Alcantara and Guiao rule Sengebau poetry contest

Hopwood Jr. High School’s Mikhail Alcantara and Saipan Southern High School’s Lallane Guiao were hailed champions in the 2011 Valentine N. Sengebau Poetry Competition held at the American Memorial Park Visitors Center Theater Tuesday night.

Alcantara, a Spelling Bee champion and award-winning thespian, bested 11 other entries in the Junior Division with his reading of Sengebau’s poem Man and Life. This was his first time to join the competition.

Contestants in the Junior Division were asked to read any of Sengebau’s poems from Microchild, an anthology of poems written by the Palauan poet who spent the last 25 years of his life on Saipan.

In an interview after the event, Alcantara said his victory came as a surprise since he only had a few days to study his piece after the school found out about the competition on Friday.

“Basically, when I was flipping through all the poems in the anthology, I was able to spot Man and Life and I was able to see the message and to me, it was a very inspiring message: that we should take care of our Mother Earth because it’s where we live and we need to help each other,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Alcantara’s mother and coach, Joy, said that she couldn’t believe it when she heard the organizers name her son the winner. “That’s his first time to join a poetry contest. I’m very proud,” said Joy, who was at the event with husband Jerry and daughter Jan Kimberly.

Meanwhile, Saipan Southern High’s Guiao outshone 15 other entries in the Senior Division for her own composition called Survive. She said this is her third time to join and win the competition. She placed second in last year’s contest and won first place when she was in 8th grade.

Guiao, who is one-quarter Chamorro, said her poem talks about her desire for the local culture to survive. “It really is important to emphasize the importance of culture in our society since it is gradually fading,” she said.

Guiao’s father, Hilario, was a proud dad. “I’m very happy and proud of my daughter. I’ve always been proud of her. I hope she continues reaching for her dreams,” he added.

The NMI Council for the Humanities, which organized the event, awarded perpetual plaques to the two champions.

The annual event, now on its eighth year, aims to commemorate the legacy of Micronesia’s foremost poet and to support the work of young poets on the islands.

Other winners for the Junior Division were Calvary Christian Academy’s Minna Ito, second place; Chacha Ocean View Jr. High School’s Christine Kaipat, third place; Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior High School’s Thomas Manglona II, first honorable mention; and Marianas Baptist Academy’s Yuuki Nishida, third honorable mention.

For the Senior Division, other winners were Mount Carmel School’s Anastasia Schweiger and Jimin Ryu, second place; Kagman High School’s Elloise Lotoc, third place; Grace Christian Academy’s Lauren Hofschneider, first honorable mention; and Tinian High School’s Chloe Hofschneider, second honorable mention.

This year’s judges were Catherine Rosario Perry, Galvin Deleon Guerrero, Robert H. Hunter, Katharyn Tuten-Puckett, and Leo Goode Jr.

Humanities Council program officer Merced Ada said that contestants for the Junior division were judged based on their introduction of Sengebau’s poem, which includes why they chose it, its meaning, and how it relates to their own lives; and the recital part, which includes eye contact, body language, voice quality, clarity of language, and overall impact.

For the Senior Division, Ada said that contestants were judged based on their poems’ ideas, poetic language, and imagery and on the recital part.

“Turnout was really great because we had more schools represented this year. We’re hoping to do it every October as part of Humanities Month celebration,” said Ada.

Council executive director Scott Russell said he was very impressed with the level of performance of all contestants.

“My hat is off to them for taking the time and putting in the intellectual thought and effort to create original works of literary art,” Russell said.