NFL and NJFL are national programs coordinated by the Public School System to select the students who will compete in the national competitions set next year in the states.
This year marked the 10th NFL competition on island and there will be four rounds of contests to select the CNMI’s representatives to the regional and national events.
Harold Easton, president of the NFL board and chapter coordinator for the International Thespian Society, said 17 public and private schools joined Saturday’s event.
“The CNMI has been holding NFL contest for the past 10 years and every year local students show big chances of making it in the national level. Our records for the past two years are proof that our students competed extremely well in the national contests and it is our goal to continue that direction,” Easton told Variety.
Easton said NFL and NJFL events allow students to excel in public speaking and develop their other skills in communications.
This year, he added, participants showed enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to win awards and get a chance to represent the islands at the national level.
Easton said in the four preliminary events, ribbons will be given to the winning contenders while medals will be awarded in the regional contest.
Easton said they were elated with the students’ “performance and turnout.”
“We’re anticipating more entries in the next series of contests because Rota and Tinian expressed their desire to be in the competition this year,” he said.
On Oct. 4, PSS conducted the primary grade forensic league events for kindergarten to fifth grade students.
Held at Kagman Elementary School, the event saw the involvement of hundreds of students.
Unlike NFL and NJFL, there is no national contest for the PGFC, which aims to prepare students for the junior and senior league competitions.
Among the events on Saturday were prose, poetry, humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, debate, impromptu and duo interpretation.
The competitions were organized by the National Forensic League Board in collaboration with the Public School System.
