Weekly chapel speakers can be somewhat nerve-racking peering out into the teenage audience. Topic choices must keep the listeners? interested and often this is not the easiest task. It certainly does not hurt if the speaker is funny or uses comedy to catch the attention of the audience.

To some chapel is about personal enjoyment and what the speaker has to bring to the audience. Another voice can help others to see different sides. The varieties of speakers are able to reach out to different array of kids.

?I look for someone who has experience in communicating to a teenage audience,? Scott Falk, Bible teacher, said. ?Somebody who wants to come and share the love of God, not someone who pushes guilt on kids (a pressure to conform).

According to a recent poll asking what people thought about chapel, 119 students took the poll out of 287 students on campus; 79 students took the poll seriously and wrote their honest thoughts while 40 others treated it as a joke and had to be discarded.

?Chapel speakers have not made an impression on me because they were not inspiring they just seemed like they were talking,? an anonymous person said. ?Some of the times they were funny but mostly they spoke about the same things I?ve always heard about.?

In responding to the poll, most felt that in order to make an impact on the audience there must be some sort of relating to teenagers.

?I like the homeless guy who spoke,? an anonymous person said. ?Because he was a person that truly appreciated life and everyday opportunities.?

Reactions to the poll were not as flippant as many of the received answers.

?When I saw the poll result, it kind of made me sad to see how everyone takes chapel for granted,? Matthew Karahadian, ?06, said. ?We are lucky to be able to talk about God in our classrooms. Not only has it become hard at public school but even in other countries. It is a freedom we almost ignore.?

Being a speaker can be difficult. Not knowing what to talk about and if you?ll make an impression can intimidate anyone. Yet most speakers have seemed to make somewhat of a good impression since 47 people (40%) felt positively impacted by chapel. This was compared to the 32 students (27%) who were either unsure or not really impacted at all.

For more information about past or upcoming chapel speakers, contact Scott Falk at [email protected].