Jared Morris (16) took first place at Poetry Out Loud, Tyler Alm (18) took second and April Van Wyhe (18) took third place overall on Feb 1o. Morris said, “We are all in newspaper so that is cool.” Morris has battled for and conquered first place the last three years. Morris said, “Lisa Zimmerman has helped me come out of my shell and prepare for Poetry Out Loud.” Preparation includes more than reading over a poem the week before the competition. Alm said, “I spend a lot of the year looking over my poem and trying to memorizing it as best as I can.”

Sharon Eloe, a judge for Poetry Out Loud, said, “You have to memorize the poem itself. You can read a poem and sound really good and have the emotional connection to it. If you don’t have accuracy, no matter how well you do your score is going to go down. There are several different types of judges for the competition.” A variety of judges is needed to make the competition flow smoothly and determine who should win. Eloe said, “There are judges who go for the overall feel and effect of the poem, ones for how well the speaker speaks. I was the accuracy judge.”

Morris said, “I am happy and proud that there are all these other students that are getting into this. I hope they continue this tradition that is starting here at Eaton High School for years to come.” Many people involved with the competition hope that others will join the fun. Alm said, “It’s super fun and I don’t think people give themselves enough credit because everyone can do good.”

State will take place on March 15 in Denver. If Morris is unavailable to compete then Alm will take his place and Van Wyhe will take Alm’s place if she can’t participate. Morris said, “I hope to win this year because that would be great for my senior year.”