“I WANT to continue to do what I love and love what I do.” This simple response explains why Mount Carmel School senior, Monica Usi, has been participating in various speech and debate competitions since the 1st grade, including the Primary Grade Forensic Competition (PGFC), National Junior Speech and Debate Association (NJSDA), National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), the Inter- national Thespian Society (ITS), the Valentine N. Sengebau Poetry Competition, and Mock Trial. For over a decade, Monica has pushed herself because, as she put it, “I enjoy expressing myself through speech, poetry, and debate, and have become a better speaker and a better per- son along the way.”
Monica is not alone in her passion for speech and debate. Over the years, hundreds of Mount Carmel School Knights of all ages have distinguished themselves as accomplished orators who have won countless PGFC, NJSDA, and NSDA 1st place ribbons, seven CNMI Mock Trial Championships, and 18 wins in the annual Attorney General’s Cup Speech Competition. Capitalizing on this impressive track record, this year, speakers and debaters at the school came together to form a new club, VOX Knights.
Taking its name from the Latin word for voice, VOX Knights brings together students of all grade levels who use their voice in various interscholastic competitions, including NSDA, NJSDA, PGFC, Mock Trial, and ITS. Together, these students have committed themselves to the club’s mission to “dicere veritas et iustitia”, which in Latin means, “speak truth and justice.”
Boasting a membership of over 100 students, VOX Knights is headed by a team of seasoned orators who have competed in virtually all local speech and debate events. The president, Jeff Matthew Melchor, embraces a growth mindset to push himself and push others. “Every year I join, I always have hope that I will succeed. However, every year I failed, it only made me hungrier to be successful.” Jeff added, “The reason I join is to prove to myself that I can do it.” Jeff’s persistence has paid off, earning him and Monica a couple of Mock Trial championships and the privilege of representing the CNMI at the National High School Mock Trial Competitions in Boise, Idaho in 2016 and in Hartford, Connecticut earlier this year.
Helping Jeff is fellow orator Monica, who, although busy in
Student Council and the school’s Theatre Club, stepped up to serve as the vice president for VOX Knights. When asked why she wanted to lead in that role, Monica answered, “I want to help myself and others become better speakers and better people.”
Monica and Jeff are joined by two other seasoned orators, Secretary Kalea Borja and Treasurer Jim Michael Ham, both of whom have achieved distinction in NJSDA and NSDA. In addition to leading VOX Knights, Kalea decided to compete in ITS to “widen my knowledge in theatre and to improve my public speaking skills in a different field.” For his part, Jim said he competes “to enhance my speech skills and to improve my vocabulary.”
Helping the VOX Knights officers are a group of equally committed coaches and advisers, including Toby Smith, Filmah Buenaflor, Criselda Aldan, Grace Rosete, Zita Sablan, Vir Abueme, and Galvin Deleon Guerrero.
So far this year, VOX Knights have already landed several wins in PGFC, NJSDA, NSDA, and ITS. In the October PGFC meet, the following elementary students placed accordingly: Jaze Enzo San Nicholas (1st place Impromptu), Donray Barcinas (2nd place Impromptu, 4th place Readers Forum), Justin Mallari (3rd place Readers Forum), Oscar Buenaflor (3rd place Impromptu), Ayanna Matsumoto (4th place Impromptu), and Ayden Sean Yumul (5th place Impromptu).
In the October NJSDA meet, the following junior high school students placed accordingly: Kyla Monique Cabrera (1st place Impromptu A, 3rd place Poetry Mas- ters C), Jill Anne Mallari (1st place Poetry Masters C, 3rd place Original Oratory), Raesyl Gerard Solis (2nd place Impromptu A, 3rd place Poetry B), Renee Kiser (2nd place Impromptu B), and Hannah Lacap (2nd place, Poetry B).
In the October NSDA meet, the following high school students placed accordingly: Jeff Mathew Melchor (1st place Dramatic Interpretation, 1st place Prose Masters A, and 4th place Impromptu A), Theresa Zheng (1st place Impromp- tu B, 2nd place Poetry Masters A, 5th place US Extemporaneous), Michelle Palacios (1st place Poetry Masters A), Amy Rose Cabanting (2nd place Dramatic Interpretation, 5th place Poetry Masters A, 5th place Prose Masters A), Monica Usi (2nd place Original Oratory, 5th place Expository), Jonelle Toskas (3rd place Poetry Masters B, 4th place Original Oratory, 4th place Expository), and Jim Michael Ham (4th place Impromptu C).
In the October ITS meet, the following high school students placed accordingly: Jan Bobadilla (1st place Short Film), and Kalea Borja and Alvin Palacios (3rd place Short Film).
