By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Youth Affairs held its annual oratorical contest on Saturday and the winners will become the governor and lt. governor for a day in April.
Every year, middle and high school students prepare a three- to five-minute speech appropriate for the theme. This year’s theme is, “If youth don’t, then who will?”
DYA program coordinator Rebecca Respicio told Variety that this is the first time in a while that public school students joined the contest.
Taking the seat as “governor” on Island Leadership Day in April will be Southern High School 10th grader Jesse Quenga, while the “lt. governor” will be Augeda Johnston Middle School 8th grader Olivia Flores.
The contest was held at the Saint Anthony School Gymnasium in Tamuning. Public and private secondary school students participated in the contest.
Many of the speeches delivered were about current events dealing with the youth such as school violence, drugs, teenage pregnancy, and the numerous suggestions that they believe could solve the Guam Public School System’s financial problems.
One of the ideas suggested was for the 29th Guam Legislature to raise the real property tax and have 50 percent of that additional income earmarked for GPSS.
Flores and Quenga will not be the only students participating in the Island Leadership Day events. Numerous other students are invited to participate. They can be a mayor, a business owner, or a high ranking military official for that day.
Respicio suggested that students interested in participating in the April 18 event to talk with their student body associations for the selection process.
DYA is also encouraging government of Guam agencies, private businesses, and the military to contact them to host a student for that day.
Interested parties can contact Respicio or Pascual Artero at 735-5032.