CNMI students who participated in the recent virtual National Speech & Debate Association competition had to be online from 12 midnight to 9:30 a.m.
That was the hardest part of the contest, said Jonathan Wolf who is now a senior at Marianas High School.
He made it to the Top 7% and advanced to the storytelling quarterfinals.
This year, there were over 6,013 competitors from 1,316 schools across the nation.
“Some of the competitors only had to submit videos of their performance, but my competitions were carried out via live virtual performances,” Wolf said.
“My competition started at 12 midnight Saipan time, all the way through 9 in the morning the following day, and then I repeat the process every time I advanced to the next round. It’s like working night shifts. It’s funny because my mom gave early notice to our neighbors about my competitions being in the middle of the night, and I’m sure some of them didn’t expect it to be way, way, way early,” he said.
The other participating CNMI students were Marianas High School’s Vivien Liu who competed in U.S. extemporaneous speaking; Maria Bonto, original oratory; Jaehoon Son, international extemporaneous speaking; Lars Wolf, dramatic interpretation; and Anastasia Shamanaeva, Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
In the supplemental events, Mount Carmel School’s Victoria Santos and Kagman High School’s Issa Teigita competed in prose reading; MCS’s Jill Ann Mallari and KHS’s Oceana Teigita competed in poetry reading; MHS’s James Keaton competed in expository speaking; MHS’s Timothy Acosta competed in expository speaking; and Saipan International School’s Jesus Sablan in storytelling.
CNMI students also participated in extra events: Santos in expository speech; Mallari in expository speech and prose reading; Acosta in storytelling; Shamanaeva in pro/con challenge; Bonto in prepared prompt speaking; Keaton in pro/con challenge and prepared prompt speaking; Lars Wolf in prose reading and storytelling; and Jonathan Wolf in prose reading, poetry reading and storytelling.
Jonathan Wolf advanced to the quarterfinal round in storytelling, besting 370 students and placing him in the Top 7% of the nation.
In the poetry interpretation, he advanced to the octafinal round, besting 400 students and placing him in the Top 20% in the nation.
In the main event competition, he took a spot in the Top 30% in humorous interpretation besting 225 students.
Competing virtually in six preliminary rounds, Shamanaeva, for her part, scored 27.5 out of 30 in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
Vivien Lie almost advanced to the elimination round in U.S. extemporaneous speaking with an average score of 4.75, and the highest round placement of third.
The other CNMI competitors who almost reached the elimination round were Lars Wolf in storytelling, garnering an average score of 4; Mallari, in poetry with an average score of 3.75, and in expository speaking, 3.5; Shamanaeva in pro/con challenge, 4.75; Santos in expository, 3.75; and Bonto, in impromptu, 4.75.
The CNMI coaches were Loremel Hocog of KHS; Kristine Wolf, MHS; Criselda Aldan, MCS; and Cary Bertoncini, SIS.
In the middle school speech challenge, Celine Park of Saipan Community School nearly advanced to the next break, placing third in dramatic interpretation; Chealzka M. Navarro of Green Meadow School was fourth in prepared prompt speaking; and Noreen Malakai of Francisco Sablan Middle School placed fourth in dramatic interpretation and poetry.
They were all recognized during the awards ceremony for making it to the Top 10.
Jonathan Wolf
