Ohio Students Compete in Poetry Out Loud State Finals
by Jaclyn Reynolds
Students from 24 schools will participate in the Poetry Out Loud state finals on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 4 p.m. following a day of preliminary competition. This event will be held at Ohio Dominican University at the Matesich Theatre, Erskine Hall in Columbus.
Since fall 2007, more than 3900 students from 32 high schools from Ohio have taken part in the 2008 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance.
Poetry Out Loud builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among youth. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
The participants in Ohio's 2008 finals include:
Tia Rhoten
Amanda-Clearcreek High School, Amanda
Eric D. Du
Bellefontaine High School, Bellefontaine
Brad Sidwell
Central Crossing High School, Grove City
Tom D. Kilian
Chagrin Falls High School, Chagrin Falls
Rachel Chandler
Chaminade-Julienne, Dayton
Judith Wertheim
Cleveland Heights High School, Cleveland Heights
Ben Leach
Columbus Alternative High School, Columbus
Shameaca Moore
Eastmoor Academy High School, Columbus
Lesley Fisher
Granville High School, Granville
Alyssa L. Mowery
Green High School, Green
Michaela Herrick
Logan Hocking High School, Logan
Garrick Robertson
Madison High School, Madison
Madeline Piehl
Medina High School, Medina
Tyler Gorham
Millersport High School, Millersport
Jasmin Cannon
Purcell Marian High School, Cincinnati
Whitlee T. Hogans
Premier Academy of Ohio, Columbus
DeSean Sams
Reynoldsburg High School, Reynoldsburg
Clover Harris
Streetsboro High School, Streetsboro
Alicia Boardman
Tallmadge High School, Tallmadge
Tangina Stone
Timken Senior High School, Canton
Sarah Barringer
Upper Arlington High, Columbus
Edna Lebbe
Westerville South High School, Westerville
Svetlana I. Posykalyuk
Westland High School, Galloway
Sadie J. Shafer
West Liberty-Salem High School, West Liberty
The winner at the state level will receive $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The second runner-up will receive $200, with $200 for his or her school library. The third runner-up will receive $100 with $50 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals held on April 28-29 in Washington D.C.
After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC and Chicago, the second year of Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools across America in the winter and spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. Ohio high school student Jackson Hille won the inaugural National Finals in 2006.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation are presenting Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council. The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have each contributed $500,000 towards the 2008 Poetry Out Loud program in support of materials, grants, prizes and the National Finals in April. Ohio will receive approximately $10,000 from this budget, with matching funds provided by the Ohio Arts Council.
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. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and military bases.
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
[top]