Imagine presenting a seven-minute speech about Bolivia’s lithium reserves, Venezuelan democracy or Colombian conflicts with only 30 minutes of preparation. And imagine if, prior to your speech, you had no knowledge whatsoever about any of these topics. Most people would probably feel intimidated, or even scared, by this endeavor. However, for Gordy Sun (12), this is his natural habitat, otherwise known as Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in Speech and Debate. 

“My favorite part of Extemp is the excitement,” Gordy said. “Because Extemp is such a time-oriented activity, your speech kind of comes off with the flow, so I think I really enjoy the adrenaline rush.”

Initially, Gordy started participating in Extemp to satisfy his long-term fascination with the world and his desire to learn about foreign affairs. In his early childhood, Gordy was already interested; however, it wasn’t until high school when Gordy began to actually pursue this passion.

“To an extent, I think any activity people do in high school feels like it’s very much in a vacuum and detached from reality,” Gordy said. “My end goal in international affairs was not just to be an analyst sitting in a room or something like that. I want to be a part of producing meaningful change on an international diplomatic scale.”

Specifically, Gordy is interested in Korean affairs due to its continuously evolving nature and Korea’s relationship with the United States. He also explains the uniqueness of the country and how it compares to other Asian countries.

“I’ve always been really interested in Korea, because I feel like every nation in East Asia has their own unique identity,” Gordy said. “Korea is sandwiched between Japan and China and historically has been an imperial domain of China or colonized by Japan. So, they’ve developed this really unique, fiercely independent national identity.”

Last summer, Gordy studied abroad in South Korea for six weeks to learn more about their government structure and society. After his trip, he learned a great amount about how his home compares to places around the world.

“I realized just how much of a bubble we have living here in the Bay Area,” Gordy said. “That’s a good thing to an extent but also a bad thing, because the program had kids from all over the U.S. My two best friends there were a guy from New York and a dude from New Jersey, and meeting all these new people broadened my horizons.”

Gordy’s trip to Korea ultimately cemented his love for international affairs, and he loves regularly participating in Extemp tournaments to stay connected with foreign issues. Each round of Extemp, Gordy receives different topics about a new region of the world and its events or conflicts. He chooses one of three options and begins researching. 

“When Extemp forces you into uncomfortable situations where you have to broaden your horizons, that’s where the learning happens. At the start of last year, I didn’t know much about Latin America, but every time I had a round where the topic area was Latin America, I would always learn something new.”

Upper school speech and debate coach Scott Odekirk, highlights what Gordy brings to a team as an Extemp student. Gordy’s bravery in the field, despite mistakes or challenges, inspires Odekirk and students alike.

“Gordy is one of the most courageous practice speakers on our team. He’s willing to give a bad speech in front of the class and watch me criticize it,” Odekirk said. “He’s willing to have me cross examine him, live in front of the group, even if he does a really bad job and the other people learn from it. He also has great moments of triumph, which they see too. That willingness to succeed and fail in front of people is so uncommon, and it helps everybody else in the group learn.”

One of Gordy’s most memorable moments while participating in Extemp was during a Kentucky tournament last year. His team’s returning flight was delayed and his group missed the transfer. As a result, they had to find a last-minute hotel in Kentucky. 

“Everyone on the team was just talking and eating dinner that we Doordashed and it was a cool experience. I was pretty happy with my result but I was also able to talk outside of a competitive setting. I was talking to that year’s seniors, who I really looked up to and the younger members of the team as well.”

This memory from Gordy’s Extemp tournament reflects his outgoing and bubbly personality, as his mindset is largely centered on creating memories with the Extemp community. Close friend and speech classmate Ansh Sheth (12), who met Gordy through a middle school event, emphasizes Gordy’s everlasting hospitality mixed with street-smart knowledge.

“He knows a lot about a lot of different things,” Ansh said. “For example, he always reads random Wikipedia articles and always follows New York Times notifications. He’s also very funny, easy to be around and a great caring person overall. Hanging out with him is always very intellectual, because he’s never boring. There’s always something new that you can talk about. He always manages to kind of ensure that everyone is being heard and included in the conversation.”

Along with his thirst for knowledge, Gordy has a compassionate and down-to-earth personality, especially noted by close friend Dhruv Trivedi (12), who met Gordy through Discord freshman year. 

“Gordy’s unique just because of his ability to analyze things,” Dhruv said. “You can come to him with problems. A lot of the time, when it comes to people’s problems, most say, ‘Oh, I’m there for you, that’s tough,’ but he’s one of the few people that will empathize with you. He’ll also help me navigate it and get through.”.

Gordy adds his perspective to his personality, hoping that other students see him as a friendly face and someone easy to talk to, beyond his heavy roots in the world of international relations.

“I want to be remembered as someone who’s very cheerful, and a good person, optimistic,” Gordy said. “Naturally I’m very extroverted, but at the end of the day I just want to be remembered as a good-natured, positive, benevolent individual.”