He straightened his shoulders slightly, now slipping into his formal tone.
"But truly, it's an honor to welcome everyone today. This is a semi formal, widely broadcasted event where the brightest of our academy get to show off their talent major skills. And this year… we have quite the lineup."
He winked. The cameras zoomed in.
"Before we begin the student performances, we must acknowledge the presence of several highly distinguished guests with us this afternoon."
He took a dramatic breath, flipped a golden notecard, and began:
"First, we welcome The Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sir Damian Knox, also known in political circles as 'the diplomat you don't want to argue with on a Monday.'"
A chuckle moved through the crowd as the camera panned to a tall, stern man in a grey suit nodding graciously.
"Sitting beside him is his daughter, Stephanie Knox, our very own year 3 class representative, sharp tongue, sharper GPA!"
