By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

HUNDREDS of students from private and public schools joined the second part of the regional forensic league competitions held on Saturday at William S. Reyes Elementary School.
Conducted in 22 rooms, the contest involved about 450 event entries with students from kindergarten to 12th grade and was organized by the National Forensic League in the Western Pacific Region.
The regional contest is slated for three days — April 14, 21, and 28.
Gold medalists will be sent to the national competitions in the U.S.
“Last week we had about 300 event entries and over 500 this week — we’re expecting by next week another 500 entries,” Stephen Smith, overall event coordinator, told Variety
Nearly 40 private and public schools are participating in the local competition.
Smith said this year marks the biggest “turnout” in terms of participants.
Next week, the regional math court competition, which is also part of the forensic league, will be held at Dandan Elementary School and Marianas High School.
Nine students from the Middle School Forensic League will be sent this year to Greeley, Colorado; 14 from the National Forensic League will go to Wichita, Kansas; 11 students will participate in the Lincoln-Douglas debate; and the winners of the thespian contests will be sent to Nebraska.
Smith said this season marks the eighth year of the CNMI Regional Forensic Competition.
“It keeps growing every year. In our first year, we had 165 entries…and now we’re talking about thousands,” he said.
Smith said it is the objective of the contest to “expand interest in learning and have fun in academics.”
He said next year, they plan to incorporate the Spelling Bee as well as the science and social studies contests.
Last Saturday, about 500 recognitions, including medals and ribbons, were awarded to the winning students.
Five top winners were chosen in each event category — reader forum, impromptu speech, choral speech, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, duo interpretation and the thespian competition.