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30th AG’s Cup speech competition on Tinian today
Six students representing six public and private schools in the CNMI will go head to head today in the 30th Annual Attorney General’s Cup Speech Competition, which will begin at 8am at the Tinian Jr./Sr. High School cafeteria.
The student speakers are Mount Carmel School’s Andrea Lazaro, Marianas High School’s Matthew Lopez, Marianas Baptist Academy’s Yui Ito, Saipan Southern High School’s Katrina Cruz, Kagman High School’s Lou Shrine Guevarra, and Tinian High School’s Kyle Sanbergen.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, the topic the student’s speeches will focus on is “the federal takeover of the Commonwealth’s immigration system.” Students will research the federal Consolidated Natural Resource Act that mandates the non-immigrant worker population in the CNMI to be phased out.
The speakers for the past month have been researching laws and requirements to formulate their 10-minute speech. The competitors are also expected to make their own recommendations on how the federal government should address the issue.
Sanbergen told Saipan Tribune that he appreciates the speech topic as a veteran competitor in the annual speech tilt.
“The topic for this year’s AG’s Cup is undoubtedly one of the most critical issues concerning the CNMI, if not the most heatedly discussed,” he said. “I feel that this year’s topic poses a really tough challenge, as it is a very complex issue with details so numerous in quantity that people tend to overlook them.”
Fellow competitor Guevarra said the topic is something that needs to be urgently addressed.
“It breaks my heart knowing that families may be separated at the end of the year,” she said.
She added that several of her classes and teammates have assisted her over the month in perfecting her presentation and syntax.
Mount Carmel School is this year’s defending champion and the team to beat. The sole Catholic school on Saipan has been holding the perpetual trophy for 15 years now.
