Westland High School Student Selected to Compete in National Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest
by Kathy Burgan

Ohio’s second annual Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, March 10 at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus. Westland High School student Tony Jackson was selected as the national representative from Ohio and will advance to the national finals April 30 - May 1, 2007, in Washington, D.C.

Seven students from Ohio participated in the event. Participants included: Steven Myers from Amanda Clearcreek High School, Amanda; Jamie Brew from Columbus Alternative High School, Rebecca Beard from FCI Academy, and Robert Jones, from Eastmoor Academy, Columbus; Lesley Fisher from Granville High School, Granville; Kaitlyn Mundy from Logan Hocking High School, Logan; and Tony Jackson from Westland High School, Galloway. Three final winners were selected. Jamie Brew from Columbus Alternative High School placed second in the competition and in third place was Lesley Fisher from Granville High School.

Poetry Out Loud is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association. Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

The winner at the state level received $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the 2007 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. The state winner's school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up received $200, with $200 for his or her school library, and the second runner-up received $100 with $50 for his or her school library. Additionally, a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

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