. It’s to raise the standard of our speakers and help each other along the way. Speech Olympiad is more than just a competition; it’s a platform where friends help friends. 🙌
And that’s what makes it all worth it.
Amidst the hustle of speech preparations, we still had to get everything else in order. And that’s where the “Maha Logistics Checklist” came into play. From booking the hall to making sure we had Panadol (just in case 😅), this checklist covered every little detail needed to make the event run smoothly.
If I tried explaining it all here, this blog would definitely turn into a book! 📚 But if you’re curious (or, you know, one of the future co-chairs), Akindu is the person to call. He’s the mastermind behind the logistics that kept everything on track! You tell him your requirements, consider it done! 😎
Now, if you’re wondering why our other Co-Chair, Sasindi, has been a bit quiet in this blog… trust me, she’s anything but silent. 😅 In simple terms, she was our HR. The one who kept everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Whether it was communication with the organizing committee members or coordinating with our sponsors, Sasindi was the point of contact. If you needed anything, she was the one to make it happen! 📞
The days leading up to the Preliminary Round were filled with long nights of mentoring, organizing, and juggling both. I vividly remember going home the night before the Preliminary Round (January 18th) closer to midnight. You see, January 19th was my mom's birthday, and a few cousins were planning a midnight surprise for her. So, I had to time everything just right… and it worked out perfectly! 🎉
We cut the cake, and then, after everything, I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep before waking up at 5 AM to get ready and head to the university.
It was the day of the Preliminary Round. I stepped into the quiet, crisp breeze of the university, feeling both the weight of anticipation and excitement.
But little did I know, this would just be the beginning of an unforgettable day… and an even bigger journey ahead. What happened next? Well, that’s a story for another time. Stay tuned! 😏
P.S. I do remember about December 10th, you’ll know the reason in the next one…
#SOXVII
#GavelMora
#UnveiledUnleashedUnbound
