On February 15, Tia Jones competed in the Poetry Out Loud competition and took first place for her recitation of her historical poem named To My Ladies by Lady Mary Chudleigh. For weeks, students prepared for the Poetry Out Loud Contest. Haileigh Williams (15), Teesha Prichard (12), Cassie Maack (13), Britten Abbott (13), Tia Jones (15), Avery Jones (14), and Ciera Kieler (13) participated in the qualification contest after school in the auditorium. The Jazz band accompanied the reciters, giving judges time to score. The band played songs such as: Man and the Mirror, The Revenge of the Chilie Peppers, Doxy, Rock Around the Clock, My Favorite Things, and Fantasy. “The mixture of the two arts is awesome,” said Justin Gebauer (14). English teacher, Deierdre Jones, and Drama instructor, Kendra Campbell, hosted the event. An accomplished poet, Liza Zimmerman, recited a few of other famous poems to the audience. “Exposure to the recitation of poetry opens you up to different interpretations other than your own,” said Teesha Prichard (12). Listening to poetry is a learning experience that many benefited from. Whether or not the poem is modern or historical, the exposure benefits what teenagers learn. Tia Jones (14) said, “My poem is 17th century old. No one is going to know what I’m saying, but it is a form of art. Poetry is art.” She said she was so worried that she would mix up her beginning theatre lines and her poetry lines, since she just decided to join Poetry Out Loud a week before. At the end of the event, the winners were announced; It was a close competition between Tia Jones and Avery Jones. In the end, Tia Jones received a $30 gift certificate and a poetry book from the guest poet, Liza Zimmerman for winning 1st place. Tia Jones (14) said, “I was very overwhelmed and nervous, because representing my school is a big deal.” She will move to the state Poetry Out Loud Contest on May 20, but if Tia Jones can’t compete in the competition, her replacement is Avery Jones.
The recitation of poems gave students the opportunity to practice physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, and showing their comprehension skills in front of an audience. Ciera Kieler (13) said, “This is an act of performing. I’m a drama person and it helps my onstage performance.” Judges allow students to see their score when fished to benefit from the experience. Poetry Out Loud helps students in the long run whether they win or not.
The Poetry Out Loud Contest is a contest that encourages kids to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation. Over 350,000 kids compete in the competition every year from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Puerto Rico kids. However, only schools registered with their state Poetry Out Loud coordinator are able to be considered to compete in the competition in grades 9-12. The number of participants is continuing to grow. Winners of the class-room level advance to a school-wide competition, to the regional competition, then to the state competition, and finally to the Nation Finals. The winners receive money and all expense-paid trips to advance to the next competition. Students have the opportunity to win a $20 thousand scholarship in the National Competition in Washington, DC, on May 13-15. The Poetry Out Loud Contest is partnered with The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation.