Arts in Education - Poetry Out LoudNational Finals UpdateWashington's BreAnna Jones of West Valley High School in Yakima was among 12 finalists of the 52 state champions from around the country who participated in the third national Poetry Out Loud competition held April 28 - 29 in Washington, DC.
BreAnna will recieve a $1,000 scholarship and $500 for her school for making it to the top twelve. Shawntay A. Henry of the United States Virgin Islands captured the audience with her poetry recitations and received the title of 2008 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Washington State CompetitionBreAnna won the state Poetry Out Loud finals in March with her recitations of "Forgetfulness" by Billy Collins, "The Old Swimmin' Hole" by James Whitcomb Riley, and "Vita Nova" by Louise Glück in
Ten students who advanced from regional finals in Pierce, Thurston, Yakima and Spokane counties participated in the state finals, on the University of Puget Sound campus. Through three rounds of poetry recitations they performed works selected from an anthology of more than 500 classic and contemporary poems. Participants were judged by a panel with expertise in various aspects of poetry and performance and awarded points for accuracy, presence, level of difficulty, and other criteria.
In addition to her interest in poetry, sophomore BreAnna is class president, enrolled in honors courses, active on her school’s drill team, and passionate about dance. As the winner of the state finals BreAnna won a $200 prize, her school gets $500 for the purchase of poetry books, and she recieved an all-expenses-paid trip (with a chaperone) to compete in the National Finals in Washington, DC.
BreAnna said her favorite part of being involved in the Poetry Out Loud competition, “was probably the reactions of my family, friends, and teachers after each time I won. It just really shows that no matter what you choose to do, it could be poetry or basketball, if you go at it whole heartedly and don't let what others say affect you, it can be cool, which is amazing all by itself.”
The runner-up, Kayla Marshall, a senior from Tenino High School in Thurston County, won $100 and a $200 stipend for her school. Three students received honorable mentions: Kevin Ma a freshman from Mead High School in Spokane County; Sara Pittman a junior from A.C. Davis High School in Yakima County; and Eric Zuehlsdorff a senior from Puyallup High School in Pierce County.
"Poetry Out Loud made poetry a relevant art form for participating students in Yakima" said regional partner Jessica Moskwa, Executive Director of Allied Arts of Yakima. "We filled up our facility for the regional competition—to see almost 200 people listening to poetry on a Sunday afternoon was a fabulous thing!"
Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Poetry Foundation.
This is the third year that high school students in Washington State were a part of Poetry Out Loud, a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry. More than 150,000 students across the country were expected to participate this year. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with a $20,000 college scholarship for the National Champion.
The state finals were produced in partnership with the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound, and included performances by Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green, poetry slam artists Taylor Mali and Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn, and music by the Kareem Kandi Band.
"It was a huge pleasure to be there, to listen to the students quite literally embody the poems," said Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green, "It was one of the best ways to spend a day I could think of."
Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information on this national program. | ||||||||||
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