CNMI bags 16 awards in Guam Chamorro Competition

  CNMI Public School System students emerged victorious in the Chamorro Language Competition held in Guam this week after they bagged 16 major awards in various categories.

Out of the 42 total awards, CNMI students went home yesterday with eight gold, seven silver; and one bronze medal for various categories which included spelling, storytelling, drawing, children’s choir, oratorical, poetry recitation, essay, chant, choral reading, proficiency, poetry reading, female and male singer, song with dance, and dramatic cultural interpretation.

For the elementary division, hailed winners were Breanna Camacho who took first place in storytelling, Samantha Sandbergen who won silver for spelling, and CNMI-PSS which emerged second place in the children’s choir category.

For middle school division, the three gold medalists were Angelika Narvaez for oratorical, Michelle Quichocho in poetry recitation, and Manantigu Club of Tinian for choral reading.

Also hailed silver medalists in the division were Nicole Quichocho and Alejandra Camacho for essay. CNMI-PSS also bagged second and third places in choral reading and chant categories.

In the high school division, gold medal awardees were Margaret Tudela for oratorical; Francine Sablan for poetry reading; Chloe Hofschneider for female singer; and the CNMI-PSS group for dramatic interpretation.

Silver medal winners were Jennalyn Babauta for proficiency and Jared Borja for male singer. CNMI-PSS was also the silver medal awardee in the song and dance category for the high school division.

Among the CNMI public schools that emerged victorious in the competition was Tinian Junior and Senior High School which entered in the following categories: essay, proficiency, play, male singer, and female singer.

The school group was the gold medal winner in the cultural interpretation and play category for high school.

Principal Julian Hofschneider said he was happy about the competition’s turnout where both male and female contenders emerged winners. Jared Borja played his late father’s composition, while Chloe D. Hofschneider emerged first place in singing after performing her father’s own composition.

Saipan Tribune learned that this is the fourth gold medal award received by Hofschneider in the same category ever since she joined the competition.

“I have been involved as a principal, both in TES and TJSHS, and as a teacher since the inception of this annual competition at the University of Guam and I can say that, every year, the competition gets tougher. The move to revive and preserve the Chamorro language in Guam is very strong and we can see the great improvement amongst their youngsters in every competition-and I commend them for that.  To our students, great job and remember that hard work and dedication always pays off,” the principal told Saipan Tribune yesterday, adding the Tinian group is thankful for their supporters which include Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz and the Tinian municipal council.

The annual Chamoru language competition is part of the University of Guam’s Charter Day activities on its 60th anniversary. There were 29 participating schools and one Chamoru language club in this year’s competition in 19 categories.