Celebrating Our Storytellers

Blake (3)

AMINEF’s coveted WORDS competition was held on 24 February 2020 by SMKN 1 Turen. ETA Blake Lapin worked with the students to develop their stories for two to three weeks before the competition. Because it came at a busy time for tenth-grade students, two days before mid-year testing, Blake was unsure of who would have the time to write their story, draw their storybook, and practice their oration.

On the Monday morning of the competition, he was exuberant by the turnout, thirteen students arrived to tell their stories. Although it was a long day with a few technical and logistical inconveniences, the whole English teaching department arrived to cheer on the tenth graders, and so did many of the participant’s friends who either came to help the competition go smoothly as volunteers or to support as lively audience members.

Blake (1)

Blake (2)

By the end of the competition the two judges, Ibu Dwiany and ETA Shanze ‘Aisha’ Tahir winnowed the tense competition down to the third place, Ivan, second place, Sofyan, and first place, Ardi. Blake wishes every student could have a chance to come to Jakarta to compete again but he is relieved that the students had an opportunity to compete in friendly competition, practice their creativity, and be celebrated and appreciated for their excellence.

Blake Lapin is currently teaching at SMKN 1 Turen near Malang, East Java.

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